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Wheller
|
732
| 9 |
DJ P0N-3,Octavia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Broken Record
|
Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.
|
complete
| 28 | 5 |
<p>Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-09T17:26:51+00:00
|
2011-09-09T17:26:51+00:00
| 2,080 |
Chapter 9
The song ended, Princess Luna pulled the needle off the record and crossed the room to the table; she picked up a glass jar full of ashes in her mouth and began spreading the jar’s contents around the perimeter of the room.
Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Vinyl only watched in silence at the Princess’ task, utterly confused as to what she was doing. Eventually she made her way back around to the front of the circle she had made, and set the empty jar back down.
“I love that song, you know? It was written during my exile... but it might as well have been written for me,” Luna said.
“You know Princess? You’re not a bad singer!” Vinyl said, grinning like a madmare. “It’s almost a shame that you’re the princess, otherwise I think your calling would have been as an entertainer.”
Rainbow and Twilight looked at their friend oddly, unsure of where she was going with this, but they chose not to say anything unless Vinyl was onto something.
“Why thank you!” Luna said with a smile. “I don’t think we’ve met miss...?”
“Vinyl Scratch... though you may be more familiar with me as DJ Pon3.”
Luna tilted her head to the side. “Who?”
“That’s all right, I’m sort of famous, but not like Sapphire Shores famous,” Vinyl admitted.
“Who?” Luna asked again.
“Heh,” Vinyl chuckled. “I’m not Pips Domino famous,” noting the author of the song that Luna had been listening to.
Luna chuckled. “Nopony is Pips Domino famous.”
“When I was a filly, I used to sing his songs on a street corner, I love them!” Vinyl said enthusiastically.
“As do I... I’m not lowering the shields. Nice try though,” Luna said, seeing right through Vinyl’s attempt to gain her trust through mutual admiration. “You all are practically swimming in the Siblings taint. I’m not taking any chances.”
“Princess please! You have to come back with us! You’re not well! Your doctors only want to help you!” Twilight cried out.
Luna snorted, steam billowing from her nostrils. “My doctors are the Siblings Nightmare!” She shouted.
And then it all started to make sense. Twilight understood Applejack’s behaviour at Fluttershy’s cottage. After the explosion of Sugarcube corner the previous October, She and all her friends had gone to the Royal Hospital for treatment... they too had all been treated by the Siblings Nightmare in some way, the Siblings had poisoned their friends against each other. They had to, and it made since why.
They were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The same magic that had split Nightmare Essence, the Herald of Chaos, from Princess Luna and separating him into the Siblings Nightmare. The Elements of Harmony only worked when they were all together, and by poisoning them against each other, it gave the Siblings unchecked power to do as they pleased with Equestria, nopony could stop them.
Twilight’s mouth fell open at the realisation. Princess Luna nodded at her.
“Then... you’re not...” Twilight began.
“No. Despite their best efforts, sanity is something I still have,” Luna assured her.
“But... surely, Princess Celestia...”
“Tia knows far more than she’s letting on. She’s not going to do anything about it though,” Luna said. “Not much she can do without breaking the rules, and it’s not something she’s willing to do.”
“Rules?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“You have me there. I don’t remember a lot from before being Nightmare Moon and the exile on the moon. I do remember something about the rules... just not what they are,” Luna said with a shrug. “What I do remember is mostly about Tia, you wouldn’t know it, but she’s the shy one. Not me. When I first came to Ponyville, it was because a thousand years passed... and I had just gotten done being Nightmare Moon. Tia on the other hoof wouldn’t do anything outside her comfort zone unless I prodded her to,” Luna said. “Before my exile, Equestria enjoyed healthy relations with the Cossacks, once I was gone, Tia shut them out and everypony gradually forgot all about them.”
The three ponies cocked their heads in confusion.
“Exactly,” Luna said. “Tell me Twilight; does Kazaki konfederatsiya, sound at all familiar to you?”
It did. The package from South Island containing engine parts for the Lord Stuart had a customs stamp that said that. Twilight nodded her head in affirmation.
“Hold on, if Princess Celestia shut everyone else out, what about the gryphons? Why did we talk to them?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I would imagine because there wasn’t much other choice,” Luna said. “Gryphons are hyper-aggressive, and they also happen to be right on our doorstep. Keeping them happy was something that Tia needed to do to satisfy her need to protect her children... and now that she’s accepted the ambassador from South Island; it’s going to be impossible to continue doing that... Equestria will go to war... the problem is we have nothing to go to war with. Gunpowder may have been invented in Equestria, but we’ve long since forgotten it,” Luna said, half talking to herself more than anything else.
“The kangaroos will help us! I’ve seen it!” Rainbow Dash called out.
“Yes. That might be why you’re swimming in their taint,” Luna said. “While I have no doubts that South Island will support us, you should take everything you saw with a grain of salt. The Siblings Nightmare are not here to help us. Everything they’ve done has been in their best interests, not ours. If they showed you something, it’s because they want it to happen that way.”
“They said that the flashes were from Overdrive...” Rainbow said.
“And some of them likely were,” Luna said. “He’s out there, in this forest right now, the Grey Smoke? That’s him.”
“You seem to know a lot princess...” Twilight said.
Luna smiled and gave the unicorn a small chuckle. “Twilight Sparkle, do you think that you’re the only pony who reads? When I got back, the first thing I did was read every book in the Library you studied at in Canterlot. I read at 4000 words a minute, I pick up on things. I learned a lot about the state of the rest of the world, Kangaros, their allies and Gryphon currently fight on each of our world’s five continents, save one. South Island itself, Gryphons can’t get there because they’re too tied up fighting the Cossacks on what they call the Ostfront.”
“They wouldn’t be dumb enough to attack Equestria if they’re overstretched are they?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Dumb? I wouldn’t call it dumb, what kind of resistance would they meet? There are thirty kangaroos in Equestria with two tanks that are barely operational. The rest of the populace have never even seen a gun before, let alone have any idea what they do. There hasn’t been war in Equestria since before I was exiled. The Gryphons could march from the Hoofson Bay to Canterlot before meeting any kind of resistance at all if they outflanked the Kangaroo XX Corps,” Luna said.
“That’s all fine and dandy! What are we doing standing around here while we could be doing something about it!” Rainbow Dash called out in annoyance.
Luna frowned at the pegasi before her. “I would... the problem is I don’t know where to go from here. I was most concerned with escaping from the Royal Hospital... it was actually way easier than I thought it was going to be, that ward I was in was designed to keep Unicorns from escaping, the designers didn’t think to provide safeguards against a unicorn who could break a window and fly out it,” Luna said with a small smile.
“It seems to me that the key is going to be the kangaroo ambassador, and getting Princess Celestia to go to war with the gryphons. If they’re going to attack anyway, the least we can do is get as many kangaroo troops here when they do,” Twilight said. “I don’t exactly like that idea, but I don’t think we’ve got any other options.”
Vinyl and Rainbow Dash agreed.
“You three aren’t going anywhere until I figure out how to clear the Siblings taint from you. I can’t take the chance that they programmed your subconscious to attack me the moment you’re free... It’s more the Paragon style, but I wouldn’t put it past them,” Luna said, opening a book and flipping through the pages.
“What? We’d never do that!” Rainbow Dash cried out as if she was insulted.
“Correct. You wouldn’t. That’s why they wouldn’t give your body the option,” Luna said plainly. “Ah ha! Found it! Remove magical influence... hmm, oddly simple.”
Luna shut the book and walked up to where the three mares were standing. “I’m going to drop the shield, more likely than not, one of you is going to attempt to attack me. I’m going to defend myself with a stunning spell. Whatever you do, don’t move from where you’re standing under any circumstances. If one of you has had their subconscious tampered with... well then there won’t be anything you can do with it.”
Luna lowered the shield around the three ponies to cast the spell.
Twilight leapt forward.
|
Wheller
|
732
| 10 |
DJ P0N-3,Octavia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Broken Record
|
Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.
|
complete
| 28 | 5 |
<p>Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-10T05:33:54+00:00
|
2011-09-10T05:33:54+00:00
| 1,455 |
Chapter 10
Twilight had her at the throat; Princess Luna was on the ground, her life being choked out of her. “I’m so sorry! I’m trying to fight it! I really am! It’s doing it on its own!” she cried out panicking as her hooves had a mind of their own.
Vinyl had been told to stay put, not to do anything should this happen. Forget it; she’s never been very good at keeping promises anyway. Rainbow Dash leapt on top of her, forcing the off-white unicorn to the ground.
“Rainbow! Now is not the time for you to start liking surprise snuggles!” Vinyl grunted with annoyance.
“I’m not doing it on purpose! My body has a mind of its own!” Rainbow Dash said.
“You know that’s funny,” Vinyl grunted as she struggled to get free. “I used the same excuse every time I came home with somepony!”
...
Struggle, Vinyl Scratch remember struggle.
Her first night as a recovering crash addict was a very painful one, every square centimetre of her body ached in pain. Every hair on her mane and every hair in her tail singed as if a small fire had been lit on each one. Her eyes felt as if they were going to implode, her jaw felt as if it was going to break into a thousand pieces and then break into a thousand more.
She screamed in pain, she would have been thrashing about were she not strapped down to a hospital bed. She felt as if she was being boiled alive to be served as a meal for a cannibal. Right now, dying would be a preferable option. Vinyl screamed for death, half-shouting, half-praying for the reaper to come down upon her and haul her off to the endless sleep.
She screamed in disappointment when it did not come. Tears rolled down Vinyl’s muzzle, dripping onto her pillow, she tried to get her head turned around to smother herself with it, but alas, no such release.
Somehow, Vinyl Scratch managed to drift off to sleep. Her dreams, however, were no better. Her literal pain transformed her dream into a hellish nightmare of endless torture by a sadistic pony with green, crash-dust coloured, coat and mane.
She awoke the next morning, feeling incredibly numb. The alchemist’s addiction cure-all had done its job.
Vinyl could never forget it.
...
“Sorry Rainbow!” Vinyl grunted, as she kicked Rainbow Dash hard in the chest, sending the Pegasus pony flying back and hitting her head hard on the stone wall behind them.
Vinyl charged at Twilight, who was too busy squeezing the life out of Princess Luna to take notice, she pummelled the unicorn with a strong headbutt, causing her to release the princess and skitter back onto the floor.
“Cast it! Cast it now!” Vinyl called out to Luna.
The still wheezing Alicorn rose to her feet, concentrating hard as the light from her horn filled the room, washing over the four ponies in the room.
Vinyl felt the light’s warmth hold her, she felt a small presence in the back of her mind retreating, the voice of the evil pony that nagged at her to take a drink, or dust up that was always there, but Vinyl had become extremely good at ignoring faded away.
By the time the light faded away, Vinyl felt better than she ever had in her entire life. As Twilight and Rainbow Dash groggily rose from where they had landed, she looked at the other three ponies in the room.
“All right kids! Who’s ready to go save the world?” She said, grinning like a madmare, brighter than she ever had before.
...
Vinyl Scratch, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Princess Luna were standing outside the door to the throne room. Oddly enough, the guards who would usually be posted here were absent.
“I think somepony was expecting us,” Vinyl said.
Luna nodded. “Tia likes to watch things from a distance... don’t be surprised if she already knows what the siblings forced you to do Twilight, remember: it is not your fault, and don’t let her pin it on you... not that I think she will...” Luna’s voice trailed off as she pushed opened the door.
The hall was empty, apart from Princess Celestia talking with a kangaroo. They presumed that this was the ambassador.
“Wow, they got one here fast!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed quietly.
“Excuse me, ambassador, we have other guests joining us,” Celestia said majestically. “I am very glad to see all of you.”
The kangaroo ambassador turned to face them; he was an older jack, maybe twice the age of Sergeant Tebbs, but his smile was just as genuine. “Hello! I’m Hadrian Goyle, pleased to meet you all.”
This was perhaps the oddest name for a kangaroo that they had encountered, but they liked it nonetheless.
“Ambassador Goyle? Would you please excuse us? I have a private matter to discuss with my sister and her friends,” Celestia said.
“All right...” Goyle said hesitantly, as if this was code for ‘get out of my country and if I ever see you again I will send you to the moon.’ “Sure, I’ll be outside if you need me,” he said accepting the request, and quickly hopped out the doors the four mares had entered in.
“Luna... you really should be in hospital...” Celestia said calmly, irking Luna to no end.
“Save it. Tia, don’t play dumb with me! I deserve better than that after you walked out on me that day five months ago, you remember your last visit, don’t you?” Luna said.
Celestia looked at Luna shyly. “I didn’t know what to do...”
“Damn it Tia! You should have done something! I shouldn’t have to prod you into doing everything that you don’t like!” Luna said. “You ruled on your own for a thousand years! You should have it in you to step outside your comfort zone!”
Celestia did not have a chance to reply, for Hadrian Goyle frantically hopped back into the room. “Begging your pardon your highness! I’ve just received word from the Hoofson bay; the gryphons attacked in force and have routed the XX Corps! They’re falling back towards the St. Germain River, they need your permission to cross it into Equestria; otherwise they’ll be pinned in and slaughtered!”
Celestia looked at the kangaroo, and gave him a soft reply. “No.”
The eyes of every pony, (plus kangaroo) widened.
“Your highness! That’s 45,000 kangaroos! They’re the bulk of South Island’s military force! If they are all killed, nothing will stop the gryphons from invading South Island!” Goyle said frantically.
“My decision stands,” Celestia said. “Out. All of you, out!”
“You don’t have to tell me twice, sister. You’re the last pony I want to be around right now,” Luna said with disgust, all of them walked (or in Goyle’s case, hopped) out of the throne room.
“45,000 troops... all dead,” Goyle said solemnly. “Who am I kidding? If XX Corps is slaughtered, it’ll be the end of kangaroo civilisation all together.”
“Ambassador Goyle,” Princess Luna said confidently. “Tell your forces that they have Princess Luna’s permission to cross the St. Germain River, tell them to fall back to the town of Ponyville in Canterlot Province.”
Twilight gasped at Luna’s words. Luna looked at her friend and smiled. “Tia won’t be happy about it, but I’m ready to face the consequences of this.”
Goyle looked at the night princess and hugged her. “Thank you! Thank you so much! You’ve saved us!” he quickly hopped off to relay the permission.
Luna looked at her friends and smiled. “You three should get home. They’re going to need you.”
|
Wheller
|
732
| 11 |
DJ P0N-3,Octavia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Broken Record
|
Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.
|
complete
| 28 | 5 |
<p>Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-19T16:14:32+00:00
|
2011-09-19T16:14:32+00:00
| 1,608 |
Chapter 11
The Iron Hoof of Cromwell had been parked in the middle of the High Street next to the construction site of the new Sugarcube Corner. Likewise, the Lord Stuart had been parked next to it. Trooper Willoughby and Sapper Dougan were dumping one of the Light tank’s reserve fuel cans into the cruiser tank. The Kangaroo Commandos had surrounded the area, piling up sandbags with the help of Trixie, Derpy, Lyra, and Bon Bon.
“Clearly, they got the message,” Vinyl said as the trio walked down the street.
Trixie turned and looked at the new comers, “Well don’t just stand there! If Trixie can lift sand bags, then so can you!”
“What is that supposed to mean!” Rainbow Dash cried in annoyance, unaware that Trixie was dying of Magical Degradation Syndrome. Otherwise known as Lighthorn’s disease.
Vinyl wasted no time and started helping pile up sandbags.
Sergeant Tebbs hopped up to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, giving them an odd look. “I don’t know what you ponies did... but thank you.”
Tebbs hopped off and climbed inside the Lord Stuart. Trooper Willoughby followed him in, starting up the Light tank’s engine and driving off.
Rainbow Dash had gone to help place sandbags, while Twilight was waved over by Captain Blackthorn and Lieutenant Cutting. They needed somepony with the lay of the land, and that was Twilight Sparkle.
...
“How ya doing Trixie?” Vinyl asked as she placed a sandbag down.
“Trixie is... fatigued, but not complaining,” Trixie said plainly. “They don’t know, and they don’t need to,” she said nudging her head towards the kangaroos.
Vinyl nodded respectfully, she found it admirable that even someone in Trixie’s condition was able to put it aside to lend a helping hoof. Many a pony as sick as her would have used it as an excuse to get out of helping.
Though the more that Vinyl looked around, there weren’t that many ponies helping. Big Macintosh and Braeburn were around the corner, hauling carts filled with sand bags to the other end of the High Street, other than that...
“Where is everypony?” Vinyl asked.
“Hiding,” Trixie said. “Most have barricaded themselves in their basements and cellars. When the commandos told them what was happening, and asked for volunteers to help build fortifications. There was mass panic. Everypony started running around frantically. And then Applejack got everyponies attention and told them to hide as best they could.”
Applejack was going to be a problem.
“Big Macintosh! Braeburn! Ya’ll come on home right now! We got nothin’ ta do with these folk!” Applejack called loudly from around the corner. Vinyl and Trixie trotted around the corner to find Applejack yelling at Big Macintosh and Braeburn.
“’These folk’ are riskin’ their lives ta defend this town sis. They need ev’ry hoof they can get, an’ ah have four perfectly good’uns,” Big Macintosh said.
“Gul’darnit Big Macintosh! Yer family needs ya at home!” Applejack said. “Apple Bloom is still traumatised from wha’ happened ta her in Whitetail Wood!”
It was if a cord was struck inside Vinyl’s brain. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had been incredibly brave during the gryphon attack in the Whitetail Wood, the fillies were young, but they were much stronger than Applejack gave them credit.
“Is there a problem here?” Vinyl Scratch asked.
Applejack looked over at the off white unicorn and scowled. “This don’t concern ya’ll none, leave us be!”
“I don’t think so,” Vinyl said.
“Ah said... leave us be!” Applejack had raised a hoof to kick Vinyl, but the unicorn was faster, in a split second, her magnum revolver was drawn and pressed against Applejack’s temple. The hammer cocked with a small click.
“You may have differing opinions, and that is perfectly fine, but now is not the time for you to express them,” Vinyl said coolly. “As for right now, you will either stay and help, or you will leave. You will not be a hindrance right now.”
Applejack cautiously eyed the revolver that was at her head, she gave an angry snort along with a single word answer: “fine,” and with that, she backed off, trotting off down the road, she turned back and looked at Vinyl, scowling angrily. “This ain’t over, ya-hear?”
Vinyl slipped the revolver back into her saddlebag and looked at Big Macintosh apologetically. “I’m sorry for doing that.”
Big Macintosh merely shook his head in shame. “Somethin’ gotten in ta her. She ain’t ordinarily like that.”
“She’s just sacred, ‘cuz,” Braeburn reassured. “We all are!”
“Ah know, but Applejack ‘as gotten real aggressive as o’ late. Ah’m afraid she’s gonna try somethin’ tha’s gonna get her an’ other folks killed.”
...
“Hey... Apple Bloom! Come here!” Scootaloo whispered in from the far corner of the Sweet Apple Acres cellar, Applejack had gone out to look for Big Macintosh and Braeburn, leaving the Cutie Mark Crusaders alone.
“Scoot? Why are ya whispering?” Apple Bloom asked in confusion.
Scootaloo looked blankly at Apple Bloom for a moment before giving a response. “Uh... I don’t know? Come here!”
Apple Bloom looked over at Sweetie Bell, who was sitting on the ground behind a shelf full of canned apples, staring off blankly into space, deciding that she’d be fine just sitting there, Apple Bloom crossed the room to where Scootaloo was sitting, a bulging saddlebag at her hooves.
“I got something... but you can’t tell your sister we have it or she’ll probably take it away from us!” Scootaloo said.
“What is it?” Apple Bloom asked, Scootaloo opened her saddlebag and dumped out its contents. What vaguely resembled an Austin Submachine gun dumped out, along with 10 magazines of ammunition, Apple Bloom gasped in surprise. “Where did ya get tha’?”
Scootaloo looked down at the ground, guilt wracking her brain. “I... kinda stole it. There was a pile of like... fifteen of them in the town square that nopony was using! So I took one!”
Apple Bloom looked over the kangaroo submachine gun, it only vaguely resembled it as Scootaloo had slapped a number of modifications to it to make it easier to use. At the end of the gun’s barrel, Scootaloo had attached a ball-jointed vise it could be fastened to an open window and swung freely allowing them to better aim it. The trigger guard had been carefully removed so that one of them could pull it with a hoof instead of holding it in their teeth and pulling the trigger with their tongue. Lastly, Scootaloo had taped a kangaroo hand torch to the side, so that the weapon could also be used as a spot light if need be. It didn’t look pretty, but it worked.
“Scoot?” Apple Bloom said looking at her friend, who looked incredibly worried.
“When you grow up around... my family, you learn to make what you need, when you need it, with what you got lying around... No Cutie Mark for making this though,” Scootaloo said giving her friend a small smile. “We both saw those gryphons in Whitetail Wood... if more are coming here... I can’t work this thing on my own, I tried! I know you don’t like guns, but I need your help if they do come here. I’d ask Sweetie Bell, but I don’t think she can stay focused long enough,” Scootaloo said. The two fillies looked over at their friend, still staring off blankly into space.
“Ah don’ wanna hurt nobody!” Apple Bloom cried.
“I don’t either,” Scootaloo admitted. “But I don’t think that we’re going to be given much of a choice if gryphons come to us.”
Apple Bloom looked at her friend sadly. “All right. Now put tha’ away! Hurry! Before Applejack comes back!”
Scootaloo nodded, collapsing the stock and vise mount and put the Crusader Machine Carbine back into her bag, along with the rest of the ammunition.
They looked at each other, each of them could see the fear in the other’s eyes, and glanced over at Sweetie Bell, for a moment, they were jealous of her.
She was completely oblivious to the fact that anything was wrong.
|
Wheller
|
732
| 12 |
DJ P0N-3,Octavia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Broken Record
|
Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.
|
complete
| 28 | 5 |
<p>Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-12T05:41:00+00:00
|
2011-09-12T05:41:00+00:00
| 1,555 |
Chapter 12
Night came and went. Vinyl Scratch’s stomach was doing somersaults; she was standing on the balcony of the Ponyville town hall, next to a kangaroo commando by the name of Private Dillingham. The kangaroo had spent most of the night looking through the scope of his 14.5mm calibre Jacks Anti-Armour Rifle, grunting “Yes” or “No” to any question Vinyl threw to him, regardless of whether or not the question was answerable by a yes or no.
Vinyl had long since given up speaking to Dillingham; she was now focused on watching the north-western horizon though a pair of binoculars, any minute now, elements of the XX Corps were going to be rolling over that hill, and the gryphons wouldn’t be far behind them.
They had spent the majority of the day yesterday fortifying Ponyville to the best of their ability, it wasn’t going to be enough, and a single cruiser tank sitting in ambush positions wasn’t going to be enough to repel who-knows-how-large-a-force-of-gryphons.
Wireless had been getting nothing but static all night. However at dawn, they received an update from Ambassador Goyle, It wasn’t as bad as they thought it was going to be. A miscommunication had indicated to elements of the Kings Own South Island Dragoons and 2nd South Island Tank Regiment that a Gryphon Airborne Infantry Division had overrun the XX Corps headquarters, and upon moving to respond were ambushed by a gryphon mechanised battalion and were forced to fall back.
In actuality, XX Corps repelled the assault, but lost Wireless contact with their superiors, leading with the Kings Own South Island Dragoons headquarters sending back bad intelligence, which eventually handed itself to Ambassador Goyle.
Of course, this was still bad, because gryphons were still coming this direction, and a single cruiser tank in an ambush position still wasn’t going to be enough.
Dawn, the first kangaroo tanks rolled over the hills and into view.
“This is Starman to... anyone! Come in!” cried a voice over the wireless receiver.
Dillingham picked up the transmitter and spoke aloud into it. “This is Private Dillingham, 38/42 Commando; I need a situation report for Captain Blackthorn, Starman.”
“We’re in the shite right now! How’s that? We’ve got three M3s left, Two VC Fireflies, and 4 Mark VIIIs, and an entire mechanised company is right on our tails!” Starman called frantically.
“Understood, get into town and take up an ambush position in the streets. Fireflies up front, those 78mm cannons will earn their keep today!” Dillingham said.
Vinyl looked through her binoculars at the familiar, M3 Light tanks and Mark VIII Cruiser tanks. This “Firefly” was new. It sported sloping armour plates on the front; its cylindrical turret mounted a gun that was much larger than the 37mm on the M3 and even the 76mm on the Mark VIII.
“RF 78mm High Velocity Cannon. It’s an improved copy of the Gryphon 18 pounder,” Dillingham said, it was the most talkative he’d been all night. He looked through the scope of his Jacks Rifle and discovered another sight. “Three Sen Gun carriers! Mounted infantry platoon! No, scratch that, Two Sen Gun Carriers and a Medium Machine Gun Carrier.”
Vinyl looked at the kangaroo, he’d become rather talkative in the last minute and a half, but then as she thought about it, he was probably trained to call out targets.
The kangaroo tanks and infantry carriers drove their way into town, parking along the major streets, Kangaroos piled out of their carriers and started putting up more sandbags around their tanks, South Island Armour was much faster than Gryphons, they had ten to fifteen minutes at the most before everything hit the fan.
Much to the dismay of many town-ponies, kangaroos had commandeered their homes, setting up their Sen LMGs and Armstrong Medium Machine Guns in the windows.
“This is probably not the place where you want to be standing,” Dillingham said finally.
Vinyl looked at him oddly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Let me rephrase that, I don’t want you standing next to me with your head glowing like that! They’re gonna see you, and I don’t want to die without being able to do something,” Dillingham said.
Vinyl was slightly annoyed at first, but then she figured that he had a point, she departed from the balcony without a further fuss.
“Vinyl?” called a voice from the other side of the street; Twilight and Rainbow Dash were standing at the other end of the street, beckoning to her.
“What’s up?” she asked as she crossed the road to where they were standing.
“I think that maybe we should sit this one out,” Twilight said. Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement.
“What?” Vinyl asked. She was surprised by her friend’s line of thought. Twilight and Rainbow Dash had been the major proponents of helping out, and now they wanted to sit on the sidelines?
“These are all professional soldiers, Vinyl; they’ve been trained to do this! We haven’t, if they have to worry about us, they’re going to get distracted. If they get distracted, they’re going to end up dying,” Twilight said solemnly.
“I’m not going sit by and do nothing,” Vinyl said, checking her revolver’s ammo for the fifth time in the last five minutes.
“I’m not asking you to,” Twilight said. “Come with us. I’ve got an idea.”
...
Dillingham kept his eyes open... any second now.
He’d been repeating that over and over inside his own mind every few seconds.
A gryphon light tank rolled over the hill. Dillingham pulled the trigger, with a roaring boom! The bullet exploded out of the barrel, impacting the light tank and piercing the front armour right through the driver’s side, the driver had definitely been hit, as the tank did a hard left, carrying them off on a new course away from the town.
Score one for South Island.
The second tank over the hill was a heavy. Not so lucky, the Jacks Rifle was useless against heavy armour, he ignored it and waited for another tank to come over, another heavy. Dillingham let it pass; the third was a light tank. He fired again, this time, piercing the turret; the bullet ricocheted along the interior of the third tank, stopping it in its tracks, the next one over as another Light tank. Dillingham fired again, this time blowing out the suspension, and stopping the light tank dead, he unloaded a second round into it as the turret had begun to transverse towards him.
The heavy tanks he’d allowed to pass had taken notice of him. Time to move! He abandoned the heavy Jacks rifle; it wasn’t going to do him any good in the streets against heavy armour. Dillingham dashed back inside where he’d left a Spring Projected Grenade, Anti Tank, or SPGAT and a bag filled with ammunition and dashed out into the street and forward into another building at the edge of town.
“Glad of you to join us, Dillingham,” Captain Blackthorn said sarcastically as he cocked his SPGAT.
“I love you too, Captain,” Dillingham said with equal sarcasm. “Got four before the heavies spotted me.”
“Better than nothing,” Blackthorn said. “Hardly a dent though.”
“There is nothing I can do to make you happy is there Captain?” Dillingham asked.
“Nothing short of winning the war by yourself and dying violently in the process,” Blackthorn said jokingly, he peaked out the window and watched as a Gryphon Heavy Tank passed underneath.
“Now!” Blackthorn called out, pulling the trigger and with a small pop sent the SPGAT charge flying out the window, and impacting the turret, Dillingham followed, hitting the turret as well, both shots penetrated the weak top armour of the tank. Killing the crew and bringing the tank to a halt.
“Gotta love gryphons,” Dillingham said. “Their primary strategy is to attack from above. So naturally, they’ll make the top armour of their shite tanks the weakest.”
“Well we already knew that they were stupid, Dillingham.”
...
Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Vinyl had made their way to the edge of the Everfree forest.
“For the record, this is the second worst idea you’ve ever had,” Rainbow said plainly.
“What was the first?” Twilight asked.
“You haven’t done it yet,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.
Twilight shrugged back, she pulled out her revolver and fired all six shots into the air.
That was when they heard the roars of Manticores.
“Run!” Twilight shouted.
...
Treads whined as two VC Firefly tanks rolled backwards through the High Street, both fired their 78mm cannons in synch with each other, pelting the heavy armour of a hostile tank chasing them down, one shell bounced off scattering harmlessly, one penetrated, stunning the crew, sending the tank driving head long into one of the shops and exposing the weaker side armour, 78mm shells could handle that, both tanks fired again, penetrating the tank and exploding on the interior, Blocking off the street to hostile infantry.
Gryphon mechanised infantry had since dismounted and were charging the town with anti-tank weapons. Speed had always been a key component of South Island tank design; a well placed anti-tank rocket could gorge a medium tank like it was paper.
Despite Blackthorn and Dillingham’s jokes about gryphon intelligence, stupid was one thing that they were not. They knew to keep their heads down, and while they were all capable of flight, mechanised infantry were trained to fight on the ground, as the shoulder mounted heavy weapons that they utilised made flying practically impossible, firing an anti-tank rocket from the air was asking for their shoulder bones to break.
Medium Machine Gun fire had forced the gryphons to keep their heads down, and behind tanks for cover, the kangaroos had thought ahead, and had placed sections of infantry with Sen Guns inside buildings, when mechanised infantry passed through the street, a window would pop open and the gryphons would be cut down. By the time anyone had noticed what was going on, the windows had shut, and the kangaroos redeployed.
The gryphons had them outnumbered, but the kangaroos had them outbrained.
They heard a roar.
All around town, both gryphon and kangaroo ceased fighting. Everyone looked west. Manticores flew over buildings, enraged by the noises that they’d heard from town, the gryphons made the mistake of shooting at them, enraging the beasts more. Within moments, no kangaroo was to be found, so with no other options before them, the manticores went after the only targets they had, the gryphons.
Many of them ran, the dumb ones abandoned their anti-tank rockets all together and flew away only to be cut down by their own autocannon fire for desertion. Many of them tried to fight, only to be gutted by the manticores sharp claws and stinger tail.
The manticores chased the gryphons out of town, sending the company into full retreat. The two VC Firefly tanks manoeuvred out of their hiding places to take shots at the gryphon armour in retreat, and take care of any manticores that got it in their heads to come back towards town. Few did, they were far more interested in the gryphons.
It had taken the kangaroos several minutes to realise that they had actually repelled the assault. When they did, everyone started cheering in triumph.
The town ponies that had hidden during the attack poked their heads out from their holes. The fight was over. Ponyville had been defended.
...
Twilight, Rainbow, and Vinyl were standing in the high street, looking over the huge mess that had been made here. Twilight noted that major sections of Ponyville constantly needed rebuilding. In the last two years, the town had suffered an infestation of parasprites, nearly demolished by a dragon, had the post office and Sugarcube Corner explode. Catch fire, and now was the victim of a gryphon attack. Several burned out wrecks of tanks were scattered through the streets, most of them were gryphon, but several kangaroo tanks had been claimed. The M3 Light Tanks, Starman, and Jolly Roger. Along with Mark VIII Cruiser tank, Hobart’s funny.
Iron Hoof of Cromwell had been badly damaged, but deemed salvageable by the tank’s Royal South Island Engineers crew.
“We need to stop having messes to clean up,” Rainbow Dash said.
“This is why we can’t have nice things!” Vinyl Scratch said with a grin. Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight looked at her in confusion. To which she told them to just forget it.
“This crisis is over,” Twilight announced. “Now it’s time to start preparing for the next one... knowing you, Vinyl. You’re going to want to leave again,” Twilight said with a small chuckle.
“Nah,” Vinyl said. “I’ve decided that I’m staying right here... forever!”
She knew that Twilight had been kidding, but Vinyl had finally decided, like she had in her fillyhood, that she didn’t want to move around any longer. “Sorry, you girls are stuck with me!”
Vinyl pulled her friends close, messing up their manes with her hooves.
Oh how good it was to have friends.
|
Wheller
|
732
| 13 |
DJ P0N-3,Octavia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Broken Record
|
Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.
|
complete
| 28 | 5 |
<p>Vinyl Scratch a successful Unicorn DJ from Manehattan, however this hasn't always been the case. Vinyl laments on her past, while in the mean time, a Dark force begins to move in the heart of Everfree Forest.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-12T05:57:43+00:00
|
2011-09-12T05:57:43+00:00
| 2,001 |
Epilogue
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo practically had to drag Sweetie Bell out of their hiding hole, the fighting was over. Sweet Apple Acres was located about a kilometre to the southwest of Ponyville, the gryphons hadn’t even made it this far. Scootaloo’s Crusader Machine Carbine had gone unused, something that the fillies were both grateful for.
“Sweetie Bell! You need to snap out of it now!” Scootaloo said.
Sweetie Bell looked at Scootaloo blankly, as if she didn’t even recognise her. Scootaloo rose a hoof and gave Sweetie Bell a hard smack across her muzzle, to which she felt instantly guilty for afterwards
“Ow! Hey!” Sweetie Bell called out, bringing a hoof up and rubbing where Scootaloo had hit her. “What was that for?!”
Scootaloo looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry Sweetie... that was wrong, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I forgive you!” Sweetie Bell said cheerfully. “I know you didn’t mean it.”
Guilt filled Scootaloo intensely.
“Well wha’ do we do now?” Apple Bloom asked. “All the fightin’ is over.”
“I guess we should probably go home?” Sweetie Bell suggested.
Scootaloo frowned. “Home... yeah, I guess,” however, Scootaloo was quick to put on a smile for her friends, “I’ll come find you guys tomorrow morning, maybe we can get our Cutie Marks by helping clean up town!”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell grinned in excitement at the prospect. “Cutie Mark Crusader War cleaner-uppers! YAY!” they cheered.
Scootaloo waved them goodbye as they went to walk home. Sweetie Bell turned northeast, heading into town, Apple Bloom had gone inside her house. When Scootaloo was out of sight from both of them, she doubled back into the farm fields, heading for their clubhouse as fast as she could.
She didn’t want Apple Bloom or Sweetie Bell that she didn’t actually have a home to go back to.
|
MonsterHunterBrony
|
733
| 1 |
Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
|
Due to a magical mishap, the monster hunter universe clash with Equestria.
|
cancelled
| 42 | 1 |
<p>After a magical mishap from Luna, some creatures from an other world are brought to equestria. Among them, a young hunter, now turned into a pony, will need to adapt to this equine universe and help defeat the monsters from his own world. But to do this he will need help, and the help he seeks may be closer than he expected.Will he be able to go back to his world? Or will he have to live the rest of his life in Equestria? There is only one way to find out.</p><p>this is my first fanfic ever, so if there is anything you guys think could be improved don't hesitate to comment. Also since english isn't my first language feel free to point out my grammar mistakes, I try to make the story as good as I can but there is a limit to how many time I can manage to find errors as I proofread it.</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-10-10T23:34:35+00:00
|
2011-10-10T23:34:35+00:00
| 4,655 |
Author’s notes: First of all I want to welcome you to the first story I chose to share with the public. Since the original scenario was thought of before season two started airing, I would like to ask you to disregard anything season two will bring as you read through this story.
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
by ~Meteorimpact/Monster Hunter Brony
version 1.2
Chapter 1: Welcome to Equestria
Special thanks to Sparky who helped me fix most of my grammatical mistakes.
Canterlot, a city high on the side of a mountain that keeps watch over all of Equestria. In this lively city where mostly unicorn lives, the royal castle stands proudly, sheltering the two Princesses from outside disturbance. Princess Celestia returned from raising the sun as she did every day, but today was different. It had been a year now since Nightmare moon had been defeated, and Luna's rehabilitation to the new world was a bit harder than expected. During the thousand years in which she was banished to the moon, her own powers kept growing, but without the help of her big sister she never learned to control them, or rather, Nightmare Moon never bothered to try to control them. Now shot back in this world a millenia later some nervous breakdown would sometimes arise as Luna felt she isn't adapting fast enough. During these nervous breakdown she would accidentally spawn small black vortexes at random places in Equestria, mostly around ponyville and the Everfree forest. It seems Luna inherited more power to control time and space than Celestia did, and if the younger sister wasn't able to control this power, the eldest might need to seal this ability to create these anomalies, before anypony end up caught straight in a rift and injured.
Celestia was walking down a flight of stairs that would lead her to a meeting she had scheduled with a good friend of hers, who had saved Equestria from interdimensional danger many times. Maybe he would be able to understand what Luna's powers exactly were. Horn glowing, Celestia softly opened the door of the laboratory. Inside, there stood a brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark. He was standing in front of some screens and talking to Luna through a microphone, the princess of the night was currently isolated in a room a bit farther than the laboratory for security purposes.
"Dr.? I suppose Luna is ready for the tests?" Celestia asked the brown pony.
"Everything seems to be in order, her highness has been very cooperative and I'm pretty sure we will soon find out if she can master or not this ability to create these rifts. Now we will try and find out if she can actually summon them of her own free will, or if only stress makes them appear." Dr. Whooves paused for a second then turned around and grabbed the microphone. "Luna, can you hear me?"
-----
Inside the test chamber, Luna kept impatiently walking back and forth, these last days have been a bit hard on her, trying to understand all these new technologies and customs of new Equestria she kept getting a bit too enthusiastic about it and often would end up the new experience into a big blunder. Her big sister kept telling her it was normal, she had to learn, to adapt to this new world, but it was so hard to figure out how to become your "future self" in so little time. A thousand years have passed and the generation gap was so hard to cross. Often, Luna would wake up from her sleep all sweaty, stressed and feeling magic coming out of her horn unconsciously, of course she would immediately stop the flow, but the rifts she accidentally spawned in her sleep didn't go unnoticed and created panic in Canterlot and Ponyville. As Luna kept thinking about all this, she suddenly heard a familiar voice coming out of a speaker set in the test room.
"Luna, can you hear me?"
" Yes I can Doctor Whooves, are we about to start?" replied the dark purple mare.
" Yes, Celestia has come to supervise the tests, if anything goes out of control she will help fix it, so feel as relaxed as possible. I will now ask you to try and generate one of the black rifts in the room you are in right now, start small and see if you can summon it."
Luna's horn started to glow, the young Alicorn then closed her eyes and bowed her head. Taking a deep breath she started focusing on the empty space before her. The horn kept glowing brighter and brighter eventually looking like a small flame on her forehead. After a few seconds of concentration a small black ball appeared coursed through by small lightning bolts. Doctor Whooves' calm, clear tones resonated through the overhead speakers once again, but this time it was laced with ear-splitting static.
"Very good, it seem you can actual... summon them of your... will, Now try ma... -ng it bigger."
Apparently the appearance of the rift caused radio interference, Luna didn't think too much of it, but she was starting to wonder if it was a good idea to make it grow bigger. After a moment of reflection, she started to pour a bit more power into her horn, making the anomaly grow some more.
-----
Celestia kept a worried eye on the screen displaying her little sister attempts at controlling this unknown new force, of course she was there to intervene if something would go wrong yet she felt a bit uneasy, she had already lost a thousand years with her beloved sibling, she wasn't going to risk losing her for good. Yet, she waited to see if the young mare would be able to handle this on her own. A gentle hoof then grabbed her shoulder.
"Don't worry Princess, your sister is doing quite well thus far, and according to the readings it seems like the holes she is creating are actually unstable tears through other worlds. I see reading similar to those I use when traveling with the TARDIS, yet it seems like these tears are one way only." Whooves turned around and grabbed the microphone again. "Luna, now I will need you to start gathering power and to release it directly in the anomaly. Once you gather plenty, pour it in it but not all in one shot, do it slowly." As the two observer watched the scene unfold before them, time itself seemed to stop- then, it all begun.
As the stone floor began to tremble beneath their hooves, the Doctor shot a concerned glance towards Princess Celestia.
"Uh-oh." He muttered.
The ground suddenly shook even harder sending important research equipment to the ground. Celestia's previous worries were slowly starting to come back at her as she hurried over the test room.
-----
Uncertainty seized Luna once more, the black portal seemed to pulse with life, just like a water balloon that keeps being prodded and is on the verge of exploding. Static noises kept coming out of the speakers as the black ball of energy grew.
"Luna... need you to... gathering power... release... in the anomaly... Gather plenty, pour it in... all in one shot...”
The speaker was crackling and soon died, Luna wasn't so sure about that last instruction, but Dr.Whooves was reliable, there is no way it could go wrong, right? Her horn started to glow even brighter, her eyes opened revealing lights as strong as the sun's coming from them, The horn was now a huge pillar of purple light.
"Here goes nothing" muttered The young princess. She released all the charged magical energy at once. The black ball of energy suddenly expanded at an alarming rate as it rose to the sky destroying the ceiling of the test room, once at it's apex the now gigantic vortex of black energy and lightning bolts divided itself into 4 smaller tears and they each flew away, 3 of them toward everfree forest and the last one in an unsure location. Exhausted from such a use of magic, Luna fainted, but kept consciousness just long enough to feel the embrace of her sister before everything went dark.
Luna reopened her yes a few minutes later, still held by Celestia.
"Are you ok Luna, please tell me everything is all right" Pleaded the light pink alicorn.
"Yes everything's fine, not sure what happened tough... do you think I just caused trouble for everypony?" Replied the Purple one.
"Actually it seems like you did." A male voice added as the silhouette of Dr.Whooves made its way trough the rubbles toward the two princesses. "But, it wasn't your fault, I'm probably the one to blame here. Here is some of the reports I managed to salvage from the equipment that survived the shockwave, it shows that the four vortexes all ended up opening a rift through space-time and each brought something alien to our world. One of the portal got me a little worried tough, normally I would be able to track down anything from a different world just with the dimensional data they have stored in their bodies, but out of one of the portals, two being came out, one as big as an half grown dragon, the other one hardly bigger than a pony, yet, even though the smaller one comes from this other world, it seems like its dimensional data is being slowly overwritten by our own world's. Soon I wont be able to differentiate it from a regular equestrian. And an other interesting fact is that the subject seems to be radiating a power similar to one I detected at Sweet Apple Acres. We need to investigate this as fast as possible."
-----
Somewhere else, in a completely different world where life itself is like a jungle, only the fittest survived. Eat or be eaten is what everyone was taught, and on this sunny plain, Danleon was about to be the one to eat. The young man all clad in a volcanic grey armor was waiting for the right moment to strike, he already weakened his target and saw it limping a few times, surely the azure rathalos would not last much longer. Then the sound of an activated pitfall trap echoed, as fast as he could, The hunter readied his greatsword made out of metal and khezu pieces and charged at the now helpless wyvern. The sword cleaved the skull like hot butter, but instead of preparing to celebrate his victory, he suddenly stopped moving in stupor. Lightning bolts started surging all around him, creating an unreal vision. He saw similar lightning bolts before when he fought a kirin, yet these bolts seemed to ark oddly toward an empty space in the air. A sudden cracking sound ripped the air as a vortex opened right in front of the young man, no matter how hard he struggled though he was slowly sucked in closer and closer.
"This is definitely not going to end well-" was the last thing he could say, before disappearing in the portal, along with the fresh body of the fallen rathalos.
-----
Danleon finally open his eyes after a few hours unconscious, he slowly tried to stand up while fighting his nausea. He wasn't certain what exactly happened but it sure left him groggy. His surrounding weren't the same as he remembered before blacking out. Instead of the green sunny plains and woods where he fought the rathalos, he was now standing in a dark gloomy forest, the air seemed heavy, and the simple act of standing there brought a chill down the young man's spine. Maybe he was knocked off a cliff by the lightning bolts... The lightning bolts! Suddenly remembering the last time he was still awake, he started scouting the area with his senses. His ears picked up something, a few flaps of wings, then... the sound of hooves? It didn't take much more longer before two equine creatures appeared in the forest, both heading toward him. The creatures each had a long horn coming out of their forehead, and it didn't take long for Danleon to do the math.
Lightning bolts + horse with horn = Kirin... two of them!
He knew he wasn't prepared for this type of encounter, after all kirins rarely ever show up in the forest, why did these two come here? And was he seeing wings on their body? Flying kirins? This was no time for dilly dallying and fleeing seemed to be the best option. Danleon turned around and started running as fast as he could. Only to trip in his own legs and fall to his dismay, it was as if he could not command his body properly, also he just now realized how the ground seemed to be way closer than usual. the sound of hooves was getting louder and he knew he would not be able to run away in this state, so he turned around to face the two creatures and tried to charge them. As soon as he dashed tough, one of the kirin's horn started to glow and he felt as light as a feather, actually, this wasn't a bad feeling at all. The magical aura surrounding him drew him closer to the two monsters, strangely enough, he felt relaxed, one of the kirin had a a very light tint of pink for coat,almost white, and a multicolored pastel mane flowing like water on a beach, the other one, a lot smaller, was the same color as the summer's night sky. The closer he got to them the more he felt like they looked somewhat harmless. Suddenly, the taller Kirin opened its mouth:
"Greetings young one, My name is Celestia, and this one over here is my younger sister Luna, you are probably confused about your situation, and for a good reason. It seems like we are responsible for your current distress."
"What the-" The hunter was flabbergasted, did the kirin just talk? Ok that's it, all this was probably just a dream, he probably drank too much and that was just the result of his excesses. Yet, the weird sensation of floating seemed very real. "Celestia? Luna? I didn't know Kirins had names... Or could talk. And what do you mean by you 'might' be responsible for my situation?"
Once again the biggest of the two spoke:
"How can I explain this... We aren't what you call a 'Kirin', we are alicorns, and this here around you is the Everfree forest, one of the most dangerous places of Equestria. It seems that due to a mishap of our own, a portal linked both our worlds together and sucked you in with other creatures from where you came. We are deeply sorry about that and we are working as hard as we can to send you back to your home world. One of our most trusted agents is currently working in this matter. I also have some... somewhat bad news for you, from what Mr.Whooves could tell us, you are originally from a world where the dominant specie is called 'humans'. But since you have crossed the portal, our world's magic transformed you into the dominant specie of this world, known as a pony."
"A what?" The young man wasn't usually gullible but he was genuinely starting to worry about what the alicorn meant. It seemed important to make a self check very quick.
Intact belly, check! Recognition of pain, check!, hooves, check!... HOOVES?
Now something was wrong, very wrong. No wonder the ground seemed to be so close, he was shorter than usual, no wonder either he couldn't run properly, this body obviously wasn't meant to run, or walk, on two legs. Danleon was in a state of shock, nothing he learned from the hunts could have prepared him for this, yet this was real, and he would need to adapt. Fast!
The tall alicorn raised her voice once more "Do not worry though, I will make sure your arrival here in Equestria will go as smoothly as possible. I will bring you to the castle, in Canterlot, there we will help you learn to use your new body as any other normal pony, and I'll get some of my friend to help you integrate into the life of Ponyville. We will try to keep you updated as much as we can on our researches to send you back to your world. Now will you accept following us? I'll send a letter to my most faithful student, she will gladly help you adapt yourself to pony life, but for now you need to learn how to walk normally on four legs, and to use the hooves magnetism magic."
"I guess I don't have much of a choice do I?... And what do you mean by hooves magnetism magic?" asked the hunter.
"There are three types of ponies except for the fourth type which only has two members, the three types are as follows: unicorns, adept at magic- they use their horn to cast their spells. Pegasi, they are winged ponies, the magic they are infused with allow them to fly even tough they have relatively small wings and they can touch or give shape to clouds. As for the final type, which you are now a part of, the earth ponies, they aren't gifted in magic as the other two species, but they make up with stronger bodies. Yet there is one type of magic that the three type share and is usually an innate skill, the hooves magnetism magic, it basically allow you to channel some of your energy through your front hooves to help you hold an object, you can't grab an item as well as with hands and fingers, but it is still useful for housework in general, even if the slightest touch of your object may make it fall. Since you are not born a pony you may need to learn to channel your energy into your hooves to be able to manipulate basic tools. Now I'll bring you to Canterlot, prepare yourself young colt, the rehabilitation may not be as easy as it seems... By the way I haven't heard your name yet, but I will need to help you find a fitting pony name for you so you won't draw too much attention."
"Just call me Danleon, for now. I have a favor to ask though can you help me gather my equipment and the body of the wyvern I slain? I would like to at least be able to keep my belongings for when I go back home. It was right where I first appeared."
For the first time the darker alicorn spoke "We can't bring them with us right now but if it's really important for you I can probably freeze them in stasis for conservation until you can come back to get these yourself. Give me a moment and I will take care of it." The mare turned around to head toward the appearance site. Danleon, still a bit confused, proceeded to follow Celestia to a kind of golden chariot with guards around it, shortly after they were on their way to Canterlot.
-----
Luna easily found the arrival zone, the ground was scorched and trees were scattered where the portal left its load. The young Princess gasped in awe as she discovered the body of the massive beast corpse. A big reptilian creature, scales as blues as the sea with spikes ending in an ebony color. The creature looked like a dragon, except it only had two hind legs. "I don't know how he defeated this thing, but these humans are sure amazing if they can fight them on equal grounds. I just hope the other creatures that were brought here are nothing as scary as this one, or Equestria may face a crisis we haven't dealt with in centuries." Luna walked around the wyvern to observe it a bit more, and found a discarded monkey shaped armor. By looking at the head of the monster she also saw a massive weapon as big as an adult pony, longer even. "Back at Canterlot I will have so many questions to ask him!" she giggled, then prepared herself to cast the preservation spell. A thin layer of ice started forming around the rathalos, growing thicker and thicker until the whole area was covered in a blue crystal like dome. "All done, now to go back to Tia and our new guest."
|
MonsterHunterBrony
|
733
| 2 |
Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
|
Due to a magical mishap, the monster hunter universe clash with Equestria.
|
cancelled
| 42 | 1 |
<p>After a magical mishap from Luna, some creatures from an other world are brought to equestria. Among them, a young hunter, now turned into a pony, will need to adapt to this equine universe and help defeat the monsters from his own world. But to do this he will need help, and the help he seeks may be closer than he expected.Will he be able to go back to his world? Or will he have to live the rest of his life in Equestria? There is only one way to find out.</p><p>this is my first fanfic ever, so if there is anything you guys think could be improved don't hesitate to comment. Also since english isn't my first language feel free to point out my grammar mistakes, I try to make the story as good as I can but there is a limit to how many time I can manage to find errors as I proofread it.</p>
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everyone
|
2011-10-25T07:25:41+00:00
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2011-10-25T07:25:41+00:00
| 3,402 |
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
by ~Meteorimpact/Monster Hunter Brony
chapter 2 : New friends
version 1.2
Special thanks to Onej6 for helping me fix some grammatical mistakes.
A week passed since Ponyville witnessed weird magical activities coming from the Everfree forest. Twilight Sparkle tried to lead a search party with her best friends to discover the source, yet all she could find was a huge dome of magical ice, too thick to see trough it. She did send a letter to Celestia to inquire about it, but the reply told her not to worry, and that the situation was under control. After a few days passed, she chose to stop thinking about it and go back to her normal activities, until today. At dawn her sleep was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Spike coughing, then burping a letter from Celestia.
"Ugh, my head... I guess I went to sleep too late yesterday." Still a bit drowsy, she slowly got off her bed, then looked at the still sleeping Spike, a roll of parchment rolling away and back at him every time he snored. This scene brought a smile to the unicorn's face. "I wonder what is going on, it's unusual of the Princess to send her letters this early in the morning." She stifled a yawn, and proceeded to take the parchment and read it. After a few seconds of running trough the royal letter, her eyes grew wide in surprise. Immediately awake after reading the letter, Twilight grabbed her saddlebags. She rushed to her mirror to fix her bed-mane. Pleased with the result, she quickly trotted over to spike, where she unmerciful brought the dragon out of his slumber.
"Spike, come on wake up we need to hurry... SPIKE!"
The baby dragon jumped out of his bed out of surprise and accidentally bumped the bookcase he was sleeping under making all the books in it fall on him.
"Spike stop fooling around we are in a hurry!" The purple unicorn stated impatiently.
"Geez Twilight, what's the hurry?" Spike emerged from under the book pile. "Did Pinkie Pie play with fireworks and set Sugarcube Corner on fire... Again?"
"More urgent, Celestia wants us at Canterlot as soon as we can and I need to contact everyone else! Let's head to Rainbow Dash's place first, she will be able to reach Sweet apple acres way faster than anypony else to get Applejack. Now stop playing with these books and let's go!"
Spike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah Twi, I'm on my way."
-----
"So, what's the big fuss about sugarcube, Ah barely had 'nough time to finish mah mornin' chores when Dash came crashin' in the barn." Said a strong looking orange mare, her mane covered with a stetson hat and her flank harboring a cutie mark consisting of 3 small apples.
"Hey I didn't crash in your barn, I just landed loudly." The one who replied was a cyan colored pegasus with a rainbow colored mane, obviously not wanting to swallow her pride and admit her mistake.
"If that was a proper landin' then Ah don't wanna see what a bad landin' is. Can't you just admit you failed one of yer new tricks?"
"What?! I never fail my tricks... Except when I don't succeed! I'll let you know that-"
"GIRLS! Now is not the time to argue." Twilight Sparkle intervened and tried to stop the fight that was about to start. "And to answer your question Applejack, I recieved a letter from Celestia this morning, asking all of us to meet her in Canterlot. This gotta be important!"
"It's probably nothing to worry about, as usual," Said the little dragon. " you know how Twilight tends to overreact whenever the Princess is involved?"
"Spike! I'll let you know I never overreact!" All six of her traveling companions raised an eyebrow in disbelief." Ok, maybe 'sometimes' I overreact, but now I'm pretty sure it's important."
"Maybe she is throwing a party? You know like a it's-been-one-week-since-mysterious-lights-appeared-around-Ponyville-party? Oh! Oh! Oh! I bet there will be a gigantic cake, and games! And then-Mfmmmlfmfll!" The excited pink party pony was suddenly interrupted by a white hoof on the mouth belonging to none other than Rarity, the unicorn dress designer.
"Pinky, Please! Allow Twilight to talk, I'm sorry darling but if we want to know what's going on we need to hear what the letter said. Now if you may, Twilight, would you be a dear and read the letter aloud?"
"Here it is:
My dearest most faithful student Twilight Sparkle,
I need to inform you about the recent magical activities in the region of Ponyville. I will answer all the questions you have about the phenomenon, but I need your help with a particular task. We now have a newcomer to Ponyville, and I would like you and your friends to meet him. His situation is a bit special and I will need to give you more details personally, but the task ahead will basically consist in helping him settle in Ponyville and teaching him some of your lessons in the magic of friendship. I would like him to also meet the other elements of harmony to help him make some friends from the get go.
Sincerely,
Celestia.
As you can see, the situation is of utmost importance."
"Um... Well... The situation doesn't seem that bad... I mean, all we know is that we will meet a new pony... I'm pretty sure it will even be... Nice..." Fluttershy was about to say something else but a pink streak popped right in front of her, happily bouncing around.
"How great! there will be a new pony in town, then it means I need to prepare a welcome-to-Ponyville-party! I need to start baking a cake and cupcakes! Do you think he likes chocolate? Or maybe strawberries! I love strawberries, because sweets made out of them comes out pink and pink is my favorite color! I wonder what he will look like, is he a farmer? A craftpony? Oh maybe he is a-Mphmhphmh!" Rarity sighed as once again she held her hoof over Pinkie's mouth.
"Pinkie, darling, you need to show a bit more patience, we are arriving in Canterlot soon enough, you will be able to get all the answers you seek there. And I'm pretty sure you can wait until we are done with this meeting before heading to your ovens, the day is still young."
-----
The seven friends finally reached the castle, at their arrival a guard who was tasked in welcoming them lead the way to the throne room. After all of them entered the meeting place, the guard stepped back and closed the door behind him, making sure they were left alone with both princesses. Celestia was comfortably sitting in her throne, her grace reflecting onto the golden structure, on her left, the younger princess, Luna, stood solemnly bearing a gentle smile. To Celestia's right tough, a young stallion was standing with a bit of a nervous look. He was probably two or three years older than Twilight, she guessed he was the pony who was going to be brought back to Ponyville. The colt had a red earth colored coat, his mane was long and had the same color as dark chocolate. Yet, the earth pony had one strange feature, even tough he was clearly a young adult, he didn't have a cutie mark, how could this be? Was he as oblivious as the cutie mark crusaders about his own special talent? Now standing in front of the throne, the six mares and the baby dragon kneeled down, bowing their head. The princess of the sun spoke:
"Now, now, everypony, you don't have to act so formal, after all we are alone in this room, I think we can allow ourselves to act a bit more familiar, Just like that one time at the doughnut shop after last grand galloping gala. I'm guessing Twilight briefed you all on the letter I sent, right?" The group all nodded at once."Good, I'll start with the introductions right away then, Clay if you please, take a step forward and introduce yourself."
The stallion obliged and started eyeing all the ponies in front of him, he already heard from the princesses that these ponies were special, they were the representatives of the elements of harmony, those who defeated an evil being known as Nightmare Moon. As he now stood before all of them he felt a bit overwhelmed by their presence, they were emanating some sort of invisible power, as if their very being could match Celestia's majesty.After taking a deep breath he finally opened his mouth. "Hello everybody... Err I mean everypony, my name is Clay. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, I want to thank you all in advance for your assistance in my adaptation to Ponyville lifestyle and I hope I'm not going to give you all too much troubles."
"Well, you sure are the polite pony, you can call me Rarity, it's my pleasure to meet such a well behaved stallion."
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s student from the school of gifted unicorns. Pleased to meet you."
"Hey there! My name in Pinkamena Diane Pie but I don't like my full name so I ask everypony to call me Pinkie Pie, I love to party and to make everyone happy, being happy is a good thing, because no one enjoys being sad, well maybe there is somepony out there who likes to be sad but I'm sure it's only because they never had the chance to attend my parties. Oh by the way do you like chocolate?" Clay took a step back completely startled by the Pink pony who had her face less than an inch away from his. Her eyes were blinking expectantly as he could barely answer the last question.
Now with a puzzled look, all he could reply was "What is chocolate?" At this question Pinkie's face switched from overly happy to an expression of horror as she came to realize the colt never ate chocolate before. Her coat became a bit darker and her poofy hair suddenly deflated in a cascade of long straight hair. After a few seconds tough her colors and mane returned to normal as a conspiratory grin crept on her face, she had something in mind and Clay wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was.
Then, a reassuring hoof firmly landed on his shoulder. "Don't you worry sugarcube, this reaction of yours is completely normal, Heck Ah'm pretty sure Ah had the same face as you do right now when Ah first met Pinkie. The name's Applejack, mah closest friends call me AJ. If you ever get hungry for a snack in Ponyville just look for mah stand, Ah sell the best apples in all of Equestria."
The cyan pegasus then landed right beside Applejack. "Hello there! Rainbow Dash's the name, and speed is my game! I'm the fastest flyer in all of Equestria and nopony can beat me in a race... Except Pinkie, but I never understood how she managed to do that." Her rose colored eyes briefly drifted in the pink pony's direction, then back at Clay, Rainbow dash shrugging. "All I know is that the laws of physics don't seem to apply to her." She then took a step aside to allow a little purple and emerald colored dragon to introduce himself.
"I'm Spike, Twilight's number one assistant, I do some of the chores at the library and take care of communication between Twi and the princesses." A yellow pegasus then slowly crept away from behind the five mares.
"I... I'm fluttershy... P.. Pleased to meet you."
"Perfect, now I think it's time for me to explain the situation." The eldest alicorn spoke once more. "You probably all remember the magical disturbances that occurred a week ago I presume. These disturbances were caused by none other than Luna and me, we were trying to help her control a power she just discovered, and it seems like she have the ability to open portals to other worlds. In other words, Clay originate from a totally different world than ours, and he wasn't born a pony either." All guests were obviously surprised by the revelation, their eyes as wide as saucers. "Clay is the name he came up with to identify himself in Equestria, as you can guess, he named himself after his coat's color. His original species is called a human, and even tough their lifestyle is similar to ours, they are shaped completely differently. Allow me to reveal some of the images one of my agents managed to show me." Celestia's horn started to glow as a little reproduction of a village appeared in the room. The illusion was a replica of some of the memories the princess was willing to show. Everypony formed a circle around the small village and then noticed something peculiar, practically hairless monkeys were walking around between the houses, they were all wearing clothes of different color and style. Yet, contrary to common monkeys their facial traits were more defined, and they all stood straight on two legs. Some of these creatures were engaged in conversations, other drinking outside what looked like an inn, and a few different humans were walking out of the village, all clad in armor and carrying massive weapons. "As you can all see, our guest is now stuck in a body he knew nothing about prior his arrival. Gladly, he is a quick learner and he can probably take care of himself by now."
Twilight raised a hoof to draw Celestia's attention, the princess gave an approving nod. "I know this question may seem weird but, why was he transformed into a pony? I find it hard to believe it would just happen without reason."
Luna took a step forward to reply. "I can answer this question since I have been making research about it myself. I found the information in a book dating from before me or Tia were born, it was probably written by our parents or grandparents. It seems like it is a security measure they implemented in our world, apparently Clay's situation has happened before and to make sure that no dangerous being would be set free in Equestria, they infused a spell that would turn any intruders into ponies. This is also a way to prevent panic if an alien creature appeared in a crowded place, and since someone stuck in a different body than their own is easily spotted by trained eyes, the royal spies scattered in villages and cities can warn the current royalty of their presence. But now this leads us to an other problem, this magic doesn't work on creatures that are devoid of sentience or are very resistant to magic. And three powerful creatures appeared in Equestria along with our guest, our tracking equipment is in need of repairs and we only managed to find one of these beasts, yet, it easily fought off the guards that found it and they only managed to get away out of sheer luck. Since then we haven't seen the beast."
Twilight gulped. "What do these creatures look like?"
"They are very similar in appearance to dragons, but I will let you find out about it on your own since Clay will show you a dead one that was brought here with him. We will work on tracking them, the best we can to prevent useless destruction, but I can't promise anything."
The village illusion slowly faded away as the regent of the sun talked once again. "Now that you know the situation at hand, I give you all this mission: Bring Clay back with you in Ponyville, show him around and help him adapt to pony life. Twilight, I will need you to give him shelter for a while, of course I'm not asking you to share a room with him but I know the library has a room, or two that can be used underground. On our side we will keep doing researches until we can find a way to send him back where he came from. I hope you will all get along until then. I am afraid we need to cut short this meeting tough, I have to hold court in less than an hour and I have to properly prepare for it. And don't worry about money, I gave him enough bits to be able to take care of himself for a while, and thank you all for coming today."
The purple unicorn quickly bowed and replied. "It was an honor to come see you Princess, and worry not, we will do our best for our new friend over there." Then the 6 mares and dragon started heading toward the exit, leaving both celestial regents alone with the stallion.
Clay grabbed a saddle bag and before he joined the pony group, he turned around to face Celestia one last time. "I thank you as well for allowing me to stay in the palace in the past week, also to have taught me how to live with this body."
Both princesses lightly bowed. " This was a pleasure." then Luna added "I really enjoyed the memories we shared trying to understand how to operate modern stoves." both she and Clay giggled as they remembered how they stuffed logs and wood sticks inside the door of the oven. They wanted to surprise Celestia by making her some pastries, but since neither of them tried this kind of oven before, they both came to the conclusion they worked like those where, for Clay, or when, for Luna, they came from. It resulted in a kitchen set on fire and two embarrassed ponies apologizing non-stop. Celestia frowned for a second then allowed a smirk to show on her face.
"You two sure kept the royal staff busy all right, but I think it helped you realize something, my dearest sister, adaptation to a new world is the same for everypony. You have to work hard, and learn as much as you can from your mistakes. Both of you share a similar fate, and I know you both have the potential to succeed in modern Equestria, and most important of all, you probably realized you must never give up."
"I sure did!" Both Luna and Clay replied at the same time, triggering a hearty laugh from all three of the ponies.
"Well I think I have to be on my way now. If I can be of any assistance to you please let me know, nothing forced you to help me out in this situation and I am very grateful for it. I hope to see you soon." Clay then turned around and galloped toward his seven new friends.
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MonsterHunterBrony
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733
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Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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My little hunter : Companionship is magic
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Due to a magical mishap, the monster hunter universe clash with Equestria.
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cancelled
| 42 | 1 |
<p>After a magical mishap from Luna, some creatures from an other world are brought to equestria. Among them, a young hunter, now turned into a pony, will need to adapt to this equine universe and help defeat the monsters from his own world. But to do this he will need help, and the help he seeks may be closer than he expected.Will he be able to go back to his world? Or will he have to live the rest of his life in Equestria? There is only one way to find out.</p><p>this is my first fanfic ever, so if there is anything you guys think could be improved don't hesitate to comment. Also since english isn't my first language feel free to point out my grammar mistakes, I try to make the story as good as I can but there is a limit to how many time I can manage to find errors as I proofread it.</p>
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everyone
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2011-10-25T18:21:13+00:00
|
2011-10-25T18:21:13+00:00
| 3,545 |
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
by ~Meteorimpact/ Monster hunter brony
chapter 3 : Different culture
Outside the castle Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Spike, who chose this moment to take a nap on Twilight's back, were waiting for Clay and Applejack to join them. Right before they left canterlot, the stallion mentioned he needed to get a chariot to get his stuff back from the Everfree forest. The orange colored mare offered to half the load and followed him to get one as well, her hard working nature showing itself. After a few minutes, both Clay and Applejack appeared pulling very wide carts, way larger than what everyone expected. Once they were all together again they finally set hoof toward the area where Clay first appeared. After some walking, Twilight couldn't help but look at the chariots, surely they wouldn't need that much carrying capacity. In doubt, she inquired about that matter.
"Mmh, guys, are you sure you are not overdoing it?"
"That's what Ah was thinkin' as well, but he insisted on gettin' those. He says we might even be unable to get everythin'. "Replied The farm pony.
Clay couldn't help but apologize. "Sorry about that, at first I planned to do this on my own so I wouldn't have to bother you girls with this, still I guess some help might be indeed needed. You will understand what I mean when we get to my arrival spot." He thought now might be a good time to break the ice and try to know the six ponies a little more, at least it would help make the walking more pleasant. "Sooo, I got to hear your names but I don't know anything about any of you yet. So, out of curiosity, what do you all do to earn some zennies... Oh, I mean bits, what do you do to earn some bits? Let's start with you Miss Sparkle."
"Oh, I am the pony in charge of Ponyville's library, as the only one in town who actually got around to reading most of it's content, it is my duty to help other ponies find what information they seek. I'm quite fond of reading, may it be stories or research material, there is almost nothing I won't bother trying... Well, except these dirty clop novels, I'm actually considering getting rid of these, they are sort of a disgrace to this "temple of knowledge"."
"Temple of eggheads rather. All praise those who spend more time in a book than the real world." Rainbow dash added, rolling her eyes.
" Rainbow! Stop acting like being knowledgeable makes you a lesser pony!"
"Pfff, give me one reason to believe spending most of your time in books makes you able to pull off anything more awesome than what I can do." She grinned, convinced the purple unicorn would not be able to counter argue.
"Oh, I do have a reason, and a rather good example. Remember last running of the leaves? Not only did I beat you, but you arrived last, tied with Applejack yes, yet, still the last. And thanks to the pacing and respiratory techniques taught by my book, I managed to get a decent position even tough I'm not half as well physically trained as you two are." Twilight let out a smirk of triumph as Rainbow was at a loss for words. She clearly tried to bury this episode of her life as deep as she could, seeing it pop out once more just made her unable to reply anything, she ended up swallowing her pride and remained silent.
"Touché." Added Rarity, clearly enjoying the sight of Rainbow Dash utterly defeated by mere words. One day she might learn that brains and brawn are both as important.
"I see, so I guess if I need any information, you are the one I should ask first." Clay nodded and turned his head toward Pinkie Pie. "Your turn, what do you do for a living." Clay quickly realized he probably should have made a better choice of words as the Pink pony took a long breath.
"What I do for a living? Well first I wake up every morning around six to make sure I can get the kitchen for myself when I make my breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Cake takes waaaay too much time preparing their own, so I make sure I'm done eating and cleaning the place before they get out of bed, then I give a bath to Gummy. Gummy is my pet alligator by the way and the little guy is so adorable with his little bubblegum pink eyes, but sadly even tough they got the same color they don't taste like bubblegum, trust me, I licked them to make sure! After Gummy's bath I go around town and start pranking peoples while I organize my next party- Oh it reminds me I still need to throw a party for your arrival in Ponyville, after all every newcomer must have their own welcome party, you are not yet a true Ponyvillian, wait is that even a word? Oh doesn't matter and nopony cares, anyway, you aren't a true Ponyvillian until you get to participate in my welcome party! It is tradition after all and everypony knows how much traditions are important, you know, Granny Pie used to say all the time that we should respect traditions lest they disappear, oh it reminds me one of the Pies family tradition is to find a rock, write your name on it and every year on your birthday you are to throw it as far as you can in the same direction as the previous year, it is supposed to symbolize the way a pony advance in life. You just need to remember where it fell the previous year tough." Pinkie pie stopped talking for a second to take a new massive breather, Clay wincing at the perspective of the next onslaught of random monologue he would have to face. Gladly for him tough, Applejack interrupted Pinkie just in time to make her expel all accumulated air.
"Pinkie, he didn't ask what you do WITH yer life, he asked about what you do to pay yer livin' expenses. Yer job If you prefer. Also, Ah gonna try and forget that part about Gummy." Applejack stuck out her tongue in disgust at the mental image she got.
"Oh! I work at Sugarcube Corner as a baker and salespony, I also have a hobby of organizing parties, sometime I'm hired as a party organizer, and geez it's so much fun, I mean how can I not enjoy making a party, I am allowed to use streamers pastries, games and-" The party pony suddenly noticed all other ponies' gaze upon her and proceeded to cut short her current rambling. "And I think I should stop there for now." The sigh of relief from the other travelers could probably be heard a mile around, yet Pinkie was all smile.
Clay was about to ask Rainbow Dash about her job when Applejack interrupted him. "Ah don't mean to be rude by stoppin' you right here lad, after all Ah know what yer tryin' to do. Even tough it's commendable of you to try and know more about us, Ah'm pretty sure it's common courtesy to introduce oneself before askin' others about'em. After all you will have plenty of time to get to know each of us later, since you are gonna live under the same roof as Twilight for a while. How about you tell us what you are made of."
Clay was taken aback slightly, but he knew he would eventually need to tell them about his life prior coming to Equestria. "I am a hunter, or more precisely, a monster hunter."
"How cool!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"WHAT?!" everypony turned around to look at the origin of the voice, all surprised of the intensity of it's tone considering Fluttershy never raised her voice except when she was either in complete hysteria, or in what some called "the Flutterrage". "Oh... Um... Sorry about that, I mean, I probably misunderstood you mister Clay. By monster hunter you probably mean you search for them to tame them as pet or to help them in some way or an other right?" The yellow pegasus was looking at the stallion with timid eyes.
Rainbow Dash landed right in front of the butter colored pony. "Fluttershy? As someone as close as you are with the fauna, you should know what it actually means to hunt right? You know, like a predator with it's prey. Anyway, after seeing what humans looked like I think it's kinda awesome that these creatures can manage to stand up against the forces of nature."
"Ooooh! This gives me an idea!" Pinkie chirped with a smile that covered the width of her face, as a light-bulb appeared out of nowhere above her head. She then disappeared in a puff of pink smoke leaving behind the a fore mentioned light-bulb. Clay was left agape as the remaining ponies just shrugged with the 'it's Pinkie Pie being Pinkie pie' look on their face.
Clay recollected his thoughts then took a more serious look, staring at Fluttershy and putting emphasis on each words. "I do not hunt monsters to play with them, I hunt to kill them." Fluttershy felt her heart collapse as Clay continued. "My job is to make sure our villages stay safe from monster attacks, and the hunters are an essential part of our culture. Almost everything we make is made out of monster parts, may it be clothes, shelters, tools or even food." Twilight facehoofed realizing Clay's mistake, he didn't know yet about Fluttershy's bond with woodland creatures, his ignorance was about to seriously disturb the poor animal caretaker.
"You... You can't be serious right? How can you hunt down these poor animals? And you Rainbow Dash, how can you praise him for doing such things? Doesn't it bother you that he claims to kill innocent creatures as a job? I... I... I'm sorry, but... I think I need some time to think about this. I'll talk to you girls later." With these final word she turned around and ran to her cottage, tears of frustration coming out of her eyes. She wasn't sad, yet, she felt like Celestia tricked her or willingly hid this information from the pony group.
"Fluttershy! Come on, don't tell me you're getting all flustered just for that." Rainbow Dash sighed, she guessed Clay hit a sensible cord, but she also knew he probably wasn't intending to make her feel bad. He just seemed to be a bit clumsy with words. "Guys, I think I will follow her and see if I can't do anything to cheer her up, I'll meet you again later, shouldn't be too hard for me to catch up with you." The representative of loyalty then zipped in the same direction as the other pegasus.
Clay looked a bit confused. "What got into her? I mean, Isn't it normal to actively hunt monsters?" He looked quickly at the remaining three ponies noticing Twilight still facehoofing, Rarity looking a bit disappointed, and Applejack walking to him.
"Ok new guy, Ah think we need to make something clear for ya. Fluttershy is very sensitive, and can take any form of aggressivity in a harsher way than most ponies. I guess you had no way to know this but Fluttershy is an animal caretaker. She share a deep bond of friendship with all living creatures, monsters even. Ah bet if we knew about yer job beforehand we would've stopped you from tellin' her, but right now what's done is done. Ah'm gonna have to ask you to avoid mentionin' your line of work to her again tough, well at least until she can actually accept what you are. Ah just hope Dash will manage to comfort her a bit. One sure thing tough, Ah want you to go apologize to her for the tone you used, Ah dunno why, but your voice suddenly sounded aggressive when you told her that you killed your preys, it sure didn't help and Ah didn't like it either."
Clay was starting to feel guilty as he looked in the direction both pegasi left for. "I... I'm sorry girls. It's just that for a second I thought she was mocking me when she asked If I was playing with monsters or even helping them. Where I come from, hundreds of peoples suffer every day because of these beasts, this simple thought kinda irked me and I guess I let my irritation get the best of me." He sighed, knowing full well how his fast changing temper got him in trouble before. "Next time I see her I'll try to make amend, promise." He was staring at the ground not wanting to cross the eyes of the farm pony.
"Glad to hear you can see yer wrongs lad. And don't fret too much about this, after all, you've only been here for a week right? It's probably hard on yer nerves to have to cope with a body and a world you weren't born in." She gave Clay a gentle nudge on his shoulder while bearing a cheerful smile. "Now If you don't mind, can you tell us if we are gettin' close to our destination? We've been walkin' awfully close to the Everfree forest for a while now and Ah don't feel very comfortable around it. The sooner we get in and leave will be the best."
Clay started ruffling trough his saddlebags until he found what he was looking for, a map of the forest, and a small dark blue key bearing Luna's cutie mark. He proceeded to unfold the map and placed it flat on the ground. Then the stallion dropped the key at its center. Clear blue light emerged from it as it started floating above the paper representation of the surroundings, the tip of the key then marked a spot of the map indicating the destination of the pony group.
"I don't know much about this place, but if I'm right, we should be able to get there in about twenty minutes or so. I think." He then stored everything back in their respective bags and resumed walking, the remainder of the travel remained silent, the group guessing it would be wise not to give away their presence to the denizens of the Everfree forest
-----
Fluttershy ran as fast she could toward her home, questions still rolling trough her head. Why did Celestia accept to shelter this pony? Why has she asked them to take care of him? Why didn't she tell them he was the kind of pony who takes the life of other creatures? The more she thought about it, the more confused she felt, this didn't make any sense. As far as she knew, there was always a peaceful way to settle problems with monsters, she proved it with the manticore and the cockatrice. Twilight did the same with the ursa minor. Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted as a blue streak passed in front of her and landed at her side, startling her for a second.
"Fluttershy! I've been trying to get your attention for the past two minutes. What is wrong with you? I don't think I've seen you act like that before. Was it what he said?" Rainbow Dash asked with concern, she knew that Fluttershy was not the type to run away, she sometime hid herself when thing scared or disturbed her, but she would not flee just like that.
"I... I'm sorry Rainbow. It's just that I think we are making a mistake by allowing him to come to Ponyville. I mean, Celestia probably knew about his past, yet she didn't tell us, as if she thought we wouldn't find out ourselves. Was it to protect him? Or did he hide that from her knowing full well it wouldn't be wise to tell this truth to the most powerful being in Equestria. What do we know about him? Only that he is ready to take the life of somepony else to make money, that's what." Fluttershy's tears already dried up, but she still felt some anger squirming in her heart, a feeling she was not used to. The cyan pegasus then passed a hoof around her shoulders to keep both of them closer as their walked.
"We need to get a small discussion mare to mare. I'm sure you are making it worst than it is. I fully understand that you feel insecure with this new pony around, and, while his line of work isn't very common here, I don't think he would just take the life of anypony for no reason. This is a clash of cultures, we were raised to try to resolve most problems without violence, tough I know I'm not a good example of that. On his side, he was raised to fear the monsters and was taught how to deal with them, in a different way than ours. I'm pretty sure our favorite spirit of kindness can learn to tolerate a simple cultural difference right? I know I'm not the most empathic pony around, but I think I am well placed to know that cultural difference shouldn't stop one from becoming friend with another." She grinned bringing a small smile on the butter colored pony's face.
"I know what you mean. I still wonder tough, if you think back, when Nightmare Moon returned a year ago, even tough she had the power to, she didn't harm any of us, she could probably have killed us all in one sweep, or banished us to the sun, yet, she simply toyed with us until we managed to get rid of her. If the strongest evil in Equestria didn't take any life when she could, what does that make him?"
"Well, the only way we could know about Nightmare Moon would be to ask the lady herself, which is a bit impossible right now. My best guess is, even tough she was in control, Luna's feeling were probably stopping her from doing anything terrible. As for what he is, I would say he's nothing more than a poor pony who is confused about his situation, taking a life is how he learned to defend himself, and we can't really change his past. That's why Celestia and Luna are both working their flank off to send him back home, so he won't need to become somepony else just to live with us. Worst case scenario, he can't go back, and he learn a new way to live on his own." On these words, Fluttershy's cottage came in sight.
"Thanks Rainbow, I will try to be a bit stronger and make peace with him. After all, nopony is ultimately evil right? I just need to accept our differences."
"Now that's my kind and loving Fluttershy! Well, I will go back to meet with the others, he probably can use a bit more hooves to gather his stuff." She took a quick glance at the cottage's mailbox. "Oh, and I think I'll see you again tonight, looks like Pinkie is delivering invitations for his welcome-to-Ponyville party. Will be a good chance for you two to talk things over as well." They both shared a hug as Rainbow Dash took flight." Well then, see you later." She disappeared leaving a trail of rainbow. Fluttershy entered her cottage and headed for her couch where she laid, her anger had completely faded and she felt at peace again allowing her to drift in an afternoon nap.
-----
It didn't take long for Rainbow Dash to find her friends in the Everfree forest, her enhanced pegasus vision allowed her to spot the chariots they brought with them from far away. As she guessed they were now standing beside the ice dome that appeared a week ago, eager to find out what was hidden under the thick layer of ice, the cyan pegasus increased her speed and tried to land directly on the dome, resulting in a slip and a crash right beside it.
"Loud landing!" She claimed as she stood back on four legs, a bit bruised and trying to cover up her mishap. Applejack rolled her eyes out of annoyance but refrained from commenting. "So what's under this thing?"
Rarity walked up to her to answer her question. "We are just about to find out, my dear. More importantly tough, was Fluttershy all right? The poor darling seemed greatly disturbed."
"Nothing to worry about, just a bit of a misunderstanding. All she need is to talk to our new pal over there, she simply need to accept the differences of culture between ponies and humans."
"Glad to hear it, I bet a quick visit to Aloe's and Lotus' bath house will help her feel even better, I will schedule a visit for tomorrow."
Clay searched his saddlebags for the blue key once more, now holding it in his teeth, he proceeded to touch the ice dome with it. The key turned into a glowing mist that engulfed the frozen structure and started to melt it until it all vanished away revealing the huge body of a dead wyvern. The creature had azure scales and only two legs, a long tail ending with a spiked mace shaped tip, and a pair of wing as wide as a dragon's. The reptilian creature's head was hard to describe tough, since a pony sized sword was stuck in it emitting small jolts of electricity. Beside it, an empty shell shaped like a monkey was laying on the ground with what the ponies guessed was a human type saddlebag. It was still a mystery for them why the hunter insisted on bringing carts that large, it should be easy to fit that armor, weapon and bag on a regular sized chariot. The stallion then ruffled trough his bag again, taking out some flint and tinder and a long carving knife.
"Can any of you help me start a fire while I get to work? It may take a while since I haven't done this with this body yet. And by the way, those with weak hearts should refrain from watching, not everyone can stand looking at this."
The pony group was a bit dumbfounded since they didn't understand what was going to happen, Twilight Sparkle wanted to ask what he meant. "If you don't mind telling us, what is going to be hard to-" TCHUNK. Holding the carving knife in his teeth, Clay started to stab the wyvern corpse and proceeded to carefully remove the skin and scales of the creature. The purple unicorn became livid as she finally understood why the need of large carriages. She felt her stomach churn a little and chose to look away, she levitated the flint and tinder and volunteered to start a fire, at least it would keep the Everfree forest creatures at bay while the colt was doing his grim work.
Applejack couldn't help but ask why Clay was doing something that horrible, to which he replied he was trying not to waste anything. He quickly explained how it was a way to show respect to your prey to make sure its death wasn't for nothing, and how he planned to give a new life to its parts. The farm pony wasn't sure she approved of this, but she did understand the colt's point of view. She then offered to gather some wood for the fire and left the forest clearing.
Surprisingly enough the usually tidy and ladylike pony wasn't looking away. She was remembering her days at Hayrvard university where she learned how to turn her passion for dressmaking into a career. She shone trough all of the fashion courses, may it be design, sewing, gem-crafting or metallurgy, which was useful to craft the jewelry to accompany her dresses. There was an other course she took that was way more uncommon, almost nopony would subscribe to this one since the materials for it were so hard to come by. The leather and dragon scales modeling courses. Mostly used for protection and armor, these material always eluded Rarity's search for them, leather haven't been used for the past years and even back when it was common, only the tanned skin of already dead animals was used. Dragon scales on the other hoof were hard to come by simply because dragons were a rare sight to behold, let alone a dead dragon or a live one willing to part with its scales. This was a chance in a lifetime, and she didn't plan to waste it. She got closer to the body as Clay was struggling with his knife, the handle was slipping out of his mouth and he kept spiting the blood that was smearing it.
"Need a hand darling?" She used her magic to lift the knife out of Clay's mouth and then she lowered it near the spot he was trying to cut. "All you have to do is tell me where I should cut and I will. All I ask is to be allowed to keep some scales in exchange of this service." She winked at him to confirm her claim.
"You can keep all of it if you wish to, all I want is to make sure not to let any of this go to waste. Where I come from, the hunters are allowed to take their share of materials, then they bring their quarry to the closest hunter guild. The guild staff is then tasked to use everything that's left to help their community. I know we won't be able to keep half of the rathalos' body, so we might as well give as much as we can to those who wish to use it. Thanks for your help by the way, I really appreciate it."
"It's my pleasure, but I would feel bad to keep everything for myself, isn't there anything I can do to repay you?"
Clay pondered a little, then as he looked at his empty armor he got an idea. "If you can tell me where I could remodel this to fit my pony body I would be ever grateful, I kinda feel naked without my armor on... Oh, right, I'm actually naked, but that's beyond the point. What I mean is I feel safer with it on my back."
"I guess it's time to tell you about my line of work then, I am a dressmaker, a fashion designer, and most of all, I like a good challenge once in a while. I will personally remodel your armor for you, I know a couple magic tricks to cut through hard material which should come in handy. All I need is to take your measurements, If you don't mind I will take them as we bring the scales and skin to my workshop. I haven't filed an order for new fabric in a while so there should be plenty of room in the back-store." She followed Clay's instructions for a while longer a she cut trough the thicker plates forming the back of the wyvern, levitating each pieces to one of the chariot. After a moment both carriage were full of scales, leaving just enough space to store the armor and sword. Moving the protective gear wasn't too hard, but when it came to lift the weapon, it was a whole new challenge, Rarity had to ask Twilight for help as the sheer weight of the blade made it hard to lift off the ground. Applejack already came back and was now laying beside the fire Twilight started earlier, both mares refused to take a look at the now skinless beast.
Rainbow Dash remained silent during the whole skinning procedure, at first Clay tought she was as shocked as twilight and Applejack, but soon, he realized it wasn't it. The rainbow maned pegasus was staring at the scales and armor, and the stallion couldn't help but feel a bit of envy coming from the mare. After all she did say earlier that she tought it was cool to battle these creatures, was she thinking of trying this job? A rumbling sound emerged from his stomach, and the mares' digestive organs replied with a similar sound to voice their approval. It is true they didn't eat anything since their departure from Canterlot. Clay started searching the bag that laid beside the armor earlier, and he took out the portable barbecue spit that was in it. He then proceeded to cut a piece of meat from the wyvern and placed it over the fire, much to the disapproval of the ponies. "What are you doing?" Asked Twilight.
"Cooking dinner. You want some?" The already pale purple unicorn almost turned white, the orange mare quickly shook her head left and right and Rarity simply declined the offer as politely as she could, unease showing in her voice.
Much to the three mares' surprise Rainbow dash answer was "Why not?"
Still shocked Twilight voice rose. "Wait you can't be serious Rainbow, this is meat, ponies don't eat meat!"
"Twi, it's not as if it was the first time I ate meat." The eyes of the three mares grew as wide as saucer, all of them agape with this revelation. Rainbow Dash let out an exasperated sigh. "Girls, do I have to remind you my best friend used to be a griffon? It's kinda awkward to ask for hay or grass when you are invited to stay over at a griffon family's dinner. It's far from being my favorite dish, but when prepared properly it's not bad." Clay then grabbed some spices from the backpack and powdered the meat with it. The smell of unknown spices quickly spread all around, and much to their surprise, it did smell good.
"I..." Rarity started, then gulped. "I will try a piece. Just out of politeness for our first meal with our guest. But please don't expect me to eat a whole plate, just a sample will suffice." Twilight Sparkle and Applejack looked at each other for a few second, then back at the cooking piece of meat.
"Ah'm sorry but Ah can't bring mahself to do this. Don't take it personally but Ah'd rather stay ninety percent vegetarian. Only animal products Ah consume are milk and eggs. So Ah think Ah'm just gonna eat in town today. If you want me to Ah can bring the first carriage with me as Ah head there."
"Please do so darling, would you mind leaving it in the back-store of Carrousel Boutique? I have an agreement with Clay here to keep these materials and work with them, You would be a dear."
" All right, Ah guess Ah'll send the chariot back to Canterlot after Ah'm done. Enjoy your... meal."
"No offense but I am with Applejack on this one, I can't bring myself to eat the flesh of an other creature. So I guess I will accompany AJ for dinner, and at the same time I'll drop Spike at the library, the poor thing seems to be so tired even tough he spent all day sleeping, I guess he did work a lot these past days. Rarity, would you mind showing Clay his way to the library when you guys are done?"
Rarity, smelling the dish she was about to taste lifted her head to answer Twilight. " Of course darling, don't worry, I will not bring him late, just need to take care of some business at Carrousel Boutique and I will be on my way."
"Good, well, see you all later." Then, both Twilight and Applejack were gone, leaving Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Clay alone around the barbecue spit.
After a few minutes passed, Clay asked Rarity if she could use her magic to cut the meat, she complied splitting it into three pieces, one very small and two equally bigger ones. At first she only nibbled her portion. The taste of the spices filled her mouth like spilled water, the spices had a comforting aroma to them. She then took a larger bite, the taste of the well done meat wasn't bad at all, it was a bit hard to chew since equine teeth weren't made for cutting, but after a while she managed to swallow, feeling the warm food go down her throat. Her rumbling stomach was asking for more, but she didn't know how to admit she liked it enough to have a full plate. Apparently words weren't needed since both Rainbow dash and Clay hoofed her a part of their share. She thanked them both and greedily ate the new pieces.
"Well now you amaze me Rarity, I never thought you, of all ponies, would try or even appreciate meat. When I first tried it at Gilda's place it took me a bit longer to convince myself to munch on it. I'm not making it part of my diet, but I do admit I like it once in a while."
"Well, this is a surprising experience I gotta say. It will probably be both the first and last time I eat this, but I guess I have to thank our cook for this delicious meal." She seemed lost in thought for a second, then she turned around to face Clay. "If you don't mind answering, what do you plan to do during your stay in Ponyville. Are you going to look for work? Maybe you could help at the library."
The stallion took a few second to think about it, he remembered what Celestia said about other creatures that were brought with him to Equestria.
"Well, there is one thing I want to take care of before I think about that. I know other creatures like the one we have beside us are lurking around Equestria, I think it is my duty to get rid of them before they kill innocent ponies. Problem is, I don't know if I can do this alone, I know how to use many weapons with a human body, but as an equine, I don't think I can wield anything with just my teeth. And I can't really ask Celestia's guard to do this themselves since they know nothing about these monsters, and they don't have enough experience to deal with them, I know how their group was defeated when they first encountered a flying wyvern. They were simply too many, if you are too close to each others you run the risk of having collateral damage from an exploding fireball to hit more ponies. Also, more hunters all trying to hit the same target makes you unable to properly focus on the weak points, since you have to make sure not to hit your allies. And finally, because it is more likely you will have an injured pony, you have to split your focus between bringing them to safety for recovery, and dodging the next attack from the beast. That is why the hunter guild only allow groups of four maximum to leave on a hunt. The only situation where it is allowed to have bigger groups is when a large monster needs to be fought, creatures large enough to allow all hunters to have their own maneuvering space." He pondered for a second about his decision. "I need to find another pony who is willing to hunt with me, most monsters are manageable while in pair." As Rainbow Dash finished her share of the meal, she quickly glanced at the remaining chariot, the one with the armor and sword. This wasn't unnoticed by Clay, yet she didn't say anything, apparently unsure about what she wanted. A keen observer, Clay added "And I think I found somepony. Rarity, do you have Rainbow Dash's measurements?"
Both mares blushed as rarity rose her voice, apparently aggravated. "Now that is a bit rude to ask for a lady's measurements as if she was an object, don't think I am willing to share this kind of professional secrets so easily, you ruffian." She huffed.
Clay blushed as he realized what the female ponies were thinking."Nonono, you got it all wrong, that's not what I meant. What I meant is: Do you have the information needed to make Rainbow Dash an armor out of the rathalos pieces we just gathered? I noticed she has been giving my equipment envious looks all day long. If you are willing to, I can show you the ropes." Both mare blinked quickly, analyzing the last information.
"Oh I see but, I don't think she w-" A blue hoof appeared before Rarity's face, interrupting her speech.
"Of course I'm accepting! I mean, this gotta be the coolest thing to do after joining the wonderbolts! How can I say no to a chance to be an awesome monster hunter! This is just so awesome! And I'm pretty sure it would be amazing on my C.V., think about it in a few years, Rainbow Dash, ex-monster hunter now leader of the Wonderbolts!"
"Glad to see you eager to help me, but if you are going to follow my tutelage, I have a few rules to give you," he then stood as tall as he could, a stern look in his face, and a somewhat intimidating voice "If you do not follow them I will revoke your apprenticeship, got it? First rule, you will obey every order i give you in battle, you are free to act as you please, but if at some point I tell you to do a particular action, you do it. Second rule, you have to prioritize dodging over attacking, if you get hit even once it might be the end of the battle for you, as for the monster, it can probably endure an onslaught of our attacks before falling, so be careful, you can't help bring it down if you are down yourself. As for the next two rules, they are the most important, don't even think about not respecting them. Third rule is-"
-----
Applejack and Twilight Sparkle were eating their own dinner at the closest Daisyburger they could find. This chain of restaurant was known as the first to deep fry flowers before placing them in a roasted bun, the food wasn't considered very healthy, but it was tasty and it did fill the stomach as it should. As dinner went on the farm pony raised a question.
"So, what do ya think of this new pony? The lad seems to be a good fellow, but he doesn't seem to think much before acting."
"It hard to say really, as you are saying he seems to be a good and honest colt, but we can't really judge a book by it's cover right? We need a bit more time to make an actual opinion, although you can probably agree that he left a bad first impression on Fluttershy."
"Yeah you may be right about that, but Ah think he is just as awkward socially as one of my best pal used to be, happens Ah'm currently eating dinner with her." She winked at the purple unicorn who shyly reminisced of a time when she would rather spend time studying than with other ponies. After all Applejack may be right, his behavior is probably the result of not spending enough time with others. "And that's why Ah think Celestia asked us to take care of him, after all she did send you here to help you with this matter, and Ah would bet my hat she wants to do the same with him. After all, she did say she wanted you to teach him yer lesson in the magic of friendship. That was probably a hint."
"You're right. I didn't see it like that at first, but I think you are close to the truth. What tickles me tough is I wonder what would stop him from spending time with his peers. There gotta be a reason."
"Beats me, the only way to find out would be to ask him directly, maybe if we wait a few days he will tell us by himself, but now we need to give him some time to get used to Ponyville, then we will see what we can learn about him, he should open up by himself after a while, hopefully before he has to go." Applejack took a last bite out of her dinner and prepared to leave the table. "Now if you will excuse me, Ah need to bring this empty cart to the local rental service office so they can ship it back to Canterlot, Ah'll see you later."
"Ok, take care." Twilight finished her own dinner and left for the library. Little did she know Ponyville would soon face dangers like it never had before.
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MonsterHunterBrony
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733
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Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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My little hunter : Companionship is magic
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Due to a magical mishap, the monster hunter universe clash with Equestria.
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cancelled
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<p>After a magical mishap from Luna, some creatures from an other world are brought to equestria. Among them, a young hunter, now turned into a pony, will need to adapt to this equine universe and help defeat the monsters from his own world. But to do this he will need help, and the help he seeks may be closer than he expected.Will he be able to go back to his world? Or will he have to live the rest of his life in Equestria? There is only one way to find out.</p><p>this is my first fanfic ever, so if there is anything you guys think could be improved don't hesitate to comment. Also since english isn't my first language feel free to point out my grammar mistakes, I try to make the story as good as I can but there is a limit to how many time I can manage to find errors as I proofread it.</p>
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everyone
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2011-10-25T18:50:10+00:00
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2011-10-25T18:50:10+00:00
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Author's notes: Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying the story thus far, I know I'm a bit slow with updates but I have a hard time keeping up with all IRL stuff. This not is to mention that I posted a revised version of chapter 1 and chapter 2, no major changes but I think it's worth mentioning. Also feel free to give feedback about the way I portray the characters and such, I don't want Clay to enter Gary stu's hell, and I don't want to make the mane 6 out of character, so if anything bugs you, tell me and I'll take it in consideration when working on new chapters.
Originally this chapter was supposed to be much longer but I chose to cut it in 2 parts, both because I want the action to move a bit faster toward the first encounter and because I know I can fit the removed part somewhere later without affecting the flow of the story. The now removed part will appear somewhere in chapter 5-6-7 depending on their individual length.
And now, enjoy the new chapter!
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
by ~Meteorimpact/Monster Hunter Brony
Chapter 4 : First night in Ponyville
Rarity and Clay were on their way to Carousel boutique, Rainbow Dash already left them and mentioned she would meet them later at Sugarcube Corner leaving them question whatever she meant. Once they finally reached the fashionista's shop, she unlocked the back-store door usually used for deliveries, allowing Clay to bring in the scale filled cart. They then proceeded to unload it and when only the sword and armor were left, Rarity faced Clay asking "Are you sure about doing this? I'm not going to stop you, but I have to admit I am worried for Rainbow Dash. Do you really think she can pull it off?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked her, she is full of energy, and seems to have a lot of ambitions. We could say that the best hunters are forged out of peoples like her, I didn't get to ask her much about herself, and I know very little about who she really is, but her eyes can't lie to me, she wants to do this, and even if I didn't ask her, I'm pretty sure she would get into a fight with a monster at the first occasion. Might as well make sure she is safe by tutoring her." He replied trying to make his tone as reassuring as he could.
"If you say so, but I warn you, if anything happens to her. You. Will. Be. Held as responsible. Is that clear?" She emphasized her thought by prodding Clay with her horn every time she took a pause in the sentence.
"Crystal clear ma'am!" He couldn't help but rub the now sore spot on his shoulder, where the horn left a little bruise. Then he muttered to himself "I won't allow any harm to come to her or anyone else."
"Did you say something?" Rarity inquired as she was unloading the armor and carefully placing it in a corner.
"Nothing important, just mumbling to myself. By the way, do you think there is any way to convert my sword into something Rainbow and I could use?"
The white unicorn took a long pensive look at the massive weapon, still coursing with jolts of electricity. The gigantic sword had a blade making only half of the broad side of the blade, other half was made out of sort sort of fleshy light grey matter. A few electrodes glowing neon teal seemed to be the source of power for the electric weapon. "I think I have an idea, but I don't know yet if it's feasible. You will have to ask me in a day or two." After she and Clay took it off the cart and stored it beside the armor, she beckoned him to follow her to the front of the boutique. "What kind of host am I, I forgot to offer you something to drink, would you like some water?" to which he simply approved with a nod. As Rarity walked around the shop's counter to reach her cupboard, she noticed something laying on the door mat, a bright pink invitation to Clay's welcome-to-Ponyville party. "Oh dear, I forgot Pinkie wouldn't pass a chance to throw a party." She took a quick glance at Clay and her eyes quickly grew as large as saucers. " Oh my, you certainly aren't ready to attend it! Your coat is still stained with blood and you definitely need some sort of makeover, I can't let you go like that. You are going to follow me home and take a bath, as soon as we get there I want you to go to the second floor and head to the second room on your left, you will find the bathtub there, meanwhile I will prepare something to make you somewhat presentable."
"Umh, I appreciate the attention but it will be ok, it's only a little smudge of blood, I'll clean that la-"
"I said: Second room to your left on the second floor!" If Rarity was able to shoot lightning with her eyes, Clay would probably be a pile of ashes by now.
"Got it!" The stallion just gave a very nervous grin as he was looking for a way to escape the slightly irritated fashionista, to no avail. Guess there was no escape from this.
"And don't take too long, I don't want Sweetie Belle to come back from her Cutie Mark Crusaders activities and ask me why there is a stranger in the bath. Now let's move!"
-----
After a small detour by the library to drop Clay's saddlebags and back pack, both ponies took off to join the festivities. The party was already ongoing when both Clay and Rarity arrived, ponies laughing and talking everywhere around Sugarcube Corner. It didn't take long for Twilight Sparkle to spot them and join the newcomers.
"Hey guys, I see Spike gave you the message, glad you could make it to the party."
"He did but even without him, Pinkie already left invitations at both my house and Carrousel Boutique, my guess is she wanted to make sure I wouldn't miss it. We are a bit late but I had to take care of something." She waved a foreleg toward Clay.
Twilight took a glance at the earth colored stallion and chuckled. "I see, it seem you got the Rarity makeover treatment, don't worry we all went through it." Clay blushed a little, not used to wear anything formal, or getting groomed. He had his mane slightly trimmed and combed so the hair wouldn't touch the ground anymore and he was donning a wine colored necktie matching his coat. "By the way Pinkie was looking all around for you. You should go tell her that you are finally here, speaking of the devil, she's right over there looking under the punch bowl."
"Got it, I guess it would be polite of me to at least thank her for the attention." He bowed to both Rarity and Twilight and quickly trotted over the table Pinkie was looking under and called out to her. "Miss Pinkie, I hear you wanted to talk to-" He didn't get to end his sentence since he got literally glomped by the energetic party pony.
"There you are! I looked all over for you, I couldn't announce the special game I planned for this party without the guest of honor , it would have been rude of me especially since I got the idea from you!" Without warning she bit Clay's tail as he was trying to get his breath back and then proceeded to drag him over a small stage where she did her best to attract everypony's attention. "Hello ladies and gentlecolts, I hope you are all having as much fun as I do as we welcome our new town resident" She pointed a hoof at the colt trying to desperately free his tail from Pinkie's teeth, how was she able to speak so clearly with her teeth clenched this hard was a complete mystery. "I will now present you the main attraction of tonight's party! We are going on a monster hunt in Ponyville!" Pinkie pie then pulled a rope that was hanging over the small stage, and a curtain raised revealing a manticore shaped Pinata. The candy filled creature was tied to a small battery powered wheeled contraption. "I hid many of these around ponyville, and once I press a certain switch they will all start to roam around town, your mission if you accept it is to grab one of those wooden sword laying under the stage and hunt for your candies! Good luck everypony!"
After some loud cheering the crowd rushed to get their wooden weapons all eager to hunt for delicious sweetness. Satisfied with this, the pink pony turned to face the still struggling colt. "And I got something special planned for you before you attend the party." Her immense grin did nothing to reassure Clay who felt Pinkie tugging on his tail again, forcefully dragging him inside a dark room in Sugarcube Corner. The room was almost pitch black and it was impossible to discern anything if not for the help of the moon's light. Clay suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground and dropped on what seemed to be a chair. As he was trying to find his bearing he realized his tail was free again, after scanning the room for a source of light he felt his blood freeze in his veins when he saw Pinkie's eyes and large scary grin reflecting the moonlight, she was holding something made out of metal in her teeth, Clay was about to switch to self defense mode but the light suddenly turned on, revealing Pinkie pie holding a large tray of mushrooms of all imaginable colors. She then dropped the tray on the table Clay was facing and exclaimed "SURPRISE! I'm not letting you leave this room until you try them."
Clay wasn't so sure it was a good idea but he thought now wouldn't be a good time to anger the party planner. He grabbed one of the mushrooms from the tray and started analyzing it, the stem had some sort of thin wavy layer sticking to it, he tried biting in that layer to see if it was edible but when he pulled, it simply came off, dropping on the table. He then smelled the weird mushroom and was surprised it smelled, sweet? That's when he noticed Pinkie was staring at him expectantly the whole time, not able to stand it any longer he just stuffed his mouth with the mushroom in one go. He couldn't believe it, the sweetness was incredible, and this flavor was nothing he ever tasted before, the only sweets he knew where honey based pastries and a few made out of berries. Not waiting any more seconds Pinkie pie jumped on the table and brought her face right in front of Clay's.
"So do you like chocolate?"
"Oh, you mean chocolate is that kind of mushroom? I guess I do like it." He chuckled as he realized what this set up was all about, but Pinkie felt the need to correct him.
"These aren't mushroom silly, they are cupcakes! Who would make sweets out of mushroom, you have weird taste if you do, really. I spent all day making them since I guessed there is no cupcakes where you came from, you can try any you want, I made chocolate, blueberry, and my favorite, strawberry! I'm so glad you like it, I mean I can't imagine a world without sweets so it must have been horrible for you not to have had cupcakes before! I may have been a bit forceful but it was for your own good, now try an other one and you are free to go party with the others, after all you got sweets to take from the roaming pinata monsters!" At this moment a faint voice coming from the next room could be heard asking who wanted to play pin the tail on the pony, Pinkie practically disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Clay alone with the cupcakes.
The stallion, just laughed at the whole situation, all this just to make sure he would know the taste of cupcakes? That's when he realized he was a fool to let himself be afraid of the pink pony. She was simply the most spontaneous and random being he ever met, and frankly, he was starting to enjoy this. Only a few days passed since he arrived to Equestria, and yet, it felt so good. He had a hard time remembering the last time he enjoyed the company of others as much as this, sure he joined many hunting parties, but even tough he somewhat befriended some hunters, he never tried to keep contact with them. If he met them again on a hunt it was fun, but he wasn't actively looking for these particular peoples, just a group to hunt with. As weird as it seemed, he enjoyed this adventure with the multicolored ponies and he was ready to try and have as much fun as possible during his stay. He shoved an other cupcake in his mouth and headed outside grabbing a wooden sword lying on the ground, time to kick some pinatas' flanks.
-----
As he ran trough Ponyville in search for his quarry he took great care in taking notes of some landmarks to be able to make his way back to Sugarcube Corner, having fun was great and all, but not if he wasn't able to come back after. The streets were dark with only the moon and occasional lit windows to reveal them, then, the sound of wheels rolling on the stone road could be heard a few meters away. Clay readied his weapon, holding it as best he could with his teeth, and trotted over the sounds origin, only then did he notice a weak thumping sound coming from the same direction, as he came closer he finally spotted the candy filled monster, beside it was a yellow pegasus lightly hitting it with her own wooden sword. Clay had to stifle a laugh at the scene, Fluttershy looked so adorable trying to get her hooves on the sweets, yet failing to break the pinata due to the lack of strength in her hits. That's when he remembered he owed the mare some apologies, this chance meeting was probably a good time to try and make up. The plan was simple, he would help break the pinata, and would improvise depending on her reaction, if she got scared he would use comedy to lighten the atmosphere. without a second thought, the stallion clenched his teeth as hard as he could on the sword handle and dashed toward the pinata, with a precise strike to the papier macher monster's belly it finally stopped moving revealing its candy filled insides.
"EEP!" Fluttershy startled and hid as fast as she could in a barrel leaning against a wall. A few seconds later she finally risked a look out of it and saw Clay splitting the candies in two equal piles.
Exactly what he was waiting for, he then took a comically heroic pose and said with a comedic tone "Hello there, I'm sorry if I scared you, but when I saw you were in dire need of assistance I had to rush to your help, no need to thank me, anypony would have done the same for you. Thanks to your help in distracting the beast I was able to strike the final blow and we managed to save Ponyville from it's attacker! Here is your share of the spoils, let's celebrate our victory over the pinacore!" He then pushed one of the candy pile toward the now confused pegasus all the while bearing a smile he hoped looked cheerful, she simply stood there, blinking and staring in his general direction as if she was trying to make sense of the scene that just unfolded before her eyes. Clay was starting to wonder if operation 'make-a-fool-out-of-myself-to-lighten-the-atmosphere' was a success or not. Apparently his attempt at looking ridiculous didn't work as he planned. "Miss Fluttershy? Are you all right?"
She finally emerged from her stupor, "OH! Mmh... Yes... I am fine... I was just a little surprised." She then realized who she was talking to, and felt a little embarrassed as she remembered the way she acted during the walk back to Ponyville.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened today." They both said at the same time.
Clay quickly added. "You don't have to apologize to me, I was the one at fault. I think I got a bit rude with you and I know how I sometimes express myself the wrong way. If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, you can ask me, if it's in my power I'll try to grant it to you."
Fluttershy blushed a bit and came to the realization the colt really wasn't a bad pony, maybe she did overreact when they first met. She got out of the barrel she was hiding in and stood beside one of the candy pile. "I... Um... I still want to say I'm sorry about judging you before actually trying to know you a bit better. As for making it up to me, I think you just did, After all you saved me from the claws of the dangerous pinacore." She took a hoof to her forehead in a comedy act as terrible as Clay's. "Who knows what could have happened to Ponyville if not for your help?" There was a moment of silence before they both started laughing. Clay felt relieved there were no hard feelings between both of them, the weight of his guilt finally leaving his shoulders. Both ponies then chose to head back to Sugarcube Corner with their trophy. Unable to carry all the sweets on their own, they simply filled the pinata with everything and pushed it like a cart, they would share the reward later with their friends.
-----
Meanwhile, in Canterlot, Doctor Whooves was working with Luna on a way to open a two way rift to Clay's home world. Thus far, all attempts to connect to it either started opening a portal to a different dimension than the one they were looking for, or, when they did manage to make a gate to the right world, it was still one way only. Luna was taking a nap as Celestia entered the laboratory in search of answers. In the past week, every night were spent trying to figure out how Luna could open portals to an other dimension, and why their locations were so random.
"Good evening Doctor. Did you make any breakthrough regarding the current situation?"
The stallion with the hourglass cutie mark did not lift his eyes from the notes he was reading but still answered the question. "Greetings Princess, indeed I think I managed to work something out, or rather, I think I'm starting to understand how the spell works, or doesn't."
She perked an eye out of confusion. "How it works or doesn't? What does it even mean?"
"Exactly what it says. The spell seems to be an incomplete spell, one that Luna didn't create herself. As you know the alicorns aren't born as alicorn. I know you both used to be unicorn before you inherited the powers to move the sun and moon. And I think we can trace the origins of all this to this period, during the ceremony where a regent of the sun or moon choose their successor, they pass down all of their power, including their cutie marks, and the spells they knew beforehand. I'm actually pretty sure both you and Princess Luna have many latent abilities or spells you don't even know about, because you don't know you have them."
"Are you implying that we have magical powers we ignore? How is that even possible, if we know how to cast a spell, then it should mean we know what the spell is, right?"
"It's not as simple as that I fear. Remember back when you got your powers, what is the first ability you used? The answer is easy, you already knew how to move the sun, because you knew that being the regent of the sun implied this responsibility. By knowing this role you were given, you were easily able to find the power to move the sun in your spell pool. But since you have no idea what kind of other magic your predecessor knew, your subconscious don't know where to look when it comes to use them. That's where my theory comes in. Let's recapitulate the events leading to Luna's discovery of the spell. during the past months, she tried to integrate modern life with little to no success, every time she made a mistake or failed in a simple task, she would end up isolating herself in her room, ashamed of her inability to adapt. As time went on and the stress accumulated, she finally started breaking up, she was starting to sink in despair and fear of being unable to live a normal life."
Suddenly Celestia's eyes grew wide as she was starting to piece everything together. "A call for help, her nature always made her keep everything to herself, so it was a distress call nopony but her could hear."
"Exactly. That's when the first incomplete tears started appearing. Her subconscious used her emotions to find a spell to help her. And if my theory is correct I might be able to figure out if the spells is really acting randomly or if it's just unstable because it's still in creation process. It seem the previous regent of the moon started working on this spell but never finished it before giving his powers to Luna. Problem is, to confirm my theory I would need to access the ancestral archives, the place where the previous leaders of Equestria stored all their knowledge. Would you mind granting me access to this section of the castle?"
"Permission granted, I will make the arrangements to allow you to make your researches in that sector."
-----
As the night was moving on, the party's participants slowly started to head home one after the other, it was getting late and only the elements of harmony and Clay still remained. The past few hours were spent telling stories about themselves such as the day Rainbow Dash performed her sonic rainboom, or even the time when Trixie came to ponyville. Failing to stop an ursa minor's rampage, Twilight intervened and managed to defeat the beast, saving ponyville. Clay was finishing his own story about a hunt he went on with a female hunter. The monster they were looking for was something fairly easy to defeat, a monster known as the Yian Kut-ku. The Kut-ku is a small bird like wyvern with a big beak and fan shaped ears, the average specimen is about two to three meters high and four to five in length. The first day of the hunt didn't go quite well, they spent all afternoon and evening looking for their quarry, yet, they never managed to see it, at some point they decided to set up camp and try looking again the day after. Ironically enough the wyvern found them as they were about to go to sleep. Both hunters had removed their protective gear and were only wearing their casual clothes when they were attacked. During the battle a wrong maneuver from one of them, they never got around to determine whose fault it was, made them collide as they tried to dodge a fireball spat by the Kut-ku, tough the projectile didn't hit them directly, the small explosion set their clothes on fire forcing them to remove everything mid fight and finish the battle butt naked.
"- so when we readied ourselves to go back to sleep, most of the camp was thrashed and our sleeping bags couldn't be used anymore, she hastily grabbed whatever was left of them to cover herself and laid beside the campfire adding an angry 'no peeking!' before falling asleep. All I can say after that is I started bringing a change of clothes on all subsequent hunts."
Rainbow dash giggled a bit."Geez, having to wear clothes all the time sure seems like a terrible annoyance, I wouldn't want to be a human for all the bits in the world." After a quick glance through the window, she noticed the moon was already past the middle of the sky, indicating it was somewhere around two or three in the morning. "Well, I think it might be a good idea to call it a night. I'll see you all later." After a quick wave of the hoof she went outside, flapping her wings to reach the skies. It didn't take long for the remaining guests to take their leave as well, thanking Pinkie pie for the party. Twilight took off toward the library, Clay following her. About half way she broke the silence.
"So, what do you think of your first day in Ponyville?"
Clay took a few second to think it over. "Well, it sure was enjoyable, but I'm tempted to say either all the ponies in this town are crazy, or I am the one who needs to step up my game to match them. I always had a hard time making friends, mostly my fault for not actually trying, and I feel like I missed a lot. I think it's because I'm afraid of losing them after creating strong bonds, it's something I don't want to experience again..." He seemed lost in thought for a bit but noticed Twilight's inquisitive look, he quickly added "Nevermind that, it's in the past now and shouldn't influence the present, or the future." He suddenly increased his pace as if to avoid incoming questions.
Twilight chose not to pry,but she was certain she got her first clue to understand why Clay wasn't getting along with his peers. It seemed like Applejack was right after all, the stallion had social issues. The library finally came into sight and after a few minutes, both ponies were inside the building. They tried to stay as quiet as possible not to wake up spike who was sleeping. Clay picked up his saddlebags and backpack he previously left near the door as Twilight showed him the way to his room in the underground level of the library. Spike had already set up a bed with sheets and pillow for the guest and it didn't take long for the colt to make himself comfortable. Twilight then proceeded to go brush her teeth and get ready for bed. Before laying to sleep tough, she telekinetically brought a small empty notepad beside her with a quill and labeled it 'Clay's world'. She smirked as her last thought before falling asleep was "You better brace yourself because I'm not letting you leave the library before you answer all my questions." She then drifted to sleep, dreaming of the book she planned to write later about a world outside of Equestria.
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MonsterHunterBrony
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733
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Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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My little hunter : Companionship is magic
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Due to a magical mishap, the monster hunter universe clash with Equestria.
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cancelled
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<p>After a magical mishap from Luna, some creatures from an other world are brought to equestria. Among them, a young hunter, now turned into a pony, will need to adapt to this equine universe and help defeat the monsters from his own world. But to do this he will need help, and the help he seeks may be closer than he expected.Will he be able to go back to his world? Or will he have to live the rest of his life in Equestria? There is only one way to find out.</p><p>this is my first fanfic ever, so if there is anything you guys think could be improved don't hesitate to comment. Also since english isn't my first language feel free to point out my grammar mistakes, I try to make the story as good as I can but there is a limit to how many time I can manage to find errors as I proofread it.</p>
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everyone
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2011-10-25T19:16:11+00:00
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2011-10-25T19:16:11+00:00
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My little hunter : Companionship is magic
by ~Meteorimpact/ Monster hunter brony
Chapter 5 : Panic in town
part 1 out of 2
The Everfree forest has been a dangerous place for as long as anypony could remember, but even though creatures of all kind used to lurk in its vicinity, it was surprisingly calm. A calm recently disturbed by a monster the likes nopony ever seen before. The creature appeared in these woods a week and a half earlier, at first the predator managed to kill and eat a manticore, but as time passed the animals of the forest quickly learned to avoid the path of this tyrannical beast. This monster had a surprising ability to adapt to even the harshest of climates and environments, but for a creature as large as it was, it was almost impossible to chase its preys in the woods. Its head had the rough shape of a tyrannosaurus rex's, and it was moving on four legs. The hind legs were powerful enough to spring its mass at incredible height and allow it to leap as far as three time its length. The forelegs were longer and had a shape reminiscing a bat's wings, the joint of each wings had a scaly paws consisting of four fingers, each ending in very sharp claws. The wings of the creature weren't made for flight, but they allowed it to glide over long distances, sadly for it, the forest canopy stopped all attempt at leaping over the trees to glide away from these accursed trees. The monster was known as a tigrex, a monster known for its voracity, only second to an other monster known as the deviljho. The tigrex 's scales were blue on the head and the rest of the body was covered in blue striped yellow scales. It has been 3 days now since the monster last ate, unable to pursue any other animals when trees kept slowing its chase, in a fit of rage it lashed its massive jagged tail breaking a tree in two, it then kept on wandering the woods searching for a prey.
-----
Back in Ponyville, the library was a lively as ever, if one took a look through the window they would see an excited Twilight Sparkle levitating multiple notepads and quills and writing down everything her guest would tell her about his homeworld. The past two days were nothing but streams of questions about the culture, traditions and society of Clay's homeworld. For the purple unicorn it was a golden opportunity to learn as much as she could about an other civilization, she knew theses notes would only mean something to her and those few aware of the stallion's condition, yet she felt she had to make sure this knowledge would never get lost. The book she planned to write would hold no scientific value for other ponies, but she thought it would make a wonderful reference guide to create fiction stories about this world. The day before, she noticed something halfway out of clay's backpack, a rather thick book he called the Encyclopedia Gigantica, it was a complete report on all known monsters from his world, most hunters carried a copy of it as a reference guide when confronting creatures they knew nothing about. And today, Clay taught Twilight how to read the writing from his universe. As she was a very quick learner it only took a few hours for her to understand the basics and get on translating the book. Clay chose this opportunity to try and get some time away from the library, it's not that he disliked the unicorn, but he needed to spend some time outside, away from books and her insatiable thirst for knowledge. He took his saddlebags and headed straight toward the door.
"I'm going out for a walk, do you need me to buy anything?"
All the floating quills came to a stop. "Well, we are running low on fruits, think you can bring back some apples from Applejack?"
"Of course, no problem, her stand is close to Sugarcube Corner right?"
"Yes, just look for a cart filled with red and green fruits, if AJ isn't there, you might see a red stallion in her stead, he's her brother so you can buy from him instead." Clay nodded and took off with a slight wave of his hoof, then the quills started taking notes once more.
-----
The sun was bright, it was obvious the pegasi made a good job clearing the skies of any cloud and Clay felt as if the light was invigorating him. He didn't know the small town that much yet, but he still remembered how to reach Sugarcube corner, still, he took his time to enjoy this stroll as much as possible. He still wasn't used to hear his own hooves hitting the ground, after all as a human he wouldn't hear his own footsteps unless he was wearing metallic boots or walking on a creaky surface, now he was taking pleasure in listening to the soft clopping sound he made with every step forward. It only took him a few minutes to spot the sweets shop, and while passing beside it he finally found the Apple family cart, beside it stood Applejack and a large red stallion. Clay sped up a bit to meet them, the orange mare took notice of the newcomer and approached to greet him.
"Howdy Clay, how are ya? Gettin' used to the library?"
"Oh I'm fine, thanks for asking, and yes I'm getting used to the library, but I gotta admit I needed a small break from the librarian."
Applejack chuckled a bit. "Yah, that's our Twilight, Ah bet she had thousands of questions for ya. Come over here, Ah'm goin' to introduce you to Big Macintosh, mah big brother."
The red stallion's ears perked up at the mention of his name, he then gingerly turned around to face his sister and the newcomer.
"Big Mac, here's Clay, the colt Ah told you about the other day."
"Greetings Clay, Ah hope you are enjoyin' your stay here in Ponyville." Big Mac then grabbed an apple and offered it to the earth colored stallion. "Here's a free sample on the house, if ye're a friend of mah sis, ye're a friend of mine as well." Clay accepted the gift and ate it heartily, he never tried apples before and he enjoyed trying new food every time he could. The sweet fruit was unlike any he had before, he started thinking this might be his new favorite fruit and was now resolute to buy an extra amount for his personal enjoyment.
"Thank you for you generosity Mister Macintosh, happens I came all the way here to buy some of your merchandise, Twilight asked for some of your fruits and I'm going to buys some extra for myself, how much would it be to fill one of my saddlebags?"
"It will be five bits Sir, glad you liked our products." Macintosh then turned to face his sister. "Applejack, take the day off and go spend some time with yer friend, we are havin' a slow day today and there's no point in havin' two of us holdin' the stand right now."
"Will it really be fine? Ah mean, Ah don't want to leave you with all the work."
"Eeeeyup! It's gonna be fine, now get movin'." He added with a smile and a dismissive hoof.
At that, both free ponies went on their way discussing about the Apple family's orchard, Clay eager to learn more about the different ways to serve the fruits.
-----
Meanwhile, a little farther in town, Rarity was on her way to Sugarcube corner to place an order, she was already done with most of her errands for the day and she thought she would get a little surprise for her sister. On her way she came upon a strange sight, a little farther in the street she was walking in, stood a cloaked pony, the fabric of the cloak obviously made out of cheap material. At first the white unicorn wondered why would anypony try to hide themselves in such a way, the only one she knew with this habit was Zecora, a zebra. Yet this pony was doing his, or her, best to keep a low profile, avoiding other ponies and never lifting his, or her gaze off the ground. Rarity caught a quick glimpse of the stranger's blue coat, and the floating pine cone the pony was munching on gave away the fact he, or she was a unicorn. Suddenly, the stranger took notice of Rarity's gaze upon his/herself and quickly turned and galloped away. Applejack and Clay barely managed to avoid a collision with the runaway pony as they came into Rarity's sight. They quickly spotted the white unicorn and came to greet her.
"Heya Rarity, on yer way to Sugarcube corner?"
"Greetings, both of you. Indeed that is where I was going. The cutie mark crusaders are holding a sleepover at my place tonight and I thought they would appreciate a cake or something similar." Rarity took a pensive look. "Is there anything I should avoid getting? I don't know Applebloom's tastes very well."
"Ah reckon' anythin' would be fine as long as you don't get- What in tarnation?!" Applejack exclaimed as a roar and screams of terror were heard a few blocks away. Clay's eyes grew wide and his ears dropped low as he stammered a little. He knew all too well the species of the roar's owner.
"It can't be,it's a, a...." He gulped. "It's a tigrex!"
"A what now?" Applejack asked.
Worried, Rarity added "Is it what I think it is?"
"If you are thinking about a mass of claws and teeth, then yes, it is what you are thinking of." Out of reflex he tried to grab his sword, only remembering he was not carrying it after his hoof hit thin air. "Oh, right... Ponified. I don't carry my equipment anymore."
Rarity was pondering something, then her stare hardened as she spoke. "Clay, you once told me that you wanted to help getting rid of these dangerous creatures right? Then today you will prove your resolve, follow me at carousel boutique, no time to explain." She then dashed off with Clay and Applejack in tow.
"If ya don't mind me askin', what exactly is that tigrex ya were talkin' about?"
"AJ, how would you feel if I suddenly grabbed your hat, set it on fire and started dancing on it while laughing."
The farm pony was taken aback with the question, not understanding why it was asked. "Ah would probably be angry enough to buck your face so hard it would fly off to Trottingham. Why do you ask?"
"Well, imagine that feeling if it lasted over a month, then compress it all back into a day, then place it in an overgrown lizard and you pretty much have a relatively zen tigrex."
"Oh."
Almost out of breath, Rarity turned her head to face Applejack. "The library is close by, go tell Twilight about what is going on, she should be able to warn Celestia, then you two have to go help with the evacuation, the average public is more likely to listen to the bearer of the elements of harmony than anyone else. Don't worry about Clay and me, we will be back in a moment to help."
"Got it!" Applejack replied as she made a sharp turn toward her objective.
-----
Earlier that day, three little fillies were on their way to their next adventure in hope they would finally discover their cutie mark. The first one, named Applebloom, was a yellow coated earth pony, she wore a large dark pink ribbon in her red curly mane, for this adventure she was carrying a lasso belonging to her big sister Applejack. The second filly, Scootaloo, was a courageous and brash orange pegasus, her fushia mane reminiscing of Rainbow Dash's, her desire to impress the rainbow maned mare was the driving force behind most of her actions. Finally the third filly, Sweetie Belle, a white unicorn with a curly pink and purple mane, even tough she wasn't known for her wits, her singing voice was that of an angel, for this adventure, she managed to sneak a rather large piece of fabric from carousel boutique and made a poorly stitched bag out of it. Their destination? The Everfree forest. It was Scootaloo's idea to remind her two friends they never got the chance to try their hooves at a monster catcher cutie mark. The three of them had thought of it when they were babysit by Fluttershy, but they ended up not having the chance to attempt it. Now inside the forest, the trio made their best to move without a sound, until Sweetie Belle broke the silence.
"You know, I'm not so sure it's a good Idea anymore. Remember last time we went in the forest, we were almost turned to stone by a cockatrice."
"Come on Sweetie Belle, you don't have to be scared, remember how Fluttershy defeated it? If a cockatrice show up I'm going to stare it down until it cries. No way I'm gonna get stoned by a snake-bird. Beside look over there," she lowered her voice and pointed her hoof toward a small clearing in the trees. "I think we found what we were looking for."
The eyes of the three fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders converged toward the same direction. There, lied the sleeping form of a large reptilian monster.
"Ok Sweetie Belle, take the bag you made, we will place it around it's head to blind it if it wakes up."
Applebloom reacted first. "No way, we have to make sure it can't move first, Ah'll use the lasso to tie up its legs so it can't chase us if it wakes up."
"That's the dumbest idea I heard all day! Look at it, its jaws is obviously the most dangerous part of its body, we have to neutralize it first."
"Of course not, wranglin' an animal needs to be done properly, and the best way to do it is by tyin' its legs first you kiwi!"
"Kiwhat? You're wrong, tying the legs isn't the priority!"
"Is too!"
"Umm... girls..."
"Not now Sweetie Belle! Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Girls!" The white unicorn filly's shout resonated in the whole forest as she pointed the previously sleeping creature. "I think you woke it up..."
All three of them looked at each other, then back at the creature staring at them, licking its lips. The starving tigrex let out a bellowing roar that sent the Cutie Mark Crusaders flying back. A second later, they were fleeing toward ponyville screaming as the monster started its pursuit.
-----
The front door to carousel boutique slammed open as both Rarity and Clay entered. Not losing a second, the fashionista went in the back-store and used her magic to take out a large box and something the stallion recognized right away.
"It's not yet finished but it should do for now. Clay, I need to pack something in this box real fast, can you place this on the windowsill while I do that?" Suddenly a small mushroom shaped pastry made its way toward the colt who quickly grabed it and did as he was asked to, even tough he was confused as the purpose of this action. He took a look back toward the back-store and Saw what looked like an armor made out of blue scales being levitated and dropped in the previously empty box, then a pair of something resembling horseshoes. A few moments later, a screeching sound resonated in the boutique as a grey pegasus mare landed at break neck speed inside the main room. Clay was surprised to notice she managed to go through the opened window and grab the pastry with her teeth without so much as crashing, after a glance at the confused stallion, or rather a glance both at the stallion and Rarity at the same time, she suddenly spoke while pointing at the pastry she was holding.
"Blueberry muffin! It means there is an emergency delivery to be made!"
Rarity quickly scribbled a note and dropped it in the box, she then sealed it and brought it to the mailmare. "Derpy, you need to bring this to Rainbow Dash as fast as you can."
"Is it related to that monster rampaging near the library?"
"It is, and it is imperative she get the content of this box. Tell her to look for us around the library."
"On my way! You two be careful then, don't do anything reckless"
"Don't worry, we will be fine, just make sure she gets it fast, do that and I'll treat you to a free dress after this situation is fixed."
With a salute, the pegasus known as Derpy Hooves took off at a speed that would make even the Wonderbolt jealous, her flying seemed to be clumsy and irregular but the velocity and agility she showed earlier proved how skilled she was. Only a second later Clay felt magic bringing him close to Rarity as she lifted the familiar thing he spotted earlier. His armor had been completely remodeled, the helm was now slightly stretched to fit his pony head, this part wasn't that different tough, it still had its crest resembling a fish fin and the small slit to see through the head gear. Rarity then started placing the armor's breastplate and secured it tightly, then came the arm guard's turn, they had been opened in the back and were now jointed in a way his front legs would be able to move with them. Finally, what used to be immense shoulder pads were brought over his haunches, they had been modified and held together in a way they would protect the stallion's rump and back legs. The Volcanic grey armor felt lighter than ever.
"I'm sorry if it's not very comfortable, I didn't have enough time to finish it, and I didn't have the chance to bring you over to try it, but it should do for now."
Clay was simply amazed at the speed Rarity worked with, it had been only two days since she got hold of these materials and yet, she managed to make a set of armor from scratch and modified a human armor to fit a pony's body. "It's not uncomfortable, far from it. I think you even managed to make it better than it originally was." He added as he took a look at himself in the mirror.
"Really? Well I'm glad it pleases you, but we got an emergency to take care of, Derpy said the monster was last seen at the library, we need to go there right now. Oh, before I forget." Clay felt his hind hooves lifted off the ground as two hooves shaped items were brought under them, these horseshoes were made of the same blue scales as Rainbow Dash's armor. "These are your weapon, I hope these prototype will work, I haven't got the chance to test them." She then used her magic to push the stallion out without allowing him to touch the floor with his new horseshoes, he quickly understood why when the magic stopped lifting him. As soon as his hind hooves hit the ground, sparks of fire emerged from them. A wide grin crept on Clay's face, he felt readier than ever to take down his prey. Then he took off to meet his opponent.
-----
Rainbow Dash was lazily laying in her bed, cursing the sun for waking her up as early as noon. She gathered the courage needed to get out of her bed and made her way to her fridge, had to start the day with a good breakfast after all. A loud knocking sound on her front door interrupted the cyan pegasus as she was serving herself a glass of orange juice, quickly placing everything back in the fridge she headed toward the door, she didn't expect any of her pegasus friends to come and see her that day, who could it be? The door opened before she could reach it.
"Express delivery for miss Rainbow Dash! Rarity asked me to tell you to meet her as soon as you can at the library once you accept the content of this box. Please just sign here to confirm the reception." Once the mailmare had Rainbow's signature she flew off as fast as she came by.
"What the hay?" With a puzzled look, Rainbow Dash opened the large box and she gasped at the sight of the content. A whole set of azure and black armor was laying in it. Unable to contain her excitement she hurriedly took it out and attempted to put it on, without success, she then noticed a small note beside the box. She grabbed it and read it aloud.
"Dear Rainbow Dash,
in this box you will find a set of armor customized for you, since it might be hard to put it on alone, I included some instructions to help you with this task. Meet us as fast as you can, you are needed to help fend off a monster currently attacking Ponyville.
P.S. I made sure to make the armor at least twenty percent cooler than my original design."
Not losing any second she followed every instructions on the piece of paper, managing to get everything tightly set on her body after a few minutes. Now looking at ponyville, she spotted large dust cloud popping out here and there toward the library, she suddenly felt her heart squeeze a bit.
"C'mon Dash, you can do this, you are not afraid of anything. You. Can. Do. This!" She flapped her wings and heard to box topple on its side, releasing a small electric sound. Surprised she looked back in it and discovered something she had missed. Some sort of fleshy looking horseshoes, they had the neon teal electrodes from Clay's sword and a flat metal part on their underside. Unsure on how they worked, she gave a small poke at the metal part and received an electric shock in return. She then noticed Rarity's note now flipped on its verso and she read.
"P.P.S. The horseshoes I sent you are your weapons, avoid touching the metal part as you put them on."
"Of course now you tell me." She groaned and finally took off, she had friends to help and a town to save.
-----
Panic had settled in Ponyville, a cloaked figure was galloping away from the commotion with dozens of other ponies. She was swearing between her teeth, as she was running for cover she saw two familiar faces helping the panicked citizen to evacuate, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack. "Wait a second, if these two are evacuating, who is stopping the rampaging beast?" She thought as her gaze passed over a panicked mother who fell and sprained her leg, her son was doing his best to help her move forward but there was no way they could flee if the monster chose to run down this street. She suddenly came to a stop and turned around.
"Not this time." She muttered with a burning determination in her eyes. She galloped the opposite way as before, now heading toward the library. As she heard the screams of panicked children she pushed her speed to its limit. She finally found the three fillies trying to escape the fury of the reptilian monster. The cloaked figure's horn began to glow and her eyes were now flaring with blinding light.
"Quick, hide behind me!" She yelled at the small trio. They compelled right away, too afraid to think of anything else. The tigrex tried to follow suit but crashed in an invisible wall standing between it and the four ponies. The impact sent ripples of magic behind it, strong enough to completely rip the cloak the unicorn was wearing, revealing her blue coat and silvery blue silky mane. The remains of her cloak slowly started to float as they turned to smoke, covering the unicorn's body, the smoke slowly took the shape of a purple cape and a pointy hat, both decorated with a starry pattern. As the enraged creature kept trying to claw its way through the invisible wall, the blue unicorn stood on her hind legs, pointing a hoof at it and holding her hat with her other free hoof. She then declared with a booming voice.
"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE WILL ONLY SAY IT ONCE! YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"
End of chapter 5 part 1/2
|
MonsterHunterBrony
|
733
| 6 |
Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
|
Due to a magical mishap, the monster hunter universe clash with Equestria.
|
cancelled
| 42 | 1 |
<p>After a magical mishap from Luna, some creatures from an other world are brought to equestria. Among them, a young hunter, now turned into a pony, will need to adapt to this equine universe and help defeat the monsters from his own world. But to do this he will need help, and the help he seeks may be closer than he expected.Will he be able to go back to his world? Or will he have to live the rest of his life in Equestria? There is only one way to find out.</p><p>this is my first fanfic ever, so if there is anything you guys think could be improved don't hesitate to comment. Also since english isn't my first language feel free to point out my grammar mistakes, I try to make the story as good as I can but there is a limit to how many time I can manage to find errors as I proofread it.</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-11-08T22:54:38+00:00
|
2011-11-08T22:54:38+00:00
| 2,440 |
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
by ~Meteorimpact/ Monster hunter brony
Chapter 5 : Panic in town
part 2 out of 2
Clay was galloping as fast as he could. Every time his hind hooves hit the ground they left a trail of U shaped burnt marks. Rarity was following him the best she could, but she was panting and had a hard time to keep up with the stallion. It wasn't hard to follow the presence of the currently rampaging monster as its loud screams resonated around. What Clay couldn't figure out though was the origin of the strange magical ripples in the air, their vibrations following loud crashing sounds. As he turned a corner he finally caught glimpse of the reptilian creature struggling against something out of his line of sight. He quickly raised a hoof to block Rarity's way when she managed to catch up to him.
"Now it's my turn to do something for you all. Try to backtrack down the destroyed streets and see if anypony is in need of help, on my side I'll do what I do best, kick some overgrown lizard's ass. I'll see you again when we celebrate our victory all right?" Clay winked at her with a confident grin.
"Fine, you better not do anything too reckless tough, we wouldn't want to send you back to your world in more than one piece right? Take care of Rainbow Dash, she is very likely to try something dangerous so keep an eye on her. I'll be on my way then, good luck!" At this she went down a devastated street, using her magic to lift broken walls in case somepony was stuck under the debris of a house.
Without losing any seconds, Clay dashed toward the monster, allowing him to see what it was struggling against. There, behind a practically invisible wall of magic, stood a blue coated unicorn, protecting three little terrified fillies. He quickly ran toward the monster while remaining in its dead angle, but before he could reach it, a loud explosion resonated from the skies. Both the monster's and Clay's curiosity led them to look at the origin of the sound, the red stallion saw a magnificent rainbow colored nova spreading and covering the heavens. The tigrex tough wasn't so lucky as the only thing it saw was a blue blur ramming it square in the chest. The striped creature was sent flying and rolling on the ground, unable to catch its breath.
"Leave these fillies alone you filthy monster! And you better stay down because Rainbow Dash is here to save the day!" Rainbow Dash was beaming with confidence and pride as she looked down on the panting monster.
Using this opportunity, the blue unicorn dropped her invisible wall and turned to face the fillies."Quick, go hide somewhere, Trixie will stay to stop the beast, it seems like help is finally here." Now bringing her focus back toward the tigrex, the showmare approached the two ponies who just intervened. "Glad somepony out there isn't fleeing, Trixie doesn't know how long she- YOU!" She pointed a hoof at Rainbow Dash, her face locked in a surprised expression.
The rainbow maned pegasus harbored the same surprised look as the unicorn when she realized who was protecting the fillies. "Trixie?! What the hay are you doing here, I thought you fled ponyville when your lies were brought to light a few months ago. You better have some explanation for your return." Rainbow Dash was staring menacingly at Trixie as if she tried to intimidate her.
"The great and powerful Trixie does not need a justification for her presence." She snapped back.
Clay, still excited by his glimpse of the sonic rainboom hurried over the two mares. "Rainbow, did you see that? What was it?" A look at the unicorn reminded him of the ursa minor story he heard from Twilight. "Hey aren't you that Trixie Girl I heard about? I thought you-" Unable to finish his sentence a deafening roar forced all three ponies to turn around and face a very angry tigrex. "Oh right, the tigrex. Think you can put your differences aside and work together for a bit?" The beast started charging at the three ponies. "DODGE!"
Trixie and Rainbow did not need to be told twice, all three ponies left off in a different direction, the pegasus lifting herself to the skies. Ready to shine, Rainbow made a quick U-turn in the air and dashed back toward the creature to hit it with a mighty buck from her electrically charged horseshoes. The effect was immediate, as it felt the electricity course through its body, the lizard let out a loud roar. If one read the encyclopedia Gigantica, they would know that electricity was particularly effective when fighting a tigrex. Apparently, their spine contained a hard substance with properties similar to copper's, no need to say it was like a highway for electricity, a lightning rod with the brain as a destination. The creature shook its head vigorously to focus once more on the battle, it knew who the biggest threat was and used its hind leg to try and leap to the skies to catch the rainbow threat. Rainbow dash's confidence quickly melted as she felt the humid and warm breath of the monster rapidly closing in. A sudden pull to her tail brought her under the beast at the same time the sound of snapping jaws came from where she was a second ago. She realized her tail was glowing with magic and a glance at Trixie confirmed her thoughts. Trixie just saved her life. The pegasus lifted her head just in time to see a wall piece levitating and suddenly falling over the airborne monster, she quickly flapped her wings to avoid the now crashing mass of scales. Clay charged and gave a few bucks to the struggling monster, branding it with hooves shaped burn marks all over.
The tigrex violently jerked its body to move the debris away from its back, it then planted his forelegs in the ground to lift his body and head as much as it could, its wings opened themselves, making the beast look much larger than it actually was. The roar it made was unlike any it did prior this one, rubble and dust were pushed away by the sheer strength of its volume. Clay gulped loudly when he noticed the glowing red vein pattern now appearing all over the tigrex's body.
"Girls, the real battle starts now."
The tigrex leapt toward Clay in an attempt to bite him, but the stallion's reflexes where fast enough to allow him to roll under the airborne body. Rather, that's what would normally have happened as he couldn't manage to roll the same way as with his human body, while passing under the beast, its massive tail connected with him. The impact made him flinch as his left haunch protector was sent flying. It seemed like Rarity was right when she said the armor wasn't quite ready for battle. Not losing a second, the tigrex spun on itself to face its opponents once more and charged again leaving deep claw marks in the ground. Trixie, who was hiding herself to make sure not to draw the monster's attention, used her magic to levitate a new broken wall and placed it between the creature and its target. The tigrex went through it like it didn't exist and kept going forward, not noticing the rainbow maned pegasus currently forming a tornado. Right as Clay dodged the last charge, she hurriedly brought the tornado in the monster's direction. The spinning winds were gathering broken pieces of rocks, debris, and tools from the recently destroyed houses. Rainbow Dash unleashed the fury of the winds on the creature, all objects present in it hitting the beast repeatedly.
"KEEP GOING DASH! YOU'RE THE BEST!" Scootaloo popped out of the place she was hiding in to cheer on her idol, completely blowing the three fillies' cover.
A loud roar made the tornado explode as the tigrex spotted the preys who initially brought it there, it leapt as high as it could and spread its wings to glide and try to eat them all in one fell swoop. The three fillies' confidence quickly fell apart as they turned their back to flee once more.
"Oh no you don't!" Trixie came out of her hiding spot and charged her magic. A purple magical aura suddenly appeared around Applebloom's body as she felt the lasso she was still carrying being forcefully levitated. The solid rope flew toward the skies as the sliding knot grabbed one of the monster's wing paw, then the other end of the rope tied itself to one of the library's branches. The momentum and the centripetal force combined forced the tigrex to crash to the ground with such force that the vibrations made the still standing houses vibrate. The monster rose again, one of its wing clearly broken, yet, it wasn't satisfied, it tried to charge again as both Rainbow Dash and Clay did the same. The creature didn't take into account it was still tied and when it tried to swipe its claws at the ponies, it got stuck mid motion, allowing the armor clad ponies to each get on a different side of the monster's head and deliver a simultaneous buck. A sickening cracking sound was heard confirming its skull was probably fractured. It was a cue Clay was waiting for, he was now certain the monster was almost beat.
"Rainbow, go get the fillies and make sure they stay somewhere safe, this won't be pretty."
"Wait, what?! We're not done yet, what are you-"
"Rule number four!"
Dash's eyes widened as she understood what the stallion meant. "Got it, I'll see you later then."
Clay was Looking for something, a solid, yet relatively soft surface would do. Then it dawned upon him. The library! The tree trunk would probably serve the purpose he had in mind. he rushed to the building and stood right beside it, only then he realized his now unprotected leg was hurting and bleeding. The adrenalin's effect was wearing off, and the pain now coursing through his left leg made him flinch, still he knew what he had to do. The monster turned around and locked on its target. A final charge to try and defeat the pony who challenged it. Clay waited as long as he could, then he tried to leap out of the way, though the pain in his legs was a bit more than he could handle, and he couldn't give enough strenght to his jump. He closed his eyes ready for the now unavoidable impact, only to notice he was telekinetically moved out of the way just in time to allow him to see the monster crash in the tree, its jaw still opened. The beast was now stuck as its teeths sunk in the soft wood, the momentum it had forced its mouth open too wide for it to be able to get unstuck. Trying his best to ignore the pain, Clay quickly jumped on the back of the thrashing monster, he then made his way to the neck and turned around to deliver a strong buck right where the head connected to the neck. The thrashing stopped immediately as the tigrex's neck was now broken.
Out of stamina, the red stallion collapsed and fell off the monster's body, face first to the ground. Trixie was exhausted as well, she used most of her magic power while protecting the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the aid she brought into battle further drained her of any energy. Both ponies slowly blacked out as they managed to hear some worried voices calling out to them.
-----
Clay's consciousness slowly came came to him, he could hear the sound of other ponies talking to each others, though he couldn't make up what the conversation was about. He wasn't sure where he was, all he knew for now is how comfortable he felt surrounded by some sort of warm blanket. He gingerly opened his eyes and realized he wasn't in the streets anymore, the walls around him where all white, and he was laying in a comfortable bed with white sheets covering him whole. A glance to his right revealed a blue unicorn in a similar situation as his. As he tried to sit, he noticed the talking he was hearing suddenly came to a stop and he saw a familiar pony looking at him from the room's door.
"Girls, he's awake." The orange farm pony took a few step in the room, quickly followed by Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and the three fillies they saved earlier. "Hey buddy, how are ya feelin'? Think ya can stand up?"
Still a feeling a bit woozy, Clay tried to get off the bed, he had to proceed slowly, but he managed to. "I think I'm fine. My leg hurts a little, but the worst seems to have passed. By the way. where am I?"
"You're in Ponyville's hospital." Replied Twilight. "As soon as the princesses arrived we went straight to where the monster was last seen to try and stop it. You can't imagine how surprised we were when we found you and Trixie uncounscious beside the... The corpse. We brought the two of you here so you could receive first aid, Rarity and Rainbow explained all that happened when they came back to the library to see if you were all right. Right now, bot princesses went back to Canterlot, but they said they would like to have a word with you and Rainbow Dash soon enough, she will send me a letter when a date and time will be chosen."
Right as she finished her sentence, a groan could be heard from the adjacent bed. Trixie was waking up and only recently noticed the small crowd of ponies surrounding her and her temporary roommate. It took her a few moments to realize where she was, and more importantly who were the ponies surrounding her.
"What are you all doing here?" was the only thing she managed to ask. The gathered ponies where startled by the small outburst but they quickly relaxed again, then, Applejack moved toward Trixie's bed, a serious look covering her face.
"You..." Now right beside the unicorn's bed, she quickly raised a hoof above her. Trixie's heart skipped a beat as she quickly raised both forehooves in front of her to protect herself against a hit that never came. Risking a glance through her defense, she was surprised to see Applejack simply offering a sympathetic hoof. "I wanted to thank you."
"Wait,, What?!" Trixie stammered. "The great and powerful Trixie does not understand. I... She shouldn't be worthy of your praises. Not after what She did to you all. I... She humiliated you, the white unicorn and the rainbow maned pegasus when we last met. There is no way any of you would want to thank me for anything!"
Applejack was taken completely off guard, did Trixie just show some kind of modesty? Shame even? Either she was too shaken to think rationally, or something had drastically changed since they last met.
"Well, Ah have to admit we usually all think you are a boastful whiny annoyin' lyin' bratty good-for-nothin' coward. But today, Ah'm proud to say you aren't any of these, you are nothin' short of a hero. One of the fillies you saved is mah little sister, she told me how you risked yer life for them, and Dash was eager to tell me how you actually stood up against the rampagin' monster. She even claims you saved her life. A coward would have fled without a care for anypony else. While Ah can't really forget how we first met, Ah think you just managed to get back in our good favors. Ah was thinkin' we could start anew, what d'ya think partner?"
At a loss for word, the blue unicorn took quick glances at all the ponies observing the scene with expectation. When her eyes crossed Clay's, he simply smiled and made a nodding gesture. "She... I... Trixie accept your offer." She said as she brought a hoof to Applejack's.
Everypony in the room cheered at the new friendship that was about to start, only to be shushed and brought back to calm by an irritated Nurse Red Heart. Now a bit quieter, the cutie mark crusaders all jumped on Trixie's bed and they all hugged their savior while thanking her repeatedly for the risks she took for them. Trixie blushed out of embarrassment, while she usually liked to be the center of attention, her recent months were met with nothing such as this, and through a big change in her life, she actually started to learn to be more modest. This was a way too heavy dose of attention at once. Applejack who noticed her embarrassment quickly beckoned the fillies off the bed.
Dash approached the unicorn mare as well."So, yeah, I guess its my turn to tell you how cool you were back then, I mean, you DID save my life, and you pulled some incredible magic moves! That trick with the lasso was pure gold! I never thought I'd say that about you but you seem to be smarter than you look. Of course you are still miles away to be as cool as I am, but you are getting close. By the way, our friend Pinkie started organizing a party and feast to celebrate our victory over the monster, would you like to join us? Maybe even bring some of your entertainer stuff if you want to set up a small show."
"Trixie would be honored, but... There is somepony Trixie would like to bring with her. She is a stranger to you though, so Trixie think she will have to decline the invitation."
"Bah, one pony more or less won't bother anyone, especially Pinkie. The more the merrier she would say. Come on, let's just go get that other pony and get ready to party like we never did before!"
At that, the pony group helped Trixie get out of her bed, they went out of the room to sign the required papers to allow the patients to leave and followed Trixie.
-----
The walk took a while, wherever Trixie lead the group, it seemed to be on the outskirt of the small town. At some point a small slightly decrepit house came into sight, beside it stood the props and contraptions chariot the showmare usually carried around to perform. The group was surprised to figure out this modest place was the unicorn's house, unless, maybe, she really wasn't able to afford anything more. After a slight knock on the door, Trixie opened it and entered, beckoning her new friends in, then she turned around and said:
"Mirage, I'm home and I got a surprise for you." Less than a second later, the sound of a very small set of hooves rolled in their direction, until a small purple unicorn filly, with freckles and a red and orange mane came in sight and stopped in front of them.
"Hi mom! I missed you so much, you told me you would be back in only 30 minutes, yet I waited aaaaall day for you to come back. I thought you forgot about me... Hey, who are these guys?"
"They are, mommy's new friends, rejoice little one, they invited us to a party tonight, go and prepare yourself. Oh, before you do, did you do as mommy asked of you before she left?"
The filly looked toward the skies for a second as she tried to remember what she was asked to do, then she suddenly gasped and stood on two legs, in a fashion similar to Trixie"s when she is performing. "Watch in awe as the Grandiose and Pretty Misty clean her room in less than ten minutes!" She then hurried back to the room she was in when the guests first entered the house. Trixie started levitating a teapot and a set of cup to make some tea for her guest while they waited, when she turned around to invite them to make themselves comfortable around the tea table, she noticed most of them were now agape.
"Hum... Is there something wrong?"
To which all of them but Clay, who barely knew Trixie anyway, simply muttered a: "Mommy?"
"Oh, Trixie will have to explain this one won't she? Please sit down, This will be a long story."
|
MonsterHunterBrony
|
733
| 7 |
Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
My little hunter : Companionship is magic
|
Due to a magical mishap, the monster hunter universe clash with Equestria.
|
cancelled
| 42 | 1 |
<p>After a magical mishap from Luna, some creatures from an other world are brought to equestria. Among them, a young hunter, now turned into a pony, will need to adapt to this equine universe and help defeat the monsters from his own world. But to do this he will need help, and the help he seeks may be closer than he expected.Will he be able to go back to his world? Or will he have to live the rest of his life in Equestria? There is only one way to find out.</p><p>this is my first fanfic ever, so if there is anything you guys think could be improved don't hesitate to comment. Also since english isn't my first language feel free to point out my grammar mistakes, I try to make the story as good as I can but there is a limit to how many time I can manage to find errors as I proofread it.</p>
|
everyone
|
2012-02-05T00:41:02+00:00
|
2012-02-05T00:41:02+00:00
| 2,479 |
Chapter 6: Conflict
A few months ago, in canterlot, Trixie was negotiating her next contract. Not a contract up to her expectations, but anything would do to help her recover from her recent fiasco in Ponyville.
“So let’s see, you want I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, to entertain the foals at that birthday party. You are in luck as Trixie happens to be free that day” she said with a forced smile. “Now let’s discuss my wages, Trixie’s talents will cost two hundreds bits for the duration of the festivity and-“ a hoof suddenly raised in front of her face cut her speech.
“Wait a second here, miss Trixie. If I wanted to spend two hundred bits on this kind of show I’d have asked for a high ranked performer such as Avid Plain or Kiss Anvil. I came to you because I could only afford a second rate performer. Fifty bits plus the food, that is my offer. Take it, or leave it. After all there is many other cheaper performers I could go to.”
Trixie’s eye twitched, “Did you just call The Great and Powerful Trixie a second rate performer? How dare you count me as one of those charlatans who can’t perform half the tricks I can? I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, the best, the strongest and the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria!”
“You know what? I’m gonna go find someone else, I know as well as anypony else how much of a phony you are. We all know about what happened in Ponyville and how your story about the ursa major was nothing but horseapples. I wanted to give you a chance, but it seems like you do not deserve it.” The mare huffed and turned around, leaving a devastated Trixie behind.
In the two weeks that followed the events in Ponyville, her reputation had degraded to such a point she could not manage to get any form of employment. Who would willingly hire somepony who built their fame on lies after all. Trixie brought her purse under her nose and took a glance of the few remaining bits. She barely had enough to eat for the rest of the week. The sound of small hooves reached her ears. She sighed. Since her return to Canterlot, she could hear the rumors and the gossip about her wherever she went. There was something else that started following her though. A young filly, probably five or seven years old at most started stalking her. Trixie had tried to shoo her away, convinced she was partly to blame for her inability to get new contracts, but to no avail. Every day, at some point, the filly would come out of nowhere and follow her around. Often, she would mimic the adult mare’s actions, the way she stood on two legs and how she moved her imaginary cape around. At first, Trixie thought she was just a fan of her and that she was imitating her for no other reason, but over time she figured the filly had a different purpose in mind. Trixie turned to face the filly, a small purple coated unicorn with a red mane and freckles. It seemed as if the filly did not take a bath or anything similar in days, according to the state in which her coat was.
“What is it, little one? Why do you keep stalking the Great and Powerful Trixie?”
The kid’s face beamed with joy as for the first time in the past weeks, Trixie finally spoke to her. She then raised herself on her hind legs and Declared ”I, the Grandiose and Pretty Misty needs to observe you if one day she hopes to become such a great street performer as The Great and Powerful Trixie!”
“Trixie is flattered to know you admire her so much, but Trixie doesn’t have the time to deal with kids right now. Please, be a dear and go back to your parents.”
“I can’t do that. I got no parents, miss. I, Misty, lived on her own for as long as she remembers! Free of any consequences… But also as lonely as a discarded sock…” she replied. Her cheerful grin slowly turning upside down.
Trixie was baffled. How could a foal this young survive on her own? As far as she knew, there were no orphanages in Canterlot. Then it meant the filly has been living in the street for only Celestia knows how long. The little Unicorn spoke once more.
“You know, I first saw you a year ago, when you were doing a street performance. I knew from this day onward what I wanted to become when I grow up. I wanted to become an entertainer too, but no one ever wants to help me. That is why I thought I should try to get closer to the pony who created my dream. And also, because we are so alike. After all we both got no friends.”
“What are you saying fool? Trixie got plenty of… friends…” the realisation struck like a bullet. Now that she thought about it, she was always alone, her only company being the crowds of onlookers. She had no one to talk to when she needed to, no one to rely on, and with her parents now gone, no one actually loving her for who she was. “Actually… you may be right little one. I got no one I can actually call a friend.” She slowly hung her head low, staring at the ground. Now that her popularity disappeared, no one would come see her performances. The public’s company had disappeared the same way all of her acquaintances left her. Only now was she able to understand how she came to be alone. Her ways were wrong, she started losing her friends when she became a performer. When she started boasting about her skills and when she started to be condescending to others. She changed for the worst when she gained her popularity, and only now was she realizing it. She then looked at the filly now sitting in front of her. A child who didn’t seem to get fazed over the fact she had no family of her own. Even at her young age, she was more mature than Trixie ever was and yet, she looked up to her.
“Tell me, little one. How did you manage to survive this long on your own? Without a family to raise you or a roof to shelter you.” Trixie asked.
The child’s head perked up to meet Trixie’s face with a grin “I’m not quite proud of it, but I know ways to ‘acquire’ what I need. As for shelter, you’d be surprised at what you can make out of the stuff ponies throw away. I made a small shelter in an alley over there. Winter is harsh, but the rest of the year, it’s not too bad.”
Maybe, just maybe this child is my chance at redemption… Maybe that is why our paths crossed. Yes I will straighten my ways, I know I can do it! Trixie thought. She then addressed the filly: “How would you like to have a true home? My career as a performer is pretty much ruined anyway, so I guess I will just start all over again, and I will need all the help I can get to do it. I will sell my current house and find a cheaper one, that way I will be able to get food for both of us. So, what do you say? Want to try a new life?”
The child could not hold her joy, she simply jumped at Trixie, hugging her as hard as she could. “Yes! Yes I want to!”
“Then it is decided, we will make our own little family and start anew.”
-----
“And that is how I adopted Mirage Mist and moved here. I currently work on Carrot Top’s farm as a planter/gatherer. The location of the farm allowed me to spend most of my time away from the town center, where I was afraid ponies would recognize me too easily. Thanks to her generosity though I can now take care of my daughter.” Trixie said as she stroked the mane of Mirage, who joined the storyteller when she was done with her chore.
Twilight spoke up. “I see you learned a lot from this filly didn’t you? I also noticed you barely refer to yourself at the third pony anymore. I guess you were always playing a role, am I right?”
Trixie left out a weak chuckle “I think I let my early popularity get to my head, I started wearing a mask of overconfidence and never realised I was only hiding behind it. Sometime I wonder though, who is the real Trixie? Is she Trixie the showmare or Trixie the mother?”
Clay was the one to give an answer “You are who you want to be. If you want you can even be both, as long as you remain true to yourself.”
“Ah couldn’t agree more.” Added Applejack.
The small group of ponies spent some more time chatting as they finished the tea Trixie brew for them. They took the time to each get properly introduced to Mirage Mist, then proceeded to leave the small house. On their way to the party, they went pass the library. Clay’s gaze observed all the remnants of the previous battle. The body of the monster was gone and the library had lost a large piece of bark where the tigrex bit it. Clay felt a little bad for using Twilight’s home as a trap for a rampaging creature, but he knew that was the simplest way to get rid of it. He wished he could at least have kept innocent ponies away from the monsters of his world. This attack on Ponyville made him decide to actively start hunting, to make sure this situation would not happen again. Lost in thought, he never saw Pinkie who came to greet them as they reached Sugarcube Corner.
“Hi there everypony!” Clay let out a loud yelp as he jumped in the air, startled by the sudden apparition before him. Pinkie didn’t seem to bother about the reaction though. “Ooooh, I see you convinced Trixie to join us tonight! You guys even brought a filly I never even met before, this is going to be great! I bet she will get along with the CMC, we should have them meet each other! It’s just a shame Fluttershy won’t come tonight, it would have been nice to have her befriend Trixie.”
“Huh? Why isn’t she coming? I know she is not very outgoing, but it never stopped her from joining us in parties.” Asked Dash.
Pinkie brought a hoof to her chin as she reminisced the moment she invited her pegasus friend to her Ponyville-has-been-saved-from-a-big-monster-bully party. “All she said Is that she didn’t feel well, do you think it’s something she ate? I didn’t want to force her to come if she didn’t feel like it, but I’m pretty sure a party would help her feel better don’t you think? I could add some medicinal herbs to the cupcakes to make her feel even better!”
Rainbow frowned. “That’s weird, when I saw her this morning she looked fine, even cheerful. You know what? I’m gonna get her, I’ll be back later, seeya!” She flew away leaving a multicolored trail behind her.
“Ah, wait! Aaaw, too late. Oh well, if she manages to convince Fluttershy to come by I sure won’t complain.” Said Pinkie. ”Well guys, IT’S TIME TO PAAAAAR-TAY!”
-----
The skies were tainted red and the lawn around her cottage was devastated. Fluttershy was slowly moving around in a chaotic landscape she’d rather not see.Then, at her feet a small critter laid, not breathing. A maniacal laugh reached her ears, the voice was one she recognized too well. As her gaze rose to see the one laughing evilly, she observed her surrounding once again. The lawn was now covered in lifeless creatures of all kind, a few steps in front of her, a large pile of critter corpses towered above her. Her eyes followed the pile to its top and her eyes locked with those of her rainbow maned friend. A psychotic grin adorned Rainbow Dash’s face as the shape of a large armor clad stallion approached from behind. The stallion, also known as Clay had the same grin as the cyan Pegasus, his eyes were glowing a bright red as he burst laughing, while stomping the body pile. Fluttershy felt her heart skip a beat, a loud thumping sound started beating in her head and then she screamed in horror.
She suddenly woke up. Her heart was beating as fast as ever, her breathing was laborious, and she found out the source of the thumping was coming from none other than angel bunny. Her pet had worked as hard as he could to awake his terrorized master. Worried, Angel looked at Fluttershy with pleading eyes, hoping she would recover quickly.
“Don’t worry Angel. This… this dream is over now… I think my imagination is getting the best out of me after today’s events…” She took a step out of her bed and took a glance through her window. The moon had started rising. Her afternoon nap ended up lasting way longer than what she wished. With a sigh she lit up some lamps and headed to her kitchen to prepare some tea. At least the chamomile she brewed would help her calm down. The water was about to reach its boiling point when a knock on her door caught her attention.
“Hey, Fluttershy, are you there?”
Fluttershy froze in place. It was Rainbow Dash’s voice. She remembered the Dash she saw in her dream and gulped loudly. An other knock. “C-coming” she stuttered. She turned off her stove and walked to her front door. She brought her hoof to open it and hesitation held her in place for a few more seconds. She gathered her courage and finally opened her door.
“He-hello Rainbow. Is there anything I can do to help you?” she asked, not daring to look at her friend straight in the eyes.
“Well, I heard from Pinkie Pie that you weren’t feeling well, I thought I would check up on you and see if everything was fine.” While she was certain Fluttershy wasn’t sick, she felt like something was wrong, something she was hiding from her. “Mh, Fluttershy? You look kinda nervous, did something happen?”
“Well… ye-no… Everything is… hum… fine…”
“Ooooook… You are a worst liar than Applejack so this is not going to work with me. Spill it. What is the matter?”
“No—nothing, don’t worry about it.”
“Fluttershy, I know you are hiding something from me and you will tell me what it is. I got all night and I am not leaving until I know what troubles you.”
“Really it’s fine I-“
“Spill it.”
“But I-“
“I said: spill it!”
“Ok! Fine! You really want to know? You are the problem.” She said, raising her voice “You and Clay to be precise. I thought I could accept the differences between ponykind and humans, but I guess I was wrong to trust him. I saw what happened this afternoon. I was far from the battle itself but I was able to see it from where I was at the moment. I saw you two fight that creature. I felt its emotions during the whole fight, anger, followed by fear and then… You two finished it off. If he had fought the creature on his own I might have been able to overlook it. After all he did protect Ponyville. What I can’t forgive though is that he got you to do the same as he does! Do you think I missed what you’ve done? You used the sonic rainboom, the stunt that only you can perform, as a weapon. I can’t believe you could do such a thing! Today you became a murderer Rainbow Dash!”
“Hey wait a darn minute! I didn’t kill anything! All I did was help repel a monster that was destroying Ponyville, the town we live in! Yes I agreed to learn how to hunt from Clay, but it doesn’t make me a killer!”
“Dash, you just said yourself you agreed to become a hunter like him. And hunters, kill. That is what they do. I am very disappointed in you Rainbow Dash. We always found a way to solve our problems without resorting to such method, and today, you broke the cycle we managed to perpetuate for so long.”
“Fluttershy, you got it all wrong! Me and Clay have a deal. We-“
“I’m sorry Rainbow Dash, but I am not in the mood to continue this conversation. I will now ask you to leave before I say something I regret. Please, leave me alone for now.” She then closed her door without letting Dash adding anything.
“Fine!” She yelled, “If that’s how you are going to take it then I guess I have no reason to stay here!” She turned around and Flew away back toward Sugarcube Corner. It took her all she got to not let go her tears of frustration.
-----
The party was still going on when Dash came back. Trixie was making an impressive depiction of the battle that raged earlier that day. She had now a story far more impressive than her previous Ursa major tale. And this time, she had the courage to admit she didn’t fight alone, standing beside the shape representing her, two more ponies, an earth pony and a Pegasus, were valiantly fighting the monster. From time to time the CMC were spotted trying new crazy tricks with their new friend as they attempted to get their ‘party prankster’ cutie mark. The night started growing old and Dash managed to keep her head cool enough not to show her concern for Fluttershy. When asked about how their meeting went she just shrugged it off, claiming she would be fine, eventually. As most ponies returned home, Twilight and Clay readied themselves to leave as well.
“Clay, do you mind going a little ahead of me? There is something I want to ask Dash before going home.” Asked the purple unicorn.
Clay simply nodded and went on his way. As for Twilight she joined Rainbow Dash who was about to leave herself.
“Hey Rainbow, there is something I wanted to ask you. Tomorrow I planned to try a spell to see Clay’s memory for my researches about the creatures of his world. Considering how you seem to have decided to follow him on his hunts, I thought it might be a good idea if you had a chance to take a glance at what he can show us. Also, it is a chance for us to discover some stuff about his past.”
“Oh, well. I guess it could be interesting. Sign me up. When do you want me to show up?”
“Just spend the night at the library, the sooner I can start, the more we get to see and learn. I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose to search for the next monster that was brought with him, so if we are lucky, you might even get a chance to learn how to deal with your next target.”
“I guess I can’t argue with that logic. I’m gonna get some stuff from my place then I will join you at the library. Seeya in a bit!”
Twilight looked at Rainbow leaving the place and headed home herself.
“I hope you are prepared, because tomorrow I’m going to pierce some of your secrets, mister hunter.” She said with a sly grin.
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Mushi
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734
| 1 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Mayor Mare,Princess Celestia,Spike,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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CMR
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Things got really weird when a huge lot of poison jokes fell on Ponyville
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<p>Things got really weird when a huge lot of poison jokes fell on Ponyville</p>
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everyone
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2011-09-04T23:01:23+00:00
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2011-09-04T23:01:23+00:00
| 2,800 |
The cutie mark revolution
That Day had started as a normal Day in Ponyville, nopony would expect what was about to happen. Now, it was night, a dark night. Ponyville was covered by numerous blue flowers. Poison jokes, to be exact. A lot of ponies using protective clothes were working as fast as they could to get rid of these infernal flowers before the morning arrives.
A pony, the principal of the mail department of Equestria, was talking to one of the working ponies.
“I don’t know why in the hay somepony would ask us to deliver this huge lot of poison jokes!”
“Yes, but you should have called us before sending it do the delivery!”
'I’m sorry! They didn’t even tell me before sending it. And they sent DERPY HOOVES to this job! Can you believe it? Who would be that crazy??”
“Derpy Hooves? That weird mare?”
“Yes, and the stallion who sent her is fired”
“Very well!”
They worked the whole night and they destroyed those flowers by incinerating them. That was all they could do, unfortunately. The next day was about be the weirdest day of the ponyvillians’ lives.
It was morning! The sun was shining, but everypony was asleep. Twilight was having a good dream about she marrying a book, a handsome book, with hard cover and over 9000 pages, and all of her friends were there. It was a good dream, but it was interrupted by a scream. Twilight woke up upset, ready to scold that noisy pony, but when she opened her window, she saw the most unbelievable of her life: I giant Flower was carrying Lily through Ponyville, it was Lily’s cutie mark! A giant lily with stickman’s legs and arms. It was holding one of Lily’s hind legs.
“The horror! The horror!” She was really scared this time but, wouldn’t you be scared?
“Oh… my… gosh…” That was the only thing Twilight could say, before she ran towards the mirror to check her cutie mark. It wasn’t there.
Desperate, she started to call spike to send a letter to Princess Celestia. No answers. With a very bad feeling she went downstairs.
There, holding spike and covering his mouth with a stickman hand, was her cutie mark. She got completely horrified and tried to hit it with a magic missile.
“You better not to do it. Or else, something reeeaaally bad might happen to your little friend…”
To be continued…
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Mushi
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734
| 2 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Mayor Mare,Princess Celestia,Spike,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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CMR
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Things got really weird when a huge lot of poison jokes fell on Ponyville
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incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>Things got really weird when a huge lot of poison jokes fell on Ponyville</p>
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everyone
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2011-09-07T01:08:12+00:00
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2011-09-07T01:08:12+00:00
| 1,818 |
The cutie mark revolution, chapter 2
“You better not to do it. Or else, something reeeaaally bad might happen to your little friend…”
...
Twilight wanted to do anything to help her friend and was thinking hard to figure out anyway to help him.
“We only want the ponies, if you come with me, I will leave your friend alone.” Te cutie mark said.
She accepted and got close to the cutie mark, it put spike on the floor and grabbed Twilight’s tail.
“Don’t worry Twilight! I will let the princess know, and she will help us!” He said as he ran away to look for his writing material.
The cutie mark got out of the house holding Twilight. Outside, the situation was scary, the streets were covered by the cutie marks holding its respective ponies. Twilight tried not to panic so she could think clearly when she heard a familiar voice.
“Twilight! What is going on?” It was Rainbow Dash, she was being held by her tail too.
Rainbow Dash was mad; she was holding a real sized plushie of herself and using it to hit her cutie mark as strong as possible.
“Rainbow, I don’t know… Rainbow, what are you doing with this plush?”
“Um… you know” Rainbow Dash blushed “I found it in my mail box today, I think it is Scootaloo’s job. There was a letter with it, but when I tried to pick up the letter, my cutie mark grabbed my tail! What in the hay is going on?!”
“Wait and you will see, pony!” Said Twilights cutie mark.
They were close to the town square and all of the cutie marks and their ponies were there, surrounding a stage whit a red curtain on it, it was probably hiding something. There, at the center of it, was the cutie mark of the mayor mare. Mayor Mare was locked in a cage on the stage.
Twilight was trying to find her other friends; maybe they could help her to find a way to fix that weird situation.
There was a lot of noise, all the ponies were talking and shouting and all of them wanted to know what was happening. Some of them even tried to ask it directly to the Mayor cutie mark, but it said nothing. It was there, sitting imposingly at the center of the stage for some minutes more.
“Are all of your citizens here?” It asked to the mayor in the cage.
“Yes… they are” She answered scared.
“So, let’s get it started!”
Continue…
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Mushi
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734
| 3 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Mayor Mare,Princess Celestia,Spike,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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CMR
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Things got really weird when a huge lot of poison jokes fell on Ponyville
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incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>Things got really weird when a huge lot of poison jokes fell on Ponyville</p>
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everyone
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2011-09-10T03:00:22+00:00
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2011-09-10T03:00:22+00:00
| 1,533 |
Well. If you’re still reading it, I think I can assume that you like this fic, so, maybe you will be happy to know that this chapter will be bigger! Yes, I will try to slow down a bit and keep the nosenseness. I hope you like it. Now, to the chapter!
“Are all of your citizens here?” It asked to the mayor in the cage.
“Yes… they are” She answered scared.
“So, let’s get it started!”
...
The Mayor cutie mark stood up and started talking.
“Cutie marks! We are her today to start something, something that will be remembered forever! Today we will start the cutie mark’s revolution!” It was gesticulating vigorously.
All the cutie marks were shouting “CMR! CMR!” and punching the air. No need to say that all the ponies were scared. Well, truth to be told, not all of them wasn’t scared; Pokey pierce was hypnotized by Pinkie Pie’s cutie mark, so he wasn’t even paying attention to the situation, and Pinkie was liking to be held by the tail by her cutie mark.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash were next to each other, and both of them were trying to find their friends, but Twilight, that is smarter than rainbow dash, had a better idea. She poked dash’s flank with the horn. Rainbow was going to scold her, but Twilight made a “shhh” sign and pointed to the ground, Dash understood and looked. The purple unicorn was using her magic to write a plan on the ground. The cutie marks weren’t paying any attention since they were watching the inspiring speech of the Mayor Cutie Mark.
Meanwhile, Spike was trying to send letters to the princess, he didn’t know about the poison jokes incident in the last night, so he didn’t understand why in the hay the letters weren’t burning.
“C’mom, fire, do your magic!” he said.
The dragon was desperate, running around of himself to make his brain work. Hes was so desperate he was sweating and eating his claws.
“Ah ha!” he had an idea.
He stretched one of his arms burned it. Ok, it wasn’t a good idea, but it WAS an idea, so he tried it. He was afraid, but he felt no pain. Now, the fire of that poor little dragon was nothing but a cold light.
“Why is this happening? What is going on? I got to do something!” Spike said as he ran towards the bookcases. Maybe one of those numerous books had the answer.
Back to the town square, the Mayor Cutie Mark was specking.
“… since early times, ponies had enslaved us! They use us to show their personalities and don’t even ask us if we want to do it! You, evil ponies, should use yourselves to show the world who you are! And what if we, cutie marks tape you to our flanks, huh? Would you like it?!
“Oh oh! I wanna try it!” Pinkie pie said. She’d be jumping as the usual if she wasn’t being held by her tail.
If cutie marks had faces, they would be poker faces now. After some time of an awkward silence, the Mayor said “Ok, does someone here got any duct tape??” Of course it wasn’t expecting an affirmative answer, but a random cutie mark raised its hand.
“I have a duct tape, sir!”
“What?! Why would you have a duct tape?”Questioned the mayor.
“I like tapes, sir!”
“Ok. So… give it to that cutie mark and help it to tape the pony.”
“Roger!”
The random cutie mark went there and helped Pinkie Pie’s cutie mark to tape her. They taped her upside down. She liked but pokey didn’t, that silly pink pony was blocking his sight of those three giant and beautiful balloons.
“Ok, any other interruption? No? Great! As I was saying, we are not your slaves, ponies, and we’re not going to accept this disrespectful treatment! Today we’re going to punish you!”
While all of the cutie marks were excited about the revolution, the idea of being punished by the cutie marks was scary to the ponies.
Twilight had finished explaining her plan and Rainbow Dash was in full agreement. Now, they only need to wait for the right moment.
At the other side of the tow square were Fluttershy, Rarity and their respective cutie marks. The two ponies were scared in different ways. Rarity was noisy and whining while Fluttershy tried to convince her butterflies to let them go. The ponies were hugging each other in an attempt to get less scared.
“Oh my gosh! Will you shut up?! You’re driving me crazy!”
In another side of the square was Applejack. She had tried to buck her apples several times, but the cutie marks were tougher than she could ever expect, so she gave up for a while, waiting for a chance to surprise the cutie mark.
Back to the stage, The Mayor Cutie mark was about to explain the punishment.
“But don’t worry too much, ponies. We are not bad guys. We could arrest you, hit you, or even kill you, but we won’t do it! We are better and unlike you, we don’t like to mistreat the others! So we only will send you to the exile! There you ….” But it was interrupted
“Nooooo!” Someone shouted.
There, after the crowd, were two cutie marks grabbing each other hands. Two hourglasses and its ponies Colgate and Doctor Whooves. Unlike the others, the cutie marks were not holding their ponies by their tails.
“Please dont do it! Ponies are not bad, Thank to these two ponies here, I found my real love!” One of the hourglasses said as she hugged its pair.
That was a weird kind of interruption and, of course everyone there stopped paying attention to the speech to look to the passionate cutie marks.
“Shut up, we will not let the ponies treat us like this ever again, and if you don’t wanna help us, get out of here!”
The crowd got exited. “Get out of here! Get out of here!” And in the mess, Twilight saw a chance. She poked Rainbow Dash and said “It’s now!”
Continue…
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Mushi
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734
| 4 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Mayor Mare,Princess Celestia,Spike,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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CMR
|
Things got really weird when a huge lot of poison jokes fell on Ponyville
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incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>Things got really weird when a huge lot of poison jokes fell on Ponyville</p>
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everyone
|
2011-09-17T01:13:18+00:00
|
2011-09-17T01:13:18+00:00
| 1,414 |
The crowd got exited. “Get out of here! Get out of here!” And in the mess, Twilight saw a chance. She poked Rainbow Dash and said “It’s now!”
...
All of the cutie marks were going towards the two hourglasses and the crowd had become a total mess. The hourglasses could escape and as a last act of compassion, they tried to block the way to their ponies.
“Run, you should be free! Run and find some help!”
Doctor Wooves and Colgate would not let their Cutie Marks and the ponies in that situation, they ignored the request and got in the mess to disturb the revolutionaries and help the ponies.
==
It was time to start Twilight’s plan, she aimed the arm of Rainbow Dash’ Cutie Mark and shot it a magic missile, in pain, the cutie mark dropped the pony.
“Have you gone mad?!” I shout furiously.
“I’m sorry! It was a magical sneeze, I couldn’t help it. Please forgive me!” Twilight faked some tears.
Amid the turmoil Rainbow Dash left her plushie near to the cutie mark’s leg and slipped out of the mess slowly to not draw the attention of the agitated Cutie Marks. Once she was out of the turmoil, she flew out as fast as she could. After scolding the purple pony, the blue Pegasus’ Cutie mark got the plushie from the ground. Cutie Marks don’t like ponies, so it didn’t noticed the between the plushie and the real pony.
==
The hourglasses had been captured, and their ponies, after causing some problems, had been captured as well. The order returned as the two traitors were handcuffed, but the plan had been put in action.
“I know you can do it, Rainbow, but please, make it in time!” Twilight thought.
==
Back to Pinkie Pie, she was enjoying the experience of being taped to her ballons and Pokey was still facing it. The pink pony was curious to know why the blue unicorn was facing her (she thought he was facing her)
“Hey! Do you wanna be taped to?” She asked with a friendly smile on her face. The balloon gave her a nudge.
“Heeey! That was so not cool!” She complained
“Not cool? I will tell you what is not cool! Having this KILLER taped to my “flank” is not cool! Now shut up you voice is annoying and I’m trying to pay attention to the mayor!” Pinkie Pie’s cutie mark shouted. She got sad, her mane ant tail started to get straight because of the scold.
==
Once again at the stage, the mayor was talking about its plans.
“Now, as I was talking before the interruption…” It stopped and faced the hourglasses, which were near to the cage in which the Mayor Mare was, with a “killer look” on its “face”, and continued “We will only send you ponies to the exile and leave you there. In that place you will be able to keep your society. Don’t you see how king and evolved we are?” And it kept speaking.
==
Because of the mess, Rarity and Fluttershy had been separated, and now, the white one was trying to bargain.
“Oh dear I have lots of crystal and diamonds at my boutique, if you let go there and…”
“BE QUIET! I can’t take it anymore, shut up!” The cutie mark interrupted.
“B-but They are perfect for you, you can even marry them! I don’t care, you can have all of them!” She was going to continue. But she stopped when the cutie mark grabbed her mane.
“One more word…” It said menacingly.
==
Applejack was mad; she had lost the perfect chance to give apples a killer buck.
“Ah cant restart buckin’ now, ah ah to wait ‘till they are not so ready to the mess ah want to cause!”
==
Rainbow Dash had flown away about 30 minutes ago. Twilight was nervous. She tried to stop thinking about bad things. Looking around, she could see that there were other ponies plotting. Unicorns writing on the ground, pegasi using their wings to make signals , close friends using secrete languages. Of course the ponies wouldn’t accept it and, even partially agreeing with the cutie marks’ objectives, Twilight didn’t want to be exiled. Suddenly, the purple unicorn remembered spikes words, he said he’d let Princess Celestia know about the cutie marks, She trusted in spike and knew her number was assistant would never disappoint. But why would be Celestia taking so long?
The bad thoughts were filling her little head and in a desperate attempt stop thinking about bad things, the only thing she could do was pay attention to the mayor. Of course it wouldn’t help so much, but at least she would have something to fill her head. Since she was being held by her tail, she couldn’t see.
“Excuse me, cutie mark, but I can’t see the mayor from down here…”
“You, a pony, want to see the mayor speaking?”
“Yes… Now it’s clear to me that you are right, I want to listen to the voice of reason now…”
“Ok, I appreciate it, but I still don’t trust you.”
The cutie mark pulled her up and let her to seat I its “shouders”, but it was holding one of her hind legs. Now, twilight could see the stage.
“So… I’m thinking about sending you to that weird forest over there. You will live there. But I want to show you how kind we are, and that is why we will keep diplomatic relations, and they will be mediated by these diplomats right here.” It opened the red curtain on the stage. There, with a very happy look on their faces, were the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Continue...
|
Emeral Frost
|
736
| 1 |
Adventure,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy
|
A Long And Troubled Path
|
cancelled
| 4 | 2 |
<p>(Hmm, its a bit hard to explain where I'm taking this fic. but I'll try my best!) Luna notices that Celestias personality starts to change, bringing out (Or adding) a part of her that Luna has never seen. The goddess of the moon sees this and takes action, only to be confronted with a truth that holds a great sadness. As the years progress, Celestia starts taking shortcuts in her political decisions and making the residents of Equestria feel unwanted and shunned. Luna does her best in righting her sisters mistakes, but soon comes to the realization that the only way to right Celestias wrong doings is to let Equestria rule themselves. Luna holds the fate of the ever growing nation in her hooves–And shes all alone in the fight.<br /><br />(I hope I described that right. It may not seem this yet, but it will. Don't worry. And yes, I know I mentioned Dr. Who in one part. Sue me. :P)</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-09-05T04:17:21+00:00
| 537 |
Chapter 1
The Year: 3649. 600 years into the future of Equestria.
It was a particularly cold night as Luna walked out into the dry night air weeping. Princess Celestia came running out of the castle yelling, “Luna! Luna where are you?! Please, I’m sorry. Please come back!”
Luna spun around while tears were steadily streaming out of her eyes.
“WHY, WHY DID YOU DO IT?” She screamed. “YOU LET ALL OF THOSE POOR INNOCENT PONIES DIE? JUST SO YOU COULD COVER UP YOUR OWN MISTAKES?”
“Luna please let me expl...”
“No, not this time Cely. What you did tonight is unforgivable!” Luna said and took off into the night sky.
~Just 30 minutes before~
There was a loud racket coming from just outside the door when suddenly three Guards burst in yelling, “Princess Celestia, There’s been an accident in Fillydelphia!”
“Well spit it out!” Celestia said rather aggravated at the sudden audience.
“The nuclear reactor is on the verge of melting down! We must shut down or many innocent ponies will be killed!”.
Celestia thought for a moment. Luna suddenly spoke up, “Well of course we’ll shut it down, why wouldn’t w...”
“That's enough Luna.” Celestia interrupted.
“We can’t just shut down. Fillydelphia and almost all of Ponyville will be out of power for who knows how long!” The goddess of the sun said.
“But sister...if we don't shut it down, there wont be a Fillydelphia!” Luna said stunned by her sisters arrogance.
“Shes right, my lady.” A guard answered. “If we don’t shut it down, Fillydelphia will be destroyed and radiation will spread through half of Equestria. There is no other option: we must shut down!”
Celestia gave no thought to this as her mind was already made up.
“No”, she stated, “no it will not be shut down”.
Both Luna and the three guards were shocked at how quick her mind was made up.
“Have somepony go and check the reactor. I'm sure it’ll be fine.” Celestia said.
“But my Lady, we only have--hell who knows how long before it melts down! It could be minutes or hours! There’s no time for somepony to fix it. It’s either have it shut down or have thousands of ponies die at your hooves!” One of the guards yelled.
“I said my mind was made up! We will not shut it down, damn it. Is that clear!?” She said in a very menacing tone.
”Yes--my lady.” The guard farthest to the right spat as vile as he could without her knowing.
“How can you be so cruel?” Luna started as she looked up at her big sister.
“How can you be so calm and let so many ponies die! That...that’s just wrong! That's evil!” The moon goddess said, her voice slowly rising.
“I have my reasons”, Celestia said before sitting back down.
“You have your reasons!?! Theres only one sensible thing you could have done, and that’s shutting it down! Sometimes I don’t get you. You’ve done this sort of thing before, but not nearly this bad!” She said as tears started to fill her eyes.
“They’re just ponies, Luna--they’re not immortal like us. After all, they’re expendable.” Cellestia said.
“How can you say that? I understand that no pony is perfect but what you’re doing is just pure evil!” Luna yelled.
“Luna, calm down! Like I just said before...they’re just ponies.” The bringer of the sun said as calm as ever. Luna shook her head in utter disgust, tears welling up in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, when you’re older you’ll understand.”
“I DO understand! It’s you that doesn’t understand what the fuck you’re doing!”
“I can’t believe you! You dare not challenge me, little sister!”
“Or what? You’ll send me to the moon again?” Luna said in a very challenging tone.
“L-Luna, you know I could never do that again! Nightm...”
“I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED--I WAS THERE! Like I said, you’ve done this sort of thing before. When I was transformed into Nightmare Moon you used the Elements of Harmony on her to send her to the moon. You knew that I would be sent there as well. You knew! And yet you still did it! You could have easily found another option but NO! You sent me to the fucking moon for a fucking thousand years without even thinking about the consequences! Why? Why are you doing this? It doe-doe-” Luna couldn’t take it anymore, she turned and sped out of the room.
~ Present time~
Luna got farther and farther from Canterlot, tears still streaming from her eyes. She began to see smoke rise in the distance. I have to go and try to help! She thought to herself as she veered toward the town of Fillydelphia. She started to close in upon the town as the sun began to rise. With its help, she started to see the full extent of the damage done. One of the two towers had somehow collapsed in on itself doing heavy damage to the reactor underneath. The other was leaning slightly. What could have caused this much damage?
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
She landed on the outskirts and ran as fast as she could to the town hall in order to warn of the impending disaster. When she got there, she burst threw the doors of fillydelphia’s town hall and yelled, “I need to talk to the mayor!”
A young female pony trotted up and said, “Princess Luna nice of you to vi...”
“ I need to speak to your mayor, now!” The goddess yelled at the young mare.
“Of course.”
“We need to hurry!” She said as she sped up.
They reached two polished wooden doors and heard shouts from inside. They stopped for a moment to listen.
“Why haven’t you gotten somepony to fix that confounded reactor?!” A booming voice came.
“We-we can’t sir, the radiation levels are too high!” Another voice came.
“Well, what the hell are we going to do now? We can’t just sit here!” The first voice answered.
At that moment the doors swung open.
“Ah Princess Luna, What a pleasant surprise!” The mayor said as he bowed.
“We need to evacuate the city, the reactor’s on the verge of melting down!” She said in a tone that surprised the mayor.
“Do you have an evacuation plan?” She asked.
“Um...well, no. You see, we never thought anything like this would happen. I mean the facility was built and reinforced with hundreds of Unicorns’ magic! The likelihood of this happening is--well was--almost zero!” The mayor replied.
Luna sighed, “We’ll just have to make one up as we go then.”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
“Gather up as many ponies as you can from the town and get out of here as fast as you can but stay organized. I'm going to try and shut down the nuclear facility somehow before this gets out of control.” She told the mayor.
They both quickly rallied up the ones in the town hall. The mayor ran over to the main entrance and opened a metal box that was on the wall beside the large doors. The box contained a red button with a warning sign above it. Beside the button was a small voice box. The mayor pressed and held the button down and yelled into the voice box:
“Citizens of Fillydelphia! This is not a drill, everypony gather at the town hall or you will most certainly die a slow and painful death. I repeat: everypony gather at the town hall! This is not a drill."
He let go of the button and sirens blared from multiple places within the city. They both ran outside to be confronted with an already massive crowd...with more coming every second.
“I’m going to head off toward the facility and make sure nopony is there or even close”, she whispered to the mayor, “You keep the crowd calm and make sure that everypony gets out safely. If I’m not back in ten minuets leave without me.”
Without hesitation, Luna spread her wings and flew as fast as she could toward the massive nuclear facility. She was on the outskirts of the large city when she began to feel dizzy and her vision started to blur. Oh Celestia no, please no not now! She thought to herself and shook her head. As she got closer, the side effects slowly got worse. By now, she was only about a half of a mile away from the facility. On top of the symptoms she already had, she grew nauseous with a splitting headache and was getting very tired fast. She tried her best to ignore them and focused on searching for ponies that hadn’t yet gathered at the town hall. I have to stay awake, I have to. I have to. She thought to herself to try and keep her moral up but to no avail. Her eyes slowly closed and she blacked out.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
As the mayor ran through the town yelling orders, he looked up to see what looked like a Pegasus falling from the sky. The mayor ran to two ponies and told them to go check and see if it was still alive and continued running through the town yelling orders to everypony he saw. Well at least the evacua- his thoughts were interrupted as a loud boom was heard and the ground shook under his hooves. He ran to the nearest building and found a route to the roof. When he got there the sight was horrible, the remaining tower on the nuclear facility had collapsed causing the reactor underneath damage like the one beside it. I hope Luna is alright.. The two ponies he had talked to earlier came running up to him yelling, “Sir! Sir! Its Luna!”
“What?” He said rather surprised.
“Its Luna, sir! She’s the Pegasus you saw falling out of the sky!”
“Get some helpers and get her out of there!” He said in a stressed and worried tone.
The two ponies and a Doctor started to run to where Luna had fallen. As they got closer they began to see the bodies of dead ponies that didn’t make it out of the town in time. When they turned a corner, they saw Luna lying on the ground not moving. The Doctor ran to her and gasped,
“We need to get her out of here now. She’s in terrible shape...I don’t know if she'll live.”
The two ponies stared at the Doctor in shock.
“Well, don’t just stand there--help me!” The Doctor yelled. “If we don’t get out of here, all of us will be killed so move your asses!”
The two ponies pushed Luna up onto the Doctors back and stood on each side of him to make sure she didn’t fall off. When they got back, they found the mayor searching the buildings and telling the few stragglers to get out of the town.
“We have to go now” The doctor said as the mayor saw them.
“Yes, yes. Will she be alright?” He said.
“That's just it--she’s in pretty bad shape.” The Doctor repeated.
He glanced in between two buildings. “Do you have things covered, Mayor? Or are you still in need of help?”
“No, I think we can handle things from here. What’s your name by the way?” The mayor of Fillydelphia asked.
“Does it matter? I think we have more pressing things at hoof. Well, you do at least. I’ll be off now. Good luck!” The Doctor said and walked in between two buildings. Soon after, a screeching sound came that died away in a matter of seconds.
Another massive explosion was heard. The mayor returned to the matter at hoof...as the strange pony had put it.
-Year: 4049-
“When I was a little filly and
The sun was going down
The darkness and the shadows, they
Would always make me frown
A song drifted in and out of Luna’s dreams.
“I'd hide under my pillow
From what I thought I saw
But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way
To deal with fears at all
The song continued.
“When I was a little filly and
The sun was going down...”
The song repeated the only parts that Luna remembered after all the years.
“Luna, Luna! Doctor, I think shes finally waking up!” Celestia said as Luna’s eyes drifted slowly open.
“Ce-celly, is that you?” Luna said.
“Yes, dear sister, it’s me. Don’t worry...your ok.”
“Whe--where am I?” Luna said looking around...still a bit disoriented.
“Luna, I have to tell you something that’s going to be a bit shocking.”
“Yes...what?” Luna said while slowly sitting up.
“You’ve been in a coma for four hundred years. The fall left you in the worse shape anypony had seen--you’re lucky to be alive! You also had severe radiation poisoning and had to undergo many treatments for it. The doctors said you would never wake up and yet you did. You pulled through--I'm just glad your alive!” Celestia said as she hugged Luna with tears in her eyes.
“Celly, I still haven’t forgave you for what you did to Fillydelphia.” She said with no emotion towards her big sister.
Luna pushed Celestia away and said, “Don’t worry Luna, we shut it down before it got out of control. If you hadn't rescued them, they would have still died. As of now, parts of fillydelphia are uninhabited due to high levels of radiation but in time those levels will go down. You did a great thing saving all of those ponies. They are forever in your debt. I can’t thank you enough for what you did...”
“Let me stop you right there, sister.” Luna interrupted, “That doesn’t explain why the hell you made that senseless decision!” Luna said, anger returning after four hundred years of being locked away in her unconscious mind.
Celestia facehoofed.
“Luna, dear, you just woke up after a very long coma and you want to bring THAT up?” She asked sounding a bit annoyed.
“Of course! I want to know why you made that pitiful damn decision!”
“Fine. I should have shut it down when I was told to. The reason I made that decision was because I was the one that made the plans for how the facility was built. I wasn’t the one that planned it out--just the one that oversaw how it looked. I wanted it to look good but my plan for where the left reactor was supposed to be caused some complications. The architects told me that there would be a greater chance of a catastrophic failure if it was placed there. But, in my youth--if that’s what you would call it--I was naive and senseless to the ones that I was putting in harms way. I felt that I needed to cover it up when I was warned that a meltdown was imminent.”
Luna thought about her big sisters words, “I understand what you’re saying but that still doesn’t explain why you did put all those ponies in harms way!”
“Like I said...I was still a bit naive. Trust me, Luna, I'll never make that mistake again!”
Luna got up and hugged her, but still...how can she still be that arrogant? I mean she is over 2’000 years old. This just doesn’t add up! Luna thought.
“Luna, I think you need to get some rest...” Celestia said, tears still slowly flowing out of her eyes.
“But what about the moon and stars?” Luna asked.
Celestia chuckled, “Luna dear, I’ve been raising the moon, sun, and stars for the past four hundred years. I think one more night won’t hurt anything”.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Luna woke to hear Celestia humming a toon that sounded like ‘Pinkie Pie’s Giggle at the Ghosties’ song at her bedside.
“That's one of Pinkie Pie’s songs, isn’t it? I keep hearing it when I dream.” Luna asked.
“Yes, it is.” Celestia answered with melancholy.
“I miss Twilight Sparkle and her friends.” Luna said, saddened at the thought that they have been gone for a thousand years.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of them. The only one out of them that’s left is Spike but he’s gotten so big!” Cellestia said. “At least they had fun filled lives. I still can’t believe that Apple Bloom was the only one to have kids.”
“Do you think we could make a monument in there honor, Celly? They saved Ponyville countless times. Their memory lives on--even now--in books!”
Celestia smiled, “That sounds like a great idea. I’ll think about it but let’s not dwell on the past.” Celestia said. Luna smiled back...somewhat forced.
|
|
IceCreamNom
|
737
| 1 |
Angel,Discord,Nightmare Moon,Philomena,Princess Luna,Trixie,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Luna and the Temple of Stars
|
Luna tries to overcome stress after her attempt to cast eternal night over the land.
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>Nightmare Moon is the name of the evil mare who tried to cast eternal night over all of Equestria. However, the Six Elements of Harmony stopped her, turning Nightmare Moon back to her real self; The young Princess Luna. Luna apologized to her big sister, Princess Celestia, for doing what she had done. Her sister forgave her, but still she feels that something is wrong.<br/>Soon Luna gets stressed out while thinking about what she had done. As the shy young pony she is, her mind is diseased with stress of doing the wrong thing. She doesn't know if she is taking her thoughts too far, or if it's true.<br/>The day Luna returned home, Luna goes to sleep at midnight with stress filling her mind. She glances out the window to find a big white building far away in the plains. She decides to go explore the strange building, and find out something that could impress her big sister, and make her proud. But does she know of the tests she shall face?<br/>On this adventure, Luna may overcome her problems, and maybe meet a few loyal friends along the way...</p><p>-</p><p>This is my first story! I really hope you like it! The cover picture belongs to... <a href="http://pterosaurpony.deviantart.com/" rel="nofollow">http://pterosaurpony.deviantart.com/</a></p><p>-</p><p>EDIT: Changed main characters.</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-11-04T15:25:21+00:00
|
2011-11-04T15:25:21+00:00
| 1,196 |
She didn't know what to do.
She had come back from the moon after a long time...
Why didn't she feel better?
Princess Luna was laying in her bed. It was night time... Her sister, Princess Celestia, was sleeping in the room across from her. She still felt bad for wanting to make it eternal night, and threatining ponies, but she still wished everypony could appreciate her beautiful night.
"...Why do I feel this way..."
She muttered. She rolled over and covered her head in her pillow. It wasn't everyday some bad mare tried to change the whole land of Equestria. She didn't know if she felt bad, or if she hadn't done enough. It was all too confusing.
Luna moaned. She was really tired, but she couldn't get to sleep. She sighed and stared out her window, where she saw plains beyond the mountains shine in the moonlight. What a beatiful sight... It was very good that she could appreciate her night. But of course, her big sister still controlled the day and night. She hadn't yet offered to have Luna control night again... Maybe because she knew that her littler sister wouldn't like to do all the hard work making night, and having no pony stay up to enjoy it? It had happened before, and things never went right from there on. Princess Celestia had apoligized to Luna for imprisoning her on the moon once they arrived back at the castle, and of course Luna smiled and hugged her sister full of tears.
"It's okay big sister, I love you! I won't ever be like that again, I promise!"
She could remember the exact response she said. It seems her and her sister have now made up, and they were once again friends. You can separate friends, but you can't separate family... That's what Princess Celestia told her. Luna closed her eyes trying to get to sleep... It seemed hard to get some rest with all these thoughts stored up in your mind, and it certainly was. But Luna had to go to sleep... She wouldn't spend now and beyond stressed out.
She once again gazed out her window. Except... In the middle of the plains laid a big building... "What is a building doing in the middle of the plains?" She asked herself, getting out of bed. She put her hooves up at the window ledge and opened the window, sticking her head out to get a better look. The air was pretty chilly, but what concerned her the most was why there was a building standing in the middle of empty plains. Well, of course the plains weren't really empty. Some hills, a mountain, a tree here and there... But that's not the point. There was a big building standing in the middle of the field!
Luna rubbed her eyes, thinking she was dreaming. Hopefully she was, this would mean she would have fallen asleep... But when she looked out the window again, it was still there. It wasn't there a minute ago, how did it get there now? There was only one thing to do.
Luna walked to the corner of the room where some old saddle bags laid from a long time ago. When she was younger, she liked to go to the beach with her sister and collect seashells in the saddle bags. She closed her eyes remembering the time years ago...
"Sister! Look, I found a swirly one! Isn't it so cool? How many did you find?"
She frowned a bit as she remembered the fun times with her sister when she was younger... But no! This wasn't time for memories! She slipped on the saddle bags over her back. A picture of the moon was presented on the front of the two saddle bags. She looked behind her at her cutie mark, a relaxing mark of the moon... She remembered being so happy to be able to control the moon. She smiled sadly and went out into the hallway. She peeked in her sisters room... Thankfully, Princess Celestia was still asleep. She sighed a breath of relief, and headed out of the castle as quick as she could.
She now stood outside the castle, staring off at the building. She would have to climb down the mountain, and it would take miles to reach the building. But she'd take that risk. This could be a good adventure, and maybe her sister could trust her with the task of controlling the moon again if she solved this mystery! She nodded her head proudly to herself, starting to trot down the mountains...
- - - - - -
Luna was resting against a tree sleepily. She had already ran halfway through the fields. She was almost, just almost, to the building. It would probably take half an hour now... She didn't know if she had the energy however. She got up tiredly and began walking down the path again. She had realized there were more trees around here than she thought, making it possible for her to be even going through woods. She guessed looking from afar inside a room through a window was differnet then up close... Well, obviously. "I'm almost there, you can do this Luna." Luna took a few deep breaths and started running. She could see the building coming closer and closer!
Soon, finally, she had arrived. She gazed up at the building. "...Whoa." She gasped. It looked like a big church, and the building was a pure snow white. The windows were gold and the door was big and brown, similar to the one at the castle. Sort of. Anyways, she nervously approached the door, and slowly knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"H-Hello...? I-Is anypony there?" She said quietly. No response. Maybe she should speak louder. "Excuse me! Is- Is anypony there!?" She yelled. Still no response. This obviously wasn't going to work. She knocked a few more times.
Pound. Pound. Pound.
Suddenly, the big door creaked open. She could now push the door open. "Well, I guess if the door is open, It means they're letting me in..." She said to herself, quietly walking into the building.
The hallway was so dark... She couldn't see a thing. She coughed and continued walking. There was no sounds, besides the sounds of Luna's hooves walking against the ground.
"Hey! Who are you?"
A voice boomed through the dark hall. Luna stopped dead in her tracks, scaredly. She gulped. "Who- Who's there!?!?" Luna shouted back nervously. The sounds of a pony's hooves walking against the cold ground filled the room. Something was heading towards her. But who were they?
"I'm really sorry f-for invading your home!" She shouted. The footsteps got louder as they came closer. Luna gulped, and backed away from the footsteps. Suddenly, they stopped. Luna could barely make out the figure of some pony in the distance...
"Well, who's there?" The figure yelled to Luna. Luna blinked. "My... My name is Luna! Princess Luna!" She shouted back. The figure in the distance took a step away in surprise. "Princess Luna? THE Princess Luna?" The figure trotted closer. Luna could finally make out a light blue mane, a dark blue body, and a unicorn's horn as the pony came closer. Soon the pony approached Luna, and Luna could make the figure out. She was a unicorn!
"Luna! You got here too? H-How did you get here!?" The pony surprisingly examined Luna. Luna examined the other pony, too. "Um... I saw this building in the middle of the plains. I- I thought I should come and explore the building, it seems just so... Weird." She answered. The pony smiled at Luna, or at least that's what Luna could make out. "Well Luna, I don't think we've met properly. My name is Trixie. The Great and Powerful!" She said, grinning proudly at Luna. "Nice to meet you, um, Trixie the Great and Powerful..." Luna answered shyly. Trixie nudged Luna. "Come on, Luna. It's important we find the way out of here. I tried getting out through the door after coming inside, but it wouldn't budge." She said. "Now follow me." Trixie trotted ahead of Luna. "W-Wait for me Trixie!" Luna yelled to her, trying to trot ahead and keep up with the fast pony.
- - - - - -
"So... You decided to check the place out too?" Trixie asked as they kept walking through the dark hall. "Erm... Yes. It was just weird I've never seen this building here before." Luna answered. Trixie nodded. "As so did I. I was just practicing my magic when all of a sudden... I turn around and I see a big white building! Wouldn't that just creep you out? I just had to check it out." She laughed. Luna nodded awkwardly. She guessed it would creep her out, but the only thing of her concern is the dark hallway she and Trixie are walking through.
Suddenly, Luna and Trixie bumped into a wall, causing them to fall to the floor. "Ow! I hate walls... They just appear out of nowhere!" Trixie complained, getting off of the cold stone floor and fixing up her mane. Luna got up too, and felt the wall. It seemed... Hollow? "Hey, Trixie, I don't know if this is a wall..." Luna said to Trixie. Trixie scratched her head and felt the wall too. "Hey, you're most certainly right. It seems it's a door!" She said happily, tugging and tugging to open the door. Pulling didn't work, so she rammed into the door. "WHOA!" Trixie yelled as she flied through the door. "Trixie!" Luna yelled. She ran through the door after Trixie, but soon found herself standing not even a centimeter from an open trapdoor. "Luna...!" Trixie's voice yelled from the bottom of the hole as she kept falling. Suddenly, her voice dissapeared. "T-Trixie?" Luna yelled down the hole. Then, she lost her balance, and tripped into the hole, starting to fall down!
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Luna's voice boomed through the hole as she kept hfalling and falling. She scaredly looked down, and saw a light a distance away. "I-Is there a light down there?" She asked herself nervously. Suddenly, the light got bigger and brighter, and- PLOP. Luna fell on top of somthing soft and blue.
"Ow... Luna, is that you?" A pony laid under Luna dizzily as she felt a big weight fall on top of her. "Oh, so sorry Trixie..." Luna said, rather embarrased. They both got up, and stared down the bright hall. Oh, how good this light felt to their eyes! Well, it didn't really feel good, rather like a pain since their eyes were used to the dark after going through that hall. It felt like something was making their way through their eyes. Luna shook her head, trying to shake off the dizzyness, and then she stared straight down the hall again.
Well, it certainly wasn't dark. There were torches and chandeliers that were lit up brightly, as if it were welcoming them to a party or something. Luna and Trixie started walking down the hall, gazing around at the lights. Suddenly, they saw a door at the end of the hall. They approached it, and Trixie slowly pushed it open this time. Inside the door, was a big round room with a table centered in the middle.
"Wow... What a weird room." Trixie said, walking up to the table and examining it. Luna nodded slowly, taking a look around. Torches surrounded the room, as well as chandeliers, making it practically the same type of light source in the hall before. Trixie was now on top of the table, stomping her hoof on it seeing if it would crash down. "Well, it's not weak." Trixie stated, jumping off of the table. Luna approached Trixie curiously. What an energetic pony.
Suddenly, all the lights were blown out, and sparks flew around. The door slammed behind them in a loud gust of wind. Trixie held onto Luna scaredly, and Luna clung to Trixie even more scared. They then heard mysterious sounds as something walked closer and closer.
"Who's there?"
Luna and Trixie gulped hard, unaware of who's home they were invading...
|
IceCreamNom
|
737
| 2 |
Angel,Discord,Nightmare Moon,Philomena,Princess Luna,Trixie,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Luna and the Temple of Stars
|
Luna tries to overcome stress after her attempt to cast eternal night over the land.
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>Nightmare Moon is the name of the evil mare who tried to cast eternal night over all of Equestria. However, the Six Elements of Harmony stopped her, turning Nightmare Moon back to her real self; The young Princess Luna. Luna apologized to her big sister, Princess Celestia, for doing what she had done. Her sister forgave her, but still she feels that something is wrong.<br/>Soon Luna gets stressed out while thinking about what she had done. As the shy young pony she is, her mind is diseased with stress of doing the wrong thing. She doesn't know if she is taking her thoughts too far, or if it's true.<br/>The day Luna returned home, Luna goes to sleep at midnight with stress filling her mind. She glances out the window to find a big white building far away in the plains. She decides to go explore the strange building, and find out something that could impress her big sister, and make her proud. But does she know of the tests she shall face?<br/>On this adventure, Luna may overcome her problems, and maybe meet a few loyal friends along the way...</p><p>-</p><p>This is my first story! I really hope you like it! The cover picture belongs to... <a href="http://pterosaurpony.deviantart.com/" rel="nofollow">http://pterosaurpony.deviantart.com/</a></p><p>-</p><p>EDIT: Changed main characters.</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-11-06T14:35:55+00:00
|
2011-11-06T14:35:55+00:00
| 985 |
From a distance, a figure watched. He watched from the shadows, keeping out of sight. "I bet those two will faint any second now." The figure chuckled. "I wonder how those two got here. It is most entertaining though to watch them stumble and fall like they are. Haha! Just look at the faces they've been making!" He tried not to burst out laughing. "Hmm, well, I'll give them just a bit more time for them to find me. Once they do, I shall MAYBE tell them what I know. Only then will they know where they are, and why they are here." And with that mysterious sentence, the figure disappeared within a snap of his own finger.
---
"S-Sorry! We never meant to invade your home!" A unicorn pegasus with a shy face shouted into the darkness. The hooves of the unknown pony came closer and closer. "Luna, we haven't no choice! We better get out before we are punished!" A unicorn standing next to her explained worriedly. The other pony nodded scaredly, and then there was a mad dash for an exit. "I can't see one, Trixie! It's too dark!" Luna said to the unicorn sadly as she quietly zoomed around. Suddenly, she bumped into a soft, solid object. On the cold hard ground, she gazed up at shining blue eyes that stared right into her pupils, burning through her eyes. With a shout of freight, the scared alicorn took a quick trot away from the luminous eyes, trying to get as far away as possible. Then she bumped into Trixie. Both getting up, they stared scaredly at the vivid eyes coming closer and closer. "Now, Luna! We must get out!" Trixie flashed her horn, shining a faint light in the area. "There!" The scared unicorn shot her hoof up at a small wooden door barely in sight a distance behind the eyes. They trotted like their life depended on it, until they both reached the door. Trixie took her hooves and pulle don the handle. Luna gulped and stared behind her at the eyes just realizing their trick. This time, the eyes zoomed closer. Suddenly, there was a loud click. "It's open!" Trixie exclaimed loudly. The two rushed through the doorway, the impact of the run shutting the door behind them, leaving the eyes to stop dead in it's tracks.
Luna and Trixie kept on trotting. The softly lit torches guiding them up staircases and down halls, and they had no idea where they were going. Finally, they both stopped for a gulp of air. While breathing heavily, the two glanced behind them, seeing if the eyes had followed them. "I think... We might... Be okay..." Trixie said between thick breaths. "Come on, Trixie... We gotta find a way out." Luna said, getting up slowly and tiredly. "Luna, we probably advanced up at least two floors! Unless you wanna face those creepy eye things again, we might wanna stay up here until we find out where we are." Trixie answered. Luna took a few more breaths, and decided to go on ahead, Trixie slowly following her. They soon came to a statue of a bird, with long wings and a healthy body. It seemed almost lifelike, they could both almost feel it. "Trixie, doesn't that statue look real to you?" Luna said looking at it from different angles. "Don't be silly, dear, it's just a statue." Trixie said, rolling her eyes and moving on. Luna nodded with a sigh, and followed after her. But behind her, the statued turned around and it's eyes blinked, and the stone began to crack and fall of one piece at a time.
They both wouldn't have cared how many doors and staircases they saw, they just kept going down the hall. There were so many, Luna lost count at the number "30". Trixie stopped to drink some water dripping from the corner of a nearby wall. "It's a bit rusty, but anything will do for me right now... My mouth is sooooo dry..." Trixie groaned, waiting for the next drop to fall on her tongue. Luna's stomach growled, and she blushed. "Sorry... I'm just a bit hungry." She explained slowly. Trixie turned around and walked towards her. "Well, I am too, I guess. We should find a snack." She said, looking around. "But Trixie, there are too many doors. A dining room or kitchen of any sort could be behind any one." Luna said worriedly. "Then we use an old strategy; We just check every one." The unicorn answered, checking behind a door, which just contained some rollar skates and a few mice. Luna sighed,, and just walked ahead. She figured there's not much they could both do. "Come on, Trixie- Wait... Trixie?" Luna glanced behind her. She ran back down the hall to the door Trixie has opened. She glanced at the things, and blinked. She wasn't inside, and she wasn't close either. Luna shouted and shouted her name, walking down the what seemed an endless hall, blinking and rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, a flame blocked her path. Taking a step back in surprise, Luna gazed at the sight.
---
The fire wasn't burning the walls around it, nor created heat in the area. It didn't even as much shed sparks. Then, the flame morphed into a scarlet red bird, with genuine wings the color of a setting sun. It looked up at Luna, who was now curiously wondering what this bird was. The bird flew down the hall ahead of Luna.
"I... I wonder if it wants me to follow." Luna said to herself, trotting after it. The bird kept on flying and it never looked back at Luna. It took her through doors and trapdoors, up and down staircases, but it's not like Luna wasn't used to it by now. Soon, the two approached a gigantic room, about twice the side of the royal hall in her castle. With a breath of surprise, the shy Luna was walking slowly down the path. Fountains were surrounding the room, creating a waterfall that flowed into the ground, creating a river all around the room. Luna met up with the bird who was perched on a rather large fountain, in the center of it all. Never before had she seen such a sight. Luna looked up at the bird. "H-Hello... I don't think we've properly met, h-have we? I'm Princess Luna, and I'm... Well, h-how about you?" She asked slowly and in a calm voice. The bird only glanced down at her, with a simple stare and a frequent ruffle of her feathers. Obviously the bird couldn't talk, but Luna somwhow felt this bird could. "Um... Why did you bring me here, may I ask?" Luna asked, looking around curiously. The bird looked up at the ceiling, not even gazing at Luna. Once the unicorn pegasus saw what the bird was doing, she too gazed up at the ceiling. And what a beautiful sight it was. It was a moon. No, not a moon, the moon. A cut hole lay at the top of the ceiling, revealing the moon that shone light down through the circle on Luna. She smiled at the moon. The moon was probably the most beautiful thing life has ever given her. The bird flew softly upon Luna's back, being careful to not have it's talons clip her back. Luna glanced back at the bird and smiled shyly. "Is this why you brought me here? To see the light of the moon?" She asked. The bird nodded, staring right at Luna. Luna giggled, and looked back up at the moon that shone through the roof. Somehow it shot unbeleviable sprit through her. She felt taller than than she was at the moment, and bravery rushed through her veins. Luna felt like she had more power, more faith, more personality.
Suddenly, the room around her became empty. The cement walls, fountains, and the flowing water all disappeared
in a
single flash of light. Stars and comets covered where the walls should have been, and the ground Luna stood on became a lonely stone platform. "Whoa..." Luna looked around in surprise. It was like she was floating in space. She looked up at the moon, in which had fully been revealed. It's light shone harder, and it covered the whole platform with a vivid light that sparkled the stone. Suddenly, a familiar pair of shocking blue eyes appeared a few feet away from Luna, shining in the light of the moon. With a small gasp of terror, Luna took a step back. "I-It's you again..." She said with a gulp. The eyes approached closer. There was nowhere for Luna to run or hide. The eyes stood in fornt of Luna, and surprisingly took a figure of a dark mare, the color of the night sky. The mare's mane and tail were long and magnificent, they were a dark violet color with what seemed many tiny stars floting inside them. As it's mane sparkled, Luna noticed a unicorn's horn that spiraled, and it's color was the same of the body. A violet helmet and amulet were worn on the mare, as well as plates on her feet, supposedly used as armor. The mare's cutie mark was like no other, it was a relaxing and vivid shade of purple, and a moon rested in the middle of it. The mare was taller than Luna, and so it looked down on her. "H-H-Hello..." Luna said quietly and shyly. "There is no need to be afraid. I am you, and you are me." The mare answered in a deep, confident voice. Luna stood up a bit more so she could look into their eyes. "You are me, and I am you...?" She asked. The mare nodded, and bent down so she was the same height as Luna. "You recognize me as your side of jealousy, of hatred." The mare closed it's eyes. Luna blinked a bit confused, and looked around the room some more, at the shining stars. "Luna..." The mare continues, standing back up. "I am here to show you the purpose of your life." The mare raised it's dark, plate covered hoof, and a big flash appeared in front of them, making Luna's eyes sparkle like the stars.
Suddenly, everything was dark. She couldn't see anything. She closed her eyes, and something surprising snapped.
|
White-pawPony
|
738
| 1 |
Adventure
|
Through Thick and Thin
|
Two adolescent mares, both struggling to find their place in life, become unlikely friends.
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>Autumn Harvest is an earth pony who is struggling with the concept that she may be destined to be a "dull farmer". In her quest to cheat fate, she meets a very interesting unicorn who may just show her that friendship truly is magic.<br /><br />Mountain View is a vogue unicorn who dreams of living in a place that actually has more than three ponies inhabiting it. More than anything else, she wants to travel Equestria and make a name for herself. Will a new friend bring her closer to her vision?</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-09-06T00:16:40+00:00
| 49 |
Prologue:
All my life I wanted to be a part of something bigger. I wanted to be more than the dull farmers my family has been known as for so long; I wanted to live for the thrill of living. But never would I have guessed that of all my adventures…
…Meeting my best friend would be the most important.[
I thought I was destined to be a homepony. To take over the family business, and live up in those dark, lonely mountains my whole life. No one in my tiny family understood my love for excitement or culture. So, I did as any good teenager would do; fight back by hiding my emotion in a dark corner of my heart. So, you can guess how surprised I was when somepony who wasn’t even looking found it there.
|
White-pawPony
|
738
| 2 |
Adventure
|
Through Thick and Thin
|
Two adolescent mares, both struggling to find their place in life, become unlikely friends.
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>Autumn Harvest is an earth pony who is struggling with the concept that she may be destined to be a "dull farmer". In her quest to cheat fate, she meets a very interesting unicorn who may just show her that friendship truly is magic.<br /><br />Mountain View is a vogue unicorn who dreams of living in a place that actually has more than three ponies inhabiting it. More than anything else, she wants to travel Equestria and make a name for herself. Will a new friend bring her closer to her vision?</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-09-06T00:42:15+00:00
| 49 |
Chapter One:
Autumn Harvest
I climbed steadily up the slope, fighting against the blizzard that threatened to blow me off of a cliff. At some points, the snow was so packed I could barely make it through. Earth pony blood is thick, though, and my muscles had been strengthened by years of hard labor.
My snow coat shielded much of my creamy-yellow fur from the weather, but my face was still stung by the sharp icy particles that flew in all directions. My legs ached from climbing; my back from the heavy saddlebag.
I know I make it sound as if this was an unpleasant venture, but the truth is, I loved every second of it. The uncertainty as to if you were going to make it to the next resting spot; the harsh conditions that threatened to kill you at any moment; the bone-chill that was only muted by the hot adrenaline running through your veins and pounding in your head. This was what I lived for.
I looked up at the sharp icicles up above my head as I tread cautiously through a snow tunnel. Mt. Trot is known for its strange ice formations and constant snowfall – I found it fascinating.
Suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, a cabin came into view. It rose up out of the snow like a small castle, but instead of looking like a fortress, it seemed cozy and welcoming. Its roof was quite angular, and so long it nearly touched the ground. A small trail of smoke drifted lazily out of a chimney, and a warm glow crept out from the cracks in the shutters and under the red door.
I could tell that it was an inn before I saw the sign. This was the only place to stay in Hoofbeat Pass, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it looked quite accommodating. I slowly walked up to the door and gave it a small push.
Peering through, I quietly called out, “Hello?”
The door swung open without warning, and before me stood an older mare, brown mane tied up in a bun, and blue apron stained with stew broth.
There was a small moment of silence, as we stared at each other, her blue eyes piercing my own green ones.
Her face lit up with a smile. “Oh, darlink,, please; come in out of ze cold!”
Before I knew what was happening, the unicorn was pushing me out of the snow and into the warm inn.
“Oh! Well, thank you –”
“Eet eez of no consequence, darlink! You must get warm!” she insisted. Her horn glowed faintly as she removed my saddlebag and coat with her magic, hanging them up by the hearth. “You must be starved; I weel get you someting to eat, yes?”
In spite of myself, I smiled at the mare’s hospitality. I trotted over to my saddlebag and pulled out a map with my teeth. I laid it on a low-set table and unfolded it, studying the drawings.
From what I assumed was the kitchen, the innkeeper called to me. “So, what do you call yourself?”
“My name is Autumn Harvest, Ma’am,” I told her. “And you?”
She came out with a bowl of steaming stew, “I am Frostfall. Eet eez a pleasure to meeting you, meez Autumn Harvest.”
Her thick accent felt nicely on my ears, and I smiled again, thanking her for the meal. Before I could take a sip, however, the inn’s door again swung open. In the doorway stood a large, husky stallion with a white coat and icy blue mane. At first he seemed rather intimidating, but Frostfall rushed over to him, exclaiming, “Glacier, look; we haf a guest!”
He looked me over carefully, evaluating me, I suppose. “I assume you have the bits to cover your stay?” he asked, striding into his domain.
“Glacier!” Frostfall hissed.
“Uh, of course, sir!” I quickly replied.
The stallion nodded passively, “Good. You are welcome in my inn.” He turned then to his wife, “I have brought you more berries.” Nodding to his saddlebag, he showed her said food.
The pink mare brightened up even more than she had before. Levitating the berries, she trotted over to the kitchen. “Tonight,” she declared, “we weel eat well!”
***
As it turned out, I was the only guest staying at the time, and the first Glacier and Frostfall had had in a while.
Frostfall was gushing over me, so much so that I became embarrassed. “Such a well-mannered pony she is! I weesh zat all of my guests were as nice as you. But most of dem are quite rowdy…” she seemed about to go on without stop. Thankfully, her husband interrupted.
“So, Miss Harvest; what brings you up to Hoofbeat Pass?” Glacier inquired.
After swallowing a sip of cider, I looked up at him. “Well, I guess… it’s nothing really spectacular. I’ve just never climbed a mountain before. I guess I thought it would be exciting.”
“But how dangerous, for a young filly like you, to be climbing dees mountain, darlink!” Frostfall exclaimed.
“I am seventeen,” I told her.
Frostfall lit up like a lightbulb, “Really? Dat eez vunderful! My daughter – she eez eighteen! You shall haf so much een common!” She looked over towards the staircase, “Mountain View, come down here, plees!”
A female voice called down irritably, “Gosh, mom, one sec, okay?!” There was a pause. “Wait – is it the mailpony with my package?”
There was a clopping of hooves as the pony ran down the stairs. She stopped dead when she saw me.
“Oh,” she commented flatly, “it’s just some guest.”
In front of me stood the most jaw-dropping pony I had ever seen. Her white fur and striking blue mane reminded me of her father, while her bright sapphire eyes, horn, and pink streaked tail seemed inherited from her mother. She wore flashy diamond stud earrings, a charcoal grey scarf, and four extremely fashionable socks.
“Autumn Harvest, meet Mountain View!” Frostfall said happily.
|
DavidReinold
|
742
| 1 |
Comedy,Crossover,Slice of Life
|
MODS ASLEEP POST HUMANS
|
Nopony at the Equestria Broadcasting System was expecting this...
|
incomplete
| 99 | 2 |
<p>[Crosses over with "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"]<br /><br />For twenty-seven years, the television program "My Little Human" has been nothing more than a silly little show for foals and young colts about an imaginary species of creatures called 'homo sapiens', or 'humans'. Nopony has ever taken the show seriously, because it's aimed at a younger crowd and has been deemed unwatchable by older crowds. But all that changes when a respected animator and director named Fyreflye gives the series a new look and attracts a completely new and unexpected fanbase….</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-12-14T00:03:03+00:00
| 14,676 |
Celestia's sun creaked over the sill of the window that overlooked my bed. The warmth enveloped me, and stirred me from my sleep. My eyes creaked open, and with a certain sluggishness they surveyed the room; immediately they noted that the clouds outside were refracting the sunlight in orange and pink hues, painting the library's loft with a welcoming and joyful stream of colors. I took that to be Celestia's way of saying 'good morning' and with a stretch, I hopped out of bed and began my day.
The smell of hay browns wafted up to my balcony. Spike, it seemed, was up and at it earlier than usual. I wasn't about to complain; hay browns sounded really good that moment. I wandered downstairs towards the kitchen to mix up a coffee and get my day going. On my way down I noticed a stack of old videos, almost all titled 'My Little Human and Friends' or 'My Little Human Tales'. An odd wave of nostalgia hit me as I thought back to when I bought those videos for Spike. When he was quite young, I helped him collect every episode. He loved those shows, and I remembered watching them with him. Needless to say, he enjoyed them much more than I did; after all, they were geared toward younger viewers. Male viewers. In other words, not me.
I continued down the stairs towards the kitchen, and helped Spike prepare breakfast.
The hay browns were perfect. I had no idea where Spike learned to cook so well. He certainly hadn't learned it from me; I couldn't cook to save my life. Even the coffee I had prepared flaunted a bitter taste which could not be masked by any amount of milk or sugar.
"Thanks for breakfast, Spike," I said cheerily, "it was delicious!"
"Hey, I am your number one assistant, right?"
"That you are!" I giggled slightly. There was peaceful silence for a moment as we each finished our plates. I downed the remainder of my coffee first so that the last of the hay browns could mask the bitterness. All in all, the day was off to a good start.
Just as Spike was about to clear the table, his face contorted into a cringe and with a mighty heave, he released a cloud of green smoke that formed itself into a nice little parcel.
"Ah! It's here!"
Once a month, Celestia would send me a set amount of money to help me pay for necessities. But being she was of royalty, she had access to more money than any one pony could ever need, so she often overpaid me. Quite a while back, Spike and I had agreed to splitting the excess cash sixty-forty between the two of us, and since then, each payday we would go out and do something fun. Traditionally we'd stop at the local bookshop first (the books were mostly for me to look at, but Spike enjoyed searching through the videos). We'd each pick up something that caught our eye, and afterward we'd go out for a nice meal.
It looked like today was going to be another one of those awesome days.
After clearing remnants of breakfast and finishing our chores for the day, we set off for the bookshop.
"So Spike," I commented nonchalantly, "anything in particular you're looking for?"
"Well, there's this brand new My Little Human series that just came out, I was hoping to pick up a copy."
I stifled a laugh, "You still watch that? After all these years?"
"No, this new series isn't like the others. I hear it's really good. It's by this one director named FyreFlye, she's really famous...she was an animator on Colts Next Door, and did a bunch of writing for The Awesomesauce Fillies."
"Well...it's your money. If you want that, go for it!"
The bookstore was fairly quiet, which was fine by me. The moment we got in the door, Spike made a mad dash for the video section, and out of curiosity I followed. What Spike had said earlier had piqued my interest.
The videos were listed alphabetically. I glanced through them with mild interest. In the D's I spotted Doctor Whooves series three...it crossed my mind to buy it and get it autographed. Dandy Tennant was a resident of Ponyville, it wouldn't be too difficult. I picked it up and followed after Spike. When we got to the M's, I was rather surprised at who we found there.
Rainbow Dash, holding a My Little Human video, looking terrified.
"Oh, er...hey, Twilight!" she said, "I was just, uh...um...I know Spike is a fan, I thought I might get a copy for him!"
Spike apparently didn't pick up on Dash's white lie.
"Hey, you didn't have to do that. I was going to pick it up anyway," he said, grabbing another copy off the shelf.
"Oh, er...okay then!"
Hesitantly, she replaced her copy of the video on the shelf, and followed us as we made our way to the register. Spike ran ahead several paces, and when he was well out of earshot, I turned back to Dash and sighed.
"You wanted that for yourself, didn't you?"
She was hesitant for a moment, but then with an intense expression (and still showing a hint of fear), whispered harshly to me, "you tell nopony about this, got that?"
"I never saw you here," I said with a smirk, and wandered off.
Afterwards, we went to Everfree Cafe for dinner. It was a nice little place, and it was good to see that they were still in business.
"So this series is different, huh?" I asked Spike after we had picked out a table by the window.
"Yeah, that's what everypony's saying. There's been a lot of hype about how interesting and mind-blowingly awesome it is. I can't wait to watch it."
"And this 'Fyreflye'...you said she's pretty famous?"
"Yeah! She was the co-creator of Le Flour's Home for Imaginary Friends, which won several awards, I'm pretty sure..."
I could no longer deny that I kind of wanted to see what it was about. I made a mental note to take a look at it later.
That evening, when dinner was over, Spike put in his new video and started watching. I remained in the room - my expectations were still set low, as I was a bit skeptical, but I was still willing to give it a chance.
The prologue didn't impress me much. Except for the mildly intriguing concept, it was basically exactly what I was expecting. I sighed and forced myself to keep watching. I wanted to at least be able to say I tried a full episode.
The opening theme song kicked and I was hit by a rather unwelcome wave of nostalgia from Spike's early videos. It didn't seem much different from what I remembered and it wasn't impressing me very much.
And then it changed.
The childish tone of the song crossed into a more upbeat and enjoyable take on the theme. It became more watchable. As the episode went along I found myself laughing at more of the jokes. It wasn't the best thing I had ever seen, but I was enjoying it more than I expected to.
When the first episode ended, I realized I kind of wanted to watch another episode.
"Maybe in a bit," said Spike, "I think I'll make some popcorn..."
I sat there on the balcony staring at our Saddlesung television's blank screen. Corn kernels could be heard popping on the floor below. I was itching to see where the previous episode's cliffhanger would lead in the next episode. The series had me genuinely captivated, and the anticipation only amplified this feeling.
Spike came back into the room a few minutes later, carrying a large bowl of popcorn. As he set the second episode up to play, I grabbed a hoof-full of popcorn and munched on it intently as the show re-captured my attention. The animated figures painted themselves across my vision and took away my sense of self as I became a metaphysical part of the television screen. I could no longer distinguish between my mind's eye and the episode.
With the end of episode two, I stood up, stretched, and took a deep breath. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. I couldn't believe that I enjoyed what I had just seen. In fact, I was still in doubt about whether this was even the same series I had watched with Spike when he was younger.
"Want to keep watching?"
"YES," I failed to keep my response from sounding eager.
Five episodes later, I was wide awake and ready to keep going, but Spike was ready to get some sleep.
"You can keep watching if you want, but I'm going to bed..."
At that moment, I heard a knock at the door. I hopped down the staircase and answered it promptly.
"Oh, hey Pinkie Pie, what's up?"
"Twilight...can I tell you something?"
"Of course, you can tell me anything!"
"Promise not to laugh?"
"I'd never laugh! I respect you."
With a deep breath, Pinkie Pie let it out.
"I watch My Little Human!"
I stifled a chuckle.
"Hey!"
"No no no, I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you. It was just funny to me because I just got done watching the first seven episodes."
Pinkie Pie's hurt expression lifted into a grin.
"Same here! Oh my gosh, the Prime Minister is just the most epic character, isn't he?"
"I know! He's such a weirdo but when it matters he can get serious! I kind of like Trenton, though. He's got an awesome backstory."
"Yeah, totally! Hey, so...um...anyway, my TV stopped working, do mind if I watch it over here with you guys?"
"Well, Spike's asleep right now and I'd rather not wake him up...but I know somepony else we can watch it with."
"Who?"
"Well...I told her I wouldn't tell anyone, but since you're a fan too it really makes no difference."
"Yes it does! Don't tell me, it'll ruin their trust in you!"
"No, it's cool," came the voice of a familiar blue pegasus. Rainbow Dash had arrived for what appeared to be the same reason as Pinkie Pie.
"I knew, Twilight," Dash said in a much more confident tone than the one she'd shown at the store, "I knew that when Spike started watching those episodes, you'd catch a glimpse too. And I knew, I knew that you'd get hooked. It was inevitable."
"Right?" Pinkie Pie chimed in.
"Hey...if you want to keep watching, you can come to my place. It's all cool."
We all set off toward's Dash's house in the clouds. It struck me for a moment how cool my friends were. Not only that they would confide their secrets in me, but that their guilty pleasures were so legitimately awesome...
I was glad to have friends like them.
|
DavidReinold
|
742
| 2 |
Comedy,Crossover,Slice of Life
|
MODS ASLEEP POST HUMANS
|
Nopony at the Equestria Broadcasting System was expecting this...
|
incomplete
| 99 | 2 |
<p>[Crosses over with "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"]<br /><br />For twenty-seven years, the television program "My Little Human" has been nothing more than a silly little show for foals and young colts about an imaginary species of creatures called 'homo sapiens', or 'humans'. Nopony has ever taken the show seriously, because it's aimed at a younger crowd and has been deemed unwatchable by older crowds. But all that changes when a respected animator and director named Fyreflye gives the series a new look and attracts a completely new and unexpected fanbase….</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-12-14T01:46:41+00:00
| 8,152 |
"Lieutenant Cyn," the Captain noted that one of his subordinates was moving rather sluggishly, "What's the matter? Are you ill?"
The lieutenant shook her head no, "Sorry, Captain, it's just...I worry for First Sergeant Trenton sometimes. He is (and I mean no disrespect to him) not nearly as strong as he pretends he is."
The Captain sighed, "I know. But you can't stop him from acting of his own accord. He'll resent you for it. Though if I may ask...what is First Sergeant Trenton to you? What is your connection?"
"As workplace is concerned, sir, the only connection is camaraderie."
"Ooh! Ooh! I get it! She's got a crush on Trenten! Oh my Celestia, OH MY CELESTIA!" Pinkie Pie began shouting at the screen. Before I could react, Rainbow Dash's back hoof was in Pinkie Pie's side. I paused the video just as a small fight began to break out. That is, if you could call it a fight. Rainbow Dash was the only one fighting, but Pinkie Pie was winning. I stifled a giggle, and when everypony was settled back in their seats, I pressed play.
The Captain smiled gently and looked Lieutenant Cyn in the eyes, "I understand."
"You do?"
"Completely. I will press the matter no further. "
The Lieutenant motioned to hug the Captain, but restrained herself and instead shook his hand.
"Thank you, captain."
The episode faded to black, and credits rolled. There was a sudden burst of confusion among us as we tried to locate the case for the video and play the next episode. When Pinkie Pie found it in the freezer, she returned to Rainbow Dash's living room wearing something as close to a frown as she was capable of.
"That was the last episode, girls," she said solemnly, "we watched the entire season."
Rainbow Dash fell of the couch with an uncool thud.
"...what?" she asked in a monotone. I sensed it was rhetorical.
"How can we have watched all the episodes?" I chimed in, "We've only been here for..." I stopped short when I looked out the window and noticed that the sun had just begun to rise.
We had been there the entire night.
"Well...it doesn't matter. I can go out and buy a copy of season two!" I said, "I've still got some cash set aside, I think I can cover it..."
"Twilight, there are no more seasons," Rainbow Dash spoke sternly, "There's only one season released on video so far. I heard the second season has been airing on regular broadcast, but the rerun times are extremely inconvenient."
"Oooh! I know where we can get the new episodes!" Pinkie Pie's eyes lit up at the thought of getting 'moar humans', "all the episodes are up on PonyTube!"
A quick glance was exchanged between the three of us, followed by a lull, then finally a mad flurry of hooves and wings as we ran off to Dash's computer room.
The "Ubunthoof" loading screen seemed to last forever. When finally it disappeared, Rainbow Dash clicked frantically at the FireFoal icon. We waited eagerly as the PonyTube main page loaded.
There, in the "featured videos" section, was season 2, episode 1.
Click.
"Oh wow, they changed the opening!"
"The music sounds remixed!"
"This is so exciting!"
"Hey...um...I don't recognize that name. Is that...um...a new writer?"
The three of us all looked away from the screen with a start. That last voice wasn't Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash, and it certainly wasn't me. There was a fourth voice here, and it was unmistakeable.
"Fluttershy?" we all said simultaneously. The lilac-maned pegasus edged away from the screen with a nervous smile. We knew there were questions to be asked, but it was fairly obvious that watching the episode was more important.
"Trenton!" said the Prime Minister, "So good to see you! Are you well?"
The Prime Minister jumped back when Trenton dropped a heavy duffel bag on the desk that separated the two of them.
"What's all this?"
"This is my debt, plus interest."
"No no no, that's supposed to go to the rebel army! They need it more than I do, and I'd just end up giving it to them anyway!"
"No you won't. You will use this off-the-books. There's a project you've been secretly funding, and I want in."
"How do you know about that?"
"Ask your assistants. They'll tell you how persuasive I can be."
The Prime Minister clearly didn't know what to think of this change of events.
"Am I in? Or do I take my information back to the rebel army and spread word that you've been going behind their backs!"
"I am guilty of no crimes by our agreement. You have no leverage over me."
"If what you say is true, then why keep it a secret?" Trenton was getting angry, but seemed pleased with his results. He knew this conversation would not end in a stalemate no matter how much the Prime Minister wished it.
"Look, Trenton...such information is sensitive. I was hesitant even to trust my hand-picked associates with the information, and as you have just demonstrated, even that was too big a leap for me to take."
"So let me ask again...am I in or not?"
It was mid-day by the time we had caught up on every episode. There had been ten thus far in the new season, and the latest two had been possibly the best in the series. We all left the den feeling dazed.
"So, Fluttershy...you watch this show, too?"
"Oh, why...yes. I enjoy it very much."
"And your favorite character is...let me guess...Alice?" Rainbow Dash said with a smirk.
"Alice? Er...no. She reminds me too much of...well, me. No, I think Trenton is probably my favorite character."
I grinned slyly at Dash, "You can't argue with Trenton. You just can't."
"Well, how was I supposed to know that Fluttershy likes bad-flank characters?"
Suddenly and without my consent, a thought wormed it's way into my brain. I couldn't stop it, or shoo it away, or even indicate to it that I wasn't listening. For once in my life, my brain was far too hospitable to an idea. And this particular idea was the last notion I wanted to entertain at that moment. Nonetheless, I acted.
"Hey...let's head back to the library," I said, "There's something I wanted to take a look at..."
When we reached the library, I hurried up the stairs back to where I had paused on the landing nearly twenty-four hours prior. There, on the shelf, was what I had returned here in search of.
My Little Human: Rescue at Deadlock Fortress. The original My Little Human episode. I'd forgotten about it for quite a while, but now that I thought about it, I remembered it being somewhat thought-provoking and subtly intriguing.
"Anypony feeling adventurous?" I called down to Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy from the second-story loft. All three of them smiled back and hurried up to the loft. When we had all gotten settled in, I powered up the television set and put in the dusty video. I prepared for the worst, but hoped for the best...
|
K. Blak
|
745
| 1 |
Alternate Universe,Dark
|
My Little Operator: Warfare is Tragic - Loonies
|
The year is CT993. Luna is on the moon and the NLR is on the march, sparking war within Equestria.
|
hiatus
| 7 | 3 |
<p>When the New Lunar Republic begins to re-emerge amid rumors of Luna's return at the end of the decade, Equestria is faced with a difficult conflict and an uncertain future. Tensions snap as the NLR builds up, and soon the Air Corps and the Equestrian Guard are dispatched to crush the pockets of resistance before they can grow into a full-fledged rebellion.<br /><br />Among those dispatched is Lance Corporal S. Raider, a green-wing Air Corpspony and one for whom the choice to fly or die must soon be made.</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-09-23T13:59:33+00:00
| 991 |
Before the war, before the wars, they called me Sky and left out the family name of Raider. When I joined up it seemed like that’s all they cared about, some of the others gushing or guffawing over it until I got my nickname. ‘Sturmpony’, because of how I handled the heavy guns during the mock-assaults during basic. The colt who coined it thought he was a mighty clever pony, but when it comes to that I can’t rightly disagree. It fits, but more importantly it stuck.
I didn’t find much use for it though until a while after I’d completed basic and been tossed into the 82nd “All Equestrian” Division of the Air Corps. After a bit of processing, filing, interviewing and coin tosses I found myself in the 502nd Air Assault Regiment, Apple Company, Third Platoon doing scut work at Equus Air Base in Canterlot and learning exactly what it felt like to be a green-wing amongst veterans. They gave me a battle saddle fitted with 7.62 machine rifles that weighed more and hit less than it ought to have, but I didn’t complain. It was better than having to lug around one of the heavy mortar pieces, or one of what should have been a fixed 20mm gun like someponies I knew.
I found myself drilling under Sergeant Bucking with the rest of the greens and some of the less than stable vets for a few months, easy enough but boring garrison work more than anything else when we weren't pretending to blast apart Lunar Republican dissidents and itching for a chance to do it for real. As it happened, luck, if you could even call it that, was on our side and it wasn’t long before I got my chance to spit lead at the worst of them.
I remember the first time, staring into the eyes of one of them. Eight and a half years ago, back before the ‘popular’ uprising was even being considered. The mare was still in the moon and the New Lunar Republic was anything but. It must have been fifteen, twenty years old at that point but only then starting to get back out in force after the crackdowns of ‘76. The 502nd pulled the short straw to support the mechanized assault at Littlehorn. The Equestrian Guard was there, and they even had some of those gold armored Royal Guardsponies with them to make sure that whatever punches we threw landed hard enough to put the NLR down for good.
At least, that’s what we hoped for. Some of the more fervently devoted amongst us, myself not included, offered up prayer to the Princess, the real Princess, that everything go off without a hitch but I guess Celestia must’ve been busy that day. We all knew it’d be a rough ride, but I don’t think anypony expected things to go just as badly as they did. We took off from Equus fields before the raising of the sun, a bad omen in and of itself but a necessary one to ensure we’d get there in time. Someponies were still laughing and joking, but the further west we flew and the further north we crawled they got quieter and quieter until we were cruising along in total silence.
It was about five hours later and six kilometers away from the rally point outside Littlehorn that Lieutenant Glider spoke up again. It was a navigations adjustment, changing the heading by a few degrees and starting a slow altitude drop until we were brushing against the tips of the cloud cover. He had a bit of strain in his voice, which should have been telling given how hard as nails he usually is but which went unnoticed at the time. I was still too wrapped up in my own thoughts to give it much heed. I was green as an alfalfa monster and fresh out of basic, still shaky with my wings enough that more than a few ponies had asked me if I’d rather been born an Earth Pony.
It was another half hour, maybe more, maybe less when we started to bank left, circling towards the target zone. Lt. Glider called out, said there’d been a slight change in plans and that Apple Company was going to break up and start the pre-assault recon runs while the rest of the 502nd kept orbit over the staging grounds. When we finally broke cover and cut down towards the ground it became frightfully apparent why everything had been jumped up a good two hours.
Somepony had been careless or seditious and the Loonies were already in the field, all over the place, dragging their bastard flanks out of whatever slit trenches they’d been mucking around in, pulling their Bickers and their field-mortars up with them. There were a few skirmishes breaking out already in the southern fringe where the first of the Guard were brushing against their ad hoc defensive line, but it wasn’t even a fraction as bad as it was going to get. Already our armored columns were pushing up, making double time to get there before the Lunar Republicans could trot the rest of their force and whatever reserves they could muster into place. Before I got too low for proper visuals I could see just over one of the hills, where the muck-suckers were setting up. Must have been a few hundred just in that cluster, which was a heck of a lot more than we’d been briefed on. Hay, we’d have been just as surprised to see more than three dozen in any one place, let alone the hordes they were fielidng.
Only a few of the recon squads were on the ground when the anti-air opened up. Hidden in the apple orchards and wheat-fields in the west and the north, we never even saw them in the early low altitude fly-bys and there’d been no reference to them in the intelligence reports, not that we weren’t expecting them, but like the numbers of bodies on the ground we never suspected they’d have quite that many barrels ready. There were probably a dozen units, a few 88s but quads for the most part. It was light out already and they had a perfect line of sight to draw a bead on us. Must have cut down a dozen pegasi before the first wave scattered well enough that they were dropping at a slightly less alarming rate. At the very least most of us had survived, but with the flak filling the air there was no way the rest of the battalion, let along the rest of the regiment, was going to be able to drop below the bits of cloud cover we’d pushed into place until the guns were knocked out, which thankfully wasn’t my mission. First Platoon got called up for that and I thought, just a bit guiltily, that I was glad it was them and not me. Pegasi and anti-air don’t mix well, you see.
I and the rest of Third Platoon were moving up towards the artillery keeping some of the Guardsponies flanks down, recon temporarily forgotten while we worked on the air control problem. We’d gotten radio communication with the mechanized thanks to Sergeant Bucking, and word was that Captain Gallopson was down there with us running the show and leading from the front. There was still a lot of confusion on the line though, so we were more or less going in dark. Sgt. Bucking asked for volunteers to take point, and I threw my hoof up right away. I don’t rightly regret it, but in retrospect it wasn’t the best decisions of my life. I found myself a few minutes later up at the front with a scattergun between my muzzle and some 7.62s strapped to my sides to replace the thirty cal I’d been lugging around. I’d tried to get the firing bits for both in place but after nearly choking to death I realized that it wasn’t working and I decided I’d rather have the scatter in case things got hairy up close, which given the lay of the land was more likely than not.
Like I’d said before, that AA was intense and all over the place and it seemed from down there like they had just about every angle you could imagine pre-sighted and filled with fire. Not wanting to catch sudden and ignominious deaths, were forced to buck it through the muck like good and proper ground pounders, but such is the lot of Air Assault a good nine times out of ten. We had the benefit of coming down within their fairly broken line though, so they weren’t expecting us quite as badly as they might have, but that didn’t seem to lessen their response or slow their reaction when they finally did notice us. I was in one of the trenches when the first of them came up hollering and spitting piss and vinegar at us from some poorly dug cross-line.
She was a dark grey coated mare, light brown hair and a cutie mark like a moon with some diamonds around it. Her eyes were greenish but not vibrantly so, and her muzzle was snarling around a 5.56, tongue pulling at the trigger. She was scared, surprised, pissed and probable jacked up on Moon Dust and her shot went mercifully wide though it damn near gave me a heart attack and offed me nonetheless. She’d had the drop on me, and only by the grace of the Goddess had she missed me. I thought that maybe Celestia was looking on us after all, right up until the point my training kicked in and I pulled my tongue against the trigger.
There was a flash, my head snapped up hard. I could feel a dull pain in my neck and I wondered for a while whether the scattergun might have been a bad choice without a better integrated harnass. I’d closed my eyes without realizing it, but when I opened them I saw that I’d gotten on target with exactly the sort of accuracy the Loonie had mericuflly lacked and… She’d dropped, just like that, like she wasn’t even a pony, just a ill-balanced sack of apples or a bale of hay tumbling down from the rafters. One second she was alive and charging and the next she was... Gone, half her face splattered across a dirt wall and the rest leaking out into the mud. I stared at it, for a lot longer than anypony ought to have stared at it, just trying to catch my bearings and figure out exactly what I’d just done.
The rest of first squad shuffled past me while I was dazed and laid out on my haunches. Usually just hanging back and switching off point ponies would have gotten more than a few complains or sly jabs, but they knew I was going through something rough and that I needed whatever time, however short, I could get. I hate to say that there was a time I was as green and fresh to the corps as that, but we’ve all been there and it’s one of those definitive moments we all have to bash through alone. There were quite a few others that day, though most got the comfort of never having to get that close to their targets, afforded the relative niceties of long distance sniping or impersonal blankets of fire.
After about a minute Sergeant Bucking came up and hoofed my shoulder, patting my helmet and helping haul me back onto my hooves. We trotted up together, neither of us saying a word until second squad linked back up with us near a fork in one of the trench networks. Overhead the flak was still bursting pretty heavily, and we could feel the tremors and hear the dull roars from the artillery nests we were creeping up on. Resistance was surprisingly light, with hardly a single patrol between us and the target. Third squad had run into something small at some point, but they didn’t lose anypony and they managed to clear things up on their end quick enough there was a chance the Lunar Republican troops didn’t hear over the sound of their guns firing at the armor. A chance, but not a very likely one.
We regrouped, first three squads on the left flank towards the AA, the last two squads taking the right towards the wheat fields. I found myself on point with first squad again, scattergun in mouth and heavy rifles on my side. Somepony had handed me a satchel of pineapple grenades that hung off my saddlebags but I questioned the need for them if ‘stealth’ was still the name of the game. Up there, at the tip of the spear just waiting to stumble into the first machine gunner with a line of sight on your head is enough to put anypony’s nerves on edge, and I was nervously stopping and throwing a hoof up in warning every so often, taking long and unnecessary moments to screw my eyes up and try to take in all the details of our barren surroundings. There was mud underhoof, some dirt to either side and branching forks every so often, and that was it.
Well, that was it until the Loonies got wise. Somepony must have spotted us the closer we crept in, and the Corporal leading second squad is the one they ran into. They’d snuck up on us after we’d cleared and crossed an intersection, hitting the center of our formation and tearing a swathe straight through them with explosive charges and scything fire before we even had a chance to respond. Corporal Neighlson took a couple rounds to the hoof and at least one to the flank, while his weapons pony got a face full of buck shot that sent pieces of him going every which way. Somepony else that had transferred into Apple Company a few days before from the reserves was clutching a grenade they’d tossed in, holding it to his chest and neighing like a madpony. Bless his heart, but he rushed them with it outstretched when he realized he was done for, like some mad dash suicide run. I winced and turned away, bringing my scatter gun up to bear on them while the rest of the squad turned to face the attackers.
By the extended grace of Celestia though, he tripped on a rock and the grenade flew out of his hands and hit one of the Loonies square in the eye about a half second before it burst. Pulped him straight to the moon and took a chunk out of either of the mares to the sides of him, which left two or three more for the rest of the platoon to clear up. Corporal Neighlson, despite his wounds, hauled the reservist up and shook his hoof, the two supporting each other as they pulled back towards the medics near the rear. Apparently the grenade had sent some shrapnel into his head, but I heard that he’d pulled through and went on to keep fighting the rest of the day. Normally good news, but after something like that he should have gotten to head back to the reach echelon and rest for a spell, not tossed right back into the grinder before his wounds had properly closed up.
That’s the way of war though. Underponied and overtaxed, that’s how the PAC was. We did our best though, so don’t let anypony say otherwise. It’s just… I wished that maybe they’d toss some of the work we did over to the Equestrian Guard, let the Earth Ponies or the Unicorns take some of the rough stuff for a while. Sure they had all sorts of hell on their own, but the Air Corps always seemed to be the ones leading the charge. There are all sorts of rhymes and nicknames about the trend to. “Dire Flyers” or “If you fly you’re first to die.” Morbid, right?
Anyway, there we were, creeping through the trenches again, wings itching to unfurl and get us back on track but stuck slogging dirt to free up the mechanized elements. We were under real fire for the first time, the Loonies knew where we were and for a while at least they had us outnumbered three to one. Bad odds, but we were willing to take them. The ambush had just been a probing attack, it turned out. Squad after squad started to rush us at irregular intervals, a hodge podge of ponies trying to gun us down from randomly fixed positions. Given what we were used to facing this was a joke, like they weren’t even trying. We were wading our way through greenhorns and raw recruits, not the hardened pony killers that usually made up the New Lunar Republic elites like the Shadowbolts or those Goddess damned Knightmares.
Mostly Earth Pony mares, with a few higher ranking looking Unicorns but not a single pegasus yet. What was even stranger, to the point of Sgt. Bucking pointing it out, was that we’d only been fighting ponies that far. That in and of itself was worryingly strange, since the Loonies loved to pull other species into their fold. Griffons and Zebras mostly, though I’d heard tell of Buffalo turned to their cause and even the old war stores and legends about dragons coming down and burning up whole airborne divisions in their barracks on the eve of big assaults. I heard a lot of that went down in places like Burning Vales and Riot’s Ravine but I never personally knew anypony to come out of those postings alive. It was less a station and more an execution as some of the less pleased among them said.
Everything about the op was… Unsettling, I guess. If I’d had my say we probably would have pulled back and waited a while until more loyalist forces could be drummed up to put the place under siege, but Apple Company had a mission and we weren’t going to just pack up and leave halfway through. Lance Corporals also never got their say, but that’s secondary.
|
K. Blak
|
745
| 2 |
Alternate Universe,Dark
|
My Little Operator: Warfare is Tragic - Loonies
|
The year is CT993. Luna is on the moon and the NLR is on the march, sparking war within Equestria.
|
hiatus
| 7 | 3 |
<p>When the New Lunar Republic begins to re-emerge amid rumors of Luna's return at the end of the decade, Equestria is faced with a difficult conflict and an uncertain future. Tensions snap as the NLR builds up, and soon the Air Corps and the Equestrian Guard are dispatched to crush the pockets of resistance before they can grow into a full-fledged rebellion.<br /><br />Among those dispatched is Lance Corporal S. Raider, a green-wing Air Corpspony and one for whom the choice to fly or die must soon be made.</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-09-06T09:40:40+00:00
| 1,159 |
Fourth squad hit the main force just before we did. The sudden confusion must have overwhelmed enough of the Lunar Republican commanders that they jumped the gun, so to speak, and flooded their western extensions with whatever reserves had been hanging around in the immediate rear. They still weren’t any better trained but there were enough there that fourth and fith got all sorts of hell. They said that anypony who survived the first few waves found themselves wading chest deep through dead, trotting over anywhere between dozens and thousands of Loonies depending on who you ask. Part of me’d like to believe the latter, given how rough a time we were having just pressing through the left. We were probably fifteen to thirty minutes off the mark, leaving the other assault high and dry while we crept past the patrols that the rebels’d sent our way.
Most of them went like the first few, they’d get the jump but we’d toss a few good shots their way and they’d fall or fall back and we’d keep cantering forward trying not to catch one in the muzzle unless we really needed to. They got wise enough to start setting up machine gun nests at chokepoints, least that’s what Sgt. Bucking thought. I think they’d had them set up the whole time, but I guess the ego boost of thinking we were kicking enough flank to warrant that sort of reception is nice. I was still on point for most of it, though I’d switched off with Private Glaze right after the first hold up and shifted back to cover the rear of our squad and keep in sight with second squad and Corporal Sprouts.
He was a good pony, one of the few Pegasi that hadn’t been born around Cloudsdale or any of the other air cities. We’d talked a bit, on other ops and during our layups at the air base. Apparently he’d helped till a few orange groves out by Manehatten for some big company, making sure the weather systems around the groves were kept in check for maximum growth. When he’d joined up with the Air Corps they’d tossed him in with the Weather Recon and Environmental Control Squadrons. WRECS was rough work, he told me, but apparently it was a heck of a sight easier than Air Assault. Not having ever having been on a WRECS crew I took it with a bit of salt and only slight reservations.
Sprouts nearly bought the farm right before I switched back up to point. First had passed through the wreckage of a barrier that looked to have been hit by one of the long range shots the Guard artillery was tossing at random, probably blasted long before we’d taken the field. When he and second squad started inching forward though the Loonies dropped down on them. It was like they were coming through the trench itself, buried in the walls and digging through. One of them that had been creeping up top dropped down right behind me and tried to slash with her bayonet, but she missed and sent my scattergun clattering off into the mud. I backhoofed and tripped all overmyself, rearing up on my haunches and trying to hoof at her face while I whinnied and neighed like a foal. My hoof got stabbed but the ironshods bounced the blade away, and I managed to land a hit across her muzzle that sent her clutching for her face.
I finished the job with the battle saddle, opening up on her before she could get back up and try my life again. First squad started pulling back and settling in to see what in the hay was going on, but it was already over. Sprouts was next to me, blood in his mane, a mare and two stallions crumbled up around him. One of the company medics that had come in with us helped patch a wound where the bullet had grazed his skull but he was good to keep moving, though not up front. He got pushed back to the rear and I got pushed up to the front and then we were underway again, though this time I was a bit shakier in the nerves and trying to keep lower the ground.
My wings were still itching to get up and out, twitching as the feathers got ruffled against the battle saddle harness. Sergeant Bucking knew it, knew we were all itching for the air no matter how brief it might be, and up to that point it seemed like hoofing it wasn’t doing us much good. A smaller force facing heavier resistance had already cleared up to the objective point, and there we were only a little over halfway to the mark and already nearly losing ponies left and right. He ordered us to stop after a few more minutes and another close run in, this time with another gunner nest that opened up on us but thankfully missed everypony long enough for me to buck a grenade it’s way. A radiopony trotted up next to him and he got on the horn with some of the Guardsponies out in the rear and the rest of Apple Company hitting the anti-air batteries. After a few minutes he turned back to us and told us all to take a seat around him while he began drawing with his hoof and a stick in the dirt.
“Alright everypony, listen up.” he said, after glancing around to make sure all the squads were close by. “Talked to the colts over in the tanks and our troopers out in First Platoon. They and the Second have gotten it fierce, but they’re reporting that some of the 88s and a few of the quads are down already. Skies are open enough now that we can risk a quick jump.” That bit got most of us to give up a worried, questioning cheer. Sure, we’d be getting up in the air again but there was still the very disheartening chance of getting shot to pieces in the process. I choked down the fear rising in my throat and offered to go first, but the Sergeant shook his head and shuffled up the order. The third was moving in first, then the first and then the second.
“Remember, bellies to the dirt. Curl your hoofs up so they don’t snag, and don’t go for a straight shot. If you need to hit the dirt and hole up. We’re in a hurry but I’d rather you not die to stay punctual.” That got a real laugh out of us, and helped put us at some ease. The Sergeant was good like that, not a hardflank like some of the other Platoons like the fifth had. I’d only met Sergeant Fritters once, but he’d put the fear of Celestia in me right quick. One of the old breed, as some would say. A stallion that’d been through the grinder longer’n Celestia had reigned somepnoy had once joked. He was tough as nails and ate ironshod for breakfast, and I was infinitely thankful that I’d been drawn in with Bucking’s lot.
Third squad went over and things were going fairly well. Wings were unfurled and seeing it made my own do so subconsciously. If anypony noticed they didn’t say anything. Wings are an elephant in the room like that. Everypony knows it but you learn not to point it out because all Pegasi are in the same boat when it comes to the embarrassment. Unicorn and Earth Ponies tended to make jabs about it, but there was a bit of safety in the almost exclusively Pegasi Air Corps. I was still stiff when Bucking raised his own wings and a hoof up and signaled for first to make the leap. I was in the middle of the flight, scattergun holstered over my back near my saddlebags with the 7.62s’ firing bit in my mouth.
When I took flight and crossed over the lip of the trench all hell had already broken loose and punched us in the throat. The AA was a sight weaker than it was when we’d first fell down to the soil but it was thumping away in earnest at us, aiming low to the ground and trying to hit us with the shrapnel falling down. I looked back and saw that Corporal Sprouts had taken some to the wing but he was limping through the flight and doing his best to keep pace. Ahead of me Bucking dodged an airburst shell that had buried itself in the dirt, and I got a face full of the smoke trail from it that sent me coughing and sputtering and reaching for my mask in case it had been gas.
My flight wobbled but I managed to secure it, someponies that had noticed me doing the same. When the Loonie spotters up in the artillery line got sights on us and started sending down burst and actual gas shells our way I was relieved, the seals already pressing tight against my face. Bucking issued an official order for it over the comms, his voice coming in strained and distorted from all the fragmentation interference in the air. I think we’d lost somepony to the early shelling, and a good part of third squad got knocked out of action by the sustained fragmentaries, but it was the incendiaries that really played hell with us.
The first of second squad managed to get into cover at a trench a lot closer to the artillery lines than the Lunar Republicans would have liked when they started landing them in the growing gas fields. A hoof full of shells were all they really needed for everything to get blown sky high, and my own flank was singed by the backblast. I immediately hit dirt, landing hard against a trench wall and nearly breaking my shoulder, sprawled out in a pile of a few other ponies that had taken cover. Sprouts slammed into me right after that, head slamming my stomach and nearly making me vomit from the sudden pain, but he was the only one from third squad that seemed to make it in with us. Overhead a whooshing tail of flame jetted by and then dispersed.
I was still a little woozy when I got up on my hooves, but I was a sight better than Sprouts was doing. He’d bumped his head on me and the ground enough to daze him, and somepony who’s name I think was Private Dancer was hoofing the side of his face trying to snap him back into it. He started to come to right in the nick of time too. We’d turned up a mess of dirt and dust and raised all sorts of hell and thunder when we’d crashed, and I’m guessing that half the Loonies knew exactly where we’d gone to ground.
Artillery shells were starting to creep closer from behind us, the barrage marching back towards the Lunar lines trying to clear out any of us that had gotten away. Sprouts had rank but he wasn’t in any position to lead so I took up control of the squads and we pushed forward, dodging through the partially collapsed trench walls and communications tunnels they’d dug in. We only ran into two patrols, both of them huddled up in cover facing the wrong direction. We got the drop on them and didn’t lose anypony, thank Celestia. Sprouts was doing better all the time, but I was starting to worry he might have gotten a concussion.
We ran into the fringes of second squad mixed with some brave ponies from the third that had managed to hoof it over the nopony land and get there before us, but the numbers weren’t looking too good. By our guesswork the third had lost more than half, the first had lost one or two and the second had lost about that just in the AA and artillery barrage alone. Hay, we hadn’t even started hitting the lines yet, and that didn’t count anypony we’d lost up to that point. The Lunar Republican positions were tough nuts to crack, I’ll give them that, but it just wasn’t right what they were doing to us.
I managed to get us into position right behind where second squad had holed up, and I was greeted by the sight of Corporal Punishment in more or less one piece. He used to head up fourth squad, but got switched out to head second once Sergeant Steedly was promoted up. Bad deal with the Corporal, never getting promoted. He’d been in longer than most of us and had enough experience to put even Lieutenant Glider to shame, but nopony wanted to lose a chance to crack “Corporal Punishment” jokes up at HQ. He took it in canter though, and never let us hear his complaints though I’d heard rumors that he used to raise hell about it back when he’d first been passed over for Buck Sergeant.
Corporal Punishment was telling me that they’d been pinned down by heavy gun nests from a trench or two over, but that Bucking was leading a party through one of the cracked open communications lines to try and undermine the positions. Radio contact with them was sporadic, but we kept up fire enough to make sure that the Loonies couldn’t get out from under their holes and notice them sneaking up. At least, that was the plan. Somepony up in their lines must have been trying to do the same because they ran into each other in the middle. They made a real mess of themselves, and wounded ponies from the team started trickling back towards us after a while. Only about half that went out came back, but Sgt. Bucking’s luck had held out and he was one of them, though he was limping from a grazing shot that had taken out a bit of one of his hooves.
He nodded at me as he filed past and another the reconstituted second/third and the remainder of the first moved up, Bucking taking up the rear despite the complaints of our only remaining medic. The wounded were left behind, huddled together to wait for any of third that tried to link up with us. Over on the other flank, the fourth and fifth came back into contact. They were all ready to smash the western extension, and we were just about in position to do the same. Bucking gave the word, and we charged in.
I’d thought the jump down and the short flight over had been rough, but now they really were letting us have it. The artillery was coming down in sheets, literal sheets, razing everything across the nopony’s land. Bits of wreckage from skycarts and fragmentation from all the shells was spread out all around, bits of shredded wood and strips of barbed wire wrapped around fallen ponies, puddles of water and geysers of black dirt kicked up next to leafless sticks they called trees. I could see the Loonies, gasmasked as we were through the fog, wisps of gas still clinging low to the earth. Tracer rounds too bright to see in the daylight whizzed past, winging ponies next to me and dropping the ever luckless Sprouts to his haunches. Cries for medics and covering fire went unheeded, and we did all we could just to gallop past the carnage and get to the target without buying the farm.
Bayonets fixed, we dropped into their trench line with all the organizational skill and coordination of a newborn foal. It was a melee down there, a bloody brawl that was joined in from all sides, frenzied and violent beyond reason or comprehension. Everypony was kicking and hoofing and bucking every which way, and the few shots that were fired tended to go wide or hit comrades and enemies alike. I only got a single shot off with my scattergun before it was torn from my mouth and tossed to the ground again, some Loonie stallion slamming into me and bowling me over immediately afterwards. Ironshods fell on me, kicking into my sides and winding me before the body mercifully seized up and fell onto my bruised chest, a hole through his light blue head. Bucking pulled me up and handed me my fallen gun, nudging me forward to the other side of the trench as he followed after.
A mare fell on me as I turned a corner, stabbing forward with a long bolt action she was levitating. She missed and went wide, stabbing into my filter and making me rear up in fear and anger, stomping down on her rifle and cracking it’s walnut stock in two before I pushed forward and caught her in the throat with the bayonet on my own weapon. I fired, and she fell off, tears pricking at my eyes from the sudden flashes of chemical release. I was shaking and Bucking was pushing ahead alone, the rest of the battle calming down around us as the Loonies fell dead in droves.
I found myself on my curled up into a ball on the floor of the trench, clutching around my bloodied and muddied scattergun next to the Lunar Republic Unicorn I’d dropped, rocking back and forth and trying not to scream. That’s about the time I realized that it doesn’t ever start to come easier, not when it’s that close, despite everything they’d told me in training and even before that. Sergeant Bucking came back, a new cut on his muzzle, gave us all a few minutes to tend to ourselves while the medics from our newly reunited squads tended to our few wounded and tagged our many dead. “Fifteen minutes,” he said, “Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em, then we’re out.” before he called the radiopony back up to get on the line with Glider and tell the mechcolts they could start pushing up.
While I was recovering, someone was pulling Sprouts out of a ditch and finding that he still had a pulse, and somepony else was going from gun to gun packing the barrels with explosives.
When Sergeant Bucking called the Platoon to fall in on him, the guns were already primed and ready, Private Privy holding a detonator switch in his mouth and looking expectantly towards the Sergeant for word to blast them. Behind us the mechanized infantry and armored columns were pushing up and slamming whatever resistance remained, working in a pincer to take out the rest of the trench fields behind us and work on hitting the AA to the side.
Bucking nodded to Privy after we’d gotten a good while out into the wheat fields beyond, and hot air brushed against my flank and mane when he pushed down with his tongue and sent a line of Loonie artillery right back to the moon where it belonged. Privy had a pleased as punch look on his face and was nearly prancing in such excitement that I didn’t bother to tell him to bring it down a notch and keep his eyes on the wheat for ambushes. With all the hits we’d taken I found myself folded out of the firth squad and put into temporary command of the third, Private Privy, Private Hoofser and Lance Corporal Trotsky beneath me.
For a while after we’d hit the trench we didn’t get much resistance. Bucking figured it must have been the loss of the outer lines, the Loonies freaking out and pulling back to their inner fortifications in a panic so that they wouldn’t get caught out in the open with the Air Corps ready to hoof them in the bits. We laughed, to help put our minds at ease, but the unspoken and more likely story was that they were still out there, hiding, waiting. I found myself getting jittery, swinging my 7.62s from side to side and trying to get a bead on every wind-swept bit of wheat that dared to move in my periphery. I noticed that Trotsky was really nervous a few minutes into the brush. He was whimpering a bit under his breath, still shaken up from what’d happened during the assault, and the sounds of the battle around us on the breeze weren’t helping to calm him down.
He was chewing on the bit and ready to pull, and when a field mouse scurried past he opened up with his 5.56 battle saddle and tore the poor thing to pieces. The colt wouldn’t emptied his box mags into the dirt around the body if I hadn’t have clopped him one between the ears and snapped him out of it. Trotsky was blubbering and Bucking was yelling, all piss and vinegar trying to figure out what was going on as second squad starting to shooting rounds off in every outbound direction thinking we were getting hit. Somepony yelled out a ceasefire, Bucking or the Corporal Punishment in the second.
I spat at the ground and walked up, raising a hoof muzzle high towards Bucking and making a small hand signal to him. “Misfire, our bad.” I said, and he nodded and stalked back off towards point. I had Privy help me take care of Trotsky, slap him around a bit and douse him in some water from the canteens to get him back to us. After about half a minute he was good enough to walk, and I had the Private keep a close eye on him in case he’d start cracking up again. Someponies just couldn’t be trusted with combat, a sad fact of life in the Corps, but Privy was one of them and so was Hoofser. I took point and had Hoofser in the rear, Privy and Trotsky pulled up close in the center while we followed the rest in.
To our right and our left First Platoon was wiping out the rest of the AA with the support of the now in-range Guard cannons, and to our right first squad from Fourth Platoon was setting up to help up in the sweep, keeping our flanks secure from anypony trying to hit us. Unluckily for us that’s not what they tried. They just waited, shut up in spider holes for us to get right in the middle before they opened up. Third squad had just entered into the kill box when they jumped up, firing wild and half blind through the wheat stalks trying to hit as many ponies as they could.
Bucking was hollering up in the front for suppressive fire, everypony hitting the dirt hard and trying to to get a line of sight out. Rounds burst the cover around me, kicking up dirt and splashing me with a bit of blood when Trotsky got hit next to me. It wasn’t a lethal wound, just a through and through on a rear hoof but he freaked out and started rearing up and neighing, crazed from all of it. Somepony jumped out of cover in front of him and ran him through with a bayonet on one of those cruddy 7.62 bolt actions the Loonies were using, but I hit the firing bit hard and shredded him even as Trotsky was falling back. Privy was trying to inch forward, get close enough to see what he was shooting at when a few stray rounds buried themselves an inch away from his face.
I bucked a grenade off into where the bolt action pony had come from and Privy did the same, hoofing his away near where mine had gone. It burst a few seconds later, sending up a jet of red dust and the scream of somepony badly hit. A dizzy and soot-faced Loonie rushed us right after, limping along on bloodied limbs before Hoofser put her down for good, making her drop the levitated grenade she was holding. It went off next to Trotsky, blasting away whatever chance we had of getting him to a medic and making Hoofser nearly sob. Privy was already moving next to him and trying to push him forward to finish clearing the hole when I pulled away and called out to the fringe of Fourth Platoon, but from the sound of things they were in the same sort of hell we were.
Bucking came rushing back towards us with the rest of first squad while I was trying to find the Privates, whinnying out of breath and turning to fire his Cheery Lake back where he was running from, the incendiaries hitting home and burning whole sections of the field before sputtering out in the wet wheat. “Zebras! Zebras!” he was yelling, trying to get everypony to pull back in for a defensive block. Sure enough I looked up back and there were stripes in the smoke trails, shapes that looked like rough, more angular Earth Ponies fading in and out and opening up with those damned 7.62 ZKs they loved so much.
I did my best to suppress their movement, firing in wide arcs with my own saddle-mopunted 7.62 heavies, but they were good at hiding and they knew when to move. At some point Privy moved up behind me and started hoofing out grenades from my bags and his, Hoofser crouching up to my side and plinking off shots with his 5.56 service rifle on semi-auto, trying to make every round count and getting good results for it. Sergeant Bucking was near the center of the unsteady square of ponies, alternating between reloading and firing his Cheery Lake and yelling into the radio for “Some thrice-damned fire support!”
We’d finally found out where the Loonies were keeping their betters, and they were giving us all hell for the trouble.
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K. Blak
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745
| 3 |
Alternate Universe,Dark
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My Little Operator: Warfare is Tragic - Loonies
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The year is CT993. Luna is on the moon and the NLR is on the march, sparking war within Equestria.
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hiatus
| 7 | 3 |
<p>When the New Lunar Republic begins to re-emerge amid rumors of Luna's return at the end of the decade, Equestria is faced with a difficult conflict and an uncertain future. Tensions snap as the NLR builds up, and soon the Air Corps and the Equestrian Guard are dispatched to crush the pockets of resistance before they can grow into a full-fledged rebellion.<br /><br />Among those dispatched is Lance Corporal S. Raider, a green-wing Air Corpspony and one for whom the choice to fly or die must soon be made.</p>
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everyone
| null |
2011-09-07T06:01:01+00:00
| 1,287 |
The first of the Zebra insurgents broke through one of our lines right before the first of the Guard artillery started landing. Fourth squad was already reeling, and when they got charged their defenses collapsed in on themselves and the stripes managed to get a hoof-hold in there, crawling belly to the ground in some places to keep out of the way of return fire.
I’d already trained my gun on them when the first shells struck, pulverizing a clutch of Zebras crawling out of a spider hole and rending them into a fine red mist and a few scraps of smoldering meat. The smell as strange but vaguely familiar, and it made my stomach flip to think about. I fired a few shots into the smoke trails and got a few yelps of pain in response, but in the confusion I’d no way of knowing if I’d gotten a Zebra or somepony from my own Company in the fire.
The artillery barrage was a welcome, awful, indiscriminate mess. If I hadn’t heard Bucking order it himself I would have assumed it was the Loonies opening up with a hidden battery to try and crush us before we got through their next lines. Fifth squad was hit directly across their center by the shells. Five ponies huddled together, bunkered down and killed all at once. I and a Privy found them when we were galloping for cover, throwing down right in the middle of it. The Private retched violently when he realized it, and I managed to choke down the bile and shake instead, pushing my head down towards my hoofs and trying to block as much of it out as I could.
It didn’t work, and I found myself firing into the wheat again not five seconds later, a Zebra stumbling into view with a wounded pony holding a scattergun between his muzzle behind him. She was covered in blood and mud and filth and if she didn’t have wings I’d have shot her for a Loonie in a heartbeat. Looking closer when she got down next to me and Privy, I noticed her nametag read Lance Corporal Shetlia, from Fourth Platoon, second squad. Hoofsers was behind us, knocking down anything trying to creep up on us in the brawl, and looking over his kill-box later I think he might have hit a few ponies. Wounded, thankfully, not killed, but all the same I didn’t bother bringing it up with him. It was no use shooting his nerves any further, he’d been through more than enough.
Shetlia didn’t say much, just hooked in with our firing positions and did her best suppressive fire with her own 7.62s, letting loose with cluster shots from an air-to-air flechette cannon strapped to her back, the shots meant for fighting griffons and dissident pegasi shredding wheat and zebras straight to hell and back, depositing the remains in bloody heaps here and there. It was terrifying and beautiful all at once, and I found myself fearing that gun’s damage more than even the insurgents erupting from the brush around us.
The speed of the ferocity was what made the ambush so bad. It wasn’t even that long an engagement. Five, maybe seven minutes tops from start to finish and then it was over. They burst up, fired off their shots, bucked us in the face and got shot down. I didn’t even notice it was over until Sergeant Bucking came up out of his own cover hollering for everypony to pull in. The artillery had ended and I’d been so wrapped up in firing at nothing that I didn’t even notice it until Shetlia was tapping on my helmet and getting up to trot back towards her own torn to hell squad forming up around their own Sergeant Dashler.
I mouthed “Thanks.” and she waved a hoof back at us, Hoofser smiling like an idiot and Privy matching the expression. When we trotted up to the rest of the Platoon, Bucking was already going around with his squad’s medic and checking to make sure everypony who’d made it through was in good shape. Bandages, poultices, wraps and sutures almost all around, and a good deal of autoinjector painkillers and antibacterials to boot. The dead numbered somewhere between five and six. Added to what we’d already lost and of the thirty two ponies of Third Platoon that had swooped down earlier in the day, only nineteen were left. Thirteen dead and we weren’t even near though the grinder yet.
Bucking had a look in his eyes that I’d never seen before when he finished the sound off. He looked sad, angry, violent and ready to break just like everypony else. He was a rock for all of us, an anchor point in the clouds that we could hook onto and save ourselves from collapsing with. When everypony else was freaking out and dying off, he was there to yell out to us and get us into shape, keep us together but most importantly to keep us sane. It was a lot to throw at his hoofs, but he shouldered it well and seeing him ready to break like that was almost more than I could handle myself.
The expression was gone almost as soon as I noticed it, a mask of shaky resolve tossed up to hide it, but I knew what I’d seen and I was shaken. For the first time that day, I started to wonder if anypony was going to make it out of Little Horn alive. Most of my original squad had been shot up, same with my transfer in. I wondered, why was I still alive, when everypony else around me was taking a dirt nap already.
The rumble of the mechanized Guardspony column shook me out of my thoughts, and I noticed that the wheat was being crushed behind us under the tracked treads of the armor, the engine roar a dull roar all around us. Up ahead Bucking was already moving on point, threading his way through the crater-pocked, artillery-wrecked and dead-strewn field, trotting towards Little Horn proper. To our west the sounds of heavy artillery and light fighting was interspersed with a few fiery explosions of detpacks and blasting tubes telling the fate of the AA emplacements.
As the flak started to die off up in the air a few sections of heavy cloud were parted, scouting squads of Pegasi from the other Companies in the deployed 502nd starting to glide down and make visual confirmation that everything was clear. That sight more than anything else is what kept me trudging forward with Privates Hoofser and Privy behind me instead of ditching out and taking my chances at deserting. We had real support now, reinforcement. We might all still die but at least maybe it wouldn’t be in vain.
Maybe.
We managed to clear through the rest of the wheat without much incident, though Specialist Trundle in one of the support squads from Canter Company that had flown down to reinforce our push managed to trip into a spider hole and smash his radio to pieces. Nearly snapped a hoof while she was at it, but she managed to limp away with a sprain and a scowl but thankfully not much worse. Somepony called up a medic, but he just laughed at her and trotted back to Corporal Punishment’s squad behind Bucking’s pointponies. For the first time since we’d landed the platoon was deployed in numerical formation, first squad at the head and the tatters of fourth in the rear, bought up by the Canter Company fourth and fifth.
To our east, Fourth Platoon’s third squad was moving up, and First Platoon’s fifth squad brought up our western flank, the lines extending all the way to Second Platoon tossed over to the eastern fringes, and Fifth Platoon stalking on the fringe of the anti-air battery fields to the west, everypony pushing forward in a massive sweep to crush anything stupid enough to still be skunking around in the brush.
There were a few odd hazards spread out between us and Little Horn proper, a Loonie squad opening up fire from deep cover here, or a few scattered mines buried just beneath the dirt there, but for the most part it was an easy advance. A sniper opened up on Sergeant Bucking’s first squad from an old willow tree at one point, though the heavy weapons crew attached to his unit managed to blast it all to bits and pieces before they could even rack the bolt for a second shot, and the smoke and fire from the burning tree convinced another sniper lying under an overturned cart near where the fields opened up into pasture to toss his rifle down and throw his hooves up in surrender.
Somepony, I couldn’t tell who, peppered him with shots from a battle saddle and we marched past his corpse, splayed out with a 7.62 bolt action at his back, the same type of decades old surplus weapon I’d seen so many Lunar Republicans clutching in the trenches. We were back to fending off the fodder, and that put a lot of ponies nerves at ease, just a little bit. Once we started running into stolen automatics and higher end rifles we’d be in trouble again, but for now we were having a cupcake walk of a time.
The only real and honest attempt at resistance the Loonies made during the approach on their main line fortifications was at a small stable and half collapsed barn near what was probably once an apple orchard but was by then a small clear-cut field of stumps, rocks and bales of hay stacked up next to some old and broken down pull-carts. Sergeant Bucking, wary after the sniper, had pulled up the Platoon on him, ordered us to cover and to train weapons on the buildings. He seemed reluctant to order anypony to jump up and check it out for hostiles, so I threw my hoof in the air and volunteered third squad for the detail.
He had a look of relief on his face when he waved us on ahead, whispering out orders to the other squad leaders to track our advance and be ready to open up if anything turned awry. One of the medics from Canter Company’s reserves trotted up and followed us close, staying a little lower and moving a little more cautiously than myself or the Privates were. Ironically, or perhaps obviously given the big red cross on his helmet, he was the first one to get shot, a bullet cracking across his steel pot and making him spin around in shock and disorientation, dazed and confused and probably concussed from the blow but still mercifully alive and largely uninjured.
More shots rang out from the windows on the still standing side of the barn, and heavy fire stuttered out from somewhere unseen in the stable, the flashing strobe of muzzle fire obscured by the glare from the sun. Shots skittered close enough to make me neigh, and a glancing shot grazed my shin and got me hollering at Celestia to “Clop them with the sun!”, a bit of welcome blasphemy that Private Privy echoed when he got a sniper round through his saddle bag and across his flank.
The weapons crew in first and just about every other gun in the Platoon opened up all at once, pouring inordinate ordinance into the Loonie positions, a lucky Cheery Lake shot, likely from Bucking, hitting one of the remaining support spars on the second floor and sending the whole thing collapsing in on itself, burying whoever’d been shooting at us under a ton or two of moldy wood and leaky pipes. A medic for the medic came up, dragging the colt away, the sight and circumstance of which got me and Hoofser laughing so hard we started snorting while he did his best to patch up Privy and myself.
A pair of Loonie Unicorns broke cover from the stable about then, levitating up heavy 7.62 machine rifles sans saddle, trying some half-flanked attempt at a glorious charge before they got cut down to little bits a half second and a full chortle later.
Sergeant Bucking past us by, grim faced and still as determined not to lose quite so many ponies as he’d been, shooting me and my temporary squad a confused look that sobered us up right quick. We fell back into line after second squad had worked it’s way past, nodding to them and reloading our weapons as we inched ever closer to the real fight.
I could hear some of the members of fourth squad behind us complaining about having to hoof it through the mire like some run of the mill Guardsponies, flapping their wings in agitation and looking up at the sky and the 502nd’s other Companies making landings in the fields all around the fortified town, flying with relative impunity now that the flak was down for good, dodging only the occasional 88mm or sniper fire if they erred too close to the Loonies on the rooftops.
Personally, I was just happy we weren’t fighting for our lives anymore, at least not for a few more minutes. If that meant being grounded while doing it, that was fine by me.
We knew that as soon as we breached the perimeter and jumped the walls that Little Horn was going to be hell, but we didn’t expect the sort of ferocity we met even before we’d cleared the siege lines we’d drawn around the settlement. It was getting dark, only an hour or two left before the damned orb would be up and the Loonies would be in their twisted element, but even then the light burnt fierce, thrown up from the sheer volume of shells and muzzle blast and mortar rounds exploding across the sky and tearing into the ground. It seemed like all eyes and every gun was trained on us as soon as we kicked up from the temporary resupply and reinforcement camp, shots whistling past and some tearing into ponies in the center of the formation even before we’d gone out of sight of the Guardsponies’ armored columns.
Corporal Punishment got clipped in front of me, and I nearly caught a 20mm flak shell in the face, dodging only because I was trying to avoid crashing into some poor mare that had lost half her wing and was dropping fast. A medic on the ground was already moving towards her before she crashed, but we all knew that for her, it was over. You didn’t come back from an injury like that, not as the same pony, and almost never as a sane pony.
We were a few dozen feet in the air but already starting to scatter when the first Griffon opened up on us. They’d been perched high up in the clouds, higher than even the support companies had been holding station in, probably waiting to ambush any passing bomber squadrons or artillery support wings that might move into position there. They waited until we were in the perfect position before coming down too, near to the ground enough that we wouldn’t be able to maneuver out of the way and close enough to the wall that all they had to do was keep us pinned long enough for the anti-air guns to zero in on us.
They dropped down in dives, screeching bloody hell at us and firing those dual-mount 20mms they slung over their wings, claws stretched down to try and tear us out of the sky if they got close enough. They were on us before we could bring a single gun to bear, one of them slamming into Privy and knocking him down to the ground, rolling and tumbling in a mad and futile melee. I tried to aim my saddle down, to strafe them, but a Griffon wing caught me across the nose and sent me tumbling down as well, fumbling with my firing and reloading bits and training to level out before I crashed.
I was too low though, and I wound up hitting a hay bale, pain cracking across my wing but the impact softened enough that it didn’t shattered like I’d feared it would. Up ahead a few feet the Griffon that had knocked Privy out was already tearing his saddle off, shredding the barrels with just a flick of it’s claws. I was winded, disoriented and shaky hoofed but I managed to line up the sight and buck fire into it’s beak, stitching rounds up across it’s feathered breast and pulping it before it could sink it’s talons in and finish the job.
It fell and so did I, bowled over by the impact of the second Griffon that had hit me, it’s 20mm barrels raking across and cutting my cheek and chest, the weapons hot from firing so recently. I did my best to get onto my back and buck, but it rolled me over and fired down, the shell impacting and detonating next to my hoof, burying into the ground instead of my chest. Privy was on him in an instant though, knocking his hooves against it’s back and tail while it tried to deal with both of us at the same time, giving me enough time to jump up and bite down on it’s neck, thrashing hard to try and snap it.
I heard a crack, but it was from Privy, his barrel chest caving in under one of those damned thick Griffon feet, sending him flying backwards and coughing up blood into the dirt. The bird’s beak was pecking at me, trying to gouge out one of my eyes while it’s claws did their best to dig into my barding, cracking against the steel plates and leaving long, jagged rents through the plates and cloth. It was screeching and roaring at the same time, thrashing all around as I beat my hoofs against it, still straining to try and crack it’s neck when it went limp on top of me, gurgling and vomiting thick blood onto my face, making me nearly retch as the corpse slid away, a desperate looking Private Hoofser standing with a long fighting blade in his mouth, dripping with Griffon blood and trailing a few sticky feathers.
I nodded at him in thanks, gesturing over to dying Privy and shaking my head. We both knew he wasn’t going to pull through, not from something like two collapsed lungs and who knew how many crushed internals. We cantered up to him, doing our best not to put him through any other pain, Hoofser sticking him with a syrette of morphine. Under any other circumstance I would have said something, anything, to try and comfort him but I did’t. I was so burnt out from the fighting, from the dying, from the sudden and violent nature of everything that I couldn’t even feel his death. I put a hoof on Hoofser’s back, looked up and jumped back into the sky and he followed, leaving a brave and faithful soldier to his death. I still think about it, sometimes. Even after Zebrea it’s still the worst thing I’ve ever done, and I know that to this day Celestia won’t forgive me for that.
Back in the air things weren’t any better, the battle raging ever fiercer as the fighting climbed ever higher, darting and dashing aerial combat, back mounted guns firing off in the middle of sidewinder duels, everypony doing their best not to get caught by the Griffons in vertical motion. We couldn’t outrun them, we couldn’t out climb them and we certainly couldn’t out dive them, but the one thing we had was that we were damned speedy with our corners and we could dash around a curve better than anything else in the sky.
The Griffons were thinning out, but at a tremendous price. I counted at least five of them in the air, all around, probably more but maybe even less. They’d already decimated my squad, they’d obliterated two squads in Fourth Platoon and they were working their way through the rest of us in single combat, racking up well in excess of fifteen kills and showing little signs of slowing down when we finally managed to get the upper hand. I think it surprised all of us even more than it did the Griffons, Lt. Glider and his personal retinue streaking down into the middle of the fray, hopping mad and burning fast on some kind of madness that nopony could quite understand, appearing like a flash with a streaking trail of crackling thunder and coiling smoke behind him and his troop, biting down hard on the bits of those frightfully powerful flechette cannons, bursting the first bird they saw into a fine cloud of bone, feathers, blood and grit and flying on straight through.
I stopped, in the middle of an engagement with a Griffon that had pulled towards me when I’d come back up, saved during my shocked paralysis only by another shot from one of Lt. Glider’s troop’s cannon. The air combat was still going on, the Earth Ponies and Unicorns were still tearing each other to pieces below, the sky was still filled with flak and we were still being bled dry by the sheer fanatical force of will of the Loonies, but for a second there none of that mattered.
A living legend, a living saint of Celestia herself was in the middle of it all, killing everything that so much as dared look our way.
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Conner Cogwork
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748
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Big Macintosh,Cheerilee,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Lyra,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Crimps and Prance
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When a friend recommends a new dance club in Ponyville, Cheerilee feels she's too old to dance... or is she?
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complete
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<p>Cheerilee is becoming frazzled after a long semester. But when a friend recommends a new dance club in Ponyville, she feels she's too old to partake in today's current hip scene... or is she?</p>
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everyone
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2011-09-06T16:06:10+00:00
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2011-09-06T16:06:10+00:00
| 6,710 |
Crimps and Prance
By Conner Cogwork.
Cheerilee is becoming frazzled after a long semester. But when a friend recommends a new dance club in Ponyville, she feels she's too old to partake in today's current hip scene... or is she?
Image credit to Evilarcticfox on DA
Author’s notes:
I was never a fan of MLP untill about a month ago, but whenever I can, I like to respect the original source material. Mentions of a certain Gen 3.5 pony are made.
I’d also like to thank CSI Madmax, and her awesome art. One of her comics helped to inspire this particular piece of fiction, and the shipping within.
Without further ado, hope you bronies enjoy!
----------------------------
"Okay Class. Now, what did we go over today?"
The silence was deafening. Granted, the occasions where every little pony spoke up all at once with ten or so different subjects at the same time were much worse, but usually a silence like this meant that, the majority of the class either had not been paying attention, or were otherwise, afraid to draw attention to themselves. Not good either way, Cheerilee thought to herself, a smile on her face, even though her brow was beginning to bead with worry.
A hoof was raised. The teacher pounced. "Yes Sweetie Belle! You have the floor!"
All eyes turned to the white unicorn filly, who now proceeded to eep at the attention. She glanced furtively at her notes, before she began haltingly. "Th-the Tingling Dynasty has been around for around one..." another glance. "One-hundred years, where it was first founded on the Sunflower River. And though they... " her eyes flicked down again. "Though they were a r-rowdy bunch at first, they currently are at peace with Equestria, and have en... enjoyed a friendly re-la-shun-ship with the rest of the world."
Cheerilee beamed. "Excellent!" she cheered, before looking around at the rest of the young Fillies and Colts. "Does anypony else have anything to add?"
Another hoof went up. This time it was Snips, who looked uncomfortable trying to assemble words in his head. "They come from a long line-ee-age of wingless dragons." He managed to stammer out. Quietly, he added "Kinda like Spike.'
Suddenly a hubbub broke out amongst the room, as the mauve elder pony began to wring her hooves. Everypony knew who Spike was, being the only dragon in town after all. Now the young equines were rumoring that said dragon might be related to the Tingling Dynasty, a turn that Cheerilee had not foreseen. She took a breath to call out. "Everypony, could I get your attention plea-"
The schoolbell rang.
Any words she may have gotten out were drowned out by a bustle of younglings gathering their things and then hastily beating a speedy exit. Among the excited chatter, she could hear the words 'Spike', 'Library', 'Twilight', and 'Interview'.
"Remember!" she called out again at whoever was left. "We've got a paper due tomorrow! Three-hundred words on how Trade with Ryuna has helped them and Equestria become-!"
She stopped speaking, for she discovered that she was the only one left in the room. "...friends..."
----------------------------
"Hey, Cheerilee?"
"Hmmmn? Yes, BonBon?"
"You're not looking too good, pony."
Cheerilee was indeed, not feeling very cheerful. Her chin was resting on the sodashop table that she, Lyra, and BonBon were sharing. It was a weekly thing, to meet up at this ice cream parlor and chew the hay over oat smoothies and banana splits. It was a good way to brighten the week.
It wasn't working today, she groused, looking wearily at her untouched strawberry milkshake. Her eyes managed to focus on the cream-coated earth pony before she gave a half-hearted smile. "Does it show that badly?"
"The kids running you ragged again?" Lyra asked, taking occasional sips from her own mint smoothie. "I thought you'd managed to pin the troublemakers by now?"
Cheerilee scooted her head back and forth, a weak approximation at saying no. "It was my fault this time around. I went over the history of the Tingling Dynasty today. Now the whole class thinks that Twilight Sparkle's assistant is related to Ryuna's royal family."
BonBon goggled. "Spike?? Hon, the dear is unique and all, but really. Just because he's a dragon and has no wings-"
"Is enough to get the majority of the children in Ponyville to follow him around wherever he goes." the purple pony interrupted. "My only hope is that Applebloom and her friends get to him first. At least they're allready friends with him." She further slumped in her seat as her eyes closed down. "Principal Pringle is definitely going to have my tail for this one."
"It wasn't your fault, hon." the green unicorn quipped, as she leaned forward. "Who can tell how a young filly's mind works nowadays."
There was a round of 'hmm's all around, before a shroud of silence descended on them. Cheerilee finally deigned to lift her head and take a sip from the sitting drink. The top of her shake had begun to melt away.
BonBon stamped a hoof on the table. "Cheerilee... you need a break."
A stare. "I though that was the point of these get-togethers."
"Not like this." the earth pony continued, placing her other hoof on the tabletop and rearing herself up. "What you need is an honest break. A vacation. You've been running yourself to the ground this past month, and I'm fairly certain that the schoolkids are only part of the problem."
The purple pony looked away, a stubborn look on her face. "It's not THAT bad." she murmured. "I mean yeah, on retrospect, if I had a clearer head on when I planned that lesson, I could have avoided the whole thing... I can't remember, were WE ever that easily mistaken when we were-"
This time Lyra spoke up. "You've been pining for the old days, haven’t you?"
There was no reply.
BonBon took the chance to dig into her saddlebag. "Y'know Cheery, there's this... new club that's opened up just last week, a couple of blocks from Sugarcube Corner."
There was still no verbal reply, but the haggard pony's ears did perk up. She was listening.
"It's a dance club, y'see. I've been meaning to go check it out with Lyra, and I happen to know that Vinyl Scratch DJs occasionally on Fridays." The cream pony emerged triumphant from her search, showing all around a small flyer with the white unicorn's sunglassed image and her stage name, DJ PON-3. "We could make it a date and go there together, and then spend the weekend doing something else fun!"
The unicorn nodded. "It'll be a nice break from the norm, something to get you re-energized!"
Cheeri turned her eyes down in contemplation, before raising her head back up with a sad smile. "Girls... that sounds lovely, it really does. But I can't just DROP things to go party like I did back in the 80s. On top of that, things have.... changed, you know? I don't know anything about today's dances, and that techno stuff that's so popular makes me cringe to listen to it."
"It's not THAT bad. Besides, you don't HAVE to dance." Lyra said, resting her elbows on the table, her head propped in her hooves. "Though you know how the song goes." This was followed by a smile.
The teacher cringed inwardly as BonBon broke into melody. "You can dance if you want to! We can leave your friends behind~"
“Okay okay!" came the outburst, a little more heated than she'd meant to deliver it. She was sitting up straight now, giving her buddies a glare at first, before softening it into another smile. "I appreciate what you're trying to do. I'll... I'll think on it, okay? I can't promise you anything, but If I think it's worth it, I'll try and come, allright?"
This got a nod from the other two equines. "That's good enough for me!" the curly-maned pony cheered, her eyes closed in a smile. "Now, who wants a stack of Hay-fries? On me!"
----------------------------
Cheerilee spent the rest of the day wandering Ponyville in something of a daze. She had detoured past Sugarcube Corner and found the club in question, a building done up a bit more fancifully than the rest of the woodworked shops set up around it. It had a number of neon lights bordering it's roof, and a sign out front consisted of a record and music note, leaving it's purpose quite clear.
She trudged on, not paying attention to the passing ponies around her. She was at war with herself. The part that said she was well too old and responsible, not to mention out-of-date, to be fooling around with the club scene anymore was battling with the part of her that wanted to toss her duties aside, find her hoof-warmers and neon bracelets, and go and boogie the night away.
I want to. she argued with herself. Dear Celestia I want to. But what... what will they all THINK?
"Aaaaaaa-whup!"
She topped in her tracks as she nearly collided head-on with another pony, hauling a cart of apples, apple goods, and apple-related accessories. "Sorry ‘bout that." the stallion drawled. "Kinda' came outta nowhere."
"Oh no no." she apologized profusely, a blush on her cheeks. "It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." She looked up...
…And paused as she looked the draft horse in the eyes. She froze as memories began to flood into her consciousness. She recognized... she KNEW this stallion. He wasn't wearing a bandanna, and his mane was cut shorter than when she had last seen him. But she knew it was him. And she found herself dually pleased as the red horse's face took on his own look of recognition.
"Big Apple Macintosh!" she found herself exclaiming.
"Cheerilee Daisy!" the farmboy exclaimed right back, a smile breaking over his face. "Long time no see, amiryte?"
"Oh you have no IDEA!" Cheeri waved a hoof at her long-lost friend. "Last I saw you was right before I had to leave for Canterlot University, for my teacher's degree!"
The brightness of Big Mac's smile turned down a few degrees as the memory resurfaced. "Yeah, ah remem'er." he replied. "Did that turn out okay?"
"Oh yes! Graduated with top marks, I have to say!" the purple pony gushed, now trotting to stand at Mac's side. She looked him up and down, noting the musculature that hadn't been there when she'd last laid eyes on him. Spotting the cart and it's contents, she switched the focus of the discussion. "And you? You stuck with the family business?"
"Eeeee-yup." was his response. This drew a grin out of her, glad to see at least one thing that hadn't changed.
"It can be hard work." he continued, as he began to pull at his payload again, Cheerilee falling into step beside him. "But ah can't see mahself doin' mucha anythin' else now. Ah'm th' top apple-bucker on Sweet Apple Acres, though mah sister is really th' one who runs it."
"Your sister?" Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember Mac's family. "Orange filly? Freckles, blonde hair?"
"That's Applejack." he confirmed with a warm smile. "Evr'y bit'a stubborn as Pappy was. She wears 'is hat nowadays, ev'r since he passed onta' greener pastures."
This got an "Awww" out of Cheerilee, though her mind was now working. "... do you have a relative named Applebloom?"
An eye diverted from the path ahead to focus on the teacher's own. "Why d'ya ask?"
"I'm teaching in Ponyville now. I've got a little firefly of a filly in my class named Applebloom. And she has a really strong country accent. So I'd wondered if..." she trailed off, looking at the stallion expectedly.
He nodded. "Applebloom's mah an' Applejack's li'l sister."
She nodded in return, though inside, she was berating herself. She had been teaching Mac's youngest sibling, and she hadn't even known. A good teacher always made certain of the families behind each filly in their classroom, and here, she'd dropped the ball.
"How long you been back in Ponyville, Cheeri?" Big Mac asked.
She blanched, but quickly recovered. "It's been... probably a year or so. I spent some time teaching in Canterlot after graduating, before I decided to move back here."
The draft horse nodded. "So you're sayin'... though Ponyville's not a big'a town as Fillydelphia or San Franesco... we've all managed ta' miss findin' each other again fer a 'year or so'?"
The question wasn't armed with any sort of malice. It was perfectly innocent, and Mac looked at her with curiosity. So why did it make her heart sting as the words entered her ears?
"I... I didn't know if you'd still be around." she said shyly, eyes cast downwards. "I seem to recall you having some big plans of your own way-back when."
He chuckled, a slight nicker in his voice. "Ah tried it too, after ya'll left. Turns out, bein' a show-pony's a lot harder than it looks. Comparativ'ly speakin', Applebuckin's MUCH safer."
She managed to let loose her own giggle, before letting her eyes roam over the stallion's form. "I must admit, applebucking's been REAL good to you. I don't suppose you've settled down with some nice filly by now, have you?"
"Nnnnnn-ope."
She faltered in her steps. Before she could recover, Big Mac quick-fired another question at her. "An' you?"
"Ah... I've not really... had time to look for a..." the rest of the words died on her lips. Mercifully, her friend simply nodded his head.
They walked together in silence for a bit. What was originally a warm exchange, had quickly devolved into a shroud of awkwardness. Cheerilee found herself ransacking her mind for yet another topic to broach, hopefully one that the both of them could discuss without much embarrassment. However, she still found herself cringing as the only subject still present on her mind left her mouth.
"Um... have you seen that... new club that's opened up?"
He let an eye focus on her again, but gave no other sign of interest.
"Some of my friends told me about it earlier today. It's been... well, ages since I last stepped into one. Still, I was thinking of... well, checking it out. Do you think... maybe if...?"
There was a heavy sigh as the draft horse clopped to a stop. He turned his head back to the purple pony, and gave her a smile, though his posture radiated sadness. "Cheeri, it's been 'bout fifteen years since ah last hit th' dance floor mahself. Ah'm thankful fer th' invite, but... heh, ah'm afraid this farmboy's gotten all th' moves he once had, bucked outta him."
The filly was crestfallen. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting him to say, but it certainly wasn't that. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized that it had been fifteen years since she'd left Ponyville for Canterlot... implying that Mac had stopped dancing the day she left his life.
"O-oh..." was all she managed to get out. "I.... sorry, I didn't know... well..." she bunched up her brows as she steeled herself to compile the sentence she wanted to say. It was so much easier when her audience consisted of schoolfillies instead of adults. "Still. Do you want to, y'know... hang out sometime? Maybe I could visit you on the farm?"
Big Mac's body language brightened "Ah don't think ah'd mind that." he drawled. "Though ah'll bet Applebloom an' her friends might be b'sides themselves t'find their teacher visitin' her house."
Relieved, if not totally sated, Cheerilee returned the smile.
The hubbub of the ponies around them increased as the two entered the Ponyville Market proper. "Here's mah stop." the red stallion stated, as he shrugged the harness off his shoulders. "Just sellin' apples t'day. Applejack should be by here inna bit. Wanna stick around?"
She bit her lip. "Oh... oh I'd love to. But I've still got tomorrow's lesson plan to finalize. Not to mention some... other fiascos..." she had decided that the less her old friend knew of her current blunders, the better. "I'll definitely come by the farm though. Saturday all right?"
"Saturday's fine, Cheeri." he replied, distributing pies on an erected cartflap. He turned towards her and favored the filly with a grin the likes of which brought more fond memories back to her mind. "See you then, Prancing Queen?"
She blushed heavily at the title. It was one she was familiar with, but had not heard in a very long time. "S-sure thing! See you soon, Big Apple!"
She quickly turned and trotted away, not certain she wanted to see his own reaction to the pet-name. One good turn deserves another, she thought to herself with some satisfaction. However, the meeting had done nothing to quell the struggle inside her. If anything, it seemed to magnify.
Big Mac simply watched as that bright pink tail faded into the crowd. Shaking his head to himself, he let his mind wander to the maybes and might-have-beens of his past, And the present. She's here now and she wants to hang out again... but have we gotten too used to our ways, to really feel anything like we used to again?
He blanched as another memory came across, this one rather recent. He scanned the crowd to spot her, but she had disappeared.
"Consarn it." he muttered. "Shoulda' asked her if she knew anything about Applebloom hidin' Spike out in th' old Treehouse."
--------------------
The roads outside Ponyville were clear and light, and there was only a slight presence of clouds in the area. It was an ideal place, Cheerilee thought, to get some fresh air in order to clear her head.
It was the last place she'd suspected to find music on the breeze.
It was the voice of somepony. Perplexed, the teacher looked back and forth, trying to locate the source of the melody. She could tell the owner was a filly, and if she listened closely, she could make out a few of the lyrics.
"-taaaaake ooooon meeeeeee, ah-take-on-me~"
Her eyes widened. Yet another song that had come from her past to haunt her. Was she just imagining the whole thing? She didn't THINK she was, she hadn't suffered any hallucinations yet. And as she kept her ears perked, she could tell the source was getting closer. From behind a nearby hill.
"-Taaaaaaake meeeeeeee oooooooon, ah-take-on-me~"
Carefully she scaled the hill, keeping her body low. She could hear the sounds of grass being scuffled now, like if somepony was... dancing, she realized. Slowly and surely, she raised her head up and over the hill's crest, spotting the owner of the voice.
"Iiiiiiiii'll beeeeeeee goooooooone~" sang the rainbow-maned, blue-coated filly on the other side of the ground. For a second, Cheerilee's eyes swam. The way the hair flowed about, it looked similar to the long luxurious curls of a familiar friend of her past. She tried to spot the golden necklace this pony should have been wearing. Any moment now, she expected the pony to turn about and spot her with those perpetually mascara'd eyes, and go 'Dahling! It's been so long!'
But then reality took hold again. The mane of that filly on the hill was cut short and untamed. She was moving with an energy and jerky motion that would have looked unsightly on her memory. On top of that, she was no Earth-Pony, but a Pegasus, the wings twitching to the beat inside the dancer's head.
"In a, DAAAAAaaAAAAAaaAAAAAAY~!!"
The purple equine cringed as the voice broke under that note. It was a common occurrence with this song, she mused.
"Oops... hehe, sorry about that. Didn't know I had an audience."
Cheeri looked up again. The Pegasus was looking at her now, showing off another similarity with her memory. Dark rose-colored eyes, filled with laughter.
"Oh... I should be the one apologizing." the mare replied, abandoning her hiding spot and trotting over to the performer. "But when I heard that song, I had to investigate. You don't hear that particular song around these parts anymore."
The blue one shrugged. "Dunno why, it's a good song."
There was a second or two of staring, before the teacher let loose the question in her mind. "Have I seen you before? You look rather familiar."
At this, the rainbow-maned filly grinned and jumped into the air, hovering in place. "You haven’t heard of my awesomeness? We-he-hell, lemme introduce myself! I'm Rainbow Dash, Ponyville's fastest, best, and, if I may say so, coolest pegasus around!"
Cheerilee stood her ground as she absorbed the name. On top of everything else that was striking her about this girl, the name stroke a particularly strong chord. "That can't be right."
Dash's face went blank. "What?"
"I-I mean, your name. I knew a Rainbow Dash who looked just like you, but she wasn't-"
There was a pause as the teacher's own face took on a blank look, which was followed by a look of realization, which was then followed by a gaze of open shock, with a smile on her lips. Rainbow Dash herself, when she saw the look on Cheeri's face, dropped to the ground and swallowed, wondering if the purple one was going to say what she thought she was.
"I KNOW who you are!" Cheerilee exclaimed, her tone of voice now taking on a familiar tone, which only served to make the weather pegasus brace herself, a strained look on her face.
"You're Dee-Jay, aren't you?!"
"UGH." was the response Rainbow Dash gave, as she rolled her eyes and looked away, firing back her own question. Actually, less of a question, and more like an accusation. "You're one of Mom's old friends, aren't you?"
There was a giggle as Cheeri tried to compose herself. "Yeah, I am. Rainbow Dash Senior and I used to do almost everything together. Clubbing, dating, roller-skating-"
"Yeah-yeah." the younger one waved a hoof. "School-friend fillies. Mom used to tell me a lot about your group."
There was a sigh as Dash raised her head back up and gave the teacher a recalcitrant smile. "Sorry about that. I just... thought I'd managed to leave the nickname behind. One of the reasons why I left Cloudsdale, everypony there who wasn't calling me Rainbow Crash, was calling me RDJ. Dee-Jay. Rainbow Dash Junior." A shake of the mane. "Gets on the nerves after a while."
"Oh believe me dearie, I know." the purple one said, remembering her own experience of being called 'Brace Face'. "I'll do my best to hold my tongue. Though you know, I'm still going to think of your mother whenever I use your name."
A nod, before a hoofing at the ground for a change in conversation direction. "So... which one of her friends then? I know she told me a lot about 'Big Apple', and 'Cheeri'-"
"Cheerilee Daisy." she finished, giving her a smile and holding out a hoof. "I actually had you and your mom visit me once in Canterlot, but you were just a newborn foal at the time. Barely learned how to trot."
Rainbow Dash blushed at the idea of herself being so young once, but took the hoof and shook it anyways. "I was still trying though, right?"
"Oh that you were. And you couldn't keep your wings still either." Cheerilee found herself giggling at the memory, before taking a step back and sizing up the proud filly standing in front of her now. "But now look at you. Were you the one who did the Sonic Rainboom? I remember hearing about it, but I never got the details."
The Pegasus preened. "Yeah that was me. At the time, it was rather... rushed, I guess. But I pulled it off without breaking a sweat!"
There was a clapping of hooves together. "Your mother must have been very proud. I know I would have been."
Dash looked down, another blush appearing. "She... she was. Mom was never the athletic type, but she always supported me. She kept insisting on making a new outfit for me for the occasion, even after I told her NOT to. I swear, if she ever met Rarity, Ponyville would be neck-high in dresses in ten seconds flat."
"That certainly sounds like your mother!" the purple pony giggled, before her face went into a thoughtful expression. "Rarity... isn't she Sweetie Belle's older sister?"
"That's right. You know Sweetie Belle?"
"I'm a teacher at the school she goes to. I know almost all the younger fillies and colts in town, and most of their families... mostly..." Thoughts of Applebloom and Big Mac crossed her mind.
"Makes sense. But yeah, if you know how my mom is like, then you have a good idea of how Rarity is like too. Dresses, makeup, hairstyling, blech." She paused to roll her eyes. "About the only thing we both agree on is music."
"Music?" There was a perking of the ears. She HAD overheard the filly singing an 80s classic earlier. "I wouldn't have pegged you as a fan of the stuff that played while your mother and I were still clubbing."
"Are you kidding?!" Rainbow said as she reared down in front of Cheeri. "I grew up on the stuff! Mom had all these records she kept, y'see, and some of the stuff, you can't HELP but love! I mean, I still love me some techno, and some of the other tunes that've come out lately, but if you wanna get me trottin', put me on some Mares in Hats!"
There was something of a pause, that allowed one final question to leave Cheerilee's lips. "Speaking of which... if I may ask... why were you dancing at the bottom of a hill?"
"Oh... yeah, hehe." Dash chuckled nervously, before launching into her explanation, which started with the words "Have you heard about the new nightclub that's opened near Sugarcube Corner?"
A very slight eye-twitch. "I... believe I have, actually. Are you... planning on...?"
"Oh I am SO going!" the Pegasus exclaimed, before reaching behind her to pull a flyer out of her tail. Upon closer inspection, it was identical to the one that BonBon had shown her earlier, complete with white unicorn DJ. "Scratch is setting up this totally awesome show that'll be going down this Friday. I thought I'd... y'know... practice a few of my moves for the floor, right?"
The teacher nodded, trying her best not to allow her inner turmoil to surface. "I see... have you... do you..." she found herself biting her lip, before she blurted out "Do you know what kind of music she'll be playing?"
The blue pony's eyes widened in slight surprise, but she answered without hesitation. "Scratch usually plays a lot of remixes. Y'know, reworked songs, with new beats. She likes to do a lot of the high-paced stuff though as well."
Cheerilee appeared to deflate, her eyes directing themselves to the grass at her hooves. "It makes sense." she replied, her voice now taking on an... Dash wasn't sure if she was hearing right... but she now sounded older. "Kids nowadays have a different tune to dance to. It happens every generation, I suppose. The New wave dance craze comes in, and the old kids just get.... old."
"H-hey," Rainbow Dash started, a hoof going halfway to her mouth. "It's not that bad. We can appreciate the classics too, y'know. Besides, you know how they say, 'you're only as old as you feel'?"
The earth pony favored her companion a small smile, though the quote was not having it's intended effect. Here she was, talking to the teenaged daughter of one of her old friends, who was planning on going to a techno party. How else was she supposed to feel but old, and past her due-date?
"Thanks D-... Rainbow Dash." she stammered. "I'm glad to have met you. I hope you have a good time at the party, I really do. If you see Lyra and BonBon there, tell them I said hi. And if you see your mother, tell her hi also."
She then got to her hooves and turned around to return to the trail, her body still sagging slightly. "I have to get going. Those lessons won't plan themselves. See you around?"
"Um, sure! Be seeing you!" Dash called back, hoof waving untill Cheerilee had trotted out of earshot. As she left however, the Pegasus proceeded to put a hoof to her chin in worry. Was this what a mid-life crisis looked like?
Cheerilee Daisy. She had finally gotten to meet one of her mom's old friends. She was nice enough, but a far cry from the raver that she remembered her mother describing. And yet... the way she had asked what Scratch played. She had sounded almost... hopeful.
The multihue-maned one remained in that pose for a minute more, before her eyebrows shot up. An idea had formed. But to make it work, she would need help.
She lifted off and sped back towards Ponyville, a smile on her face.
----------------------------
"Okay class, what did we learn today?"
This time, she was gratified that all the colts and fillies replied at the same time. "That Spike Is Not A Royal Dragon."
"That's right." Cheerilee replied, thankful that she had gotten that mess straightened out, with only minor scolding from Principal Pringle. "Spike may not have wings, but he's only a baby dragon. Noble Dragons will eventually gain their wings at age 20, after which, they will be compelled to begin collecting wealth. Thankfully, Spike is an upright standing citizen of Ponyville, and we're all glad to have him as part of our town."
There was a general wave of yays and uh-huhs and other noises of agreement. Applebloom in particular slumped back in her seat and sighed in relief. No more sneaking apples to the clubhouse, finally, she thought to herself.
The teacher took a quick glance at the clock, and nodded, before continuing. "Next week, we have a project due. Over the weekend, I want you all to look up books on the life and times of famous dragons. Pick your favorite, and write me a three-hundred word essay paper about their life and adventures!"
The bell rang, and she smiled to the class. "Untill then, I hope you all enjoy your weekend! See you Monday!"
The hubbub increased, as schoolponies began to pack their things away, and discuss excitedly about their weekend events they had planned. Cheerilee hummed to herself as she organized her own papers, getting ready for a weekend of relative peace, when something odd happened.
"Umm... Miss Daisy?"
She turned towards the voice. It was Scootaloo, with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle standing not far behind her. The orange pegasus had an envelope in her mouth.
"Is... is this for me?" the purple pony asked. All three fillies nodded in reply. With a small amount of trepidation, Cheerilee took the mail from her student's mouth, and then placed it on her desk.
"We were asked to deliver that." Scootaloo piped up. "You should open it before tonight."
She gave them all even looks. "Who asked you to deliver this?"
"Can't tell you that." Appleboom replied, a smile on her face.
"It would ruin the surprise!" Sweetie Belle quipped, a giggle escaping from her lips.
Before she could interrogate them further, the crusaders had tossed their bags onto their backs, and galloped out of the classroom, giggling all the while. They were the last ones to depart, leaving Cheerilee the only pony left in the room.
She looked around. She couldn't help but be a tad suspicious. Not spotting anypony outside the windows, she walked back to her desk, scrutinizing the envelope. She stared at it for a minute or so, before letting out a sigh.
She picked the letter up with her teeth, held it to the desk with one hoof, and tore it open. She gave the paper a shake, releasing its contents.
Instead of a note, like she had been expecting, out tumbled a single object. A bright, thin, neon-blue bracelet.
The purple pony simply stared, her pupils having shrunk, her expression, unreadable. She kept her eyes locked on the object, her mind going a million miles a minute. And for what were like minutes, she stayed put, the significance of the bracelet not lost on her.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her mind clicked on a decision. One that she'd been wrestling with for a long while now.
She leaned forward, picked up the bracelet, and held her right front hoof up, deftly slipping it on. She walked a few steps around her desk with it, getting used to the feeling. Then she proceeded to finish gathering up her papers, leaving the classroom with a bounce in her step that had not been there before.
It was Friday. She was going home.
And then she was going to see her friends.
----------------------------
The sun had begun to kiss the horizon as Celestia brought on the evening, preparing the night shift for her sister. Down in the streets of Ponyville, ponies were in the process of heading home from work, heading out to dine, heading to the hills for play... or in the case of a few individuals, heading to dance the night away.
"Do you see her anywhere?" Lyra asked, for what seemed to be, the fifth time. The green unicorn was decked out for the night, a black headset with a green butterfly wing mounted on one side was firmly affixed to her head. Her saddle was a grey cloth, with a schoolgirl's skirt motif.
BonBon took another look around the premises, her pigtailed mane bobbing behind her. She was dressed in bright blue, a pair of hoofless gloves attached to her forelimbs. Braided into her tail was at least one glow-stick. "I'm not seeing her. She must have decided not to show up."
The pair were standing outside the dance club's entrance. There was a steady stream of ponies heading inside, each one fully decked out for the floor. The party inside the building had allready started, if the thumping that they were feeling through their limbs gave any indication.
There was a sigh as Lyra lowered her head. "I knew it. She's too proud a pony to 'slip' back into old habits, I guess." she groused.
The earth pony sat next to her friend and nuzzled her. "Don't talk about it like that, hon. She DID say she had a lot to do with the school... she may be stuck grading assignments, for all we know."
"Besides," she said, giving off a smile. "We can't say we didn't try."
The mint filly sighed once more, before raising her head. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's go ahead and head in." She got to her hooves as she turned towards the entrance. "Hopefully, the party hasn't gone on TOO long, or else we'll be done dancing before we even-"
"Wait!"
The call snapped both sets of heads in a single direction.
"Wait up, girls!" called out a purple earth pony, as she galloped at full speed towards the pair. She skidded to a stop right in front of them, panting for breath. As the dust clouds settled, the two took their time taking in the remarkable transformation their friend had undergone.
Her mane was a crimped pink frizz, decked out with clip-ons, and lightning-bolt earrings dangled from their perches. A checkerboard handkerchief was tied around her neck, signature buttons in place. The blue bracelet from earlier was now joined by a pair of yellow ones, and to round out her outfit, a deep pink hoof-warmer surrounded her right rear leg.
Cheerilee, older, wiser, and a few pounds heavier, nevertheless resembled her younger 80s photo flawlessly. "Am I late?" she panted out, looking back and forth between her friends.
"Um..." was the collective answer she got from the both of them, their eyes unable to break away from the teacher's getup.
She cringed at their gazes. "I'm gonna get laughed at in this, aren't I? It's the only outfit I really know, and I just... DECIDED a few hours ago, I didn't have the time or bits to go shopping for a new one-"
"Oh no, it's okay!" the two staring equines blurted out, catching Cheeri off-guard. Lyra flushed, and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry about that. We just... haven't seen you wear that in a REALLY long time."
"Yeah." BonBon quipped. "You shouldn't look THAT out-of place, actually. Dance clubs attract all types, you know. B-besides, we're both really glad you made it!"
There was a strained smile, before it collapsed in a puff of breath. "If you say so. Let's... just go ahead and see what this place is about." As she trotted past the two of them and headed for the door, she added "Before I change my mind and think this was a really bad idea."
They nodded, and quickly followed.
Inside, the lights were dim and the strobes were flashing. The dance floor was lit with patterns of color arrays, and the thumping bass of Daft Pony was in the air. The dance pit itself was a writhing mess of colors, as ponies of every imaginable shape and size danced away to the beat. The floor surrounding the pit contained casual talkers and drinkers alike, multiple tables hugging the far walls. Over in one corner, a small but cozy drink-bar served up appletinis and screwdrivers. Raised up on a dias along one side of the dance pit, was a mixer's station, complete with white unicorn with a shock of blue for her mane. She was head-bobbing away, completely in control of the beat that issued from all around her.
As the trio stepped in, Cheerilee could sense her companions were allready jumping in place in time to the tune. She gave the techno beat a good listen. Decided it wasn't TOO bad. Anything that made her 'Work it Harder" was okay in her book.
The dance pit was full up with bodies, so there was no way to join that mass. Instead, the group remained up on the lounge floor, near the stairwell, as they proceeded to buck and sway to the beat. The purple filly only tripped once or twice, thankfully unnoticed, before her muscle memory kicked back in after years of disuse. It wasn't long before her tail was swaying just as smoothly as it once did, fifteen years ago.
The song ended, and there was a loud cheer as fans saluted DJ PON-3. Her ever-present rims on, the unicorn scanned the crowd, before locking eyes with the one that had sighted their target coming in. All the signal she needed, were a pair of fully extended wings.
She pulled out a new record, and mouthed to herself “Echoing Green" as she read its label. She placed it on the turntable, and as the pin went down, a new buzzing beat issued forth from the surround-sound.
A good number of the ponies, exhausted from the last song, made their way upstairs, leaving room in the pit. Lyra and BonBon began to push their friend down the steps.
"C'mon!" the mint unicorn urged, her horn lit in trying to drag the reluctant dancer's hooves. "Now's as good a time as any to get down there! Show them your stuff!"
"B-but, I don't HAVE any stuff!" Cheerilee cried out, valiantly resisting her companion's efforts. Dancing on the lounge floor had been fine with her, but there in the pit, in the center of it all, was another story. "What if they all laugh? I shouldn't have even come here, this isn't for me anymore!"
The music continued to build, a high-tempo drumbeat now introducing itself into the melody.
"Cheeri, you're panicking!" BonBon soothed, placing a hoof around the mauve one's shoulders. "Just relax girl, you're here to have FUN, remember? This is YOUR night. Take charge, and MAKE it yours!"
A snappy comeback was about to take to the air, but before she could speak, another voice sang forth from all around.
"ES"
She paused.
"AE"
She listened.
"EF"
She saw the floor. Its center was empty.
"EE"
She took a step.
"TEE"
She took another.
"WY"
A step turned into a pose.
"SAFETY"
A spotlight flashed on. She didn't notice. She was in a trance.
"DANCE!"
She was dancing.
The song was one that she knew well indeed. Or rather, it was a cover of the same song. As the familiar beeping notes took to the air, she realized that the techno vibe that had permeated this day and age, suited this song immensely. She danced her way to the middle of the pit, the crowd parting for her as she worked. Lyra and BonBon were left at the foot of the stairs, their jaws agape. The spotlight was completely unexpected by everypony, shining down on a mare who looked like she had stepped right out of the 80s. And she tuned them all out, and began dancing in earnest, swaying her hips and shimmying her shoulders, as the first chorus came around.
"We can Dance if we want to.
We can leave your friends behind.
‘Cause your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance,
Well they're, no friends of mine.
We can go where we want to.
A place where they will never find.
And we can act like we come from out of this world,
Leave the real one far behind.
And we can DANCE!"
As the beeping returned, she felt the floor began to pound in time to the music. Somepony big was coming this way. The crowd was parting again, a shape working it's way towards her. As it broke free, she gasped.
Way more muscular than she remembered from the last time she saw him on the floor, nonetheless, he was wearing a blue bandanna around his forehead, brown mane cresting over the top and attempting to cover his smiling eyes. With every stomp-clop in time to the beat, the floor transmitted a tremor. The red stallion grinned at Cheerilee as he worked towards her, and extended a hoof, straw of hay dangling from his teeth.
She was as perplexed as a purple pony could be, but she gave Big Apple Macintosh a return grin as she took up position in front of him. Apparently, not ALL the dance moves had been bucked out of this farm-boy yet. They danced and sang together as the song came rolling back.
"We can go where we want to!
Night is young and so am I.
And we can dress real neat from our hats to our feet,
Surprise'em with a victory cry!
Ah say,
We can act if we want to!
If we don't, nobody will.
And we can act real rude, and totally removed,
And I can act like an imbecile."
They began to hold hooves and swing each other about, eyes locked into each other's, as the main chorus came about.
"WE CAN DANCE! WE CAN DANCE!
Everything's outta control.
WE CAN DANCE! WE CAN DANCE!
We're doin' it pole-to-pole!
WE CAN DANCE! WE CAN DANCE!
Everypony lookit your prance.
WE CAN DANCE! WE CAN DANCE!
Everypony's takin' the Cha-HAAAaaaAAAANCE~!"
"Well it's a Safety Dance!" Big Mac sang out.
"WELL IT'S A SAFETY DANCE!" the crowd sang back.
"Well it's a Safety Dance!
WELL IT'S A SAFETY DANCE!"
The floor lit up in all its laser lightshow glory once more, and everypony that had been simply watching before, now took to their hooves and boogied. Lyra and BonBon had finally gotten past the initial shock, and were tearing it up with the rest of the dancers.
"We can dance if we want to!" Cheerilee sung out, as if the very notion of the phrase was an all-new concept to her. "We can DANCE if we WANT TO!" She wanted everypony around her to hear, her voice taking on an excited tone.
The tune dipped back low, and there was a flutter of wings as a new pony alighted itself in the clear spot with her and Big Mac. The stallion chuckled at the flashy entrance, but the teacher-come-dancer had to do a double-take at the newcomer
Rainbow Dash smirked as she struck a pose, her forelimbs decked out in glowing neon bracelets of every color, a black headband making her already-vibrant mane stand out even more, and a pair of glowsticks lashed to her hind legs. She busted out another pose in time with the vibrating base, before performing a break-dance spin that started on her front hooves, and ended with her doing a power-side on her hind limbs, in-between the two watching ponies. As she got to her hooves again, she sidled towards them and sang.
"S! A! F! E!"
Big Mac reached over and grabbed the pegasus by the shoulder, before doing much the same with Cheerilee, bringing them together as they sang out.
"T! Y! SAFETY! DANCE!"
The music slowed to a pregnant pause... before it blasted back out again, bringing everypony to their feet.
The rest of the song played out uninterrupted, as Cheerilee's heart sang in joy. For the moment, she was not old. She was not out-of-date. And as the tune ran down to it's conclusion, she realized, that she never HAD been in the first place. She was dancing with her friends, both old, AND new. And with them... it didn't matter.
There were cheers as the notes died out. Loud whoops and whistles were given, she realized, in her and her friend's direction. Lyra and BonBon trotted up to her, and after exchanging proud and silent hugs, led their friends off of the stage floor.
----------------------------
"You set this up, didn't you?" Cheerilee accused Rainbow Dash.
There was a wing shrug. "So what if I did? You looked like you needed it."
The purple one gave her an angry look, but it was quickly replaced by a grateful hug to the blue pony. "Thank you. Thank you SO much, Dee-Jay."
"Dee-Jay?" Lyra parroted, confused.
All five of them had retreated to one of the secluded corner booth-tables, each one sipping a drink. In the background, the party and it's music continued, the beat still pulsing through the foundations of the establishment. Big Mac could have sworn the place was liable to fall apart around their ears any second now.
Dash gave a glare to the green unicorn. "Hey. Only Cheerilee gets to call me that, okay? Don't go spreading it around either, or I swear..."
"Awww.” BonBon lamented. "How come Cheerilee only?"
"Special family friend privileges." the pegasus replied, her face in a haughty expression. It only held for a second, before she looked back over to the teacher, a smile on her face as she proceeded to explain.
"After you said goodbye on that hill, I flew over to Sweet Apple Acres to find Big Mac. Mom had told me about 'Big Apple', and I wasn't sure if they were one and the same. But, thankfully, my hunch proved right!"
"Eeee-Yup." the draft horse added, sitting on Cheeri's opposite side.
"Big Mac explained everything to me, and I told him about my meeting you... AND about my plan." She tilted her head to address the stallion. "I'm really glad you did too."
"As am I." Big Mac replied, shifting about in his seat. "Ah felt real sore 'bout turnin' you down earlier, an' when Dash told me her plan, ah knew this'd be mah chance t'turn it around."
"I asked Scratch to play a song of my choosing, when I wanted it." Rainbow continued. "Mac told me that Safety Dance was your favorite, so, there we go. She found a cover of it, that I thought would hit the sweet spot between today's beat, and the classic tunes. You have to admit, it sounded pretty sweet, didn't it?" she nudged the Earth Pony in the ribs.
"I-it did." Cheeri confessed. "I'm not usually a big fan of the techno stuff... but yeah, that WAS pretty sweet."
"The last thing to do, was to get you going. I gave the Cutie Mark Crusaders that letter with the bracelet. I figured that it would be enough to send you the message, that somepony was waiting for you here."
"I think the BIG thing here...” BonBon quipped. "... is that you got to relax, and have fun. Did you? You sure LOOKED like you were enjoying yourself, back there on the floor." She gave a smile. It was infectious, as all the other seated ponies began to wear their own, Lyra and Big Mac nodding with theirs.
The pony-on-the-spot blushed, eyes directed towards her drink. "Yeah... y'know what, yeah. I did." She looked back up, taking in her friend's faces. "I think... as a teacher... I've just learned a very important lesson."
"Oh? Do tell." Rainbow Dash grinned, taking a sip from her water. "I bet you'd do Twilight proud."
"I think I've learned... that it doesn't matter how old or 'out-of-date' you think your sense of dance and style is. As long as you're among your friends... the ones who REALLY care..." she gave them all a look of gratitude, beads appearing in the corner of her eyes. "They'll understand. When you're with them... you can dance if you want to, anytime!"
"Just don't leave us behind!" Lyra added, with a giggle.
There was a shared round of laughter, which lasted for a good minute or so. Long enough for Big Mac to lower his muzzle to Cheerilee's ear.
"So... are we still on fer Saturday?"
She looked back at him, her eyes wide. "Of course! I wouldn't back down now!"
He smiled at her, before he darted his eyes downwards "Ah have another question too..." he added, this time a blush appearing on his cheeks.
She found herself blushing as well, as she leaned in and nuzzled her old friend. "Next Friday? I'll be here. I promise."
He outright grinned at that. "Ah'm lookin' forward t'that, Prancing Queen." he replied, his voice riding on a high. A split-second later however, his face blanched. "Er, sorry, but that... wasn't th' question ah had."
"Well then, what was it, Big Apple?"
"You wouldn't happen t'know why Applebloom went 'n hid Spike in our old Treehouse yesterday, would yah?"
FIN
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Conner Cogwork
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749
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Apple Bloom,Applejack,Granny Smith,Original Character,Rarity,Comedy,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Ah Ain't Got no Ack-cent!
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When Rarity enlists Applejack's help, she uncovers a secret of hers from Manehatten... the ability to still talk fancy!
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complete
| 1,684 | 19 |
<p>When Rarity is overwhelmed with making designs for an agriculture exhibition, she turns to Applejack for advice. But when she gives Applejack a hair style treatment in return, the apple farmer lets her accent slip from southern drawl to sophisticated Manehattenite. The result? More fancy parties than you can shake a candy apple at!</p>
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everyone
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2012-03-20T20:41:03+00:00
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2012-03-20T20:41:03+00:00
| 33,707 |
Ah Ain't Got no Ack-cent!
By Conner Cogwork
When Rarity is overwhelmed with making designs for an agriculture exhibition, she turns to Applejack for advice. But when she gives Applejack a hair style treatment in return, the apple farmer lets her accent slip from southern drawl to sophisticated Manehattenite. The result? More fancy parties than you can shake a candy apple at!
Image credit to CYB3RWASTE on DA
----------------------------
Carousel Boutique was currently a seamstress's nightmare.
There was a reason for this. Not three minutes ago, the proprietor of the establishment had a visit from a very influential customer. Said customer had congratulated said proprietor on a commissioned piece that was made for an upcoming agriculture exhibition. They were impressed enough, that they wanted the proprietor to join them at the exhibition, and showcase their wares.
The proprietor had said yes.
Now the proprietor is wondering what in Celestia's great kingdom she's gotten herself into. Let's watch, shall we?
----------------------------
"I CAN'T DO THIS!!"
Rarity had been panicked before. Delusional. Worked to the bone. But outright clueless hysterics was a real rarity for her.
"What was I THINKING?!" she ranted, pacing her shop floor with a haunted look in her eyes. Spread across every spare surface of the boutique, were dozens upon dozens of paper scraps, each one with a differing dress design. Here and there, her mannequins had pieces of cloth pinned to them in haphazard shapes. The only other living being in the shop with the unicorn, was a chubby white persian, who batted a stray piece of paper every now and then, but otherwise, seemed uninterested in whatever it was Rarity was spouting at her.
"The Equestrian Agriculture Conference and Exhibition is one of the biggest gatherings of some of the richest ponies around, outside of the Grand Galloping Gala!" Rarity continued, glasses askew on her muzzle. "I would be a madmare to let this chance to showcase my abilities pass! But, oh Celestia! Opal, what do I MAKE?!"
Her eyes roamed the countless sketches that were littered around her. "Farmers, harvesters, millers, woodcrafters, workponies, and chefs! They're all such no-nonsense types, how can I possibly design anything that would APPEAL to them? The chefs, maybe, but that's SUCH a narrow range! Oh I simply MUST figure out something, the exhibition is only two weeks away!"
With a melodramatic sigh, she sat in front of her desk, forelimbs splayed out atop the surface. Opal sat herself next to one of the white hooves, and looked at Rarity expectantly.
"Oh I KNOW Opal, I have to get a hold of myself. But really! I told Mister Marmalade that I would be prepared with ten of my best dresses, while in reality, I've only got two in stock that would even REMOTELY fit in! And one of them, I'd rather not have see the light of day again." She grumped, crossing her hooves and resting her chin on them.
The cat gifted her with an offended glance, before nonchalantly trotting over to a dark blue bundle of fabric, leaping onto it, and tucking her paws in, taking extra care to shed a few extra white tufts of fur onto its surface.
"Yes yes, you're right. I've got to move past this... funk." the designer quipped, lifting her head back up. "I've bounced back from worse than this. Surely, I can rise to the challenge! Yes, I'm sure I can!"
The burst of good mood was quickly dampened by a bout of rational thought. "Oh, who am I KIDDING?" she wailed again, telekinetically grabbing Opal from her perch and burying her face into the frustrated feline's fur. "I can't POSSIBLY know what goes though a farmer's mind when they see an outfit like mine! The only one I could ever get an opinion from-"
She was interrupted by a rapid knocking at her door.
She dropped Opal, who scampered off to safety. With a quick wipe of her eyes and an adjustment to her glasses, Rarity trotted toward her entrance, quickly banishing her earlier mood for a later date. "Coooo-miiiiing~"
The handle lit up, and the door swung open. The white unicorn stood, closed eyes and a smile to her face. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique! I'm Rarity, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Y'can start by not doin' that ev’ry time ah come 'round, y'know." said a familiar, light-hearted southern twang.
"Applejack!" the unicorn exclaimed, letting her eyes snap open. Indeed, it was the orange farmer filly, customary hat perched on her head, and a saddlepack strapped to her midsection. "What brings you to my shop today?"
"These do." AJ replied, motioning her head towards the packs. "Ah recall Sweetie Belle askin' fer a right big case o’ these Apple Fritters, last time ah brought 'em ta one o’ Pinkie Pie's parties. Ah couldn't rightly say no ta her li'l ol face, so ah baked up a bunch'a them t'is mornin'! Can ah come in an’ drop 'em off?"
As Applejack had continued to speak, Rarity found herself straining harder and harder to resist speaking out about the applebucker's atrocious grammar. I know she was raised on a farm. she told herself. But she should REALLY have a better handle of the Equestrian language than that! Even Rainbow Dash has better diction!
She kept silent however, and as the question was asked, she put on her best smile and stepped back. "Of course, dear! Just leave them on the counter, I'll be sure Sweetie Belle sees them when she gets home from school today."
"Much ah-bliged!" was the reply she got, as the farmpony trotted inside. As the unicorn closed the door behind them, there was a pause from her friend before the addition of "What ‘n tarnation happened here? You workin' on 'nother dress, Rarity?"
Her mess of papers had been spotted. There was a sigh as the white one turned around to look at her friend, catching the orange equine looking at one of the papers in particular.
There was a moment of blankness. Then a moment of scrutiny. Followed by a moment of enlightenment.
"Applejack..." the dressmaker gasped out breathily.
The farmer turned her head to look at her friend. "Yeah?"
The next portion of the conversation did not involve words so much as it involved a unicorn tackling an earth pony in a rib-shattering hug, all while screaming out "APPLEJACK! YOU REALLY ARE AN ANGEL IN FARMER'S CLOTHING!"
Applejack could only wince as her spine popped, before croaking out "Beg pardon?"
"I don't know WHY I didn't think of it fully earlier but you're EXACTLY what I need! With your eye for the practical and my fashion knowledge surely we'd both be able to get all these dresses done in two weeks time before the exhibition even starts OH APPLEJACK I just can't BELIEVE what good fortune brought us together on this day it must be DESTINY-!"
"Wooooooooah on there, pardner." the farmpony drawled before managing to push Rarity off of her. "Y’all wanna back up there and explain t' me why yer mentionin’ me 'n dresses in th' same sentence?"
"Oh, I do apologize." the unicorn said, straightening her glasses again and calming down. "But I really do need your help. You see, I had a customer earlier today. He was quite overjoyed with one of my creations, you see."
There was a roll of green eyes which was caught. "Now now, let me finish. He was so enthralled by my design, that he asked me to ACCOMPANY him and set up a display at this year's Equestrian Agriculture Conference and Exhibition!"
Now she had the orange pony's attention. "The EACE?! Wooooow-whee, that there's th' cream of th' crop fer all th' farmers all over Equestria! Ah'd love ta set up a Sweet Apple Acres cart there, that's fer certain! Ah bet it'd even do real business this time 'round!" A dark look crossed her face as the memory of the Galloping Gala fiasco resurfaced. "At least those ponies know a good apple when they see one!"
"Indeed!" Rarity chuckled, before she became all business again. "However, the dilemma I'm faced with is simply that, I've never made a whole line of outfits, directed towards the farming and agriculture community! And I need to have at least ten different dresses and suits ready in time for the exhibition, which is going to be held in two weeks!"
There was a low whistle. "Well wallop mah whiskers, y’all sure do have yer work cut out fer yah! Don't 'cha still have th' two outfits that y’all made fer me? Ah think they'd be surefire pop'lar with th' convention folks."
"I was planning on using your Gala dress..." the white pony started, though she pawed at the floor with a hoof. "But the other one... I mean, I know your expertise went into it's design, galoshes and all... but, do you really think it would be popular at the exhibition?"
"Weeeelllll... it could prob'ly do wit’ an overhaul. But yeah, with a li'l fixin', it'd be a right good hit, ah'd reckon."
Now Applejack got on all four hooves, as she clopped over to Rarity, an eager look on her face. "Welp. What d'ya need mah help with? Ah ain't any good wit' a needle 'n thread, y'know, but if you're lookin' fer a what a farmer looks fer inna outfit..." she gave an wink, hinting at an unspoken request.
The unicorn's eyes shimmered with gratitude, and the farm pony had to brace herself for another bone-crunching hug. "Oh THANK you Applejack! I'll be sure to tell my client that I'll be bringing another pony with me for personal refreshment, there'll be no way he could possibly refuse! Especially after he tastes one of your famous apple fritters!" She released her hold on the poor applebucker, and gave her a long thankful gaze. "You can't believe how MUCH this means to me."
"Tain't nothin', Rarity. Now, um... if y'all don't mind, ah'd appreciate yah lettin' go a' me and let's be gettin' down ta business." There was a pained smile.
----------------------------
"Hookay, tell me again, why we're doin' this?"
"It's simple." Rarity began, as she levitated a brush over to her subject's mane. "If you and I are going to be working together, the both of us need to be on level ground. And while I may not be afraid to get my hooves dirty, unarguably, the one who needs the most grooming, is you. So before we get started on any kind of dress, we need to make you good and presentable!"
Applejack groaned, but made no move to budge. She had taken a shower that morning, and was grateful that her friend hadn't seen the need to inundate her in a sea of bath salts and exotic perfumes. However, she was unable to get away from a good mane-combing, and so she stared forlornly at a stuffed mannequin that was wearing her pappy's hat and hairband.
Ah can do this. she thought to herself. Rarity's givin' me a chance that ah won't be able ta get otherwise. Ah just need t' hold out, 'n let her do what she feels is best. Even if it IS all rather fru-fru.
The unicorn made a humming sound as she brushed the knots out of the farmer's blonde hair. She tilted her head, and studied the fall of golden strands for a moment. Then, with a smile and a whim, she levitated a spritzer bottle over, and began to douse the applebucker's mane.
"N-now, hang on there." AJ started, alarm creeping into her voice. "Don't you go cuttin' anythin', y'hear? Ah'd like ta keep it whole fer th' show, if yah know what ah-"
"RELAX, Applejack." Rarity soothed, placing a hoof on her shoulder. She was trying quite hard to not turn the reassurance into a critique on grammar. "I'm only having a bit of fun. It’s not every day I get you to hold still for a session, after all. I won't cut anything, I promise. But you'll look so much more high-class after this, I tell you!"
High-class. Sophisticated. She's just havin' fun. the earth pony told herself. Tain't anything permanent. Just relax. She found herself grimacing at the brushing.
After a minute or so, the white one stepped back from her work, and gave Applejack an appreciative smile, before motioning her to turn her head one way, and then another. "Perfect!" she beamed. "Now it just needs one last touch... ah! I know!"
A nearby wardrobe opened up, and a box floated out of it. As it stopped by the unicorn, the top hovered upwards, and the contents floated out. A gold necklace, with a bright purple gemstone embedded in the center. It took the orange pony a second to recognize it as Rarity's Element of Harmony.
"This is just for now." Rarity stated, before the necklace floated to Applejack, and secured itself around her neck. "Perfect! Okay Applejack, come on over here!"
She got to all fours, and followed her friend over to the other side of the room, where a full-length mirror awaited. With a triumphant grin, the unicorn pulled it in front of her subject. "Behold! A diamond in the rough!"
AJ could not believe her eyes. It wasn't so much that her friend's element was hanging around her neck. It was the hair that had her attention. Styled up in a bun, bunched up, leaving only a small amount hanging down her neck and in front of her eyes.
Last time her hair had been like this, it was back when she was a filly.
She saw her younger self in that reflection. Young, sophisticated Manehattenite Applejack. The necklace gave her an air of elegance that suited the adult form that was looking back at her. Dear Celestia. What would Aunt and Uncle Orange think of her now?
She found speaking in Manehatten, to have been one of the hardest parts of being sophisticated. Could she even do it still? She wasn't certain it would look right to have her regular voice tumbling out of the visage in front of her. What was one to do?
She found herself clearing her throat.
"I say! What a wonderfully exquisite look you have there, Madame. Is that necklace what I think it is? Oh my, it looks it, doesn't it? An Element of Harmony! Oh dear, you must SIMPLY tell me the tale of how you obtained that rare prize! It would be an honor to have you as my guest!"
She smiled at herself. That wasn't too hard.
*thump*
She turned her head to the source of the noise, in time to see Rarity doing an impressive impression of a snake who had unhinged their jaw from their head and had allowed it to drop to the floor. On top of that, she had somehow managed to make all color disappear from her irises, the pupils having shrunk to tiny black dots.
Dots that were locked on her.
Oh crabapples. Applejack cursed to herself. Ah just said all that out-loud, didn't I?
She took a hesitant step towards her friend. "Uhm... Rarity?" she asked, her normal twang now back in place.
There were a couple of blinks, before the jaw ascended and locked itself back in place. "Ah...Applejack?..." she stammered, eyes still riveted on the Earth Pony.
"You alright, sugarcube?"
"I... I don't... Applejack..." The unicorn appeared to be gasping for breath. "You... your voice... how... when did?..."
Applejack looked down, a guilty look now on her face. "Ah don't reckon ah ever told you th' story o' how ah got my Cutie Mark, have I?"
----------------------------
"You've been to MANEHATTEN?!"
"Ah told ya!" the earth pony answered, a frustrated blush on her cheeks. "Ah was just a silly li'l filly at th' time! Ah didn't know any better!"
"Applejack, PLEASE." Rarity rolled her eyes disbelievingly. "DO stop talking about going to one of the most cultured cities in all of Equestria, second only to Canterlot, as if it were some sort of big mistake!"
"But it WAS!" AJ argued. "If ah hadn't seen Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom when ah did, I'd prob'ly still be stuck up there, in some fru-fru dress hob-nobbing with mah Aunt and Uncle, and where would th' farm be then, huh? Applebloom! She would'a grown up without ev'r knowin' her own sister! Ah barely escaped from that thar city wit' mah LIFE!"
"And ponies say I'M the melodramatic one." the dressmaker sighed under her breath. "Listen, AJ. Nopony can disagree that you made the right choice in going back to the farm. I'm certainly not, not in the least. What I AM confused about, is why you've buried all your proper high-class training your Orange family gave you, after you came back!"
"It tweren't me." the farmer replied, her eyes now directed to the shop floor. "All that s’pthis'ticated nonsense didn't do jack squat fer me in th' end. And how exactly would ah go 'bout usin' it on th' farm? Better t’ ferget th' whole thing ever happened."
"Oh no no no!" was the comeback she got. "My dear, you simply do NOT know the TOOLS that you have at your disposal!" This was quickly followed by the unicorn rushing over to her and taking her hooves into their own. "If you could use that cultured grammar in the presence of royalty and the rich, you would have doors open to you that you never would have believed! Oh darling, let me hear it again! You must not have used it in SO long, and yet there was no HINT of your accent-~"
"Ack-cent? What ack-cent?"
Rarity blinked. "Why, I mean your everyday speech, Applejack. Surely you don't-"
There was a honk of noses as the orange equine leaned in and gave her an emerald glare. "What'chu talkin' 'bout, Rarity? Ah ain't don't got no gosh-durned ack-cent!"
She raised a hoof and was about to comment on the impressive stringing of a triple-negative, but it was then that there was a quick rapping at the storefront door.
She gave Applejack a 'shush' motion, before trotting over to the entrance, and opening up. "Greetings, and welcome to Carousel-... Oh! Mister Marmalade, what a pleasant surprise!"
The unicorn backed up, and allowed a tall, burnt-orange stallion to trot inside, a short-trimmed brown mane and tail swishing behind him. Besides the overcoat he was wearing, he had a cutie mark of a jar of jam. "Madame Rarity, I DO apologize for the intrusion, but I just simply could NOT contain myself! I have heard word of your legendary speed in your craft, and so I wondered if you already had any designs sketched out?"
"Oh! Uhmmm..." She pawed at the ground, and glanced over at the pile of papers that the mess from earlier had been hastily arranged in. "I've... got several ideas on paper, yes, but nothing final. I was..." she quickly glanced around her shop, before letting her eyes rest on her blonde companion. "Oh! I was consulting with an expert in the agriculture field before I decided on anything. Let me introduce you!"
Applejack had been watching the entire exchange in silence, trying to make herself unobtrusive. However, her endeavor in stealth was quickly put to pasture as the unicorn brought the dapper male over to the mirror.
"This is a close friend of mine." Rarity began, her voice filled with pride. "She owns the biggest apple farm this side of Canterlot! She may be a little rough around the edges, but trust me, she's absolutely divine."
Mah ears are burnin' ova' here, sugarcube. AJ thought to herself.
"I say!" Mister Marmalade exclaimed, allowing his eyes to roam up and down Applejack's form, causing the filly to blush slightly. "What a picture of elegance. Hard to believe that you're a farmer! What's your name, Madame?"
"Mah name-?"
There was a motion to the stallion's right. Rarity was shaking her head, a panicked look in her eyes.
AJ raised an eyebrow. What did she want?
Now the unicorn had brought her hooves up together, in prayer form, a pleading look on her face. Beads of sweat were appearing on her brow.
Oh. That's what she wants.
The entire exchange appeared to have gone unnoticed by Mister Marmalade. The farmpony-turned-socialite gave herself a silent sigh, before clearing her throat again and letting the Manehatten out.
"My name is Applejack, good sir. And you must be the client that Rarity has told me SO much about!"
"Oho!" was the response she received, his face lighting up in pleasant surprise. "So cultured for one so young! Yes, I am that same-said client. My name is Mister Mango Marmalade, and I run a preserving facility outside of Fillydelphia. I have a spot reserved for me at the EACE, perhaps you've heard of it?"
It was exactly this kind of high-powered boasting speech that grated on the farmer's nerves in the first place, but she simply nodded. "I have indeed, sir. Every farmer pony in Equestria worth their apples has heard of the Exhibition. I myself, would love to attend and display my own wares."
"Applejack is the proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres." Rarity spoke up, trotting over to one of the saddlepacks that was brought in earlier. A flap opened, and out came a warm apple fritter. "Her skills in the ways of apples and baked goods are simply unparalleled! She arrived here this morning with a pack of these apple fritters. I insist that you try one, Sir Marmalade."
"Y’all-... I mean, you won't regret it!" Applejack grinned, silently berating herself for her slip-up.
"Mmmm... this DOES smell exquisite!" the stallion breathed as the fritter was floated over to him. He took it in his own hooves, and daintily, he took a bite. There was much chewing and humming, before his eyes opened in amazement. The rest of the treat vanished at a speed that would have even amazed certain blue pegusai.
"MARVELOUS!" he boomed, before reaching for the apple farmer's hooves and holding them in his own. "Madame Applejack, that treat was simply AMAZING! Should Miss Rarity wish to bring you along to the exhibition, make no mistake, I would be in full one-hundred percent backing of this decision! Why, I'll even rent out extra space for your own stand! Oh oh, so much to DO!"
The mares could only stare as the business-pony paced the floor in apparent excitement. "I have to call the management! Oh, I must simply inform the caterers too, they'll have to be able to coordinate with your people! I wonder if the people next to us would lend out there spot! If not, I'll simply BUY them out!"
He suddenly turned and galloped towards the door, any earlier intention of seeing dress designs now having fully blown away on the breeze. "I apologize madams, but there is so much to do in order to properly prepare! I shall return, when I have all arrangements secured! Until then, toodle-loo, my dears!"
"Toodle-loo~..." Rarity and Applejack echoed, waving their forehooves with blank expressions on their faces. The boutique doors squeaked slightly from the stallion's hasty departure.
----------------------------
A few seconds of silence passed before the two looked at each other. Slowly, the farmer's face evolved into a look of shock and disbelief, while the dressmaker's turned into joy and pride.
"Did... d-did he just say ah'm..."
"OH APPLEJACK!"
There was more cringing and squeezing of the earth pony. "Darling, I'm so PROUD of you! You brought out your cultured side, and you shone like a STAR! And now we're BOTH going to be heading for the Exhibition together!"
There was a groan. "Ah... ah can't believe, he... he act'ally in-VITED me..."
"But of COURSE he did, AJ! You made a glowing, exemplary impression on him, and he couldn't HELP but be swayed into sampling your wares! And now our next stop, is one of the richest and influential conferences in all of Equestria, outside of-"
"Th' Gala, ah know." came the drawl, back in full-force. She managed to peel the white pony off of her long enough to catch her breath and check her person for bruises. "And b'lieve me when ah say, gettin' ta go to th' EACE is gonna be one o’ Sweet Apple Acre's finest moments! But ah think Ah'd prob'ly best leave th' city-talk behind-"
"You can't!" came the exclamation. "Applejack, these are HIGH-CLASS PONIES. They'll be expecting nothing less than the best from you! From both of us!" Self-consciously, a hairbrush was levitated over, before it began combing at the unicorn's purple locks. "If you drop your culture training for even a second at the exhibition, we'll be sure to be chased out!"
"Ya can't be serious!" the earth pony retorted, an eyebrow arched in disbelief. "Nothin' like that ev’r happened at th' Gala."
"Oh we had far worse things to worry about that night." A roll of the eyes. "But that's besides the point. The reality of our situation is rather simple, if you must know."
Applejack reached behind her to unhitch the Element from around her neck, before looking at it. Slowly, it dawned on her exactly what her friend had meant. "Y'mean... since ah... talked t' him like that...?"
Rarity nodded, as she took the necklace back and put it away. "From now on, we are going to PRACTICE that voice, young lady. Mister Marmalade will be certain to spread word far and wide about the impeccably cultured mistress known as Applejack, that he met today at Carousel Boutique." She leveled a gaze at the blonde pony, who found herself sweating slightly at the prospect. "And you don't want to make a bad impression on your potential clientele at the Exhibition, do you?"
It was that moment, and truly then, that the full weight of what the simple country pony had gotten into, sunk into her mind. "Y'mean t' say... ah gotta talk like a full-blooded Manehattenite fer th' whole exhibition?! From th’ rooster’s crow 'till the cows come home?!"
"Darling, the Exhibition runs for three whole days!"
"THREE WHOLE DAYS?!" Her green eyes widened with panic, as her imagination ran away from her. Three days of not getting herself kicked out of the convention. Three days of talking to rich and mighty folks, three days of wearing makeup and dresses, three days away from her rightful spot at the farm. But worst of all. Three Days Of Speaking in a voice that was NOT HER.
"Ah cain't do it! Rarity, y’all got to believe meh, ah JUST CAIN'T DO IT!" She found herself on her rear knees in front of the white unicorn, the expression on her face not unlike one pleading for their life. "Y’all may as well 'ave me killed by suffo'cation! Ah cain't possibly LIVE a whole three days, talkin' like ah nevah left th' city! There's just NO WAY-!"
"Applejack! Applejack, please, calm yourself!" the seamstress soothed, masking her surprise at the earth-pony's rather exuberant breakdown. She took the mare by the shoulders, and held her until her breathing began to level out again. There was a minute or so of silence as the farmer released her panic and gained her senses again. It was only then that the unicorn spoke again.
"That's why, starting from today, you and I will be practicing. We'll work with you, and get you used to using your cultured voice more often. When the time comes, you'll be able to handle yourself at the EACE for all three days with ease!"
Applejack sat herself on the floor, hindlimbs splayed. She stared at her forehooves, before looking back up at her friend. "You really reckon ah can do this?" she asked.
Rarity smiled back at her. "Don't you fret. Just trust in your teacher Rarity, and I promise you, you'll breeze into that exhibition with nary a worry nor care! Just think of this as repayment from me, for the help you'll be giving me."
They held each other's gazes for a long while, before the earth pony finally gathered herself back on all four hooves. She looked back down at the shop floor in thoughtfulness, before fixing the unicorn with a determined gaze.
"If y’all... *ahem* ah mean... If you really think so... then I'll trust in you."
She could only give a pained smile as her friend favored her with a wide grin.
----------------------------
And that's how it went for the following days leading up to the convention. Applejack would arrive and see the designs that Rarity was working on, giving her comments and opinions on whether or not an outfit would appeal to a farmer, workpony, gardener, or not. And then, once they had decided on a good look for a suit or dress, all attention would shift to the orange filly herself as they spent an hour having her speak in her sophisticated voice.
"So!" Rarity exclaimed, seated at a tea table, a cup of Darjeeling levitating in front of her. "How have things been going at the farm?"
"Oh, they have been going quite well." Applejack replied, her eyes studying a biscotti cookie perched between her hooves. There was no trace of her farmhand drawl as she continued. "Applebloom recently saw a number of missing planks from the side of the barn, and before she gained the attention of Big Macintosh or I, she had set about repairing the damage herself!"
"Oooh! Such an industrious little filly!"
"Indeed! She made no mention of it afterwards either, until I came in from th' field and saw the fresh paint. She was afraid I would be mad, but..."
She stopped, as she noticed her companion was giving her a look. "What? Did I slip up again?"
A hoof was pointed at her. "You used one of your compounded Noun-Adverb shorthands again. 'The field’ is the proper usage."
She sighed and leaned on the table, eyes redirected at her biscuit, before taking a bite out of it and munching with her mouth open. "Tisph a littlph drii." she mumbled.
The unicorn rolled her blue eyes. "It's a Biscotti, dear. It's supposed to be dipped. And usually you only dip it in coffee. Now, do please mind your manners?"
The cowgirl groaned, before sitting back upright, and swallowing her cookie, taking a sip of tea right afterwards. She cleared her throat again, and closed her eyes. "I apologize for my momentary lapse in etiquette."
"No harm done!" Rarity beamed, her mood instantly improved. "We all have our moments! Now then, please, do continue with your story. Applebloom didn't tell you about her repairs?"
"Right." Applejack began again, only a trace of drawl in that first word. "Well, I began inquiring around the farm about the new planks. Big Macintosh had no idea what it was about, and we both knew that Granny Smith was not in good enough health to possibly do them herself. We even hunted down the hired help, Caramel, to see if he knew anything about it, but he didn't."
"And did Applebloom come forward then?"
"Well, she was the last one that we had left to ask, and I remembered the repair work she had done on the old treehouse. It took a little coaxing, but she confessed to it."
"And you showed her that you weren't upset, right?"
"DARN-TOOTIN'!" she burst out, chest swelling with pride. "Ah right out ‘n told her that anythin' else we found broke-down, she 'twere more 'n welcome t' take a shot at fixin' 'er up! She may not be a carpenter, but she shore showed she knew how’ta handle a hammer 'n saw! Ah even told 'er-!... aha. Ah..." the farmpony blushed and looked down as she realized her lapse in speech. "S-sorry about that."
"O-oh no! It's quite alright." the unicorn said through a strained smile. She couldn't really blame her friend for falling back into her accent, she was proud of her sister, after all. Still, with the southern drawl, came back all the grammar complications and mangled words that made her put her teeth on-edge.
"I... I think that's enough for today." she continued, standing up from the table and trotting back towards one of her clothed mannequins. "I need to finish the last few stitches on this outfit, and then we'll have six of them done. Not bad for a week's plus of work, don't you think?"
"If yah say so..." Applejack replied, as she stood herself and trotted to another mannequin to retrieve her hat. Silently, she was relieved to have the session over with, though she still felt bad about letting her friend down. "Ah'm awful sorry 'bout that, Rarity. Ah only fancy-talked fer 'bout two days when ah went t' Manehatten, ya know."
"It's no problem." the white pony assured, though her face was still directed towards the dress. "It just takes time. And we still have a few days left before the Exhibition starts. I'm certain we'll have you used to speaking without an accent well before that time."
The farmpony tossed her hat on, before she directed a glare back to her friend. "Ah told yah, Ah don't have an ack-cent."
"Yes yes, I know." came the reply, a hoof waved dismissively in her direction. "In the meantime, I think you'd best get your wares organized. Mister Marmalade will be bringing a chariot to take our supplies to the Exhibition the day before."
"That r'minds me. Where is th' EACE bein' held this year?"
"Oh, it's some city out in the heartland of Equestria. Yokelahoma City, I think."
"Right in th' middle o' cow country." the blonde mused, a hoof stroking her chin in contemplation. "Lotta farmin' 'n growin' up ‘round those parts. Y’all sure ah'll even need t' use mah city-voice there? "
"Now Applejack, don't you go looking for excuses now." The white pony brought her head up from her work and gave her a stern look. "Just because it's being held in a center of agriculture industry, does NOT mean the ponies there will all speak as... plainly, as you do. Besides, you've already made SO much progress! It would be a shame to let it waste away now!"
There was a sigh as Applejack lowered her head. "Ah know, ah know. Ah... guess Ah'll see yah t'morrow then. Bright 'n early, as usual, right?"
Rarity's look softened as the farmer clopped towards the door. "O-of course, dear. And don't be so glum! Just remember, this is all for your own good!"
There was a barely perceptible nod as the earth pony walked out of the Boutique. Out in the fresh air and sunshine again, she felt her spirits pick up, as she began to make her way back to Sweet Apple Acres.
She's right. she found herself musing. She's tryin' her best t' help me make a good impression on the rich folks. And she already helped me get a spot at th' expo. Ah just need t' stop draggin' mah hooves about it.
She looked up in the sky, as she took a deep breath and sighed. Ah just cain't help but feel that this whole high-class thing... is bein' dishonest with mahself.
----------------------------
The day arrived. Within 24 hours, a pair of wagons would appear, bearing Mister Marmalade's cutie-mark, to on-load precious cargo to Yokelahoma City. The day after, the Equestrian Agriculture Conference and Exhibition would begin.
Rarity's Boutique had been prepped and locked up, the unicorn herself running around all ten outfits awaiting on-loading. She would add a stitch there, prep a piece of fabric here, and would no doubt be fussing over the garments well until the day the convention doors opened. Occasionally, her eyes would glance over to a box she had prepared the past two weeks, in secret. I just know she's going to look fabulous in it! the dressmaker thought to herself.
Applejack in the meantime, had her hooves full. She currently had four pies in the oven, Granny Smith was working on the last of the caramel apples, Big Mac was out back, picking out the best-looking ripe apples that he could find for display, and Applebloom was currently trying her best to convince her big sister that she should come along too.
"But SIS! Ah can help! I know ah can, y’all just haveta give me th' chance!" she shouted, mane bobbing as she practically bounced in place beside her sibling in the Apple Family kitchen.
The farmfilly couldn't talk, on account of her mouth being full of potpad as she hoisted a hot apple pie out of the oven. As soon as it was settled on a cooling rack however, she was quick to give her response.
“Sorry Sugarcube, but ah barely managed t' get mah own self attached t' this here expo, and there's no way ah can ask Mistah Marmalade t' tack on one more pony. Plus, not ta' go rubbin' chicken droppin's in th' laundry, but ah still remember what happened th' last time y’all helped me sell apples..."
"Awww..." the yellow pony whined, her head and eyes dropping low. "Ah was hopin’ y’all wouldn't mention that again..."
Applejack chuckled, before rubbing her sister’s head. "Ah tell you what. Run upstairs 'n git washed up. If nothin' else, ah can have y’all helpin' takin' pies to th' wagon once it gets here."
"Shore thing sis!" the filly exclaimed, eyes all alight once more, before she scampered out of the kitchen.
There was a soft chuckle from a corner of the room as Granny Smith watched her go, a line of caramel apples building on the table. "Land sakes, the young'n knows how t' skeedaddle, don't she?"
"She shore does." the farmpony agreed, a smile on her face. It held there for a second before it collapsed as she turned to her grandmother. "Ahm ah makin' th' right choice here, Granny? This could up 'n put th' farm on stable ground finally, but t' make it happen, ah'm gonna haveta act like a citypony again. And ah remem'er how crossways y’all were when ah first went ta Manehatten..."
There was a wave of a hoof as the old mare pshawed at her. "T'is all in th' past, AJ. Y’all haveta do what ya haveta do. The only thing ah'd draw th' line at is when they make yah put on a bear suit and do th' Whirlin' Dervish. Ah'll have no part o' those Stalliongrad types, y'hear."
"Ah hear, Granny." Applejack agreed, though her face was a picture of amused bewilderment. "An’ don't worry. All we're doin' is headin' out t' Yokelahoma City an' sellin' Apples. We're bound t' make some dough f' sure!"
Granny simply nodded with a smile, as she picked up another apple and dipped it in caramel goodness. As she sat it down to harden, she fixed her granddaughter with another look.
"How've those speech classes your friend's been givin' you, going?"
The orange horse almost dropped the next pie she had been hauling out of the oven. As soon as her mouth was free, she stammered. "A-ah, they've been goin'... er, p-pretty okay! Ah think A-ah can handle them big-city folk wit'out makin' mahself look like t-too much o' a foal now."
There was a smile. "Can ya show me?"
Beads of sweat collected on her brow. Her granny was asking her to talk sophisticated for her. Well... it's Granny Smith askin'... can't rightly say no ta her...
She brought a hoof to her chest as she cleared her throat. "I... if you want, Granny Smith. I... I have to say, I'm still not comfortable talking like this. I've been rehearsing strictly for the exhibition, but well, since you asked..."
There was a gallop of small hooves, before Applebloom reappeared at the kitchen door, her mane hastily combed and still slightly damp. "Hey Sis! Where d'ya want me ta' put th' pies when th' wagons get here?!"
Applejack turned to her sister with a smile. "Oh, you need not worry about that yet Applebloom. They probably won't arrive until later this evening."
The smaller filly stared blankly at her big sister, before she spoke. "Applejack? What in th' hay happened to yer voice?"
There was a second of confusion, followed by a widening of the eyes and blushing of the cheeks. "Oh! Sorry 'bout that sugarcube. Ah-ah was just practi'cin', y'see. Y-y'know, l-like..."
"She has t' talk like ah city pony at th' expo." Granny Smith spoke up, saving her granddaughter. "She's done it b'fore, if y’all remember."
"Ooooh yeeeaaah..." Applebloom drawled, her eyes widening. "When yah told us yer Cutie-Mark story! Is that how'ya sounded when yah visited Aunt 'n Uncle Orange?"
"Sorta." The orange equine looked to the side, before standing on all four hooves. "Ah tweren't any good at it at th' time, but if ah'm ta fit in at th' exhibition, wit'out dem throwing me out like a barrel o' scrumpy apples, ah gotta sound just like th' rest of th' cityfolk."
"Oh, oh! If ah sound like a city-pony, could ah come then? *ah-he-hem* Ah DooOOOOOOOooo dee-clareah! Aye bee-leeve ah can come ay-long if ah sound all HYGH-class, yes?"
There was a round of laughter at Applebloom's poor imitation, leaving the filly with an embarrassed blush and a set of downturned ears. She squeaked however, as she was suddenly embraced by her sister. "Awww, dun be too quick ‘n try tah pick up somethin' ah dun rightly like mahself. Lemme tell yas, it tain't no fun at all."
"I-if yah say so sis..." she sighed. She was released, and she headed out the front door to watch for their transportation.
Granny Smith couldn't help but laugh for a few minutes more. The blonde couldn't tell if she was laughing about her sister's eagerness, or her own reluctance. Deciding to not raise the issue, she sighed as she grabbed the pot pad again to extract the last apple pie. She didn't hear the larger set of hoofsteps working their way into the kitchen.
"Oh THERE you are!" came an exclamation. Applejack flinched and dropped her pad as she recognized the voice of the white mare she had spent the past two weeks with.
"Hey Rarity." she greeted as she turned around. "T'wasn't expectin' y’all around so early. The carts haven't arrived yet, have they?"
"No they haven’t." the unicorn conceded. "But that wasn't the point of why I came. You see... well..." there was a pawing at the floor.
It was only now that the farmer realized that there was a saddlebag strapped to her friend's back. Sticking out of the left bag, was a large pink box.
"Rarity..." she began, her eyes widening. "Yah didn't...!"
Those blue eyes looked back up with a sheepish expression. "I... I wanted to repay you for everything that you've done... so I went and..."
Instead of continuing, Rarity's horn lit up as the package floated out of her bag. It levitated towards the earth pony, before the top lifted up, displaying it's contents.
She could tell this much. It was white, and frilly.
"To match your exquisite voice, dear." came the explanation. "Made especially for the EACE."
Applejack was floored... and sweating. She had originally been intending on wearing her Gala outfit, but as she thought about it, it made sense that her friend would pull something like this. She began to look around in a panicked manner for an exit- ANY exit- out of the room. Busting out the window and getting glass embedded in her flank seemed like the better option when compared to wearing Rarity's newest fru-fru concoction. She faced Granny Smith for help, but all she got from that direction was a look of amusement. The old tart was enjoying her discomfort.
Finally she sighed, defeated, before looking back at the unicorn. "T-thank'yah kindly, Rarity. Ah... ah'm guessin' y’all want me t' try it on a’fore we go?"
She got a grin. "Applejack, you read my mind. Let's go upstairs, dear." Rarity said, as she turned around. There was a look back, along with a proud smile. "We'll make a high-class diva out of you yet, darling!"
The applebucker's ears drooped as she followed her friend out. The elderly green pony simply watched them go, before she let out that snicker she had building up.
----------------------------
"Phew... we finally made it."
"Took us long enough."
"Oh yes, but it was ALL worth it!"
"Ah shore- I mean, I sure hope it is!"
Rarity simply beamed as she took in the scene before her. The trip to Yokelahoma City itself had been uneventful enough, to eveypony's relief. Their wares had been checked in, and their stalls, found. Applejack had told Mister Marmalade that she didn't require much space, her stand not being wider than two pony's lengths. As a result, Rarity's display took up the majority of the space. Not that it didn't need it, she had put each and every outfit she had prepared, up on a pedestal with lights, and with ten outfits, that took up a fair amount of room.
Now both unicorn and earth pony stood outside their respective vendors, taking in the multitude of ponies that trotted around the exhibition area. As of yet the doors had not opened, and so the ones that were milling around were either organizers, or were in the process of setting up their own stalls.
Rarity herself was adorned in a gown that was cut short enough to show a bit of tail and hindleg. Made in an autumn gold tone, there were points of amber lined around her neck, as a shinier fabric traced the hems.
Applejack pawed the ground restlessly as she looked herself over. Before they had even entered the building, her friend had insisted she be 'in-character'. Her blonde locks were once again done up in a mountain fashion, and the dress... it fit well and loosely, and the farmpony STILL felt it was squeezing the life out of her. It was a Southern Belle's dress, with enough of a bouffant in the back to make her feel like a whale, dainty ruffled sleeves, and to top it all off, a pearl necklace that weighed like a ball-and-chain. She desperately wished for her hat.
"I don't know about you!" the white mare gushed. "But I am so stoked for this, to use a word from Rainbow Dash's vocabulary." She brought another brush to her, nervously grooming her mane once more. "Our names are going to be on the top of every rich-pony's list!"
"I... I hear you!" the farmer replied, trying her level best to not let her speech slip this time. Slip, and she may ruin any chance of profit for the farm. "So many ponies here... I would think at least one of them would appreciate a good apple-"
"AND dress."
"-AND dress, or two." She gave a look at her friend for the interjection. "I would still like to get out and about before the day is done though. I spy a plow display over in that corner, and I do believe I see one that would be right for Big Macintosh's size."
"Oh you'll have plenty of time for that, dear." Rarity assured. "Maybe we can get some time to ourselves on the third day! Hopefully they won't have sold out of any-"
"LADIES!" came a grandiose voice. They both looked up in time to see Mister Marmalade approaching the two. "SO glad you were able to make it! Oh Madame Rarity, Madame Applejack, you both are simply looking FABOULOUS!" He took a look at the two mares, and the stalls behind them, before turning to look at the scenery around them. "Isn't this all just so GRAND? All the wares to be seen, all the innovations, all the wonderful PONIES! This is sure to be the Best Exhibition Yet!"
Applejack gagged on the inside at the words, and a quick glance at Rarity told her her friend was thinking much the same thing. However, they quickly put aside their feelings of doom as the white mare spoke up. "Oh, you're absolutely right, darling! And my friend and I owe it all to you for our chance to attend this prestigious affair!"
"I-I concur!" The orange filly quipped. Ah shoulda asked Rarity t' have taught me some o' them fancy words too.
The stallion favored the both of them with a wide smile, before turning all-business. "The doors will be opening in less than three minutes. Have you fillies got everything? Yes? Good to hear! Now, get ready at your stations, those ponies will be coming in like a tidal wave, I swear!" He took this moment to clutch at each pony's hoof with his own, leaving each with a slight blush on their faces. "I wish the both of you, tremendous luck today. Let's hope that we all do well! Now I must rush to the opening ceremony. Until later my fillies, Toodle-loo~!"
"Toodle-loo~" they both echoed once more, as the brown horse galloped away. They stood there for a second before facing each other. They could hear the background hubbub beginning to increase in volume.
"Applejack," Rarity began. "Good luck to you. Your apples will be sure to sell here, I know they will!"
"Thanks." she replied, city voice still in place. "I wish you good luck as well! And again, thank you for getting me this chance."
"It's no trouble at all, darling." the unicorn said, as she turned to enter her stall. "We'll talk again soon. Until then, remember. No accent!"
The applebucker nodded to her friend as she took position behind her own stand. As she trotted however, she let a mumble escape her lips.
"Ah don't GOT no hay-tossin' ack-cent."
----------------------------
Business was indeed, far better than it had ever been at the Gala. Flow kept up from a steady direction, which worked to Applejack's advantage. Ponies would run into Rarity's boutique stand first, mill around or buy something in there, and then come out starving, spotting and making a beeline for the Sweet Apple Acres stand. Apparently, being a clothes-horse made you hungry.
She noticed that a fair number of her customers were farm ponies, like herself. She was tempted to let her guard down when around these friendly faces. However, she kept up her guise of sophistication as she greeted them, sold them apples, and chatted.
Half the day was already gone as she hauled out her third bushel of Red Delicious onto the stand. As she turned back around, she noticed there was already a small two-pony line waiting for her.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I beg your pardon, I was just getting some more stock out." The farmer quickly trotted back behind her stand as the two fillies stepped up. "Sweet Apple Acre's farm-fresh Apples! Would you care to try some?"
"Hmmm..." said the left pony. She was a light-grey Earth-Pony, with a straight-haired charcoal mane, purple eyes gazing over the wares. "What do you think, sissy-pie? Those fritters sure look good!"
"I dunno." replied the other filly. She was a slate-blue, with a dusty-grey mane that was cut short over her own golden eyes. "The caramel apples look the best to me. How much for one of those?"
"Five bits." Applejack replied in an even voice. "And the Fritters are seven a piece. However, if you want, I could let you have both for ten bits..." she gave them a half-lidded smile, which they both lit up at.
"We'll take'em!"
Money was deposited, and apples were given. They proceeded to dig into them right there in front of the stand. She didn't mind. She loved seeing ponies enjoy her apples.
"Mmph! Thiph isf good!" the grey mare mumbled around her fritter. She swallowed before continuing. "We should bring some back for Big Sissy-pie!"
"We should!" the blue one agreed. "Do you have any Pink Ladies? She would love that."
The farmer smirked. "Wit' all th’ talk o' pies you two been goin' on ‘bout, ah'm a mite surprised y’all haven't asked fer one o' those!"
They both looked back at her. She brought her hooves to her mouth as she realized what she'd done.
"I-I-I-I'm, I'm so sorry!" she gushed, now panicked like never before. "Please don't tell anyone I slipped! It was an accident, I swear! I-I'll even give you free apples, y-you can even-!"
"Woah woah woah!" the dusty-grey pony soothed. "Calm down. We won't tell anypony, will we, sissy-pie?"
"That's right." the darker mare agreed. "If it means THAT much to you, we'll keep quiet."
"Besides." the grey pony continued. "There's nothing wrong with bein' honest with yourself!"
That hit a chord inside Applejack. She hadn't given thought to it in that manner since that day a week ago. The more she thought about it, the more it ate at her. Here she was, at the biggest farmer's convention in all of Equestria, and what was she doing? Wearing a ballroom gown and speaking in a hobnob voice, in an attempt to fit in.
"Miss?"
"A-are you alright?"
She shook her head as she brought her mind back to the here and now. "Oh... oh yes, I am. Thank you. I'm awfully sorry about all this. This is just, my one big chance to help my farm, and I don't want to mess it up."
"We can understand that." the darker of the two equines replied. "We come from a Rock Farm, and unless the rocks are pretty, or valuable, we don't make a lot of money either." Her sister nodded in agreement.
"Ouch." the orange one responded. She looked over her own wares, before ducking under the stand to retrieve a bag, filling it with rose-tinted apples. "You know what? Here, have a bag of Pink Ladies, just as ordered. And an Apple pie too. On the house."
Their eyes widened. "O-oh, we can't possibly-!"
"Don't go stammerin' on me now." she spoke to the two, her twang briefly resurfacing. She gave them a thankful look. "Just think of these as gifts for your 'Sissy-pie'. I bet she'll love them."
They looked at each other, before nodding and giving smiles to their vendor. The slate one carefully placed a pie on her back as she gushed. "Oh BOY Maggie Pie! This Expo really IS turning out to be the best!"
"You said it, Inkie Pie!" her sister cheered, placing the bag of apples into her saddlebag. "I just know Pinkie is gonna LOVE these! Thank you, ma'am!"
Applejack waved the both of them farewell as they blended back into the stream of ponies clopping through the isles. Her mind was still awhirl with the thoughts the two had unwittingly imparted onto her, but she shook her head, deciding that thinking on that track wasn't going to help sell apples now. And she would need to upsell now, after having given the pie-
wait
"Pink Ladies?" she mumbled to herself. "Rock Farm? Inkie? Maggie?? Pinkie?! PIES??!!"
----------------------------
"Are you certain?"
"As certain as I can be. When we get back to Ponyville, she'll be telling us all about the pie her sisters gave her."
"How uncanny!" Rarity exclaimed. "To think we'd run into some of Pinkie Pie's family here at the Exhibition!"
Applejack rolled her eyes as she rested her head on her stand's counter. The stock that she had set aside for today had run empty, only a half-full bushel of Galas left on display. It was getting close to the evening, and she was quite thankful for it, the day had worn hard on her. Though she couldn't complain, her money-bucket was filled to the brim with bits.
"Well, they are farmers after all." she replied, looking around at all the ponies still milling about. "They might show up again, so keep your eyes peeled. They may want to try a dress next time. Speaking of which, how has your business done today?"
"Oh simply AMAZING! I was quite surprised that the redesigned ‘galoshes’ outfit we did for you was the most popular on the list! Got no less than fifteen orders for it!" For a second, the unicorn looked faint, before she recovered and continued. "And your Gala dress was such a hit as well! And of course, I took plenty of custom orders too. I say Applejack, if this keeps up, I'm going to have to actually start HIRING help for the Boutique!"
"That's a good sign." the farmer assured, lifting her head slightly. "If I have any leftover bits after getting the farm fixed up, I might hire on some more help myself. The Acres could really use it."
There was a nod, before the white mare found herself stretching, joints popping as she worked her limbs. "My STARS it's been a long day. I think I'm ready to close up and walk around and sightsee, how about you?"
"Sounds good to me!" Applejack replied, as she stood up and took a hanging rope in her mouth, bringing the stall's sign to collapse inward on top of the counter. "If we're lucky, they may still have those plows in stock!"
She got a nod as the unicorn's horn lit up, drawing the curtains closed on her own stall. After a couple of seconds of securing booths and packing their gains, the two fillies began walking side-by-side, slipping into the stream of equines that were still wandering about at this late hour.
"Applejack." Rarity began, causing the orange one to glance at her friend. "I just want to tell you how proud I am, that you've kept up your classical training for the whole of today." She turned those sapphire blue eyes on her, a giddy grin plastered on her face. "And just think, we still have TWO more days! Keep this up, and I promise you, your future will be SO much brighter!"
The farmfilly's ears turned downwards. Once again, the words of that grey mare echoed in her head. Ah hate this. she thought to herself. But Rarity's still right. And Ah cain't let her down now.
"Just two more days." She murmured. "Then I can put this voice behind me."
A white ear flicked back. "Oh dear, of course you can go back to speaking plainly again, but not until we're out of these hollowed halls. Besides, I don't think you want to throw it away entirely. There are various other conventions all over Equestria, and a pony of our class, could very well be entitled to be invited to every one!" Her eyes sparkled at the prospect.
In contrast, the color drained from AJ's face. "M-m... more parties? M-more speakin' like ah-?"
"MADEMOISELLES!" came the familiar booming bass. The two of them jumped and whirled to find Mister Marmalade trotting up to them rapidly. "How was today for you both? I hope your enterprises saw adequate fortune!"
"O-oh! They most definitely did, good sir!" Rarity cooed, slipping into her most relaxed and noble tone. "The ponies of Yokelahoma City have such exquisite tastes. I wasn't certain if the dresses that Applejack and I designed would be such a hit, but they were!"
"Splendid!" the stallion grinned, before turning his attention towards the earth pony. "And you, my dear? How well did your apple goods fare?"
"Th-they did well!" Applejack stuttered, trying to recover from her earlier surprise. "Far better than they ever did when I went to the Grand Galloping Gala. I'll be able to make some much-needed improvements to the farm once the Exhibition is over."
This brought a bigger smile to Marmalade's face than she thought was healthy. "That's JUST what I wanted to hear, Madame Applejack. You're the perfect pony, a respectable citizen with a deep tie to her farm! You're just what I'm looking for. Hurry, come with me!"
He did an about-face and began galloping, ponies scattering to the left and right as he plowed a path through them. The two females were left gaping for a second, before they hurried to catch up with him.
"Mister Marmalade! What's all this about!" Rarity called out, trying her best to run elegantly without causing too much bounce in her outfit.
"An opening speech, that's what!" came the answer. "In about twenty minutes, the last panel of the night will begin, on the relations of the Agriculture Industry with that of its consumer base! Originally, we had another speaker to open it, but unfortunately, he was unable to make it in time. Instantly, my thoughts turned to you Madame Applejack, for you appear to be closely connected with the workings of the farmland for one so cultured!"
Applejack was already having enough trouble not tripping over her dress as she kept up. This bit of information did nothing to help matters. "Y-y-you want me to SPEAK?!" she managed to squeak out, voice faltering between Manehatten and Appleoosa.
"Indeed! Nothing incredibly long, mind you. All you need to do is tell us a little bit about yourself, about your farm, and about the time you've had here so far! You know, give us your honest opinions!"
Rarity turned to gaze at her friend as they ran, with a supportive look. It went unnoticed, as the farmer had her eyes unfocused, staring into nothing as they made their way to the hall.
----------------------------
"Okay, one minute! Good luck, darling!"
"B-b-but-!" Applejack barely managed to stammer as she was shoved onto the darkened stage. Even with the lights down, the blonde filly could see that the hall was practically packed with ponies. She was shaking in her hooves, and the murmur of the room was practically a roar in her ears. She looked off to the side once more, not certain if it had been Marmalade or Rarity that had shoved her out there. They were giving her hopeful, and supporting, gazes.
"Remember!" the unicorn whispered. "Your speech!"
She could only gulp, as she turned back towards the stage. There was a podium right in the center, and she dutifully, though reluctantly, trotted up to it. As soon as she had put her forehooves on its desk, a spotlight flared to life, bathing the orange earth-pony in a brilliant glare, causing her pearls and dress to glisten. Out in the audience, there was a bout of cheering, as well as a few whistles of appreciation. Off to her side, she thought she heard Rarity sighing in contentment.
"G-greetings!" she managed to squeeze out. There was another wave of cheers, accompanied by hoof-stomps and claps.
"I... I'm here in placement of Mister Juniper Jamms, who was unable to attend this year's Equestrian Agriculture Conference and Exhibition." Her heart eased it's pounding in her head as she tuned the crowd out, letting her own words fill her ears. "Mister Marmalade has asked that I open up our talk today instead. So, let me tell you a bit about myself."
"My name is Applejack. I run a farm, not unlike many of you in here today." She got a few cheers of support at that, and at least three 'right on!'s. "Many of you may have heard of Sweet Apple Acres. Why, I believe some of you have even been to my stall today, haven’t you?"
A good portion of the crowd erupted in yet another cheer, louder than the last. This brought a smile to her face, as her nerves finally managed to calm down.
With the calm however, came the loosening of discipline. She felt her tongue wanting to move in traitorous ways, her lips, to make sounds not fit for noble halls. She smacked to herself dryly as she waited for the cheer to subside. A glass o' water would be heavenly right 'bout now.
"I-I'm glad you all enjoyed them." she continued, once she could hear herself think again, trained voice still in-place. "It really warms my heart to see that. The Apple Family has been in the Apple business for generations, and you can find apples grown by us, in almost every corner of Equestria. Sweet Apple Acres in particular, is based right out of Ponyville, where we keep some of our most cherished family traditions alive."
She closed her eyes as she thought back to the farm. "For years, we've put the same thing into all our apples that our forefathers did before us. Tender loving care. Good and responsible practices. And lots of down-to-earth, hard... honest... work."
She opened her eyes. She looked out at the crowd. She then looked back down at her dress.
A farmer pony, dressed up as a fru-fru pony, talking like a fru-fru pony, to a bunch of other fru-fru ponies, at a farmer's convention.
Her eye twitched.
This was stupid.
This was more than just stupid.
This. Just. Wasn't. RIGHT.
----------------------------
Down in the audience, a dusty-grey filly eeped as she felt a tingle go over her body. This was quickly followed by an all-body jitter, as she began to vibrate in place.
"S-i-i-i-is-sy-p-i-i-i-ie-!" she stuttered, voice vibrating as she did. "S-o-o-o-o-me-th-i-i-i-i-ing's a-bo-o-o-out to h-a-a-a-a-ap-pen!"
Inkie Pie watched her sister's antics, as her eyes widened. "Are you sure, Maggie? I haven’t felt anything yet!"
----------------------------
Back in Ponyville, inside Sugarcube Corner, the bakery's number-one employee was in the process of handing a tray of meringue cookies over to an eager purple dragon, when the treats suddenly vibrated off their platter. Green eyes widened in panic as the earth-pony began to shudder in-place.
"Pinkie!" Spike yelped. "What's going on?! Is something going to happen?! Is it Twilight?!"
"I-i-i-i-i-i-i do-o-o-o-o-n't kno-o-o-o-o-ow!" the pink filly stammered. "B-bu-u-u-u-t I-i-i-i-i ca-a-a-a-n te-e-e-e-ll it's n-o-o-o-o-ot Twi-i-i-i-i-light!"
"Who then?!" the dragon panicked. "Rarity? Rainbow Dash? O-or Fluttershy?! DID FLUTTERSHY EXPL-?!"
"A-a-a-a-ap-ple-ja-a-a-a-ack!"
----------------------------
At a rock farm somewhere between Ponyville and Cloudsdale, an elderly earth pony couple leaned back in their rocking chairs, sighing in relief at the peace and quiet they now had all to themselves.
The tall, brown stallion closed his eyes, hat drooping over his face. "You know... I may not be an up-to-date pony... but I have to thank today's world for giving the kids a distraction."
"I'll say.” the grey mare replied, her hooves busy in darning a sock. "Inkie and Maggie are probably having themselves a blast."
There was a chuckle. "They've always had a blast, ever since Pinkie got her cutie mark. Sometimes I wonder if they'll really stay, or if they'll follow their sister and move to Ponyville."
"We should visit Pinkie." Mother Pie stated, looking evenly over her spectacles. "Ponyville's not a bad place, you know. I've been there. We could always drop in on the Apple farm, see if Old Tart Smith's still hanging-"
She paused her rocking, and her eyes widened. Poppa Pie kept his eyes evenly on her, even when her tail began twitching, followed by her backside, proceeding up her spine towards her forehooves, ending at her head as she shimmied in an impromptu seizure.
"Who's it this time?" he asked, only mildly curious.
"Ca-a-a-an't te-e-e-e-ll." she stated, her own voice remaining calm even as she shook. "Bu-u-u-u-ut the-e-e-ey're in Yo-o-o-o-okelah-o-o-o-o-ma Ci-i-i-i-i-ty."
----------------------------
"Oh wait." Inkie stated. She felt the tingling herself, and then before she knew it, she was imitating her sister in her vibrating pose. "The-e-e-e-re it go-o-o-o-o-es."
"Why-y-y-y-y-y are-e-e yo-u a-a-a-al-wa-a-a-ays so la-a-a-ate?" Maggie questioned her sister, managing to raise an eyebrow through her shaking.
----------------------------
Applejack looked down, her mind apparently made up. She looked over to the side, and caught Rarity's eyes. She gave the unicorn a sad look as she said in perfect Manehattenite.
"I'm sorry sugarcube."
And then she turned back to the crowd.
"BUT AH CAIN'T KEEP THIS HAY-STACKIN' ACT UP ANYMORE!!"
There was a ripple of amazement that coursed through the crowd. The white filly's eyes shrunk in panic. Mister Marmalade kept his silence as he watched the applebucker proceed to rant.
"Ah got invit'd out here t' this exhibition, a'cause ah had a fancy voice! Ah'm gonna tell y’all right now, that voice TAIN'T ME! THIS, is me! Y’all wanna know how th' Apple Family gits our Apples so good? Lemme tell yah! Me 'n mah big brother Macintosh go out there, an' WE BUCK THOSE TREES OURSELVES! Ah tain't no fancy Apple baron, ah LIKE t' get mah hooves dirty! Ah'm a farmer! And this Con's s'posed t' be FOR farmers! So HOW COME ah gotta break out mah Manehattenite fru-fru talk? Ah tried t' be s'phisti’cated once, a looooong time ago. It wasn't me then, annit SHORE tain't me now!"
"So g' on! Y’all know now ah tain't fancy 'r fru-fru 'r high-class 'r what-have-you! An' ah don't wanna be one no more! Throw me out, toss me in th' mud fer all ah care! Just as long as ah can stop lyin', be true, an' SOUND LIKE MAHSELF!!"
She panted, her frustrations now fully vented, the hall still echoing with her words. The farmer allowed her green eyes to travel over the hushed occupants of the room. She then allowed herself another glance over to Rarity, who appeared to be in the midst of a heart attack. The expression on Marmalade's face remained unreadable.
Welp, it twere a good run. she thought to herself. Ah won't be stickin' around fer th' other two days, but that's alright. Ah made enough t'day t' do SOME fixin' up at th' farm. If ah never get invited anywhere ever again... ah think ah'll be able t' live. Sorry about that Rarity. But ah'm done livin' a lie.
The orange mare stood there, in the silence, the lone spotlight still beating down on her. She awaited the audience's reaction.
She didn't have to wait very long.
As one, each and every pony in the room let out a single word.
"HOOOOOOOOOOOOO-WHEE!!!"
Followed by someone in the back yelling out “ 'Bout darned time somepony said it!"
And then, the murmur came rolling back. But this time, with a different flavor to it's melody. Rarity's expression shifted from panic to outright shock, as she noticed that each and every single equine in the room, had suddenly lost any traces of cultured upbringing in their voices.
The conversation of the hall was dominated with the thick, syrupy drawl of a southern accent. Ponies were sighing with relief, hugging each other, laughing and bucking with joy, as the earlier tension completely dissolved away, leaving behind an air of gratitude as they all relaxed, letting their natural speech and voices shine through.
Applejack, quite obviously, had not expected this outcome either. She remained rooted to her spot behind the pedestal, eyes wide and unbelieving, jaw slack and hanging open. She barely registered the approach of two ponies up to her right side.
"...Applejack?"
She slowly turned her head. Her friend stood there beside her, the unicorn's face a mixture of emotions warring for domination. Shock, pride, joy, and... sorrow? Her heart weighed heavy in her own chest as she took it in.
"That... that was beautiful, Applejack." Rarity began, stretching a hoof out and placing it on the farmer's shoulder. "I... I'm sorry. I had no idea..." she turned to look back at the crowd, yee-haws and whoops rising from its surface every now and then. "I... really had... no idea..."
She looked back. "How... can I ever make it up to you?"
Unbidden, tears began to spring from the corners of the orange one's eyes. She raised her hooves up, and unclasped the pearl necklace that had felt so much like a burden. As she handed them back to Rarity, she brought her hooves back to her mane, and tugged at the bouffant. It gave way, blonde strands cascading down her back as she gave a shake of her head, the weight of the world off her shoulders. She looked back at the white mare, head turned downwards, tears still flowing.
"Ah... ah want mah hat back..."
The unicorn found herself tearing up as well, as she walked forward and nuzzled her friend.
"Okay dear. Let's go and get your hat."
----------------------------
The restaurant was abuzz with laughter, and the twang of cow-talk. The waiters had been taken aback when the conventioneers came in sounding like southern folks, compared to the cultured tone their customers had the years previous. Business was still business however, and they would be mad to turn it away for any reason.
Especially if one of their customers was Mister Mango Marmalade and his party of four, who were currently occupying a private booth secluded from the rest of the restaurant. A steady stream of hay-fries and bean-burgers flowed into the booth, as its occupants relaxed from the harrowing day beforehand.
"Whoosh!" Applejack breathed, coming up for air from her chocolate oat malt. "It shore feels good t' eat like a real pony ‘gain!" She gave her mane another shake, her customary hat and hairband back in place, with nary a sign of dress to be seen. "Ah'd forgotten how hungry bein' a s'phisti’cated pony made yah!"
"I can see that." Rarity stated evenly, though her eyes were still wide as she noted that the farmer was now on her fourth shake. "I've never had such a reaction myself, I must admit... I suppose it differs from pony to pony."
"It really does." came a voice from the unicorn's left. She turned to face Maggie Pie and her sister, the both of them slowly but steadily sharing and working through a stack of fries. "Back on the farm, before she got her cutie mark, Pinkie barely ate four muffins a day. Afterwards however, she couldn't seem to get enough food in her! It's one of the reasons she moved away."
"One of the MANY reasons." Inkie spoke, rolling her eyes. "But that's all beside the point, isn't it?"
Mister Marmalade nodded, sitting at the far end next to Applejack.
"Th' Exhibition folks were all like me." the orange filly stated, her mind still reeling from the thought. "They all thought that if they went 'n spoke plain-like, they'd all git kicked out too. So they never said nothin' otherwise! And this's been goin' on fer so long... welp, it got kinda outta-hand, didn't it?" She turned to the brown stallion again, who only dipped his head once more with a sheepish expression.
"It rather caught me off-guard." Rarity confessed, as she daintily sipped her lemon tea. "I mean, I had no idea that all the sophisticated and cultured airs that everypony was putting on were so... forced. I had taken the entire thing for granted, being the kind of... pony I am..." she found herself blushing, realizing that she was now a minority, a city pony in a town full of cowfolk.
"We saw it coming." Inkie quipped, her mouth still full of fries. "Before we even came to miss Applejack's stand, the last two stands we visited also slipped in their speech."
The applebucker gaped at the two rock farmers. "Ah was yer third one?! And y’all didn't tell me?!"
"How could we?" the lighter of the two mares responded. "They asked us to keep quiet too, same as you did."
She blushed as she looked down. "Aah.. makes sense, considerin'. We were all kinda' scared. At least, ah know ah was..."
She looked up as she felt a shuffling. The white unicorn edged herself closer to the earth-pony's side, as she locked eyes. "Applejack, I am so, SO sorry. I had no idea that you felt so... oppressed, by all the culture that I was trying to help you with. I had no intention of instilling that kind of fear in you. I should have really known better, than to force something onto you that you're not. I was just..." she turned her sapphire eyes downward. "I was really... excited, to have somepony to be 'high-class' with... can you ever forgive me?"
Applejack let a smile come to her face as she nudged Rarity's cheek. "Ah fergive yah, sugarcube. Ah know y’all were just tryin' t’ help. Just got carried away, like th' rest of us." She smiled as she spotted the relief on her friend's face.
"And hey. Maybe sometime, if y’all are really needin' it... ah can be fru-fru, just fer a day. That sound good?" she asked, before holding her hoof out. It was met with a white one in a clop, and they both shook on it.
"And I promise." the seamstress replied. "I won't bother you anymore about your accent. Um, that is..."
There was a chuckle as the blonde tilted her hat back. "Y’all can call it an ack-cent if yah want. T' me, ‘n all the folks 'round here? Ti's just talkin' normal-like."
There was a round of clapping that made both farmer and dressmaker blush lightly, before they turned back to their food. "So..." the lighter of the two grey fillies started. "This means that the EACE is still going for the rest of the weekend, right?"
Marmalade nodded with a smile.
"An' we get t' keep both our stands?" Applejack asked, her face a picture of hopefulness.
He nodded once more with a grin.
"Even though we may... or may not sound... cultured?" Rarity quipped, a look of curiosity on her features.
Mister Marmalade closed his eyes, before opening them and his mouth, to speak for the first time that evening.
"EEeeeeee-YUP." he replied, in a drawl that would have even made Big Macintosh proud.
FIN
|
Ebon Mane
|
752
| 1 |
Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Alternate Universe,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Forbidden Lovers
|
Two sisters meet, and their hearts set them on a path to tragedy. Celestia/Luna
|
hiatus
| 96 | 11 |
<p>Warning: Incest.</p><p>Celestia's mother returns from distant lands, bringing with her the sister that the princess had never met. What will come of their meeting? </p><p>Celestia/Luna shipping. </p><p>Written for the Writers' Training Group ( mlp-wtg.deviantart.com ) week 7, the prompt being a fic inspired by a song. </p><p>Inspired by Forbidden Lovers by Be Bop Deluxe. Here are the lyrics: <a href="http://www.lyricsvip.com/Be-Bop-Deluxe/Forbidden-Lovers-Lyrics.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.lyricsvip.com/Be-Bop-Deluxe/Forbidden-Lovers-Lyrics.html</a></p><p>The song put me in the mind of a swift and passionate love that burns out quickly, a love doomed to fail from the start. And here it is.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-06T17:10:00+00:00
|
2011-09-06T17:10:00+00:00
| 5,436 |
It had looked to be just another long and boring ceremony. Celestia was accustomed to such things. The throne room would fill with a throng of ponies, and she would look down on them from one of the balconies, indescribably bored. Her father would make a speech, and the hordes of adoring ponies would stare in rapt attention, awed into silence by the scarlet alicorn's words or the flowing fire that was the mane or something shiny nearby. The princess paid little attention to her father's subjects. There were more important things to think about. She daydreamed about finally being allowed to move the sun and the books waiting in her room and when her hair would start looking impressive like her father's. Solid pink manes looked cute on little fillies, but she was an adult; she'd been legally of age for months! She couldn't be taken seriously as her father's replacement without an awesome mane.
It had looked to be just another long and boring ceremony, but then Celestia's father got to the point. The king's rambling ended after a few words on homecoming, and his horn glowed. With a flash, two ponies appeared on the empty balcony across from the princess.
They were alicorns.
The voice of the king boomed in the silent hall, "The mission of diplomacy that my dearest wife undertook so many years ago has kept her from my side. What's more, I have never before seen my younger daughter. It was a pain that I bore in the knowledge that our Queen was forging a lasting peace and bonds of fraternal unity between all the equines of this world. She has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. My family has endured this rift for you, my ponies! So welcome them! Welcome home my Queen and our younger daughter, Princess Luna!" He gestured to the royal pair with a hoof, and the throne room burst into deafening applause.
The queen's azure coat and flowing mane of blues and greens gave the impression of a living waterfall. Celestia recognized the tall and regal alicorn from old paintings; she had been too young when the queen left to have any real memories of her mother. Standing beside larger of the pair was Luna, the sister that Celestia had heard of, but never met.
The white alicorn had never seen an alicorn her size before. Her father towered over her, and her mother was the same. The young princesses were just a bit larger than normal ponies; they still had centuries of slow growth ahead. Luna's dark coat reminded Celestia of the late evening sky. She was jealous; pink and white was a juvenile combination, but those dusky blues had a regal dignity about them.
The cheering died down, and the king's speech continued, but Celestia did not take her eyes off of her sister. The princess wondered what the other alicorn was like, whether they would get along, and why the dark mare was so interested in the crowd. Hadn't Luna seen ponies before? She lost herself in thought and speculation.
And then, suddenly, the other princess looked up and met Celestia's gaze. She stared into the depths of those dark green orbs, and felt something change within her. Something she did not understand.
It felt good.
***
Celestia slipped away from the party as soon as she could. Crowds of ponies sucking up to her and trying to use her to get closer to the king did not interest the young alicorn in the least. She made an appearance for her father's sake, was pleased to note that the thick crowds around her mother and sister took some of the burden off of her, and was on her way out within half an hour.
Her magic allowed her to slip through an enchanted false wall in the grand ballroom, and she was off through the twisting inner ways of the castle. Occasionally, Celestia would pass through a common hall or some suite of rooms, flying up to a passage tucked away behind a tapestry or pushing open a secret door with a strength that matched any Earth pony. There were many secret ways in the castle, but only an alicorn could pass through all of them. In short order, she'd found her way as far from the crowds and the noise as she could; she stepped onto a balcony overlooking the royal gardens and took a deep breath of fresh forest air.
The sun was barely beginning to set, but the princess found that night was waiting for her in the garden. Standing among the precisely arranged flowers and the painstakingly sculpted hedges was a now-familiar dark blue alicorn. Luna looked up at her after a moment and shouted, "Hello there, sister!" The dark mare's voice had the high pitch of a much smaller pony; Celestia found it to be endearingly adorable.
"Hello," the elder sister replied weakly. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Luna pawed at the dirt with a hoof. Celestia shifted her weight from side to side.
Finally, the younger alicorn shouted again, "Uh... aren't you going to come down?"
The pink-maned pony blinked. "Oh! Yeah." She leapt from the balcony, spreading her wings and gliding in a wide arc over the rows and mazes of tended plants. She landed a few paces from her sister. "Sorry...."
Luna giggled, "There's nothing to apologize for."
Celestia rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, looking around. She tried to think of something to say, but found nothing. This was her long lost sister; shouldn't she have a lot of questions? Eventually, one just sort of slipped out, "How'd you get here so quickly?"
The other alicorn's voice took on a mischievous tone, "That... is a secret." Luna disappeared with a flash and reappeared behind her older sister, who turned to stare in shock. The dark mare continued, "I'll never tell."
Celestia gaped at the other mare, "You already know teleportation? I'm so jealous! Father refuses to teach me until I'm," her voice deepened with mock-seriousness, "'far more responsible and able to handle such an exploitable spell without infringing upon blah blah blah blah.'"
Luna threw her head back, laughing. The sight made Celestia smile. Soon enough, the younger alicorn calmed and spoke, "Mom always let me learn whatever I could from the locals. The Hydraxes of the lone mountain mastered teleportation magic long ago; they taught me a few tricks. They're tiny and unfathomably cute, but their magic is something else."
"I've read about the Hydraxes!" Celestia gushed, "One of my favorite legends is the tale of Hyracoid. I think I've gone over that book a half dozen times."
Luna tilted her head, "Do you read a lot?"
The white alicorn sat in the manicured grass, "It's just about all I do. Science, history, philosophy, literature. Give me a book and I'm a happy pony."
"You know, there are a lot of places out there without any books at all," Luna said, and snorted at the look of shock and horror on her sister's face,
"No books! How do they... learn... and stuff?" Celestia finished weakly.
"Knowledge gets recorded all sorts of ways," the younger princess fell to her haunches in imitation of her sister and her eyes turned absentmindedly skyward. She continued, "The zebra tribes have an impressive oral tradition; some of their epic poems have been passed down for millennia! The goats of the far mountains carve their writings into cliffs with their horns, in letters as tall as they are. It takes years to get through a sentence, and their longest stories were written by whole herds working together. They say that dragons also record their knowledge on stone, but it only takes one of them to write an epic. They have almost as much longevity as an alicorn!
"The Manatees of the Great Reef and the Peccaries on the coast have the most interesting method. The Manatees dredge clay off the ocean floor, form it into tablets, and then take it to the shallows. There, scribes of both races use styluses to cut words into the wet surfaces. Once they're done, the Peccaries bake the clay, cover them in a glaze, and then bake them again. The glaze they use is mostly transparent, but it looks red when it's thick, so when the glaze seeps into the cuts, it forms red writing on the grey tablets. The scribes end up with long lasting, waterproof records that can be passed back and forth between the Peccaries on the land and the Manatees in the sea without any issue. The most interesting part is that the Manatees can only speak underwater and the Peccaries can only speak in the air; they use the same written language but can't talk to one another verbally!"
Celestia gaped at her sister. "Wow... really? That's unreal. Are you trying to make me look like a foal?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's the truth. Cross my heart and hope to fly."
The elder alicorn uttered a single, "Wow." before falling silent. She'd have to study foreign cultures more; her ignorance of the subject was embarrassing. She looked around, searching for something different to talk about. Finally, her eyes settled on the sun, which was just dipping below the horizon. "I wonder how long it'll be before father lets me control the sun," She murmured.
"Any time now, I expect," Luna said, "Mom left the moon to me over a year ago, so I could practice with her around. Father only has a few months to train you, if he hasn't started yet."
"A few months?" Celestia asked, turning to look at the other alicorn. She tilted her head, brows furrowing, "What do you mean by that?"
"The Empire?" The dark mare prompted, "You know? The coronation date?"
"What." The elder sister replied flatly.
Luna raised an eyebrow and spoke more slowly, "When mother takes her position as Empress to preside over the Diet of the Holy Ungulate Empire and Equestria becomes a principality."
"What?"
The younger sister frowned, "The Holy Ungulate Empire? That mom spent the last sixteen years or so building? Perhaps you've heard of it?" She seemed to take Celestia's look of blank incomprehension as an answer. Luna let out an exasperated sigh, "Mom and father are going to be Empress and Emperor of the unified ruling body for the countries of all the hoofed peoples. They're turning Equestria into a principality, leaving responsibility for the sun and moon with us, and crowning you to rule in their place."
"What!?"
Luna gaped at her sister for a moment, then shouted, "How could you not know!? Mom told me the plan years ago! Our father spent half an hour of his speech going on and on about it! It's all any of the nobles at that infernal mockery of a party could talk about!"
Celestia felt her face contort as a wave of horror overtook her, "Why doesn't anypony tell me about these things!?"
The dark alicorn covered her face with a hoof and just shook her head.
Celestia grappled with memories of things she hadn't really paid any attention to. She recalled bits and pieces, and they all seemed to fit with her sister's revelation. She began to babble in a panic, "I can't run a country. I don't know how taxes work. I can barely get my own servants to do what I want! Administration is practically the only thing I haven't studied. I'm more of a professor than a princess! Can't I just teach? That's what I've always wanted. Father is practically immortal; I didn't think I'd ever have to take over for him." She stopped, blinked for a moment, then brought her hoof to her forehead with a resounding clop, "Oh, of course! Why else would an undying king need an heir?" She scoffed, suddenly disgusted, "That means we were bred as replacements from the start!"
The white alicorn paused. "I don't really know how to feel about that," she said. She turned to her sister.
For some reason, Luna had a look on her face that was a mixture of confusion, amusement, and pity. Only the amusement tinged her tone as she spoke, "Well you're not going to get me to take your place. The last thing I want to do is rule... but good luck with that."
Celestia sighed. "Father could at least have taught me how to move the sun before springing this all of a sudden." She hung her head and glared at the ground.
Luna walked toward her sister. She put a hoof under the older mare's chin and lifted it until their eyes were able to meet. Then she smiled, "Hey, cheer up. This is our first meeting; I don't want it to leave you in a bad mood. I don't know how to move the sun, but it's about time for the moon to rise. How about I teach you how to do it, so you can feel what it's like to move one of the celestial bodies?"
Celestia knew that her grin was probably wide enough to look goofy, but she was too delighted by the offer to care. It stayed with her practically the whole evening, as the sisters delved into magic that ran the clockwork of the cosmos.
***
"I was wondering when you would show up."
Celestia turned to look for the source of the voice, and Luna stepped out of hiding. The dark alicorn had blended perfectly into the deep shadows cast by the full moon. Once again the white alicorn cursed her coloration; the pink of her mane would draw eyes like a moth to a flame if anypony else was around to see it.
In response to her sister's words, the elder princess snorted, amused, and whispered, "And a pleasant greeting to you too, Luna. I see they haven't gotten around to the lessons on etiquette yet. How has your first month in the castle been? Restrictive enough for you? I trust that you're sufficiently bored. This'll probably be just about the only chance you'll get to talk to me before the coronation. Well, talk to me without our Father breathing down our necks, at least."
Luna chuckled lightly. "It's not so bad. Mom seems to give me a lot more freedom than father gives you. I come out here just about every night; I've seen a lot of palace gardens in my time, but this one is my favorite."
"Oh? Why?" Celestia asked.
The younger mare put a hoof to her chin, seeming to consider the question. After a time, she said, "I don't know. Oh well."
Celestia shook her head slowly. "Whatever. It's my favorite too, and this is the first time I've been able to visit since the day you got here. My life has become a parade of tutors and advisers and...," she stuck her tongue out and made a disgusted face as she spat, "Tax codes."
"So they let you have a night off?" Luna asked.
Her sister's eyes darted from side to side as she replied, "Not as such, no...."
She gasped, "You snuck out! A couple of months from the throne and you're still a rule breaker. I knew there was a reason I liked you."
Celestia shushed the other mare and whispered urgently, "Not so loud. I can't even begin to fathom what father will do if he finds out that I'm in not sleeping like I'm supposed to."
Luna tilted her head. "Then why did you sneak out?"
The white alicorn sighed. "Good question. I guess I just want to be free for a bit longer. I can't stop thinking about how much I let life pass me by. I thought I'd have so long before I took the throne. All father does is go to meetings and make speeches and shake hooves with nobles and dignitaries. And I'm going to have live that life. The life of eternal boredom."
"I'm sure it's not that bad; he seems to handle it just fine," Luna reasoned.
"But he's so boring," Celestia groaned. "I'm never going to be able to act like a foal again. To just play a game and have fun. It'll be 'state business' this and 'diplomatic relations' that. You're just going to work the moon and help prevent me from embarrassing myself when diplomats from other nations of the Empire visit. That still leaves plenty of time for fun."
"Well," the dark alicorn said, "you can still enjoy the time you have left, right?"
Her sister sighed. "How?"
Luna grinned mischievously. "I have an idea. How about we play a game?"
"What sort of game?" Celestia asked.
"How about 'catch'?" the younger mare offered.
"I've never heard of it. How do we play?"
Luna spread her wings. She spoke in a dull, uninterested tone, "I learned how to play from gryphons. It's very simple; there's not much to it." She paused to stretch her wings, rotating them in the sockets. Celestia merely watched, waiting for an explanation or demonstration. "First one gryphon takes off," the dark mare said before leaping into the air with a powerful flap of her wings. She flew quite quickly away from the castle as she yelled back over her shoulder. "And the other one tries to catch her!"
For a moment, Celestia stared up at the receding dot that was her sister. Then she blinked, figured out what had just happened, and grinned. The princess launched herself skyward with all the force she could muster, barreling toward her fleeing target.
The pair soared through the night, quickly leaving the castle behind. Celestia steadily gained on the other mare in the open air, but Luna dove toward the forest below, tucking her wings as she disappeared into the canopy. The white alicorn followed closely, feeling her feathers graze against wood. She leveled out beneath the branches of the tall, stately trees that dominated that corner of the Everfree, barreling through the woods at a dangerous speed.
The princess channeled magic into her horn to illuminate her path, and rolled quickly as her light revealed a trunk directly ahead. Celestia righted herself and began to weave through the woods. She would have lost Luna in the dense growth, if she hadn't spotted an indigo light, weaving back and forth in the distance. Grinning with exhilaration, she gave chase.
Celestia quickly caught up with her sister, but could not manage to close the final few hooflengths. Luna's wings fluttered as the alicorn seemed to dance effortlessly around the trunks, avoiding obstacles by a feather's breadth. The elder mare could not match the grace of her quarry, and was often forced to take a wider path. No matter how hard Celestia tried, Luna stayed just out of reach.
And then they burst into a wide meadow. Celestia saw her opportunity and took it. With a final, frantic effort, she put on enough speed to bite her sister's tail. She spread her wings to slow herself, but only managed to ruin Luna's balance and lose her grip on the dark mare. The two of them tumbled through the air for a moment before each remembered to use magic.
They stopped, surrounded by an aura of shifting light and dark patches. Luna had ended up floating upside-down under Celestia, their legs entwined. Each mare realized that the other alicorn could easily handle keeping them afloat alone and that they'd never get anywhere working levitation at cross purposes. Of course, neither gave voice to her conclusion. Simultaneously, they released their magic.
Luna fell a few inches onto soft grass. Celestia was able to spread her legs and land on her hooves. She looked down at her sister with wide eyes, her heart still pounding with the exhilaration of the chase. Twin gleams of moonlight in the darkness were the only sign that the other mare returned her gaze. The white alicorn slowly caught her breath.
Eventually, Celestia was compelled to speak, "I've caught you."
Luna's answer was low, but her sister could hear the smile in it, "You have."
"What happens when the one who flew away is caught?" The elder princess whispered.
"Whatever the one who caught her feels like," came a breathy reply from below.
The one thing Celestia felt like doing was the one thing she knew was wrong. Still, she couldn't help but play the game. She lowered her head, and her lips met Luna's.
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 1 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-04-25T16:55:33+00:00
|
2012-04-25T16:55:33+00:00
| 21,858 |
Twilight Sparkle had come to Carousel Boutique expecting a sales pitch. Rarity was a businesspony; most of her suggestions came in the form of pitches, whether she was charging or not. Twilight wouldn't have minded her friend trying to push other clothes or accessories on her during the fitting of a new dress. That sort of thing was par for the course. What irked her was that the white unicorn was discussing something that filled her with a potent blend of fear, shame, and horror.
Dating.
"I'm telling you, darling, it's all the rage in Canterlot. All the hip single unicorns are getting in on it early. U-Harmony has only been operating for a month and it's already gained a simply enormous following. It's the Next Big Thing in unicorn society. Much better than any dating service to have come before, I hear. I've even been trying it a bit myself, truth to tell," The dressmaker said, starting on her fifteenth attempt to convince Twilight to sign up. Seeming to think that the revelation might cast some sliver of doubt on her beauty or charm, she was quick to add, "Not that I, Rarity, need such an aid to get a date. But I do need to keep up with the trends. Fashion, after all, trots on."
Twilight's long-suffering glower darkened. With the unfinished dress she wore pinned in so many places, she didn't dare move. She was a captive audience; only Spike would have envied her position. Attempting to shift the focus of the conversation away from herself, she asked, "I thought you were trying to marry that prince?"
Rarity's reply was icy, each word spat with venomous intensity, "Not. Any. More." She 'accidentally' poked Twilight in the flank with a needle. The librarian winced, then warily eyed the intimidating swarm of small, pointy objects that Rarity was levitating around her. She decided against further questions.
Still, her ploy seemed to have worked; The dressmaker spent the next few minutes grumbling angrily to herself as she worked on the final alterations. Eventually, she stepped back, and looked Twilight over from nose to tail before giving a nod and a satisfied smile. The white unicorn levitated a mirror and showed her customer the finished work. "So, my dear Twilight, what do you think?"
Twilight Sparkle beamed, "It's just what I wanted, Rarity! I look so scholarly." In truth, she might have had one or two suggestions, but the pins and needles still hung in the air, glinting menacingly.
"What did you commission this for, anyway, Twilight? I wouldn't have thought that you could need another dress; is the one I made you for the Gala insufficient?" Rarity asked.
"That dress is amazing, Rarity," Twilight Sparkle reassured her, "And that's sort of the problem. It's way too fancy for academia. I need a more conservative dress for my presentation."
The white unicorn leaned forward, intrigued, "Oh? A presentation? You didn't mention that. Don't you know that you simply must tell me these things? Where? When? What? Details, Twilight!"
"Oh, um, I'm giving a speech at Canterlot University about some of the magic research I've been doing in my spare time. It's in three weeks, but I wanted the dress to be ready early. Just in case," Twilight said.
A gleam entered Rarity's eyes, a gleam that Twilight Sparkle recognized. For the first few months that she had known the other mare, she wouldn't have described Rarity as 'crafty'. Of course, the craftiest ponies know how to keep themselves from being recognized as such. "Magical research, Twilight? That must be quite fascinating. You know, even if you aren't interested in getting dates from U-Harmony, I'm sure that an academic such as yourself can appreciate the advanced magic that went into its creation."
The librarian knew that she was being manipulated, but the bait was irresistible. Her insatiable curiosity forced her to ask, "Advanced magic? What do you mean?"
"Why Twilight, U-Harmony is built on a spell that somepony cast such that any unicorn anywhere in Equestria can tap into it. It requires no more than the tiniest bit of magical ability or power. It can send scrolls, gather and compile information, and then make judgements automatically to generate nearly instantaneous estimations of personal compatibility. But the most amazing part is that it can teleport ponies between cities remotely without expending any of their energy. All the power seems to come from the existing spell. Remember how long it took you to master teleporting even short distances?"
Twilight rolled her eyes, "Geez, Rarity, how much are they paying you to be a walking advertisement?" Still, a part of her was thinking about the sort of epic magic a system like that would require. Her interest was only growing. "In any case, if I had the ability to create a spell framework that complex, I certainly wouldn't waste it on something so trivial."
Rarity ignored her friend's jabs and continued, "The best part, Twilight," she leaned forward conspiratorially, her volume dropping, "Is that nopony knows how it works. All contact with administration is done through the spell itself. Nopony knows who or where they are. Isn't that exciting? Oh, the intrigue! Imagine, being the first researcher to crack their system." She turned with a dismissive wave of her hoof, "Not that you would be interested in anything having to do with romance. I'm sorry that I brought it up. What was your presentation topic, again?"
"Light refraction magic," Twilight replied, not nearly so proud of the fact as she had been ten minutes before, "A couple minor improvements that I made to the basic spell."
Rarity's voice dripped pity, "Yes. I see. I'm sure that Princess Celestia will be very satisfied with that use of her star pupil's time."
Twilight sighed, "Sometimes, Rarity, you're evil,"
The white unicorn purred appreciatively, "Yes, darling, but I make evil look good."
* * *
The finished dress was safely stored away in Twilight's saddlebags, which rested near the Boutique's exit. Rarity had taught her how to access the spell for U-Harmony sign up. She was ready. Or something like ready, anyway. The bookish mare figured that if she was going to investigate this 'U-Harmony', she might as well actually try the service out for herself. First-hoof observation was, after all, the quickest way to get results. Perhaps she could even learn something to put in a friendship report. If it was too horrible, she could always stop. Taking a deep breath, she channeled a bit of power into her horn.
The cantrip was simpler even than levitation, and she preformed it perfectly on her first try. A scroll and quill appeared in the air in front of her with a flash. Before the purple unicorn could react, her friend wrapped them in a sheathe of magic and began to fill out the form.
Rarity murmured as the quill danced. "Let's see now. Name? Twilight Sparkle. Birthdate? That's coming up, I hope you enjoy your inevitable surprise party. Pinkie Pie throws one every time."
Twilight moved next to the other unicorn, wanting a better view of the sheet.
The dressmaker turned matchmaker continued, "Location? Ponyville. Race? Unicorn. I'm not sure why they ask that one, since only unicorns can work the spell. Ah, now we're to the good stuff! I'll just go ahead and check the box for 'mare seeking stallion'."
Twilight made a choked noise and Rarity paused, slowly turning her head to look at her friend, enigmatic smile on her lips, "Unless there's some objection, Twilight?"
The purple unicorn muttered something, looking away in embarrassment.
"What was that, dear? I couldn't quite catch it," Rarity said, smile growing.
Twilight lowered her head, squeaking something at the very edge of perception.
The white unicorn sighed in mock impatience, "Yes, Twilight, you do a delightful Fluttershy impression. Now could you speak up, please?"
The librarian cringed, finally managing to speak, "...Other box."
Rarity's grin only got wider, "Oh? Which other box? Stallion seeking stallion? I've taken your measurements; I know you're no stallion, darling. That box is more for Hoity Toity's type."
Twilight growled in frustration, "Mare seeking mare!" Her eyes widened as she became aware that she had shouted the words at an incriminatingly high volume.
Her friend only laughed, raising an eyebrow, "Oh my, our little bookworm, a fillyfooler? Who could have guessed? I suppose I'll have to send for a new form.... Oh wait, look, it seems that I had already accidentally checked 'mare seeking mare' instead of 'mare seeking stallion'. How fortuitous! It's almost like, on some level, I already knew." After a brief pause, amusement crept into Rarity's voice as she added, "Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, I know this advice is about a year late, and I doubt that your little sleepover book mentioned this sort of thing explicitly, but still. Even during your first sleepover, you should have known better than to leave mare on mare erotic novels under the pillows of the beds. And under your bed. And in that hidden compartment under the trick floorboard. Ponies could stumble across things in places like that."
Twilight Sparkle's ears folded back as she stammered, "Those... those aren't mine!"
"Then why did so many of them have writing on the cover... what was it... 'Property of Twilight Sparkle, Do Not Read', with 'This Means You Spike' in parenthesis?" Rarity was clearly taking great pleasure in her friend's embarrassment.
"Er... Uh..."
The white unicorn laughed, "Don't worry, dear, just taking my revenge for not trusting me with this earlier. I'm your friend, and that won't change no matter what gender you're attracted to. Your secret is safe with me. And Applejack, who confiscated a few of the books that night. And Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. But come now, they would have found out eventually anyway. You can't keep things like that from your closest friends. And the princesses, of course, but Celestia already knew."
Twilight dropped to her knees, utterly mortified.
"Look on the bright side, Twilight," Rarity said, "Now you don't have to worry about how to tell us. Not that you seemed likely to. It would have been rather awkward if you just brought home a mare one day, right?"
"It's still awkward, Rarity. Really, really awkward," the librarian said, shell-shocked.
"It doesn't have to be! You can be out of the closet now. It's your time -to borrow a turn of phrase- to shine all over Equestria!" Rarity's encouragement lifted Twilight's spirits just a bit. She began to see the bright side. Celestia clearly still accepted her, and if she had the princess's stamp of approval, who was anypony else to object?
Well, there was her parents. Then again, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.
Rarity floated the scroll back over to her friend. "That's all there is to this form," she said, "be a dear and send it off, if you would. Enough distractions, as amusing as they may be."
Twilight activated the U-Harmony spell again, and the scroll disappeared, only to be replaced nearly instantly by another. She looked to the other unicorn for advise.
"That's for the billing information. I'll leave you to that, and shall be back in just a moment." Rarity said.
By the time the white unicorn returned, her friend was working on another scroll.
"Ah, yes. That must be the question scroll. Answer everything yes or no, and all the questions will disappear and be replaced by new ones. When you've answered as many as you like, send it off and the matching will begin. You'll have a date in no time. But..." Rarity hesitated, "It would be unwise to rush. The more questions you answer, the better off you'll be. The matches seem to be better if you answer more questions. I was less than thorough on my first attempt, and the first m- er, pony they matched me with was...," She shuddered, "Less than ideal, shall we say? Take your time."
Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow and fell back on her old sarcasm, "Anything else you want to warn me about in this delightful service that you've insisted I take part in?"
"Hmm, let's see," Rarity said, tapping her chin with a hoof in thought, "Well, I guess I should tell you about how the actual dates work. They're all blind dates, you don't get to know who you're going to end up with until the spell teleports you to the location."
Twilight scoffed, "Why would it be set up that way? That seems like a terrible way to make it work. What if you end up on a date with somepony you already know? Or an ex-marefriend? Or somepony that you're not just not attracted to? Or...or... I don't know. Any number of disasters."
"Well," Rarity said, "You can call on the magic to send you back where you came from at any time. Though it's considered rude to do so the instant you see your match. Of course, that sort of thing would never happen to me. Nor would I do it to another; a lady is always gracious." Self-satisfaction seemed to radiate from the unicorn in waves. "Anyway, darling, all you'll know is the time, location, and most significant consideration in the match. The thing you most have in common with the other pony. I think. That last bit can get a tad... odd. You'll see."
"O...kay...," Twilight felt a strange sense of foreboding at that, but banished the feeling.
Rarity spoke again, "You just keep filling out that sheet. I'll be in the back working on an order if you have any questions. Feel free to stay here; if your first date ends up being tonight, you simply must let me help you get prepared. With Rarity's help, darling, you'll look just fabulous."
The purple unicorn nodded and turned her attention to the seemingly endless parade of yes or no questions.
* * *
Twilight Sparkle was still working diligently when Rarity emerged, hours later. The dressmaker paused, blinking in confusion, "Still here, dear? I expected you to have left by now. How many questions have you answered, anyhow?"
The purple mare slumped to the ground, groaning. The quill and scroll fell as the levitation magic around them disappeared. "Hundreds. Maybe thousands. They never seem to end. How many are there?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know, dear," Rarity said, "I certainly didn't fill out all of them. After a while, some of them started ask about things that I felt were... well... unimportant."
"Unimportant!?" the other unicorn shouted, "You have a gift for understatement, Rarity. Half are totally irrelevant. Only one in twenty seems really worthwhile. Of course, I want to answer all of those, it's just so frustrating. Wading through pointless questions. Why does it matter whether or not I prefer the lyre to the contrabass? Or that I prefer the crescent moon to the full moon? Or whether or not I like seedless grapes? Or that stage magicians put on better shows than mimes? I just hope I don't get matched up with anypony ancient because I put down that I prefer older mares to younger mares." She crossed her hooves over her head, burying her face in the carpet.
"I think you've answered enough, darling," Rarity replied, her voice gaining a subtly mocking air, "Far more than enough, it seems. Just send the mean scroll away to where it can't hurt you. There's a good filly."
"Har Har. Very funny," The librarian replied dryly, but her horn glowed and the offending materials disappeared.
"Oh, I'm sorry Twilight. I didn't hear anything from you, and I just assumed that no news was good news. I should have checked on you. But I certainly didn't expect you to take the task so seriously," The dressmaker tilted her head in thought, "You know, Twilight, some days I believe that your perfectionism may rival my own," she said, before adding with a dismissive wave of a hoof, "But then I see your mane, of course."
Twilight Sparkle glared up at her, "Of course." She pushed herself up to her hooves, and a small, off-white card appeared in the air in front of her. It was a uniform white aside from a few small lines of neat, black text in the precise center:
TIME: 7:00 PM, CST
LOCATION: CANTERLOT ROYAL SYMPONY HALL, CANTERLOT
REASON FOR MATCH: INTEREST IN CLASSICAL MUSIC
THIS IS YOUR TICKET; PRESENT AT DOORS
Twilight considered the text as she floated the card to Rarity; the other mare would surely want to examine it. Then her eyes widened in shock, "Seven PM tonight!?"
The dressmaker nodded, studying the card, "Yes, that appears to be the case. And since it's just past five now, I'm glad you're already here and ready to be prepared. We'll have you looking simply amazing for that lucky mare!" She looked up and recoiled slightly when her gaze returned to her friend. She hurriedly added, "Now don't be nervous, dear."
"Who's nervous?" Twilight asked, one eye wide while the other twitched erratically as she vibrated in place. Her mental state was much closer to mortal panic than anything resembling nervousness. "What could go wrong? Well, other than possibly making a foal of myself in front of the Canterlot Phillyharmonic Orchestra. Or if she turns out to be awesome and I don't know enough about classical music to interest her. I only have two hours. I can't study enough in that time. I haven't read 'The Intellectual Mare's Guide to Dating and Courtship' in ages, and it was for mares that wanted to go out with stallions anyway! Well, I'm sure some of the basic principles apply. It was written two hundred years ago, but not much has changed, has it? I'm sure the library has something...."
Rarity let Twilight rant as she pushed the bookish mare into the nearby powder room. She sighed to herself, "The things I do for these ponies."
***
Very nearly two hours later, Rarity had Twilight prepared. Where appearance was concerned, anyway. She'd pulled out all the stops; such a grand event as a classical concert in Canterlot deserved the best: Makeup, mane, tail, a final check of the new dress, and, of course, accessories. As she'd worked, the fashionable mare had lectured her friend on general etiquette for dates. Only slight corporal punishment had been needed to keep the librarian from tarnishing the back of her hoof with notes. Rarity had done all she could; the rest was up to Twilight.
"...And remember, darling, you're a catch; act like it! You look simply marvelous, and that dress is quite fetching, you're the smartest mare in Canterlot, and anypony would be lucky to have you. Carry yourself with confidence," Rarity gave last minute encouragement as the clock approached the appointed time, "And remember, things can go wrong, but that's no reason to be discouraged. It's not like this is your first date ever, and no date is quite as awkward terrible as a mare's first."
"But Rarity," The other unicorn replied, her ears folding back, "This is my first date ever."
The magic of the card activated, and Twilight Sparkle disappeared with a flash.
Rarity blinked. "Oh. Oh my." She should have known.
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 2 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-09T13:37:20+00:00
|
2011-09-09T13:37:20+00:00
| 16,299 |
TIME: 7:00 PM, CST
LOCATION: CANTERLOT ROYAL SYMPONY HALL, CANTERLOT, EQUESTRIA
REASON FOR MATCH: INTEREST IN CLASSICAL MUSIC
THIS IS YOUR TICKET; PRESENT AT DOORS
Twilight Sparkle found herself in a familiar courtyard, just in front of the Royal Sympony Hall. The shock of teleportation wore off quickly; the mare found the spell to be very similar to her own, and was accustomed to its effects. She began to look around and immediately noticed another unicorn standing just to her left, wobbling as the aftereffects of the travel wore off; it had to be her date.
Curiosity momentarily overpowered nervousness. Twilight studied the other unicorn in a way that she'd rarely allowed herself to do with mares before. Her date's coat was light green, her mane and tail a grayish teal with a couple of streaks of white. The coloration wasn't caused by age; she seemed to be just a few years older than Twilight, if that. It seems that she, too, had put on makeup and had her hair done for the date, the latter playing host to an array of decorative clips that shone silver and gold. The mare was wearing an elegant white dress, and looked quite stunning; Twilight found herself humming appreciatively. She blinked. Where had that come from? She had no time to wonder; the other mare turned to look at her. The pony's eyes were amber.
"Hi! Nice to meet you," the strange pony said, beaming. She seemed familiar, though the librarian couldn't place where they'd met. If they ever had.
Twilight smiled nervously, "L-likewise."
The light green unicorn began to walk slowly toward the entrance, "Do you mind if we go in early? I hate having to press past a bunch of stallions to get to my seat," she turned back to look at her date. "Though I don't mind pressing past mares nearly as much," she added with a wink.
Something seemed to flutter inside of Twilight. That feeling was definitely new. She blinked, tried to focus, and trotted to catch up with the other unicorn.
They spent the next few minutes chatting idly; the introverted mare was only too content to let the older pony take the lead. Twilight Sparkle's replies became less terse as she warmed up to the conversation. She found that her date was not just a fan, but also a player of the classical style. When she asked what instrument the mare played, the response was surprising. "It's not often that I get to meet somepony and not have them know immediately what I play. I think I'll keep it a secret for now," the green unicorn replied with an enigmatic smile, "Maybe you'll be able to guess, by the time I let you see my cutie mark." The prospect interested the bookish mare more than she would have cared to admit.
By the time they found their seats, Twilight was discussing enchantments that could be laid on instruments with the fascinated musician. The concert hall filled slowly but surely with the Canterlot nobility, more elaborately dressed than could ever be necessary, and so arrogant one could almost smell it. The volume of the room increased steadily, and before long the purple unicorn was struggling to hear her date's story about a disastrous attempt at a tuning spell for stringed instruments.
Eventually, something occurred to Twilight. "What's your name!?" she practically shouted over the mounting din.
"Lyra!" The other unicorn replied with similar volume.
The purple mare beamed at her date, "Sorry I forgot to ask before! I'm Twilight Sparkle!"
Lyra blinked, then narrowed her eyes, "Twilight Sparkle as in Princess Celestia's personal student Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight's brows furrowed, "Um.... Yes?"
Her date's eye's widened, "Ponyville librarian Twilight Sparkle? That lives in Ponyville?"
The purple unicorn's eyes darted from side to side. Did the other mare know her? "That's me," she replied with a hopeful smile.
"Clop!" Lyra cursed, "I didn't recognize you through that sexy academic getup. Listen: if anypony asks, I was never here and you did not see me tonight." With that, the green-coated unicorn disappeared in a flash.
Twilight Sparkle blinked, trying to process what had just occurred. Lyra had recognized her, and now that she thought about it, that name seemed vaguely familiar to her, though she still couldn't place the other mare. Objectively, the date was probably a failure; Twilight had somehow managed to drive the other unicorn away before the concert even started. Still, the librarian was more confused than embarrassed, so she supposed that it could have gone worse. She figured that she might as well stay for the concert before using the card's magic to teleport back to Rarity. It would probably take that long to get rid of the goofy smile that Lyra's words had left on her face.
'Sexy academic' indeed!
***
The spell returned Twilight Sparkle to precisely where she'd been before the date: Carousel Boutique. She was still blinking away the disorientation of teleportation when Rarity's questions began. "Oh darling you must tell me every. Little. Detail. How was the concert? How was the mare? Were you better dressed than her? Did she... spark your interest? Did you -"
"Rarity!"
The white unicorn blinked, then chuckled, "Sorry dear. I'm just interested. For your sake."
"I'm sure," Twilight stated flatly. She sighed, "Well, it didn't go quite as I'd expected. I don't think a second date is going to happen."
"Well, chin up, Twilight. Nopony finds love on the first try. There's plenty of grass in the field. You'll just have to get a new match; U-harmony seems to have a never-ending supply of them," her friend said, placing a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "Now. What did go wrong, if you don't mind my asking?"
Twilight looked away as her ears folded back. "Well, to tell the truth, I wasn't with her most of the time I was gone. Lyra left before the concert even started. She teleported away as soon as she found out who I was. I guess she recognized me; she knew I was the librarian here." The mare's mouth twisted sourly, "I just wish I knew where I'd seen her before."
Rarity frowned. "Her name is... Lyra? Did she have a light green coat?" Twilight nodded. "Was her cutie mark a lyre?"
The librarian raised an eyebrow, "I didn't see her cutie mark, but I'm fairly sure she played an instrument with strings. Why? Do you know her?"
The other unicorn sighed. "I'm afraid so dear. And I do believe that Bon Bon and I are going to need to have a little chat...."
"Who's Bon Bon?" Twilight asked.
"Lyra's wife."
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 3 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-03-01T10:06:30+00:00
|
2012-03-01T10:06:30+00:00
| 15,903 |
TIME: 3:00 PM CST
LOCATION: PONYVILLE LIBRARY, PONYVILLE, EQUESTRIA
REASON FOR MATCH: INTEREST IN SCHOLARLY PURSUITS
Twilight was extremely surprised when she saw that her second date would take place in her own home. After some initial panic, the researcher in her took over. All she could think about were the implications that the choice of location might have for the way the spell determined where to send ponies. The reason for the match was interest in scholarly pursuits, and that would fit well in a library. It's not like she would mind having a date in one under normal circumstances; in fact, it seemed ideal to her. No matter what other ponies might say. Perhaps the spell didn't recognize her tree as a residence? She rather doubted that U-Harmony would teleport a mare into her date's home knowingly.
She considered the new information as she helped Spike clean. Twilight lamented the fact that she didn't have time to visit Rarity prior to the date, but she supposed that makeup and a dress weren't exactly appropriate for a library anyway. She only had a few hours to get everything in order; she certainly didn't want to be a bad host. After the library was as neat as it ever got, she sent her draconic assistant out to spend the afternoon babysitting the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It wouldn't do to have anything cramping her style, such as it was.
After Twilight finished an inexpert attempt at making herself presentable, she still had quite a while to wait. Everything was ready. The anticipation nearly killed her.
She was nervously fiddling with a random reference tome when the telltale flash of an incoming teleport lit the library. The unicorn noted that the spell recognized that she was already at the location; it refrained from trying to move her magically to where she already was.
The new arrival began to shake off the aftereffects of teleportation, and Twilight took the opportunity to examine her. A red mane and tail with a light blue streak behind the ear, white coat, and a very familiar cutie mark. A silver crescent moon on a field of red stars. The librarian gasped as she recognized her date. A fellow student at Celestia's school, one that she'd taken many classes with. She ran forward to greet her old associate, "Hi, Moondancer, welcome to my library! It's been so long."
The mare turned, and her jaw dropped when she saw the pony greeting her. "Twilight!?" she exclaimed, "I thought you'd dropped off the face of Equestria. Everypony's been wondering where you ended up." She tilted her head, "What do you mean by 'your' library?"
"Oh, I run this place now. And live here, actually. I've been doing research for the Princess."
Moondancer shook her head, "Always the princess with you." She looked around, brow furrowing when she didn't find what she was looking for. "Say, Twilight, is there anypony else here?"
Twilight giggled, "Looking for your date, Moondancer? Look no further. I didn't know that you were interested in mares too."
The other unicorn stared blankly in shock for a few seconds, then broke into an ecstatic grin, "Well, mostly just one mare. A mare that I'd been trying to forget until now."
"Oh really? Who?"
Moondancer began to walk slowly toward her date, swaying her flank seductively. She spoke in a low purr, "You, Twilight. It was you. But I didn't know if you were like me or not."
Twilight was caught flat-hoofed by the sudden change in the other unicorn's attitude. "Uh... Well, I wasn't very social back then. Wasn't nearly ready to let everypony know about.. well... this." She began to back away from the advancing mare slowly, more than a little creeped out by the development.
The red-maned pony continued forward, slowly catching up to her quarry. "But I still invited you to my birthday, every year, hoping to spend some time with you, however little," She said.
"I'd always wondered about that," Twilight replied, "I didn't even show up half the time. I'm sorry about that. Er... could you stay back a little?" The other mare was getting uncomfortably close.
Moondancer seemed to be ignoring Twilight. A manic hint entered her voice as her speech continued "But when you did come, it was such sweet torture. You were so close, but always out of reach. I felt better just knowing that you were there, curled up in the corner with a book. Adorable. It hurt that I could only look, not touch. But it's okay, Twilight. Now I know that you're a fillyfooler just like me. And we can be together." The librarian's rear bumped into a wall; she couldn't retreat any further. The white mare nuzzled Twilight's cheek.
The purple unicorn recoiled in shock, not knowing quite what to say. She stammered, "Er- maybe."
Anger flashed across Moondancer's face. She growled, "No maybe, Twilight, we will be together," her face softened as she added in a loving whisper, "Forever."
Twilight's ears folded back, "You're kind of creeping me out, Moondancer. Maybe you should go; you can contact me again when you're feeling a little more... sane...," She teleported across the library, hoping to put some distance between herself and the madmare.
Her date turned quickly and began to trot toward the librarian, her face contorted with rage, screaming, "I know where you live, Twilight! You will love me!"
In a burst of panic-fueled magic, Twilight Sparkle managed to access the U-Harmony transportation spell attached to Moondancer. Guided by her mastery of her own version of the magic, she was able to activate the return trip prematurely. The mare disappeared with a flash.
Twilight sighed in relief. That had been an unmitigated disaster. She tried to look on the bright side; her study of the spell was bearing fruit. Plus, it's not like any date could possibly be worse than that one was. Or so she fervently hoped.
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 4 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-10T13:16:53+00:00
|
2011-09-10T13:16:53+00:00
| 16,314 |
TIME: 7:00 PM CST
LOCATION: ZE GUILDED PLATE, MELBRIDLE, AUSPONIA
REASON FOR MATCH: EXTREMELY HIGH COMPATIBILITY
Twilight shook off the shock of teleportation quickly, and found herself sitting in a booth staring at her reflection. The image looked somehow... off... in the dim light. She leaned forward to get a better view, careful not to disturb the silverware and glass of her place setting; the reflection matched her movement. As she got closer, she realized the problem: the colors were wrong. It showed a teal coat and pink mane, with a yellow stripe where her pink and purple ones should have been. Otherwise, the reflection was indistinguishable from the one in her mirror in the library. She tilted her head, and her twin did the same. She wondered what enchantment caused the color shift, and why it didn't seem to affect the purple of her eyes. What use could such a thing possibly have?
She was leaning forward more, curiosity demanding a more thorough examination of the phenomenon, when a pointed cough from her side drew her attention. She paused, just a few centimeters from touching the glass. Twilight turned toward the source of the interruption: a grey unicorn pony waiter, impeccably dressed and looking as snooty as any she'd ever seen. When he had her attention, he spoke with a thick accent, "Excuse moi, mademoiselles, but no public displays of ze affection are allowed in ze restaurant. If I may take ze orders, instead?" He levitated over a pitcher of water, and filled the empty glass in front of her.
And then he filled the glass in front of the purple mare's teal reflection.
Twilight Sparkle blinked. For a moment, she didn't understand. And then it hit her.
"It's not...," she began.
"...a mirror?" The mare across from her finished.
Twilight's only consolation was that her doppelganger looked just as mortified as she felt. "What?" They asked in unison.
The waiter looked from one to the other, "I weel be back to take ze order after you ladies are done with ze existential crisis, yes?" He walked away, though neither mare was paying any attention.
Even knowing that it was a separate pony, Twilight couldn't find any noticeable differences in their appearance, aside from the obvious palate swap in coloring. The whole situation was just too surreal; she wondered if she was dreaming. Even so, her desire to understand the situation overwhelmed all other concerns as she spoke, "We should...."
"...make sure that we don't have the same name?"
"Yeah. I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"I'm Dewdrop Dazzle."
"Nice to meet you," They said in unison, beaming at each other.
Despite the fact that the two got along extremely well, the initial strangeness never seemed to fade. Neither mare could mention anything about themselves without the other chiming in with their own eerily similar experience. Eventually, over their twin orders of daisy sandwiches, the discussion dissolved into rapid-fire comparison of their pasts, friends, and personal lives. Each unicorn tried desperately to find some aspect of themselves that the other couldn't match.
Twilight learned that Dewdrop lived in a library in Ponyton with her baby sea dragon assistant. She regularly sent reports on friendship to her mentor Princess Aqua, alicorn ruler of Ausponlia, who had sent her to Ponyton on one fateful Autumn Tide Celebration day. There she had met five ponies who would eventually become her best friends, and together with them and the powerful magic of the Principles of Togetherness, she had defeated the evil Inferno Core. In a twist that by that time in Dewdrop's story Twilight had seen coming, Inferno Core turned out to be Princess Aqua's sister, Terra. Every detail of the other mare's life seemed to be just a minor variation on her own.
Twilight Sparkle wondered if the universe was screwing with her mind just to watch her squirm.
Eventually, dinner was complete, and the mares had grown tired of exchanging life stories. Dewdrop Dazzle leaned forward and dropped her voice, and Twilight moved closer to hear. The teal unicorn said, "So... I was reading something just this morning that applies to the situation we find ourselves in. The piece asserted that you could tell a lot about a pony by what answer they gave to this question: If you met an exact duplicate of yourself, which would you do, fuck or fight? Those are the only two options that take full advantage of such a situation. I don't think either of us is likely to find anypony more like ourselves. So instead of relying on thought to attempt a prediction of the results, we can just see what happens. No doubt the results will be fascinating. So what'll it be, Twilight...," she raised an eyebrow, "Fight... or fuck?"
Twilight Sparkle smiled knowingly. She saw exactly what her strange twin was getting at. She responded with just two words, shouted at the waiter.
"Check please!"
***
Spike was curling up for bed when he heard the bang and saw the flash of teleportation magic. Lights began to flick on in the library and the dragon sat up and shouted, "Hey Twilight, how did the date go?" He got up and walked to the edge of the landing to look down at the mare. He gasped when he saw her; Twilight's mane was disheveled, and she was covered in dirt, cuts, and bruises.
"I don't want to talk about it," the unicorn said. She groaned as she rubbed her swollen left cheek with a hoof, "But I'll tell you one thing, Spike. I throw a mean right hook."
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 5 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-13T08:33:17+00:00
|
2015-09-02T01:35:42+00:00
| 16,193 |
TIME: 1:30 PM CST
LOCATION: MUSEUM OF NATURAL ARCANA, FILLYDELPHIA
REASON FOR MATCH: INTEREST IN MAGICAL GEMS AND OTHER ARTIFACTS
The card that Twilight had summoned was a joke. It had to be. She glanced at the clock hanging on the library wall. One twenty six. She scanned the card again, then cursed. Her eyes flicked back to the timepeice. One twenty seven. Without thinking, she shouted one of the most profane oaths known to ponykind. Spike, who had been shelving books, stopped to clap slowly, nodding at the librarian with respect clear on his face. "Wow Twilight, I didn't think you had it in you," the dragonling gushed.
Twilight Sparkle was already rushing up the stairs. "Spike, if you ever think about using that word, you'll be eating nothing but coal, granite, and bran muffins for a month!" she called out over her shoulder.
"Bran muffins!?" The dragonling shouted up at her, "Do you want me to chip a tooth?"
The unicorn didn't bother to reply. Bursting through her bedroom door, she wrapped the brush on her dresser in a sheathe of magic and began furiously brushing her hair.
So what if U-harmony had only given her five minutes warning for her date? So what if she only had... Twilight glanced at the nearest clock... two minutes and fifteen seconds to get ready? That didn't mean the date was fated to be a disaster. The mare's eye twitched.
With a minute and thirty seconds left on the clock, Twilight felt the familiar pull of teleportation magic, and disappeared with a flash.
***
Twilight Sparkle reappeared fully aware, panic warding off any disorientation from the spell. She found herself in a quiet hall, surrounded by display cases filled with an array of glimmering stones; she could feel the latent magic resonating within the gems. A few ponies, mostly older couples and families, were making their slow way through the museum.
The librarian was startled by a flash from behind her, and found that she was still levitating her hairbrush. Without thought, she flung the implement as far as she could in a random direction. She winced at the echoing clatter of wood on tile, then spun to meet her date. She put on a smile that she hoped would appear relatively sane.
There behind the purple-maned unicorn, facing away, was a very familiar pony. White coat, purple tail, three gems on her flank; there was no mistaking it. Rarity was just recovering from being stunned by the sudden transport. Twilight's head tilted as she considered the implications. Her mouth opened, but no sound emerged.
The dressmaker took her time composing herself, then spun gracefully. Her eyes began to sweep the room, and settled almost immediately on her friend. The white-coated unicorn's face took on an expression disturbingly similar to the one Spike got whenever Twilight found him with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Oh, hello Twilight, fancy meeting you here. Coincidentally. What brings you to this museum?" Rarity asked, deliberately casual. Her eyes studied the ceiling intently.
"The same thing that brought you here, Rarity," The other mare deadpanned, "Why didn't you tell me what you were using U-harmony for?"
"Why, what ever do you mean, darling," the fashionista replied, "I'm merely here to look at the... um...," her eyes flicked to a display case, then lit up, "The gems! Ha! I love gems. It makes perfect sense for me to come here and look at these gems." She spared another glance at the glittering stones, then nodded, "So there."
Twilight put a hoof to her face, shaking her head, "Rarity, have you ever heard of trying too hard?"
Rarity preened her impeccably-styled mane with a recently-pedicured hoof. "No," she said simply.
"You do know that I can sense your link to the U-harmony teleportation spell, right?" The other unicorn asked.
The dressmaker chuckled nervously, "What a delightful bluff, dear."
Twilight sighed, and reached out with telekinesis to where she felt the U-harmony card tucked into the other mare's tail. She pulled it out with perhaps a bit more force than necessary, eliciting an indignant cry from the white-coated unicorn. The card floated to the librarian, and she inspected it. "Well, what a surprise. This matches mine. I guess I'm not the only one who checked 'mare for mare', am I?" The librarian asked dryly.
Rarity turned her nose up, "I'll have you know that you can check more than one box." She spun away, focusing intently on the nearest array of gemstones.
Twilight smiled as she shook her head. She walked to stand beside her friend. "Well. This is awkward."
"Yes. Very awkward indeed."
The librarian shifted her weight from side to side. She spoke hesitantly, "So? You're a fillyfooler too? I thought... you know... with that whole prince thing...."
"I've always appreciated all kinds of beauty," the other mare said. Her lips spread into a thin smile, "The... incident with Blueblood has caused me to reconsider my primary focus."
"Ah." Twilight looked away.
"Quite."
They were silent for a long time. Rarity finished scanning the display in front of them, and began to walk slowly from case to case, taking in each in turn. Twilight followed.
Eventually, the librarian found herself asking, "So we're going to...?"
Rarity paused, turning to smile at the other mare. "We're going to enjoy an afternoon out as friends. We might as well make the most of things, darling," she said with a decisive nod.
"Okay. But, you know, I was thinking," Twilight looked at the ground. She kicked it with a hoof, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I mean, you have more experience in this whole romance thing. And related fields, I assume? I'm sure that there are things you could teach me...."
Rarity looked at the other mare with pity. "Friends, Twilight," she stated softly but insistently.
Twilight Sparkle's gaze returned to the dressmaker. "Why just friends?"
The white unicorn bit her lip, her eyes darting around evasively. "Oh don't make me say it, darling."
"Say what?" the other mare asked, staring blankly.
"Dear... I.... There's no easy way to tell you this," Rarity sighed, "So I just will. I'm out of your league. As in way, way out of your league."
Twilight's head drooped and her ears folded back. "Oh." She stated petulantly.
Rarity put a reassuring hoof on her friend's shoulder, "It's okay Twilight. You're still one of my best friends, and I know there are other mares out there that would be just perfect for you."
"Uglier mares?" Twilight grumbled.
"Nerdier mares." Rarity insisted.
The librarian felt a ghost of a smile upon her face, "...I can live with that."
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 6 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-25T03:46:37+00:00
|
2011-09-25T03:46:37+00:00
| 16,973 |
TIME: 7:00 PM CST
LOCATION: SEVEN PENNANTS AMUSEMENT PARK, MANEHATTAN
REASON FOR MATCH: CURIOSITY, INTEREST IN NEW EXPERIENCES, INSOMNIA
THIS IS YOUR TICKET, PRESENT AT ENTRANCE
Twilight Sparkle arrived in Manehattan. She was immediately stunned, not by the unstable mode of transport, but by the noise and activity. The unicorn stood in a relatively clear corner, where a fence intersected a stone wall. Vast crowds of ponies moved past her, the shifting of their garishly clashing coats causing her eyes to lose focus. For a moment, all the mare could see was a shifting sea of colors, and all she could hear was a dull roar, loud carnival music, and the occasional distant scream of excitement. She shook her head and forced herself to look past the swarm, to where grand monuments to earth pony engineering, pegasus construction, and unicorn enchantment rose. Metal boxes filled with colorful dots, so tiny in the distance, barreled along metal tracks at speeds that would put most pegasi to shame.
So these were the 'roller coasters' that she'd heard so much about.
"Awesome, isn't it?"
Twilight turned toward the source of the question, and she did her best to keep from drooling as her eyes took in the other mare's form.
The white-coated unicorn had a mane striped with light and dark blues, cut to fall effortlessly into style. She wore purple-tinted mirror shades and a casual grin that seemed to tell the world 'I'm more awesome than you and I know it, but it's not a big deal that I am a big deal.' She stood slumped to the side, relaxed into a balance that should not, by Twilight's reckoning, have kept her from falling. The purple mare's eyes lingered on the other pony's cutie mark: a music note.
The librarian could not imagine how U-harmony had managed to match her up with somepony so incredibly... cool! "Hi! Nice to meet you, I'm Twilight Sparkle," she said with a smile.
The other unicorn nodded as her grin widened. "My name's Vinyl Scratch but I don't want to hear the word 'Vinyl' out of you," she said with obviously mock seriousness, "all the cute mares just call me Scratch." Twilight couldn't tell past the other pony's eyewear, but she got the impression that the unicorn had winked at her.
The purple-maned unicorn's ears folded back as she blushed. "Okay... Scratch."
"So, never been to Manehattan before?" Vinyl asked.
Twilight laughed nervously and shook her head.
"Ha!" her date barked, "I can spot a tourist from a mile away. Don't worry about it, hot stuff, you're in good hooves. Come on!" Scratch walked forward, and the crowd parted around her. Twilight followed in her wake, trying to avoid the hordes of Manehattanites and tourists barreling across the crowded square. She was only able to avoid jostling other ponies when she followed directly behind her date, who seemed to have no trouble strolling forward at a leisurely pace without hitting anypony. The librarian found herself close enough to her date that she couldn't resist letting her eyes drift down to watch the other mare's flanks. The way they swayed from side to side fascinated her, and the motion seemed to grow more pronounced with time.
Twilight was startled out of her reverie by a bark of laughter in front of her. The mare realized that she had been biting her lower lip and humming softly to herself. She looked up to see Vinyl Scratch looking back at her as they walked. The librarian felt her face twist with mortification, but her date just smiled at her and shouted over the din of the crowd, "Like what you see, doll? There's plenty of time for that later. Right now, I'm just going to show you how we have fun around here. Get your ticket out, pet." The white-coated mare came to a halt, and Twilight managed to stop before crashing into the flanks she'd been studying so intently. She didn't know quite how to feel about that.
The purple-maned unicorn looked around, and gaped at the lines of ponies all queued up an ready to pass through the huge gates. A looming sign above easily dwarfed any building in Ponyville. All garish reds, blinding oranges, and enchanted lights, the beacon proclaimed: SEVEN PENNANTS, MANEHATTAN.
****
"Don't worry sweet cheeks, everypony's nervous their first time," Vinyl Scratch said.
Click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click.
Twilight had never heard a more ominous noise. She was strapped into what amounted to an iron box on wheels, suspended on a track high above the ground. The contraption was held up by what, in retrospect, seemed to be laughably flimsy metal poles. The garish paint job probably did not help any of it stay together. The unicorn stared intently at the cloudless sky; earlier in the makeshift train's morbid climb, she'd made the mistake of looking over the side.
Never again.
The unicorn breathed deeply and slowly, trying to calm herself. All the while, that horrible chain continued to rattle.
Click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click.
The Manehattanite mare patted Twilight on the shoulder with a hoof. When the purple-maned unicorn turned to look at her, she shot the panicked pony a cocky grin. "We're almost to the top. Just put your hooves in the air and pretend you're a pegasus. These rides are always best in the back car, so don't think I need to remind you to make noise," Scratch said, tilting her head so that her date could see her red-irised eyes over her shades, "besides, just looking at you, I can tell you're a screamer, hot stuff." She winked at Twilight.
The librarian tried to process that.
Click click click-.
Suddenly, the horrible sound was gone, but it was replaced by an even more disconcerting feeling of acceleration. They crested the hill, and Twilight saw the park laid out below her. She panicked, throwing her hooves up in an attempt to shimmy out of her restraints and screaming at the top of her lungs.
Vinyl Scratch laughed and shouted, "That's the spirit, luv!" as they went barreling down precipitous incline.
***
The train stopped at the station with a final jolt of metal on metal. The restraints released, and Twilight Sparkle climbed slowly onto the wooden platform, joyful ponies streaming around her as they exited the ride. Her eyes were wide, her body shook, and her teeth chattered furiously. She wondered how many years it would take for her heart rate to return to normal.
Twilight jumped slightly as Vinyl Scratch bumped her lightly with a shoulder. The other mare had the same cocky grin, shining almost as brightly as the purple shades, and didn't seem to have been at all affected by what the librarian had seen as a near-death experience. "What'd ya think, foxy lady?"
The purple-coated unicorn just stared at her date for a moment. Then, her face broke into a manic smile as she nearly shouted, "Can we go again!?"
Scratch chuckled and patted her on the shoulder with a hoof. "Sure thing, daredevil."
***
"What is it?" Twilight asked. She stared at the strange item her date was levitating in front of her. She hesitated to call it 'food'; it didn't look like any sort of meal she'd ever seen. A featureless grey tube as long as her shin sat on a peice of bread that seemed to have been designed to be split almost, but not quite, in half. The unnatural-looking item was covered in diced onions, lumpy green goo, and thick red and yellow sauces. At a glance, the mare probably wouldn't even have deemed the cuisine worth feeding to Spike.
Vinyl Scratch tilted her head. "Like I said, it's a coney dog."
"Yeah, but...." The librarian paused to lean forward and sniff the offering. At least the smell wasn't bad. "What's it made out of?"
The other mare looked up, bobbing her head from side to side each time she listed an ingredient, "Well, there's corn cobs, just the cob of course, no kernels, carrot tops, potato eyes, apple stems, peach pits, iceberg lettuce, broccoli, and basically anything else that nopony would normally choose to eat."
Twilight gaped at her date, then recoiled from the still-hovering coney dog in disgust. "Really!?"
"Ha!" the blue-maned unicorn barked, "That never gets old. Nah, don't worry about it, they're mostly tofu." She bit into her own dog, and Twilight couldn't help but follow suit.
It was far from the studious unicorn's normal fare, but walking through the crowds, the light, and the roaring din of the amusement park, it just felt right.
***
The pair rode about a dozen roller coasters that night, but Twilight never did figure out how her date managed to keep those sunglasses from falling off during the rides. It wasn't long before she just stopped caring; the librarian was having more fun than she'd had in months.
Eventually, though, a booming announcement informed the ponies that remained among the rides and stalls that it was nearly closing time. Vinyl Scratch led Twilight out of the park, and the two of them found a bench in the plaza outside of Seven Pennants and took a seat. A cold wind blew off the nearby ocean, and the librarian shivered. Her date scooted closer to her and threw a forehoof around her shoulder, pulling her in to lean against the other mare. It felt delightful. The pair looked up at the stars, and Twilight Sparkle sighed contentedly.
She wondered if this was the sort of date that luckier mares went on all the time. Fun times with sane ponies? The librarian could get behind that. It was nice to be matched up with a pony that wasn't married or a stalker. Her date was just a slightly eccentric DJ. Scratch's biggest quirk was that the mare never seemed to be able to decide on what to call her. Twilight had learned scores of affectionate nicknames in just a few hours. She wondered idly what 'sugar tits' were. Perhaps a type of candy? She'd have to ask Pinkie Pie sometime.
Eventually, Vinyl Scratch broke the silence, "I had a lot of fun tonight, sweet thing. You should visit Manehattan more often; the girls and I are looking for a fifth."
Twilight turned to look at her date, "You mean like a fifth band member?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion, "I don't play any instruments."
The other mare smiled sheepishly, "Uh... not exactly." She rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, "Maybe I should have made things more clear. See, not all relationships are two-pony things, y'know?"
The librarian blinked. "What?"
"Have you heard of polyamory?" The white-coated unicorn asked.
"Um... I've read about it once or twice," Twilight said, tapping her forehooves together and looking away from her date. "I don't really know how it... er... works?" She glanced back toward the other mare.
"Well it's really simple," Scratch said, the energy and confidence returning to her voice, "You see, babe, when a mare and a mare and another mare and a fourth mare all love each other very much, they move in together and buy a really, really big bed. We're talking huge here. And then...." She began to make squeaking noises in an eerily accurate imitation of bed springs.
"I get the idea! The gestures are not necessary!" Twilight blushed as the other mare stopped and chuckled at her embarrassment.
"So what do you think, Twilight?" The DJ asked.
"...I'll consider it."
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 7 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-16T17:51:13+00:00
|
2011-09-16T17:51:13+00:00
| 17,443 |
TIME: 6:00 PM, CST
LOCATION: CANDLES' FLAME RESTARAUNT, FILLYDELPHIA
REASON FOR MATCH: SIMILAR VALUES
Twilight had more or less given up on finding romance through U-Harmony. She continued to send off for matches out of a sense of weary duty, knowing that it was the price she paid for brief flashes of insight into the dating spell's workings. The unicorn didn't bother to prepare; there was no point in putting effort into an inevitable disaster. As the appointed time approached, she wondered idly what horrors the spell would visit upon her this time. All too soon, she found out.
Twilight Sparkle recovered from teleportation's effects nearly immediately, as did the mare sitting across the table from her. She recognized the other unicorn at a glance, but shock kept her silent for a moment. Her date's teal eyes widened. Twilight desperately hoped she was wrong, but there was no mistaking it. The light gray coat. The mane, striped purple and white. The same old familiar face.
"Mom?" She found herself asking.
Twilight's mother disappeared in a flash of magic. The librarian just stared at where the other unicorn had been, hoping to wake up.
She had no such luck.
***
Eventually, she returned to her library, bewildered and slightly nauseated.
Spike was there to greet her. "Hey Twilight," he said, "Welcome back. How was your date?"
"More awkward than anything I could possibly have imagined, Spike," the mare replied, shuddering.
"Aww, that's too bad, Twilight. Anyway, a note came for you, not long after you left. It wasn't from the princess. It just said 'Never speak of this. Ever. And don't ask; you don't want to know. P.S. Your father says 'hi' and seems to find this hilarious. I will end you if you keep laughing. Yes, that was meant for you, stop looking over my shoulder when I'm writing.'" The dragon paused, "Or something like that. It vanished before I finished reading it."
Twilight had never more fervently wished for amnesia.
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 8 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-16T17:53:02+00:00
|
2011-09-16T17:53:02+00:00
| 24,066 |
TIME: 2:00 PM CST
LOCATION: MUSEUM OF MAGIC, CATERLOT
REASON FOR MATCH: INTEREST IN MAGIC AND ITS APPLICATIONS
A mage! Twilight Sparkle was ecstatic; how could a fellow practitioner of the arcane sciences be a bad match? Well, there was that unfortunate incident with Moondancer. Twilight dismissed that as a fluke. Her bad luck had to end some time. At least, she hoped so. Perhaps she would finally have somepony willing to discus the subtler aspects of magic theory. The unicorn sighed wistfully. She was finally looking forward to a date, instead of dreading it like she had with most of the others.
For once, Twilight didn't put too much thought into her appearance. She knew that any pony of magical inclination would care about her knowledge, not her mane. At least, any that she would want to associate with. The mare idly hummed a cheerful tune as she studied the morning away; when the time came, the teleportation took her by surprise.
***
After the flash cleared, Twilight Sparkle looked around. She was in one of the familiar marble halls of the Museum of Magic. Trips to the museum had been a favorite weekend activity for the mare, before she took up residence in Ponyville. The displays around her were all concerned with the magic of illusion or items enchanted with tricks of light or appearance. It reminded Twilight about her refraction research and the upcoming presentation, and she wondered if her date would be interested in hearing about it. Where was the other unicorn, anyway?
Twilight looked around, and her gaze immediately fell upon a mare. She simply stared for a few moments, then turned around, looking for somepony else. Anypony else. She had no such luck; she was alone in the museum with.... the librarian sighed. With Trixie. Even from behind, the magician was unmistakable. The hat and cape were a dead giveaway, identical to the costume that she had worn to preform in Ponyville. The self-proclaimed great and powerful mare was busy examining herself in the largest of the magic mirrors in the exibit hall. It hadn't been there the last time that Twilight visited; she wondered briefly what it did.
The purple unicorn considered just teleporting away to escape another inevitable bad date. It would be so much easier that way. She dismissed the line of thought. She was in too deep, now. It had become personal. U-Harmony just wanted to break her will, to make her give up, to watch her fail. Twilight couldn't give it that satisfaction. Her eyelid twitched. She would show that dating service that it couldn't get the best of her; she would get a good match eventually. She just had to pony up and keep trying. Maybe she had been wrong about Trixie. Was there any reason not to give her another chance?
Something within Twilight wondered briefly if U-Harmony had already succeeded in destroying her sanity.
The librarian trotted toward the showmare, seeing how close she could get to the mirror before Trixie noticed her. Twilight stopped just behind the other unicorn and tried to think of a way to greet her, nervous despite her resolve. "Uh. Hello again, Trixie. I see you replaced your, um, outfit. What enchantment does this mirror have?"
The magician looked over her shoulder, and gasped when she realized precisely who was addressing her. She turned to face Twilight and frowned. "Twilight Sparkle. The Great and Powerful Trixie's old arch-nemesis. Have you come to get your revenge on The Great and Powerful Trixie?"
Twilight blinked and tilted her head questioningly, "Arch-nemesis? We only met once. We barely spoke. What is there for me to get revenge about? And how do you know my name? Ugh, never mind," Twilight sighed; this was going about as well as she should have expected, "I'm here for the date, Trixie. U-harmony." At least the purpose of the mirror had become clear: it showed a giant image of whatever was closest to it. Trixie had been admiring her own face. When the blue mare had turned around, the image changed. Easily four ponies high, the reflection of Trixie's hindquarters loomed behind the showmare. It was distracting in a way that made Twilight Sparkle extremely uncomfortable. She struggled to maintain eye contact with the other pony.
If Trixie had heard Twilight's objections, she didn't show it. She just grinned and spoke much louder than was strictly necessary, "The Great and Powerful Trixie knew that you could not resist her charms for long! That you'd come running back to beg for The Great and Powerful Trixie's forgiveness... and affection!"
"Trixie, this is a blind date. I couldn't have known it was you," Twilight said, her voice flat with weary cynicism.
The other mare was not put off in the least. "Then it is fate that brought us together. The Great and Powerful Trixie is the only unicorn that is equal to your magic, Twilight Sparkle! Clearly, we are a match in more ways than one," she said, nodding in agreement, presumably with herself.
"You can drop the stage act, you know. It's not like there's anypony else around," Twilight said, eyes darting to the mirror to watch as Trixie idly shifted her weight from one hoof to another and back. The librarian bit her lower lip subconsciously as she stared.
"What act?" Trixie asked, seeming genuinely curious.
Twilight's gaze returned to the other mare's face and she sighed again. "Well, whatever. I'd like to get to know you better. Whatever else you may be, Trixie, you are a great magician, and we didn't get a chance to talk shop when you were in Ponyville," she said. She forced herself to keep focusing on the other pony's eyes.
Trixie leaned forward, and she spoke seductively, "Yes, The Great and Powerful Trixie would also like to get to know you, Twilight Sparkle. Every inch of you."
The librarian wondered if the other pony was even participating in the same conversation as her. "That's not exactly what I had in mind, Trixie."
The showmare seemed to hear exactly what she wanted to hear. She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, "Your place or Trixie's?"
Twilight stomped a hoof in frustration, "And that's my limit for actually trying on this date. I can't tell which end of you is the bigger ass! It's not worth... I... why do...? Ugh. Just... Goodbye Trixie." She shot a final glare at the other mare's reflection, then turned and trotted away. She would enjoy the museum on her own; she wouldn't let Trixie ruin the day for her.
As she left the illusion displays behind, the librarian heard desperate yelling from behind her, "Wait! Don't you have any sense of foe-yay? Please come back. Trixie is so lonely!" Twilight studiously ignored the calls.
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 9 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-05-20T05:09:50+00:00
|
2012-05-20T05:09:50+00:00
| 7,796 |
Twilight Sparkle looked up from her magazine. The mare had never read Paint Drying Monthly before, and with luck, she would never have to do it again. Unfortunately, no other reading material had appeared on any of the coffee tables arrayed about the waiting room, so she turned her attention back to the pages with a slow sigh. It was, at the very least, an excuse not to look at the beige walls or the generic landscape paintings that hung from them. If Twilight had been forced to guess the motivation of the interior designer, she would have gone with ‘sadism’. The carpet reeked of acrid cleaning products, and a sundial on one wall ticked loudly every few seconds, though the shadow never moved.
Twilight’s eye twitched.
At the reception desk, an old grey earth pony with her mane in a bun reclined in her chair as she ran a file over one of her hooves. Glowing lines on the front of the desk spelled out ‘Now Serving Number: 5’.
The unicorn glanced at the small slip of paper she held in a hoof. She was number seven hundred and forty three. The mare looked around the waiting room; every other seat was empty. She glared pointedly at the receptionist.
The other mare was levitating a mirror and filing her own horn. With a click, the lines on her desk changed.
‘Now Serving Number: 6’
Twilight sighed and looked down, trying to find her place in the July copy of The Grass Grow Reader. She found the name odd; the publication was all pictures. She had just reached the centerfold when she heard another click and looked up.
‘Now Serving Number: 744’
With a frown, Twilight dropped her copy of Us Weekly and stood. She walked up the the reception desk, her hooves clopping against the cheap linoleum floor, and coughed pointedly.
The pegasus behind the desk ignored the librarian, opting instead to continue preening her wings.
“Excuse me,” Twilight said, “but I think you forgot to call my number.”
The receptionist glared at the unicorn, then pointed to a sign on the wall behind her, which stated in no uncertain terms, ‘No Smoking.’
Twilight frowned at the other mare. “What?” she asked.
The receptionist rolled her eyes with a sigh. She jabbed her hoof toward the same sign, which proudly declared, ‘No Refunds.’
The librarian’s head tilted as she stared at the words. Her mouth opened and closed, but she found that there was nothing that she could say. She scratched her head with a hoof.
“Twilight Sparkle!” a voice cried out from across the room, where the only door had opened to reveal a smiling unicorn mare levitating a clipboard and waving. The newcomer’s red mane and tail stood out sharply against her white coat and matching lab cloak, but it clashed with the puce walls of the waiting room.
Then again, Twilight was reasonably certain that every color clashed with puce. Even puce.
The librarian took an instant liking to the other mare; Twilight wore the exact same type of cloak when experimenting with potions or chemistry. She grinned and called out a greeting as she trotted across the room.
The red-maned pony nodded. “Good afternoon. My name is Close Counts and I’ll be your tour guide. Right this way, Ms. Sparkle,” she said, disappearing through the door.
Twilight hurried to follow and found herself in a hallway. Close Counts was well ahead of her, but the librarian didn’t rush; she was quite content to study the other mare’s outfit, a schoolfilly uniform with a particularly short plaid shirt. She hummed softly to herself as a smile grew on her face.
“You’re very lucky Ms. Sparkle,” Close said without looking over her shoulder, “You’re the first pony outside the company to ever be given a tour of the U-Harmony facility. Our state-of-the-art dating technology is a trade secret, but I’m honored to be giving our best customer a peek behind the scenes.” She pressed a button beside the double doors at the end of the hall and stood, tapping a hoof impatiently.
Struck by a sudden inspiration, Twilight lowered her head and peeked under the hem of Close’s skirt. She was curious about the other mare’s cutie mark. Yes, that was definitely her motivation. The mark was a stylized ‘U’. The librarian supposed it made sense, but she studied the mark for a bit longer, just to be sure. Yep, definitely a ‘U’.
A bell rang and Twilight shot upright. She stared pointedly at the ceiling as the elevator doors slid open.
“Down we go, Ms. Sparkle,” Close Counts said as she stepped into the elevator.
Twilight followed, and the mares turned around to face the doors as they shut. The tour guide pressed a button and the conveyance hummed to life. The pair stood silently, staring at the closed doors. Twilight fidgeted impatiently. Close studied her hoof. The elevator shook lightly. The librarian sighed.
“So how are you today, Ms. Sparkle?” the tour guide asked.
“Just fine,” Twilight replied with a smile, “and how are you?”
“I’m good.”
“That’s good.”
The elevator continued and the mares fell silent again. Close Counts examined her clipboard. Twilight Sparkle looked up at the ceiling and counted the tiles. There were thirty-seven. She sighed and glanced over at the tour guide, who was adjusting the straps on a set of golden armor. The mare’s red mane fit the crest well; it looked much better on Close than the royal guards, to Twilight’s judgment.
The librarian frowned. Something seemed off. She spoke without thinking, “Weren’t you just wearing...?”
“Wearing what?” the other mare asked.
Twilight’s head drooped and her ears folded back. “...Something else,” she finished lamely.
Close Counts tilted her head and frowned in confusion. “Why would I be wearing anything other than this?”
No adequate response came to mind, so Twilight fell silent.
The elevator hummed.
“How long does this ride take?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
Close’s eyes widened. “Oh, I accidentally hit the ‘vibrate’ button instead of our destination floor. Force of habit, sorry.” She smiled apologetically as she pressed another button. A metallic groan resonated through the conveyance and after a few seconds a bell rang as the doors slid open. “After you, Ms. Sparkle,” the guide added with a bow.
Twilight stepped out of the elevator into another bland hall and nearly lost her balance before she realized that she’d stepped onto moving ground. The black rubber floor appeared to be a kind of conveyor belt. She turned to her guide, frowning as she tried to figure out which question to ask first.
Close Counts attached her clipboard to one of the loops on the toolbelt she was wearing, letting it hang between a hammer and a hacksaw. The mare’s mane spilled out from beneath a vibrantly orange helmet. She smiled at Twilight and said, “Please save all questions for the end of the tour.” She gestured toward one of the walls with a hoof as the floor stopped with a jolt. “On your right, you can see our Match Criteria Processing department.”
What had once been a decidedly opaque wall was now a window. The change revealed a small grey rectangular room, its four concrete walls bare of ornamentation aside from a few black patches. Twilight was surprised to note that no matter how she craned her neck, she could see neither a floor nor a ceiling.
“Match Criteria Processing is essential to correctly determining matches,” Close Counts said with the cheerful exactness that comes from long hours spent reading a script that one loathes with every fiber of their being. Her wide, toothy smile could not have been more fake if somepony had drawn it on. “It’s one of the first parts of the U-Harmony service that most users spend significant time on. Here, new question sets filled in by all the delightful mares and stallions seeking love are received and appropriately handled by our automated system.”
A flash from above heralded the arrival of a thick ream of paper, which fell through the room. As Twilight watched, it separated into a swarm of white pages that drifted slowly downward into the dark depths of the chute. When the last page disappeared from her view, flames burst upward with a roar. The mare recoiled, falling to her haunches even as the momentary heat dissipated.
“Wow!” Close Counts laughed, “What a flare! Somepony must have put a lot of effort into that one. Great timing, too.”
With a noticeable lurch, the conveyor belt started up again, leaving the odd room behind. Twilight Sparkle struggled to her hooves as her tour guide droned on.
“In U-Harmony’s six months of operation, we’ve sent over twenty thousand ponies on a half million dates and nearly ten ponies have found compatible long-term partners through our service! Our statisticians assure us that this ratio of success to failure is significantly better than that of normal methods for finding romance. Please note that U-Harmony is not responsible for the accuracy of any statement made by U-harmony employees.” Close Counts pointed behind Twilight, the sudden movement causing the feathers on the guide’s Buffalo headdress to shake. “Now, coming up behind you, Ms. Sparkle, you’ll see our accounting department.”
The librarian looked over her shoulder and gaped at the view. A window overlooked a huge room filled from cement wall to cement wall with a sea of bits. Two hills of shining gold rose out of the expanse. A blue unicorn stallion lounged on one, dozing peacefully.
“U-Harmony’s accounting department is responsible primarily for payment processing, payroll, denying expense requests, and informing customers that we do not offer refunds.”
The mound of gold across from the sleeping unicorn’s resting place began to shift. As Twilight watched, a green-maned mare poked her head out of the top of the stack, sending an audible avalanche of clinking coins cascading down the steep slope of the stack. The noise awoke the stallion, who levitated some bits, packed them into a ball, and lobbed them at his co-worker. The projectile barely missed the mare, and a wicked grin spread across her face as she levitated her own bitball.
The conveyor belt shuddered and hummed before starting up again. Twilight could only stare as the window drifted away. After a few seconds, the only evidence of its existence was a distant voice shouting, “Money fight!”
“On our right, you can see U-Harmony’s state of the art operations center,” Close Counts said, pointing to another of the sudden windows as the floor stopped again. Light from the room beyond cast a flickering illumination on the wall of the hall, its colors constantly shifting. “Our highly trained technicians ensure that U-Harmony’s services are available to everypony everywhere, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! This department is ever-vigilant in its dedication to swift and decisive action in response to any disruption of our essential magic.”
The room fascinated Twilight in a way that even the gold in the previous room could not. She barely glanced at the pegasus mare sitting at a desk in the center of the space, her eyes instead drawn to the source of the light. The walls glowed with an ever-shifting array of words and numbers, all flashing into and out of existence or drifting across one wall only to appear on another, but she paid even them little mind. Her attention was focused on the graphs: bars, charts, lines, pies, scatterplots, even a web or two. There was something viscerally satisfying about them to the unicorn, as though they were little visual lists. Still, something nagged at the back of her mind, and she leaned in, squinting as she took in the details.
“Every day over seventeen thousand...,” Close Counts droned on, her eyes firmly fixed on the ceiling.
Twilight Sparkle frowned as she noticed that most of the graphs showed a lot of red. Red spaces, slices, and dots overshadowed all other colors, and many of the lines showed a precipitous downward trend. She turned her attention to the words and numbers that floated serenely around the room and noted that the vast majority were zeroes, when they weren’t phrases like ‘Error: Thaumaturgy Failed’ or ‘Critical: Miscast Threshold Exceeded’, and at least once Twilight thought she saw ‘Caution: Apocalypse’ somewhere in the mix. She wondered why the pony in the room wasn’t reacting or moving at all, for that matter.
The pegasus slumped forward, her head impacting the desk with a thud audible even through the thick glass of the window.
“Is she, uh,” Twiight paused, “dead?”
Close’s eyes flicked into the room for a moment even as she continued her speech. “...in the great bakery explosion. At that time, our founder was just--.” The mare’s eyes widened and she spun toward the window quickly enough that her blue policemare’s cap fell to the floor.
The unicorns stared into the room, their eyes fixed on the still form slumped over the desk. Neither mare dared to speak. Twilight leaned forward as she chewed on her lip. For a few heartbeats, the lights on the walls danced in silence.
The pegasus stirred, her mouth falling open and releasing a snore loud enough to rattle the window. Her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright, her head darting from side to side as her eyes scanned the information on the walls. With a powerful flap of her wings, she launched herself into the air. The mare hovered above her desk and grabbed her head in her hooves as she unleashed a bloodcurdling scream.
The numbers and graphs, blissfully unaware of the noise, continued to drop.
“Well!” Close Counts shouted as her horn flashed and the window disappeared. “Clearly that department is very busy. I’m sure you understand. Let’s continue, shall we?” Her horn lit up as she levitated her cap off the ground and set it back on her head.
With a buzz, the floor began moving again.
“U-Harmony is powered entirely by renewable resources,” Close said as she pointed to her left.
The entire wall of the moving hallway had changed to glass while Twilight wasn’t looking. She wished that she could have been surprised by that, but she wasn’t. Through the window, a vast expanse of fan blades spun, all suspended over another bottomless pit. Occasionally, in the depths below, a gout of flame rose, and the fans above it spun a bit faster for a moment.
Close counts yawned as she studied her clipboard. “Uharmony is the industry leader... blah blah blah... Oh, I guess this part is kind of interesting: the enchantment at the bottom of this bottomless pit is used to capture and transport all of the hot air released when stallions complain about their ex-fillyfriends. This heat rises and turns the turbines. As an added bonus, the air usually contains traces of alcohol, which are collected and burned for additional power.”
Twilight didn’t even know where to begin with what was wrong with that.
“And on our right,” Close continued, “is what you’ve been waiting for. The secret mechanism that determines U-Harmony matches. Are you ready to see the ultimate secret of U-Harmony?”
“Uh, I guess?” Twilight replied.
Close Counts pressed the big red button opposite the window and a section of the wall fell away, revealing a small room. A purple earth pony mare sat on the floor between two tophats filled to the brim with small scraps of paper.
The mare looked familiar to Twilight, but she couldn’t recall when she’d seen the pony. The swirling mane reminded her of Pinkie Pie, but the style wasn’t as poofy as her friend’s, and the white streaks were rather... unique. The oddest thing was the headgear: a cap with a spinner on top of it, the sort that usually adorned the heads of young colts in paintings made decades before Twilight was born. She leaned to the side to see the pony’s cutie mark; it was a screw and a ball. Twilight wondered what that had to do with U-Harmony.
The Screw-Ball pony reached behind her back, pulled out a bottle of glue, and proceeded to dump the contents all over the floor in front of her. She dipped both of her front hooves into the pile, then stuck one into each of the top hats. After a moment, she pulled her hooves out and studied the bits of paper stuck to them intently. Then she nodded and pronounced, “Twilight Sparkle and Close Counts. Seven o'clock tonight. Pony Joe’s Doughnuts, Canterlot. High social compatibility.”
“Now, Twilight, there’s one last thing I’ve got to show you,” Close said, walking into the room with Screw-Ball.
“What?” Twilight asked.
“What U-Harmony does to get rid of garbage!” the tour guide shouted. She laughed malevolently as she pulled a lever.
The floor under Twilight dropped away, and she began to scream as she fell into a black void. The rectangle of light above her disappeared, and she hung in blackness. Her perception grew hazy as she struggled to right herself and gather the concentration necessary for teleporation. She flailed, but found her movements sluggish and restricted, and soon she gave up. She ran out of breath, and decided to stop screaming.
The darkness spoke, but the words passed straight through Twilight, all meaning falling away as each syllable faded.
Thou art interfering with her dreams now, too?
Do you regret teaching me how, yet?
We are well beyond that point, to say the least. Dost thou have a plan, or dost thou just make it up as thou goest along?
What's a plan?
That is what we thought. Thou art too cruel to her, forsooth.
Maybe, but she’s cute when she’s flustered, isn’t she?
That, we must admit, is true.
Twilight’s mind filled with the sound of lightly chiming laughter.
Oh, you’ve got it bad.
Perhaps. Still, what didst thou expect? She is just our type.
And you’re just her type, even if she has no idea that she has a type, but it’s so boring if you two just get together.
We never should have let thou talk'st us into this.
You know you’re loving it. I’m just glad we were able to convince Rarity to help.
Do you think that what we are doing is... questionable? In a moral sense?
Oh, definitely.
We do not find that evaluation reassuring.
I’m all about tough love.
We just hope this is worth it. We don’t know what we will do if Twilight Sparkle ever finds out about our hoof in these... shenanigans.
If she finds out, it will have all been worth it just to see the look on her face.
Twilight frowned just before she hit the bottom of the bottomless pit and awoke.
* * *
Twilight Sparkle, thoroughly tangled in her blanket, sat bolt upright in bed. Her heart pounded in her chest. For a moment, she stopped breathing, just listening. A snore from Spike reassured her, and she fell back onto her pillow. The memory of her dream was fading, but what she could recall was less than pleasant. “Well,” she sighed, “there’s another one for the therapist.”
|
Ebon Mane
|
753
| 10 |
Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
U-Harmony
|
Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go were no bookworm has gone before: On dates.
|
incomplete
| 661 | 20 |
<p>Twilight's curiosity pushes her to go where no bookworm has gone before: on dates. Dates with lots of unfamiliar (and not so unfamiliar) mares. It goes about as well as you'd expect.</p><p>A parody of dating websites in general, named after eHarmony.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-06-18T11:57:25+00:00
|
2012-06-18T11:57:25+00:00
| 6,908 |
Twilight Sparkle rolled out of bed and hit the floor with an unceremonious thud. Her eyes shot open, then narrowed as she took stock of her situation and realized that her room was flooded by a frankly unnecessary level of illumination. She might have cursed the sun, if not for the fact that she held its controller in such high regard. Instead, she took a moment to try to convince herself that the fall was somehow intentional, even clever. It was certainly a more effective way to wake up than her alarm spells; judging by the angle of the sunbeams assaulting her, she’d slept through at least three of those already. She groaned and stretched, but only managed to find a less comfortable position.
She’d been having such an interesting dream, too. Then again, that might have been earlier in the night. She frowned. There had been something about falling, and a mare in an extremely distracting costume, and a... money fight? That certainly didn’t make any sense. The details faded even as she tried to recall more, and soon enough she gave up. Twilight had never been one to dwell on dreams, not when there were so many books, which had the distinct advantage of a coherent plot. Well, most of them did. She sighed. The stray thoughts were only keeping her from getting on with her day.
She certainly wasn’t going to get any more sleep with her cheek pressed so thoroughly into the floorboard. Twilight had never been one for roughing it, and the wood was nothing if not rough. She’d definitely have to get up soon, so there was no particular reason why she couldn’t rest her eyes for just a moment more. Her lids fell as their weight grew, and soon enough they closed entirely.
An hour later, Twilight scrambled to her hooves. Her heart pounded in her chest for a panicked moment before she realized that she didn’t have anywhere to be; her presentation had been the day before. She grimaced at the latent nervous energy that lingered in the wake of the adrenaline rush, but resolved to put it to good use. She walked to her dresser and checked her daily list of things to do. The first item was the same as always: ‘Hygiene And Appearance’.
Twilight threw herself into the task with all the energy and enthusiasm of a reanimated corpse. Muscle memory sufficed, though she did at one point catch herself attempting to style her mane with the smooth wooden back of her brush. She was glad that Rarity hadn’t seen that. Rarity already joked on occasion that Twilight didn’t know which end of the brush to use; the last thing she needed was confirmation.
By the time Twilight Sparkle was ready for the second item on her list, her mind was nearly as awake as her body. Admittedly, that wasn’t strictly necessary. By now she didn’t need much mental focus to send for a card from U-Harmony. It wasn’t exactly rocket magic. In fact, she suspected that the very act should cast doubt on the intelligence of any sane pony. She was willing to admit, internally at least, that her obsession wasn’t compatible with complete sanity. Alas, the damage had already been done.
With a shake of her head, the unicorn turned her attention back to business. A spark of magic disappeared into the aether and a heartbeat later one of U-Harmony’s cards appeared. Twilight scanned it quickly.
TIME: 7:00 PM, CST
LOCATION: PONY JOE’S DONUT SHOP, CANTERLOT, EQUESTRIA
REASON FOR MATCH: HIGH SOCIAL COMPATIBILITY
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. There was something about the card that felt too familiar, like she’d read it somewhere before. She just couldn’t place where. She racked her brain for a bit, but she’d never been on any similar dates and hadn’t even been to Pony Joe’s shop since her first Grand Galloping Gala. With a shrug, she did her best to dismiss the thought, though she suspected it would bug her for the rest of the day at least. She continued to the third and final item on her list, ‘Plan Rest of Day.’
“Spike!” she shouted.
* * *
The first thing that hit Twilight after teleportation was the smell. The mouth-watering scent of fresh doughnuts was as strong in Pony Joe’s as ever, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her as she reveled in the sweet air. Then she blinked. She was sitting at a booth; she didn’t remember there being any booths last time she was there. It threw her off, but not greatly. Pony Joe had probably just scrounged up enough bits to finally remodel the place.
The Joe in question was busy wiping down the counter, which was as reassuring as it was familiar; the surface seemed to collect sprinkles as much as Pinkie Pie’s mane. She nodded at him and he waved back. He was the only pony there, other than her. She frowned at the empty seat across from her. Wasn’t she supposed to have a date?
Right on cue, a unicorn appeared with a flash of magic. The white-coated mare blinked listlessly, head tilting, and her close-cropped red mane fell over her eyes. Twilight’s mouth twisted with a mix between pity and amusement; the spell hit some ponies like a ton of bricks.
There was something familiar about the other mare’s appearance. Twilight felt like they’d met before, but she couldn’t remember when or where. The thought nagged at her for a few heartbeats before she dismissed it. She was certain her date would mention it if they knew each other. That is, the mare would mention it if she ever got over the effects of teleportation. Twilight sighed. Best to shock her date out of it, she supposed.
“Hi there!” Twilight shouted in as pleasant a tone she could manage while actually shouting, “Not a frequent teleporter?”
The other unicorn gave her head a shake, then blinked at Twilight for a few seconds. When she’d collected herself enough for the question to register, she said,“Uh, not exactly. First time, actually.”
“Really?” Twilight asked, leaning forward in her seat. “So it’s your first time using U-Harmony, then?”
“Yeah.” The mare’s eyes darted from side to side, refusing to meet Twilight’s. She tapped her front hooves together. “You are my date, right?”
Twilight blinked. “Oh! Yes.” It briefly occurred to her to wonder whether she had always been this rude, but she pushed the thought aside. Extending a hoof across the table, she introduced herself to the other mare with an enthusiastic, “It’s nice to meet you! My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
The other unicorn’s lips twitched upward and she reached out to give Twilight’s hoof a single vigorous shake. “Yeah, you too. I’m Close Counts.”
Twilight suppressed an involuntary shudder when she heard the name. She frowned, puzzled by the unexpected sensation. Where had that come from? Was it the name? Close Counts, Close Counts... there was definitely something about it. Where had she heard that before? Something about it just gave her the creeps, though she could not for the life of her say why. It reminded her of a factory, of all things. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the other mare.
Close, for her sake, merely leaned away from Twilight and glanced at the door. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all!” Twilight insisted, remembering herself with a start and assuming her best expression of noble innocence. “It’s just that your name seems really familiar. Have we met?”
“I don’t think so,” Close Counts replied.
Twilight put a hoof to her chin, stroking it as she attacked the problem as she would any line of scientific inquiry. “Ever been to Ponyville?”
The other mare merely shook her head.
“Written anything I might have read?” Twilight asked, trying her hardest to suppress the hope in her voice.
Close snorted, her lips twitching with amusement. “Not unless you’re into reading the training manuals for thaumaturgic grenades.”
“No, not yet, but it’s on my list.” Twilight sighed. “I could have sworn I heard your name before, but I guess I was mistaken” She hated being mistaken. It was almost as bad as being wrong.
Close Counts shrugged. “It happens to the best of us. I mean, your name sounds a bit familiar too, but it’s probably just similar to someone else I’ve met.” She adopted a flippant tone as she continued, “It’s just a coincidence; it’s not like you’re some famous hero everypony in Equestria should have heard of or anything.” She grinned, looking quite proud of her little joke.
Twilight blinked. “...Right. Right!” She forced herself to smile. “It’s just my mind playing tricks on me. Sorry about that.”
The other mare flicked a hoof dismissively. “Not a problem.”
They sat there staring silently at each other for a few seconds before Twilight recalled that they were on a date and panicked, filling the silence with the first thought that came to mind. “So you’re new to U-Harmony? You should get out while you still can.”
To her credit, Close Counts barely missed a beat. “Why, so you can keep all the good mares to yourself?” she asked with a wink.
“Ha! Totally.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’ll admit that I might be a bit tempted to try if I thought that there were any good mares using U-Harmony. I’m beginning to suspect that there aren’t.”
Close snorted. “I’m not sure whether I should be offended.”
“You’re already above average, actually,” Twilight insisted. She meant it, even if there was still something off about the mare, something nagging at the back of her mind.
“I can only hope you’re not basing that on my obvious physical superiority,” Close replied with a cocky grin, “That would hardly be fair to the others.”
Twilight called upon her considerable reserves of sarcasm. “If only they were all as modest as you.”
Close snorted, then giggled, and finally burst into laughter; Twilight quickly joined her.
When the steam of the shared joke died out and the pair fell silent once again, Close asked, “But honestly, If everypony else is so bad, why do you still use U-Harmony? Why did you start in the first place? It took my boss calling in a favor to get me to even sign up for one date. What got you into it?”
Twilight rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “I guess this might sound a bit strange, but I’m studying the magical framework; it’s a truly stunning feat of horncraft that’s radically different from most modern persistent interactive spells. Also,” she added, speaking as quickly and quietly as she could justify to herself, “I may have an obsessive vendetta against it.”
Close raised an eyebrow. “An obsessive vendetta?”
“Just a small one,” Twilight Sparkle replied, holding her hooves just a hair’s breadth apart in demonstration.
The other mare grinned. “Is everypony using U-Harmony as crazy as you?”
Twilight snorted a dismissal of the jab. “Actually, most are worse. You’re only seeing the crazy that’s managed to rub off on me.”
“How bad is worse?”
“That...,” Twilight replied, trailing off with a sigh before focusing with a shake of her head. “That is a long story.” She stroked her chin with a hoof, considering. “Then again, it’s at least entertaining. Why don’t I grab us some doughnuts and tell you what I’ve learned about crazy in the last couple months?”
Close Counts reclined in her seat and hooked her front hooves behind her head before nodding at Twilight. “Sounds like a plan.”
* * *
“...And even after that, there was a bouquet of flowers on my doorstep every morning until I was able to convince the judge to enforce the restraining order with magic!” Twilight shouted, throwing her hooves into the air to emphasize her point.
This only served to make Close Counts laugh even harder. She’d long ago collapsed forward, leaning heavily on the table as she pounded it with one arm, gasping for breath that immediately escaped as more mirth.
“At least someone finds my distress amusing,” Twilight observed. Her voice was cold but the subtle smirk on her face dulled its venom. She crossed her front hooves in front of her and snapped at a hovering donut, tearing off a generous section. Putting on the best pout she could muster, she made a valiant effort to bludgeon the decidedly inanimate pastry to death with her teeth.
“Now that’s dedication,” Close said, slowly catching her breath. After a moment and a few silent shakes of her shoulders, she shook her head in disbelief. “You know, I’m almost jealous; I can’t get even one mare to develop a crazy obsession with me.”
“Trust me,” Twilight insisted, “it’s a lot more trouble than it’s worth.”
“I don’t know,” Close Counts said as a mischievous grin spread across her face. “I mean, if I were you, I’d get them both in the same room and watch them duke it out over me. That would would be worth more than its share of trouble. Especially if you could get your hooves on a large enough supply of jell-o.”
“That’s the worst part!” Twilight huffed. “I actually did get a chance to see them in the same room just yesterday, and that’s not how it went at all. You see, I was invited to give a presentation on light refraction magic as a guest lecturer at Canterlot University; I had a new dress made for the occasion and everything. It was going to be perfect, but what did I see when I walked into the lecture hall?” Her voice fell to a growl. “None other than Trixie and Moondancer, holding hooves in the back row.”
Close put a hoof to her face, shaking her head back and forth slowly. “How does something like that even happen?”
“U-Harmony makes it happen,” Twilight replied in the same sort of voice she might have used to tell the other mare something like ‘the sky is blue’ or ‘books are cool.’ “I’ve studied the spell enough to sense the connection that returns ponies home when the date is over. I could feel it on them. I just wish I’d been close enough to snap it and get rid of them, but I didn’t want to cause a scene, though they certainly did.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Close said, but the eager light of curiosity in her eyes and vibrant relish in her voice told a very different story.
“Oh, it could have been worse, I suppose. They weren’t actively disruptive. Still, it was more than a little difficult to retain a scholarly tone and calmly discuss arcane theory with two creepy fanfillies in the back row staring at me pointedly as they made out. They were really going at it! It was...,” Twilight bit her lip and squirmed in her chair, trying to find the right word. “Distracting.”
“Distracting?” Close Counts waggled her eyebrows and grinned. “I bet.”
“Not like that!” Twilight huffed.
“I totally believe you.”
“Fine, maybe a little like that.” She fell silent as she thought back to the sight of the two stalkers practically sharing a seat, their lips locked as each mare ran her hooves over the other’s body. Was it just her, or was the doughnut shop beginning to feel a bit warm?
Close Counts pounded the table with a hoof and Twilight shook her head, shocked out of the recollection.
“Yeah,” Twilight conceded, “Definitely like that. Still, venomous snakes can be beautiful but I know better than to go anywhere near one of them.”
“How about two venomous snakes making out?” Close asked. “Would you go near that?”
Twilight just rolled her eyes.
“Well, I think we’ve all had enough stalking for one night,” Close Counts said. “How about a less creepy topic? Is light magic your special talent?”
Shaking her head, Twilight replied, “No, that’s just a bit of a hobby.”
“Then what is your talent?”
“All magic, actually.” Twilight paused. “Though I do specialize in the magic of friendship.”
Close Counts sat silently for a few seconds, staring blankly at Twilight. Then, with the suddenness of a dam bursting, she let loose a deafening peal of laughter.
Slightly offended by her date’s reaction, Twilight crossed her arms and scowled at the other mare. “Don’t laugh; it works!”
Wiping a tear of mirth from her eye, Close put on a conciliatory smile. “Friendship is good as far as it goes, but I guess I just have too much of a martial perspective to appreciate magic for it. I mean, of the two, light sounds more threatening.”
The opinions of the uninformed often drew Twilight ire, but in this case she found the irony a bit amusing. She grinned despite a lingering annoyance. “Ah yes, I find that most of my opponents think that way, and it’s precisely what I want them to believe,” she said, leaning forward and dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “They see me as harmless until I have them right where I want them, and then bam! I fill them with the power of friendship and they end up redeemed and repentant. Or turned to stone. I’m not an expert; there are still a few kinks to work out.”
Close snorted, clearly not believing a word of it. “I can see how that approach would be advantageous.”
“So what about you? Is your special talent... what was it?” Twilight thought back. Manuals for something, something military, if she remembered. “Grenades?”
“Nope, it’s actually all kinds of throwing. Watch.” Close’s horn glowed as she flipped a dougnut upward and caught it with her mouth. She turned toward Pony Joe, who was still busy with his eternal battle against the counter. She squinted at the oblivious stallion, then snapped her head forward in a move too quick for Twilight to follow. The doughnut flew across the room in an unerring line toward its intended target.
Pony Joe cried out in horror, then again in confusion as he reached up and found that the impact he’d felt was a doughnut, which now hung from his horn by the hole.
Twilight clapped her hooves together in applause and Pony Joe joined in shortly after, as he realized what had happened. “Well done,” Twilight said. “So you don’t use magic for that?”
Shaking her head, Close replied, “I can, but they don’t allow it in the professional horseshoes leagues, so I learned to do it the normal way.”
Twilight scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“Yeah,” Close agreed, “but what are you gonna do? Fair’s fair, I guess.”
“So you’re a pro horseshoes player?” Twilight asked.
“Not anymore. Turns out it’s easier to get a steady paycheck as a contractor for the Canterlot Guard.” Close Counts shrugged. “I’m following in my father’s hoofsteps, I suppose.”
“He did the same thing?”
“Thank you for setting up my bad joke for the night,” Close said, rubbing her hooves together as a grin of sadistic anticipation grew on her face. “My father was a grenadier. My mother was a pro horseshoes player. My name was the only thing they ever agreed on.”
The attempt at humor was painful enough that Twilight didn’t even feel the impact of her hoof striking her face.
“Nothing?” Close asked with a pout, “Not even a pity chuckle?”
“Your delivery could use some work,” Twilight replied, her voice flat.
“Anyway,” Close Counts continued, “horseshoes will always have a special place in my heart, and two special places on my flanks, see?” She half-stood on the booth’s seat, turning to show her cutie mark over the table.
It didn’t look much like a horseshoe; if Twilight hadn’t been told, she wouldn’t have guessed. To her, it looked like a stylized ‘U’, and she recognized it immediately. Her eyes widened as memories of her dream returned in a rush of sights and sounds and horror. She remembered the waiting room, and the tour, and its guide. Most of all, she remembered the Screw-Ball pony reaching into a pair of hats and predicting the very date she was on. She racked her brain, trying to recall everything she knew about the magic of prophecies and dreams. Her vision blurred as she stared into the distance, eyes unfocused.
“You okay there?” Close asked. “Hello? Did a horseshoe kill your parents or something? Am I just that hot?” She waved a hoof in Twilight’s line of sight.
The reply spilled out in a panicked rush as Twilight Sparkle returned to reality. “I’m really sorry to do this but I have to go. Now.” With that, she disappeared in a purple flash of magic.
* * *
The bell on the door of Pony Joe’s shop rang as Shining Armor walked in. He greeted the proprietor with a courteous nod and made his way to the only occupied both, settling into the seat so recently vacated by his sister.
Across from him, Close Counts rolled her eyes. “My date disappears and the stallion who convinced me to get into this mess shows up. Why don’t I think this is a coincidence?”
“So suspicious!” Shining Armor replied with a grin. “I assure you I had no intention of ruining your date. How was that going, by the way?”
Close shrugged. “I thought I managed to avoid screwing up too badly, but she’s gone now so maybe I was wrong.” She sounded more than a little disappointed by the fact.
“That might not be your fault, actually. It could be that I’m a terrible spy and she noticed me.”
With a long, slow roll of her eyes, Close Counts replied, “Maybe you’d be better without all the loud, shiny, cumbersome armor?”
“Maybe,” Shining Armor said before leaning forward to add in a faux-conspiratorial whisper, “but then I wouldn’t have a good excuse for being a terrible spy.”
“Why were you spying in the first place?” Close asked.
“I happened to see you chatting with a familiar mare, remembered that tonight was the night for that favor I called in, and put two and two together.” Shining Armor’s tone had a forced casualness to it that set Close Counts on edge.
“Familiar? How do you know her?”
Shining Armor rubbed at the back of his head with a hoof. “Well... here’s the thing: she’s my sister.”
Close Counts raised an eyebrow. “You set me up with your sister?”
“I didn’t know about that... particular detail until just now.” He frowned. “I was simply following orders, and that information was not related to me in the briefing.” He muttered a few dark words under his breath, but Close didn’t catch them.
“Orders from who?” she asked.
“From the only pony I’m afraid to even consider disobeying.” Shining shuddered.
Close leaned forward in her seat. “Celestia?”
Shining Armor shook his head. “Worse. My wife.”
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 1 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-10T15:51:59+00:00
|
2011-10-10T15:51:59+00:00
| 3,339 |
Author Note: To any readers who are reading this for the first time, allow me to first say thank you for reading. I also wish to warn you that this prologue is by far the weakest part of my story, so I would like to formally ask you to give chapter one a chance. This prolouge is in fact an optional part of the story and has very little effect on the overaching plot anyway. Please don't pre-judge. So, without any further adieu I proudly present, The Alicorn's Pride.
Prologue
All was quiet in the Canterlot royal palace. Guards stood stiff, even more silent then usual, no birds sang, and a Purple mare stood in a hallway looking distraught. The door in front of her opened and the midnight blue head of Princess Luna appeared, followed by the rest of her body.
“Princess Luna,” said the purple mare bowing. The princess looked at her sadly.
“Twilight, I’ve told you time and again to just call me Luna. You’re my friend after all, and you and your friends saved my life before we had even met properly. I’d think after all these years we’d be able to talk to each other as equals.”
“O…okay Luna.” The words sounded strange to Twilight, and to think Princess Luna considered Twilight her equal boggled the purple mare’s mind, “How is she?”
“She says she wants to see you. She says it’s important.” Luna said with a twinge of sadness to her voice. She took a deep breath, then looked up and gave Twilight a little smile as tears formed in her eyes. She started to shake and quickly trotted off to her room. Twilight watched her go, and once the Blue goddess had turned a corner Twilight looked back at the door in front of her. With a deep breath she entered.
The bedroom was large and comfortable, Twilight noticed picture of herself on the wall. She approached the vast bed where a form lay still. A slight cough emanated from the great being on the bed.
“Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student,” it said “I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you.”
“Princess…” Twilight started to say something but trailed off as a lump formed in her throat.
“Don’t be sad my child,” Princess Celestia said, “I thought you would be happier to see me.”
“Not like this… I… I thought you were immortal.” Celestia let out a weak laugh.
“No, no I’m not. Though it may seem that way to you, after all I am over 3000 years old.” Another weak laugh followed, “I may have power over the heavens, but nopony can transcend time.” She stared into Twilights eyes for what seemed like an eternity. “Twilight, there is something I need to tell you.” Twilight was barley able to hold back her tears; she couldn’t bear to see her mentor like this.
“Anything Princess,”
“When you graduated from being my student, what did I tell you?” Twilight could remember the day clearer than anything. She had examined the memory and memorized every word.
“You said, ‘Twilight Sparkle, I have taught you all that my knowledge has to offer. And though you are finished learning from me, there are always more secrets in this world. Your mind and your capacity for magic are the greatest I have yet to see in a pony, and therefore I offer you your place here in Canterlot as the third successor. When the time comes you will take the place of rule in Equestria, and I hope you will use your power for the good of all ponykind just as I have strived to do.’ You made me the successor to Luna if she ever… leaves.” The dying goddess nodded,
“But I also told you that you are never finished learning, and I have two final things to teach you.”
“What are they?” Twilight asked, curiosity mixing with her sorrow.
“I am going to teach you a piece of history that is unknown too all living ponies save me and Luna.” The goddess took a deep breath, “I am going to tell you my story.” The dying mare took a deep breath and continued, “But not just my story, it’s Luna’s as well. In fact it is the story of thousands of ponies, and the story of legions of griffins. It’s the story of many, many people.” The Alicorn tilted her head forward and rested her horn on her student’s head, as she did the horn glowed with magic and, to Twilight, the room seemed to begin to fade.
“A story of so many cannot be told in mere words. Therefore, I believe the best way to tell you… would be to show you.” The room seemed to change around Twilight, and in the blink of an eye the bedroom had been replaced by the night sky, where a lone figure flew.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 2 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-08T19:30:53+00:00
|
2011-10-08T19:30:53+00:00
| 2,552 |
Chapter 1
Sun Runners and Newspapers
The scouting party was on the move. They flew fast and low above the barren ground of the wasteland around them. The fading light of the late afternoon sun burned on their backs as they flew back towards the border with their homeland. Their pursuers were gaining on them, and they were still hours away from the border.
“Give up!” A gruff voice called from behind them. The three of them kept flying, putting every ounce of energy they possessed into their wings.
“Sir,” said a tired and exasperated voice, “how’re we going to get away?” The voice came from a young alicorn wearing full military attire and a private’s crest around his neck.
“I don’t know kid.” Sergeant Coron responded sadly, fatigue cracking his voice. He was in charge of this operation, and he blamed himself for their failure. The third alicorn of the group was also a private. He flew silently, not wanting to waste his breath on words. They were all tired from a day of work, sneaking across the hostile territory they were now desperately trying to escape. Their pursuers on the other hand had probably spent their day waiting and watching, ready for the unlikely occurrence of alicorns ignoring the border treaty. The ponies faltered and their pursuers used this slowing as a chance to finally close the gap between them and their prey. Once they were on top of the alicorns escape was impossible. The beaked faces of guards looked at the alicorns with expressions of both smugness and anger.
“Gotcha.” Growled one of the griffins as he unsheathed his claws and readied his talons.
The moon glowed softly in the sky, as a form listed lazily in front of it. The form was named Luna; she was a smaller alicorn with a midnight blue coat and deep teal eyes. She shined in the moonlight, and proudly wore the Sun Runner crest around her neck. She floated, rarely flapping her great wings as she gazed across the vast lands of Athelta, and as the mare glided the moon followed making its nightly journey under her guidance. Luna was a Sun Runner, an alicorn so gifted with magic that she could change the heavens. Luna and her Sister Celestia had been Sun Runners for almost seventy years now (which is quite a while, even considering the long life of an alicorn) and Luna enjoyed every moment of her job. She took her shift once every five days and had few responsibilities outside of her job. The night was nearing its end, and Luna picked up some speed for the final descent beyond the horizon. After the moon set she landed in the middle of a forest outside her home town of Passington. She just sat there for a moment, drinking in the smells and sound of a waking forest. Eventually she began to make her way into town. Trotting down the path into town she saw that her timing had been perfect. The bakery was opening its doors and the news stand was up and running. After two quick transactions Luna was in possession of a Newspaper and a Cinnamon Bun, both of which she floated in front of her. She ate and read as she walked, such was her daily routine. Every, “Good morning.” Sent her way was greeted with a friendly nod or a wave of a hoof, but she never looked up from her paper.
Luna always read the paper, in fact she hadn’t missed a morning edition in around six years now, and because of this she was always the first to know about anything big or interesting. She read every section thoroughly (except for the comics, for she thought the quality in them was slowly wearing away more and more each week) and remembered almost every story each day. But on today one headline in particular caught her eye, a headline at the top of page three. Getting home would have to wait, because at that moment she took off into the sky and began to fly north towards the capital.
While she flew she reread the article four times, until she finally stored the paper in her saddle bag and began to focus on her flight. She made good time to Trottington, just under half an hour. She landed outside a smallish but cozy house on the outer edge of town. The blue mare galloped up and knocked on the door, only then realizing how early it was. The door opened to reveal a sleepy-looking tan stallion who seemed rather surprised to see her,
“Luna,” Sothe said, “What brings you here at this hour?” Luna responded by floating the newspaper out of her bag, into his face.
“The top of page three.” she said sadly as she walked past him into the house. Once in the living room, an annoyed squawk greeted her.
“Well good morning to you too Philomena,” Luna said to the disgruntled looking phoenix that her arrival had obviously awoken. The annoyed bird looked away, as if to deny Luna any greeting for interrupting her sleep. Luna chuckled at the spirited bird and dung into her bag, producing a sweet roll.
“Would you feel better if you had some breakfast?” She asked the bird who perked up at the mention of food. She tossed her the roll and watched, amused, as the firebird snatched it out of the air and chewed happily on the treat.
Soft hoofbeats announced the arrival of another Alicorn into the room, Luna turned around to see her sister standing in the door looking half-asleep and more than a little confused.
“Sothe, who was at the door?” She asked, but her mate was too engrossed in the newspaper to hear her. Luna cleared her throat, and Celestia tuned and finally noticed her.
“Luna!” she said, brightening at the sight of her sister, “I didn’t know you were coming, why didn’t you send us a letter?”
“It wasn’t exactly a planning planned visit,” Luna said solemnly, “There was an article that Sothe had to read.” Celestia looked over to her mate, only then registering his expression, one of grief.
“What is it Sothe?” Celestia asked, Sothe said nothing, instead he just floated the paper over to her. She read the article,
Loss on the Frontier
On July 17th a border patrol party scouting the southwestern border with the griffin wastes came across a horrific sight. A scouting party that had been deployed a week ago lay slaughtered on the border with griffin talon marks scoring theirs flanks and a blood-soaked note bearing the mark of the griffin warlord Voltag pinned to their side. The bodies found were later identified as Sergeant Lithe Coron, and his two privates, Pinto Acres and Cal Greatwing. Sgt. Coron was a decorated veteran of the Third Border War, having nearly laid down his life in defense of the Council Chamber in the 20 Hours Battle. Pvt. Greatwing is the younger brother of High Commander Sothe Greatwing, respected leader of the fourth aerial strike force. Chancellor Greathoof had the following statement.
“It has been obvious from the events of the previous months to see that the griffins no longer care for our border treaty. These scouts were border patrol, which of course means that the griffins in question must have crossed the border and attacked them. In my mind this is the final straw. I will not stand for mindless slaughter on alicorn grounds. Voltag will pay for what he has done.” The other council members were unavailable for comment.
The crushing realization of the meaning of the article hit Celestia the moment she read the name of her mate’s brother. She ran to Sothe’s side and braced herself against him as the tears finally broke free from his eyes,
“I’m so sorry,” Luna whispered. Philomena let out a low coo, even she could feel the sadness that had taken hold in the room. The tears only ran from Sothe’s eyes for a moment. He sniffed and looked at Luna with bloodshot eyes,
“Thank you for coming to me first,” he said. The soldier then did his best to hold his composure, but broke back down and returned his muzzle to his mate’s shoulder.
Luna watched them for a moment until she decided to do something more useful. She trotted into the kitchen and began to make breakfast for the others. After about fifteen minutes of rummaging around the unfamiliar kitchen, Luna found the ingredients she needed and slowly put together a breakfast for her grieving brother in law. When she emerged from the kitchen the other two Alicorns looked a little better. Sothe’s eyes looked somewhat empty, but he smiled when she offered him some oatmeal. Celestia just took a biscuit. Philomena happily accepted the some of the toast. They all sat quietly for a time, chewing on their respective breakfast until Sothe mumbled something about a funeral.
“How soon do you think we should hold it?” Celestia asked her grieving mate. He shrugged sadly and returned to eating.
“Sometime this week.” He said, “Tomorrow I’ll look into setting it up.”
After much talk, the two convinced Luna to spend the week with them. The date for the funeral was Friday, five days from then. On the second day Sothe managed to drag himself to the Council Building for work. Luna and Celestia spent the day catching up, the sisters had not seen each other for months now. They talked of friends and family, foods and work. Celestia asked if Luna had her eye on any stallion, Luna would answer as always that she enjoyed her solitude and that she was not in a rush. Celestia took her shift pulling the sun the third day, and Luna spent the day watching after Philomena. The days passed and the funeral approached, the days spent with her sister reminded Luna of their childhood.
On the fifth day Sothe did not go to work. In place of his usual military crest, was a black crest of mourning. The gray stallion looked at his mate sadly as they got ready to leave, she returned his gaze reassuringly. The three Alicorns left the house and flew towards the Council building where they spent the afternoon. The funeral was long, with at least forty different ponies going up to the podium to talk about Cal. Sothe was the last to go up. His speech was short.
“Cal… Cal was headstrong. He was brash, and prone to split decisions. Despite this he never left his mistakes unfixed. He took responsibility for his actions and was a better brother then I could have ever hoped for. Goodbye Cal.” Sothe slowly trotted down from the podium and walked back to his seat. Everypony milled about for a while, talking quietly amongst themselves. Friends of Cal traded stories, and condolence after condolence was offered to Sothe. Luna took her leave as the sun began to set, and flew off to raise the moon.
She glided over the country, staring at the quiet land below, glad to have escaped the countless tears shed that afternoon. She felt sad for Sothe, and happy to get some time to herself. The night was beautiful, a full moon illuminated the endless expanse of trees below her. She gazed across the great forest stretching far into the east, the Everfree Forest, the untamable land. The forest was beautiful at night. The place was… for lack of a better word, different. It worked of its own accord and bent to the whim of no leader, be they Alicorn Griffin, or Dragon, no one tamed the forest.
As she flew she saw something out of place. There was light coming from deep in the forest. Torches blazed, casting their flickering light across a clearing hundreds of feet wide. From her vantage point above the clouds Luna could see everything in the great clearing, and the hundreds of Alicorns inside it. There were rows and rows of tents, all lit by hundreds of torches. All of the ponies moved with purpose. Luna knew that something was wrong. Nopony ever went into the forest, this many in here all at once was completely unheard of. She watched as the ponies below her moved in formation, practicing attack patterns and evasive maneuvers. Swords glinted in the torchlight as the weapons floated in front of sparring soldiers. A small forge could be seen churning out armor at a breakneck pace. These ponies were the beginnings of an army. Someone was preparing for war.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 3 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-12T05:56:46+00:00
|
2011-10-12T05:56:46+00:00
| 1,783 |
Chapter 2
River of the council.
The Atheltian high council was made up of six members. Together the six voted on all issues, and any ties ended in a vote by the general public. The purpose of the council was to give Athelta a fair and impartial government, but of course the council was of course in no way impartial. The council members each had followers and their own agenda.
Of the council members, Luna usually sided with the decisions of River, an old but strangely beautiful mare with a light blue coat and a sea green mane, and Deepwoods, a dark brown stallion with amber eyes. These two council members made up the unofficial ‘peace’ party, and that’s why Luna sided with them. The other council members included Rust, a fiery tempered stallion with a coat colored the same as his name; Sky Dancer, a mare who had once been a sun runner with a deep seated hatred for griffins; Thelia, a gray mare with a hay colored mane and a very cool calculating demeanor; and Greathoof, a highly violent blood red veteran who was always pushing for some sort of war. The council had been butting heads for centuries over war with the griffins, but the current council had a balance of pro-war and anti-war advocates that they had reached a form of stalemate.
Luna flew back towards her sister’s house, reflecting on what she had seen that night. She needed to inform the council (preferably River and Deepwoods) but listening to a meager sun runner was not the council’s highest priority. Luckily, Luna knew a pony that some council members would listen to in a heartbeat, the very pony who had spent the last week grieving over his dead brother. Luna needed to talk to Sothe.
Luna landed outside of her sister’s house and let herself in. she looked around the humble living room, taking in the familiar sight of the house she had lived in for the past week. All was quiet save for the light breathing that could be heard coming from the bedroom shared between Celestia and her mate. Luna sat down and waited for the sun to emerge. Only after it had reared its head did she consider waking the sleeping alicorns, but her better judgement won out and she decided against it, Sothe needed his sleep, he had been working harder than ever after hearing the news of his brother. She hoped he could rest more peacefully now that Cal was buried.
Luna waited for some time more before she began to get bored, she fidgeted and looked around for something to distract her from the nagging twitch in her mind that begged for something to do. Her boredom was alleviated a bit when a fiery form shot through the open window across the room.
“Well hello Philomena.” Luna said from where she sat. Ahe was happy to have someone to talk to, Philomena cooed a good morning and motioned to the mouse held in her talons, “Busy night I see.” Luna said, appraising the catch. Philomena shook herself and flew over to her perch to begin her meal. The blue pony looked, away not wanting to see the carnivorous work. Luna sighed and sat back down, boredom returning to the edges of her mind. She paced around the room, wishing that Sothe would wake up.
Eventually her wishes were granted and Sothe entered the room looking tired but more rested then he had all week.
“Good morning Luna.” Sothe mumbled sleepily as he headed towards the kitchen to get some breakfast.
“Sothe,” Luna said “I need an audience with the council.” That stopped Sothe in his tracks. He turned around looking confused
“Why?” Luna took a deep breath and began to recount the sights of the previous night. She told the soldier of the army amassing in the woods, she described their camp and gave a rough estimate of how many soldiers might be there. Sothe listened, a little stunned but nowhere near as surprised as Luna would have predicted.
“So he’s going through with it without a council vote? That bastard’s going to get us all killed!” Sothe yelled once Luna finished telling her story. It was Luna’s turn to be surprised.
“What? Who’s going through with what?” Sothe sighed at this and thought for a moment,
“The council is nowhere near perfect, you understand that right?” Sothe asked. Luna nodded
“Good,” he continued “You must understand that the politics of this country of ours can most easily be described as a complex web of agreements between council members. The soldiers of my unit, myself included, while technically are a part of the Atheltian army actually work for a single council member, namely Lady River. Each council member has their own part of the army that they unofficially run and the largest group currently works for Greathoof.” He growled the name as if it disgusted him, “Greathoof has for months now been pushing harder than ever to break our border treaty with the griffin’s but has never actually had it put to a vote.”
“Why not?” Luna asked.
“Because he knows it will tie in the council, which means the ponies of Athelta will be given the vote. Greathoof would then have to lay his true motives bare to the common people, and that would ruin him.”
“True motives?” Luna echoed.
“Yes, he doesn’t want to invade griffin territory to capture more land or gain resources, he has a grudge. We believe he wants to exterminate them entirely” Luna was stunned at this thought, sure Griffins were not necessarily the nicest creatures on the planet, but to kill them all… that was too much. Luna felt sick.
“Can you get me an audience?” she asked finally.
“Yes, this is a matter of protecting the country now.” He trotted into the kitchen and returned with two cinnamon buns. He offered one to Luna who gladly accepted. After their brief breakfast, the two alicorns flew north, towards an enormous floating building.
Luna had only ever been to the Forum once before, it had been when she first applied for her job as a sun runner. The place was enormous and made of marble. Here scholars met and talked for hours, here debates were held, and it was here that the High Council met. Sothe worked here, in the west military wing, but that wasn’t where he was headed today. Today the two alicorns walked quickly and with purpose towards a large wooden door at the center of the compound, the council room. Once inside Luna stopped, here they were, the ponies that she had only ever seen in her newspapers, the council members. They were currently in the midst of a discussion about trade with the griffins.
“No, trade must remain unhindered if we are to at least keep up the illusion of peace,” said Sky Dancer.
“It’s no illusion,” responded River, “We are at peace with the Griffins, an unsteady peace but peace all the same.”
“It’s not a question on the realities of the peace, it’s the fact that we all know war will return to our borders soon enough.”
“It would benefit both of our nations to keep the trade running freely, tense politics aside.” Deepwoods said in a husky voice, “Money talks, and if we ever wish to alleviate tensions a healthy trade route would be in our best interest.”
“You think griffins are interested in alleviating tensions? Those barbarians don’t know the first thing about peace.” This statement was growled out by Greathoof, “They won’t rest until we’re all dead.”
“Neither will you it seems,” Sothe said clearly from across the room. Greathoof turned his eyes towards the soldier, glaring.
“And what pray tell, might you mean by that?” The blood red council member asked. Luna felt uncomfortable, she wasn’t sure she wanted to tell about what she saw just yet. Sothe’s answer relieved her.
“I mean that you’re constant push for war isn’t only annoying, it could easily lead us to the end of Athelta.” Sothe spoke cooly, meeting the intimidating council member’s gaze without fear. There was silence for a time until Thelia, who had until now remained silent, spoke up.
“We’re off topic, let us return to the matters at hand.” The other members murmured in agreement and the debate resumed.
After another half hour of debate the council had taken a vote. Trade routes would remain open due to a majority vote of four to two. The council members then agreed to take a break and began to leave in search of food. River walked up to Sothe with a mischievous glint in her eyes,
“You gave ‘Hoof a run for his money that time, I thought he’d break.” She said and laughed, “He’s hiding something though, and I assume you’re here with the answer as to what that something might be, am I right?” Sothe nodded.
“River, I’d like you to meet ‘Tia’s little sister, Luna” he said motion towards Luna with a hoof. River looked her over for a moment,
“You look astoundingly like your mother,” she said with a ring of approval to her voice, “Nice to meet you.” Luna was in shock, one of the leaders of Athelta (her favorite leader in fact) was talking to her.
“N-nice to meet you to,” She said doing her best not to stutter. River turned back to Sothe.
“I assume you brought her for more than just a meet and greet?” the council mare asked.
“Yes… How to begin? Luna… Luna is a Sun Runner, she runs the moon shift every five days, but last night she saw something… troubling while flying over the Everfree Forest.” Sothe went on to recount Luna’s story to a slightly shocked River.
“An army… that bastard’s raising an army under our very noses.” River growled.
“How do you propose we react?” Sothe asked. River pondered this question for a moment.
“We can’t do anything, nothing official anyway. If we bring it up he’ll just disband the army and we’ll just look like petty mudslingers.” She began to pace around the empty meeting room, lost in thought. “I have an idea though, it will need to be a covert operation.” She looked directly at Sothe, “do you think you could handle a… a trip into Griffin territory?” Sothe stiffened at this. He looked confused, as did Luna,
“What would you want me to do?” he asked after a short pause. River took a breath and began to explain.
“You understand the griffin hierarchy right? Two main clans, each lead by a warlord. We don’t tell the public this, but we are actually only on bad terms with one clan, the clan under Warlord Voltag. The other clan, lead by a griffin named Scar is in fact on pretty peaceful terms with us. My propostion for you is to go and warn Scar, explain the situation, and help him prepare in whatever way he needs.” Sothe thought for a moment, Sothe’s skill was in tactical planning, his cutie mark itself was a map of a battlefield. He was probably running over every possible complication. After a time he sighed,
“I’m going to need an illusionist,” he stated, “I’ll need to be able to go invisible at any time.” River thought for a moment,
“I can’t send any military personnel, it’ll have to be a civilian, and a powerful magic user.” Luna thought for a moment and spoke up,
“I can hold an invisibility spell for up to two hours at a time, with rest in between usages.” She was a Sun Runner, and only those most gifted in magic could take that job. River looked impressed.
“Two hours? That is quite a feat. Where did you train?”
“At the Mage’s Academy in Manesburg, ‘Tia and I both went there.” Luna responded shyly. River gave Sothe a look and said, “Well?” Sothe shook his head,
“No, absolutely not.” He said firmly.
“it would work to our advantage, she already knows and the fewer who know, the better.”
“No!” he yelled “I… I couldn’t… I something were to happen I… I’ve already lost my brother, I don’t want my mate to lose her sister too.” He sighed, “Luna, I’m sorry but I can’t allow you to come.”
The next morning, Sothe got his things together, preparing for a trip. Celestia asked him where he was going, to which he replied vaguely, “I’ve been given a… assignment” and drop the subject. He kisses his mate goodbye and left the house at 10:15. At 10:42 he arrived at the border, at 10:43 he crossed the border into griffin territory, and at 11:12 he was spotted by a pair of blood red eyes.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 4 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-12T05:57:47+00:00
|
2011-10-12T05:57:47+00:00
| 1,598 |
Chapter 3
Two Encounters
Eyes stared at the traveling alicorn. The eyes belonged to a Blood-wolf, a fearsome creature by the name of Feega. Feega had gone hungry for days, and now that he had found prey he was already planning on how he would eat it. He hid among the rocks in on a cliff overlooking the path that the large alicorn was traveling, and in moments he would be ready to attack.
Sothe was bored. He had been walking for hours and had not seen a single sign of life. He supposed he should be considering himself lucky to have not run into trouble but it put him on edge. This had been too easy so far. Sothe sighed and floated an apple out of his bad. While he chewed he began to think about how he would approach Scar, and how he would go about enlisting his help.
Feega watched as the distracted pony wander closer and closer to the cliff. He smiled inwardly as the final steps were made. Feega tightened his hind legs and launched himself off of the rocks. He was fifty feet from his target, then twenty, then five, and then he made contact. Sothe let out a surprised yelp as the wolf’s claws sank into his back, and he instinctively collapsed and rolled to escape the dead weight of the assailant that was seconds away. Feega felt the creature slip out from under him and shifted his weight to land on all fours. He hit the ground and spun to face the alicorn. Sothe was ready for the second assult, the magic that now surrounded his horn slid a dagger from its sheath in his bag. The wolf leapt and Sothe swung, his blade finding purchase in the wolf’s foreleg. Feeling a sharp pain bit into his leg Feega landed behins the alicorn and spun to face him yet again. Feega tensed his hind legs and prepared to jump again but didn’t get the chance. As the two prepared to clash once more a streak of fire rocked towards the ground and hit the wolf. Feega screeched in pain as claws raked his face and remained there, whimpering on the ground even after they pulled away. He was blinded and knew struggling would bring more pain then it was worth.
Sothe stared on at the scene in surprise. Of everything that could have happened, Philomena saving him was the last he had expected,
“Good morning, Philomena. How did you find me?” he asked the firebird that had landed on a nearby rock. She cooed a greeting but offered no answer. Luckily for Sothe, another voice did.
“We followed you and she followed us,” the voice of Sothe’s mate said. Sothe turned to see Celestia and Luna now standing next to him, Celestia smiled warmly and Luna looked a bit sheepish.
“Why did you follow me?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“Because you planned on coming out here alone, without even an illusionist to protect you.” Celestia replied. She walked up and nuzzled her mate, “Luna told me about what happened yesterday and after you left she cloaked us and we followed.” Luna looked over at the blinded wolf,
“And by the looks of it, you’re lucky we did.” Sothe stared at both of them, a thousand reasons why they shouldn’t have come flying through his head. He wanted to tell them to turn back, that it was too dangerous, that he could take care of himself, that this was work for a soldier. After a time he just said, “Well… let’s get moving then” the group began to walk, leaving the blinded wolf to wallow in his misery.
“So Griffins actually live out here?” Luna asked, looking incredulously around at the barren desert.
“Well it is technically their territory, but they tend to stick to the mountains further west,” Sothe replied. Celestia had been listening to question after question leave her sister’s mouth for about an hour now, and in all that time had been formulating a question of her own.
“What does Greathoof have against the Griffins?” Celestia asked. The other two turned, as if they had forgotten she was there. Sothe thought for a moment and sighed.
“He… he blames the Griffins for many things. His parents died in the last border war when he was young, and he’s been nursing his grudge for years now.” Sothe’s voice trailed off.
“So he wants revenge,” Luna asked.
“No, he used to want revenge but now… he just wants blood now. Whose blood doesn’t matter, he just wants war.” The other two alicorns didn’t understand what Sothe ment by this, “When you know nothing but violence, you grow detached. Greathoof is full of so much hate that he is incapable of understanding peace anymore, he only knows war. His grief and anger slowly consumed him until he became the thing he is today.” Sothe finished explaining and looked over the rise of the hill they had come to. He could see mountains in the distance, old craggy mountains as old as the land itself.
“That’s where we’re headed,” he said “The Diamond Mountains.” Luna looked on in awe and Celestia rested her head on Sothe’s shoulder.
“Do you want to keep walking?” She asked her mate.
“No, let’s make camp.” The three went about collecting and piling whatever wood they could scrounge from the barren land, and after they had an acceptable pile went about trying to convince Pinlomena to light it. After much coaxing and promises of mice the firebird finally obliged and they all lay around the fire, basking in its warmth.
The griffins have two types of names in their culture. The first type is one that they are born with, a common name. These names are usually a single word that says something about them, such as where they’re from or a feature of them. The latter type is one christened later in life. These names are used as a mark of status, they describe an exploit or a defining feature that they weren’t born with, much like a alicorn’s cutie mark. The birth names are referred to as Home-Names, while the others are Warrior-Name.
Cliff still had his birth name. He had never seen battle, nor had he ever seen far off lands. He rarely got invited to go hunting, and he was a mess in the forge. The only thing Cliff had ever done right was patrol, and so the only thing Cliff ever got to do was patrol. He had enlisted with hopes of being a great warrior, but had only ever been described as a hotshot. In basic training he had attempted a dive bomb but only managed to pass out in midair due to the g-force. He had bragged about his skills in a fight, but only ever managed to be succeed as a punching bag. He couldn’t ever back up his claims in any physical practice, but he was organized. His border reports were always filled out and submitted on time, he always followed protocol, and he never missed his shift. This is why he was fit to be a guardsman.
He sailed high above the ground, staring absentmindedly at the wastes below him.
He sighed, “Nothing… the wastes are so boring.” After a time he alighted on a cliff and just watched the sunset. He did this often, stopping his patrol partway through to watch the ball of light fade over the horizon. He wondered how it did this, what could move something so big. He enjoyed watching the fireball fade and give way to the night. These times when he was alone were the only ones he ever enjoyed. There he stayed until darkness fell completely and he could no longer see. Or he should have been unable to see, if it hadn’t been for a light on a hill in the distance.
“Well what do you know,” he said incredulously, “There’s actually someone out there.” He spread his wings and took off in the direction of the light.
Sothe told the others stories, stories of the border wars, stories of the council members, and stories of dragons. The stories about dragons were the ones Luna enjoyed the most. She had always been interested in dragons, they sounded like magnificent creatures. Sothe told a story about how Dragons had been the first creatures to live in this land, about how they warred for a time until a great peace settled, how they would return to war at the end of times. Luna loved every minute of it, Celestia on the other hand preferred sleep to stories and quickly dozed off. Sothe and Luna talked late into the night until the sound of wingbeats alerted them of a new arrival to their campfire.
Cliff wondered how he would approach them, he thought about dive-bombing them but decided against that since he wasn’t very good at attacking. His next idea was to hide in the dark and whisper to scare them, but he wasn’t very good at hiding either. While he thought about these things he overheard the stories that Sothe was telling the others. These were different storied from the ones he had been told as a chick. The alicorn was a good story teller too, Cliff was entranced. He listened to a story about a dragon and demon, and when the story reached its climax he let out a soft “Wow.” Sothe heard this and quickly stood.
“Show yourself!” He called into the darkness. Cliff felt embarrassed, he knew that had been a childish mistake.
“Show yourself.” Sothe repeated with more force. Cliff stepped into the light of the campfire and watched as Luna reeled back in fear. She had never seen a griffin before.
“Who are you?” Sothe asked in a calm voice.
“I’m a guard,” Cliff responded simply, “And you are an alicorn, and therefore a trespasser.”
“We are here on a mission of peace from Chancellor River. We have a message for Scar.” Cliff thought about this for a moment, he knew the border treaty allowed for diplomats and messengers to cross, but he had never encountered one himself.
“How do I know you’re here in peace?” He asked, trying to match the alicorn’s cool tone.
“Because we haven’t violated the treaty in any way, we walked here, made our camp obvious, and did not attack you on sight.” Sothe responded. Cliff thought about this for a moment, he would have liked for them to be trespassers, he could have arrested them and been awarded for capturing treaty-breakers, but on the other hand if they had been sent by Chancellor River herself then the message might be important.
“If you understand the border treaty then you must know that I am, as a guard, required to offer you an escort to your destination.” The griffin said somewhat forcefully, “an offer that you are required to accept.”
“Of course,” Sothe nodded, “Although we will not be continuing until tomorrow, would you like to join us?” He motioned with a hoof to an empty spot near the fire, hoping to sound welcoming. Cliff considered the offer for a moment and then nodded, it was much more comfortable by the fire than anywhere else in the wastes. All three of them watched each other for a while until Luna chose to break the suspicious silence.
“What’s your name?” she asked the large bird-lion.
“Cliff,” He responded slowly, “And yours?”
“Luna.”
“What kind of name is Luna.” Cliff asked incredulously, he had thought the few alicorn names he had heard before were strange, but this one took the cake.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Luna said defensively.
“I was born on a cliff… and my parents weren’t exactly creative…” His voice trailed off a little and an awkward silence followed.
“My name is Sothe,” Sothe said to break the silence, “High Commander of the Fourth Aerial Strike force, and this is my mate,” He motioned to the sleeping white pony next to him. “Celestia.” Cliff nodded and chose not to comment on how strange those names were too. The three talked for a while, all the time Luna and Cliff butted heads over every little thing. The way Sothe saw it, if they kept this up they would be best friends by morning.
Luna was confused, this griffin was nothing like the feathered monsters she had been told about as a filly. I stories griffin were always described as bloodthirsty and cruel. She didn’t sense any evil in him at all. She actually enjoyed his company, he may have been full of himself and overconfident, but he was also fun to argue with and at times quite funny.
“Can you really do magic?” Cliff asked suddenly. This shocked Luna,
“Of course,” She said “Can’t everyone?” Cliff shook his head,
“Could you show me?” he asked slowly.
“Well….” Luna said as her horn started to glow, “I guess I could.” While Luna talked she silently lifted Cliff off of the ground, he yelped in surprise,
“AHHH!” he exclaimed, “How’re you doing that!?!?” Luna held him there giggling while he struggled against the invisible force containing him. After a time Cliff began to laugh too. When Luna finally freed him he sat down, the past hour had been full of more stories and talk. He was actually finding himself enjoying the company. It was a real nice change to be in the company of people who weren’t going to pre-judge him. Every griffin in the area knew of how much of a klutz he was, but these ponies had never even know of his existence until an hour earlier. Before he had been dreading the prospect of showing up with three alicorns and a phoenix, but as he began to fall asleep he decided that maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 5 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-20T16:53:56+00:00
|
2011-09-20T16:53:56+00:00
| 1,606 |
Chapter 4
Stories of griffins
Greathoof surveyed the crowd below him, an army of soldiers all fierce in their hatred of their enemy. Greathoof smiled. An army fit for an Empire, he thought to himself. The ponies below him marched through the Everfree forest, cutting down anything in their path. They left a trail of trampled underbrush and crushed saplings in their wake. Soon actual bodies would lie beneath them, but for now this would do. They marched west for the border, they never stopped moving, they had a mission, and so did another group on ponies to their northeast.
Sothe stirred in the morning light. The fire next to him, long since dead, let off a thin wispy trail of smoke. The soldier raised his head and blinked in the sunlight, surveying the cracked earth around him.
“Morning,” murmured a voice to his right. Sothe turned and found himself looking at the griffin that had joined them the previous night. In the light, Sothe looked at him properly for the first time. He was a small griffin, but with sturdy legs and large wings, he was a lighter brown then most with darker feathers tufting up where his ears would have been had he had any. The most defining feature of Cliff was the streak of white that ran down his back, clashing with his predominantly brown color scheme.
“Good morning to you too,” Sothe replied, “Been up long?”
“Only long enough to talk with your bird for a while,” He replied gesturing to Philomena who sat atop a rock, happy to have company, “she said that she likes it here, lots of lizards to catch.” Sothe nodded, it made sense that a griffin could talk to birds; they were half avian themselves.
“We should wake the others soon,”
“’Okay.” Cliff responded. Sothe had only met a few griffins in his time and not liked any of them, but Cliff was different. He was like a new Private, a bit of a hotshot, but willing to follow orders. He was also relatively curious. Sothe respect him for that, a proper balance of obedience and curiosity was a rare find.
The griffin opened a pouch attached to his waist and pulled out what looked like dried meat. Sothe hadn’t noticed the bag before.
“Want some?” Cliff asked, offering Sothe a strip of the jerky.
“No.” Sothe said; a little disgusted at the idea of eating meat.
“Oh that’s right, you herbivores aren’t you?”
“Yes of course.” Sothe responded.
Cliff shrugged, “Sorry I forget… almost everything eats meat out here.” He motioned to the endless wastes around him.
“What is that anyway?” Sothe asked curiously, he didn’t recognize what kind of meat it was.
“Jerky,” Cliff replied around his mouthful of food, “Well… it’s technically gazelle, but it all tastes the same once you preserve it. You take a strip of meat, salt it, add some spices and then put it in the sun.” He swallowed and continued “The salt keeps it from rotting in the sun, and once it’s dried out I will never go bad.” He then did a strange movement involving bobbing his beak and twitching the skin around it, Sothe assumed this was the Griffin equivalent of a smile. Sothe dug for something to eat, trying to take his mind off of the descriptions of preparing dead animal. After Sothe had polished off an apple from his bag he roused Celestia and Luna and gave Celestia an explanation of the happenings of the previous night. He told her that Cliff was here to guide them. She didn’t seem convinced. Once everyone had eaten (Philomena having caught herself a plump lizard) they set out once again into the wasteland. This time lead by their new griffin friend.
Cliff didn’t like the looks that the white pony was giving him, she kept watching him but when her looked at her she tried to look away. After a time he decided to be forward,
“Why are you staring at me?” he asked.
“I’m not!” She replied, sounding a little embarrassed and looking away quickly.
“Yes you are,” he responded, “Is there something you want to ask me?”
Celestia shook her head “No it just… I’ve never seen a griffin before, and well from what I’ve heard… I mean what books say about you…” She started stammering, but Sothe quickly interjected.
“Tia, you do realize that Greathoof has a good amount of control over Griffin related media.” Sothe said this slowly, “He had been trying to spread a negative viewpoint of them for years now by using the media to… paint them in a different light.” Tia thought about this for a moment. Every account of a griffin encounter she had ever read about had ended in bloodshed. In fact now that she thought about it she had never read one positive thing about a griffin. They had always been depicted as ruthless and cruel creatures, but walking next to her was a griffin in the flesh and he wasn’t trying to rip her throat out, or eat her, in fact he was actually somewhat enjoyable to be around. She took a deep breath and then spoke again.
“I’ve never met a griffin before, and the mental picture I had was very different from you.” She said apologetically to Cliff. Cliff did his twitchy beak smile and replied,
“S’okay, I’ve never met an alicorn before, but from the stories I’ve been told I always assumed you were all evil witches and sorcerer,” He slowed down realizing what he had just said, “I mean… stories tell about you’re people stealing chicks from their nests and tainting water…” Celestia nodded, understanding. It seemed that both of them had been fed some lies.
Luna felt happy when her sister finally opened up to Cliff. Luna had grown to like him rather quickly, but Tia hadn’t been so fast to. But now that they were all talking openly the trip seemed to go faster. They had been walking for hours when they finally entered the edge of a large expanse of shade cast by the mountain range they had been walking for. The sun was on its way down and its eastward light was fading behind the mountain range.
“Are we going to make it before nightfall?” Luna asked in the fading light.
“Maybe,” said Cliff “I’ve never actually walked to the front entrance before” he said.
“Then why don’t we fly?” Luna inquired.
“Because of the border treaty,” Cliff answered, “Unknown people, especially ponies, are easy to mistake for hostiles in midair and are attacked on sight, so if a guard wants to bring someone in then they have to walk.” He shrugged.
“Well I’d rather walk then get attacked.” Said Luna.
“Yes,” Said Sothe, “Fighting is the last thing we want right now, we’re on a mission of peace to avert a war. Fighting the griffins is out of the question.” His words had an emphasis to them that suggested the statement was final. So they walked until they couldn’t see anymore, and made camp again. They ate, and told stories, and laughed until they all fell asleep.
The army marched through the night and into the next morning. Under the cover of the darkness they had crossed the border and as light returned they found the grass under their feet to have faded into barren dirt. At the border Greathoof turned back and returned to the council building, he had to keep his illusion of compliance to the council’s wishes. He slept easy that night, knowing that by the day after tomorrow reports of his army’s exploits would find their way into his chamber. He spent the next day excited; in fact he found it hard to be his usual grumpy self when he knew that his plan was coming to fruition. Thelia noticed something off about him, his snarky comments lacked their usual bite and he conceded to too many points. Greathoof obviously had something else occupying his thoughts, and she was going to find out what that was.
“So anyway, after the Third Border War my brother and I enlisted. Beakshard managed to get all the way into Scar’s honor guard, and I… I got to be part of the border patrol.” Cliff finished his story.
“So you’ve been a guard ever since?” Luna asked.
“Yeah. It’s not the most exciting job but someone has to do it,” He shrugged, “Besides, I’m not exactly fit for combat anyway.” Celestia looked him over. He was a large creature, not enormous but his head was at least a foot higher than her own when he stood. He had said he was actually rather small framed by griffin standards but he looked rather menacing in his own right.
They had been traveling since sunup and were fast approaching the base of the Diamond Mountain. The Diamond Mountain was part of a range referred to as the cloud ridge, but it earned its own name by towering a good three hundred feet above the others. The ice started about four hundred feet up; there was no snow, just a solid sheet of ice that shined in the sunlight looking like a precious gem and not frozen water. The mountain sported few natural cliffs, and many griffin made ones. Griffins swarmed the air above the alicorns, leaving in hunting parties, returning with goods from traders to the south, some griffins barked out orders, and others kept count of who came and went. At the base of the mountain sat a colossal stone door. The thing looked so heavy that the three alicorns doubted than their combine strength, even with the help of their griffin escort, would budge the thing. Fortunately they weren’t expected to open it themselves; the door was guarded by two griffins so huge that Cliff paled in comparison.
One opened his beak and spoke, “Well, well, well… what have we here? A little guardsman brought in some little ponies.”
The other one smirked and added, “What’s the matter Cliffy? Couldn’t handle them on your own?” Cliff scowled.
“We’re here on a mission of peace from Chancellor River.” Sothe stated coolly, “And if you understand the terms of the border treaty then you will let us pass.” The large guards looked surprised to not be feared by the pony. They stared him down.
“And just who might you be?” One of them growled.
“High Commander Sothe Greatwing.” They paused at this. They realized where his confidence came from; they were dealing with somepony of rank.
“State your business.” The second growled.
“We bring a message to Warlord Scar, a message that will benefit him and all of his people.”
“You’d better let him in,” Cliff mumbled, “If Scar heard you weren’t honoring the treaty then you’d have hell to pay.” The guards looked the alicorns over and after a time sighed and opened the gate.
“Watch your step.” One hissed as the door close shut, but the alicorns didn’t hear the threat, they were entranced. They all stood still, staring into the great cavern that loomed before them. There was a city in this mountain, one of the biggest cities any of the three ponies had ever seen.
“Welcome home.” Cliff said happily.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 6 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-11-10T01:17:03+00:00
|
2011-11-10T01:17:03+00:00
| 1,465 |
Chapter 5
Scar
The Diamond City most certainly held up to its name. Both the name and the city itself were magnificent. Celestia had never been to a place like this before, until now she had thought Trottington had been large, but this place blew away any competition with that feeble excuse for a metropolis. The cavern that made up Diamond City was fifty feet tall at its lowest, and was upwards of two-hundred at its highest point, and that was just on the first level. What’s more the place was built to accommodate those who chose to walk as well as those who flew. When they first arrived, Celestia had been dumbstruck and three days in the magnificent cavern hadn’t changed that.
The griffins, in general, steered clear of the alicorns. They were tolerant of them, understanding that they were here as diplomats, but few of them talked with the visitors. Celestia didn’t mind this though; she enjoyed exploring this place. She visited store after store, monument after monument, and every evening she loved to watch the sunset from one of the many landing cliffs that dotted the side of the mountain. She would sit there and just look out over the desert until one of the guards started to close the gate, at which time she re-entered the mountain city. Cliff has given them the grand tour on their first day there. He showed them the great hall of statues filled with hundreds of marble figures, each a moment from some point in the past forever etched into stone. All together the statues told the story of griffin history. Some depicted great warlords, others battles, a few alicorns and dragons could be spotted in the mix as well. Cliff has also taken them to the Winged Palace, an enormous building surrounded by countless pillars. This building was the home of Scar, the leader of this griffin society. As the days passed Celestia slowly learned her way around the city, and she had even managed to make a few friends along the way. She had astonished some young griffins with her magic, and charmed some of the more friendly griffins into talking. Overall Celestia enjoyed her stay. Luna on the other hand was bored out of her mind.
Luna spent her three days laying around in the room provided to her group. It was sparsely furnished, having only two beds and a couch surrounded by rock walls painted off-white, but it was comfortable all the same. She lazed away the three days spent in the mountain, napping all day, listening to her sister ramble on and on about the city in the evenings, and spent her nights away wishing she could see the stars. She didn’t like it here. Cliff had made them feel welcome, and while the city was impressive it didn’t feel right for her. She couldn’t wait for the day of their audience with Scar, hoping that they could go home after that. She wondered how Celestia could stand it here.
Then again, she thought to herself, ‘Tia has always been good at making friends. Celestia was most definitely the more personable of the two, but Luna had always valued her solitude anyway so she continued to keep to herself throughout the week.
On the fifth day in the city the three alicorns woke early and did their best to groom themselves to look nice. A guard came to get them from their room and lead them to the front steps of the Winged Palace. The stairs took quite some time to climb, but once they reached the top they had no time for rest as they filed into the great building. An entrance hall was there to greet them. It was filled with hundreds of griffins all moving with some sort of purpose, although it was obvious that each one of them had a place to be, they each made room for the assembly of alicorns to pass through. A labyrinth of halls waited for them deeper within the palace, but after many twists and turns they arrived in a circular room not unlike the one of the High Council. Here sat many griffins. There were scholars, soldiers, commoners, and in a high seat that was made more imposing by the enormous wings carved out of the sides sat the most dangerous looking of all the griffins in the room. He wasn’t burley like the guardsmen, nor was he lithe like the griffin scouts. His physical appearance wasn’t what gave him his aura of power; in fact he looked completely average in every way. What made him so imposing was his presence. He looked down upon everything with piercing, calculating eyes. He was absolutely calm. He exuded confidence. He was in control here. After a time this griffin spoke.
“Welcome,” his voice was not loud, but it had no need to be for it had strength behind it, “I hope you have enjoyed your stay in our fair city. My name is Scar.” The three alicorns looked up at him and Sothe gave a respectful nod.
“Greetings Scar, I am Sothe Greatwing,” Said the stallion, “I come on behalf of Councilor River.” The griffin sized him up before speaking again.
“And what brings dear River to command alicorns to cross into my territory?”
“We come with a warning,” Sothe’s voice was strong, “A week ago, by sister in law Luna,” he motioned to the blue alicorn beside him, “Made a grave discovery. The usurper Greathoof is building an army; we believe it is his intent to return war to our borders. River wished for me… for us to bring you this message and along with it offer our services in defending your land. She wishes to make clear that this is not the beginnings of the Fourth Border war, but is a war brought on by the acts of a madpony. A madpony with disregard for your kind.” Sothe finished his little speech and breathed deeply. Scar looked troubled, not flustered or scared, just troubled. He closed his eyes and opened his beak, this time his voice boomed.
“Send a scouting party to the south, if what they say is true, and we have not yet been attacked then the fool ‘Greathoof’ must be wishing to attack Voltag’s forces first.” A group of four griffins to the left of the room stood to leave, but Scar wasn’t done, “Remember. You are scouts. Do not engage, no matter the circumstances.” His orders were unquestionably clear.
“Understood” The leader of the group barked before the four left the chamber. Scar then turned his attentions back to the group of alicorns.
“You three are to come with me.” His voice was no longer booming.
“Of course.” Sothe replied in an even tone.
The Winged Palace had many levels, the meeting hall was on the main floor, and Scar’s quarters were three stories above it on the top floor. The Celestia, Sothe, and Luna were on neither of these floors. They had followed the warlord down many flights of stairs until they found themselves in a stone room deep in the base of the mountain. Here there were tables littered with maps and letters. On the walls hung more maps, alongside paintings of landscapes from around the world. Scar stood at the end of the long central table, and once the alicorns had settled themselves he began to question them.
“Where was the army based when you first saw them?” He asked of Luna.
“They were hidden, deep in the Everfree Forest. A clearing about…” She racked her memories for the details, “Maybe ten miles in. They had tents, and training dummies, and a forge…” She trailed off after the griffin gave her a look that said ‘that’s all I needed to know, stop talking before I force you to’ she looked down at the floor and her sister put a hoof on her shoulder. Scar surveyed a map of the great forest before turning to Sothe.
“What sort of time could a group their size make? How quickly could they cross the forest and make it to the wastes?”
“On a steady march? About four days.” Sothe replied. Scar nodded and returned to his map, but Celestia looked up suddenly.
“But that means they could already be here!”
“If they were here they would have attacked us already” the griffin growled.
“What about Voltag’s people?” Luna asked. Scar looked up from his maps with an aggravated look on his face.
“That was the purpose of the scouting party.”
“You’re not worried that griffins could be dying right…” Celestia was cut off when Sothe fanned his wings and covered her face with one.
“’Tia. Drop it please.” Sothe said, trying to keep his voice steady. Scar eyed the two of them coldly and retuned to looking at the maps spread out in front of him.
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“Gone?” Celestia asked dumfounded, “The whole town just… gone” Sothe sighed; he knew when he had first heard the news that he would have to expect such a reaction.
“Not entirely gone… they found burning rubble… and… no survivors” He decidedly left out the fact that the scouts had found a pile of about one hundred griffin bodies in the town square. Celestia sat down, the shock registering in her eyes. Voltag’s territory was arranged differently from Scar’s. Unlike the single mega-city here, the southern griffins arranged themselves into small townships, each with a town guard and a small military garrison, while the rest of the military remained in the capital. The scouts that Scar had sent south had returned a few hours ago with a report that the army had indeed arrived, and decimated one of the small towns. Sothe left Celestia laying on the floor of their room, she needed time to think, Sothe on the other hand needed to talk to Scar.
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Greathoof was ecstatic. The report had just come in. His plan was working, and a griffin town had already fallen. He was going to crush them with ease.
“The scum didn’t have a chance.” He mumbled happily to himself. He decided that this was a time to celebrate, and he made a mental note to order a cake after the next meeting let out. He trotted back to the council chamber with a spring in his step. An early meeting has been called, and any other day Greathoof would have complained, but not today. He was whistling a joyful tune as he entered the chamber. The place was empty, save for Thelia who was already in her place at the table.
“Good morning Thelia.” Greathoof said smugly.
“What’s this? Councilor Greathoof, happy?” Her voice was laced with sarcasm, “And might I inquire as to the occasion?”
“Do I need an occasion? You are happy often enough, why can’t I have my turn?”
“Because your happiness is never a good sign.” She said flatly. Greathoof shot her a glare.
“Shut up, where are the others? We begin soon do we not?”
“We would begin soon if there was actually a meeting,” her horn glowed and audible clicks could be heard as the doors to the room locked simultaneously, “as it stands, this ‘meeting’ is merely going to be a conversation between you and me.”
“Are we?” the joy in Greathoof’s voice had been replaced by his usual coldness, “And what, pray tell, are we going to talk about?”
“As I said before, you’ve been very happy recently. Why?”
“Why?” He replied with a snicker, “Because my dear, it is a momentous day. The world is changing for the better, and my name is going down in history.”
“Oh really?” Thelia replied, “Please, tell me more.”
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“MY PEOPLE.” Scar’s voice boomed, “TODAY, NEWS HAS REACHED MY EARS. NEWS OF AN ARMY, BUILT BY A FOOL. NO DOUBT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU KNOWS OF GREATHOOF. HE HAS RAISED AN ARMY AND BROUGHT IT TO OUR DOORSTEPS, HOPING TO WIPE US FROM OUR ANCIENT HOMES.” The crowd below him began to grow loud with concerned chatter, “DO NOT WORRY. WE WILL NOT ALLOW SUCH FOOL TO GO FAR, ALREADY HE HAS HARMED HOUR BRETHERIN TO THE SOUTH, AND ALREADY THEY HAVE RETALIATED. WE TOO MUST READY OURSELVES, WAR IS ONCE AGAIN COMING. AND WE WILL MEET IT HEAD ON!” he roared his final words and the crowd exploded, they believed his words completely. Scar stepped back inside from the balcony where he had given his speech. The room inside was filled with many griffins alongside the alicorn messengers. Scar approached one large griffin and spoke,
“Ready sixty warriors and send them south. They must tell Voltag that we are ready to fight beside him.”
“At once.” The other griffin replied and left the room. Scar then continued around the room, going from griffin to griffin giving out orders until the room was almost empty.
“What would you have us do?” Sothe asked after a time. Scar turned to face the tan stallion.
“I appreciate the offer of assistance, but as it is three alicorns would be of little help.” He sighed a little and continued, “And I must take into account that one of you is a fighter.”
“But we’re-“ Luna began, but was cut off.
“Sun Runner or not, magical skill is not the same as combat experience.” Scar said flatly.
“There is nothing we can do? Nothing at all?” Sothe asked. Scar sized him up for a moment before responding.
“How did you handle traveling?”
“I don’t see how that’s relevant.”
“How did you three as a group handle spending days in the open in unknown territory?”
“We held up fine.” Sothe replied flatly.
“I actually enjoyed it.” Luna chimed in. Scar gave her an approving nod.
“I have no place for you three on the front lines, but I may have a… a mission that may suit you. How would you three feel about traveling west?”
“West? Into the Dragon Lands?” Sothe asked, surprised.
“Yes. There is something there that would be useful for this war, but as it stands so griffin seems capable of… obtaining it.” Scar said slowly, “If you truly wish to help me end this war quickly, then you will go west and search for this artifact.”
“What artifact?” Celestia finally said.
“It is an ancient piece of dragon magic. It’s called a Flame Orb.”
“Well…” Sothe said slowly, “What do you think?” He asked the group. Luna was the first to reply.
“Let’s do it!” She yelled. She was ecstatic. Her lifelong dream was going to come true. She was going to get to see dragons.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 7 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-13T17:55:46+00:00
|
2011-10-13T17:55:46+00:00
| 1,260 |
Chapter 6
To the west
Thelia stood silent. Greathoof watched her, waiting for a reaction to the tale he had just told. She was in shock, but was determined to not let it show.
“An army?” She said accusingly, “You marched an army into griffin territory without the council’s consent?”
“You sound surprised,” Greathoof mused, “I fell as if my feelings towards those half-birds have been rather obvious for quite some time now.”
“But annihilation? How do you plan on justifying this needless slaughter” she yelled back.
“I won’t need to. Within a week or so my army shall have destroyed Voltag’s hold on the southern wastes. After that all I need to do is announce that I’ve captured land for Athelta, no one will question what lengths I went too to get it, so long as the land is available for settlement.”
“That assumes I won’t tell anypony about you’re plans,” Thelia replied hotly, “Which of course we both know I must.” She gave him one last glare before turning for the nearest door.
Of course you must, thought the blood red stallion, I would expect nothing more from one as lawful as yourself. A faint aura enveloped his horn as a knife was slipped from its hiding place under his right wing. At the same time Thelia’s horn began to glow as well, unlocking the door as she prepared to leave, but she never made it outside the council room. As the lock clicked the knife spun through the air and embedded itself in her back. She let out a gasp before falling. Greathoof smiled as the blade found its mark, he hoped he had punctured a lung. He approached her and admired the elegance of his attack for a moment, while she stared up at him, gasping for breath.
“I hold nothing against you Thelia my dear; you have the interest of the country in mind as well.” He smiled and raised a hoof above her head, “You’re just not thinking as big as I am.”
The last thing Thelia saw was a hoof coming down on her head, followed by darkness.
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“So you guys are going to find… what’d he call it again?”
“The Flame Orb.” Sothe replied to the confused griffin, “It’s some sort of dragon artifact.”
“Right, right. But how’re you gonna’ find it? I mean no offence to you guys,” He said to Celestia and Luna, “But you two aren’t exactly fighters.”
“No, but Sothe can fight and we are rather skilled with magic,” Celestia shrugged, “And if it prevents more killing then I’m glad to help…” She was still shaken up over the news of the slaughtered town. Cliff sighed; he didn’t want to see his newfound friends go so quickly. He had enjoyed their company the last couple of days.
“Can I come?” he asked simply after a moment of thought.
“What?” Sothe replied.
“Can. I. Come?” He enunciated each word.
“Why do you want to?” Sothe replied.
“I never get to do anything here. Everyday it’s ‘Patrol!’ or ‘Cliff turn in your reports!’ I want to actually DO something for once… and besides, I kinda’ like you guys” Sothe appraised the griffin.
“If you come you’re in if for the long haul.” He said, “What can you offer us.” Cliff looked up with a spark in his eyes.
“I’m not a heavyweight fighter, but I can do this.” He jumped up and opened the window, “Just watch.” He said as he grabbed a pillow from one of the beds and tossed it outside. He leaped after it and disappeared down the side of the mountain. The three alicorns approached the open window and looked down, Cliff was in a dive and was approaching the ground fast. It looked as if he’d hit but at the last possible second pulled up and began his return. This alone would have been impressive if he hadn’t also been expertly tearing the pillow to shreds on his way up. The group made room for him and he landed back inside.
“Aerial combat,” He boasted, “Not bad for a guard huh?” Sothe was stunned, only a few of the alicorns under his command could pull off such a dive.
“Where’d you learn to do that?” He asked, clearly impressed.
“Practice,” Cliff answered happily, “I was never really good at fighting, but I did lots of stunts when I was little.” Sothe looked him over slowly.
“Alright, you can come,” He said slowly, “But, you have to be willing to follow orders. Understand?” Cliff nodded vigorously.
“Of course!”
The four set out the next day, each with a pack full of supplies. They carried food, tinder, some rope; all the essentials. Cliff was wearing a leather vest that offered a decent amount of protection. Sothe had a scroll, it contained a report he had prepared to send back to River, detailing the events of the last week and a half.
“Take care of it Philomena, make sure River gets this as quickly as possible.” He said to the waiting firebird as he floated her the scroll. She squawked happily, took the scroll in her beak and flew away.
“Right,” Celestia began, “So how do we plan on getting to the dragon lands anyway?” They were on top of the Diamond Mountain which she found strange if they planned on setting out on a journey.
“There’s more ways to travel then just over land” Cliff chuckled.
“There’s an ancient road that cuts across the entire northern range of these mountains,” Sothe replied, “There’s a few towns along the way, and it’ll lead us straight to the dragon lands.”
“Sounds more comfortable than the wastes” Celestia said happily. Everyone but Luna chatted as they set out down a hidden path leading away from the mountaintop. She was too giddy with excitement to make small talk.
DRAGONS! She thought, we’re going to see dragons! All her life she had wanted to see a dragon. She loved reading the myths and legends about them, telling how they were the first creatures on the planet, how they had crafted the world, how they had created the alicorns. Even if half the stuff she read about them was untrue, they still sounded like the most interesting creatures in the world. The four of them walked for a time, talking about anything that came up. Celestia told Cliff about life as a Sun-Runner, Cliff asked Sothe about what it was like to be a commander, Luna question Cliff about the southern griffins. Eventually they got tired of talking and were silent for a while. They had no need to exhaust their conversation topics this early in their trek anyway. They still had a long way to go.
The first hour was fun; they talked and dreamed about what they might see. They felt like they were on a real adventure. The second hour was still enjoyable. Sure they were a bit tired, but they still talked and laughed together. The fourth hour was boring, the seventh infuriating, and the twelfth all but unbearable.
“GAAAH,” Celestia screamed, “We’re not getting anywhere!” The terrain never seemed to change. It was rock after rock after rock after rock.
“It’s a mountain road, of course it’s gonna’ be boring.” Cliff said apologetically. Celestia just sighed.
“Why can’t we just fly?” She asked for the fourth time that day.
“Because,” Luna groaned, “We’re on top of a mountain range, the air is so thin up here that the energy it’d take to fly makes walking the easier option. I’ve told you this at least… I dunno’ three times now.”
“So why do we have to take the mountains?” Celestia retorted crossly.
“By the moon! How many times are you- MMPH!” Luna was cut off when she walked headfirst into Sothe’s outstretched wing.
“As much as I enjoy listening to you guys bicker,” Sothe began, sarcasm dripping from his voice, “I really do think you’d enjoy actually looking down the road.” Celestia squinted, trying to see what Sothe was referring to. There was what looked like a house. Many houses actually.
“A town!” Celestia exclaimed.
“Yeah, you guys only just noticed that?” Cliff mused.
“What do you mean? It’s way off in the…” She stopped when Cliff pointed to his eyes, “Oh right, eagle eyes.”
“What can I say?” Cliff said playfully, “They’re a gift.” Luna snickered and ‘Tia rolled her eyes. The group redoubled their pace now that they had a real goal in sight. They needed to get to that town. It was a town outside of any country, and therefore outside of any laws. It was a town of outcast and bandits, a town that some might call a ‘Wretched hive of scum and villainy’. But of course none of the group of questers knew that. They looked forward to food and beds, none of them wanted to sleep out in this rocky place.
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Greathoof looked down at his work with a cold sense of satisfaction.
“Well,” He mused to nopony in particular, or maybe it was directed at the carcass, “That was fun. I mean I wasn’t planning on killing you this early on but still, that added some spice to my day.” As he said this he used his magic to lift the body. He noted the red stain where the head had lain, “Looks like I made a bit of a mess. Oh well, it was still a pretty clean kill.” The body remained floating and after a moment the knife dislodged itself from Thelia’s back and returned to its hidden sheath. Greathoof worked quickly, he cleaned the bloodstains from the floor and cast a cloaking spell over the form that had once been Thelia. He took a deep breath, did his best to hold his composure, and walked out of the council chamber with the invisible carcass in tow.
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Philomena alighted on River’s windowsill. River lived in a quaint house, quaint in comparison to the other councilors in any case. It was just a little bigger than Celestia and Sothe’s house, and was lit by magic lanterns as opposed to their more traditional skylight system. The place had the air of a forest grove to it. The lanterns cast a dark green around the main room and the walls had a leaf pattern upon them.
The firebird rapped her beak against the window, and was greeted with a surprised look from the mare sitting inside. The window opened.
“Well hello Philomena. Do come in.” River cooed, she had always loved Sothe’s phoenix, “Do you have something for me?” She asked after the bird settled on the arm of a chair. She nodded and held her beak out, offering the scroll. River floated it out and settled down to read it, only to jump up moments later. The scroll was short, if gave a quick rundown of events in the wastes and the Diamond City before giving the news of the battle.
“It’s as we feared,” She read aloud, “Greathoof seems to wish nothing less than the destruction of the griffin race. Keep an eye on him.” The mare thought on this. An entire town dead in a few hours… she thought, How long has he been planning this? She continued through the message and came to the part about the quest from Scar.
“The Flame Orb… what does Scar want with something like that?” she thought aloud. Philomena gave a short squawk in response. River smiled at the bird.
“Alright Philomena, you rest up. I have a letter to write and a meeting to arrange.” The council mare left the room and Philomena closed her eyes, ready for a good nights sleep, completely oblivious of the fact that sleep is exactly what her owners would be getting very little of tonight.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 8 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-15T22:11:37+00:00
|
2011-10-15T22:11:37+00:00
| 1,238 |
Chapter 7
Deadrocks
Deadrocks was a town of misfits. It didn’t belong to anyone except for its inhabitants. Alone this rundown town stood in the gray of the northern mountains, the only speck of life in that otherwise desolate but safe place. It was here that someone could buy most anything if they searched long enough. Anything from a bed for the night, to an ancient tome of spells was available for purchase if you could make the right offer. It was Deadrocks that the group of alicorns and their griffin companion saw.
“We’re almost there!” called Cliff happily as they four raced towards the small town. The place was not in the best of shape. It looked old and run-down, but sturdy enough to have stood the tests of time. They made it to the town after a few more minutes of running and when they did, slowed to a trot (or a walk in Cliff’s case). They looked around at the wooden houses, many of them resembling shacks in structure.
“I wonder who lives here.” Luna asked.
“This far north?” Sothe “Well there’s bound to be griffins here, might see some elk. Who knows, we might even run into a-” Sothe was cut off as Cliff finished his thought for him.
“Diamond dog.” Cliff hissed. In front of the group stood a strange looking creature, it stood four feet tall, had mangy gray fur, and fangs poked out from between it cracked lips.
“Well well, what have we here?” It mused in a shrill voice, “Whats’a matter little griffin? You get captured by these big strong ponies?” the thing giggled to itself, obviously finding the statement more funny than anyone else did.
“Our business is our own.” Sothe said heatedly.
“Oh of course it is,” The upright dog taunted, “It’s completely normal for a group of ponies to be traveling with a griffin in these parts.” He snickered again at his heavily sarcastic comment.
“Look you little mutt, get out of our way before you piss off our beaked friend here,” Luna motioned to Cliff and shot him a look that said ‘just roll with it’ “He eats scrawny things like you for breakfast.” Cliff caught on and did his best to turn his face into a scowl. The dog was not impressed.
“Fine,” he said flatly, “I’ll drop the sarcasm. Why’re you here?”
“We’re on a mission for Scar.” Sothe said, matching the diamond dog’s flat tone.
“We’re traveling and need beds.” Celestia chimed in. The dog sighed.
“There’s an inn near the center of town. Alicorns aren’t usually welcome here, but if you’re just spending the night you’ll be fine.” He stepped aside to let them pass, “Just watch your step.”
The inn was dim, but nowhere near as empty as they would have expected from the looks of the town. The place had creatures of all sizes. About twenty griffins were in there somewhere, alongside two elk, a buffalo, and some indistinguishable creature hidden in the shadows of booths in the corners.
“Well… this place looks… clean.” Celestia said slowly.
“Get used to it,” Sothe sighed to his mate, “You chose to leave Trottington. We’re not going to have beds laid out for us out here. An inn is a lucky find.” The two continued to talk for a while, and as they did the ears of one of the creatures hidden in the shadows pricked up. The ears were covered in red fur, and below them sightless eyes scanned the room.
“Those voices.” Growled the creature.
“Something wrong Feega?” Another voice, similar to the first barked.
“Groth… did an alicorn just walk in?” Feega asked slowly, keeping his voice low.
“Yeah, why? They are three of them actually. They’re with a griffin… something bothering you?” The blood wolf looked at his blinded friend with sympathy. Feega had only been blind for around two weeks now. Groth had found him out in the wastes with bloody eyes and a bad leg wound. If it had been anyone else, Groth would have taken his friend’s helplessness as a chance for a meal. Lucky for Feega, Grothe was loyal to his friends.
“That voice.” Feega said again, “the male one. That’s the one who’s damned bird blinded me.” Grothe’s eyes narrowed and he gazed over at the ponies hotly.
“Are you certain?”
“Of course I am!” Feega almost yelled, “His voice has been running through my head ever since… ever since it happened.” Groth looked sadly at his friend.
“I’m sorry,” His voice then gained more malice “If they took your eyes then why not return the favor?”
“So you’re from Trottington?” asked the innkeeper. He was a gruff looking alicorn with wings that looked to be at odd angles.
“That’s right. Well except for Luna… and Cliff obviously.” Celestia replied. She had just paid him for their rooms for the night.
“I haven’t seen that place in years.” He mused, “Sure you can’t share your quest with a fellow alicorn?”
“No sorry… but I can give you some news.” She recounted the story of the army invading the southern griffin lands.
“Well, I’ve never been a fan of Greathoof myself. My parents supported him but I… and to do that… I take it you’re being here has something to do with that huh?”
“Yeah,” Celestia replied sheepishly.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what’re you doing here? Not your group, I mean just you.” Celestia had to think about this. Why had she come? All she could remember was that the moment Luna told her the story about seeing the army she had immediately felt the need to follow Sothe. It had all seemed so glamorous back then, but it wasn’t. They weren’t defeating bad guys and saving the world. They were just messengers, following orders from somepony or other.
“Because… because I wanted adventure.” She replied after a while, “I never got out. I was always know as Commander Greatwing’s Mate, or Miss Greatwing, or ‘Tia. I was… I don’t know I just never did anything back home.” The innkeeper shrugged.
“Well so long as you have a reason. Enjoy your stay.”
“I will; thank you.” She walked away from his counter and scanned the dim room. She couldn’t see them anywhere.
“Excuse me miss,” Said the recognizably shrill voice of a diamond dog, “Are you looking for you’re companions?” Celestia turned around and was face to face with a mottled brown dog. She did her best to keep an even voice.
“I… uh… yes. Did you happen to see where they went?”
“But of course. I was wondering why they’d leave you in here. Seemed strange that they’d leave such a...” He searched for the right word, “Demure specimen like yourself all alone, so I thought I’d tell you they left.” He pointed a filthy claw towards the door. Celestia looked a little surprised.
“Oh? Really? Okay thank you.” She trotted towards the door. The dog watched her leave, and once the door swung shut behind her he made his own way to the exit, silently following her.
“What’s taking ‘Tia so long?” Luna complained, “I want a bed!”
“Give her time, she’s probably talking with the innkeeper.” Sothe replied. The two of them were at a table, sitting on cushions on the floor because the seats were made for diamond dogs, not alicorns. Cliff was chatting with one of the griffins at the bar. They sat there for quite a while, not talking. The atmosphere of the place was not very welcoming and neither of them liked the lighting of the place. After a while Cliff returned to them.
“’Tia back yet?”
“No.” Luna responded.
“How long does it take to get a room?” Cliff said with an edge of annoyance to his voice.
“That’s what I said.” Luna matched his annoyed tone. As they talked a wolf stalked his way through the dingy room towards them. Sothe saw him and narrowed his eyes.
“Might I have a word?” The creature growled.
“Why not, but watch your tongue.” Sothe replied to the blood-wolf, “I have experience fighting your kind so keep them peaceful words.”
“Oh, I already know you’ve fought one of us before. In fact that’s why I’m here, and if you care for the white one then you’ll not mind if I use words that are… less then peaceful.” Sothe’s horn flared and his dagger appeared at the wolf throat. Luna and Cliff backed up.
“And where, pray-tell, is she?” He growled through clenched teeth. The wolf met his gaze.
“Watch your temper pony.” He barked, “You don’t get to make demands here. You’ll come with me and put the weapon away.” Sothe was seething, but after a moment of considering his options he returned the dagger to its sheath.
“Cliff, Luna, I believe we need to go with this mutt.” He eventually sighed. The three of them followed the wolf out of the inn towards the edge of town.”
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The council met late the next morning. There was a noticeable absence of a certain member that left the council chamber feeling empty.
“Where is Thelia?” Deepwoods grumbled after more than an hour of waiting.
“Who knows.” Responded Sky Dancer.
“Well we can’t begin without her.” Rust complained. River sat quietly, thinking about the letter that she had sent that morning. It had detailed her plans for exposing Greathoof, starting with her getting a vote for a heavier border patrol passed. She was certain that if presented right, passing such a decision would be a cinch. She had not however planned on the meeting starting so late.
Greathoof had been the last to arrive, his angry demeanor had returned in light of yesterdays events. Hiding the body hadn’t been easy, but Thelia now had a grave under a bridge here in the capital city. Her death put a hamper on his plans. Originally he had planned to wait to make his move until Voltag’s lands had all fallen under his control, but this required the council to run as usual for at least two more weeks. As it stood he likely had fewer than two days before somepony discovered what had happened, bodies were not easy things to hide from magic. His mind raced through the possibilities. Of course he could play it cool until the evidence forced him to confess. Hopefully by then his army would have captured a significant enough swath of land for his to simply defect to the newly conquered wastelands. That would be the easiest way out of this, any sane pony could have seen that but Greathoof had bigger plans, and they did not include running away from the country he had so long sought to rule. He stood.
“Thelia’s disappearance is of little consequence compared to recent events.” He said, mustering up his best speech voice.
“What events might you be referring to?” River asked.
“Events, my dear, that are too grand on scope to even consider reversing.” was his response. He took a deep breath, “Of course we cannot begin talk of such things without Thelia with us.
“True.” Said Deepwoods, “What do you propose?”
“We adjourn for the day, dig up information about just where Thelia has gone, and tomorrow I will return with a far more… eloquent speech than what I would say with no planning.” He hoped this ruse would work, it was a gamble. The council members each considered their options.
“I’ll get the police to check her house,” said Sky Dancer, “If she isn’t home then I’ll have them do an actual search.” It was worrying for a council member to be missing, they were chosen for, among other things, their punctuality.
“Very well.” agreed Rust.
“That sounds fair.” Deepwoods admitted.
What is he planning? Thought River, “Fine.” She concluded. The council members gathered their things and adjourned for the day.
River headed home, hoping idly for a response from Sothe. She had sent the letter very early that morning, and assumed the phoenix could make it to the northern range by nine and it was already midday. Of course that was wishful thinking, Philomena would have to locate them in that rocky expanse. She arrived at her home and thought. What could Greathoof be planning? What could he achieve with one day of preparation? Where was Thelia? All these questions ran through her head until after an hour of thinking, a rapping sound yanked her from the depths of her thoughts. The familiar form of Philomena sat happily on her windowsill. A smile grew on River’s face as she opened the window for the bird. She had expected a short note telling of their progress that day. Instead the bird carried a long scroll. Thelia had experience reading reports, and that much writing from one day of travel could only mean trouble. She thanked the phoenix who cooed happily in response, then picked a comfortable place to sit and read of the events of the previous day.
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They followed the wolf for a time until they arrived at a large building that matched the rest of the town in griminess.
“Here we are,” the wolf growled smugly. Sothe glared at him, his eyes angry enough to burn holes in the wolf’s fur. “Well go on.” The three of them entered to find a large room, just as dim as the inn filled with a strong scent of musky fur.
“So kind of you to join us,” came a deep, gruff voice from deep in the room, “I think you lost something earlier.” A light illuminated the back portion of the room, making visible a group of maybe fifteen wolves, six diamond dogs, and one white alicorn bound with ropes. Luna gasped at the sight of her sister. Two dogs stood by her, one pitch black with red eyes, the other red with ruined eyes. The black one motioned a paw towards the other.
“I believe you’ve already met Feega here.” He directed the statement towards Sothe. It took him a minute to recognize the blinded wolf.
“We fought in the wastes, what of it?” he asked.
“You left him alive. You left him blinded and alone in the wastes. That’s not how you fight. If you fight, you kill.” The black one’s eyes grew cold, “Because you failed to realize this, his friends,” he swept a paw around the room to motion to the other dogs, “Don’t exactly hold you in the highest regard.” The dogs growled and moved closer to the alicorns and griffin until they were in a tight circle around them. In the next second, three things happened. The first was that one over-enthusiastic wolf leapt towards them; the second was that Sothe’s horn glowed and his knife once again was loosened from its sheath; the third was the least expected, Luna’s horn glowed as she cast a spell. The wolf crashed into an invisible barrier surrounding the three of them and fell to the floor whining.
“Well well, at least one of you knows how to protect themselves,” Giggled the black wolf, “Kill them.” The dogs all leapt at once and Luna could feel the strain on her barrier.
“Cast the shield around Celly,” Sothe commanded her, “Cliff, get ready. I’m going to have Luna drop the shield the moment they try to attack again. Got it?” the two responded in unison.
“Got it.” Luna cast her magic and Cliff took on a fighting stance.
“Now.” The shield dropped as the dogs all crashed into it for the second time and Sothe’s knife bit into one of the nameless dog’s skin. It howled as the others readied themselves, Sothe bucked another before it could attack again. One of them saw this as his chance and leapt, landing squarely on the large alicorn’s back. Cliff was ready when the first jumped and let his talons fly, sending the first to the ground, he ducked under the attack of another. When Sothe yelled in surprise Cliff spun and knocked the wolf from his back. The two began doing their best to fight off the ravenous predators.
Luna was scared out of her mind as the wolves leapt for their first real assault. She knocked to the floor as one landed on her with ease. It smiled down at her and lunged for her throat. She closed her eyes and flinched away to find its weight leave her. The wolf crashed to the ground next to her, a large price of debris from the decaying building had broadsided him. Luna saw her sister’s horn glowing. I guess they forgot about magic. Luna though to herself, smiling inwardly. Celestia concentrated her magic on the ropes around her and the knots untied themselves. The black wolf tried to knock her back to the floor but was blocked by Luna’s barrier. Celestia cast the barrier spell around Luna and the two slowly worked their way outside, protecting one another.
“So how do we get out of here captain?” Cliff asked, adding the ‘Captain’ on for fun.
“Ideally?” He responded as he bucked out again, keeping the wolves at bay, “through the door, but I don’t think that’s a real option right now.” Cliff tensed his hind legs.
“We have wings though,” He reminded the alicorn, “Why don’t we use them?” He took off and Sothe followed his example. The two hovered above the wolf pack. The two of them dove for the door and smashed the frame away, widening their escape route. There they met up with Luna and Celestia.
“Welcome back.” Luna let them inside the barrier spell. She and Celestia looked shaken but otherwise unharmed.
“Lets move,” Sothe commanded, “Back to the inn.” They all ran back through the town until they reached their destination. The innkeeper was shocked at their story.
“They can’t touch you here,” He promised, “I won’t allow it.” The four of them found their rooms. Cliff nursed a shoulder wound, and Sothe had a torn leg, but they agreed that it had gone better than it could of. After a time the four of them slept, tired from the scuffle.
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River stopped reading, and let out an audible sigh of relief. They were safe, at least for the time being. She set the scroll down and vowed to finish it later. The reading had taken a while and the sun hung low. River got something to eat and settled back down to thinking about the next day. What was Greathoof planning? She thought late into the night before passing into troubled sleep.
Author note: Okay, I know I dont usually bother with adding an author note but I think this one is important. I wrote this chapter between naps on a car trip. a long car trip. Add that to the fact that I've never really wrote fight scenes before and you can probably imagine why i'm worried that it may not be up to snuff. So if you read it and see anything wrong, story-wise, character-wise, grammer-wise, ANYTHING, please tell me. I want to keep this story as good as possible and since I lack pre-reader, some feedback would be appreciated.
-juyunseen
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 9 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-20T16:01:08+00:00
|
2011-10-20T16:01:08+00:00
| 1,246 |
Chapter 8
Treeflame
When the meeting adjourned at midday, three things happened. The first was that River headed home to think and plan her moves for the next day. The second was a mere coincidence, and it was at that very moment that the travelers to the north noticed the town of Deadrocks on the horizon. The third important thing that happened was that Greathoof began his own plot for the next day. He thought quickly as he paced the empty council chamber, doing his best to concoct a scheme to for the coming meeting. He would have to reveal what was happening in the griffin lands, that much was assured, but how to go about this without getting executed? After a time he decided that to do that he would need help.
How do I do this? He thought to himself, How do I pull this off without ruining everything. He paced the length of the stone room at least fifty times before it hit him, the simplest, most blunt way of going about this. He smiled inwardly. He knew that this plan would work, the only problem would be timing.
He quickly produced a pen from his bags and with it a blank scroll. The words made their way onto the page quickly, but he wasn’t attempting to be eloquent with this letter. He finished his hasty letter and opened the window nearest to him with his magic.
“Step one down.” He muttered as he focused the magic in his horn on the letter. The scroll began to glow a soft green, and then it began to burn and sublimate into smoke. The smoke spiraled and swirled before, as if taken up in a gust of wind, flew out the window into the open air. Greathoof heaved a sigh of relief as he began to pack his things. He stood up once his bag was full and looked around the room one last time before turning and galloping off towards his home.
-----
Far to the southeast, a great fire was raging. The fuel for this inferno had once been a griffin town, but it was now reduced to rubble. The fire radiated heat onto the alicorn soldiers who ringed the town. The alicorns had been watching the fire for some time now, but as time passed many had chosen to back away and prepare their tents for the night. Among the tents, one stood out. It was smaller than all the others, smaller and green. The emerald green tent all but glowed among the tan tents that housed the rest of the army, but the tent didn’t house an alicorn soldier. It housed a young dragon.
Treeflame was a deep blue dragon. She stood three feet tall when walking on all fours, and five and a half feet if she stood on her hind legs. Her wings were eight feet wide when fully spread, and each wind sported a single claw at the joint. Treeflame hid in her tent, the fire outside scared her. She, being a creature of flame, could almost fee, the bodies burning inside when she stood too close. She huddled on the floor of her green tent, claws slowly running across her forelegs feeling for her scars. At her wrists she lacked scales. Instead she had long scars where ropes had once dug into her. She was not here of her own accord, she had been taken. Three years ago, when she was little more than a hatchling an alicorn had stolen her in the night. She had no idea at the time why she had been taken, but had learned that her purpose here was simple. She was to act as a messenger. She was to send a receive messages from the red alicorn that had stolen her away. In fact, tonight was one of the nights that she would do her job. A telltale pressure began to build in her stomach as the scroll arrived, and one belch later the scroll was in her hands.
“What could he be planning,” General Vice murmured, “Send five fastest soldiers to Trottington. Give them orders to arrive tonight or not at all.” He read the letter aloud slowly as he tried to decipher what Greathoof could need soldiers for.
“What does it matter why he needs us?” asked a lithe, dangerous looking alicorn, “Just send me on my way and I can get there by nightfall.”
“The letter calls for five of you,” Vice responded, “As it stands, I only count one.”
“I can get my men together quickly.” The soldier replied bluntly, “Do you really want to keep ‘Hoof waiting?” The general grumbled at this.
“Fine. How many men do you have that can make the trip in time?” The soldier’s face fell a little at this.
“Four,” He responded slowly, “Including me…”
“Four?”
“Yes…”
“You expect him to be satisfied with four when he specifically calls for five?” Vice asked slowly.
“Well I…” the soldier began.
“I could make the trip.” A new voice entered the conversation. The two alicorns turned their heads slowly to get a look at who had spoken. They were face to face with a blue dragon. “I could make it in a few hours if I had to.” Treeflame said eagerly. The soldier looked a General Vice pleadingly.
“Dragons are fast fliers.” He said with an edge of sheepishness to his voice. The General looked over the two slowly before sighing.
“Fine. Fine go, but you,” He said to Treeflame, “Send my reply scroll before you leave.” The blue dragon nodded eagerly and waited as the alicorn wrote out a letter back to his leader. He passed her the letter, which she took and doused in green flame.
“There, it’s on its way.” She said happily.
“Good,” The general sighed, “Now go, both of you.” The two of them left the large tent as Vice turned back to his table covered in maps, much like the one residing in Scar’s chamber.
---
Celestia woke to the sound of arguing. Two of the combatants in the verbal battle sounded distinctly canine, while the third had a far less growly voice. She slowly got up from her bed and trotted into the main room of the inn to be greeted with the sight of the innkeeper facing down two of the wolves from the previous night. The wolves looked up upon her arrival.
“There she is. Now hand her over Greywings and we leave in peace.” The larger of the two growled.
“For the third time; no. I’m not handing over a customer to you just because Mange demands it.” The grey innkeeper retorted.
“I’m sorry, do you want to get on Mange’s bad side?” the second wolf hissed.
“You know what?” Greywings began, “Fine take her. You can have her, if you go home to Mange and ask him who gave him food when he showed up in town as a pathetic half-starved pup. Ask him who gave him a room. If it wasn’t for my generosity, he wouldn’t be alive to order you pathetic fleabags around now would he?” The smaller of the two wolves let out a deep, angry growl at this and took a step forward only to receive a hoof to the face.
“Go home.” Greywings hissed, and the wolves obeyed.
“Wow… thank you.” Celestia whispered from the doorway. The older stallion turned and smiled.
“If you’re in my inn, you’re under my protection.” He said warmly, “no thanks are needed. Besides, you guys are on some journey right? I wouldn’t want it so suddenly end here in the middle of nowhere.”
“You stood up to wolves for somepony you don’t even know, I think that sort of thing does, in fact, deserve thanks.” Celestia joked, “I mean really, if there’s anything I can do…” Her voice trailed off.
“Anything huh?” He chuckled, “Well I hate to ask the same question a third time… or does this make it four times now… anyway, you think you could tell me exactly what it is you’re up to? I know it’s secret and all, but curiosity keeps getting the best of me.” Celestia sighed, wondering how best to apologize for her inability to answer the question when another voice spoke up.
“Aw, go ahead and tell him.” Cliff was awake now, and had obviously heard the fighting, “If the captain gets mad then I’ll take the heat for you. Secrets are no good anyway, they just leave people confused and unsatisfied.” Celestia sighed.
“Okay,” She began, “It all started a few weeks ago when Luna showed up at our front door…”
---
Treeflame hadn’t felt so free in a long time. She soared over the wastes alongside the four alicorns.
“You look like you’re having fun.” One of the soldiers grumbled. She shrugged smugly in response and continued enjoying her freedom. They had been flying for a few hours now and had covered quite a lot of distance in a relatively short time. Treeflame felt like she could keep this up for hours, but the strain was beginning to show on the alicorns. She smiled inwardly. She had real stamina for someone who had been in captivity for so long, enough to outfly these alicorns any day.
“Let’s land.” The leader of the group called out as soon as a river came into sight. The group seemed to heave a sigh of relief as they began their descent towards the inviting shores. Treeflame shrugged and few alongside them, not tired in the least. Once they landed, two of the four alicorn collapsed on the cool, wet earth, this sort of place was a rarity in the wastelands and was to be treasured where it could be found. The group landed by another wasteland rarity, a tree. It wasn’t in good condition, but it was a tree all the same. Treeflame sat on the bank, thinking.
This is my chance, she thought, my one shot at getting out of here for good. She looked around, doing her best to formulate a plan. Her gaze stopped on the tree between her and the rest of the group. She smirked, Well well well… I suppose it’s time to make good on my name. she took a step back, away from her target and released a green globule of liquid fire from her mouth. The tree caught almost instantly and in the seconds of confusion that the building inferno gleaned her she pumped her wings once and was aloft in moments. The soldiers watched helplessly as their captive, and more importantly, their fifth part member flew away in the midday sun.
“Greathoof is going to kill us…” muttered one of the fatigued soldiers. His companions nodded slowly in agreement.
---
“And that’s how we ended up here.” Celestia finished her story. Greywings looked impressed.
“This really is a big mission isn’t it?” He asked slowly, the sheer magnitude of what was going on outside his small town only now beginning to register with him.
“Yeah, it kinda’ is.” Cliff agreed.
“Well then, I’m now more glad than ever that I helped you.” He said happily, but he soon sighed again. “A new war huh? The last one was what… ten years ago? Fifteen? Why can’t the borders remain peaceful?” Celestia shrugged at this, she felt the same.
“I don’t know… but I know that this one needs to be stopped as soon as possible. I really hope that finding the Flame Orb will help…”
I suppose you’re going to need to head out as soon as the other wake up right?” the kind innkeeper asked.
“Yes.” Sothe’s voice came from the door to the bedroom, “I’m getting our stuff together as we speak.” Celestia blushed at the sound of her mate’s voice.
“I thought you were…” She began.
“Asleep?” He finished for her, “No, I woke up the same time Cliff did.”
“If you were awake then why’d you let her spill your secrets?” Greywings called back.
“Because, you helped us so you deserve to know.” Sothe replied simply “C’mon Luna. Wake up.” He prodded the sleeping blue mare. “We need to get going.” Celestia sighed and headed back into the bedroom.
“If you want to wake her you need to play to her interests.” She giggled a moment before leaning down to her sister’s ear and whispering, “Luna look, a dragon.” The effect was instantaneous.
“WHERE!?!?” Luna jolted up out of bed and looked around the room frantically. The others laughed. The day seemed to be off to a good start.
Author note: Oaky, I know this chapter feels like it ends too quickly, but if I was to continue i'd get into so much exposition that it'd become unreadable, but i promise to get the next one out fast.
Also, I think I may have the lowedst views to comments ratio on the site. I don't know what to make of that...
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 10 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-26T14:08:19+00:00
|
2011-10-26T14:08:19+00:00
| 1,359 |
Chapter 9
Greathoof’s plan.
“Are you certain you want to give us all of this?” Sothe asked, incredulously eyeing the pile of supplies laid out before him.
“Of course. You have a big journey ahead, this is the least I can do.” Greywings replied. He had spent the morning readying as much food and various other supplies as he thought the group of four could carry.
“Look, it’s very generous of you to offer, but please just let us pay for it.” Luna wasn’t sure she felt right taking this much from the innkeeper.
“No. You are on a mission that may stop a war from escalating. That’s payment enough for me.” He said simply. Luna looked like she wanted to protest some more but her older sister cut her off.
“Thank you Greywings, I’m certain these will be very helpful. Although I think,” She pushed part of the pile back towards the grey innkeeper, “That much probably won’t fit in our bags, so please keep it.” She smiled at him. He stared at the declined gift for a moment before smiling back.
“As you wish.” He replied, and took the food back into the inn’s kitchen. The group got to work on packing their provisions away. Cliff was quite happy to find some jerky among the various forms of vegetarian food present.
“Score!” He cried happily as he packed it away. Luna laughed at his enthusiasm, she was ready to get out of this town. Of everyone here it seemed that only Greywings was enjoyable to be around. After a few minutes of hasty packing all of the supplies were squared away. Cliff now sported a loop of rope attacked to his belt, and had also laid claim to a file which he was using to sharpen his somewhat dull claws. Luna had taken only one thing outside of food, and that was a book. The volume was at least a good five-hundred pages thick and was a history of the north range. She planned on reading some once they ran out of things to talk about on the trail. Sothe had elected to take another knife alongside a map of the mountains. Celestia had taken a whistle that Greywings claimed could scare off dogs that she now wore around her neck at all times. Once everyone had their new supplies settled they bid farewell to Greywings before leaving to continue their journey down the mountain road.
---
The four soldiers landed outside of Greathoof’s house just as the sun was setting. The first of the soldiers took a deep breath and idly ran over the plan in his head once more.
Blood wolves, he thought, we were attacked by blood wolves and during the fight our fifth member was killed. They had agreed earlier that there was no need to let Greathoof know that the dragon had escaped too. The soldier sighed once more and knocked on the wooden door to Greathoof’s home.
A deep voice emanated from the house, commanding, “Enter.” The four soldiers did as they were told. The room they entered looked like it had once been a rather elegant one, but there was now so much clutter that the signs of that time long past were few and far between. The desks were piled high with papers, books covered the floor, maps adorned the walls, and a red alicorn occupied the center of the mess.
“Good, you made it in time… where’s the fifth?” he asked accusingly. The soldier at the front of the group gulped and began the story they had weaved during their flight.
“… and by that time we decided we must leave him, for we had to arrive here be tonight.” He finished. He had done his best to play up their loyalty in the story, hoping to gain favor, or at least suck up to, the fearsome leader. Greathoof looked them over and sighed.
“Four will have to do. You have a lot of work ahead of you tonight.” He said simply, “Now allow me to explain the… situation I’m in. I am in a position where I’m forced to tip my hoof. I plan on revealing what exactly we’ve been up to.” The soldiers were surprised, they knew that the war was a secret, but didn’t expect for it to be one even to the other council members.
“Then why do you need us?” One inquired curiously.
“Because,” the council stallion responded, “I need insurance that the other will… how to put this? See things my way. I plan on using you four as insurance.” He smirked as he began to give them their orders. Tonight would be a long night, but if events played out like they should he would be even further along in his conquest and on the fast track to the final parts of his plan.
This mistake may just turn in my favor. He thought happily as the soldiers set out to fulfill their assigned duties.
---
River woke up to cold autumn sunlight cast across her face. She blinked herself awake and looked around. She had fallen asleep at her desk, reading about the adventures of the party to the north. She sat still for a moment, letting her thoughts return to her. She had not managed to come up with any sort of plan to counter whatever Greathoof had planned for today, the only thing she could be thankful of was that Sothe’s group still remained unknown to the red stallion. She sighed heavily and slowly got to her hooves,
“By the sun, it’s going to be a hard day,” she cursed lightly to herself before readying her things and magicing a muffin from the kitchen to eat on her way. She stopped halfway out the door as she realized that Philomena still stood on her makeshift perch.
“I almost forgot about you,” She murmured as she pulled out a scrap of paper and scribbled a note for the adventurers, “There you go.” Philomena took the small scroll and cooed before swooping out the open door in a flash of bright fire. River sighed as she watched the bird fly out of sight.
I took her a few minutes to travel to the council building. The stone corridors seemed awfully empty today, they lacked their usual bustle of alicorns running to and fro with papers, letters, and memos destined for the offices of various ponies. As it stood she only saw three or four ponies in the whole building on her way to the main chamber.
This feels almost… ominous. She thought as she pushed open the stone council door.
“River! Welcome!” boomed the voice of Greathoof from atop an unfamiliar armchair that now sat in the center of the room. With a swoop of magic the door slammed shut behind her and was locked. “Now, take a seat. I’m certain you won’t want to miss this.” Said in the smuggest voice River had ever heard.
The other council members were already seated and looked uncomfortable. In the center of the room, four heavily armored soldiers stood in a circle around Greathoof, each with a sword levitating next to them at the ready. River slowly walked to her seat, taking care to give the drawn blades a wide berth.
“All of you are no doubt curious about today’s arrangements, are you not?” the red stallion asked one they all were settled. A quiet murmur ran through the questioned councilors, “There have been some… events put into motion. Big events. World changing events that will no doubt be remembered for centuries to come. Events that not only will-” he was cut off as another voice spoke out.
“If you’re referring to the slaughter to the west, which I am almost certain you are, then I’ll have you know that I’ve know about it for some time.” River said, doing her best to keep her voice level, “In fact, you hid the army rather sloppily if I do say so myself.”
“Well well, somepony found me out. Whatever shall I do?” he asked this with sarcasm as all the soldiers turned to face the light blue mare. The sarcasm left his voice as he spoke again, “Hold your tongue or you may find my… assistants to be less than friendly. Now that that matter is settled, let me enlighten those of you who,” He threw a sidelong glance at River, “Didn’t feel the need to snoop around in affairs that don’t concern you.” He began to weave a tale about his plans to destroy the griffins. Every word he spoke, dripped with self-praise as he told of his sacrafices and heroic deeds that it took to bring this plan to fruition. The story took hours and hours to tell in its entirety, but the presence of the soldiers managed to keep the bored audience in line.
---
Freedom was sweet for Treeflame. The wind had never felt so clean, nor the grass so soft. Everything seemed heightened as she was experiencing things for herself, alone for the first time in years. She’d flown at least twelve miles or so before landing. She was certain that the soldiers hadn’t followed her. The land was different here. There was far more grass and much less dirt visible, and the dirt she did come across was not cracked and dry like that of the wastes, rather it was cool and damp. She figured she must be across the border, or at least very close to the alicorn lands.
Where do I go? she thought suddenly, I’m free now… but what do I do with myself? She puzzled over the newfound question. She had never thought about this before. Her dreams of freedom had always been happy ones of rescue and daring escape, and they had always ended with her finding the perfect mate and settling down in a lovely cave, or reuniting with her people and being welcomed back as a long lose sibling. As it stood, she was somewhere between alicorn and griffin lands, two peoples that would likely be in the midst of a bloody war soon.
She sat down and considered her options. Returning home was at the very least a feasible plan.
“I’d have to go north,” she said aloud, “the caves were somewhere to the north.” Saying it aloud helped to strengthen her resolve. She stood and stretched her wings. Her wings, and no one elses. The dragon’s face turned skyward as she saw her freedom laid out in front of her.
“North.” She said again, “…Which way is that?” she sat back down, “If we were traveling west… yes,” she turned northwards, “yes, that should be north.” She stood again and stretched her wings once more, ready once again to face her free life head-on. With that thought she pumped her large, leathery wings and was airborn.
I’m going home. She thought happily.
Author note: I'm sorry for the time it took to write this. I got stuck about halfway through and just couldnt decide where to go. I also want to apologize for how little happen her, this is my shortest chapter yet. I promose though, Chapter 10 will not be considered 'finished' until i'm past 2,300 words. In fact i'll aim for 3,000 words, 10 is a big number and should be celebrated with another big number.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 11 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-11-03T17:02:10+00:00
|
2011-11-03T17:02:10+00:00
| 1,664 |
Chapter 10
A Journey Ends.
“Look. I’m not saying it’s inexplicable, I’m just saying I don’t want to explain it.” Luna and Cliff were deep in one of their regular arguments regarding magic.
“I still say you just don’t get how it works!” Cliff called back.
“I do to!”
“Then explain it!” the two had been arguing in circles for the better part of an hour, and as of yet neither of them had gained the other hand.
“For the last time.” Luna huffed, “It’s MAGIC I don’t have to explain it. It just works.”
“Will you two kindly shut up?” Sothe asked heatedly. Although he enjoyed listening to conversations while they traveled this one got old within the first five minutes. Cliff and Luna glared at each other for a few minutes more as they walked. The four of them had been traveling for the better part of the day and the sun hung low far off in front of them. The horizon had been bare for hours after leaving Deadrocks, but around midday Cliff declared that he could see another mountain range off in the distance. Luna had then decided to test out a spell that was supposed to increase her range of vision for a short while, which had been the spark that had lit their debate on magic in general.
They walked in silence for a while after, staring at the gray lumps in the distance. Being in sight range of their destination hadn’t done much for their moods. They were still at least a day or so away from them, and Greywings had told them that Deadrocks was the only town on the northern road, so they would have to camp on the rocks. The prospect of this had knocked everyone’s mood down a bit so arguments had become more common than normal conversation. The four of them trod on in silence, unaware of the distant shape of a form in flight off to the south.
---
Treeflame knew she must be on the right path when she saw the northern range. She remembered the road that run along the top, allowing passage from the griffin wastes to the dragon lands. She was ecstatic at the sight of the mountains, they reminded her of home.
“Here I come.” She mumbled as she flew, “I’m coming home.”
---
“So… you mean to tell us that not only have you ignored the council entirely, but you have also slaughtered three towns worth of griffins? No vote on the matter? What gives you the gall to think you could make such a choice on your own?!?!” Rust asked angrily through his teeth. Greathoof had spent more than an hour telling his story, and now that it was over the other councilors were more than a little shaken.
“You make my crusade sound petty Rust.” Greathoof smirked at the rusty brown pony, “Do you have any idea what this means for the country? Athelta could effectively double in size.”
“Athelta,” Rust seethed back, “Is run by a council. No single pony makes decisions on the country’s behalf.” He stood, “Again I ask you. What gives you the right?” Greathoof eyes him coldly.
“You know…” He began pacing the floor of the chamber, “Thelia began asking such questions when she found out the truth. She argued in circles with me, demanding I stop my ‘insane plans’ or to step down.” He stopped and turned to face the other alicorns once again, “Tell me, did any of you manage to find her?” The room was silent, the gravity of the situation seemed to weigh heavier on the councilors as they looked down on this bloodthirsty pony. Greathoof smiled at their lack of response and slowly slid his hidden knife from under his wing.
“She died. Right here in this very room.” Greathoof said with and edge of insanity, “She didn’t want to see the possibilities that lay before us. She refused the destiny I’ve laid out for us. She proved herself to be useless to this grand new world we’re entering, so with this knife I made sure that she stayed in the old world forever.” As he finished, his voice grew cold again. He glared daggers at the ponies who watched him in fear.
“You… you killed her.” Sky Dancer managed to say.
“Naturally.” He smirked, Seems that they’re finally beginning to understand. Rust leapt to his hooves.
“Not only are you a traitor to your people, but you are also a murderer!” The brown pony flared his wings and was face to face with Greathoof in a heartbeat, “You are not one of us. You aren’t worthy of power of any sort.” He spat, oblivious of the knife that still floated in the grasp of Greathoof’s magic, “You are hardly even an alicorn.”
“Choose your words wisely, Rust my friend. Lest you wish your fate to match her’s.” Greathoof stepped away, “He’s right on one account. I am no longer one of you. No longer am I a council member, but then again neither are any of you.” The knife flew and struck the Atheltian banner that hung above the council chairs. “This council is no more.” His soldiers stepped forward, brandishing their swords. “No, instead I think I shall lead alone, and all of you will do as I say if you wish to live.”
---
A squawk broke the silence of the mountain path as a dot of flame grew closer to the group of travelers.
“Welcome back Philomena!” Celestia called out, happy to see her pet once again. The group stopped walking as Philomena landed on a boulder and offered up the small scroll in her beak. Sothe took it and scanned the parchment. His eyes narrowed.
“Something wrong?” Cliff asked as he dug through his bag for some food.
“From the looks of it, Greathoof has something planned for Athelta… River can’t seem to figure it out yet…”
“Well nothing we can do about it from here.” Cliff shrugged and bit into his newfound jerky strip. Luna munched on half of an apple from her bag.
“I wonder what’s going on back home…” she mused around her chewing.
“Please don’t talk with your mouth full.” Celestia pleaded after getting a good look at a wad of half chewed apple.
“Bleughhh.” Luna opened her mouth more before swallowing and giggling. Celestia hit her playfully on the shoulder, and Luna retaliated with a tackle.
The sun began to set as the group ate. Philomena set some sticks ablaze for the travelers before promptly falling asleep.
“So… should we make it to the dragons by tomorrow?” Luna asked, staring up at the stars.
“If we make good time, yeah we should.” Sothe assured her. Cliff stretched before laying himself down on his side, exposing his belly to the heat of the flame. He let out a contented purr. Celestia giggled at the sight.
“I guess no matter how big they get, they’re still part cat.”
“You’d better believe it.” Cliff murmured sleepily. Luna began to clear rocks from the space around her, doing her best to make a makeshift sleeping space. Celestia followed suit, and mas asleep in moments. Sothe lay down next to her and after a moment of stretching, he too fell into slumber.
Luna rolled onto her back and gazed up at the night sky. It was so pretty, daytime couldn’t compete with the beauty of the night in her book. She missed flying her rounds. She missed the time alone in the darkened, starry sky. She sighed.
“Tomorrow…. Tomorrow I get to see dragons.” She whispered into the night as enormous, scaly creatures entered her thoughts. As she thought and stared sleepily, something flitted into her field of vision, something new to the night sky. “Dragons,” She said again, “Just like that one.” She sat up. There was a dragon overhead, a real dragon. She opened her wings and took flight, struggling against the thin air.
---
Treeflame flew long into the night. She flew while the sun was setting, she flew while night was falling, and she flew as a blue form followed her. She did a double take. There was an alicorn flying towards her.
“Oh no, they can’t have found me.” She whispered, pouring more speed into her tired wings, but a full day of nonstop flying had finally taken its toll. She struggled forward through the air, but the exertion was too much and she sighed, defeated as she began her descent towards the mountain path below her. She landed and readied herself for the inevitable.
The sound of hooves on stone rang out as Luna landed next to the tired form of the dragon. She took a deep breath. This was a real live dragon.
“H-hello?” she asked tentatively. The dragon looked up, surprised. This alicorn didn’t sound angry or threatening. In fact the voice sounded nothing like that of a soldier, the foremost difference was that this voice was distinctively female.
“Who are you?” Treeflame asked. Luna cleared her throat excitedly.
“My name is Luna. I… we’re… me and my friends… we’re traveling.” She stammered a little, “You… you’re a dragon aren’t you?” She asked, her voice betraying her enthusiasm. Treeflame looked the young alicorn over, bemused.
“No, I’m a manticore, can’t you tell?” She said arching her tail over her head like a scorpion’s sting. She giggled for a moment, “Yes Luna, I’m a dragon. My name is Treeflame.” Luna smiled.
“Nice to meet you Treeflame.” Luna said happily. She suddenly noticed the dragon’s heavy breathing, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine… I’ve just been flying all day… and then seeing you gave me a bit of a fright.” She giggled again.
“Why’d seeing me scare you?” Luna asked, “Is my mane messed up? Is there something on my face?”
Treeflame laughed out again at this, “No, nothing like that… I…” the dragon sighed, there’s no use trying to hide it, she thought.
“I’ve spent the past three years of my life in captivity.” She tried to keep her voice even as a look of surprise crossed the blue alicorn’s face, “I’ve been forced to work for a horrible alicorn by the name of Greathoof.”
“Greathoof?” Luna half yelled the name, “You’ve been a… a slave for him for three years?”
“I think so… it may have been longer…” the dragon sighed again, “you… you don’t work for him do you?” Luna gave what was likely the coldest look she had ever given in her life.
“No. No I don’t. Nor do I ever plan on getting close to that monster in my life. He’s completely evil, he’s ordered the slaughtering of cities and the killing of thousands. He’s hardly even an alicorn in my book.” She finished her short speech in a huff and then looked down at her hooved, embarrassed. “Do you… I mean those rocks can’t be comfortable… would you like to stay by our campfire tonight?” She sounded nervous.
“What these old thing? These rocks are the finest in the land, not even the softest bed can compare,” She giggled at her own sarcasm, “But I suppose I could stay with you, if you insist.” Luna brightened at this.
“Great!” She exclaimed, “I’ll show you the way.” and so the two walked back towards the makeshift camp. “You know, I’ve never seen a dragon before… what do dragons talk about?”
“Well what do you want to know?”
“Absolutely everything.”
---
River slumped onto her couch when she got home. Today had been awful. Not only had she been unprepared for Greathoof’s course of action, but she had been unable to do anything to stop him from taking over the council. The only upside so far was that he hadn’t publically announced his takeover yet, hopefully the general populace would stay in the dark for a time.
She hit her head against the arm of the couch.
WHY!?! She mentally screamed at herself, Why did I have to be so adamant against those standing army votes? Months ago there had been talks about whether or not to garrison a standing army in the city, and River’s vote had been the deciding factor. She had kept thinking that maybe if there had been an army available, today might have turned out differently.
She hit her head again. Greathoof had spent the day making rules and putting things in order. His first order of business had been to send for some of his sympathizers and accept them into his ‘grand army’. One such pony now stood outside of River’s door, keeping her under house arrest. His next decision had been to strip the other councilors of any power, they were mere figureheads now. She sighed, unsure of how the night could get worse. It did.
The telltale squawk rang out from her window, and she cringed. Philomena stood on the sill, letter in beak just as always. River slowly opened the window, hoping the guard out front had hear nothing.
“Hi Phil…” She murmured to the phoenix. The bird squawked again, this time loud enough to alert the burly stallion out front. The door crashed open.
“What’s going on in…” His eyes fell on the firebird.
“Get out of my house.” River commanded with as much bravery as she could muster. Her command was met with the open window slamming shut in a burst of magic and the letter getting torn out of Philomena’s grasp. River sat down as the guard’s sword was turned on her, sighing in defeat.
---
“So you’re headed to the dragon lands too?” It was morning, and Sothe was having a discussion with the newcomer to the camp.
“That’s right, I’m headed home.” Treeflame responded happily. She felt that she couldn’t have had better luck, she hadn’t met one new friend, but four. Everyone in this group seemed nice and they also hated Greathoof. That was always a plus. Add to that the fact that the group was headed in the same direction as her and she felt like the luckiest dragon alive, “You guys have any room for another in this group?”
“I don’t see why not, so long as you can put in a good word for us with the elders once we arrive.” Treeflame giggled.
“So long as you’re not a bad alicorn at heart, the elders will be fine. I’m certain of it.” She had vivid memories of the elders, great dragons of even greater wisdom. Every one of them were as old as the caves they lived in, and they were still going strong.
“Welcome to the team.” Cliff said happily, extending a clawed hand in greeting. Treeflame gave it a shake. Celestia greeted her as well.
“You’re a lot smaller than I’d have expected a dragon to be.”
“Well I’ve got quite a bit of growing ahead of me.” The blue dragon laughed. She was ecstatic, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in a group of people who didn’t hate her, much less a group of new friends. She assisted with packing the campsite away, and on request, roasted a strip of jerky for Cliff. He chewed the meat happily.
“Let’s keep her.” He said around his food, and with that the group of five was off.
---
“I have to say, I’m impressed.” Greathoof mused, “Not only did you manage to get a warning to half of the griffin population, but you’re also helping them, and all so stealthily too. Very, very impressive.” His eyes scanned the letters splayed out on the table before him for what seemed like the hundredth time. His mind was methodically going over his options. He couldn’t decide on how to deal with this situation.
“Sir? Do you wish for us to hunt the group down?” Asked one of the soldiers who stood perpetually at Greathoof’s side.
“No. We don’t have enough forces here to spare... wait… there’s an idea.” He smiled evilly at River, who stood on hooves chained together, “I think I need to send a letter of my own.” He trotted to River’s desk and took up a quill and blank scroll. His horn flared red as he scribbled furiously, and once he was finished he went to the window where Philomena always brought her letters.
“You will not ruin my plans.” He hissed at the restrained mare before sending the letter away with a burst of fire.
---
“And that’s how I learned to fly.” finished Cliff. They had been traveling for quite some time now. It was almost midday and everyone was lost in conversation, so lost in fact that they took very little notice of their surroundings. They stopped caring about the bleak, rocky world that surrounded them, they took no notice of the sun making its daily journey, and they most certainly didn’t notice the great mountain looming in front of them. They did however finally notice it when Cliff, preparing to preform a trick, took off and rammed headfirst into the wall of stone.
Treeflame fell over laughing, and Cliff stood shakily.
“Who put this… Woah.” He said in awe of the enormous mountain in front of them, one that could rival the Daimond mountain is size.
“We’re here.” Said Luna.
“Great!” Exclaimed Treeflame, “Now we just need to-” She was cut off by a sudden pressure in her gut that grew and pushed its way into her throat before releasing itself with a great belch. A scroll fell from the cloud of smoke that now hung in front of Treeflame. “Find the cave.” She finished with slightly labored breathing. The group huddled around the scroll.
“what is that?” Asked Sothe.
“It’s probably a letter from Greathoof.” Replied Treeflame slowly.
With a faint glow of magic, Sothe nudged the scroll open and floated it up to eye level. Everyone gathered close and began to read, and as they did, the color drained from each of their faces. The letter told of the events in the capital, and now the group knew that all was not well.
“We need to go home.” Celestia whispered.
--------------------------------------------
Author Note: Here it is, my unoffical end of part one. And with it I want to once again thank everyone who has taken time to read so far. I love everyone who has followed it and so I want to make an announcement.
I'm taking a break. Just for a week or two. I want the next chapter to be rather epic, and I also just need some rest from all this writing. During this break I hope to make major edits to the original 10 chapters, and possibly find an Editor or a Pre-reader. I'd love it if anyone could take time to Pre-read any of my chapters before posting, I'm sure that the quality of them would go up if somepony did.
See you in a week or so, and thanks for reading.
|
JuyUnseen
|
754
| 12 |
Original Character,Philomena,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
The Alicorn's Pride
|
On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle a forgotten piece of history
|
incomplete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>On her deathbed Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle the story of the country that came before Equestria, Athelta, the land of the Alicorns</p><br/><p>Author note: Okay, so i missed the deadline for NaPoWriMonth, but i'm still going to finish the story. To the couple of people who care, don't worry, it'll get done.</p><p>Chapter One has been edited for both Grammer problems, and a couple story points that i didnt like and thought needed changing.</p><p>Edits are done on Chapter Three, i feel much better about it now.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-03-19T15:59:09+00:00
|
2012-03-19T15:59:09+00:00
| 1,035 |
Chapter 11
A Cave and a Crag.
The dragons had always lived there. This mountain had been their home since the beginning of time. Long ago they had walked freely under the sun, all across the land. In those times it had been their land, but as alicorns and griffins spread the dragons chose to pull away and hide in the depths of the mountains. Some people thought that they were scared, others believed the dragons had a reason for this retraction from the world above, and many more simply thought that dragons no longer existed. Their exploits had faded into legend, and their existence, slowly forgotten until they were creatures that occupied bed-time stories and dreams.
After a few minutes of searching the group came upon the entrance to the mountain, a cave whose mouth was dotted with stalactite teeth and exuded a warm wind. It had been a few hours since the five of them had read the letter meant for Greathoof’s armies in the griffin lands.
“So this is it?” Cliff asked, “I would have expected something a little more… I dunno, grand.”
“It’s probably far different from the cave you’re used to, Cliff” Sothe replied to the unimpressed griffin, “Don’t judge it.” Cliff just shrugged.
“What should we expect inside?” Celestia asked warily.
Treeflame giggled a little, “Dragons of course.”
The group approached the entrance cautiously, wary of every sound around them as they stepped into the cool of the cave. They began walking, slowly at first, but after a light spell from Celestia illuminated the path around them they began to push on faster.
“Sothe?” Luna whispered as they traveled.
“Yeah?”
“What do you think is happening in Athelta? I mean that letter was… ominous…”
Sothe sighed, “Likely when Greathoof realizes that no help is coming he’ll send a messenger to bring more soldiers back home. From there it’ll likely devolve into military rule until… well until we can do something about it.”
“… I want to go home…” Luna murmured.
“I know you do, but we have a job to finish. The moment we get Scar’s artifact, we’re heading home.”
Luna sighed and gave her sister’s mate a long look. She had never given her standing in his eyes thought before now. She had always assumed she was just Celestia’s sister to him, but this journey had brought about a change in her mind. He came across as a brother to her, which made sense. He was strong, and a leader, the kind of pony she would look up to.
Luna let herself fall a few steps behind the group. She gave each of them a turn under her gaze, first Celestia, her sister who had always been there with her, next Cliff, the slightly awkward griffin who she was proud to call a friend, and then the newcomer Treeflame. Luna knew very little about this dragon, but from the short time they’d spent together she could tell that Treeflame was full of life and laughter, and that had been enough to prove that she was at the very least, and enjoyable person to be around. She smiled to herself and then quickened her pace to catch up.
As the five traveled deeper into the caves, lead only by the light from Celestia’s horn, they slowly noticed a change. The air began to get warmer, and the tunnels wider (not that the entrance itself hadn’t been wide in its own right).
“We’re getting closer. I can feel it.” Treeflame broke the silence, sounding slightly giddy as they approached the place of her birth. The tunnel slowly began to grow wider and wider until it gave way to a full blown cavern. Stalactites littered the ceiling and the floor in front of them gave way to a chasm after about a hundred feet. A rope bridge that looked to be ancient spanned the gap as if creatures of their own size were once accommodated here. Far off to the left there lay a vast underground lake, big enough to have its own set of small islands within.
The most stunning feature that met them was a grand statue of a great wyvern that looked to be carved from milky quartz with eyes as deep as amethyst. It appeared to be a statue anyway, and the travelers were quite certain that it was, until it moved.
“What have we here?” mused a voice both ancient and wise, “In a hundred years we have had but ten visitors from the surface. All of them were griffin, and thus all killed, but here, unless my eyes fail me, I see alicorns and one of my own people. Very curious.”
The group stood in shock, unsure of how to respond. Sothe, always the diplomatic one, attempted to croak out a greeting.
“H-hello d-dragon…” His words were too quiet for the beast before them.
“Excuse me? Speak up boy, my head is rather far from yours and words don’t carry well in here.” The drake almost seemed to smile; perhaps he enjoyed seeing Sothe scared. Sothe had right look rather frightened. He had never in all of his life seen a creature so BIG!
Cliff took Sothe’s silence as a chance to speak up.
“You killed all the griffins? Why?”
The dragon looked down at the smaller creature, and appeared to almost smile.
“You know that my kind are a reclusive bunch yes? We have not had affairs in the world at large for at least three centuries, and as such many of our achievements have been forgotten through time.”
Luna quickly spoke up, her vast knowledge of dragons finally getting a chance to shine.
“Yeah! Uh, the dragons were the first beings to live in the world. Many scholars of draconic lore even say that dragons created most of the world.”
“Well, well,” the wyvern mused, “This little alicorn knows her dragon lore. Yes, yes we did create most of what you see today on the surface. The land was first barren, but with time and effort we took that land and shaped it into something magnificent. Then, we populated it.”
“Dragons lived on the surface?” Celestia asked, seemingly intimidated by his size.
“Yes. We did for a time. But that isn’t what I meant by ‘populating’ the land.”
“what did you-“
“We have been standing here for quite some time.” The white lizard interrupted, “ I believe that introductions are in order. I am Crag, the gatekeeper. And you are intruders.”
Sothe finally managed to speak, “Uh, yes. We are travelers. My name is Sothe, and these are Celestia, Luna, Cliff, and Treeflame. We… well all of us but Treeflame, are seeking a… an object.”
“And what sort of object might that be?”
“It is called the Flame Orb.”
The great dragon’s face grew solemn.
“And artifact such as that… the surface must be in dire times indeed… we have felt the rumblings of the earth. The stones above tell us of battles and bloodshed on the surface. This dragon is very curious of your reasonings to seek the Orb. Follow me, we shall talk in a more… comfortable place.”
He lead the group even deeper into the mountain, crossing the caverning with a single wingbeat. The travelers were forced to take to the bridge and inch their way across. Needless to say, the conditions of travel were not easy for the five. Keeping pace with the dragon was a rather daunting task.
A day. A full day Greathoof had been without a reply. The letter couldn’t have been lost in transit, magic didn’t work that way. What could have gone wrong? Punishments would have to be doled out for this lack of punctuality. He tossed around the idea of sending a second letter; possible one that would scare the generals into actually responding.
A loud rap to the door shook Greathoof out of his thoughts. With a slight thought and a small burst of magical energy, the door opened to reveal a soldier from the front who quickly fell to a knee in a respectful bow.
“Stand.” Greathoof barked blankly, not in the mood for this sort of interaction at the moment.
“Sir.” Said the soldier as he stood once more, “I’m here to fill the dragon’s post.”
Greathoof stood, confused.
“You’re here to do what?”
“Take the dragon’s post. My companion outside will escort her back to the front.”
“There are no dragons here soldier.”
“But… we sent her with the soldiers you requested. She was the fifth.”
Greathoof’s eyes narrowed as the implications became clear. The soldiers he had been sent had lost the dragon. His secret weapon. He turned his harsh gaze back to the soldier.
“Send your companion back to the front with a message. Tell him I need forty soldiers here as soon as possible. They are to come no matter how detrimental to the war losing them may be. Holding Athelta is far more important than the griffin lands.”
The soldier nodded slowly before leaving the house once again. Moments later, Greathoof returned to his thinking.
No dragon… that throws a wrench in the works… no matter though. The time will be made up once the city is under full control. He then turned his ponderings to a map laid out on the table in front of him. A map of the northern mountain range.
Of all the walking the group had done, this trek through the caves was by far the most tiring. Even Treeflame, who before had been unable to shut up about how great it was to be in a cave again, had quieted into nothing but the occasional grunt brought on by sore feet. Crag on the other hand seemed to be completely unaffected, save a little annoyed by the slowness of the visitors.
Through the trudge, only Cliff seemed to remain with the ability to talk.
“What were you saying before? About killing griffons?”
“your kind are not held in high regard with my people.”
“And why’s that?”
“You invaded this land, claimed the east for your own. We had populated this land with creatures of our own creation. To the mountains we gave diamond dogs, to the wastes, blood wolves. Of all the creatures we crafted, only one was our true pride.”
“Alicorns” Whispered a tired Luna.
“And again our little dragon scholar speaks the truth. Yes, we dragons fashioned alicorns from our own magic. We gave them the lushest land and the knowledge and power to care for it. We were more than content to watch them from atop the mountains, prospering. And then your race came and tried to claim the land.”
“… Not my fault… I wasn’t there.”
“No, I do not hold you specifically at fault, but your people, all griffins. I believe the saying is, it’s nothing personal.”
“Alright…” Cliff murmured.
The journey eventually came to a halt at the entrance to a vast cavern lit by the light of a pillar of what appeared to be stone that glowed with heat from within. The pillar gave off a warm, orange light that permeated every corner of the cavern, serving to also illuminate the three other dragons in the room, each matching the size of Crag, or greater. Although their bodies were ancient, they still appeared strong and their eyes burned with the same fire of life.
“Outsiders, Crag?” The central of the three spoke up, his voice seeming to rumble and shake the stone around him. His scales may once have been blue, but all the time away from sunlight had dimmed them to the point that only hints of color shined through.
“Yes,” Crag responded, him voice betraying no sign of weariness from the multi hour travel to this deep cavern, “They came from the surface, bringing one of our own, and coming with a request. Their prize is a troubling one to say the least.”
The dragon that had spoken leaned forward, as if to get a better look at the small creatures below him.
“Who is your leader?”
Celestia and Cliff nudged Sothe forward.
“I am…” Sothe murmured, clearly intimidated by the giant lizards.
“… well? Get on with it. What do you and your group seek.”
With a deep breath, Sothe explained their mission for the second time that day.
In the grey of the morning, five bodies lay on the dirt with slit throats. The five were the soldiers who had been sent with Treeflame. Around them, fourth-three alicorns stood, staring at the sight.
“I’d make a speech,” Greathoof began, “Something to make an example out of them, but I think it’s already apparent what happens to those who get in my way.” A soft murmur of agreement flowed through the crowd.
“Good. Now, all of you return to your posts. This city is to remain under my control.”
The group quickly dispersed.
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Conner Cogwork
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755
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
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<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2011-10-02T18:41:03+00:00
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2011-10-02T18:41:03+00:00
| 67,660 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks!
Part One
On a Word Misheard
----------------------------
"Spike, can you be a dear and get me 'Rules of Thermodynamics 101?"
"Sure thing Twilight, hang on."
The lavender mare nodded to her assistant as he rushed off, before turning back to her book. It was a book that she had managed to find only a few minutes ago. A mysterious title labeled 'Exploring the Aether for Fun and Profit'.
She'd already managed to work her way halfway through the volume, her curiosity continually piqued more and more as she delved deeper. It was a traveler's guide, and she was doubly pleased to see that it was aimed AT unicorns, a spell popping up every now and then on the pages.
Some of these, she could see adding to her normal repertoire. The compass spell in particular, she resolved to commit to memory. That would be extremely handy, should she ever wind up inside the Everfree once again. Another, was a 'foodstuff sanitizer'. Definitely keeping that one. she thought to herself, reminded of her one trip outside Equestrian borders to Mexicolt. Never again would she have to suffer Mountezuma's Revenge.
And then finally, her eyes alighted upon a really good one that made her bounce in place in anticipation. It was a teleportation spell, but reading it over, she saw it was significantly more advanced than the one she utilized regularly. This required a ritual. While lengthy and complex, the benefit was that it offered instant travel to any location on the globe, and for the caster to be accompanied by a party of up to 10 ponies at once.
I know ten ponies. she mused. But there are five in particular that I'd love to invite!
It had been then that she had asked her dragon friend to retrieve the physics guide. Transferring 6 ponies over that much distance, in such a short amount of time, was bound to create some sort of heat-lash, even in ether form.
Her eyes glanced at the spell that rested below the teleportation one. Sharing the same page was a simple viewing spell. One that offered glimpses into parallel dimensions. Very interesting. Exciting even... she gave it the once over, before adding ...But not very practical. Maybe another time.
Spike arrived with the tome in-hand. "Here we are Twilight." he spoke, plopping a rather hefty volume next to the unicorn's current book. "Whoosh. Anymore heavy lifting like that, and I'll be as ripped as Applejack."
"There's a disturbing thought." Twilight joked, before her horn lit and the book opened up. Within moments, she double-checked her theories on energy buildup and release, before comparing them with the spell. Yes... yes, it COULD work! Leylines, of course!
There was then a slam, as the student announced her next intention. "Spike, pack my bags. I'm going on a trip."
That caught the dragon by surprise. "Wh-what? Trip? B-but Twilight, where're we going?"
"Not 'We' Spike, I need you to remain at the library and keep it running. You're a big dragon now. I have full confidence in you to keep the place in tip-top condition while I'm gone. Besides, the trip shouldn't take that long. Two, three days at the most."
He blinked. He'd taken custodianship of the library before, but never for a whole day. Not even THREE whole days. "W-wow... Twilight, I'm... I'm touched! Y-you can count on me!" His scaled chest puffed out in pride. "I won't let you down!"
The filly giggled. "I know you won't." she assured, as she prepared a saddlebag, taking her travel book, and her bitpurse. "Just remember to tell Owlowicious when it's his turn!"
"Oh..." Spike's ears drooped as he was reminded he'd be sharing his duties. But he let it slide as another question entered his mind. "Wait a second, where are you going anyways?"
As Twilight trotted towards the door and opened it, she looked back at her assistant. "Don't know yet!" she exclaimed. "But I bet it's gonna be VERY educational!"
----------------------------
"Ah spell that lets y’all go anywhere at th' drop o' a hat?"
"That's right Applejack!" The unicorn nodded to her Earth-pony friend, who was bringing in the last wagon full of apples for the day. "It'll also let me take as many ponies as I want with me! Well, up to a maximum of ten actually, but you get the idea!"
Applejack hummed in thought, a hoof going up to tilt her hat back. "Sounds mighty temptin', Twi. Tell meh... y’all got a place 'n mind?"
"Not yet. I was hoping you all would have ideas."
"Hmmm.... welp, ah got a day 'r so off comin' up. An' ah admit, it's been a while since ah last saw that Big Apple... Manehatten sit alright wit' you?"
----------------------------
"Manehatten sounds WONDERFUL darling!" Rarity crooned. "Seriously Applejack, it never ceases to amaze me that you've been to such a capital of glamour and class!"
AJ simply rolled her eyes as she leaned against one of the boutique's walls. Twilight simply smiled. "She's offered to give us a tour of the city. We could use the spell to go there, spend the day, and then come back!"
"Certainly sounds like a plan to me, dear!" With that, the white mare's horn glowed, as a saddlebag and various other items began to float out into the open. "Oh you'll simply must excuse me now dears. I have a lot of packing to do!"
The other two chuckled and began to depart, before the purple pony stopped in her tracks. "Oh, Rarity, if you can, pack plenty of rubies. We'll be needing them."
That earned her a surprised look. "Rubies? Wh-why ever for dear?"
----------------------------
"The spell is a ritual-based one." she explained, head craned up to look at the cloud above her. "And that's one of items required, if we're going to pull it off successfully."
"A blue feather?" Rainbow Dash had an eyebrow cocked. "I mean yeah, I've got plenty of them, but I kinda, y'know, need them for flying. I had a new stunt I was wanting to try today..."
"C'mon now Dash, ah know it tain’t THAT hard." The applebucker was directing her voice upwards. "Pegasuses tend t'molt every now an' 'gain, don't they?"
"That's PeguSAI." Rarity corrected.
The vibrant-maned speedster looked vaguely uncomfortable. "It's... not something we really like to talk about to... other non-winged ones..." she then hurriedly cast her rose-colored eyes back downwards. "No offense to you guys! Just... okay, tell you what, I'm in. I have a few down feathers that're coming loose anyways. Still think I could fly to Manehatten in less time than your spell, but if you really need the Dash..."
----------------------------
"Oh THANK you!" came the smile, followed by a hug. Fluttershy returned both readily, as she embraced Twilight.
"Oh, it's no problem at all, Twilight. I had been given these vases anyways, as a gift from White Wash, for taking care of his ferrets." The yellow pony gestured to the two ceramic containers, each one about the size of a bottle of soda. "I was originally thinking of putting cut roses in them, but this is better."
"Glad t' hear it, Fluttershy." Applejack smiled, giving her a pat on the back. "Ah promise, Manehatten may be pretty loud, but Central Park's as relaxin' a place as any 'round. The critters there're so tame, they'll eat th' bread right outta yer hooves, if not straight outta yer bag!"
"O-oh my~" the animal-lover's eyes practically glowed. "I'll have to be sure to pack plenty of bread then! And, and carrots, for the bunnies, and seeds for the birds, a-and nuts for the squirrels, and fish for the alligators..."
----------------------------
"And CUPCAKES for the ponies!!" Pinkie Pie chimed in, twirling about Sugarcube Corner's kitchen floor with a plate full of the treats balanced on her head.
"Yes yes, Pinkie." Rarity waved a hoof at her hyperactive friend. "We're all quite aware of a pony's predilection for those pastries."
"Actually, Pinkie." The purple unicorn stepped forward as her eyes scanned the spellbook hovering in front of her. "I need a different item. Not that I don't like cupcakes too, but would you happen to have any sunflower oil?"
The party pony stopped her dance, eyes slightly crossed as she processed the request. "Sunflower oil? Sure, I got some! But that wouldn't taste very good with the cupcakes! I mean, I guess you could make cupcakes with sunflower oil instead of regular vegetable oil, but I've never had a need to do that. Hmmm, though that would be interesting to try, I wonder what kind of taste that would give to the-"
"PINKIE-PIE~!" Rainbow yelled, startling her friend out of her rant. "Just get us the stuff, please?"
A pause, before the cheerful response of "Okie-dokie-Lokie!"
----------------------------
Ten minutes later, all six ponies reconvened at the outskirts of Ponyville. Each pony had packed light... this was just supposed to be a day-trip after all.
However, it seemed that somepony had forgotten to tell Rarity that, as she slowly made it to the top of the hill that Dash, Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy were lounging on.
"Woah." The farmer went, as she caught the size of the dressmaker's baggage. "Think y’all packed enough jewels in there, Rarity?"
"That, and a few other things~" she responded, trying to keep the strain out of her voice. "This is Manehatten we're going to, after all. I must SIMPLY be prepared to look my best, wherever we head to!"
"Y’all may not cotton to it as much o’ all that, Rares. Ah seem t' recall th' streets bein' awfully crowded... and dirty."
The look that came over the pale unicorn's face was enough to set Rainbow off guffawing.
The timid yellow pony simply shook her head, before turning to her blue-coated friend. "What are you going to be doing there, Dash?" she asked. "I hear that flying there is tricky, isn't it?"
"Oh yeah, that's what I hear." came the answer. "But the updrafts are supposed to be wicked awesome for stunt-flying! Maybe I'll be able to pull off my new trick while I'm there!"
"Oh, oh, don't forget the food!" The pink pony leapt up, her hooves waving in the air. "I know there's supposed to be SUPER-DUPER yummy restaurants around there! Like Lombardi's Pizzeria, and Cha Cha's, in Little Itallion!" She then pantomimed tossing a pizza crust into the air. "I can't WAIT to try them all!"
There was a round of chuckling and giggling from all fillies present, before the cyan pegasus looked off to the side. "Oop, better straighten up girls, our ride's here."
Indeed, Twilight Sparkle was trotting up the hill, her saddlebag secured to her side, and the spellbook on her back. As she drew closer, she called out to them. "Sorry girls! Had to stop by the library and grab my bags. Also had to promise Spike I'd pick up a slice of pizza while we were gone."
"Shore thing!" Applejack drawled. "What kind does he like?"
"Peppers and Emeralds with Extra Cheese."
"If we are going to eat out," Rarity began, "I must insist that we try the Deloco Rooteria. It's a five-star establishment you know, where only the best-"
"Nuh-uh." the orange equine suddenly vetoed her idea. "Tain't goin' within twelve feet o' that place."
There was a surprised blink. "Why Applejack, why ever not?"
"Cause Ah've eaten there b'fore." she stated flatly. "Too much money fer not enough food. Twenty-four bits fer a steamed turnip 'n some chives? Ah'll take one o' them carrot-dog stands any day o' th' week!"
"Was this back when you were a filly?"
"Girls." came a commanding voice. The dark-maned unicorn was giving them all an odd look. "We'll discuss eating arrangements after we've arrived. Let's focus on getting there first. Fluttershy... you have the vase?"
The yellow one nodded, and dug into her pack, retrieving one of the white vessels, placing it on an even patch of ground. Twilight opened her book, found the spell, and began reciting from it.
"A vessel of white, to hold the down."
"Okay, step one." Applejack stated cheerfully. "What next?"
"Hmmm... A feather of blue, to match the sky 'round."
All eyes turned to Rainbow Dash, who fidgeted for just a second, before extending a wing out. She reached her head back there, inspected her feathers, and then singled one out, gripping it in her teeth and plucking it, with only a slight wince and an 'ow' from her lips.
"Thank you, Dash." the unicorn soothed, as the pegasus dropped the feather inside the vase. "Also inside the vase, we need... A stone of fire, from light which grows..."
Rarity levitated a ruby from her saddlepack, the surface gleaming flawlessly. With a smile, she nudged it down into the ceramic vessel, trying to disturb Dash's feather as little as possible.
"And finally, Pinkie. The essence of flower, for which the sun glows!"
The named equine stepped up, a bottle of oil in her mouth. With disturbing ease, and with nary a drop spilled, the golden substance poured into the vase. "Fill it about halfway, that should be more than enough." the magician instructed.
The finished conglomeration sat there in the middle of the group, eyes all upon it. "Ho'kay, sugarcube..." Applejack began. "Now what?"
"Now, everypony huddle around the vase. And just let me do the work." There was a confident smile.
They did as they were told. Twilight took one more glance at the spellbook, and then lowered her head as she concentrated. A glow began to coalesce around the vase, purple at first, but then turning to a bright gold as the items contained within began to react with one another.
"Oooh, preeety~" Pinkie sang as the light began to intensify. After a couple of seconds, the glow began to expand, encompassing the entire group within its borders. Rarity wasn't sure if the tingle she was getting was only being felt by her, or if her friends were feeling it too.
Okay. Twilight thought to herself. So far so good. Now I just need to find the leyline... the one that directs me straight to the Clydesler Building. That'd be a good place to start. Now let's see...
In her mind's eye, she began to perceive the waves of energy, usually unseen to the naked eye, that danced and cavorted about them. She spotted at least a dozen different streams that seemed to go in all directions. Tapping into one of those and then riding its current, would provide the teleportation needed. But she couldn't... quite make them out. They were fuzzy... indistinct. She wasn't sure which one she needed. I must not be properly tuned right. she realized. What frequency? I need to double-check.
She opened an eye, her vision blurred slightly from strain. But she spotted the frequency reading on the page in front of her. 40.1 Kiimehertz.
She readjusted her horn's magic output... and instantly a new layout became visible to her, a land of lines that resembled the webs of cracked glass. One in particular popped out to her, and if she was perceiving it right, it seemed to be stretching out into the northeast, in the general direction of Manehatten.
That's probably as close as we're gonna get. she told herself, and then tapped into the line.
What happened next, was not covered in her book. Instantly, she felt a whirlwind of energy emitting from the point she had touched. No, it wasn't coming from inside the line... it was coming from herself! It was sucking them in!
In the waking world, the glow that was surrounding the group had suddenly turned violent, ripples of wind thrashing their manes, as a pillar of light exploded from the vase and pierced into the sky.
"TWILIGHT!" Applejack had to strain to make herself heard of the roar of air. "Y’ALL SURE THIS IS S'POSSED T' HAPPEN, SUGARCUBE!?"
"NO, I'M NOT SURE!" Twilight yelled back. "JUST KEEP TOGETHER! EVERYPONY, HANG ON!!"
The magic field began to compress, the forms of the six mares inside becoming smaller and indistinct as well. A rumble like thunder began, before it opened and cracked as the field suddenly leapt upwards, following the pillar into the sky. With a blinding flash, both the glowing column and the wind died away.
The only things left on the hill, was a smoldering vase, and an open book, its pages ruffling listlessly in the breeze.
----------------------------
The first thing she became aware of, was grass tickling her cheek.
With a groan, Twilight righted herself. What... happened? She didn't think a teleportation spell would have involved a pillar of light. She found herself wincing as her horn throbbed. Nor did I think it'd take so much OUT of me! She groggily turned her head to take in the surrounding scene.
She found herself relieved to see that her friends were present and accounted for. They too, were all in various states of confusion and wooziness. Dash was the first to have gotten to her feet, and was experimentally taking a few steps, angling herself towards Fluttershy to assist her. Applejack was on her back, doing a fair impression of Ditzy Doo, and Rarity's face had seemingly frozen in a expression of wild-eyed terror. Unsurprisingly, Pinkie had landed on her front, forelegs and neck supporting her body as her hindhooves kicked in the air.
There was also a manic grin on her face. "Whoooo!! Let's do that again!"
"I-i-if... if that's a-all right with you..." the yellow pegasus stuttered as Rainbow helped her to her feet. "I'd... I'd rather not."
"Same here, Fluttershy." Twilight responded. "I'm sorry about that guys. Had no idea the landing would be so... rough."
"Y’all SHORE that light show there was expected n' all?' AJ questioned, as she rolled back onto her side. "Y’all seemed awful panicked there. Did it work right? Actually..." her green eyes began to roam the landscape about them. "How come I ain't seein' th' Statue o' Miss Li-Bray-ty?"
Now the purple unicorn took the time to look beyond her group. They were sitting on a grassy hill. The sun was still in the same position in the sky. Off in the distance, she saw the treeline of a forest. And over to the side, she spied the rooftops of a sleepy little village. She had a feeling that if she was close enough, she'd see a sign along it's border that said 'Welcome to Ponyville'.
They were right where they'd started.
"What the HAY?!" Rainbow exclaimed, taking in the sight. "All that flashing and blowing, and we haven’t even budged a yard!"
"Calm down Dash, we don't know what happened." the magician groaned, leaning back and rubbing her forehead. "Okay. First off. Let's take stock. Is everypony okay?"
"I... I'm fine dear." Rarity finally spoke, coming out of her stupor. "I apologize, that was just... quite more than I had expected, really. Twilight, I never knew you had so... so MUCH in you!"
Why did that make her blush? She shook her head and directed herself at each pony in turn. "You Applejack?"
"Ah'm alright sugarcube. It'll take more 'n that t' scare th' cutiemarks offa me."
"I'm a bit frustrated that we've just spent time I could have been using practicing, going nowhere at all. Other than that, I'm fine."
"Oh, um, I'm okay, really Twilight. Though I admit, that was... um... rather... s-scary..."
"I thought it was fun! Can we doitagain Twilight, HuhHuhHuh?!"
Twilight simply rolled her eyes, as she finally got to her hooves. "I'm sorry girls. But whatever the spell did, it took a FAIR amount of magic out of me. I don't think the book said anything about-"
She looked down at the ground where she had sat the tome. It was gone.
"Gah!" she shrieked, causing all present to jump. "My travel book! It's gone!!"
She got a nudge from the white mare. "Dear, that's not ALL that's gone. The vase is missing too!"
There was a frantic searching of the immediate premises that proved fruitless. Both the spellbook, and their ritual machina, had disappeared without a single trace.
"Well great." their pegasus friend grumped. "Apparently, the spell did work. Just not for us. I hope my feather's enjoying the view from the Brookmare Bridge."
"Now now Dash, don't be goin' 'n getting yer tail all inna knot." Applejack stated, before walking up to Twilight. "Hon, yer th' one wit' th' skills. Lay it out fer us. What happened, exactly?"
The lavender pony bit her lip. "Well... I'll be honest, I think... I think the spell did work, and we did move..." she lowered her head, and tried to activate her horn, but only a few sparks flew from it's tip. "I've used up so much magic... If it had just been the vase and the book that had teleported, that wouldn't have been the case! But... that still doesn't explain why we're in the same spot that we started from..."
Fluttershy's eyes flew open. "Twilight! What if... I mean, I know I don't usually say this, but, what IF... we moved in other ways instead? I mean, I've read about it in those Neighponese comics Scootaloo lets me borrow."
Dash quirked an eyebrow. "I never knew you read Nann-ga. The science-fiction ones, or those icky schoolfilly ones?"
"Uhm.... both?"
"Hold on, hold on." Twilight interrupted, a hoof to her chin. "You mentioned other kinds of travel. You're talking something like along the lines of... time-travel, aren't you?"
A silence descended upon them so quickly, it made the butter-pony go 'eep!' in surprise.
"You know." Rarity got to all four hooves, shouldering her pack. "There's really only one way to find out."
"ADVENTURE!!" Pinkie cheered for all present.
All six mares ponied up and began their trek into town, each one with a vague sense of unease within their stomachs. Well, all but one, her stomach was simply empty, and she was craving fudge. They left the scene, the breeze ruffling the grass they had previously trampled. Within a few minutes time, any sign that they had been there, was gone with them.
Nopony saw the unicorn stallion who advanced on the hill from the other direction, his horn aglow as he checked the site for signs of the flash he had seen minutes earlier.
"Holy horseapples!" he exclaimed, catching the leftover energy residue. "What in Solaris's kingdom has the power for THAT kinda magic?!"
----------------------------
The fillies’ sense of unease increased as they entered Ponyville proper. As far as they knew, it was Ponyville. At least, it had looked like it from outside of town. Inside however...
"IS this Ponyville? Ah mean, th' place looks th' same 'n all." Applejack stated as she strolled through the square. "But ah dun reco'nize any o’ these ponies."
Twilight looked around the town herself. The street looked the same. All the architecture was in place. But her friend had a point, Absolutely none of the ponies that milled around the town looked familiar. At least she didn't THINK they did...
"Maybe we... maybe we really DID, y’know, travel in time?" Dash stated, a slight tinge of fear creeping into her voice. "I mean, we c-could be in the past, o-or the future!"
"Rainbow, please." the white unicorn chided. "I would have noticed if this were a different time period. Look." She trotted over to a nearby lamp-post. "This pole has a patina on it, the same as the current state of wear back home, if we're not already there. If this were the past, this would have been new paint, not a bit of erosion. And if this were the future, there would most definitely be rust building around the base and lantern itself."
"A very astute observation, Rarity!" Twilight beamed. "You would have made a great detective, you know!"
As the purple-maned one preened at the comment, she turned back to her friends. "So we can assume that we're still in the present day and age. If we did time-travel at all, it probably has only been by a few days."
Fluttershy glanced around. "But, with so many different ponies around... there must be a holiday going on. And there's not a Ponyville holiday for another month or so. At least, I don't THINK there is..."
"What holiday would that be?" Twilight asked.
"Oh! Oh! Memememe!" the party pony suddenly leapt. "The CLOVER DERBY! Everypony gathers in the park when all the clover leaves are in bloom and they all lineup and run through the fields picking as many clovers at they can! The one who finds a FOUR-LEAF clover is the WINNER!"
"Though usually, it comes down'ta whoever comes in first." Applejack finished. "Four-leaves bein' so rare 'n all."
"Hey!" Dash interjected. "If it IS the Clover Derby today, what say we enter!?" She hovered in the air, eyes alight and current plight momentarily forgotten.
Rarity clicked her tongue. "Dearie, we have more important matters to worry about at the moment. Though I do agree that if that's what the case is, then let's head to the park."
"The sooner the better." Twilight agreed. "I'd like to know if I've missed a month of friendship reports or not."
The group galloped off, only Pinkie trailing slightly behind. "Ooooh, I LOVE Clovers! Especially on a Radish salad!"
----------------------------
"Well, this looks like a bust."
"It shore looks like it, don't it?" the farmer agreed with the pegasus as they looked over the park. There were ponies in it, but not the huge gaggle usually associated with the running of a race. No, there were ponies playing, eating, chatting, the usual stuff. And they were still all ponies that they had never seen before.
"Oh my." Rarity stated, looking a bit antsy. "At this point, I would even be grateful to see Ditzy Doo! I mean, the mare has SUCH a hard time, but she's STILL a sweetheart!"
"I don't recognize ANY of them!" Twilight groaned, entering a state of panic herself. "How is this even POSSIBLE!? What did the spell DO!? D-did we... are we...?"
An uneasy silence settled over them as they looked to the ground. Which made it easier for Fluttershy to be heard.
"Look!" she exclaimed, as loudly as she was oft to do. She was pointing to a park bench that was facing away from them. "Lyra and BonBon!"
Sure enough, a pair of manes peaked over the edge of the bench's back. A mint-green with a stripe, and a more curly pink-and-purple do.
Suddenly all six mares were tripping over each other as they galloped to the bench. Twilight was the first to round the corner as she spun and faced them. "Lyra! BonBon! It's so good to-"
She stopped in mid-sentence as she stared in wide-eyed confusion. The rest of her group caught up with her, and one-by-one, they too paused and stared, Dash adding a gaping mouth to hers.
The two ponies on the bench were giving them confused looks of their own. The green one was a unicorn, perched on their rear with their back against the rest, hindlegs draped over the edge in exactly the way a pony doesn't sit. Curled up next to the pony, was a cream-coated equine with wide blue eyes.
What surprised the group was the fact that these two also possessed sloped and squared noses, a slightly larger stature, and toned chests. Though the green pony had a lyre cutiemark, and the earth-pony a trio of candies... these two were unmistakably stallions.
"Um..." the not-BonBon started. "Can we help you?"
The group gaped for a second more, before Twilight finally managed to collect her wits. "Oh! I-I'm sorry." she apologized, cheeks going red. "From behind, you two looked just like somepony else we knew."
The male Lyra waved a hoof. "Ahh, that's okay. You'd be surprised how often that happens." He turned to his companion. "Hey Babar, did I ever tell you about the time I participated in the Clover Derby last year? I swore I saw another stallion there who looked just like me, save he was an earth-pony!"
'Babar' chuckled. "I can just imagine it now. New and improved Earth-Pony Harpsy! With Apple-bucking action!"
He got a look, but soon the green one began chuckling alongside his friend, before moving in and giving him an affectionate nuzzle. Somewhere in the back of the group, a butter pegasus went 'Awww~'.
The mint unicorn, Harpsy, turned back to the fillies. "Right, sorry about that. Are you girls new in town? Can't say I've seen you lot here before."
"Oh... um... yeah, we..." Twilight bit her lip. She was faltering in the face of all this information, and she couldn't quite-
"Why yes we are!" Rarity spoke up. "Me and my friends were just passing through. We're on our way to Fillydelphia for a show there, this is our first time in Ponyville!"
"Well then, welcome!" Babar cheered. "If you can, stay around for a spell! You won't find a nicer town in all of Equestria. We can give you a tour, if you'd like!"
"Oh oh!" Pinkie suddenly cheered. "Let's go see Sugarcube Corner! I hear it's the BEST!"
"Actually," Applejack interrupted. "Ain't we runnin' a bit late fer that 'show', Rarity?"
She got a stare in her direction, which she returned. It took a second for the dressmaker to pick up. "Oh! Oh yes, my friend makes a dreadfully good point. I apologize, but we have to depart posthaste. It was mighty good to meet you though!"
"Nice meeting you!" Harpsy responded, waving a hoof. "Be sure to stick around on your return trip!"
"Oh we will!" Rarity responded, turning to follow her friends as they alternatively slunk, stumbled, creeped, or bounced away behind the trees. "Until we meet again!"
The two colts continued to wave as the group progressed out of sight. After a long minute, the earth-pony turned to his friend. "Say... didn't those fillies remind you of a certain other group?"
"Y'know... they did kinda. Can't put my finger on why, but they did remind me of them..."
"... hon, don't you mean 'hoof?'"
----------------------------
"OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh-" Dash was chanting. The implications were hitting her the hardest.
"I can't believe I didn't see it earlier!" Twilight exclaimed, head poking out of the bushes as she took in the surrounding ponyfolk. "But it's TRUE! Everypony IS here, they're just... just, all..."
"SWITCHED!!" Applejack thundered. "Lookit over there! Ain't that th' Professor?!" She was pointing at a tan mare with a spiky mane and an hourglass cutiemark.
"And that, If I'm not mistaken..." Rarity quipped, looking at a lanky purple colt that walked with a slight stagger in his step. "... is quite possibly Berry Punch. Poor thing can't seem to hold their cider as a boy or a girl."
"I-i-i-if every pony here who was a filly back home, is now a colt..." Fluttershy began, trying to wrap her mind around the concept. "Th-then... would that make the Princess, a Prince?"
The student's face turned a bright shade of crimson at the thought. "M-maybe. T-that's not the point! The point is, we at least have a better idea of where we are. We've not really traveled in time... but we did travel in space. We're in an Alternate Universe!"
"Woo!" Pinkie cheered. "Where no mare has gone before!"
"S-space?" Rainbow stuttered, her wings still slightly trembling. "Y-you mean we're not even on the same planet anymore?"
"That's probably a bad word for it." Rarity interjected. "We're still in Equestria. It's just not our Equestria."
The orange equine raised an eyebrow. "Beg pardon sugarcube, but what 'n tarnation's THAT s'posed t'mean?"
"An alternate timeline," Twilight began, launching into her explanation. "Emerges when a set of different circumstances occur. Technically, a new universe is spawned with every decision made or not made, with every event that did or didn't happen. Buuuut, that's probably a bit much to go into..." she grinned sheepishly at the baffled faces before her. She thought for a moment, before her ears perked up. "Rarity, do you have a marker and some ribbons?"
The white mare provided the two materials. As the purple one took them, she started anew. "Let's say that this red ribbon is our native timeline. It's the world which we all grew up in and made us who we are. Now... we all know that Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom gave us all our Cutie Marks at about the same time, right?"
She got a round of nods. "Good. Now, this isn't a slight against your skill Dash, but let's face it. There was always the chance that you never would have made it, right?"
For a second, it looked like the pegasus wanted to argue against the possibility, but she then closed her eyes and slowly nodded her head.
"There's always the chance that the opposite result, will occur. And when that happens, a whole new chain of events happen." She brought a marker up to the red ribbon, made a dot on it, and then brought up a blue strip to branch away from the point. "And the laws of causality states that every choice has to happen. Somewhere out there, there's a universe where Dash DIDN'T make the Sonic Rainboom. And when she didn't, a new timeline branched off that point. This blue ribbon..." she gave it a wave. "Is that alternate universe."
All the ponies present stared, dumbfounded, as the thought sank in. Even Pinkie was uncharacteristically silent, thinking back on the Rock farm.
"Ah would still be in Manehatten..." Applejack mumbled. "Goll-darn. When we git back, ah'll have'ta pay Aunt 'n Uncle Orange another visit."
"It's not pleasant for me to think about either, what with the test and all." Twilight added. "But what happens, happens. and our other selves have to live with it, like we have to live with what we have."
"But we're NOT living our own lives right now." Rarity spoke. "If what you say is right, we've jumped off our own ribbon, and landed on another."
"Where everypony was born the opposite gender?" Dash quipped. "Well... I can think of worse places to wind up... but still, that's just creepy."
"W-wait," Fluttershy suddenly spoke, her eyes wide. "If everyone here was born the other sex..."
"... what about US?"
A silence reigned. Fillies looked back and forth at each other, a chill going down their spines.
"D-do y'think our... 'selves'... are still here?" Applejack stuttered. "Or d'ya think we out 'n out switched places and they're havin' this conversation right now in our world, wonderin' why th' hay they tain't in Manehatten yet?"
More silence, before Twilight finally narrowed her eyes.
"Only one way to find out. To the Library!"
----------------------------
The plan was half-baked, but a plan was still a plan. The giant tree that served as Ponyville's repository of knowledge loomed close as they galloped towards it. Twilight was relieved to see that there was nothing substantially different about the place on the outside.
Or on the inside, as they piled through the door. It was mercifully empty as they all caught their breath. She took a moment to see that yes, everything was still in perfect order. She felt a surge of pride, even though she knew technically that this wasn't exactly HER library.
"Well, I don't see us." Dash replied, panting as she looked around. "Not that I was really looking forward to that, but still."
"Is this even a good idea?" Rarity quipped. "Twilight, isn't there a rule about time-traveling paradoxes, and meeting yourself in the past?"
"That's time-traveling, not dimension-hopping." the magician replied. "But... I can see what you mean by it."
"What do you mean? W-will something bad happen?" Fluttershy asked, hooves up to her mouth.
"Well... some research ponies believe that it's impossible for the same pony to exist twice in the same place and time. If one meets the other, the both of them might... well..." she bit her lip, not sure if she wanted to say it.
"Go poof?" Pinkie suggested.
"Cease to exist."
"Isn't that what I just said?"
"Pardon me," the applefarmer butted in. "But if that's true, then why 'n tarnation are we all gathered 'round here for? Isn't this one o’ our meetin' spots?"
"If our other selves are in this dimension still, then yes, that's a cause for worry." Rarity replied. "Though there's also the case that they're experiencing the same thing we are. In which case, we should be fine."
Suddenly, a voice drifted from above. It was a young voice, slightly squeaky and whiny... but it was female.
"Hello? Anypony down there?"
"Spike!" Twilight hissed under her breath. "Ponyfeathers! We can't stay here, the rest of the other ponyfolk may not have recognized us, but he- er, she surely will!"
"But I thought we were trying to get answers!" Rainbow whispered back. "Somepony's gonna have to stay!"
"It can't be me!" the student exclaimed, quietly. "She'll know me the best!"
"Not me!" Rarity interjected, eyes flickering back and forth. "We all know how the dear feels about me, and I wouldn’t want to traumatize!"
"Ah don't trust Pinkie." Applejack whispered, earning her a confused look from the pink pony. "An’ I also dun trust mahself, OR Dash, t'go an’ start flappin' our mouths." She got another look, rather angry, from the pegasus. "So that just leaves-"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" came the voice from upstairs again, followed by the patter of dragonoid feet.
Suddenly, Fluttershy found a farmer's hat plopped onto her head, quickly followed by a bright blue scarf from the dressmaker's saddlebag wrapped around her throat and mouth. Then just as suddenly, she was wished a hasty 'good luck!', before finding herself alone in the middle of the library proper, the door still swinging slightly from a hasty departure.
Aqua eyes wide, she began looking around for a hiding place herself, before a purple form ran into view. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was napping! I'll be down innaWOAA-HOHOAAH!!"
The small dragon had tripped, their journey down the stairs a bumpy one. As they finally landed in a heap at the bottom, Fluttershy got her first good look. The dragoness was still small, about the same size as Spike. Her spines were a lighter green however, almost lime. They were smaller and limp as well, falling down the back of her head not unlike a mane.
The purple lizard got back on her feet, before dusting herself off. "Sorry about that. Just not my day today... oh!" The green eyes finally locked on the yellow pegasus, a look of ease coming over her face. "Heya Butterscotch. Fancy findin' you here. Say... isn't that AJ's hat?"
"O-oh, um, er..." she faltered, not really certain how to answer. "Y-yeah, sh-um... he, let me borrow it for today. I mean, sh-er, he didn't mind, that is..."
Now the dragoness had a look of worry, as an eyebrow was arched. "You okay there, 'Scotch? You're not soundin' like yourself, pony."
An idea came to mind, and she held a hoof up as she pretend-coughed into it. "*Ahack!* Oh, no, I'm... I'm really not. I, well, I caught a cold, and *ahack!* and... well, AJ let me borrow her-*AHACK* I mean, um, his hat, to keep me warm."
"Well now that was mighty neighborly of him!" the femme reptile replied, her eyes now going to the scarf. "And I bet Elusive gave you that too, didn't he? Oh, whatta guy~..." her eyes went misty for a second, before she came back to focus. "Is there anything I can do to help, 'Scotch?"
Fluttershy's eyes returned to scanning the room. Along one window, she saw a multitude of eyes peering in. "Oh, well, um, well, if it isn't too much of a bother, Sp-*ahack!* um... Sp-*ahack!*... um..."
"Aww, c'mon Butterscotch, it's me, Spines." the she-lizard replied, spreading her arms wide. "Only dragon in Ponyville, but you knew that already, right? C'mon brony, lay it on me, can I get'ya anything at all?"
The yellow pony sat in thought for a second. She'd talked herself into this corner, and now she would have to talk herself back out. Too bad she didn't have any Poison Joke on her, the man-voice would have come in handy... wait.
"Um... would you still happen to have 'Supernaturals’?" she asked, before giving another cough.
Spines smiled back. "Sure thing! Just wait right here, I'll get it right quick!"
She found herself grinning beneath her scarf as the dragoness ran off. Despite being a girl, the personality had more-or-less remained the same. And that comforted her on some unexplainable level.
I hope she manages to find it soon. she though to herself. The sooner I can leave, the better.
----------------------------
Outside, five fillies were breathing sighs of relief as they watched and listened.
"Good thinking dear!" Rarity said, more to herself than anypony else. "That was truly inspired, to combine the cover of sickness with the quest for knowledge!"
"That girl can think on 'er feet when it comes right down to it, that's f'sure!" Applejack agreed, a smile plastered on her face.
"So far, so good." Twilight spoke, her eyes still watching the scene inside. "It's still weird to see Spike as a girl, but besides that, she doesn't seem that different. Maybe this universe really is a mirror world, and-"
Her words were cut short by the sound of hoofsteps. Quickly, all the mares ducked back into the shrubbery behind the library sign as the clopping grew closer.
As the steps trotted up to the library door, the student found her curiosity overwhelming. Gently, she activated her horn to allow her a peek through the bushes, as the new pony came into view...
...and she stopped as she saw himself.
"Welp." Applejack whispered. "So much fer mirrors."
Pinkie Pie blinked, a mirror in her mouth. "I'm SFO conffuzfed."
----------------------------
"Spines, I'm home."
Fluttershy's eyes shrunk at the sound of the voice. It was male, but light. Like that of a schoolteacher she had back in Cloudsdale. Slowly she forced her head to turn in the direction of the speaker.
It was a purple unicorn stallion, with a fair build. She found herself thinking of Caramel the most, in regards of structure. His hair was straight-cut, with only a hint of raggedness towards the rear of the mane, his tail echoing the style. Upon his flank, was a familiar pink six-pointed star.
"Oh hey Dusk!" the dragoness called out from atop a ladder. "Just helpin' out Butterscotch with somethin'."
The lavender colt turned his purple eyes upon the pegasus, having apparently missed her earlier. "Oh! Hey there 'Scotch, didn't see you before. Sorry about that." He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his mane. "Kinda had my head in the clouds, you know."
She was now stammering as she faced down a different face of one of her friends. "It... it... it's alright... I... I... *ahack!*"
Dusk paused, his eyes widening in much the same way as Spine's had earlier. "Wow Butterscotch... you're not sounding too good. You didn't get into the Poison Joke again, did you?"
"He's got a cold." Spines replied, rejoining the two with a green book in her hands. "Here we go, li'l guy. Supernaturals, the one book that woulda saved us all if SOMEPONY hadn't been in such a hurry." She gave a pointed glare to the purple pony, who grinned sheepishly.
"Oh, thank you Sp-Spines." Fluttershy responded, coming forward and taking the book in her own hooves. "This is just what I *ahack!* what I needed."
"Y'know ‘Scotch." Dusk began, coming up alongside the winged one. "You could have let me try and find a cure spell for whatever you've got. I mean, I know they say there's no cure for the common cold, but that doesn't mean somepony shouldn't give it a try."
"Oh! Th-tha-thank you, D... D-Dusk." she replied, her tongue tripping over the use of the name. "But, um, you know me... I'd like to try and, well, go the *ahack!* the natural route first... um, this is, if you don't mind..." Inwardly, she was already imagining that if Dusk were anything like her friend, she'd be stuck having to endure experiment after experiment to try and rid her of whatever 'cold' she had.
He smiled at her. "Of course." the purple colt replied, before leaning in and giving her a nuzzle. "Just be sure and wash those clothes before you go giving them back. I bet Applejack wouldn't be too happy to catch whatever it is you've got."
She was being nuzzled by a colt. Even if it was more or less Twilight in male form, he was STILL a COLT. She found herself blushing furiously under the scarf, her wits temporarily scattered. "I... I-I will... I... I know... Rarity wouldn't like her... scarf... um, I mean..."
Dusk pulled his head back, an eyebrow raised. "Um, yeah... souuunds to me like you'd better get some rest." he chuckled nervously.
She blinked, before she chuckled alongside him, trying her best to keep it from turning into a giggle. "You're right, I should be going. See you two later. And thanks again Spik-*ahack!* um, Spines!"
"No problem!" the girl dragon called back, as Fluttershy did an about-face and quickly galloped out of the library.
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
Twilight rolled her eyes. "That won't work Pinkie. Augh, I didn't think about it before, but this applies to ALL of us!" She lumped on the ground as the rest of the ponies gathered around her. "Any hiding spot that WE can think of, our other selves are going to think of too! And we can't ask for help from any of the townsponies, they’d become suspicious!!"
"Hmmm..." the party pony hummed to herself, before something in the distance caught her eye. "What about THOSE guys?!"
As one, everypony looked in the direction Pinkie was pointing at. There was a red and orange blur working it's way down the path towards them. As it got closer, a noise began to fill the air... the buzzing of miniature wings.
"Crusaders!"
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Conner Cogwork
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
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<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2012-07-18T01:59:21+00:00
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2012-07-18T01:59:21+00:00
| 45,363 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Two
Out of the Mouths of Babes
----------------------------
Out in a field somewhere outside of Sweet Apple Acres, two fillies were keeping their distances from each other.
“Ah'm a bit worried 'bout those two." Applejack spoke, glancing between Twilight and Fluttershy, who were both sitting on the ground with their backs turned to one another, paced about three yards apart. Both ponies possessed a blush of sorts on their faces, and were also giving each other awkward glances and avoidances.
"They just need time, dear." Rarity replied, though she herself was looking a bit twitterpated as well. "I mean, the reaction here is understandable after all. Did you get a good look at him? I must say, Twilight makes for a handsome colt."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "UGH. Isn't there like, a time and place for everything? We need to get our GAME together, guys!"
"Dashie's right!" Pinkie interjected, her stance suddenly proud and tall. "We need to make a plan and get ourselves over this! Besides, it's no fun when your best friends are being all awky-awkward-pants with each other over themselves and their not-selves!" She seated herself between the unicorn and pegasus, and then implemented her as-yet-unexplained powers of Pie as her limbs stretched out and roped the two perplexed ponies together. "You two are still friends, are'ya not?"
Twilight looked at Pinkie, before giving Fluttershy another glance, and a small, hopeful smile. A few seconds passed, before the butter pegasus returned the smile and spoke.
"I'm sorry Twilight. I know D-Dusk is kinda like you, but, I should still think of the two of you as two separate ponies. It's... less confusing that way."
The student nodded. "Thanks, 'Shy. I can only imagine if the roles had been reversed... if I had run into 'Butterscotch' back in our own world."
"Speaking of worlds," the white unicorn interjected. "I think it's quite obvious now that the earlier 'Mirror circumstances' theory is thoroughly debunked."
"Our other selves 'r still here." the farmer added, looking around at the field. "An' now we gotta worry about that other time-parradoxen-thingamajigger y’all were talkin' 'bout. Y'know, th' one where if we meet each other, we STOP EXISTING?"
"I know, I know." Twilight replied. "Right... here's what we need to do. We need to stay out of Ponyville as much as equinely possible. I'll try to cast the spell again, but I need time to prepare it. Until it's ready, we all need to keep our heads low. That means all of us. Got it, Rainbow?"
"Yeah, yeah, I hear yah." the pegasus snorted, hovering on her back. "Seriously, this is gonna cut way into my practicing time."
"Y'still on that practicin' bit?" AJ eyed her with a crooked expression.
"Well, I WAS. Before Twilight called us all over and we got caught up in this weird alternate-dimension business. I had a new trick I was gonna try and do. A DOUBLE RAINBOO-"
She was interrupted as a twin explosion of color occurred in the sky right behind her. Everypony directed their attention upwards as two circles of multihued light spread out and covered the blue. Speeding away from the discs, was a solid beam of rainbow that twisted it's way upwards and away, fading into the distance.
The last thing they expected was for Rainbow Dash herself to start jumping up and down, cheering at the sight. "WHOOOOHOOOOO! DIDJA SEE THAT! THAT WAS AWESOME! LIKE, WAAAY MORE THAN TWENTY PERCENT AWESOME! MAN, I am GOOD!! JUST LOOKIT ME GOOOO WHOOOOOOOO RAINBOW!!"
To nopony's surprise, Pinkie joined into the cheering, and soon, even Fluttershy was jumping with them. AJ, Rarity, and Twilight hung back as they all looked at each other.
"This is gonna be a challenge." The farmer pony quipped. "We've got our work cut out fer ourselves."
"What do we do, Twilight?" Rarity asked. "Back home, Dash is the faster flier in Equestria. Now there's Two of them, and though she may seem... placated now..." she glanced at the cheering squad. "We all know that her pride won't stand for that."
"One problem at a time, please." the unicorn pleaded, a hoof massaging her forehead. "Okay, so. We know that today is still today, thanks to that rainboom. We can put any lingering time-traveling doubts to bed. That said, we need to get out of town, first and foremost. Where's a good spot where we can hide?”
"Oh, there's th' ol' treehouse. We can camp out there." the orange pony enthused.
"AJ... You know about the treehouse."
"Yeah, so?"
"Think about it... anything that You know..."
Green eyes widened. "Anythin' ah know... mah other self's bound t'know too! Well shucks, din' think o’ that!"
"Oh, Oh! We can hide out at Sugarcube Corner!" Pinkie popped up, blue eyes gleaming as always. "Or SPACE? Wanna go to space? Hey, hey! Wanna go to space?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "That won't work Pinkie. Augh, I didn't think about it before, but this applies to ALL of us!" She lumped on the ground as the rest of the ponies gathered around her. "Any hiding spot that WE can think of, our other selves are going to think of too! And we can't ask for help from any of the townsponies, they’ll become suspicious!!"
"Hmmm..." the party pony hummed to herself, before something in the distance caught her eye. "What about THOSE guys?!"
As one, everypony looked in the direction Pinkie was pointing at. There was a red and orange blur working it's way down the path towards them. As it got closer, a noise began to fill the air... the buzzing of miniature wings.
"Crusaders!" Fluttershy yelped, her eyes wide as she tried to make out the forms of three small ponies.
"Ah... Twilight, ah..." A wide-eyed Applejack groped for words, a pit having suddenly appeared in the bottom of her stomach. "Ah... ah think we should get outta here Twi, ah... ah don't think ah'm ready for this..."
"To tell the truth..." Rarity half-grinned, half grimaced as she trotted up next to the farmpony, muscles tensing for a bolt. "I'm... not sure I'm prepared either. Shall we... make ourselves scarce?"
"Uhm..." again, Twilight bit her lip as she sighted the rapidly incoming wagon. She had been able to see female Spike from behind a window. This oncoming disaster would involve face-to-face meetings between the two elder sisters, and their little 'brothers'. She could see the reasoning behind their reluctance, but still-
Apparently, she had been too slow. She found herself suddenly scooped up by Dash, as the pegasus angled herself for the nearby treeline. She was quickly joined by the rest of the gang as they fled the oncoming Crusader-mobile.
Not that it did them any good. Applejack, heading the pack, tripped on an errant rock. There was a general cacophony of noises as limbs and bodies flailed through the air, Twilight herself knocked out of Dash's grasp by a wayward Pinkie Pie. The resultant pastel-colored pile of ponies rested at the bottom of a hill, a facehoofing blue pegasus hovering above them.
And that's when the Cutie Mark Crusaders caught up.
"Whoooooah-on there!" a squeaky voice called out. "Scoot! Slow down!"
"I'm trying I'm trying!" said another. The fillies all grimaced as the wagon shot past them, screeching to a halt.
A small orange pegasus panted as he fell off his scooter, wings twitching spasmodically. A yellow earth pony and white unicorn both fumbled at their helmets, unhitching the headgear and hopping out to help their friend back on his feet.
"Ah... Applebloom?" the farmer gulped, her heart up in her throat.
The yellow one turned to look at them. Though the eyes were orange and the mane was crimson, there was no sign of eyelashes or a bow-adorned ponytail. Instead, a faded-red, backwards-pointed baseball cap adorned the young colt's head. He looked the group over, eyes full of worry. "GOLLY." he spoke, voice not that much lower than his original. "Y’all alright? Looks like y’all took a real tumble!"
He was joined by the white colt, his lavender hair slightly straight up-front, only curling in the back. His voice was quite squeaky as he spoke. "Oh, that looks like it hurt! Here, let us help!" He darted forward and grabbed a pink hoof, pulling as hard as he could.
"It's, it's okay." Fluttershy stuttered, flapping her wings as she untangled herself. "We just, um, tripped."
"Tripped, huh?" said the last schoolpony. As Twilight eyed the orange one up and down, she had to admit that besides the lack of eyelashes, he didn't look, nor sound that much different from his other self. "Must have been some trip if you made a mess like this. We didn't scare you, did we?"
"Pfft." Dash replied as she landed next to a flailing Rarity. "As if we'd be scared of some kids onna red flyer wagon."
"Y-yeah, imagine that." Applejack laughed as she got to her hooves. "Tain't easily scared by no-"
She paused as she saw her 'brother' sitting right in front of her.
"... nopony..."
The little horse let his eyes travel up and down the applefarmer’s body, before he closed his eyes in a smile. "Howdy! Y’all ‘r new 'round these parts, ain'tcha? Ah'm Applebuck, an' these 'r mah friends, Silver Bell 'n Scooteroll!"
"Hello!" Silver cheered, gaining a slightly panicked look from the dressmaker mare. The scooter pony simply nodded his head.
"W-why hello!" Twilight greeted, walking up to the front. "Yes, we're... kinda new. Sorry for the running, we didn't know if you guys were... friendly."
"Aww shucks, we ain't nothin' t'be 'fraid of!" Applebuck cheered, as his inter-dimensional relative continued staring at him with wide eyes. "We can give y’all th' grand tour o' Ponyville, if y’all like!"
"Awww, c'mon." Scooteroll groaned. "I thought we were gonna try to get our high-diving cutie-marks this afternoon!"
"HIGH-DIVING?!" Rarity blurted, eyes now going from one crusader to the next, though they always lingered on the white colt. "Good gracious! Do you-! I mean, do you three always do such dangerous stunts?"
"More often than I'd like." Silver admitted, his green eyes doing a roll.
It was now that Rainbow Dash's own eyes became wide, as an idea coursed through her head. Quickly, she trotted to the front, as she leaned her head down and whispered conspiratationally. "Hey... wanna try for a different Cutiemark?"
The orange pegasus looked her over, a hoof going up and stroking his chin. "I'm listening."
"Dash, what're you doing?" Twilight hissed between her teeth.
"Just trust me on this." Rainbow hissed back, before returning to the crusaders. "Y'see, my friends and I are new in town, but the thing is... we can't just let anypony see us."
"Y'cain't?"
"Nope." She gave a shake of her multihued mane. "Y'see, there's a few.... mysterious folks in town. Folks that my friends and I are tracking."
"Dash, what in tarnati-" Applejack was quickly silenced as a wing bopped her on the noggin.
"We are..." here, the pegasus reared onto her hind legs as she struck a pose. "A secret sector of the Equestrian government. Ones who track down the ponies who do... stuff... with no permits! We are...MARES IN BLACK."
Somewhere in the back, a unicorn facehoofed.
However, the story was enough to sell the three colts. "Wooooooowwwwwww..." the trio gaped in unison. "That's so COOL!"
"And right now!" Dash turned away and crossed her hooves behind her back, a pink pony mirroring her actions. "We need help. If we can, we'd like..." turnabout pose, a hoof pointed at the crusaders. "YOUR help!"
"How!? Howcanwehelp!?" Applebuck gushed, words running together as he spoke a mile a minute.
The blue one smirked, as she turned towards her lavender friend. "Agent T, would you care to fill our friends in?"
"Uh... uhm, sure!" Twilight sputtered, stepping forward again. "What we really need right now, is a hiding place. Someplace that nopony else knows of, not your friends, and not... *gulp* your family. This is really important, do you know of any place like that?"
The three ponies looked at each other, apparently deep in thought. At long last, Scooteroll lifted his head up. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked his friends.
"Yep." the yellow pony replied. "The HEDGE."
"I was thinking that too..." Silver added. "But that's right on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Do you think they'd be safe?"
"Sure they'll be safe!" the scooty pony quipped, his eyes alight with admiration. 'I mean, c'mon, they're Agents. I bet they've faced down worse things than Manticores or Ursa Majors! They'll be fine!"
"Sure!" Pinkie enthused, popping up behind the trio. "We'll take care of any meanie beanies that try to bop us! If anypony tries to gamble with us, they'll find..." here, the party pony pulled a pair of sunglasses out of hammerspace, before setting them on her face. "... that the dice... are loaded against them."
There was an awkward pause, with copious amounts of staring. She stared back. "I thought there was supposed to be a yell, followed by a song." she explained, before slinking back into the group.
Twilight shook her head. "Anyway! That sounds perfect, gi- er, guys. Can you take us to it?"
"Can do!" Applebuck cheered, before all three colts joined up together and belted out their newest mission statement.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS SUPER SECRET SPY MISSION, YEAH!!!"
----------------------------
"Hey." Silver Bell quipped some minutes later. "If you're supposed to be Mares in Black... then shouldn't you be wearing, you know... black?"
"Oh, uhm..." Rarity's eyes darted around in thought. "Our suits are... currently at the dry-cleaner's, you see. They got filthy on our... last mission."
The little unicorn nodded, apparently satisfied with that explanation. "Gotta keep them snazzy and neat, my big brother would say!" he cheered.
"O-oh, does he really?" she replied, the thought of there being a male version of herself sending... she wasn't sure if they were shivers or tickles... down her spine. "W-what's your brother's name?"
The boy opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it. "Um, I'm... I'm not sure if I should say. I don't want to get him into trouble. I mean... he's not in trouble, IS he, Miss Agent?" he looked at her with imploring eyes.
She had to blink. For a second, that wasn't Silver, but Sweetie staring back at her, begging for forgiveness. This was going to be much harder than she thought. "I... I don't know, dearie. if I don't know his name, then I can't be sure if he IS in trouble or not..."
Rarity then brightened with a reassuring smile. "But then again, maybe that's for the best. It's a better idea to play it safe after all, right?"
Her 'brother' returned her smile at full power. "Right!" he agreed.
The group was being led by the Crusader-mobile, going at a much slower speed than before. Rainbow Dash hovered alongside the diminutive trio, while the other five were strung out behind, slowly making their way to the periphery of the Everfree itself.
"So." Scooteroll suddenly spoke up, turning to the blue pegasus. "What's up? What dya do in your group?"
Dash gave him a grin. "I'm the speed reconnaissance pony. You can call me Agent D. I don't like t'brag, but you see, I'm the fastest flier in all of Equestria."
Unbelieving purple eyes bored into her. "No way. You can't be the fastest, that title belongs to Rainbow Blitz!"
For a split second, her wings faltered and she dropped a few inches to the ground, before catching herself. "Uhm... oh yeah? Was he the guy who did that Double-Rainboom earlier?"
"He sure was!" His face took on a dreamy look as he rambled on. "Rainbow Blitz is the coolest pony who ever lived! He even won the Best Young Flier's cup in Cloudsdale! Man, someday, when I'm able to fly right, I'm gonna ask him to be my teacher!"
Dash took a second for that to sink in. She knew that back in her world, Scootaloo hung out around her often. This was the first time she'd heard about flight lessons however. And if Boy-Scoot here had such plans...
Her thoughts were interrupted as the orange colt spoke again. "Say, you sure you're not a fan?" he questioned, eying her mane and tail. "You sure look an awful lot like him. You... you even have the same Cutie-mark!"
"Really?" she replied, trying to appear nonchalant. "Wow, weird. But nope, never heard of the guy till today. Maybe we're long-lost cousins, who knows. He came outta Cloudsdale, right?"
There was a nod, as the two lapsed into a more casual conversation, discussing the exploits of her dimensional twin.
Back in the wagon, Applebuck stretched his limbs, before sighing. "Ah'm gonna hop out 'n walk, mah hooves are fallin' asleep."
"Oh, o-okay!" Silver hastily replied, as the yellow pony leapt out of their transport.
Quickly, he found himself trotting alongside the other fillies, his eyes studying them. He'd never been with so many older girls in his life. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could see why a stallion could fall head-over-heels with one, his eyes gravitating towards the pink one occasionally. Still, girls are icky. he thought to himself. Ah don't need no fru-fru stuff crampin' mah style.
Then, not for the first time, the young colt's eyes locked on the orange pony. If it weren't for the fact that she was a mare, she was a dead ringer for somepony he knew. Quickly he trotted up until he was walking alongside the Stetson-bearing horse. She didn't notice until a minute or so later, her green eyes flickering downwards, before giving a slight jump as she focused on him.
"Ah... heya." Applejack stammered.
"Hi!" the boy answered, voice as cheerful as before. "Don't be scared none, ah dun have any cooties, ah swear!"
Despite the unease the farmer pony was feeling around her 'brother', she couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "Ah'm sorry sugarcube. Ah'm just... a li'l on-edge. Y’all can understand that, right?"
Applebuck gave a nod in return. They continued to walk together in silence, their gazes flickering back and forth from each other. At length, he found himself speaking again. "Say... would'ja thinkit weird if ah said that... y’all reminded me o' somepony else?"
The orange equine could feel the sweat beading on her brow. "Ah dunno... who do ah remind yah of?"
"Mah big brother, Applejack. He an' I work onna farm not far from here, Sweet Apple Acres. We live thar t'gether wit' Red Gala and Grampy Smith. Ah could introduce y’all sometime if you'd like, they're all right good folks!"
There was no answer for a few seconds, the blonde running the names through her head. Red Gala was more than likely Big Mac, though she was having a hard time picturing him as a female. However, what was REALLY worrying her, was the fact that her male self apparently still had the same name as she did. Ah guess Applejack's pretty non-gender-specific, ain't it? she thought to herself.
She realized that the yellow pony was still staring at her. "Ah, ah'm sorry." she said quickly. "It's just that... well, y’all r'mind me of mah own li'l sister back home. That's... why ah've been actin' so weird t'wards ya."
A confused, yet curious look spread across his face. "Ah do? Well don't that beat all... hey!" his eyes had finally spotted the trio of apples that served as her cutiemark. "Y'all got apples on ya! You wouldn't happen t'have an apple farm too, wouldja?"
She looked down as she thought fast. "Uhm... yeah, ah do, it's just... clear on th'other side o' Equestria. Can't even make it to th' reunions usually."
"Th' Apple Family reunion?" he enthused. "Y’all 'r Apple family?"
Applejack finally lifted her head as she returned his gaze. "A few times r'moved... but yeah, ah'm proud t'say that ah'm Apple family."
She thought she'd been making good progress on dealing with her conflicted emotions towards her alternate sibling. However, she was quite unprepared as the colt galloped up and rubbed up against her, in that familiar way. She tensed up as he cheered. "Yeah! Apples f' ever! Ah found a new cousin! Say Cousin, y’all never told me yer name now, y'know. What'cha called?"
"Uhm..." her brain racked for an answer. "Y’all can... uhm... just call me JayJay, fer now. Mah real name's a secret. Super spy stuff 'n all that."
”Sure thing!" Applebuck replied happily, his excitement giving him cause to leap and buck into the air a few times as he dashed back towards the front. "Ah got a new cousin! Ah got a new cousin!"
And there it was. As she watched him cavort, that emotion that she was scared of feeling flooded into her heart, leaving her light-headed. It was family. She felt the attachment forming, equal parts happiness and pride at Applebuck's cheerfulness.
He's not Applebloom! she told her heart. He's a different pony from her, ah cain't start thinkin' that he's mah family! Ah just cain't!
But her heart stood firm.
----------------------------
"We're here!" Scooteroll announced, as they finally stopped in front of a rather tall and wide gathering of bushes.
Twilight looked over the mass of foliage with a wary eye. "This is the place?"
"Yep!" Silver replied. "The HEDGE."
"Oh dearie me," Rarity moaned. "We have to go inside THAT? Just think of the debris that'll get caught in my mane!"
Applebuck chuckled. "Oh no girls, those bushes 'r just cover. Follow me, ah'll show y'all the entrance!"
They all watched as the yellow earth pony trotted towards a smallish space between two of the bushes. He ducked down, and went inside, seemingly disappearing. He was quickly followed by his friends, and one Pinkie Pie, who stuck her head in first before entering. "Ooooh, spiffy!" she said, an echoing quality to her voice.
Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged looks, before the unicorn herself trotted forth. As she got low and entered, she felt a slope of dirt extending downwards beneath her hooves.
"Welcome to the HEDGE!" Scooteroll replied, as Silver Bell activated his horn, giving light to their surroundings. It was a burrow, and quite a fair-sized one at that. More than big enough for three schoolponies, there were already signs of furnishing, a rock table at one end and a log-bench up against the wall.
"We were gonna use this as our clubhouse, 'till big bro showed us th' treehouse." Applebuck explained. "We haven’t used it since. Make y’all-selves at home!"
It managed to hold all nine ponies at once, with some walking room still. Rarity found herself tisking as she began sweeping the floor. "My my! Such appalling conditions, but I suppose that's to be expected. With a little bit of work, this will be a cave fit for a king!"
As Scooteroll and Rainbow Dash performed synchronous eye-rolling, Fluttershy inspected the roof. "This used to be a rabbit warren, I can tell." she spoke, soft as ever. "The bush-roots above are keeping the ceiling in place. We should be safe here for a long time."
"Good enough fer me." Applejack replied, seating herself at the table.
"Thank you, my little ponies." Twilight turned to the crusaders. "We'll be able to make our plans in peace here. I hereby declare that your mission, was a success!"
"YAY!" the three of them cheered, right before looking backwards and lifting a leg to examine their flanks.... which still remained unadorned. "Awww..." they then groaned, dejected eyes hitting the floor. The sight made a yellow pegasus giggle.
"Hey, chin-up guys." Rainbow enthused, stepping towards the group. "There's still lotsa stuff to try, you know! You'll get your Cutie-marks eventually."
"It just takes patience." the white mare added, seating herself next to Slver. "And I know for a fact, that you've all got the patience you need. Just keep trying dears. They'll come."
The crusaders nodded, their mood somewhat restored, before they turned to leave. The white colt however, paused as he turned to look back at Rarity. "Uhm... Miss... miss...?"
Her eyes softened as she took in his awkwardness. "You can call me Rarity, dear." she replied.
"Miss Rarity." Silver repeated, before turning around to face her. "You all sure you’re gonna be all right here?"
"Oh of course dear, don't worry about us. We're full-grown mares after all."
He nodded, before pawing the ground. "Y'know, I'm sorry I didn't mention this before... My big brother. His name's Elusive. You kinda..." he turned his green eyes back to her. "You kinda remind me of him... like if, you were my sister."
It was all she could do to keep herself from sweeping him up into a hug right there. Instead, her eyes misted over as she tried to bring words to order. "That's... that's such a sweet thing to say... you're a perfect... gentleman, Silver... you take good care of your brother, you hear me?"
The little unicorn blushed, before bowing and nodding. With a quick turn, he was up and out of the burrow. The six ponies remained silent as they heard the buzzing of Scooteroll's wings start up, before fading into the distance.
Collectively, they let out a sigh. Applejack leaned up against the wall. "Celestia's Mane Twilight, PLEASE tell me we won't hav'ta do that again? Ah don't think mah heart can take it."
Fluttershy trotted up to Rarity, nuzzling the purple-maned one. "Will you be alright? I mean, if you don't mind my asking..."
The unicorn turned to face the rest of the group, tears flowing freely. "They weren't OUR siblings, Applejack... and yet at the same time, they WERE! I'm just... absolutely TORN! Please Twilight, tell me you can get us back home! I... I miss my sister..."
Twilight looked around at all the faces present. Each one was beseeching the same request from her, to make things right again. Rarity had joined Applejack in the corner, the both of them hugging each other over their shared woes. Rainbow and Pinkie both looked at the pair, awkward expressions on their faces. And Fluttershy... Twilight had already had her moment with the pegasus earlier. She tried not to think of it again.
"I... I'll try." she replied to all present. "But like I said, it's going to take time. The spell took a lot out of me the first time around, and I need to get my energy back."
"How long will that take?" Dash questioned.
The unicorn turned her gaze to the dirt floor. "Two... three days at the least. Plus I need those items. We had them ready back in our own world, but since they didn't get taken with us, we’ll have to gather them all over again."
Fluttershy sighed. "Then for now, I guess we'd better... make the best of it."
The six mares all looked at each other, having shielded themselves from a stallion's world. Surely, they could keep hidden and get back to their own world without causing a commotion, without alerting their other selves to their presence...
Right?
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
"Oof!"
Fluttershy hadn't been looking where she was going, having collided with another pony. On top of that, the collision had popped the top off one of the bags, fruit spilling everywhere.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." She immediately set about gathering the loose produce back up.
"Oh, n-no, it was my fault, I was distracted." came the other pony's voice, who bent down and began assisting her with the corralling.
"Oh, think nothing of it, I didn't mean to disturb you."
"No, it's okay, here, let me help you. I didn't mean to make you spill your stuff."
"It's alright, this happens more often than you would think."
"Um, if you say so. I'm still responsible though, here."
"Oh, well, thank you, sir."
"Oh, you're welcome miss... I mean, that is... if you don't mind..."
There was one apple left, and two hooves alighted on it at once.
Two butter-yellow hooves.
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Conner Cogwork
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755
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
| 4,503 | 100 |
<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2011-09-07T03:56:49+00:00
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2011-09-07T03:56:49+00:00
| 43,724 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Three
Of a Fruit Forbidden
----------------------------
"Spines, can you be a sweetheart and get me 'Rules of Causality 101?"
"Sure thing Dusk, hang on."
The lavender stallion nodded to his assistant as she rushed off, before turning back to his book. It was a book that he had managed to find only a few minutes ago. A mysterious title labeled 'Exploring the Aether for Fun and Profit'.
He had seen it earlier today, but had been distracted by a rather high powered anomaly outside the library. When he had returned, a sick Butterscotch had been present, bundled up, his voice softer and higher than usual. At the time, he had thought nothing of it. He did ask for 'Supernaturals' after all, though Dusk still thought he could have cleared him up with a good spell.
However, that seemingly innocent event was resurfacing in his mind, after reading halfway through his current tome. A spell for instant long-range teleportation was positioned above another spell for dimensional viewing. He had been intrigued by the thought of long-distance teleportation, and for a second, entertained the idea of calling the gang together to try it out... Maybe Applejack would have some ideas on where to go...
Butterscotch wouldn't have been able to make it though, he's sick. And so he had shelved the idea, read the next spell, and spotted its rather long list of warnings.
That was when the alarm bells went off in his head. Usage of this spell in conjunction with the above might result in accidental dimensional displacement. Use with extreme caution. Reference the Rules of Causality before using.
"Here we are Dusk." Spines spoke up, plopping a rather hefty volume next to the unicorn's current book. "Whoosh. Anymore heavy lifting like that, and I'll be as ripped as Applejack."
"There's a disturbing thought." Dusk joked, before his horn lit and the book opened up. "Say... when Butterscotch was here earlier today, did you notice anything... odd about him?"
"What, you mean besides the fact that he sounded kinda like 'Butter-babe' again?" the dragoness replied. "Not really, no. Not that I could see a lot of him, his face was pretty wrapped up."
"It was, wasn't it?" the colt murmured, a hoof stroking his chin. "I can see why AJ would give him his hat, but Elusive's scarf? The Boutique is clear on the other side of Ponyville from the farm."
"Maybe he was visiting." Spines suggested. "I know I wouldn't mind a visit from that stallion anytime soon." Her feet left the ground, as a dreamlike expression spread across her face. "Oh Elusive... why yes, I'd be mad to refuse anything from you... to lend Butterscotch his scarf? He's so selfless... Oh, whatta man!"
The purple pony could only roll his eyes, he'd dealt with this fangirl side of his assistant before. "Yes yes, we're all aware he's the Element of Generosity, I was there. Back on task. You didn't see anything weird about Butterscotch at all?"
The little lizardess blinked, before she landed softly on her haunches. "N-no, I didn't... why, is there something wrong, Dusk?"
He hummed for a bit longer, his eyes running over a particular passage in the heavyset tome, before speaking again. "It's just a hunch... it may be nothing at all, really. Hey, I know!" He stepped away from his desk, a smile on his face. "Spines, grab the tea. We'll pay Butterscotch a visit!"
As Spines saluted smartly and rushed off, Dusk Shine clopped over to a saddlebag and slipped it on, grabbing his wallet. As he waited, his eyes darted back over to the open chapter of the book he'd left.
The chapter titled “Alternate Universes and You."
----------------------------
Fluttershy clopped into Ponyville, a saddlepack around her waist and a purse filled with bits in her mouth.
She had volunteered to do the shopping. It was clear that the bushes that made up the HEDGE were inedible to any degree, and if they were going to wait for three days, they would need food and supplies. So they had pooled their bits, given the money and bags to the pegasus, and set her on her way. They had all agreed that in this alternate world, she was the least conspicuous of the six.
She looked around furtively as she entered town, spying and identifying every pony she saw. A blue mare with a saxophone played outside a delicatessen, an orange stallion with a carrot cutie-mark ordering a carrot-dog, and fluttering along the sky, a cross-eyed pegasus colt delivered the mail. They made no effort to single her out, which she noted with no small relief.
Her luck held up as she entered the marketplace. Her eyes steadily avoided the Sweet Apple Acres stand, as she instead directed herself to another fruit stall. Nopony recognized her, but she was greeted friendly and warmly by every stall owner, much to her relief. I should have known Ponyville's friendliness to new ponies would have held up. she thought to herself.
It didn't take long to fill her bags, she noticed, and as she stuffed a bunch of bananas into one of the pockets, she realized that she'd bought more than she'd expected. N-not that that's a bad thing. We ARE waiting for three days after all.
After settling a deal for a pack of strawberries, she finally did an about-face and left the market, eyes still wandering about the place. She spotted Harpsy and Babar outside of Sugarcube Corner, her path instantly directing itself away from the establishment. She still thought the two, as colts, made a cute couple, but they had also seen her once before recently, and she didn't want to risk-
"Oof!"
She hadn't been looking where she was going, having collided with another pony. On top of that, the collision had popped the top off one of the bags, fruit spilling everywhere.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." She immediately set about gathering the loose produce back up.
"Oh, n-no, it was my fault, I was distracted." came the other pony's voice, who bent down and began assisting her with the corralling.
"Oh, think nothing of it, I didn't mean to disturb you."
"No, it's okay, here, let me help you. I didn't mean to make you spill your stuff."
"It's alright, this happens more often than you would think."
"Um, if you say so. I'm still responsible though, here."
"Oh, well, thank you, sir."
"Oh, you're welcome miss... I mean, that is... if you don't mind..."
There was one apple left, and two hooves alighted on it at once. Two butter-yellow hooves.
Fluttershy's eyes widened as she tracked the other hoof back up to its owner. She was met with a pair of aqua-blue orbs that returned her gaze, apparently seeing her for the first time as well. He was a pegasus, with wavy pink hair that was cut slightly short. From here, she could tell that he had at least one butterfly for a cutie-mark.
He was... her.
Her eyes shrunk and her cheeks flushed, as somewhere in the back of her mind, a warning bell rang off that said at any moment now, she would be exploding. Twice.
A full minute passed as they stared at each other. Nothing happened.
".... um.... hi." the colt managed to squeak out.
"...hi...." she managed to squeak in return.
The male pegasus dipped his head low as he blushed slightly, a gesture that she found endearing. "I... I haven’t seen you around before. I'm... I'm not usually the forward one, but... what's your name?"
She dipped her own head down as she pawed at the ground. "I'm... i'm fluttershy." she whispered.
Apparently he had good hearing, as his ears perked and a smile came across his face. "Hi, Fluttershy... I'm Butterscotch..."
"Butterscotch..." she echoed, looking back up at him again. The same name Dusk and Spines had used when she'd met them. So this really was her male self. Despite the awkwardness she felt, a smile graced her own lips at she looked him over.
Another round of awkward silence descended, before Butterscotch spied the apple again. He scooped it up with his hoof, and offered it to the filly, shy blush still in place. She accepted the fruit, taking the stem in her mouth and placing it in her bag. "Thank you, for helping me." she squeaked, as she closed the flap precariously over the bulging baggage.
"Uhm, It was no trouble." he replied, eying the luggage she was carrying. "Are you sure you don't need any help carrying all that? That looks like an awful lot of fruit."
"Oh, well, it's nothing I'm not used to." Fluttershy responded, a hoof pawing at the flap's snap. "I always carry as much as I can whenever I'm feeding the animals."
Suddenly, the yellow stallion's eyes sparkled. "You like to take care of the animals too?"
She looked towards him, and seeing his joyed expression, somehow caused her own face to light up in tandem. "Oh yes! It's one of the most special things to me in the world."
"Oooh, the same with me! It always fills me with joy to help feed the ducks,"
"And the help groom the ferrets,"
"And shine the turtle shells,"
"And do you feed the otters by cracking the clams just slightly too?"
"Oh yes, so they can still feel strong when they open them themselves." The thought caused the pair of ponies to devolve into a giggle fit.
At length, they looked into each other's eyes again. The mare felt any trepidation she had before, slowly dissolving away. Having met her own self... she felt something. Like... a lightness. It tingled in her hooves and worked it's way across her body. As they continued staring, she got the distinct feeling that at any minute now, she was about to fly away, without even having opened her wings. Does... does he feel the same way?...
Finally, Butterscotch opened his mouth to speak again.
"I like you." he stated, the blush more prominent than before.
She was surprised when she found her own mouth saying "I like you too."
They stared at each other for a few seconds more. Around them, Ponyville continued on with its business, heedless of the two yellow pegusai. "Uhm... would you like to eat somewhere? I could take you to Sugarcube Corner, one of my friends works there." the small stallion suggested, as he pointed a hoof over to the store. "I mean, if that's alright..."
Fluttershy made as if to accept, but then another thought flitted across her mind. "Ooh... oh, I would love to, believe me Butterscotch. But I have friends that are waiting for me, for these." she made a motion back to her bags. "If I can though... another time, I would love to go eat somewhere with you."
He nodded, his blush still matching his female counterpart's own. "Okay then, I understand. I'll, um, keep an eye out for you. Until next time, Miss Fluttershy?"
She got onto all four hooves and trotted up to him, snout-to-snout, before she whispered. "Until next time."
Two things happened at once then. The first thing that she was cognizant of, was that she was running full-tilt back towards the forest, her bag miraculously staying intact.
The second thing that she became aware of, turned her face bright-red, as she realized she'd done it first, before breaking into a gallop.
She had nuzzled him.
----------------------------
Back in that street, a pink-maned pegasus stared off in the distance at the retreating form of what he felt was, his better half. The brush against his cheek was quite warm, and as it sunk in, a goofy smile began to spread across his face.
"Yo! Hey there brony!"
There was a rush of wind as another pegasus stallion landed next to him, spiky multihued mane sticking out in all directions. "Yo 'Scotch! Been lookin' around for you, what've you been up to?"
There was no reply.
"...ummmm... 'Scotch? Yo? Equestria to Butterscotch?"
The blue pony waved a hoof in front of his friend's face. No reaction.
Now the stallion grimaced, as he clopped his forehooves together in front of the yellow equine's eyes. "Hey! Butterscotch!"
Finally, the aforenamed colt blinked as the noise registered. Slowly he looked up, aqua eyes meeting with rose ones. "Oh... Hi Rainbow Blitz... lovely day out today, isn't it?"
An eyebrow was arched. "Um... yeah, real nice weather we've been having." the cyan one replied, a slightly sarcastic tone in his voice.
It went unnoticed. "Yes..." Butterscotch turned his head back in the direction that the mare had gone. "Absolutely.... beautiful..."
Now Blitz was confused, as he took to the air again to hover upside-down in Scotch's face. "Hey there, pony. Something wrong? You look like you just let the mare of your dreams get away from you."
This caused the smaller pegasus to let loose a distinctly un-manly giggle. "Well... she did go away, but, she asked nicely. I didn't mind. She said she'd love to come back another time."
This, Rainbow had not been expecting. He turned his head in the direction his friend was looking in. However, all he could spot was a settling cloud of dust. That didn't matter. A grin had blossomed on his face, as he righted himself and wrapped a hoof around the yellow one's shoulders.
"Ahhhh-HAH, it finally happened, didn't it 'Scotch!? Y'found yourself a fillyfriend! Tell me, what's she like? She cute? She sassy? Tell me, you going steady? Oooh just WAIT ‘till Berry hears this, I bet the bash he'll throw'll be AWESOME!"
Butterscotch was turning a deeper shade of red as his friend had continued, before finally squirming himself free. "P-p-please, Blitz! I JUST met her today, and all we did was talk! Well, we first, um, kinda bumped into each other, and she, um, spilled her groceries, but still. We talked, and, we discovered that we both liked animals, and, she was really cute, a-and then, well..."
"Kindred spirits, eh?" the blue pegasus gave a playful hoof-punch to the shoulder. "Lucky buck. Then what happened?"
"W-well, th, then I said.... that i.... liked her."
"And?"
"..... andthenshesaidshelikedmetoo!"
It was not the way that Rainbow Blitz would have gone about it, but he couldn't argue with the results, a surge of pride building in his chest as he pulled his friend close and gave him a noogie. "You STUD! I always knew there'd be a gal out there for you, and whaddya know! Oh, I have GOT to tell Dusk about this, he'll SO put it in his next letter to the Prince!"
Now Butterscotch's face was a deep red. "Oh no, Blitz, you WOULDN'T!" he gaped, mortified.
All he got in return was a sinister grin. "Say, what is her name? I'm guessing she's another pegasus, right?"
Shyly, the yellow one nodded. "Her... her name is Fluttershy..." his voice took on a reverent tone as he said her name, which gave Blitz a cause to roll his eyes.
"Oh she was just so... so wonderful. She was very calm, and polite, and she was wonderfully timid, which I found so very cute. It made me all but forget the visit that Dusk paid me earlier today. I still don't know why he thought I was sick. I-.... Blitz? Rainbow Blitz?"
Apparently, the blue stallion liked hearing stories of scoring, not romance. A couple of feathers were all that remained next to Butterscotch's hooves.
----------------------------
Fluttershy had managed to catch her breath, once she had returned to the HEDGE. Twilight was waiting for her outside, and with a little assistance, they managed to fit the crowded bags through the diminutive entrance.
"O-oh my!" the shypony exclaimed, once she got inside. The interior had undergone a dramatic transformation, a few colored blankets hung on the walls, a small firepit had been dug out and constructed, and there were plenty of haystacks for seating. Hanging from a root in the ceiling was a firefly lamp, and the stone table from earlier was now festooned with a tablecloth and a vase full of daisies.
"Oh Fluttershy, welcome back!" Rarity called out, tail sweeping busily at the floor, while Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack worked on tacking on the door to a makeshift pantry.
"Rarity's done a good job sprucing up the place, don't you think?" Twilight asked, a hoof unbuckling one of the bags.
"Oh yes, this all looks so WON-derful." the pegasus replied, taking in the cave's homey atmosphere. "I had no idea you were carrying so much with you, Rarity."
"My darling, one must never leave her house unprepared." the unicorn drawled, while Dash made faces behind her. "It would simply have been unbecoming of me. Besides, I simply had to do something. If this is to be our little home away from home, then let's do make it our own, right?"
"Can't argue wit' that'." Applejack added, as she strolled over to the saddlebags. "Say, y'got any apples in thar? Ah'm hungrier thanna pig that's gone a coupla days wit'out slop!"
"Oh, yes, I brought enough for everyone." Fluttershy smiled, as she opened the other bag, a few strawberries falling out. "Everypony dig in!"
There was no need to say anything else. All six fillies proceeded to partake of the feast that had been retrieved, much smacking and nomming filling the cave. After a bit, the yellow pony herself stopped eating as she noticed she was holding an apple. Slowly, a faraway look appeared in her eyes.
Twilight brought her head up from the date she had been chewing on, her eyes noticing her friend's odd state. She trotted beside her, poking at her hoof. "Fluttershy? You alright?"
The pegasus started a bit as she focused, but gave a calm smile to the unicorn. "Yeah, I'm okay. It's just that... uhm..."
Inquisitive, the student leaned in. "What? Something happen?"
"Well... I just..." aqua eyes dipped down to the floor, before she spoke the following. "I... I think your other theory is wrong too, Twilight."
For some reason, despite the volume of the words spoken, they had managed to grab the attention of everypony present, and the sounds of eating quickly died down, eyes homed in on the pair of ponies off to the side.
"Wh... what do you mean?" Twilight asked, a suspicion already forming in her mind as her pupils began to shrink.
"I... I mean that I... I... didn't explode..."
Pears and grapes were dropped, as the other four horses gasped, Applejack in particular looking like she was about to faint.
"Fluttershy..." The lavender unicorn was now all business. "What happened while you were out there?"
Fluttershy could now tell she was in trouble. She began to shrink down in her spot as she mumbled. "I... i met btrscth"
"What was that, 'Shy?" Dash asked, now hovering over the pony's other side.
"I... i ran into btrschatthmrkplace..."
"One more t-HAIme?" Applejack asked, her face getting into Fluttershy's own. That was enough to provoke a reaction.
"I Ran Into Butterscotch!"
There was a mass of sighs and moans as the words confirmed their worst fears. "Quite literally, actually. I wasn't looking where I was going, a-and we both walked into each other, and then he was nice enough to help me pick up all those fruits and vegetables, and then we got started on talking about ani-"
"Yeah yeah, we get it." Dash interrupted, her patience quickly running low. "Geeze 'Shy, sometimes you're just as bad as Pinkie. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd found yourself a new colt-friend."
At this, Fluttershy blushed heavily as she cast her gaze down, a hoof pawing at the ground.
Rarity's eyes widened at this, recognizing the signs immediately, before pointing at her. "Fluttershy! Y... You didn't!"
"... he... he said that he liked me."
"And what did YOU say?" Dash leaned in, accusingly.
"... i... isaidthatilikedhimtoo!"
"Ooooooh-nonononononono~!" Twilight suddenly chanted, her expression having evolved from shock to outright panic. "This is NOT what we need! That's the LAST thing we need! Fluttershy, do you REALIZE what this MEANS?! If you start crushing on yourself, and vice versa, then the whole of reality itself could be doomed!"
"But Twilight!" Pinkie interjected. "You said that if we met ourselves we'd all go poof, and Fluttershy's still here, she and her boyself haven't gone poof!"
"I KNOW. That was just a theory though, and Fluttershy's managed to disprove it. But what's happening instead could be FAR more devastating over the long run!" The librarian ran her hooves through her hair as scenario after scenario rampaged through her mind. Scenarios involving dimensional physics getting mixed up with that one science that she had yet to do any real study on. Romance.
"I'm sorry Fluttershy." Twilight began, as she rounded about back to her friend. "But this... this just isn't going to happen. I don't want to do this, but the truth is, if you've got these... FEELINGS, for Butterscotch? For your own male self? We can't let you do the shopping anymore."
"B-but, but Twilight-!"
"End of discussion." she stated, the finality evident in her words. The unicorn turned to look at the rest of her group. "This goes for all of us. We can't meet our own selves, or something like this might happen."
"Twilight, you can’t be serious." Rarity stated, stepping forward. "These are matters of the heart you speak of! You can't expect to simply lock Fluttershy up in here and deny her any kind of closure to the bonds she's forged in herself!"
She got a look that told her that was exactly what she had been planning on doing. "This is NOT. OUR. WORLD." she stated, each word punctuated with a stamping of a hoof. "We have no place in it. None at all. And we need to make sure we DON'T leave ANY kind of mark here! We've probably already caused who knows WHAT untold damage when we enlisted the Crusaders, and now Fluttershy has a crush on her male alter ego?"
"The fabric of reality is a delicate thing! Rarity, you can appreciate this metaphor I'm about to use. Imagine our reality as an afghan quilt, weaved out of yarn. Every piece of yarn used, is in fact, a pony. So what happens if a couple of pieces of the same yarn try and occupy the same stitch?"
The white one could already see where this was going. "An... an ugly quilt, for certain. And if it stayed in there..."
"Yes, then things could happen. BAD things. We don't know WHAT, but rest assured, they would be BAD. VERY BAD."
There was silence all around. Out of it, came a very timid voice. "I... i'm sorry..."
Twilight looked towards the pegasus, expression softening, if only for a second. "No, I'm the one who's sorry, Fluttershy. The last thing I want to do is to deny you something... But trust me... this is the way it has to be."
She only got a single nod in reply. Rarity moved first, taking Fluttershy aside, while Applejack hefted the bag and dragged it towards their newly-built pantry, the remaining two ponies assisting her.
The student sighed, as she let her eyes rest on a green tome, levitating it up to her face. It was going to be a long three days.
----------------------------
There was a tapping at the window. Somewhere in the back of the library, there was a snort, followed by a feminine 'Five more minutes, pleez Dusk?'
The unicorn rolled his eyes, before lighting his horn and swinging the window open. In came a familiar blue stallion, crooked rainbow tail swinging as he glided in towards Dusk's desk.
"We have a door you know, Blitz."
He got a lopsided grin in return. "Now where would the fun be in that?"
There was a shaking of a mane, with an amused grin. "What brings you by here, today? We all know you're not the reading type."
"Oh man, I've got a juicy piece of news for you. It's about Butterscotch!" The pegasus was obviously in glee as he clopped his hooves together.
Dusk on the other hand, was not amused. "Oh gosh, something about Butterscotch? Let me tell you something weird about Butterscotch. Apparently, either we've all gone crazy, or there's two of him lurking around Ponyville."
This caught Blitz by surprise. "Two of him? Whaddya mean by that?"
The lavender equine collected his wits, before starting from the beginning. "Okay. Earlier today, Butterscotch shows up in my library, decked out in AJ's hat and a scarf. He claims he's got a cold, and his voice is so tinny that I'm inclined to believe him. He checks out 'Supernaturals'. Fair and good. Later in the day, I get worried about him, gather up Spines and some tea, and go visit his cottage. Wanna know what I find? Not only is he hunky dory and okay, but he's got no memory of ever even BEING in the library today, and 'Supernaturals' is nowhere to be seen."
The rainbow colt sat there for a few seconds, absorbing the information. "So... you're saying that 'Scotch was... lying to you?"
"He wasn't lying, at least when we met him at his place. You and I both know him, and the poor guy couldn't belt out a whopper under pressure even if he tried!"
"That much is true..." Blitz hummed as he crossed his forehooves. "I wonder if his girlfriend has anything to do with this..."
Now it was Dusk's turn to blink. "Girlfriend? What?"
Rainbow shook his head, as the original purpose of his visit resurfaced in his mind. "Oh yeah, that's what I came here to tell you! Butterscotch met the filly of his dreams today!"
The unicorn blinked awkwardly. "Aha... that's, that's great news, actually! Did you see her?"
"Nope. She was already gone when I got there, but the fella was positively dripping with puppy-love. It was written all over his face!" He snickered at the memory.
"Well, did he describe her to you?"
"Well, from what I stuck around to find out, apparently she's an animal-lover like him. And that she's got twice the number of shy bones that he has, if that's even possible."
Somewhere in the back of Dusk's mind, a suspicion was growing larger with every word his friend spoke. "Did he tell you what she looked like?"
Here, the blue colt took on a sheepish expression. "I.... can't remember if he did or not, exactly... oh, he DID say she was a pegasus too!"
There was a massaging of temples. "And her name?"
"Hmmm..." the pony tilted his head back as he wracked his brain. "Flooty? Floosytoot? Shooty? Solaris, what WAS it... Flooter... shay? Flut, Flutter!" he suddenly sprung on all four hooves. "Flutter... Shy! Fluttershy! Yeah, that was it! Fluttershy!"
"Fluttershy..." the student rolled the name around on his tongue, his eyes unfocused in thought. "Butterscotch... Fluttershy... Butter-SCOTCH... Flutter-SHY!" His expression took on a gape of shock, scenarios running through his mind. "Of course! It HAS to be!"
Now Rainbow Blitz was completely confused. "Has to be what? What's going on here Dusk?"
"I'm not sure yet." Dusk replied, now trotting back towards his desk. "But I have a feeling this isn't the end of it. Blitz, if you see any ponies that you don't recognize, walking around Ponyville, come and tell me immediately. I need to start keeping a record." His horn glowed as a piece of parchment and a quill pen came into view.
"Um... if you say so, brony." the pegasus replied, lifting himself up towards the opened window. "A record of what, exactly? I-is it somethin' big?"
"It's something." came the reply, as a couple of names were written down on the paper. "Whether it becomes big or not, we've yet to see. Just keep an eye out, okay? Oh, and watch yourself! We don't know what these ponies are capable of!"
The stallion pshawed. "C'mon Dusk, I'll run circles around them. I'm Rainbow Blitz, remember? I'll find your 'weird ponies' in ten seconds flat!"
With that, he left through the window in his trademarked multihued blur. Dusk couldn't help but chuckle at the nature of his friend's exit, before returning his attention to the paper, and what he'd written.
'BUTTERSCOTCH <--------------------> FLUTTERSHY'
Parallel genderswapped universe?
Future cases to go below.
For an instant, an absurd thought flashed through his mind, one that both amused him, and frightened him at the same time.
"TWO Rainbow Blitzes?" he chuckled out-loud to himself. "I don't think Equestria would be able to survive THAT!"
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
Rainbow Dash held her breath as she heard the figure enter the bedroom. There were sounds of rummaging, before another call came out. "I know you're still in here! The window's still closed! C'mon out, so I can teach you something called 'private property laws'!"
She didn't of course. The filly scooted as quietly as she could into the bowels of the house. Judging from her position, she figured she was now over the living room. A screened airhole allowed her to peer down and confirm her location.
It also allowed her a good look at the sky-blue stallion who was making his way back down the stairs, wild rainbow mane flailing about as his rose-tinted eyes searched the premises for the intruder. Snorting, he stomped a hoof onto the floor.
"C'mon, show yourself! I'm not afraid of you!"
Now that she was actually seeing him for herself, she found her body reacting in a way she hadn't expected. That was to say, she was feeling a rock in the bottom of her stomach weighing her down. The same weight that she had felt back at the Best Young Flier's competition.
But I'm afraid of YOU. she realized with shock. I don't know why....
But I'm afraid of you.
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Conner Cogwork
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755
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
| 4,503 | 100 |
<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2011-09-11T19:25:31+00:00
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2011-09-11T19:25:31+00:00
| 42,436 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Four
Upon a Wing and a Prayer
----------------------------
Rainbow Dash sneezed.
It was the second day of their living in the odd Genderswapped dimension, and the blue mare was bored to TEARS. The morning had dawned uneventfully, and though she had originally had the mindset to treat the odd turn of events as a vacation of sorts, she realized that remaining cooped up beneath the HEDGE was of absolutely no interest to her.
"AUGH" she groaned, rearing her back and flapping her wings restlessly for the fifth time in twice as many minutes. "I can't STAND this. I gotta do SOMETHING Twilight, or I'm gonna go STIR-CRAZY!"
Applejack glanced from her sitting spot, over to the bookfilly, who was currently engrossed in the local copy of 'Supernaturals'. "Y’all may want ta listen t' her Twi. Ah've seen her stir-crazy, and it tain't pretty."
Twilight did her own groan as she set the book down. "Look, for the last time. We are not stepping hide nor hair nor hoof outside of the HEDGE for the remainder of our stay here, unless it's absolutely necessary."
"That time may come sooner than later, darling." came the interruption. All eyes turned to the white unicorn as she strolled into their midst. "I'm pleased to say that lunch has been served. Pinkie's done up a marvelous fruit salad for every one of us." Perked ears and smiles came at the mention of fruit salad.
"However, to go about it, she's managed to use up every piece of fruit that we had left over from yesterday."
Applejack was incredulous as she glanced over to the table. "Even th' carrots?"
"I thought they made a nice touch!" Pinkie replied from her post behind a log-constructed counter.
"Oh dear," Twilight sighed, a look of worry evident on her face. "We went through that much faster than I expected. I originally thought we'd be able to stretch that one trip's worth of food out for the whole three days. H-how did we go..."
Dash rolled her eyes. "Think about it Twi. When a pony can't do anything but stay cooped up inside and have nothing to do besides reading, writing, and losing to Pinkie at twenty-three consecutive matches of Tic-Tac-Toe, what's the only other really exciting activity?"
"Eating." Fluttershy replied, from her own corner at the table, already nibbling at her bowl.
"They're right, darling." Rarity added, giving the lavender pony an imploring look. "I know Twilight, I fear for the sake of all of reality, but you must understand, I also fear for the state of all our figures if we simply let ourselves continue to gorge out of boredom! I can already feel the calories going straight to my flanks." she whined, giving her rear a small shake.
Twilight facehoofed, but then directed her eyes downward. "Sorry guys... I didn't think that the act of waiting it out would be so... hard on you..."
Applejack got onto all fours as she walked over and nuzzled the student. "It's alright Twi. We're just not used'ta stayin' indoors at all hours and distractin' ourselves wit' readin’, like you are. We're active ponies. At least, Pinkie, Dash an' Ah are."
There were sounds of agreement from all present. As Twilight gave them all gazes of gratefulness, she began working on a solution to their newest problem. "Okay... if that's the case, then here's what we're gonna do. Everypony still have some bits left?"
There were nods.
"Good. Later this evening, we'll have somepony else head into town and do more shopping-"
"I'LL GO!!" Rainbow Dash eagerly enthused, both hooves waving in the air.
"A-heh, no, you won't." Twilight stated, letting the pegasus deflate like a balloon. "Sorry Dash, but if your male self here is anywhere near as prolific and active as you were back in Ponyville, then you're going to get looks. Ponies probably all thought you were a fan when we first arrived."
"Rainbow Blitz." Dash harrumphed. "Scoots told me about him. Sure, he pulled off the Double Rainboom, but I'll bet he's not even one fourth as cool as me in person."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Ah knew this would happen sooner 'r later." she groaned.
"Applejack." she started at the mentioning of her name. "I'm going to hand the shopping delegation to you. You know the marketplace as well as any pony, and you know how to make a deal. Stretch our bits as much as you can, alright? We're going to try and make this trip our last one, got it?" The unicorn gave an even gaze to all present.
"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie replied, bounding over to the table. "Now stop being such a buncha coiled mare-inna-boxes and get over here and eat already! These salads won't enjoy themselves!"
The fillies did just that, as they gathered round and dug in. The carrots were a nice touch.
----------------------------
Rarity had managed to come up with a way to keep the majority of their group busy. That way, was with a new dress. She had cannibalized some of the blankets she had brought, and asked Fluttershy to model for her, Applejack and Pinkie Pie helping out in whatever ways they could. That left just Twilight, who had picked back where she'd left off in her book, and Rainbow Dash, who was still bored to tears.
She bit back a yawn, as she stole a glance at the small concealed opening, trying the gauge the angle of what little light penetrated it. "What time is it, Twi?”
The student looked at the few sunbeams herself, thinking. "It's probably noon. Not quite time to send AJ off shopping yet."
The pegasus groaned. "Fine, whatever. I guess I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me when the world ends."
She laid her head down on the blanket she'd been resting on. It's not THAT bad. she thought to herself. Twilight doesn't mind naps. Besides, this is probably around when I USUALLY take my nap anywa-
A brainwave snapped her eyes open, as her mane and tail suddenly stood on end.
A split second later, Twilight let out an 'ackfpbl!' as a blue filly suddenly interjected herself between the unicorn and her book. "Twilight." she stated evenly. 'I need to go fly. Now."
Twilight let out a breath. "Dash, we've been over this. I'm not letting-"
"NO." Rainbow interrupted, suddenly taking the purple one's head in both her forehooves. "I need to go and fly. NOW."
Deep lavender orbs met rose-colored ones with a pinch of trepidation. "This... this wouldn't happen to be that stir-crazy stuff that Applejack mentioned earlier, would it?" she asked, the voice tinged with a touch of fear.
The pegasus let go of her head in surprise. "What? No, I'm not that bad off, yet." She then leaned in real close, touching snouts with the student. "But believe me when I say, If you want to keep me manageable, then you've GOT to LET me GO, NOW, or I'll have to stay cooped up here until this time tomorrow!"
"Why?" Twilight stammered. The commotion had gathered the rest of the filly's attention. "Why right now?"
"Because it's my NAP TIME."
Silence reigned for a few seconds. "Beg pardon?" Applejack asked.
"Well, if the other me in this world, is anything like the real me," she got out of the unicorn's face and turned to her friends. "Then right about now, and for at least the rest of the afternoon until 5, he'll be napping! And if he's napping, I'll be able to go out there and stretch my wings, and stay out of sight of everypony else! If they do see me, I'll be so high up, they'll just think I'm him instead, getting a little extra practice in!"
Rarity blinked. "Wow... my, that's... actually quite crafty, Dash. Still risky as all goodall, but crafty nonetheless!"
"Sounds plenty reasonable, if y'ask me." the farmer opinioned, before locking her green eyes with Twilight's, ones that seemed to say PLEASE SAY YES.
"Well, Twi?" Dash asked, turning back to the unicorn, bounding in place. "Whaddya say?"
For a long minute, there was no answer. On the one hoof, she didn't want to have any more damage happen to the timeline than was already done. On the other, she could tell that AJ was really leery of keeping their pegasus friend cooped up. Maybe it would be better if she allowed her out. Besides, she had to admit, it was a sound plan...
"... well... I guess-"
Rainbow Dash didn't even wait for the rest. Twilight gagged as she was suddenly hugged, then struggled to stay on her feet as a multihued tornado erupted from her sitting position, the rainbow contrail leading directly to the HEDGE's exit.
----------------------------
THIS WAS FREEDOM.
For the moment, Rainbow Dash cleared her mind of any weirdness that she had seen and witnessed these past few days. Right now, it was just her, the clouds, and the sky for miles around.
"Oh sweet Equestrian airspace, how I've missed you!" she yelled out, performing an Immelman loop out of pure joy. The speed and wind in her mane was all she needed. It was an essential part of her diet, much like apples or carrots would normally be. She needed flight to stay alive.
She flew and swooped and performed for half an hour, however long it took to release all of her pent-up energy. When her wings finally demanded that she take it easy, she found a stray cloud to alight onto, and nestled herself down into it. She was tempted to drop off right then and there, but she shook her head. No, if I take a nap now, I'll waste my chance to fly. Once HE wakes up, I'll have to beat a quick retreat back to the HEDGE. Why is it called the HEDGE anyways? I guess the Crusaders thought it sounded cool.
So, what can I do? Oh, I could try my hoof at the Double Rainboom! But wait, that'll draw a lot of attention. Attention that HE'll notice, and know it wasn't HIM who did it. She had to smile at herself, if there was anypony who she knew how to think like, it was herself.
Well, I suppose I could do a little reconnaissance. I AM supposed to be 'Agent D' after all. Maybe I'll check out the library, see if 'Dusk' is really as much an egghead as Twi. Or maybe I could spy on the boutique, and see if Rarity's double is every bit as prissy and fru-fru as SHE is.
"Or maybe..." she said this part out loud to herself. She knew that whenever SHE napped, she usually would do so on a cloud, or in one of the many trees of Sweet Apple Acres.
She only ever slept at her own house at night.
Grinning like a fox in a henhouse, she lifted off the cloud, and directed herself towards a far-off, familiar cloud structure.
----------------------------
Getting in had been easy. Dash hadn't even needed to use the spare key she knew was hidden under the doormat, her own key opened the door just fine. Apparently, doorlocks remained the same, whatever the dimension they were home to.
She trotted inside and looked around, inspecting her own sense of decor. Nothing tremendously out-of-place popped out at her, save for the photos that adorned the walls. She trotted forward and took in the image of her male self for the first time, a saluting pose from his days in the Junior Speedster's Camp.
"Heh... think you're pretty hot stuff, huh?" she spoke to the frame. The pegasus moved on over to the trophy case, where the medals and awards she had accumulated over time were displayed.
They were all present, she noted. The Mercury Cup, the Aerobatic Assault Grand Prix. She found herself comforted as she noticed the Best Young Flyer's tiara was still on the very top shelf.
Then she turned around, and saw the Wonderbolts poster. At first she stared at it in confusion, because the pegusai on the poster weren't quite as she remembered. However, she managed to identify each one after some length of time. The stallion up towards the front... in her world, Soarin' had taken that spot. In this one, it was Spitfire.
Spitfire. she found herself thinking. Now there was a pony full of life. She didn't know if the feelings she held for the yellow daredevil were romantic or not, but had never indulged her curiosity to find out. Now that she was in a world where a male Spitfire was present, she found herself much more receptive to the idea of a possible relationship.
Unless...
She blushed as she looked upstairs. She knew what would be up there, and yet at the same time, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. A minute or so passed, before Dash finally set her teeth, and trotted up the steps. It was Her house after all. Well, maybe not exactly, but still.
She nudged the bedroom door open. Everything was still as she'd remembered it. The bed sat there, calling her name out to her, but she studiously ignored it's cries. There would be time for sleep later.
Instead, she turned to the chest of drawers, it's size now seemingly larger than life. Gulping, she hooked a hoof around the bottom drawer's handle, pulling it out. There were knickknacks and odds and ends in here, childhood toys that she knew, or were in forms different from her memory. Either way, they weren't the goal.
It was the black box at the back of the drawer that she wanted to see.
She knew what it's contents were... that is, she knew back in her own world. But due to the nature of this one, she was certain that they had changed, along with almost everything else. She lifted the box out, found herself taking a breath, and squeezing her eyes shut in a grimace as she pulled the top up, one eye glancing inside.
'PLAYPONY: THE COLT-CUDDLER ISSUE'
It was quickly closed, and stuffed back inside the drawer, the drawer itself making a rather loud racket as it was shoved back into the chest. NOW she fell onto the bed, the normally unflappable blue pony's face flushed a pure crimson as she considered the implications.
My... My other self's just as bi-curious as I am.
"HEY!"
Her heart leapt in her throat. The voice was rough, but commanding. It wasn't superbly deep, like she had expected it to be, but it was still enough to give her the willies, not to mention a chill down her spine as she remembered at that exact moment that she'd left the front door SWINGING WIDE OPEN.
"Hey! Is there somepony in here?!"
They were still downstairs, that much was for certain. She could have leapt out the window, but she knew they would spot her. Hiding under the bed didn't make much sense. The closet? Like she'd fit! Maybe even-
Clopsteps started up the stairs. She bolted up into an airhole and lodged herself into the house's cooling system.
Rainbow Dash held her breath as she heard the figure enter the bedroom. There were sounds of rummaging, before another call came out. "I know you're still in here! The window's still closed! C'mon out, so I can teach you something called 'private property laws'!"
She didn't of course. The filly scooted as quietly as she could into the bowels of the house. Judging from her position, she figured she was now over the living room. A screened airhole allowed her to peer down and confirm her location.
It also allowed her a good look at the sky-blue stallion who was making his way back down the stairs, wild rainbow mane flailing about as his rose-tinted eyes searched the premises for the intruder. Snorting, he stomped a hoof onto the floor.
"C'mon, show yourself! I'm not afraid of you!"
Now that she was actually seeing him for herself, she found her body reacting in a way she hadn't expected. That was to say, she was feeling a rock in the bottom of her stomach weighing her down. The same weight that she had felt back at the Best Young Flier's competition.
But I'm afraid of YOU. she realized with shock. I don't know why. But I'm afraid of you.
Some more moments of silence passed in the house, as the colt below seemed to calm down. "You're one of those 'weird' ponies that Dusk was talkin' about, aren't yah?" he challenged the quiet. "It didn't make much sense to me at the time. Hay, it still doesn't make any sense. Whatever it is. He thinks 'Fluttershy' is one of them. Is that who's there? Is that you, 'Fluttershy'?"
The words only served to increase the sense of dread that Dash felt. So they KNEW about them? They knew Fluttershy's name? Twilight would have a fit.
"Fine." he said nonchalantly at last. "See if I care. There's ways to get criminal ponies to come out of hiding. There's the official way..." he casually strolled to the center of the building, before taking to his wings. "And then there's the PEGASUS way!"
And right then, he began to fly around in a circle. Faster and Faster he went, until a rainbow-colored vortex ring began to form. Slowly but surely, it began to expand, the cumulous making up the floor slowly dissipating, being sucked up, almost like...
...he's going to destroy his own house to get to me! she realized.
To most pegusai, this was not a big deal. Clouds were plentiful, and could easily be obtained for rebuilding the houses, or outright replacing them. However, usually a pegasus had the foresight to remove whatever fragile objects they had, off the premises before demolition.
A technicality that the Male her had apparently overlooked. Already she could hear the trophy-case rattling in the high-speed winds. All those awards, medals, the tiara itself...
And then, she realized that she was no longer in the air duct. Not because it had dissolved, but rather because she had pulled herself out, and had begun flying around the miniature tornado in the opposite direction.
As she increased her speed, she could feel the original vortex begin to slow down. She was canceling it's momentum! Enthused, she checked her own velocity, meeting with the counter-rotation at every point.
Slowly but surely, the tornado died down, the multicolored blurs fading from sight. She looked around as she slowed, glad to see that the house had only sustained minimal damage-
*THUMP*
She collided with an object mid-air. As she backed up and hovered in place, her eyes shrunk as she stared at...
He was regarding her with as much the same shocked expression as she was. His pupils were small rose dots, his wings beating erratically as he took in his female lookalike. "You..." he stammered. "You... you're..."
She didn't stick around to hear the rest. She vanished from his sight as a sudden rainbow blur shot out the door.
Rainbow Blitz remained for only a second longer, before he gave chase.
----------------------------
"Ho-kay... just gotta act real natural-like. That's it! Don't need'ta make a ruckus... still wish they'd let me keep mah hat."
Applejack slowly made her way down Carrot Street, trying her best to blend into the rest of the townsfolk. For this outing, the group had decided that a degree of change to the farmer's appearance was necessary. This included the braiding of her mane and tail, the shifting of the saddlebags more towards the rear to hide her cutie-marks, and the biggest change of all, the removal of her pappy's hat from her head.
She knew it was in good hooves, but that still didn't change the fact that she felt naked without it.
She was working her way towards the marketplace, like Fluttershy before, her eyes more-or-less concentrated on the goal. Sure, every now and then she looked to the side to get a glance of a familiar face or so. She spotted Cloudkicker the pegasus, the gangly colt watching a caramel-colored mare from a distance. At the flower shop, she recognized a trio of stallions, who at the moment, were not bemoaning the end of the world. And over there was Sugarcube-
THE FRAGRANCE OF DARK COFFEE
It hit her like a ton of bricks. She found herself stopping in her tracks, and inhaling the scent. Good heavens! Ah haven't had a good cup o’ joe in days! Ah... Ah wonder if th' girls'll mind me slippin' in an' grabbin' them a tray o' muffins 'r so.
With a small amount of trepidation, she trotted inside the bakery. The familiar smells of cupcakes fresh from the oven filled the air, as her eyes roamed the piles of pastries lining the counters. Already she was feeling closer to home.
At least, up until she heard a voice go "Oh, hello there!"
She turned around and spotted Mrs Cake. Or was it? She had to do a double-take. It sure looked like Mrs Cake, save that she was a bright yellow and orange instead of blue and pink, and had a trio of brownies for her cutiemark.
"Oh, wh-why, hello!" the farmer stammered. "Sorry, ah couldn't help but smell th' coffee. Ah've... been on th' road fer a while, haven't had any inna good long time!"
"Oh my, a traveler, are you? You certainly look new." The yellow Mrs Cake replied. "Well just sit tight dearie, rest your hooves. I'll have a cup out to you in a jiffy. Oh Honeybun~!"
"Yes, sugarmuffin~?" a blue lanky head with a cap on top rose from behind the counter, pink mane sticking straight out.
"A cup of joe for our traveling pony here!"
"Sure thing, sweetiemelon!"
As Mr Cake trotted to the back to retrieve some brew, Applejack was left sitting with her mind spinning. Not what ah expected ay-tall. Those two look more like they just traded colors, rather than gender.
From beyond the door, she heard a crash. Her ears perked up and her eyes widened as she heard a boyish giggle emanate from the kitchen. "Who-hoops! Sorry about that, Mr Cake! Got a little too much baking soda in that batch!"
"It's alright, sonny." came the reply, as the blue stallion re-entered the storefront, a coffeepot in his mouth. A quick pour later, and AJ was in heaven as she let the bitter darkness cascade down her throat.
"Oh my," Mrs Cake exclaimed as she watched the orange one all but inhale the hot drink. "And with no cream or sugar! You really were aching for it, weren't you?"
"Y’all have no ah-dea." came the reply, the mare licking her lips.
Another crash sounded from the back of the store, and Applejack found herself talking fast. "Uhm, cannah also git a tray o' them blueberry muffins too? How much do ah owe you allt'gether?"
"Oh, at least six bits for the muffins. But dearie, don't worry about the coffee. That was on the house."
"Thank y’all kindly." Applejack replied, her heart warmed by the thought that the Cake's charity still remained intact, even in this world. She didn't wait very long however, after the box of muffins was handed to her. She left with another word of thanks to the couple. And a word of thanks to whatever the name of the Prince was here, that she had managed to escape meeting the male rendition of her partypony friend.
Once back out on the street, she trotted along into the marketplace proper. She began haggling with the vegetable vendors for their goods, a feat she found easier than usual, due to already knowing most of the ponies here, despite them being opposite genders. Carrot Top in particular, she found was almost TOO easy, the stallion just about giving her two bushels of the roots for free. She wasn't quite sure, but she thought she heard him sigh as she departed.
She had just managed to wrangle a good deal out of Rusty Tuber for a sack of potatoes, when she saw the next cart in line... and almost bolted from the marketplace right there on the spot.
A familiar stall was sitting there, the fresh smell of apples and cinnamon wafting from it, as fruit and pies were laid out on it's surface. Currently manning this stall was a single yellow cap-wearing colt. He was scanning the marketplace, before noticing her out of the corner of his eye.
She found herself sweating as he looked her over, his eyes lighting up in recognition. He began waving at her to come join him.
Slowly but surely, she began marching her hooves towards the Sweet Apple Acres stand.
"Cousin JayJay!" Applebuck cheered loudly as she approached. "So good tah seeya again!"
"Applebl- uh, Applebuck." she replied, her stomach performing flipflops once again. "N-Nice t' see you too."
"How's the mission goin'?!" the diminutive pony gushed, leaning up on the stall. "Ah haven't said a word t' nopony 'bout it, ah swear!"
"I-it's been doin' fine." Applejack assured, eyes looking furtively about. "S-say, ain't you a bit young t'be mannin' th' stall by yerself?"
"Ah'm not young." he retorted. "Ah'm a big pony now! Ah keep tellin' mah big brother that, but he don't believe me none!"
Oh good lawrd. the farmer pony cringed. He sounds JUST like her! Ah've... ah've GOTTA lookit this o'jectively. H-he's a boy. He's NOT Applebloom. He's not he's not he's NOT...
"...but yeah, ah'm not alone." the earth-pony continued, looking off in a disgruntled fashion. "Applejack stepped 'way fer a bit, said he'd be back inna minute 'r so. Hey!" he turned those big orange eyes back on her. "What brings y’all t' town? Trackin' down sum bad apples?"
The orange filly's mind raced. Simply excuse herself and leave, before her double returned? Stick around, and try to grin and bear it? Try to explain things? What should she do?
"Ah... ah'm onna mission.” she started, voice faltering just a tad. "A very complicat'd mission, somethin' along th' lines of 'Operation: Grocery Shopping'."
He gave her a flat look. "Grocery Shopping?"
"Hay, even us agents hav'ta eat. So, um... how much y’all want fer a bushel o' them Braeburns?"
Here, the schoolpony waved her off, as he dipped down to retrieve a bag. "Dun worry 'bout payin' nuthin’, Cousin JayJay! Yer family, an' ah insist y’all take how'ver many apples y'need, on th' house!"
Applejack found herself touched, the feeling settling her stomach somewhat. "That's... that's mighty kind of yah, Applebuck. Ah appreciate that, ah really do."
He gave her a smile, a pure and familiar grin that looked just at home on his face as it did on another filly untold dimensions away. She tried her best not to burst into tears right there, as she began picking out apples to add to the bag.
"An' a couple o’ these Smith's as well." she stated, pointing towards the bright green fruits. Quickly they were snatched up and dropped in.
"Oh, hello Applejack!"
Without thinking, she instantly replied. "Oh, hey there sugarcube. What kin’ ah do fer- whoop!"
She quickly placed her hooves over her mouth, before glancing around to see who had spoken to her. Behind her, she found a butter yellow pegasus colt with a shock of pink hair, his head low to the ground. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw her face. "Oops! O-oh, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to surprise you, I thought you were somepony else."
"Hey there Butterscotch." Applebuck piped up, setting the filled bag on the counter. "This's mah Cousin, JayJay! She's visitin' fer a spell!" He hopped down and placed himself between the two grown ponies, introducing the other male. "This is Butterscotch, Cousin JayJay. He helps take care o’ all th' animals here in Ponyville!"
So THIS is Fluttershy's twin. Applejack thought to herself, easily identifying the cutiemark of butterflies. He looked up at her forlornly, his aqua eyes achieving the same effect that her friend's did whenever anypony saw her. Awww, he's cute fer a colt! No wonder she had 'er little ol’ heart go out fer 'im!
"Um, hi, Miss JayJay." he said softly. "Sorry about earlier. I really should have known better."
She waved a hoof, her mouth retrieving the bag of apples and stuffing them into her saddlepack. "Tain't nothin' t'worry about sugarcube, m’stakes happen all th' time."
"Oh, oh good." he replied, a hoof pawing at the ground. "Uhm... um, you're new around here, right? Can I... ask you a question?"
Both apple ponies raised an eyebrow, but the mare was game. "Shore, go 'head?"
"Uhm, would you happen to... to know another pegasus... named fluttershy?"
Applejack sighed, apparently that crush really WAS working in both directions. However, she relented as a kind smile spread across her face. "Maybe. She wouldn't happen t' be another yellow pony wit' pink hair now, would she?"
Butterscotch's head lifted up, eyes shining in hope. "Y-yes! You know her? We, we met yesterday at the market. I liked her, and, she said that she liked me, so, I was wondering if I could find her again, but, I haven’t had much luck..." now his head dipped down again.
The orange mare leaned down in front of him. "Y'know... ah think ah kin' send a message... if y’all would like..."
Applebuck made a face at the sappy turn of events things were taking, but he was ignored as the pegasus looked back up at the farmer. "That, would be nice... Um... could you tell her that, um... even though I might not see her again... I'll still always keep her in my thoughts?"
"Ah think she'll be glad t' hear that. Ah'll be sure t' pass it along t' her." She raised her head back up, giving the male pony a warm smile. This trip hasn't gone as bad as ah thought it would.
"Oh, thank you very much, Miss JayJay. And again, sorry about confusing you with Applejack earlier."
"Pshaw, tain't nothin' big, like ah said. Not shore how much like 'em I really look."
"It WAS rather silly of me. I mean," Butterscotch now lifted a hoof and pointed over her shoulder. "Now that I can see the both of you, he doesn't look THAT much like you."
The earlier feeling of calm she had, suddenly vanished as she heard a set of hoofsteps getting closer from behind. Applebuck's eyes lit up as he got to all four hooves and galloped out of sight. "Hey Big bro! What took 'yah?"
"Sorry 'bout that, haystack. Me 'n one o’ th clients had'ta work out a few MISUNDERSTANDINGS, if y’all catch mah drift."
Her first thought was that the voice was a key or so short of being a dead ringer for Big Macintosh. The second thought was that those hoofsteps were heavy, but again, not as heavy as her brother's. The third thought; HAYSTACK?
" 'Ey there Butterscotch." the voice continued, drawing closer. "How're you doin' t'day? Oh, and a good after'noon t' you, miss! Say... ain't seen you 'bout town b'fore. You new?"
"AJ, AJ!" the young colt chanted. "She's actually Apple family! Cousin JayJay, meet mah big brother, Applejack!"
Though every instinct that she possessed was yelling at her to bolt for the woods right that very moment, she managed, with tremendous strain, to turn her head towards the pair of males behind her.
Green eyes. Orange hide. Blonde mane and tail, only barely kept in check by bands. Tall and solidly built. Unshorn fetlocks, like her brother. Same trio of apples on his flank. A surprising addition of a yoke around his neck. And last, but not least, Pappy's hat, perched on top of his head.
He was giving her an eye of his own, the stallion peering over her face and saddlebags. "Well whip mah whiskers." he spoke, an eyebrow arched. "Ah kin' see th' family r'semblance, but ah cain't say Ah've ever seen y’all at th' reunion. You shore you're an Apple?"
At these words, she gave him a look of consternation. Of course she was an Apple, through and through! But instead of giving voice, she instead got to all fours and pulled her saddlebags up, revealing her cutiemark.
"Oooh, she IS." Butterscotch cooed. "I mean, Applebuck said she was, but, well, you can never know for sure, right?" He lowered his head again, sheepishly.
She gave him a smile. "Already said, dun sweat th' small stuff too much, alright sugarcube?"
"How 'bout that?" the male Applejack remarked, tilting his hat back. "So y' can talk too."
"What's that s'posed t' mean?" the mare retorted, turning her attention fully back to her doppelganger. "'Course ah kin' talk! Just fine too, though certain ponies tend tah disagree."
"Ah hear y’all there." he replied. "So! You say you're an Apple? Cousin JayJay, wassit? How come ah never saw yah at th' reunion last year?"
"S'like ah told yer brother. Mah farm's clear on th' other side o' Equestria. Much too far t' make th' trip."
"Even farther than Cousin Honeycrisp?"
She narrowed her eyes. Cousin Honeycrisp was the farthest relative from Ponyville. Before she said anymore, she had to make a mental rearrangement. Honeycrisp was originally a mare, so...
"That's right, 'bout fifty miles farther! Ask Honeycrisp next time th' reunion rolls around, he'll tell y’all 'bout it."
"Ah intend to..." the orange ponies were staring down each other something fierce. Applejack knew why. Though she was usually a friendly sort, she would have been suspicious of anypony she didn't know, calling themselves a part of her family. This treatment she was getting from her stallion-self did not come as a big surprise to her.
Butterscotch and Applebuck continued switching looks between the two, confused expressions on their faces, as the banter began anew. "What's yer actual name, anyways? JayJay's gotta be short fer somethin'."
Thanks to her encyclopedic knowledge of apple breeds, the answer came easily. "Jonica Johnagold."
He blinked. "Ah thought we already had one a' those."
"Yer prob'ly thinkin' o' Cousin Jonnee Red Johnathan. Ah know he makes it to th’ reunion more than ah do.”
"Applejaaaack~" the yellow pony whined to his brother "Why y’all gotta be so tough on Cousin JayJay? She's family!"
The draft horse's look of suspicion softened as he regarded his sibling. "Sorry haystack, but y' can't go believin' every word somepony says that ya hear. Ah see she's got an Apple cutiemark, an' ah kin' see th' ol' freckles, clear as day, but still..." he leveled his eyes at her again. "Ah just don't feel....right. Like there's somethin' off 'bout you, 'Cousin' JayJay."
This brought a whole new level of understanding to the orange filly's mind. The feeling in the pit of her stomach had remained throughout their entire exchange, which she had chalked up to simple fear. However, if HE was feeling it too... was there something going on here that she didn't understand? Twilight would probably know.
However, despite the words against her, she found herself stomping the ground and snorting. "Ah tain't lyin', cousin! Ah'm part o' th' Apple Family, just like you ‘n Applebuck! If y’all 'r REALLY wantin' t' get all serious about, then ah say we hoof-wrassle right here ‘n now!"
Now the orange equine found himself chuckling. "Cousin, ah hate t' say this, but it tain't mah style t' go hoof-wrasslin' mares. Ah mean, d'ya think y’all kin' really match up t' me?"
She leveled her gaze as she said "Are you sayin' mah mouth is makin' promises mah legs cain't keep?"
The stallion made as if to affirm the statement, but he paused as the words echoed through his head. His eyes widened, as her gave the farmfilly another look. "Wait... what did you say?"
Anything else that was said was quickly drowned out as the ponies about the marketplace ceased their hustling and bustling, gasps and gawking suddenly issuing everywhere, hooves pointed up towards the sky.
"AJ! AJ!" Applebuck cried out, pointing as well. "Lookit THAT!"
"What... what in the world??" Butterscotch stammered, eyes pointed up, with wings deployed as a shield.
Applejack turned around and glanced up into the deep blue, before his hat popped off his head. "Peel 'n Core me! What in tarnation-!"
Applejack lifted her head up and saw the spectacle that everypony was gawking at... and instantly knew that things had gone horribly, horribly wrong.
"Ahhhhhhh... ponyfeathers."
----------------------------
"GET BACK HERE!!"
She heard his cries over the screaming wind, but didn't dare to respond, to even look back. She was pumping her wings hard, so hard, harder than she had ever worked them before. She had to lose him.
She had to lose the fastest flier in all of Equestria.
Rainbow Dash's expression hardened. No. That title was hers, not some... not somepony else's! Hers and hers alone!
And yet, whatever maneuver she managed to bust out, he still kept with her trail, never gaining, but never falling back either. It was becoming increasingly aggravating. At one point, she had made as if to do a headlong crash into the ground, but he had kept on her, even pulling up at the exact same rate of incline as she leveled out and buzzed the trees.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN KEEP THIS UP!?" Rainbow Blitz called out again, the sneer evident in his tone of voice. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE MESSING WITH, KID!"
Sticks and stones. the pegasus filly thought to herself. Let'em say what he wants. He can't catch you. He can't even DREAM of catching you.
"YOU CAN'T EVEN DREAM OF GETTING AWAY!"
Okay, that was freaky... but they're still words. Words can't hurt you, and neither can he. You've been called worse. Much worse than Rainbow ‘Ditz’. Man, am I glad I've never-
"YOU FILLY-FAKER! YOU'RE A GIRL!! YOU CAN'T EVEN HOPE TO-"
Dash flared her wings out in a rapid halting maneuver, her momentum still carrying her forward, but still slowing her down enough to allow her to turn her head back and see the look on her doppelganger’s face as he too tried to slow down enough to avoid collision.
It also bought her enough time to bring her rear hooves up, waiting until Blitz's face was almost at her haunches, before striking out in a buck that would have made apple farmers everywhere flinch in worry for the safety of their trees.
The blue stallion was propelled backwards, head over hooves, as the mare took the liftoff from the kick and turned it into new forward motion, resuming her escape.
Rainbow Blitz's vision swam, having a kick delivered to you in the head would do that to a pony. Yet he shook himself, his vibrant mane flopping about as he regained control, before he fixed his eyes back on the rainbow trail that his quarry was leaving.
He had seen it, for a brief second, right before she had bucked him. Her cutiemark.
A very familiar-looking cutiemark.
Dusk's words of weird ponies came back to his mind now, and he redoubled his chase speed.
She had been heading in the direction of the Everfree forest. However, she managed to spot him, and began to perform evasive maneuvers once more, diving down. It took him extra effort to come within close range once more, but he managed it, despite a throbbing head. He could see her own multihued mane flowing in the wind.
"COME BACK!" Rainbow Blitz called out again, his voice ragged for breath. "LET'S TALK THIS OVER!"
"I CAN'T!!" Dash found herself finally replying. "I CAN'T LET YOU CATCH ME!!"
"WHY NOT?!" he yelled back, a funny feeling in his throat. Must have swallowed a bug.
"I CAN'T TELL YOU!!" She looked over her shoulder, her rose eyes bleary from the windspeeds. "I... I JUST CAN'T!! PLEASE!! STOP CHASING ME!!"
He shook his mane. "I CAN'T DO THAT!!"
The mare didn't respond to that, except by turning her head forwards again, and angling herself downwards into a dive, hooves pinned together in front of her.
That must have been a huge bug, as the pegasus colt found himself choking at the sight of the maneuver she was about to pull. She's insane! She'll never make it! Quickly he mirrored her actions, as he felt the familiar push of force against his hide. His familiar enemy, the Sound Barrier.
"STOP!!" he cried out to her, his voice now pleading. "YOU WON'T MAKE IT!!"
"I CAN!!" she cried back. "I WILL!! YOU CAN'T STOP ME!!"
"WHY??!!" he outright screamed, trying to vector in his path behind the mare's. If the barrier tossed her back, he'd be able to catch her from behind, hopefully saving her from a lethal fall.
"BECAUSE!!..."
He was closing in. Just a little further...
"I’VE!!..."
Her tail was beginning to flap around his own sound barrier distortion. He didn't see the raised hoof.
"DONE THIS BEFORE!!"
----------------------------
On the ground, everypony gaped as the two rainbow trails suddenly erupted into twin discs of multicolored light, rumbles of thunder pealing through the air.
"A DOUBLE RAINBOOM!" the Doctoress cried out in awe.
"All the way across the sky!" Mayor Mustang pronounced grandly in his bass voice.
"Oh wow! Oh my gosh!" Applebuck cheered at the sight.
"WHAT DOES IT MEAN!?" a pink stallion with blonde hair cried out, hooves grasping the sides of his head.
"Holy horseapples!" an orange colt gaped, before looking around and retrieving his hat. "Looks like Blitz shore dun outdid 'imself that time!"
Butterscotch stared in wonder at the display, an inch away from breaking out into cheering. The only thing that kept him from doing so, was the odd display beforehand. "But... but what do you think the second rainbow trail came from? I-I mean, we all saw it, right? It looked like there were TWO Rainbow Blitzes!"
"Ah dunno," Applebuck hummed. "Maybe he needed 'nother pegasus t' do a Double Rainboom? Ah mean, it makes sense. Two ponies, two rainbooms at th' same time."
"Hmmm... ah reckon y’all may be onta sumthin' there, haystack." Applejack replied, a hoof rubbing his chin.
The yellow pony turned to his side as he began. "What do you think, Miss JayJay... um... Miss JayJay?"
The three ponies suddenly looked around their stall. Cousin JayJay was nowhere to be seen.
----------------------------
He was grateful, he supposed, that that last kick was what saved him. Had the sound barrier snapped back closed with him so close, the results wouldn't have been pretty. It still smarted though.
Rainbow Blitz hovered unsteadily, his eyes taking in the grand spectacle that was a Double Rainboom. It was amazing, spectacular, and just as beautiful as he had imagined it would be.
And yet, he couldn't take joy from it. Because it hadn't been made by HIM. The Filly-faker... SHE had pulled it off.
His eyes traced the rapidly-fading multicolored trail that stretched from the exit point of the rainbooms, over into the horizon off in the direction of the Everfree forest. By the time he had recovered his fall from the combined kick and shockwave, she had already been far out of range.
Ooooh, it smarted. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten that kicking out with the left hindhoof had been exactly what he'd done, the first time he pulled off the Double Rainboom over Applejack's estate. He hadn't been sure it would work, the reason why he had chosen such a secluded location. Obviously, somepony had been watching anyway, and saw what needed to be done. Someone with binoculars. And good tracking. Yeah, that was it. Had to be.
The argument sounded hollow in his head, and he knew it. The filly-faker... she had looked just like him, right down to the cutie mark. Blitz was more than aware of ponies who took hero-worship far too seriously, dying their manes and coats to resemble their idols. But one couldn't paint over a cutiemark easily, so sticker patches were often used.
That was no sticker-patch, he mused. And the odds of two ponies getting the exact same cutiemark were astronomical. There was also the bit of conversation that had been exchanged between them. She.... couldn't let him catch her? She had even pleaded he stop. The implications were enough to bring that bug in his throat back. Nervously, he swallowed.
The pegasus shook his head. The emotional stuff can wait. There's a filly out there who looks just like me, can fly just as fast as me, and can even perform the Sonic Rainboom. On top of that, she bucked me. Twice. If there was ever a weird pony, that one most definitely fits the bill.
I need to go see Dusk.
... right after I fix my house... and finish my nap... oooh yeah, nap sounds SO good right now.
----------------------------
In a few moments, the HEDGE would not a happy place to be at that evening.
Against all expectations, Applejack had managed to get back to the hiding place first. Right now, she was in the midst of telling the rest of the mares how her visit went... and of the complications that were involved.
"Fyu wenft intfo Thugarcubf Cornerf?" Twilight accused through a mouthfull of muffin. She swallowed, before continuing. "Not that I'm complaining that much, actually, but still, you took a big risk there."
"What were the Cakes like?" Fluttershy asked, nibbling away at her own blueberry-studded pastry.
"Well, it 'twere mighty odd. Imagine if y'can... the Cakes, not switched genders, but more like switched colors 'n Cutiemarks."
Rarity gaped. "You mean... Mrs Cake was... as tall and skinny as..."
"As 'er hubby in our world. That's correct." the farmer pony nodded, hat firmly secured to her head once again.
"And then y'met Applebuck again?" Pinkie questioned. She had finished her muffin minutes ago, and was now working on a pear.
"Ah did..." Applejack let her ears droop as she recalled the scene. "Ah'd fergotten that t'day was a market day fer th' Acres. He recognized me, called me over t' chat. Tried mah best not t' get wrung outta sorts. Gave me free apples."
Here, she raised her head back up as she let her gaze focus upon a yellow pony. "An' then ah ran into another pony, that Applebuck introduced me to. Right cute li'l colt. Said his name was... Butterscotch."
Eyes widened all around, as Fluttershy's head shot up. "You... you met him?"
"Ah did. Ah kin' see why y'went fer 'im too." the orange pony replied, leaning her head in close as she smiled. "He... asked me t' pass along a message."
"Applejaaack..." Twilight spoke, her voice a warning tone. It was ignored.
"He told me... t' tell some gal I prob'ly know, who's a yellow pegasus named Fluttershy... that even if he never sees yah again, he'll think o’ you. Always."
The named pony's eyes grew wide as the words entered her mind, before she relaxed, a blush and goofy grin plastered across her face.
"Awwww~" Rarity crooned, quite taken with the scene. "Isn't love such a beautiful sight? Even if it is with your own male self, I must say, it's so refreshing to see!"
Applejack chuckled as she took a bite of her own muffin. "Ah tell ya Rarity, ah can out 'n out see the two o’ them together. If they weren't already each other, Ah'd say they were a match made 'n heaven!"
"Girls, please." Twilight stamped her hoof, trying to gain control of the situation again. "Applejack, that was... yes, it was thoughtful of you to bring that message from him to Fluttershy. Thank you for that. But we can't simply treat this kind of thing as a casual love affair! If Fluttershy is any indication, who's to say we won't all be so similarly smitten the instant we spot our own doubles?"
The farmer spat a berry seed into her hoof. "That tain't likely t' happen. Ah didn't think he were all that handsome, mahself."
She continued to chew on her muffin a bit more, before she noticed the sudden silence. Slowly, she opened her eyes and turned to see that everypony's eyes were trained on her.
"Applejack..." Twilight began, her voice weary, but still warning. "Applebuck's too young to man the stall himself, isn't he?"
"Uhm... e-yeah... as it turned out, his... uhm, 'brother' had stepped 'way t' take care of some sticky business... and welp, Ah was so caught up talkin' wit' Butterscotch that ah didn't see 'im a-comin back'-"
The purple unicorn facehoofed. "You met yourself."
"Eeeee-Yep."
Rarity leaned forward expectantly. "And?"
"Turns out, ah'm a bit too much like Big Mac. Ah mean, he had th' hat, and he shore tain't shy 'bout speakin' 'is mind. But other 'n that... well, mah heart was poundin', but more in the 'ah think ah should run now' way than that pitterpat a girl gets when she sees a right-good stallion, y'know what ah mean?"
"Wow, Applejack!" Pinkie spoke. "You get pitterpats? I only get them after I’ve eaten twenty pixie-sticks in a row!"
Twilight was not so easily redirected. "What did you talk about?"
The farmer sighed before she leaned against the cave wall. "Well, Applebuck introduced me as Cousin JayJay. An' mah other self thinks that's suspicious, so he starts drillin' me wit’ questions. Sayin’ ah tain't part o' th' Apple family." She crossed her hooves and looked sorely at the nearby lamp. "Ah stood 'n argued mah case that I were too one o' th' Apples."
"O-oh, AJ." Fluttershy spoke. "You could have just, you know, dropped the whole thing, and just, um, let him have his say?"
"She's got a point there." Twilight added. "You could have been out of there a lot quicker, if you'd just let the whole ordeal slide. Your pride's been a problem for you in the past, it could have gotten you into deep trouble here too."
"Ah know." Applejack replied, curling up. "But... well, Applebuck b'lieved me... and ah didn't wanna let 'im down... Ah didn't want t' let mah... mah..."
Another bout of silence came down. "How did you get free?" the white mare questioned.
She reared back up, green eyes looking at everypony present, noting not for the first time, that one of their number was still conspicuously absent, her muffin untouched. "Welp... ah had the help of a distraction. A very unwelcome distraction."
Suddenly her ears perked, as she heard the telltale whoosh of wing-beats. "Well, speak o' th' smooze." she groaned, as she got onto all four hooves.
The bushes around the entrance parted to let in evening light, along with a very tired, and short-breathed Rainbow Dash. Her hooves had barely touched the ground, when Applejack suddenly lighted into her.
"Y'HAVE ANY AH-DEA WHAT IN TH' SEVEN HEAVENS Y’ALL WERE DOIN' UP THAR?!"
"Geeze, AJ." the pegasus groaned, rubbing at a shoulder. "Can it wait till later?"
"No Rainbow, it CAIN'T. Ah saw y’all up there t'day... ah saw the BOTH of yah!"
There were gasps all around as Dash visibly sagged. "You d-did?"
"Ah shore did. As did the majority o’ Ponyville!"
"Rainbow!" Twilight gaped, rushing to her friend's side. Her voice was a mixture of both worry, and scolding, as she asked. "What did you DO?"
"Aheh..." there was a weary shrug, before a grimace as she taxed a pulled muscle. "I kinda had a... complication."
"Dash, bein' chased through Ponyville airspace right n' plain view o' everypony in town, by yer colt-self, is NOT what ah'd call a complication!"
"How do YOU know he was chasing ME, and I wasn't chasin' HIM?"
"Yah' bucked 'im." AJ replied flatly. "An' ah'm not seein' any bruise on yer head right now. Yer other half's prob'ly nursin' a spot th' size o' an orange 'bout now though."
Color fled from the blue mare's face. "You could see that?"
Rarity outright gaped. "Dash! Tell me you didn't!"
"W-what else was I supposed to do!?" came the exclamation. "I couldn't shake him off, and he kept yelling at me! He called me a FILLY-FAKER!! Why... why that, that, COLT-CRUDDER!!"
"Did you just make that up?"
"So what if I did?" Rainbow pounded her hooves together threateningly. "I'm keeping it! It's something I can use the NEXT time I see his face!"
"There won't BE a next time, if I have anything to SAY about it!!" Twilight thundered. The five ponies suddenly found their heads ducking down at the outburst.
"We've been trying our best to not TOUCH this dimension, and what do you do? You BUCK yourself in the FACE!! This is absolutely RIDICOULOUS!! I expected BETTER out of you girls! We're the Elements of Harmony, the chosen ones of Equestria! WHY is it so HARD for you all to just STAY PUT and KEEP OUT of TROUBLE?!"
The words echoed inside even the small confines of the HEDGE's walls. Nopony dared to make a sound, after that display.
At length, the frustrated look on the unicorn's face dissipated, replaced by outright weariness. She collapsed there on the spot, kneeling onto the floor, as she tried to compose herself. Looking around, she noted the shamed and cowed faces of her friends, and instantly felt the weight of her own harsh words.
"I... I'm sorry..." she whispered, achieving Fluttershy-levels of softness. "I-I didn't... this is just... I just want this to stop..."
Nopony moved for a second. Not until the yellow pegasus got to her feet, shuffled over to Twilight, and laid down next to her, offering her presence as comfort. Slowly but surely, the rest of the mares all converged on their silent friend, surrounding her, keeping silent, but still giving her support.
With a shuddering intake of breath, she looked at everypony once more, purple eyes misting over. "I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry... I d-don't deserve this, I-"
"Shush now, darling." Rarity spoke, nuzzling her friend. "It's quite alright. We all understand. These past few days have worn hard on all of us. But we... still are ignorant to what may be at stake here..."
"We don't think o’ it, th' way you can, Twi." Applejack added. "Ah've never been good at all that sciencey stuff. But you understand. And... and ah wish ah knew half as much as you did... if we all knew, we wouldn't be makin' as big a mess o' things as we are right now."
There were murmurs of agreement from all around. "We'll try our best from now on, to do what you say, Twilight." Fluttershy quipped, a small smile on her face.
"Twilight knows best." Pinkie added, her normal cheer returning. "If you say it means I have to NOT throw a party for a whole month, I'll do it! And that's a promise!"
This managed to drag a chuckle out of the lavender pony. "I won't make you Pinkie-promise to that." she stated, beads appearing at the corners of her eyes. "Thank you guys. Thank you for forgiving me. I'm sorry I yelled at you all, but I want you to know that I'm just worried. Worried about what might happen, to this world... our world... to them... to us..."
Here, she turned to Rainbow Dash, who had remained quiet for the most part. "And I'm sorry Dash, for... for unloading on you. I still think what you did was pretty stupid... but I'm sorry all the same."
The blue mare gave a wing-shrug. "Eh, no worries Twi. I know it was pretty stupid too... but hey, at least I managed to pull off the Double Rainboom."
A flat look. "You what?"
"She did, Twi." Applejack spoke up again. "It t'were th' only thing that managed t' shake off her other self."
"What did you do exactly, that made him chase you so hard anyway?" Rarity asked.
"Not that sure, really. I mean, all I did was visit my house. Sure, I left the front door open, but I didn't think it was that big a deal."
There were a few groans here and there. "And you didn't think to reverse the scenario in your mind beforehand to look at it from your own point of view?" Twilight asked.
This earned her a blank stare. "What? Say again, in Equestrian?"
"Ahh nevermind." the unicorn waved, turning back towards the remaining muffin. "I'm just gonna put this in the pantry for safekeeping."
"Oh? Oh hey, Applejack, you got muffins? Sweet!" The wild-maned one flew over to scoop the treat up, but it was quickly whisked out of reach by the student.
"Ah-ah! No muffins for you tonight!"
"Awww, c'mon Twi, I said I was sorry!"
"You didn't, in manners of exact wording. And besides, even saying that you're sorry, still doesn't make up for the fact that you risked letting Ponyville know of our existence!" The muffin floated over to their makeshift cupboard, the door slamming closed as it nestled on a shelf.
Twilight's words triggered a memory in the pegasus' mind however, as her hooves flailed about suddenly. "OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!! Twilight, I DID overhear some important information today!"
Eyes widened all around. The purple pony's eyes changed from condescending to serious in a instant. "What was it, Dash?"
"Well, when I was inside the house, and he was looking for me... Rainbow Blitz mentioned Fluttershy. By NAME."
There was an 'eep!' as a butter pony concealed herself beneath Pinkie's tail. Dash continued, unaware. "He said that Dusk told him to keep an eye out for what he called, 'Weird Ponies'. Twilight... they're ALREADY AWARE of us."
Now a whole new silence descended upon the inhabitants of the HEDGE. The student sat herself roughly on her haunches, eyes hollow with realization... and fear.
"We're doomed." she whispered. "We were doomed the moment we left Fluttershy in the library."
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
The orange pony continued trotting towards the table. "Ah mean, Rarity knows what all goes inta' a relationship anyways. Sometimes, it's th' opposites that attract, an' then other times, it means findin' yer own-"
She suddenly stopped, her hat falling off due to leftover forward momentum.
Everypony stared at Applejack, rather confused. "AJ? What, did you think of something?" Twilight asked, approaching her friend cautiously.
Rainbow thought she heard a creaking sound as the blonde slowly turned her head to face the unicorn, green eyes hollow and haunted. "Twi... ah can only think o' two stores in all o’ Ponyville that sell shampoo. And one o’ dem ain't open t'day."
There was silence that was shortly punctuated by a quiet "Oh! The Luxury Lotus Spa is closed on Sundays."
Twilight 's brows narrowed. "And the only other store that I can think of is Carousel Bou-"
It hit her.
She turned back to the HEDGE's entrance, eyes as wide as dinnerplates. "RARITY!! WHY SHE-!! SHE DID THAT ON PURPOSE!!"
"Is she... is she REALLY?!" Dash exclaimed, her wings now beating in panic.
"She's goin' to th' Boutique tah meet her male self!!" Applejack cried out. "We gotta stop 'er!!"
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Conner Cogwork
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
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<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2012-07-18T02:24:35+00:00
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2012-07-18T02:24:35+00:00
| 43,464 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Five
With a Finger Crossed
----------------------------
There wasn't even a knock. The library door slammed open as a stallion groggily weaved his way inside. "DUSK!? Dusk, I gotta talk to you!"
"Rainbow?" came a voice behind a stack of books. A unicorn's head popped up from the mess of volumes. "Rainbow, what's uuuuAAAOOOH SWEET SOLARIS WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"
"It's not as bad as it looks." Blitz assured, woozily waving off the patch of dark purple that had encompassed half his face. "Seriously, I've handled worse."
"I sincerely doubt that! Get your flank over here, let me have a look at that. Didn't you even go to the clinic?"
"And risk being seen in public with a shiner like this?” He trotted over unsteadily, before collapsing onto his haunches. “C'mon brony, I got an image to keep up after all."
There was a clicking of the tongue as a first aid book was levitated over. "Sometimes, you're just as bad as Elusive."
"Hey! You take that back!" the colt demanded, shooting onto all four feet, before wobbling and falling flat back on his flank. "Ow..."
Dusk simply sighed as his horn lit up and he went to work, healing his friend to the best of his abilities. "So, what did happen, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Ugh, Dusk, I didn't believe you at first, but it turns out, you're right! There are weird ponies in Ponyville!"
The purple stallion's eyes widened, though he kept his concentration on the wound. "R-really? You saw one?"
"SAW one?! Dusk, she was IN MY HOUSE! Ooooh, that... that Filly-faker! When I get my hooves on her-!"
A look of confusion. "Wait, Filly-faker?"
"Yeah, Filly-faker! Freaky as all hay, Dusk! She was obviously a girl, but she looked Exactly Like Me! The coat, the mane, even my Cutie-mark! A-a-a-and don't even get me STARTED on her flying!" The pegasus was obviously still in a tizzy, his hooves waving in the air at his last sentence.
"Gack, Blitz, hold still." Dusk warned. "This is a complicated spell, if you keep moving like that, I'm gonna wind up giving you a third eye."
His patient quickly complied, and allowed the student to continue his work. At length, the unicorn resumed the discussion. "Her flying? I'd think you'd be able to catch her. Aren't you the fastest flyer in Equestria, after all?"
"You'd think." Blitz replied glumly. His rose eyes darted around the library to see if anypony else was present *which there wasn't, except for Spines snoozing on a biography of Queen Irontail,* before continuing. "But... I just, could not catch up to her. I always managed to get within like, three, four yard's distance from her, but she always managed to stay just out of reach! It doesn't make any sense, I mean, she was just a girl! I should've caught up to her easy!"
"There are tradeoffs to each gender, you know." the lavender colt supplied. "A pegasus stallion like you usually has more developed muscles, to account for the weight and drag that the male form usually has. But a mare's form is much more slender and aerodynamically shaped, so even if their wing muscles aren't as developed, they would still be able to keep up with the strongest stallion out there."
The blue pony found himself snorting. "I thought you didn't attend flight school."
"Well, you did, and yet this didn't occur to you. What does that say about how you spent your study time?"
There was a roll of the eyes, as he changed the subject. "Either way, next time I see her, I'm giving her a piece of my mind. Especially after the way she pulled a fast one on me!"
"A fast one on-?"
Suddenly, Dusk's complexion lightened, as the pieces were put together. A hoof went up to his face, as he tried to suppress the snicker that was forming. "Blitz... this bruise on your head... did she?"
"N-no! I-it was just an accident! Nothing major!" Rainbow blurted, trying his best to look casual, though the unicorn knew his body language well enough to know he was in denial.
"She did, didn't she?!" the magician finally guffawed. "She bucked you! You got bucked by a girl!"
Multihued-mane drooping, the stallion lowered his head. "Twice."
Dusk was tempted to fall to the floor and begin laughing in much the same manner Blitz had when they had first met. However, he managed to recover his chuckles, though the grin still remained. "Ooooh, I'm so sorry Blitz, that was terrible of me. I just... I never thought the day would come!"
"PLEASE don't tell the rest of the guys about this?" Rainbow pleaded, hooves in prayer form. "If Applejack hears word of it, he'll never let me live it down!"
The unicorn gave another chuckle, before he sighed and nodded. "I promise, Rainbow. I won't tell anyone."
A rose-red gaze. "Berry Bubble Swear?"
Another sigh and roll of the eyes, before the colt got to his haunches. "Cross my heart. Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my..." pause, close eyelid, THEN touch. "Eye."
Blitz relaxed after that, allowing Dusk to resume his healing spell. Already he could tell that there would still be a dark spot right above the eye after he finished, but something like that wouldn't take long to heal naturally. Again, he restarted the topic. "So... twice, you say? Like, one right after the other, or once-"
"Once, while I was chasing her." his patient clarified. "The second, right before I... well, right before I lost her."
Here, Dusk was surprised. "You lost her? How'd she manage to do that?"
"She... she performed... IT."
A raised eyebrow. "It?"
"My move, Dusk. My signature move!"
"Blitz... you don't mean...?"
A heavy nod. "She performed the Double Rainboom! By the time I'd recovered from the shockwave, she was long gone."
The medical tome that the unicorn had been holding, suddenly fell to the floor. Rainbow blinked as he felt his friend's magical energies release their hold on his head. He prodded the side of his face with a hoof, glad to see that the earlier throbbing and dizziness that was present before, was no longer there. He then redirected his attention to Dusk, just in time to see the look on his face shift from open-mouthed shock, to newfound determination.
"Thanks Blitz." he said, though his voice had a hollow tone to it. The purple stallion turned on the spot, and quickly trotted over to a nearby desk, a quill flying out of an inkpot as he began quickly scribbling on the piece of parchment there.
"Dusk?" The pegasus got to his feet carefully, testing for wooziness, before joining his friend. "What's going on, brony? You know something about these ponies, I can tell. Let's hear it."
The other pony was hesitant. "I'm... I'm not sure if the theory I have is sound, Blitz... but after what you've told me today, the evidence is overwhelming. I'm also not sure if you'll believe me..."
"Hey, don't be like that, Dusk. I trust you, y'know? Whatever you have to say, I'll listen."
He regarded his friend with a look of gratitude at those words. "Thanks, Blitz. Okay then." he turned back to the paper. "Tell me. What do you know about Alternate Dimensions?"
----------------------------
"Oh my. This simply won't do at all!"
A number of heads reared up at the words. They had come from a white unicorn mare, who was entering the HEDGE with a towel wrapped around both her mane and her tail, the wet condition of her fur due to the result of bathing in a nearby stream.
"What's up, Rarity?" Applejack asked, a half-eaten Macintosh in her hoof.
"This is!" the dressmaker cried, as a shampoo bottle flew out from her towel. A few squeezes produced whistling noises, signaling its empty state. "I've completely run out of my favored conditioner!"
Blue and orange ponies rolled their eyes. Twilight gave a flat, confused look. Fluttershy, ever sympathetic, went 'Awww.' Pinkie took the bottle into her own hooves and attempted to perform 'Equestria the Beautiful' with it.
"It's just soap, Rarity." Dash replied. "You can live a few days without it."
"Maybe you can." Blue eyes rolled at the pegasus. "But I assure you, most of us more refined types require more frequent upkeep than others! And simply because we've been secluding ourselves away in this... cozy little habitat-" she regarded their surroundings with an apologetic smile. "-does not mean I cannot look my best at all times."
Twilight groaned to herself, but gave a smile to her friend. "We know, Rarity, we know. I'm sorry about your soap, but just hang on for a while longer. I've almost restored my power. With luck, by the end of today, we'll be back home, and all of this will be behind us."
Applejack let out a whoosh of relief. " 'Bout goll-darn time too. T'day is our third day in this here world, ain't it? Ah'd kinda lost track o’ time."
There were murmurs of agreement all around. Rarity, though she wanted to believe that it would be as easy as it was said, still had the reservation in her heart that it wouldn't be. It doesn't hurt to prepare for the long-run. she thought to herself. Besides, there's still.... that OTHER matter...
The unicorn turned her eyes onto the student. "You're right of course. Sorry for my complaining, dears. But, uhm, just in case, Twilight, you wouldn't happen to know how to transform a pear into a bottle of hair conditioner, would you?"
Twilight sighed with a smile, but shook her head. "Normally, I wouldn't turn you down, but I need to keep as much energy as I can for the spell tonight. Sorry."
She got a nod in return. "That's quite alright, dearie. I suppose there's just no helping it." She trotted over to a corner where a mirror had been mounted on the wall, a brush levitating over as she removed the towel from her mane and began to groom it.
"I'll just have to go into town today."
She counted up to five seconds before the walls of the HEDGE reverberated with a unanimous "WHAAAAT??"
"Rarity!" Applejack thundered, skidding to a stop beside the mare. "Have y'all been awake th' past two days?! Ev'ry time one o’ us steps out thar, we wind up makin' a c’mmotion!"
"This is too much!" Twilight added, galloping up to her other side. "You're seriously going to risk our being discovered and found over a bottle of SHAMPOO??"
"Ladies, please!" Rarity soothed, her composure unruffled despite the heat directed at her. "I am no madmare, you're all well aware. There is a larger overlying reason as to why I must venture into the strange outdoors. Shampoo would just be a side-benefit."
"What in the hay are you talking about?!" Rainbow yelled, hovering with a frustrated expression. "We've had plenty of cases where you've gone over the deep end! What makes what you're planning on doing, any different?!"
"If you'll allow me to speak..." the white unicorn said patiently. "Then I'll tell you why." She then directed her gaze at the student, never halting with her brushstrokes. "Twilight, dear. I'm a bit surprised that even you think this trip is unnecessary."
"Rarity!" Twilight's expression was one of confusion and hurt. "Seriously, what are you going on about?"
"Can you recall for me, the separate items that you needed in order to activate the spell in the first place?"
In everypony's current state of mind, the question seemed like a non-sequiter. However, the magician humored her friend as she began to list the objects.
"A... a vessel of white, to hold the down."
They all looked at the table. The vase sat there, today's flower of choice being a maroon tulip.
"A feather of blue, to match the sky 'round."
Rainbow Dash preened at this, it had required one of her feathers the first time around.
"A stone of fire, from light which grows,"
Rarity levitated a ruby from her saddlepack, the surface gleaming flawlessly.
"And the essence of flower, for which the sun glows..."
Silence.
Looks of realization began to percolate on everypony's face. "Sunflower oil!" Applejack gushed. "We plum done fergot th' sunflower oil!"
Rarity did her best to refrain her smile from getting TOO smug, as Twilight gaped. "I'm sorry, dears." she apologized. "I-I thought you had all remembered. I couldn't help but notice that there wasn't any sunflower oil in the bags after Fluttershy and Applejack did their shopping trips. It is a key ingredient, isn't it?"
"It is..." the lavender pony spoke, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "I-I can't believe I didn't... and here I thought... I'm sorry I thought you were..."
There was a tisk, as a hug and nuzzle was exchanged. "Think nothing of it, dear. We've all been out of sorts. I don't blame you in the least for thinking I had become a crazy cat lady."
"Y'mean you're not?" Pinkie quipped.
"W-well, better to have found out sooner than later." Fluttershy spoke, directing attention towards herself. "Imagine if we had waited until tonight, and THEN found out."
Applejack let out a low whistle. "Yeah, that would'a been a right nasty s'prise. Count on Rarity t' notice somethin' like that in th' nick of time!" Her green eyes gave her friend a look of respect.
"Okay okay, so, now we know." Dash added, alighting on the floor once more. "So... I guess we pool bits again? I'm kinda running low over here myself."
"Rarity." The white unicorn turned towards Twilight at the mentioning of her name. "Since you were the one who brought it up, were you volunteering?"
"O-oh, well yes, I suppose I was."
"Any particular reason why it should be you, and not Applejack again?"
"Well dear, we're not doing a big shopping trip like we have done the past two days. All that I need to get is a bottle of Sunflower oil, and some shampoo. I have more than enough bits, so don't worry about pooling any money for me."
"Also," here, she leaned in to the purple pony. "Nothing against them, but I am no Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie. I am quite well and aware of the situation we are currently in. You can count on me to keep my 'cool' and to not create a scene, should something unforeseen crop up."
"Lastly," she then turned to look back at the farmer. "Not to slight against you, Applejack, but you don't know the exact kind and brand of conditioner that my coiffure requires." She got a good-natured eyeroll in response.
Twilight sat there in thought for a while, before she looked back up, her decision made. "Okay then... I'll let you do it. But we need to get you into a disguise, before you step foot into Ponyville."
Here, Rarity gleamed. "Oh you needn't worry about that too much, Twilight dear. I have JUST the thing!"
----------------------------
"Meet... Rarity Umbrelle!"
Nopony had any idea when she had obtained a sun-umbrella from. But it did match the red bow that she had affixed to her hair. Surprisingly, she wore nothing else... except for a blank flank.
"So, where did you learn this spell again?" Twilight asked, her eyes wide open as Rarity's horn glowed, the diamonds on the dressmaker's hindquarters slowly fading into obscurity.
"Well... you see, I was among the first of my friends in class, to gain my Cutie-mark." the unicorn began, her face a picture of concentration. "I admit, I was.... somewhat ostracized by my peers as a result at first. Eventually, I found a spell in a book, that temporarily removed a cutie-mark from view, for a few hours at a time. Armed with that, I would head into school, cast the spell, be able to commune with my friends, and then head back home."
"O-oh my," Fluttershy cooed, her own eyes also wide and watching, a look of worry across her face. "Were you picked on badly by the other colts and fillies?"
"Oh, there were a few words said here and there. You know how the youth are." Rarity waved it off. "Eventually, my friends began to gain their cutie-marks as well, and so I ceased usage of the spell. I even offered to teach it to a few of them. I never thought a scenario would arise, where I would need to use it once more."
"Ah hav'ta say sugarcube, up till t'day, ah'm kinda glad it never did too." Applejack added, an unsettled look in her eyes. "That's just... just plain creepy, if y'ask me."
"I think it's done." Twilight announced. "Congratulations Rarity, you are now a fully grown, adult blank flank."
The white mare looked back at her hindquarters, and nodded. "Not for long though. Fluttershy, if you'd be so kind, my makeup kit."
"How much stuff did you bring with you?" Dash asked, incredulous. "I've got no clue how you managed to make it all fit into those saddlebags in the first place!"
"Oh, just the bare essentials, nothing more." came the answer. She smiled as the timid pony returned with a black box in her mouth. Giving a nod, her horn lit as the case was levitated, then opened, a black mascara pencil floating out. Turning her head, she then concentrated as she began doodling on her own flanks, custom-making a pair of cutiemarks.
After a minute or so, she had one. It was a pair of opened umbrellas, both crossed and tilted perpendicular to each other, their red tops glowing as solid as the real thing.
"Rarity Umbrelle!" she announced grandly. "Maker of fine specialty umbrellas, custom-fashioned to fit everypony's unique individual needs!"
"Wooooow," Pinkie cooed, a hoof wavering as if to touch the mark. 'It looks so REAL~"
"I must admit, that is extraordinary!" Twilight added, her face beaming. "I would be hard-pressed to see you as anything but genuine."
The rest of the ponies gave their approval, as Rarity positively glowed from all the comments. "Thank you, thank you my dears!" she exhaled, picking up her umbrella and a small neckbag, strutting towards the exit. "I shan't be long, Twilight! You can trust me on this, I hope!"
"No, I trust you." the student answered, an honest smile on her face. "Just remember. we're all counting on you!"
"Better you than me, Rarity." Applejack cheered. "Go get'em!"
"Don't you worry, fillies!" the unicorn chimed back, as she slipped out between the bushes. "That's Exactly what I'm planning on doing.”
----------------------------
"Wow, whatta gal!" the party pony cheered, as she hopped back towards their rock table. "I totally forgot all about the sunny sunflower sun oil sunny stuff!"
"Me too." Twilight replied, turning away from the exit. "Once again she proves her knack for detail."
"If y'say so." Rainbow said, lazily laying on her back. "Personally, I think she was just getting tired of being cooped up in here with all of us."
"O-oh, well, that would make sense." Fluttershy mumbled. "I-I mean, I noticed that she had slept on the far end of the cave last night. Maybe it was my snoring."
"Hey, Fluttershy!" Pinkie spoke up. "Maybe if she's lucky, she'll run into Butterscotch today too!"
The thought made the yellow pegasus’s cheeks tint pink, a sight that the apple farmer couldn't help but chuckle over. "That'd be a nice s’prise, wouldn't it, sugarcube? Ah ain't th' romantic type usually, but ah still think th' two 'o you're cuter than two peas inna pod. An' ah know Rarity'd agree wit' me, should she see 'im!"
The orange pony continued trotting towards the table. "Ah mean, Rarity knows what all goes inta' a relationship anyways. Sometimes, it's th' opposites that attract, an' then other times, it means findin' yer own-"
She suddenly stopped, her hat falling off due to leftover forward momentum.
Everypony stared at Applejack, rather confused. "AJ? What, did you think of something?" Twilight asked, approaching her friend cautiously.
Rainbow thought she heard a creaking sound as the blonde slowly turned her head to face the unicorn, green eyes hollow and haunted. "Twi... ah can only think o' two stores in all o’ Ponyville that sell shampoo. And one o’ dem ain't open t'day."
There was silence that was shortly punctuated by a quiet "Oh! The Luxury Lotus Spa is closed on Sundays."
Twilight 's brows narrowed. "And the only other store that I can think of is Carousel Bou-"
It hit her.
She turned back to the HEDGE's entrance, eyes as wide as dinner plates. "RARITY!! WHY SHE-!! SHE DID THAT ON PURPOSE!!"
"Is she... is she REALLY?!" Dash exclaimed, her wings now beating in panic.
"She's goin' to th' Boutique tah meet her male self!!" Applejack cried out. "We gotta stop 'er!!"
Twilight was nearest, and thusly, was the first one out the exit. The rest of the mares were momentarily discombobulated by the shock, but they all got to their hooves and galloped towards the opening-
-right in time for the purple unicorn to bolt back inside, her eyes now achieving apoplectic levels of panic, as she furiously hissed "EVERYPONY, HEADS DOWN AND KEEP QUIET!"
"Quiet?!" Pinkie exclaimed. "But Twilight, I thought we were gonna go save Rarity from making a-"
A muzzle composed of pure magic materialized around the pink pony's mouth, effectively silencing her. The resultant quiet was enough to allow them to hear a faint rustling.
Somepony was outside.
"Twilight..." Fluttershy asked, almost inaudible. "Wh... wh-who is it?"
"It's... it's him."
Looks of confusion were traded for a few minutes... up until they heard a voice pipe up from outside.
"Okay, what're we doing here again, Dusk?" Spines asked.
"We're looking, that's what. Look, you remember what happened the other day with Butterscotch, right?"
"How could I forget? Seriously man, how cold can you get? Checking out a book and then claiming you don't have it?"
"That's besides the point, Spines. Think back. You remember hearing about the filly Butterscotch met later?"
"The one Blitz says is 'Scotch's girlfriend?"
"That's the one."
Twilight looked over at Fluttershy's face, the yellow pegasus' cheeks flushed red, tears beading in her eyes.
"I think the 'Butterscotch' that visited us in the library, and the mare he met later, are one and the same."
"Really? And what makes you think she'd be out here at the edge of the Everfree?"
"Because of the second sighting that Blitz told me about yesterday. You heard about the Double Rainboom, right?"
"Yeah, caused quite a commotion. Shouldn't Rainbow Blitz 'ave been proud of that?"
"He would have been, if it hadn't been for the fact that it was his doppelganger who did it, not him."
There was a scuffling sound. Twilight could imagine Spines nearly slipping off her friend's back. "Doppel- you mean, a twin?"
"Yeah, a twin or a clone. Blitz said they looked just like him, save for the fact that she was a filly. In his own words, a 'Filly-faker'."
Now Twilight heard a motion to her left. She looked up in time to see Applejack restraining Dash from flying straight out into the open, hooves blazing.
"Either way, he told me that the female 'Blitz' had headed off in the direction of the Everfree forest. I've already been out to Zircon's hut today, and he told me that he hadn't seen anything weird out there lately. So I'm assuming our doppelgangers are keeping base a little closer to home."
"Ahhh, I get'cha brony.” The dragoness could be imagined nodding her head. “So, it's a search party then, eh? Shouldn't you have called the rest of the gang?"
"I was tempted to, but decided against it. The LAST thing we need is for Berry to go and make this a REAL party." There was a stamp of hooves right outside the HEDGE's entrance, as the voice become loud and clear.
"No, I think we can do this. We should be able to find 'ourselves' out here. Or I'm not the Prized Student of Prince Solaris, Dusk Shine!"
Down in that burrow, the Prized Student of Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, felt a knot begin to form in the pit of her stomach as her eyes darted over to a green-backed hardcover book.
I should have had Fluttershy return it the first day.
----------------------------
Rarity Umbrelle trotted through Ponyville with a skip and bounce in her step. She was a mare on a mission... even if she hadn't been fully honest with her friends on what that mission was.
Hearing the tales of the fillies one by one meeting their masculine halves had kindled an emotion that she'd not welcomed, but tolerated nonetheless. Jealousy. And after having heard and witnessed the apparent success of Fluttershy's crush, despite having not been looking in the first place, the story had filled her with yet another feeling. Hope.
Hope which she held onto as she saw the familiar spire of Carousel Boutique. Her heart a-titter, she quickly reviewed her mental checklist. She had gone ahead and purchased the bottle of Sunflower oil, which had gone without a hitch. She would meet with her 'better half', and see how compatible they really were. She had been admittedly put off by AJ and Dash's own stories, but she believed she knew her own self better than that.
Should they hit it off, she would ask a dress of him. And of course, a bottle of shampoo. Should they continue warming up, and should she really feel it, she would express her undying love towards him. And should that be met with joy in his eyes... oooh Rarity, you naughty filly for even thinking that!
Quickly, she checked her mane, and adjusted her umbrella. The faux Cutiemark was still in-place. She hoped she wouldn't get sweaty. Should that happen, it would surely run something awful.
Taking a deep breath, she then trotted up to the door, and daintily produced a few knocks on its frame.
"Cooooo-miiiing~" she heard a rich contralto sing from inside. Already, her knees felt weak.
The doorknob jangled, before the barrier pulled aside, allowing her to behold the mirror of her soul.
He was tall, just as she knew he'd be. His deep purple mane was cut short, but oh so stylishly so! His legs, though not superbly toned, were still of reasonable build, complimenting his distinguished torso and chin. But his flanks! Oh, his flanks! Her diamond cutie-marks looked absolutely superb, seated as they were upon such firm cheeks! She had to wrest her eyes away from them, and continue viewing her male self, taking in his nose, that horn *her inner schoolgirl squealed at its length,* and finally, finally, his deep, star-studded eyes, as blue as the ocean itself beneath a clear summer’s sky.
Eyes that were currently regarding her with about the same amount of fascination that she had been giving him.
The both of them coughed into their hooves at roughly the same time, before reaffirming their airs of grace. The stallion spoke first.
"Greetings, and welcome to Carousel Boutique. My name…” he paused for a dramatic beat, before continuing “-is Elusive. How may I be of service to you today, my lady?"
She was screaming to herself inside her own head. He said 'My Lady'!! You know you NEVER say 'My Good Sir' unless it's a customer you find really cute!!
"G-greetings, Sir Elusive." she began, her cultured tenor coming out in full force. "My name is Rarity Umbrelle. I have heard good word across Equestria of your fine works in the fields of clothing and design."
"Oh?” he replied, an excited, yet calmly hopeful edge to his voice. "And what is it that is said, on the streets of Equestria?"
She gave him a warm smile, eyes sparkling as she spoke. "That your suits and dresses are among some of the most amazing designs ever seen by pony eyes. That you put care and diligence into each and every one of your works, always doing your best, always asking your customers to trust in you, and them never leaving your shop disappointed."
She was essentially patting herself on the back, but what did she care? It was worth it to see the shine of adoration come forth from Elusive's eyes, before he stepped back and bowed his head. "Please step inside, my lady, so we may talk."
Head held high, and with a practiced sway in her step, she strutted in, hoping her feminine wiles really were having an effect on her masculine self. She was not disappointed, as she felt eyes upon her flanks.
The shop's interior was not that different from her home dimension's, honestly. She could see a few distinct changes... her personal projects postboard now contained more suits than dresses, which was to be expected. The 'men's' fabric pile was fuller than the 'girl's' pile. And over on a folded piece of blue fabric, snoozed a huge white ball of fluff.
"Do be careful of Alexanderite." She heard the stallion warn. "He doesn't take kindly to guests."
She chuckled, a merry sound to anypony who heard. "Oh dearie, I will. I have a cat of my own you know, and she's just about the same way."
"Oh-ho!" came the reply, as he trotted up next to her. "The joys of feline ownership. Or pains, rather, am I right?"
They both shared a hearty chuckle, before relaxing and taking each other in yet again. At length, Elusive spoke. "Can I get you anything to drink, Miss Umbrelle?"
"Hmmmm... a simple water with a lime twist will do." she said. His eyes perked up, apparently surprised at the serendipity that he just so happened to HAVE sliced limes in his kitchen. As he bowed and turned towards the back, she spoke up again.
"And Elusive, sir? Just call me 'Rarity'. I insist." She gave him a sweet smile.
He nodded, returning her smile. As he departed, both unicorns let their smiles slip into big goofy grins.
Upon his return, she had already checked out the shop more in-depth, again, finding nothing of particular surprise in the area. She had given thought to trying to pet the cat, but given Opal's tendencies in her world, she felt that she should take the warnings to heart and leave him be.
The drink was presented to her. Much to her surprise, it was much more than simple glass of water. Lime wedges were present, yes, but there was also a straw. As she sipped at it, a unique flavor enveloped her tongue, and a delightful smell filled her nose, a shot of something strong in the concoction. He had, in effect, mixed her favorite drink.
Her eyes shone in outright gratitude as she stared at him. He simply bowed his head with a smile. "Only the best, for my future... patrons..."
Oh Celestia he really IS feeling the same way about me! Butterflies abounded in her stomach, her heart singing at the rightness of it all.
For a moment more, they sat, simply enjoying each other's company, her sipping her drink, before she finally made her next move. "Right. Onto business."
"Right." he agreed, sitting up straight. "What may I help you with today, Rarity?"
"I'm looking for something simple. Not very large, not very complex. A saddle, more or less." she stated, her umbrella coming up and opening. "I had originally brought this umbrella as a template for you to work off of in terms of theme and design, but I should have realized that such a request would have been an outright insult to your abilities."
"Oh no, that's quite alright my dear." the white colt waved off the words. "I'm more than willing to follow a theme, if you so wish it. Solaris knows, I've done plenty of odd requests in my time!" He then leaned in, conspiratorially grinning. "I should tell you about the time I designed these absolutely horrid suits at the behest of my friends, when we went to the Grand Galloping Gala."
She leaned in as well, returning his grin. "Oh, I'd simply love to hear about it! Oh, for the Gala? I had heard you designed ensembles for it every year, but not that you had attended yourself!"
He sighed theatrically, a hoof going to his forehead. "Alas, I DID attend that trainwreck of a social gathering! I had gone there, on the hopes and dreams of high society and glamour... not to mention to gain the chance of meeting who I thought would be, my true love..." he tracked his eyes to the floor. "And it was supposed to be the best night ever. Oh Princess Bluebell..."
"Personally, I thought they deserved every ounce of cake they got."
She took another sip of her drink, before realizing that Elusive had fixed her with a wide-eyed look. Suddenly, a hot blush spread across her face as she realized her slip. "Uhm. I, aha... I-I must confess. I was at the Gala too, this year. I saw the cake."
Now it was the stallion's turn to blush, as he looked down. "Sorry you had to see such a shameful display."
"Not at all, my dear. She was a royal pain anyway."
"She was. You're right, she deserved every ounce of cake she got."
"I mean, honestly." She leaned forward, now on a roll. She could only guess at what events differed from her own at Canterlot, but she had a feeling her guesses were good ones. "There are such things at being gentlemanly, right? But I bet she simply took you for granted, didn't she?"
"She did. She barely acknowledged that I existed."
"What shamefulness, for a lady to act that way! A gentlecolt is there to offer his support, after all!"
"She turned her nose up at everything I did for her! Oh poor Applejack, I was so distraught when she spat out his fritters."
"Oh rest assured, if I ever had a stallion there to wait on me, I would have returned his every motion with the thankfulness and gratitude he so richly deserved!"
"I... I..." he stammered, his eyes glistening. "You really mean that, don't you, Miss Rarity?"
"With all my soul, Sir Elusive." she answered, her own eyes shimmering.
Once more, silence descended between the two. They didn't really notice the passage of time, caught up as they were in each other's eyes. It took the presence of a third in order to break the spell. A cat who was looking up at the stallion and was giving him a very solid and disappointed 'Meow.’
"Wh-wha? Oh, hello Alex. Awake, are you?" Elusive greeted his pet. "Ah right, it IS about feeding time for you, isn't it? Apologies Miss Rarity, but I must attend to my 'taskmaster' here." he gave the feline a wry grin. "It'll only take a moment, and it'll keep him out of our manes. When I come back, would you like to get started?"
"Oh most certainly, that would be wonderful. And don't worry, take your time!"
She smiled as owner and cat departed towards the back room. At least, she remained smiling up to the point where Alex paused, looked back at her, and then gave her a grin the likes of which she'd never seen.
Perhaps cats really were smarter than most ponies thought.
----------------------------
"Are you ready, Rarity?"
"I am, Elusive. Let us... begin."
Rarity found herself standing on a familiar stage, keeping her body perfectly still, as the tall white stallion levitated a tape measure, getting her widths and lengths, jotting down notes and looking over her form, before placing a line here and there on a piece of paper, a saddle-dress slowly taking form.
"I must say, my dear." Elusive stated, lifting up his gold-rimmed spectacles. "Your figure is one of the most marvelous I've ever laid eyes on! How do you do it?"
You're hot. Rarity translated in her head. That's exactly what I said that one day when I fitted Big Macintosh. And now I'm hearing it from the most handsome stallion in this dimension!
"Oh, it takes work." she sighed dramatically. "Most of my friends are usually of the opinion that I'm overly fussy about my appearance, but they have no IDEA of the trials and tribulations that I have to go to, in order to maintain this body!"
"Oh, you speak to the choir, my dear!" the unicorn colt bright a hoof to his forehead, a pencil levitating in the air. "Often, my friends tease me of being too 'girly' or 'Fru-fru' to even be called a stallion!"
A gasp. "The nerve!"
He chuckled as he turned back to her. "Ah, but do not be so quick to judge. I know they only tease, meaning nothing harmful by it. Well, there was the ONE time when Berry switched out every bolt of fabric I had in the boutique with pink lace, but I think he knows now to not pull anything like that again."
She found herself giggling, a sound that caught his ears and perked them. Soon, he began to chuckle alongside her, the sound of laughter filling the shop.
"Oooooh, Sir Elusive!" she cried out, once she had regained her breath. "You must lead such an interesting life!"
"Oh, it's been quite... FULL, indeed." he smirked, turning his attention back towards the drawing. "Oh, but enough about me. This is your time, my dear! Tell me, what do you do?"
"Well..." she licked her lips, her practiced spiel firmly within her head. "I'm from a somewhat-noble family in Fillydelphia, having struck out at the tender age of sixteen. As you saw, from my Cutiemark, I have something of a penchant for making umbrellas and weather-wear. I've my own shop. Not too much unlike yours actually," she found herself faltering for a second. "Where I take in custom orders, mainly from pegusai. My brand is not nearly as well-known as yours is, but I make enough to get by for now. One day, elements willing, I'll be able to take the fashion world by storm!"
"My, my." came the reply, a smile upon his face. "It certainly sounds like you've got a lot of work cut out for you."
"Oh, nothing I can't handle, I assure you." she waved off the comment.
"Indeed... also, Miss Rarity?"
"Hmmm?"
Elusive allowed his spectacles to slide down the bridge of his nose, a half-lidded gaze leveled at her. "It's awfully unbecoming for lovely young ladies like you to tell such bold-faced lies, don't you think?"
Her heart shot up her throat, eyes wide. How did he know?! What could have given it away?! What did she do-
She felt a moistness upon her forehead, and found her answer.
"Oh, dear." she sighed theatrically, her head lowering. "I should have known. Your legendary eye for detail has found me out."
The stallion chuckled, a dark black pencil flying through the air as he began to touch-up the spot on her fake cutie-marks, where the makeup had begun to run. "It's alright, my dear." he soothed, working quickly. "You should have used actual body paints, instead of makeup."
"You're..." she gave a sniffle. "You're not upset that I... lied to you?"
The unicorn colt shook his head, smile still in place. "Not at all, my dear. In fact, I'm rather in awe that you know the spell for Cutiemark-vanishment! Not even my friend Dusk knows of the spell, and he went to the Canterlot University for Gifted Unicorns!"
Rarity chuckled, before lowering her head, stepping off the stage. "Very well... yes, my talent is not in making umbrellas. Though I CAN make them, they're just, not my specialty. I just wasn't... sure how you'd like my true Cutie-mark, so I substituted for another."
"Miss Rarity..." He lifted a hoof in a placating gesture, before she turned away from him, her eyes cast downward.
"I apologize." she stated, before picking up her umbrella. "I shan't waste anymore of your ti-"
He was upon her in an instant. She suddenly found her hooves being held by his, as he looked imploringly into her eyes. Oh dear, may need to re-think that theory yet again Twilight, I feel like I'm about to explode! If not twice!
"Miss Rarity, please." he pleaded. "Don't let this secret eat away at you. Though you may not feel comfortable in showing your true cutiemark to me today, I want to let you know, that I in no way, think of you in any less a manner. You have been nothing, but a joy ever since you stepped into my shop. In fact, I dare say, this aura of mystery about you..." He leaned in, breath hot on her snout. "It makes you even more... alluring..."
"Sir Elusive..." she returned, before slipping out of his grasp. "Oh, Elusive! I-I've never met another stallion in all my years, who has been so kind and patient and understanding with me, as you have been today! You are a true gentlecolt, in the purest of words! And dare I even say..." she turned back to look at her male self. "The most ELIGIBLE Stallion in all of Equestria!"
"Oh Rarity!" he cried out, theatrics in full swing. "When I opened that door this morning... did your heart sing as mine did!?"
"Yes! And you, Elusive! Did your stomach fill with the dance of a dozen butterflies, the same as mine did when I laid eyes upon you!?"
"Yes! YES! Oh, it HAS to be!"
"It MUST be Destiny!!" Rarity found herself forgetting all else, as her heart ran away with itself.
"Oh RARITY!!"
"Oh ELUSIVE!!"
The two white ponies collided together there in the middle of the boutique floor, hooves wrapped tightly around each other, as they hugged and nuzzled each other passionately, tears of joy flowing from their eyes.
"My DEAREST!!"
"My LOVE!!"
"OH How I've LONGED for this MOMENT!!"
"ME TOO! FINALLY, my LIFE feels COMPLETE!!"
Awkwardly, their arms still bound to each other, the pair lifted themselves onto their hind hooves, before shuffling towards an open window, where the sun was streaming in. Placing themselves squarely in the beam of light, they looked out at the sun, pleading teary looks on their faces.
"PLEASE, PRINCE SOLARIS!!" Elusive cried out towards the sky. "PLEASE GRANT THIS COUPLE YOUR BLESSING IN LOVE!! MAY WE NEVER AGAIN FIND OURSELVES IN LONELINESS, AND BE BLESSED WITH THE ETERNAL BOND OF TRUE LOVE EVERLASTING!!"
"PLEASE, PRINCESS!!" Rarity cried out alongside. "PLEASE CELESTIA, PLEASE!!"
"Celestia?" He gave her a confused look.
"Oh, um, I mean, PLEASE SOLARIS, PLEASE!!"
Together, hoof-in-hoof, tears of rapture streaming down their faces, the two ivory unicorns stared towards the sun, awaiting an answer to their prayers of love and fortune...
... only to be foiled by a blue pegasus stallion nonchalantly scooting a cloud in front of the sun, blocking their light, before hopping on top of it for an evening nap.
"Well!" Rarity harrumphed. "That was rude."
Elusive took a more direct course of action however, stomping over to the window, opening it, and bellowing.
"RAINBOW BLITZ YOU MOVE THAT CLOUD OUT OF THE WAY RIGHT THIS INSTANT OR SO HELP ME SOLARIS, I’LL BLEACH THAT MISERABLE DISASTER YOU CALL A MANE IN YOUR SLEEP!!"
"Gah!" she heard a voice outside. Mercifully, the sunlight returned. "Okay okay, sheesh, what's the big deal? Interrupt your tanning?"
"I'm making a plea to the Prince!" the unicorn yelled back, hoof shaking in the air. "I need this Blitz, I need his blessing in love!"
"Love? What?" The voice was coming closer. "You find a girlfriend, 'Lucy?"
"It's ELUSIVE." came the reply. "And she's not just a girlfriend, she's my Soul Mate!! Destiny has finally rewarded me with my significant other! Not that YOU would know anything about matters of the heart!"
"Oh this I gotta see." the voice came even closer, as the white colt backed up, allowing the pegasus to slip inside to land. Rarity's eyes widened as her suspicions were confirmed, the rainbow mane eliminating any chances of doubt. This was Rainbow Dash's male self.
"So, who's the mystery ma-" Blitz's eyes met with Rarity's, and stopped. She could see the rose eyes shrink as he took her in, before switching his gaze over to his friend. He repeated the maneuver a number of times, Elusive looking at him with an expression of pure confusion.
"Good heavens Blitz, what are you doing?"
"Oh! Um, sorry." the colt shook his head, blinking a number of times. "It's just that... well, you two haven’t looked at each other in the mirror now, have you?"
"Rainbow, please." the unicorn rolled his eyes, before turning to the mare. "You'll have to forgive him, love. This is Rainbow Blitz, Ponyville's resident Weather-pony. Not the most cultured lot, but a good friend."
"O-ho, it's quite alright." she nervously chuckled in return. "Pleased to meet you, sir Blitz. I dare say, you rather remind me of a friend of mine."
"Hee-yeah," the blue pony chuckled, before squinting his eyes. "I BET I DO."
Oh, right. Rarity found her brain kicking itself. Dash DID mention something about him being AWARE of us.
"Blitz." Elusive spoke again, rather grandly this time. "This is the lady Rarity Umbrelle. Today, she walked into this shop, a simple customer. Today, she walks out, as my One True Love!"
"Oh, Elusive~" she found herself swooning at his words, taking comfort in them despite the predicament she found herself in.
Rainbow found his eyes rolling at the spectacle, earning a glare from his friend. "Blitz, I thought you'd be more tolerant than this!"
"I'm sorry!" the pegasus replied. "But from here, the two of you look... more like twin siblings to me! You're like, gender-swapped reflections of yourselves! It's actually pretty creepy! I mean, have you checked to see if you've even got the same cutie-marks?"
Rarity's heart skipped a beat at hearing the emphasis he put on the words 'genderswapped'. She would have sweated her fake cutie-mark right off again, had the stallion by her side not spoken up.
"Rainbow!" Elusive stated, a little shocked. "Rarity is a specialist in producing umbrellas and weather-protection gear! You can see it right there on her flank!"
Rarity shifted her body to the side, allowing the blue stallion a better view of her umbrellas. "As you can see, it is quite different from Elusive's cutiemark, and indeed, does not match up to his in any way, shape or form. Especially not function!"
"Indeed!" her other half stated grandly. "You couldn't get any two cutie marks as different if you tried!" He then directed an eye towards the white filly, and gave her a quick wink.
H-he's protecting me! She found her heart melting and fluttering all over again. He's helping me keep up my guise! Such a true gentlecolt!
"Riiiight..." Rainbow Blitz looked at the two unicorns, his gaze flickering between each one. White coats. Purple manes. Blue eyes. And they were holding hooves, which they hadn't been doing a second ago. That creepy tingle he was getting up and down his spine wasn't going away anytime soon. The cutiemark thing was a sham as far as he was concerned. He just knew that this 'Rarity' was one of them. One of the weird ponies.
But for now, he would play along. Actually, as he thought, playing along was exactly what he NEEDED to do, as a plan formed in his vibrant-maned head.
"Y'know... you're right." he stated, bowing his head towards the pair. "I'm awfully sorry for being... well, rude, and stuff. Didn't mean to get your tails in a knot. Just haven’t had a good week, y'know what I mean?"
Elusive let a smile come to his muzzle. "It's alright, Blitz, I understand. But you should learn how to better corral your words."
"I getcha." the pegasus waved a hoof at the unicorn. "All that aside. Hey. If you're happy, I'm happy. So, um... congrats to you two?"
Rarity found herself being hugged... and returning the hug... as the stallion of her dreams embraced her. "Thank you, Blitz. Thank you SO much." the two of them said in-stereo.
The speedster stallion did his best not to blanch at the resulting sound, before rearing up. "Y'know, come t' think of it, this is Such good news... how 'bout I go and find Dusk, and bring him over? I think he'd Love to get to know the future Miss Elusive, don't you think?"
"Oh Blitz, that's a WONDERFUL idea!" Elusive proclaimed, though the mare in his hooves found her stomach sinking. "Oh, I should probably fix us all dinner! How long do you think it'll be?"
"Eh, probably an hour to fifteen minutes, you can never tell with Dusk. If he's not at the library, he's doing Solaris-knows-what. Which Solaris probably does." A roll of the eyes. "But still, don't worry about it. Just keep 'er around till we get back, alright?"
"Oh, I most definitely will, you can count on that." He outright grinned as he gave Rarity another squeeze.
"Alrighty! I'll see you two lovebirds later then! Hasta La'coasta!" Rainbow Blitz saluted, before mounting his forehooves onto the window. However, before he took off, Rarity heard him add one more word under his breath.
"Filly-faker."
And with that, he launched himself back out the open window, leaving a trail of colors in his wake.
The couple finding themselves alone again, the male unicorn chuckled sadly to himself. "That's 'Hasta La'vista', Blitz." With a sigh, he looked back down, noticing his significant other's stillness. Gently, he cupped her cheek and turned her head to look at him.
"Rarity... are you alright, love? You're not in trouble with somepony, are you?"
The mare blinked, before she regained her composure. "Oh! Oh, no, no trouble at all. It's just that, well, I'll be honest. I didn't expect to stay here THAT long... I mean, this is all happening so fast..."
Elusive nodded, his eyes giving her a comforting gaze. "Yes, it is, isn't it? But I can't deny the red strings of fate, when they finally bring the one you love, straight to your door... Rarity?"
"Yes, my love?" She was lost inside his eyes once more, putty in his hooves.
"Will... will you stay with me, tonight? Have dinner with me? Meet my friends? I so, so much want them to get to know the mare I'm going to spend the rest of my life with... Will you?"
She tried to say no. Somewhere in the back of her mind, there was a purple unicorn, under a bush, crying out for her friend to stop what she was doing, to stop performing this ultimate act of narcissism and falling in love with herself, to come back so that they could all go home...
... but home had never felt like THIS.
"I..." her voice trembled. "I... I suppose I can... wait around, for a little while..."
Whatever else might have been said, was silenced by the motion of lips locking into a forbidden, interdimensional kiss.
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
"Um... B-Big brother?"
The pair gasped as they were caught by surprise, a mad blush going over both their faces. "Oh, Silver! Sorry about that, we, um, we didn't see-"
"Elusive? Miss Rarity? Are you two in love?"
Out of the mouths of babes, it has been said. The pair of ponies stared blankly at him for a few seconds, before softening their gazes and looking back at one another. "Yes," Rarity began. "Your brother and I, are very much in love."
Now Silver's eyes grew wider, his green gaze locked on the mare. "M-Miss Rarity? D-does that mean... that you're going to become..."
"... my big sister?"
There it was. All of a sudden, she no longer saw a colt, but a filly sitting there, Sweetie Belle's face imploring at her. What do you choose, big sister? she asked. Whose heart are you going to break?
"I.... I...."
*knock knock*
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Conner Cogwork
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755
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
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<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2012-07-18T02:37:10+00:00
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2012-07-18T02:37:10+00:00
| 39,991 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Six
Through a Stitch in Time
----------------------------
"Ugh," Dash groaned, quietly. "It's been HOURS."
"Gah, c'mon Dusk!" groaned the voice outside. "It's been HOURS."
"I know, I know." Dusk replied to the tired dragoness.
"I know, I know." Twilight replied to the tired pegasus, right at the same time her male double outside voiced the same words.
Everypony inside the HEDGE cringed once more. This had not been the first time this had happened today, and it still freaked them out whenever it happened. Most of all, Twilight herself.
The two searching members had been going up and down the treeline along the Everfree forest, inspecting every nook and cranny they could find. They hadn't found anything yet, but for some reason, they always wound up right around the circle of bushes at the end of every string.
"What is it about this place, anyways?" Spines complained, eying the mass of shrubbery. "I don't really get why we keep coming back here."
"Neither do I, if you want my honest opinion." Dusk replied. "I just... I dunno. I don't feel anything off about this area, and yet, I'm... drawn, I guess? I dunno."
"Hey, Twi." Applejack whispered from their place of cover. "Y’all wouldn't happen t' be feelin' funny right now, wouldja?"
"Y-you mean, besides this crippling sense of fear that I've got right this moment?!" the unicorn replied, stress making her snappish, if quietly so.
The farmer pressed on. "Tell me sugarcube. What's th' fear FEEL like?"
"Drawn?" Spines asked her friend, raising an eyebrow. "Sure you're not feeling something?"
"Like a knot in my stomach?"
"Like a knot in my stomach?"
Pinkie Pie crossed off another mark on her forehoof. It was up to fifteen.
"Oh, I don't know Spines, I'm just... rather frustrated. We've been out here all day, and not a single sign of pony." There was a rustle as Dusk planted his haunches. "I'm tempted to do something rather deconstructive, but that wouldn't look very good on the next Friendship report, would it?"
"Speaking of which, you've not sent one for a few days now." the little dragon quipped. "Maybe you should, y'know, ask for some help?"
"No, Spines, I need to do this. I mean, the implications are staggering. Doppelganger ponies, interdimensional twins? I have my suspicions, but seriously, what do they want? Do they plan on replacing us, or are they going to invade, what? I just... I need to know."
"Oh Dusk..." Twilight whispered to herself. "You can’t know. It's for your own good."
"Sixteen." Pinkie hissed.
"What?" Dash objected. "That one didn't count!"
The lavender filly let her eyes direct downwards. Friendship reports. She couldn't send any to her mentor, as long as she was trapped in this world. But now, her being trapped here was apparently driving her stallion-self to forgo his own, in his quest for the 'intruders'. What would his prince think? What would Celestia think?
"*sigh*... I'll write a report as soon I get back."
"*sigh*... I'll write a report as soon I get back."
"Seventeen." the party pony whispered, marker in her mouth fumbling about.
A stretch of quiet came, the only noise passing through was gentle breathing. Finally, there was more rustling. "They can't really be hiding in there, can they? Those bushes are too thick!"
"I dunno. I've seen some of Butterscotch's friends get into some pretty tight spaces." Spines replied.
"There's a thought. Let's get Butterscotch and some of his friends, see if they can't find something off about this hedge." Dusk chuckled. "Maybe there's like, a rabbit warren or something inside."
A slow lifting of yellow wings signaled that Fluttershy was okay with this plan.
"Welp, we're not getting anything done, hanging around here!" the purple stallion suddenly exclaimed, as he hefted himself to all fours. "Let's go check the path to Zircon's hut. Maybe they've got it set up there-"
"YO! HEY BRONY!"
The new voice caused everypony inside the HEDGE to jump. And for one of those ponies to give a glare at the ceiling.
"Colt-crudder!" Dash hissed.
Quickly but silently, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight crawled towards the entrance, getting a look outside. Lucky for them, Dusk, Spines, and Rainbow Blitz were in full and clear view, the pegasus stallion quickly zooming in.
"Hey Blitz, what's up?" the male unicorn asked, his mood improved somewhat by a familiar face.
"I'll tell you what's up! Something BIG!" Blitz replied, as he slowed down and hovered in front of his friend.
"Oooooh sugarcakes." Applejack whispered, her green eyes wide as she sighted the blue stallion. "Twi, r'member when ah were talkin’ ‘bout how a gal's heart goes pitty-pat th' other day?"
"Yeah, I remember." Twilight replied, confused. "Why?"
The apple farmer's face had a new addition to it. A crimson line of a blush. "Cause ah think mah heart's a-doin' that pitty-pattin' right now. You make a damn fine colt, Rainbow!"
"Hey!" the multihued mare squeaked in indignation. "No crushing on my clone! That's just weird!!"
"Girls, quiet!" the purple pony hushed. "They're talking."
----------------------------
"ANOTHER ONE?!" both Dusk and Spines said, incredulously.
"Yeah, another one! She's called 'Rarity', and she's a dead ringer for Elusive!" the hovering pony exclaimed. "She's at Carousel Boutique, I've got 'Lucy keeping her there! Not that I had to try very hard, they were practically tripping all over each other!"
"You're KIDDING." The unicorn stallion gaped.
"Nope! Y'wanna know how I found out? Apparently, I pushed my nap cloud right into the sunbeam they were using to ask for Prince Solaris's blessing!"
"Oh GAWD." Now the purple colt was massaging his forehead with a hoof. "Butterscotch was bad enough, but this? Blitz, this is not looking good for the dimensional continuum as a whole!"
"If you mean the universe is gonna explode if they kiss, then we're probably already too late. I think they were making out the moment I left."
The dragoness practically had steam coming out of her ears.
"Ugh!" was the only reply that the pegasus got, as Dusk suddenly broke into a gallop, heading off back towards town. "At least one in the hoof is worth two in the bush! Hurry Blitz, we might still have time!"
As the trio disappeared into the distance, they heard Spines crying out "I'm coming to SAVE you, hon!"
----------------------------
Everypony waited for a minute. When it became obvious that the coast was clear, Twilight found herself hopping to all four hooves. "Hurry girls! We might still have time!"
"Eighteen!"
"NOT NOW PINKIE!" Applejack exclaimed. "We all need t' pony up 'n go save Rarity a'fore she goes 'n does somethin' stupid!"
"Twilight!" Dash gaped, wings flapping at the air. "If meeting ourselves, and touching each other didn't make us disappear... d-do you think th-that... you know!" Her face was reddening just thinking about it.
"I-I have NO IDEA! I've never once read a theory about the end of all time and space being brought about by two of the same ponies from different dimensions having sexual intercourse!!" the student's ears were burning as she said the words, but she had no idea how else to say it, despite how ridiculous it sounded. "A-at least I don't think I have!"
"We need to rescue her. If not from herself," Fluttershy quipped, a look of determination gracing her features. "T-then at least from our other selves!"
"Okay, okay, stop panicking!" Twilight told herself, her eyes shut in concentration for a second. "Okay. Rainbow Dash, fly to the boutique at full speed, as low to the ground as you can go. Introduce yourself as-"
"Woah, woah, wait up." the pegasus stalled. "Speed I can do fine, but this 'Elusive' guy is probably gonna ask questions if he sees me. I'd need a disguise. And it's pretty darned hard to try and disguise this." She ran a hoof through her mane of colors.
"Oh, yeah, that's true. Right. New plan. Rainbow, take... um, Fluttershy, she's the lightest of us all. We'll get her disguised, and she'll do the talking. Sound good?"
There were nods all around. "Good. Okay, Fluttershy, where's that makeup kit?"
The butter pegasus opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it as a look of realization came over her. "Uhm... Rarity took it with her..."
Twilight facehoofed again. It was becoming an unhealthy habit, her forehead told her. "O-KAY, Anypony here got any kind of markers or dye on them that isn’t black. Anypony? Anypony? Time's a wastin' here!"
"Ahh... ah'm sorry Twi," Applejack hoofed at the ground. "Ah kin' offer mah hat again, but ah've got no colorin' stuff on me."
Dash shook her own head. "Sorry Twilight, this rainbow doesn't wash out. I've never had a need for dyes here."
"Uhm, I'm sorry Twilight... I left my crayons back at my cottage in our world... though, I bet if we asked-"
"I've got some coloring!"
This last one came from a perpetually happy pink pony, who was currently bouncing in place without a care in the world. She was swiftly surrounded.
"Pinkie, you're a life-saver!" Twilight exclaimed. "Let's see it! We need to get Fluttershy into it, quick!"
The mistress of Pie reached her head into the pink fluff of her tail, before withdrawing from it, a simple box of tubes. Four tubes in fact. Green, Red, Yellow, and Blue.
The student found herself sighing as she recognized the package. It makes sense. This is Pinkie we're talking about. But it'll still work.
"Pinkie?" the apple farmer questioned. "What in th' hay is that?"
Pinkie Pie proudly opened the box, taking out the blue tube.
"Food coloring!"
----------------------------
As Rarity poured up the steaming pot of broccoli into a strainer, she found something tickling her consciousness... she had forgotten something, but what?
Oh, she was well aware of the predicament that she was in. The bottle of Sunflower Oil was still in her neckbag, which was resting on a coat hanger in the workshop. She knew that a few hours had passed, and that her friends back at the HEDGE were probably becoming extremely anxious for her return.
There was also the matter of impending doom that she knew would be coming through the Boutique door at any minute. She was quite certain that when Dusk and Blitz arrived, their faces would more than likely, not be ones of support, but suspicion. They know who I am. They'll take me in, and drill me for questions, they'll probably want me to squeal on my friends, and tell them where the HEDGE is. And then... and then, we may be stuck here, forever...
Hot breath cascaded down her neck as she felt an affectionate nuzzle work its way up her mane. Instantly, she found her eyes closing in bliss, as all her worries washed down the drain like used cooking water. Oh... but it would be so worth it...
The two had spent some of their time after the pegasus had left, simply standing there in the boutique, lips embracing. Somewhere along in there, Rarity had managed to give the offer of helping her male self with the preparation of dinner, which they had slowly, but eventually, gotten around to.
"Hey there, love." his voice sounded at her ear. "Steamed broccoli with almondine?"
"Mmmm, yes~" she tittered, leaning her head back to brush her cheek with his own. "One of my favorite dishes. My mother cooked it all the time back home. I suppose you could call it ‘comfort food’..."
"Amazing..." Elusive whispered, as he stared into the eyes of his loved one in awe, not for the first time this evening. "My father used to cook the same! And judging by this, it seems our parents both used the same recipe. Oh Rarity, the more I find out about you, the more of my heart becomes yours~"
She silenced his monologue with yet another kiss. Let doomsday come. she thought. Every second I have is another second with my love. My prince. My better self...
She heard a squeak of a door opening. Her eyes shot open in surprise, as the thought of her time coming to an end too soon brought chills of fright and regret through her spine-
"Hey, Big brother! I'm home!"
Okay, so it wasn’t the end of the world yet. But she now had to deal with yet another unforeseen circumstance that had not crossed her mind until right this very second. Silver Bell.
The white stallion broke contact with her lips, a smile on his face. "Welcome home, Silver!" he called out. "We're in the kitchen. There's somepony very... special, that I want you to meet."
"Special?" the little lavender-haired colt questioned, as his stubby legs trotted him right into the linoleum floor. "Did you find another princess, Elusiv-!"
Silver's green eyes widened as he saw and recognized the white mare standing at the sink. She gave him back a nervous smile, before winking at him. Oh gracious, I hope he doesn't say anything too.... unsettling.
"Silver Bell." Elusive stated, taking a few steps towards his sibling. "THIS... is Lady Rarity Umbrelle. She is... the most amazing unicorn that I have ever met in my life. Rarity?" he then turned back towards his female half. "This is my little brother, and the apple of my eye, Silver Bell."
She trotted forward, her mind's eye filled with the image of the two brothers standing together. Instantly, she felt a heartache blossom in her chest, as that image was reversed. In that moment, she realized what exactly had happened... and what she had almost lost.
"S-Silver..." she whispered, kneeling down in front of the little pony. "It is an honor to finally meet you."
The white colt stared for a second longer, before remembering himself and returning the bow. "The h-honor is all mine, Miss Rarity. Are y-you..." his eyes flickered around the kitchen, before settling back on her. "Are you helping my brother make dinner tonight?"
"Indeed I am." she gave him a smile. "Broccoli almondine, and... if it's okay with your brother," she gave Elusive a knowing look, before leaning forward. "Maple-glazed carrots."
Eyes lit up in absolute delight, the sight of which made her heart both ache, and sing. "Maple-glazed carrots?! Wow!" Silver cheered, the thought of his favorite dish ever being made for dinner tonight. He pranced for a second, before running over to Elusive and rearing up on one of his forelegs. "Can we really have Maple carrots, Bro? Canwecanwecanwe?!"
The white unicorn chuckled at the antics. "Of course, Silver! Tonight is a special night. I have no reason to see why we shouldn't." His blue eyes directed themselves back at the mare, as she fluttered her own sapphire orbs. "Yes... tonight is a very special night indeed. Now run along hon, get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready shortly."
"Sure thing, Elusive!" the pale pony cheered, before scampering out of the kitchen. He didn't want to be late for maple-glazed carrots if he could possibly help it.
"Ahhh, the youth of today." Elusive grinned, watching his sibling depart. "So energetic, so happy. I remember a time when I was like-"
As he turned back towards Rarity, he caught sight of her tear-stained face, eyes locked on the door that his brother had left through. "Rarity? Love?" he whispered, coming close to her, nuzzling once more. "What troubles you? You can tell me."
"I... I have a sister," she gasped through a barely-contained sob. "I-I haven’t seen her in so long... seeing your brother just now, just made me realize... how muchIreallymissher!!" she then collapsed inwards, her face burying itself into the stallion's chest, as he wrapped his hooves around her, comforting her.
"Oh, Rarity!" he crooned, nuzzling her mane. "Oh, I had no IDEA! I'm so sorry~!"
"It's okay!" she managed to choke through her muffled sobs. "There was no way you could have known... nor could you’ve known that I need to make a choice..."
"A choice? Oh... oh my love!" He felt his heart clenching, as he pulled her away long enough to look her in the face. "I-is your sister in trouble? Oh please tell me! Elusive will do his best to listen, to help in any way that he can!"
"Oh love!" she gaped, again touched by the depths of his generosity. "I... it's complicated, my love. Believe me, I want to tell you everything, I truly, truly do... but..."
"But?"
"But... explaining would take all night, and we can't let maple-glazed carrots cook that long, less they turn to mush!"
She was stalling, he knew, but he simply brought his lips close, kissing her on the forehead. "Another time then, my dearest. Don't feel as if you need to rush, but please, do not keep it to yourself for long."
"You are my better half, and I am yours. Secrets between us, though we may have a few, will eventually pass. Remember, you have captured my heart, and all its contents, are yours and yours alone to see."
New tears began on Rarity's face, before she flung her hooves around his neck, and kissed him once more. Somewhere in the back, a kettle began to whistle.
----------------------------
Dinner was eventually finished, the sun finishing its final decent over the horizon, as it was all plated. With two unicorns in the kitchen instead of one, the whole thing came together rather quickly. Again, Elusive was amazed by Rarity's powers of prowess, especially in the kitchen. Never once did she have to ask him where pots, pans, or condiments were located. It was like she had cooked in his kitchen before!
Silver Bell eventually rejoined them, descending down the stairs, his mane combed and prim. His eyes were wide too as he witnessed for the first time, the two elder unicorns locking lips as they levitated plates over to the table.
"Oh... oh m-my." he found himself going. So it was true!
They continued to share their passion between each other, barely cognizant enough to put the plates on the table in the right order. At least, not nearly cognizant enough to notice that they were joined by a young colt seating himself right in front of them.
"Um... B-Big brother?"
The pair gasped as they were caught by surprise, a mad blush going over both their faces. "Oh, Silver! Sorry about that, we, um, we didn't see-"
"Elusive? Miss Rarity? Are you two in love?"
Out of the mouths of babes, it has been said. The pair of ponies stared blankly at him for a few seconds, before softening their gazes and looking back at one another. "Yes," Rarity began. "Your brother and I... are very much in love."
Now Silver's eyes grew wider, his green gaze locked on the mare. "M-Miss Rarity? D-does that mean... that you're going to become..."
"... my big sister?"
There it was. All of a sudden, she no longer saw a colt, but a filly sitting there, Sweetie Belle's face imploring at her. What do you choose, big sister? she asked. Whose heart are you going to break?
"I... I..."
*knock knock*
As loud as the bells of death to her, she instantly felt the color drain from her pale face. "Oh, that must be Dusk and Blitz now~" Elusive sang, forehooves wheeling in the air before he took off for the door.
"I..." she remained shock-still, her mouth gaping like a fish, as she watched her life flash before her eyes, as she watched the last few seconds of the most perfect moments of her existence, tick away. "Elusive... I..."
In the front room, she heard the door creak. "Hello there, my- oh! Oh, I do apologize ma'am. Welcome to Carousel Boutique! My name is Elusive. We're actually closed right now, but can I help you with anything?"
"O-oh," came a soft voice. "E-excuse me. My... m-my name is G-Grassy Graze. I-I was just w-wondering... if you wouldn't mind... if you'd happen to have seen my friend..."
Fluttershy! Rarity thought. She found her hooves galloping towards the front room, past her male half as she zoomed to the door. "Fluttersh-!"
It was most definitely her standing at the door. Though the last time the white mare had checked, Fluttershy's coat was a butter yellow, not a pale green. And her mane was usually a vibrant pink, instead of being a soaked, purple-tinged do. To her, it looked like as if somepony had taken her timid pegasus friend and dipped her bodily into a vat of weak blue dye.
"O-oh, Rarity!" Her aqua eyes brightened at seeing her friend. "I was getting worried. W-we were supposed to go see the show earlier. D-do you remember?"
"Oh... oh YES!!" the unicorn cried out, maxing out her drama meter. "I can't BELIEVE I've forgotten! Oh, can you EVER forgive me, my dear Greeny?"
"Grassy."
"Grassy! Oh, I apologize, profusely! I just simply lost track of time, after I met," She pulled Elusive close to her, and traded nuzzles with him. "The STALLION of my DREAMS!"
At this, 'Grassy's gaze grew even wider. "O... Oh! Oh my, I-I'm so happy to hear that!" she cheered, her hooves clapping in joy. A rustle from the bushes next to her however, put her back on-track. "O-oh, but yes. It's okay, Rarity. B-but we don't have much time left, you see..." she tilted her head and flicked her sight behind her, signaling her intention.
Rarity nodded, keeping a straight face despite the jumble of mixed emotions that filled her head. "O-of course, dear. Just give me a moment." She then turned to lock eyes with her better half, her own face a vision of regret. "I'm so sorry, my love... I had completely forgotten about my prior engagement. Like I said earlier, I had no idea that Destiny would happen here..."
The tall unicorn smiled as he shook his mane. "It's alright, my dear. Do not worry for me. I well understand the value of keeping your words to a friend. Go on, Rarity. Enjoy the rest of your evening! Live the life!"
"Oh Elusive!" she found herself swooning once more. "My life will never be quite the same, without you! How will I manage?! How will...."
Her memory jogged.
"WAIT!! Can I ask of one more thing of you, before I depart from your embrace?"
"Oh Rarity, ANYTHING! Ask, and it shall be yours!"
"Um, it's unusual. It's, well…" she looked down for a second, before looking back up, a blush on her face. "Shampoo."
Elusive blinked. "Shampoo?"
"Lauren F, formula 1563, Keratin-B supplemented, for that full-body bounce and shine. I think you know the one~?" There was a hopeful edge to her voice.
His eyes brightened as his own personally preferred conditioner was mentioned. "Oh, I know the one! Be right back, my sweet!" He galloped off, the wind flowing through his mane, as a confused Silver Bell trotted up to the door.
"O-oh, hi Silver." Fluttershy greeted, a smile on her face.
The pony took a second to recognize her. "Wow, your specialty must be camouflage! Hi there Agent... Agent... aww, I didn't catch your agent name."
She giggled. "I'm going by Grassy Graze right now. Don't tell anypony, okay?" With that, she gave a wink to the diminutive unicorn.
"Ugh, how long are they gonna take?" came a whisper from the bush next to the Greener-Shy.
"Hi Agent D!" the little one cheered at the foliage. "Why are you disguised like a bush?"
"Eh, hi squirt. I'm playing high-speed escape vehicle tonight, so I gotta stay hid."
"Oooh, that sounds dangerous. Scooteroll always plays high-speed escape, even when we're NOT escaping from anything!"
Rarity rolled her eyes at the conversation, mouth quirked in a smile as she retrieved her neckbag, before her ears caught the sounds of rushing hoofsteps once more. Quickly, Elusive rejoined them, a bottle of mane-soap floating at his side.
"Here we are, just as requested!" the ivory stallion breathed, the vessel floating over to her. "I should have guessed that my better half would have had exquisite tastes in conditioner as well!"
"Nothing but the best!" she agreed, her horn lighting up as she took it into her own hold. A pained look came across her features, as she trotted up to Elusive, quickly closing the distance between them. "My love... this is... goodbye..."
"Don't say that, my sweet." he soothed, leaning his head in to touch noses with her. "Instead, let us say ‘farewell’, until we are reunited once more. Remember, my dearest Rarity, though we may be separated... know that my heart, will always be yours."
"As... as mine is yours!" the unicorn cried, her voice breaking. "Oh Elusive!"
"Oh Rarity!"
Once again, they embraced each other, lips meeting in one last, passionate kiss. From the door, Silver Bell chuckled, as 'Grassy Green' brought her forehooves to her face and went "Awwww!" Beside her, the bush proceeded to make retching sounds.
It did seem to take an awfully long time, but the two eventually disentangled themselves. Rarity turned, trotted quickly to the door, paused, and then quickly wrapped Silver Bell into her hooves. "As far as I'm concerned," she whispered to him. "You're already my... my little b-brother..."
She released him, and galloped off into the night, a trail of tears streaming behind her. Fluttershy eeped and called after her, running in hot pursuit. Unseen, a pegasus slipped out of the shrubbery and made a quick escape.
----------------------------
Elusive and Silver Bell stood at the door for a long while, well after the fillies had gone out of sight.
"I like her." the small colt finally spoke. "She makes me think of Mom."
"Yes... she does, doesn't she?" the stallion replied, a faraway cast to his eyes.
"I am going to marry that mare. Even if she never resurfaces in Ponyville again, I am going to track her down. I will move the heavens and the earth, if that's what it takes. I'll even take on Prince Solaris himself, if it would mean being reunited with my one true love!"
"Elusive." Green eyes stared at him. "You're monolouging again."
"And I meant every word of it." He gave a nod to himself. A few more seconds passed, before finally, he let out a wistful sigh, his purple mane seeming to deflate. "Well... in the meantime, I suppose we should get back to dinner. The carrots have probably gone cold."
"That's okay." the younger sibling assured, turning back inside. "What matters was that SHE helped cooked it, right?"
"... you're right!" the unicorn replied, as he turned around and closed the door. "She has left us both with her own offering of generosity! And it behooves us as gentlecolts to appreciate a lady's hard work and spirit! Come Silver, let us enjoy the gift that Rarity has left us~"
The brothers began trotting back to the kitchen, stomachs growling. Sadly, about halfway there, the door suddenly reverberated with a panicked staccato of pounding.
"Oh good heavens, what NOW?" Elusive griped, as he pivoted on a hoof and trotted back. "Just a second!"
He sat himself in front of the door, and opened it right in time to-
"WHERE IS SHE?!" Dusk Shine raggedly breathed in the suitmaker's face. He and the magician had never crossed horns literally before, but it was hard to ignore the clattering as their noses were quite pressed against one another.
"Dusk!" he exclaimed, falling back on his haunches in surprise. "You've been running! Where were you, it must have been quite a distance!"
"No time for explanations!" Rainbow Blitz brayed, zooming into the shop proper. "Where's your Fillyfriend? Dusk's been dying to meet her!"
"Blitz, now please." The white pony was getting flustered. "It would behoove a man to at least wipe his hooves before entering another's domain-"
"I've been flying this whole time, my hooves are clean, your argument is invalid." the pegasus snorted. "Seriously, she is still here, right? I thought you were gonna treat us to dinner!"
"Yes, I've been... looking forward to it..." Dusk added, his legs wobbling under Spine’s snoozing weight as he walked inside. His stomach rumbled in agreement. "But not as much as meeting your 'True love’! Can we speak with her?"
Elusive gave a toss of the head, before shaking his mane and shrugging. "My apologies, gentlecolts... but you've missed the lovely lady Rarity Umbrelle by a mere manner of minutes."
A beat passed, before they responded.
"WHAT!?" Blitz yelled, his face a picture of surprise and frustration. "I thought I told you to KEEP her here till we got back!!"
"Rainbow! I am a gentleman, and a true man of virtue would never keep a lady withheld against her will! I'm appalled that you would have me keep her a prisoner in my shop!"
"Elusive, PLEASE!" Dusk piped up, his earlier weariness now banished. "This 'Rarity' you're talking about... she's not a normal pony!"
The white pony's eyes glazed over. "Oh, I would say not! She was a pure picture of divinity itself... that mane... those gorgeous eyes!... her nose was just the most DELICATE thing... and most astounding, her MIND! A soul like hers, I have never before seen in all my years. And I feel blessed to have finally met the one my heart has ached for... the MARE of my DREAMS!"
"Told you it was bad." the blue colt murmured to the purple one.
"That's a very... enlightening description of her." the unicorn deadpanned. "She sounds like quite a catch. So why is she gone?"
The suitmaker shook himself out of his revelry. "Oh, I do apologize. Yes, it appeared that she had a prior obligation. A friend of hers came to my door asking for her, and they left together."
Both ponies' heads picked up. "A friend? Can you describe them?"
"Oh! Um, well... she was a small filly. Pegasus, green coat. Long mane that was a maroon tint. Didn't catch her cutie-mark. Aqua-blue eyes."
Blitz gave a confused look to Dusk. "Doesn't sound like anypony we've heard of..."
"Oh, and the most adorable voice. She was so timid and shy! I pinned her as a possible date for Butterscotch the moment she spoke."
"Fluttershy." the lavender unicorn whispered. "Go ahead and look, I'll stay here."
"Gotcha." came the reply. With a whoosh of wind, the rainbow pony was out the door.
Elusive blinked at the sudden exit, before rounding onto the magician. "Dusk? Just what is all this about? I get the feeling you're not here on account of my invite to dinner."
"While I would appreciate that, Elusive," his stomach mumbled in agreement. "There's a lot more going on here than you think. Tell me, did you get a good look at your date's cutie-mark?"
"It was a pair of umbrellas." came the reply, his eyes closed in concentration. "Rarity is a maker of fine rainwear items, based outside of Fillydelphia. She's shown me that she's quite adept at her craft!"
"I can imagine." Dusk returned, his face taking on a serious expression. He turned his head back at the snoozing dragoness and took a moment to levitate her off his back, onto a nearby pile of fabric, before returning to his interrogation. "Elusive... tell me. Doesn't the Cutiemark-vanishment spell leave behind a faint traceable PKE residue?"
Now the white pony found himself on edge. "Wh-what do you mean, Dusk? I wasn't aware that you'd been learning it."
"I haven’t." came the reply, as the lavender equine got to all fours, trotting into the shop interior, his horn aglow. "But I can still trace that residue. It's very distinct. And.... there's a bit of it distinctly on your stage."
"Oh? O-oh my~ Well, mayhaps I was a bit rusty, trying it out again earlier today-"
"Elusive." His purple eyes locked with the stallion’s blue ones. "You knew. You're COVERING for her!"
"Oh DUSK PLEASE!" The normally tall and relaxed colt suddenly collapsed belly-down on the floor, hooves begging at Dusk's feet. "She's NOT a BAD PONY! I can FEEL, in her heart of hearts, in MY heart of hearts, she has NOTHING but the most AMAZING qualities to her!! She even helped make dinner! Broccoli Almondine! Nopony with a speck of evil intent would even know how to make the PERFECT Broccoli Almondine!!"
"Lucy, get up." Dusk's face was a picture of calm exasperation. "Let me tell you what's going on."
Sniffling, the white horse regained his footing, as his ears perked up.
"I haven’t told all of the guys yet, until I know for certain. Until I do, I'm going to have to ask you to keep all this hush-hush for the moment, clear? Good."
"It started three days ago, when Butterscotch came by my place to check out a book. Only, it wasn’t Butterscotch. She looked like him, but was most certainly a filly. Later on, Butterscotch met her for himself, and from what I hear, he now has a crush on her."
"Oh, how quaint!" Elusive chuckled. "Butterscotch with a crush? I never thought I'd see the day-"
"I'm not done. The next day, there's a commotion in the skies of Ponyville. Two rainbow trails, followed by a Double Rainboom. Later, Blitz comes to me, and tells me that his house had been raided... by a filly that looks just like him, even down to the cutiemark."
"Really? Is that how he got that small bruise above his eye?"
"How did-?... of course, you would notice. But sorry, I am under Berry Bubble Swear to not divulge that information."
"Oh, I see." There was a quick nervous glance around the premises for spongebuckets. "W-well then. Please continue."
"Well, that brings us to today. Today, from what Blitz has described to me, you've had a customer. Who is a white unicorn. Just like you."
"W-well, that is true..."
"She has a purple mane. Blue eyes. A penchant for the dramatic, and an eye for design. Just like you."
Now Elusive found himself backing up against a wall, as Dusk continued to speak. "Y-yes, also true. B-but you see-"
"And she knows the Cutiemark Vanishment spell. Just. Like. You."
"N-now see here Dusk, I... I think I can see what you're getting at. But honestly, it's all sounding to me like you've been hitting the science-fiction section of your library a bit hard."
A mouth was opened to retort, but it was then that Rainbow Blitz made his reappearance, hooves alighting on the carpet lazily.
"No luck?" Dusk asked, a defeated look in his eyes.
The vibrant mane shook from side to side. "Nope. Couldn't find a trace of them. They must have had that Filly-faker with them." His eyes grew stormy as the words left his mouth.
"Filly-faker?" the white one repeated. "Really Blitz, such slang!"
"His own word for his double." The unicorn dragged himself to the center of the boutique, looking rather haggard. "This is getting ridiculous. I've been out at the Everfree Forest all day today, looking to see if I could find their camp, and I've gotten nothing. Then the one lead that we could have used to crack this case wide open, slips through our hooves, cause our friend here is too much of a 'gentleman' to keep her detained!"
Now it was Elusive's turn to roll his eyes. "Please Dusk. I'll admit, it all sounds rather... fantastic. But that's all it is! You don't really think that we're being invaded by 'duplicates' now, do you? The whole thing is rather preposterous if you ask me."
"You saying Dusk is a liar!?" The blue pony popped up in his face. "He's been bustin' his flank trying to find these creeps, and all you can do is go and fall in love with yourself! Literally!"
"I am saying no such thing!" The stallion's face turned red with indignation. "Dusk is as much my friend as he is yours, Rainbow, but please, think this through! If these ARE our... clones or whatever, then what makes you think they really intend us harm? Do you know what their real plans are?"
"That’s what we were hoping to find out." the lavender colt replied, his haunches seating themselves on the floor. "We could have asked your female self... politely, I assure you... where she came from, and how many friends she had with her. What she was doing here..."
His stomach protested against anymore action today. "Ugh... if her cooking's really as good as you say it is..."
"Dinner is still on the table." Elusive replied, looking over to the kitchen door, Silver looking at the three from inside the dining room. "It's probably a bit cold by now, but still, I insist that you join me. I shan't leave my friends to starve, after all! And hopefully you'll believe me when I say, whether she's a 'double' or not, I feel... in my heart of hearts... that she could never have been the type to plot anything dastardly against us~!"
The pegasus gave a half-lidded look to his bookworm friend, but they dropped the subject. Even Blitz had to admit that all the flying today had given him an appetite.
As the trio trotted into the back room, the young colt watched them go by. He knew where the fillies were... but he didn't think they were evil sorts. Nopony who made his favorite maple-glazed carrots could have been bad! With a look of determination, Silver decided to keep his mouth shut for now.
They would later all agree, Rarity's cooking was out of this world.
----------------------------
"Really, you could have TOLD me it was food coloring. This is going to stain my coat something awful!"
"O-oh, sorry Rarity... b-but at least it's all-natural."
"*snort* Yeah. Heaven forbid you get artificial preservatives mixed up in your mane."
They alighted outside the HEDGE, Dash's wings flapping erratically. Flying at near super-sonic speeds close to the ground with a cargo of two ponies had taken more out of the mare than she would have liked to admit.
Slowly, the three made their way inside. Rarity was the first to enter, followed by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash soon after. As the white mare left the incline, she found a pair of purple eyes drilling holes into her.
"Rarity." Twilight began. "Why?"
She fidgeted at the words, trying to think up a suitable response. "I, I was... I was curious, darling. Fluttershy has proven that love is possible between our worlds, and I knew that... well, because of myself, Twilight! I'm not afraid to admit that I felt my beauty and grace in our world, would translate into ruggedness and... and... *sigh~* gentlecolt-ness in this one!"
"You should have SEEN them!" The pegasus complained. "They took HOURS saying goodbye! They even KISSED!!"
"It was really sweet~" 'Grassy Graze' soothed, her green complexion graced with a smile.
Applejack rolled her eyes. "It all sounds very romantic, Rarity. But still, ah can't believe y’all went an' did such a goll-darn foal thing! Right under our noses!"
"Rarity." the bookfilly spoke again. "We TRUSTED you."
"N-now now ladies," the dressmaker assured, her horn lighting up and opening her neckbag, producing the bottle of Sunflower Oil. "I swear, I did not forget you girls entirely. I got our needed item first. I just took a detour... an admittedly lengthy one, I'll admit. But I must confess, though you may speak to me badly of it, I do not think I could ever regret having met my..." here, her eyes drew distant, as stars shone before her face. "My better half. My dream-colt. The one who... made me feel complete~!"
Unsettled looks were traded among the remaining five ponies. At length, Twilight spoke again. "Did you at least get your shampoo?"
Rarity didn't even budge as the bottle of soap was levitated out as well. She gave it a long stare, before bringing it close and rubbing her cheek against its surface. "I shall never part with it for as long as I live!"
"Holy horseapples, she's got it BAD." Applejack stated, staring at the scene, before turning to the magician. "Let's go 'head and git outta here a'fore we all drown from all this sap!"
"Got yah." Twilight replied, taking the sunflower oil into her own hold, trotting over to the table and beginning the procedure from scratch.
The white mare remained standing, still nuzzling the shampoo. She didn't notice when Dash walked up next to her, an accusing look on her face.
"So..." she spoke. "Before we got there... you and Mister Fabulous perform Aerial Maneuver Sixty Nine or what?"
The unfamiliar parlance was enough to drag Rarity to the here and now. "B-beg your pardon, Dash?"
"What she means," Applejack drawled, a sly smile on her face. "Is, did you two go 'n have a tumble in th' hay 'r not?"
The unicorn was a bit more familiar with that term, as her face flushed red. "Applejack! I'll have you know, it's not considered good gentlemanly behavior to accept a lady's 'virtue' upon the first night."
This drew a grin out of the other two fillies. But before they could further press their friend, they were called by the purple pony from the corner.
"Okay girls. Gather around. It's time to go home."
They all quickly surrounded the table. The flower laid next to the vase, the vessel itself half-full of oil as Twilight dropped a red gemstone into its depths. "Dash, if you please?"
The rainbow-maned one nodded, before extending a wing and preening at it. With a very subtle 'ow', she then turned back with a feather in her mouth. Twilight took it, and levitated it into the vase.
"Okay... here goes."
The magician's horn began to glow in full-force, a similar affluence surrounding the vase. Soon, the field extended outwards, enveloping all six fillies.
Okay. Twilight thought to herself. I just need to find that ley-line from before. If I can find that, then I can get us all back home, and this whole nightmare will be over!
Inside her mind's eye, she saw... not a spiderweb of cracks, as she had expected. But instead, something akin to a ball of dark-matter yarn. There were hundreds upon thousands upon MILLIONS of leylines. Leylines that, she realized now, were actually timelines. Each thread was an alternate dimension. She just had to find the thread that was theirs.
She tried to concentrate. But a fog was rolling in. Every thread looked the same to her. She tried to probe them, tried to get a feel for the contents. Surely there was one thread that had been slightly unraveled, from their earlier journey! Desperate, she 'pinged' the cosmos for an answer.
No reply.
Before she could redouble her efforts, she was suddenly tossed backwards, all her energy suddenly bouncing back from whence it came.
She came to a split-second later, eyes staring up at the dirt ceiling, her horn apparently embedded into one of the HEDGE's walls. Blinking, she then realized that her friends were surrounding her, looks of worry on their faces.
"Twilight!" Fluttershy gasped. "A-are you okay?"
"You look like you just sang the Pony Pokey for ten hours straight!" Pinkie chimed.
"Twilight..." Applejack looked at her, fear on her face. "It didn't work, did it?"
"I'm okay." the lavender mare replied, before prying her horn out of the dirt. "I'm fine. And the spell is working, I just... need more energy. Yeah. I could see the timelines, I just couldn't find ours. I'll need a little more magic in order to locate the correct one."
"So what you're saying..." Dash drew on, an indiscernible look taking over her features. "Is that we're still stuck here."
"Just for one more day, Dash. Tomorrow night will be it. I promise."
There were sighs all around, before everypony bowed their heads in acceptance. "Ah guess ah kin’ try 'n see if ah can repeat mah one-off win against Pinkie Pie." Applejack gloomed.
"Oh yeah, that would be fun! I hardly ever NEVER win!" the party pony cheered, her happiness recovering from the setback.
"Twilight..." said a soft voice. "You know, there's always... another option..."
The magician turned to her timid yellow friend, eyes curious. "What do you mean, Fluttershy?"
"Well..." eyes dipped down, a hoof pawing at the floor. "You're the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria... but, if you alone can't do it... I-I mean, not that you can't, but, you know, just in case... there's another most powerful unicorn, in all of Equestria...”
Twilight felt that knot return in full-force at those words. Her pupils began to shrink into dots as she attempted to stammer the name. "D... y-you mean, I-I sh-sh-should meet with D-d... with D-d..."
"She has a point, darling." Rarity commented, coming up alongside Fluttershy. "We all know the wonders you're capable of performing by yourself. Just imagine how much you could accomplish if there were two of you, working together!"
"I... I-I... no." she flatly stated, shaking her head. "No, I can't. You weren't here earlier, Rarity. Dusk was OUTSIDE all day today, looking for us! He-he wanted to f-find us, to ask us why we’re here, t-to bring us out into the open... We, I... I just can't!"
"Twilight..." Now the apple farmer was walking forth. "Can't ya just, y'know... explain everything t' him? Ah know you, yer a pony o’ reason. There's no reason t' assume that he isn't."
Now the unicorn was kneeling to the ground, looking up at those imploring eyes. Even Rainbow was looking at her with a pleading look, while Pinkie tilted her head, confused.
"I... I know... a-and you're all probably right... but still." She managed to straighten her head up. "I know I can do this, without causing any more damage to this world. Just hang on a little longer, okay? You've all trusted me so far. All I'm asking you to do, is to have faith in me. I can do this."
There was a few seconds of silence, before murmurs of agreement were given. "If y’all say so Twi." Applejack relented, getting onto her feet. "Ah'm willin' t' trust yah. T'morrow it is then."
"Yeah, tomorrow." Rainbow echoed, jumping and gliding to a far corner of the HEDGE, curling up as she landed. "Here's to hoping, Twilight."
"Thanks guys. Now... what say we get some sleep, everypony?"
More murmurs of agreement were voiced, as the lamp was extinguished, and dark calm settled over the lot of them. Well, most of them. Twilight remained awake for a time, her heart at war with her mind.
It's not like it's not a good idea, it is. she thought. It's just that... I don't think I can do it. I'm, this is just too much for me. I just... can't. I'm...
I'm scared of him. I'm scared of myself. It doesn't make sense, but I am. Whenever he's near, this darned lump in my throat surfaces. How did they all do it? How did they meet themselves without turning into piles of quivering goo? I just don't understand...
She groaned, before tossing onto her other side. Worrying won't do any good. I can get us back myself. Yeah. I can do that. Now get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day.
".... oooooh Elusive~...."
Twilight winced. Scratch that. This is going to be a long night.
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
There was a yipe from a yellow pony as their watchmare suddenly exploded into the HEDGE.
"Fillies." she started, her face wide and panicked, but her voice oddly even and calm. "We've got a situation on our hooves."
Instantly, Twilight and Applejack rushed to her side, Rarity hanging back and watching from a distance. Fluttershy cowered behind her, while Pinkie remained undisturbed, a bubble issuing from her snout as she snoozed.
"Dusk?" the magician flinched as she said the name. "I-is he back?"
"It's not Dusk!" Dash shook her head, before refocusing on Twilight. "It's WORSE."
"Worse?" The apple farmer briefly removed her hat to skritch her mane. "What 'kin be worse than a stallion who can't help pokin' his nose 'round where it don't belong?"
"Here, riddle me this." The pegasus was apparently trying to make light of this situation, though her expression said it was anything but.
"What's bouncy, bubbly, makes cupcakes for a living, more than likely has a pet alligator, is at least six kinds of pink, is known for being COMPLETELY unpredictable, and Hasn't Met his Female Self Yet?"
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Conner Cogwork
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755
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
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<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2011-09-07T07:44:17+00:00
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2011-09-07T07:44:17+00:00
| 38,491 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Seven
In my Beautiful Balloon
----------------------------
Rainbow Dash yawned in a bored manner. True, this was at least ten times better than staying inside the cramped quarters of the HEDGE... but it was still boring work. She had no idea how those royal bodyguards did it.
The pegasus was nestled deep in the clump of bushes that made up their hideout's roof. Guard duty was something they had all agreed on the first thing that morning. The majority of them were convinced that Dusk was going to try again today, and it was Rainbow's job to watch out for him, giving the mares inside ample time to barricade the entrance before he got close enough to do any serious probing.
So far though, the day had been uneventful. Nothing but birds, trees, and the occasional rabbit which Dash still hid from, in the off-chance that said rabbit was Angel. Or Angelica. Whichever.
"This is getting old." she muttered to herself, her hooves idly waving in the air. "I'm gonna fall asleep at this rate... hmmm... maybe I should have Fluttershy take a turn. Yeah, she could watch, and I'll grab a quick nap before taking over again. That sounds like a plan."
The pegasus righted herself, giving a lazy stretch to all her limbs, before giving another glance across the surrounding area. Nothing but grass and greenery for miles arou-
wait
A speck of color caught her eye, coming from the direction of Ponyville. Her wings shot up in alert, her eyes concentrating on the spot. It was coming closer.
She dug herself deeper into the bushes, secluding her body as best she could. Soon, she could make out the shape of the approaching form. It was a pony alright. And it was.... bouncing?
Her eyes kept their watch. The pony's course was not changing in the slightest, it looked like they were going to pass within a few yards of the HEDGE. She began to realize that as the equine approached, its colors were becoming more distinct. Bit by bit, Dash's face began to devolve into an expression of anguish as she realized that coat was not a lavender hue... but a bright shade of bubblegum pink.
She was also chagrined to find that as the form became clearer, her wings began to stiffen, deploying themselves against her will.
Celestia dammit! she thought. Why do want?!
----------------------------
There was a yipe from a yellow pony as their watchmare suddenly exploded into the HEDGE.
"Fillies." she started, her face wide and panicked, but her voice oddly even and calm. "We've got a situation on our hooves."
Instantly, Twilight and Applejack rushed to her side, Rarity hanging back and watching from a distance. Fluttershy cowered behind her, while Pinkie remained undisturbed, a bubble issuing from her snout as she snoozed.
"Dusk?" the magician flinched as she said the name. "I-is he back?"
"It's not Dusk!" Dash shook her head, before refocusing on Twilight. "It's WORSE."
"Worse?" The apple farmer briefly removed her hat to skritch her mane. "What 'kin be worse than a stallion who can't help pokin' his nose 'round where it don't belong?"
"Here, riddle me this." The pegasus was apparently trying to make light of this situation, though her expression said it was anything but. "What's bouncy, bubbly, makes cupcakes for a living, more than likely has a pet alligator, is at least six kinds of pink, is known for being COMPLETELY unpredictable, and hasn't met his female self yet?"
All eyes directed themselves towards the back, where a party pony napped peacefully. A split-second later, Rainbow, Applejack, and Twilight crammed themselves around the cave's entrance, their pupils shrinking into specks as the intruder bounced closer.
"Sweet Celestia's Mane." the student swore. She would have to apologize to her mentor later.
----------------------------
The colt was built almost as lightly as a filly, though his squared-off snout left little doubt that he was male, despite his bright-pink coat and curled cherry do. On his flank was a familiar trio of blue and yellow balloons. He had his eyes closed, bouncing along quite happily, humming a song to himself. For all intents and purposes, he had no idea of the group of fillies nearby who were scared to death of his existence.
He was not going to pass too far off. As far as they knew, he was on his way to meet the local version of Zecora. Or maybe he was going to pick berries. Who could tell? This was Pinkie Pie's male reflection they were dealing with.
They grew very very quiet as the pony hopped along in front of them. For a second, it looked like he was going to pass, and they could all relax...
... right up until his eyes popped open in surprise, orbs as blue as his double's. He stopped in mid-air, dropped to the ground and stood still, staring into space for a second...
...and then his hindlegs kicked out behind him, seemingly held in place by an invisible force, before they began rotating madly, wheels of pink spinning in the air.
----------------------------
"Yipe!"
The three watching mares heard the shriek behind them, and turned their heads just in time to see Pinkie Pie jolted awake, her body shooting itself to her feet. Her bright blue eyes widened in surprise as her hindlegs kicked themselves out, before performing windmills at record speed.
"No... No! Nononononono!" Twilight panicked, her eyes as big as dinner plates. "There CAN'T be! Sweet Celestia there CAN’T be a Pinkie Sense for that!!"
----------------------------
The stallion's hindhooves ceased their spinning. He waited for a second, before his forehooves repeated the process, stretching out in front of him, rapidly turning in place like a stroke-swimming pony on coffee.
----------------------------
Pinkie's look of detached confusion continued as her own front limbs began swinging in the air as well, accidentally knocking an apple off the table. "Oops!" she called out. "Sorry about that!"
----------------------------
He found himself standing on all fours again. Blinking, he began looking back and fourth, trying to see if-
Suddenly, his entire body bounced off the ground, before he began spinning in place, a tornado in miniature forming quickly, his mane and tail coloring the vortex a deep pink.
----------------------------
Fluttershy and Rarity had backed themselves up against the other three, as their pink friend became a pony-sized dust-devil, blankets and tablecloths whipping about in the wind.
Applejack's look of pure terror remained as she kept glancing back and forth between the convulsing pony outside, and the convulsing pony inside. A long-time believer of the twitchy-tail, this display of pinkie sense of this size was painting a brand new stripe of respect and fear for her perpetually cheerful friend into the farmer's mind. Who woulda known she'd have a Doozy of THIS magnitude in her?!
"Pinkie!" Dash was calling out to her. "Pinkie, STOP! You're gonna give us away!"
"She can't help it!" Twilight replied, voice filled with despair. "This is it! This is the end of us all!!"
----------------------------
Just as suddenly as it started, the stallion's body screeched to a halt in mid-air. Slowly, he descended like a feather, hooves alighting on the ground with nary a scratch.
He stood there for a full thirty seconds, eyes wide and blinking, waiting to see if anything else would happen. When nothing did, he finally opened his mouth.
"WOW." he said, voice as fizzy as cherry cola. "THAT was a new one!"
----------------------------
"WOW." Pinkie stated, as her feet touched the floor, the area surrounding her a scene of only minor devastation. "I've never felt THAT one before!"
She then 'awp'ed as she found herself the target of an impromptu pony-pile, all five fillies stacking themselves on top of her, restraining her as best they could.
"Pinkie, stay quiet!" Rarity whispered harshly. "One of them is out there!"
"Oh?" The pink pony's ears perked. "I don't hear Spines complaining. Is it somepony else?"
"Y’all could say that." Applejack replied, her hooves wrapped around a bubblegum hindleg. "Just keep yerself still 'n quiet. If we're lucky, he'll go 'way!"
"Who will?" The pie's eyes were wide and curious, apparently not minding being held motionless.
Twilight opened her mouth as if to answer, but somepony else spoke instead.
"Hel-lOOOOOOOoooooo~?" came a singsong voice from the entrance of the HEDGE. Instantly, everypony in the cave stayed very, very still.
"There anypony in there? I mean, If there isn't anypony in there, I understand, but y'see, my Berry Sense just kinda, freaked out right about now, and it usually doesn't do that unless something's about to happen. And I thought I heard somepony yelling over here, and usually whenever my Berry-Sense goes off, and there’s yelling closeby, that usually means there's another pony somewhere around here, so I was just curious to know if anypony was around here yelling and stuff, but if there's not then that's TOTALLY absolutely posilutely okay!”
Wow! Pinkie found herself thinking. If I'd been alone and had that Pinkie-sense happen to me, that's what I would have said!
"Hey, hey! If there IS some yelling pony in there, wanna come with me to Ponyville and have a party? I know every pony in Ponyville and if you're a new pony that means you're new and I've never seen you before! And I always throw a 'Welcome new pony to Ponyville!' party whenever we have a new pony in Ponyville!"
The pink filly's eyes had begun to sparkle. "Don't listen to him, Pinkie!" Twilight whispered furiously. "Fluttershy, grab her ears!"
"Oh, by the way, my name is Berry Bubble! Usually ponies call me 'Berry' or "Bubbly' or 'Random', though I don't know why they call me that last one, I mean, it's not even in my name! If you ask my folks, they'll tell you my name's Berriswainer DaVinci Bubble, but that's kinda long and boring, ain't it? I've never known another pony to have gotten such a long and boring name like mine."
OHMIGOSH ME NEITHER! Pinkemena Diane Pie practically shouted in her skull, loud enough for Rarity to give her a funny look.
"But hey, enough about boring ol' Berry-me!" the stallion continued speaking to the shrubbery, completely ignorant to the trio of bunnies that had gathered to watch him, wondering if the pink pony had lost his sanity. "If there IS somepony in there, won'tcha come out and say hi? I've got a lot of friends I'd like you to meet! Oh, and we can have a party to say HI to you!"
"Re-really?" Pinkie quietly asked, a grin on her face. Instantly, her friends pressed down harder on her.
"We can eat cake and cupcakes and muffins and meringue and have lots and lots of PIE~"
The grin creeped wider across her mouth, as those eyes began to shrink in excitement.
"We can drink sugartea and sugar soda and have sugar canes with sundaes and sunrays and SARSPARILLA!"
"He's going on like the Gala!" Twilight realized, before glancing down at her party friend's rapidly expanding smile. "No Pinkie, you can't! You'll doom us all if you do!" she pleaded.
"And we'll have games, like Piñatas and Spin the Bottle and Twister..."
The frizzy-maned pony's face hurt, that grinning expression reaching from ear-to-ear.
"And my most favoritest of favorite fun games~!"
Pinkie's eyes began to cross, as she giddily awaited the words she knew she was going to hear.
"...PIN THE TAIL ON THE PONY!!"
The five mares weren't exactly sure what happened. They hadn't even blinked. One second, they had had their impulsively perky friend thoroughly restrained at every limb. The second after that? They all went 'oof' as they fell into the space that had been previously occupied by a party-loving pony.
----------------------------
Berry was caught quite by surprise as a pink fluffy-haired filly suddenly leapt out of the clump of bushes that he had been talking to, screaming "PIN THE TAIL ON THE PONY?! MINE TOO!!"
He stared at her, taking her in as she landed. She kept a goofy smile on her face before his presence finally registered in her brain, her expression suddenly taking on a mirror-image look of surprise.
----------------------------
There was a scuffle inside the HEDGE as everypony clamored to get a good look at what was going outside. Dash made a motion to dive out there and drag Pinkie back in, but was restrained with a tail-tug from Applejack at the last minute.
"We don't want t' make things any worse!" she whispered.
"WORSE?! There's TWO PINKIE PIES out there, we've already REACHED that point!" the pegasus argued.
"Shush!" Twilight hissed, her eyes focused on the pair as they regarded each other.
----------------------------
Berry blinked. Pinkie blinked back.
They zoomed in to each other, honking noses, trading soul-searching gazes.
They craned their heads to the side, looking at each other's cutiemark, before looking back at their own, and then back again, recognizing the resemblance.
They zoomed in circles, looking at each other's tails. In synchronous motions, they twitched their tails side-to-side.
They backed up into each other, their manes compressing as the backs of their heads met. Each one reached a hoof back to poke at each other's hair.
They assumed a very compromising position, ying-yang style with Pinkie laying on her back as she inspected her double's hindquarters, Berry standing above her as his eyes examined her own haunches.
Finally, they resumed their original poses, standing in front of each other, blinking, with surprised looks on their faces.
They held this for a few seconds, before they reared up, smiles blossoming on both their faces as they spoke in stereo.
"HI! My name's-"
They both stopped, before breaking out into giggles. Pinkie waved a hoof at him. "You go!"
He did. "Hi! My name's Berry Bubble, and I love to throw parties!"
"Hi Berry Bubble!" she cheered. "My name's Pinkie Pie, and I love to throw parties too!"
"Hi Pinkie Pie! Ohmygosh, REALLY? Me too! I especially love all the candy and the streamers and the dance music-"
“-and the fruit punch and the decorations and the party games! Those are all always so awesome-saucsome!” she finished his exclamation herself.
They pointed hooves at each other as they once more spoke at the same time. "Hey! Can I call you Berry/Pinkie? Sure you can!"
"So!" the colt proclaimed, giving a hopeful look to his female half. "You wanna go have a PARTY?"
"I'd LOVE to go have a party!" Pinkie exclaimed, hooves waving in the air. "Where at? Oh! Wanna go to Sugarcube Corner?"
"Are you kidding, I practically LIVE there! Actually, I do live there, cause I work for the Cakes too y’know, and they're really super-nice ponies for letting me do so, I mean, I get to help make cupcakes and croissants and cakes and crumbles and did I already mention cupcakes? I think it’s the PERFECT place for a party! Yeah, let's go to Sugarcube Corner!"
"Ohmygosh, REALLY? Me too! Let's go to Sugarcube Corner!"
"YEAH!"
And with that, Berry turned around and began to hop in the opposite direction, back towards Ponyville. Only this time, he was accompanied by a new friend, a bubblegum mare that alternated bounce right behind him, as full of energy and cheer as himself.
And that's how Equestria was unmade.
----------------------------
"WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING!!"
"I KNOW WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING!!"
"WHY AREN'T WE DOING SOMETHING?!"
"Um, uh..."
"BECAUSE WE'RE YELLING!!"
"WHY ARE WE YELLING?!"
"GIRLS!" Twilight interjected herself between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, hooves pushing the quarreling ponies apart. "Get a hold of yourselves! This is no time to panic!"
"Twilight, you're one to talk!" Rarity shrieked. "If there ever was a time to panic, THIS is IT!"
"Um, excuse me, but..."
"We've done gone unleashed the Ponyocalypse on Equestria!" the farmer cried out, the sheer amount of terror in her voice drowning out her accent. "TWO Pinkie Pies!! We could barely handle ONE! What're THEY gonna do with TWO of them?!"
"I-I should be able to get her back!" Dash suggested weakly. "Nothing big! Just zoom out there, scoop her up, and high-tail it back here! I'll get it done in Ten-"
"No Rainbow!" the violet unicorn yelled, blocking the pegasus' path. "We can't have you flying in broad daylight, ponies will see you, and then we'll have an incident like the day before last!"
"Uhm... Twilight... if you'd-"
"Well, somepony has to go out there!" Rarity exclaimed, eyes looking furtively back and forth between the exit, and her friends. "I-I mean, I'd be more than willing to go, but I don't know if-"
"Nah-ah." was the response she got. "Don't think I forgot about yesterday. You're staying put. End of discussion."
"But Twilight~!"
"END. OF. DISCUSSION."
"Then that leaves just me n' Fluttershy!" Applejack brayed, her stance suddenly taking on a determined set. "We kin' do this, sugarcube! Ah'll head 'em off at th' pass and git Pinkie lassoed up 'n hogtied, y'just keep her coltfriend busy while ah drag 'er back-"
"TWILIIIIIGHT~!"
A voice rarely heard raised, tended to get noticed. Everypony quieted down as they directed their attention towards the yellow pony.
"Um... yes, Fluttershy?"
She looked down, cheeks tinted at her outburst. "Um... Not that the... that the situation with Pinkie isn't bad... but we've also... got another problem..." She looked to the white rabbit sitting by her side as she bit her lip-
wait. The white rab-
"For Pete's sake!" Rainbow cried out, facehoofing.
"Everypony, I'd like for you to meet Angela. She slipped in here during all the confusion, and she's, well, she's rather adamant about going back out there and telling Butterscotch about us, so..."
The white mare rolled her eyes, her horn lit as she probed in her saddlebags to see if she'd packed a cage. "Not that I don't blame the little darling, but could she wait until later? Now's really not the best time."
"Uhm, that's what I've been trying to tell her... b-but- eep!" Fluttershy winced as the lapine tapped her with an impatient hind leg. "Sh-she just won't listen to reason..."
Twilight had had enough of these horseapples. Her horn lit up, and Applejack had to jump as their makeshift pantry suddenly shapeshifted into a hutch. Without ceremony, Angela was levitated, tossed into the enclosure, and locked in. The bunny gave her a glare full of daggers in return.
"That's another day gone, thanks to that." the unicorn grumped, head throbbing from the exertion. Or frustration. She couldn't tell at this point, and she didn't care. "Fluttershy, I charge you with guard duty. Applejack..." she turned away from a shocked pegasus, towards the earth pony. "Gear up. You're going after Pinkie Pie. Every minute we wait is another minute where she's free to do as much damage to this world as she wants, without even realizing it!"
"Ah'm on it, Twilight!" The orange equine reared up as she tilted her hat forward, stomping towards the HEDGE exit. "Ah'll have 'er back in two shakes of ah pony's tail-!"
"And where do you think you're going, dressed like that?" Rarity interjected herself in front of Applejack, blocking her path. "You're well aware that before you even step foot outside, we must have you adorned in a disguise, correct?"
The applebucker sputtered, before glaring in consternation. "Dis-GAUI-ses?! We ain't got no time fer dis-gaui-ses, Rarity! If ah'm t' make any time t' catch them two a'fore they blow up Ponyville, ah need t' make like a tree an' drop apples!"
"While I agree with you on principle, Rarity, I have to side with Applejack with this one." Twilight looked from behind the blonde pony, giving the dressmaker a look. "We simply don't have the time to properly guise her up on the level we would do for a shopping excursion!"
"Oh, don't worry my dears!" the white mare beamed a smile at her compatriots, before casting her eyes on a folded dress in a corner. "What I have in mind won't take long at all!"
----------------------------
It's a beautiful day in Ponyville today, Elusive thought to himself. Though I must admit, every day will seem grey and cloudy now, that SHE is no longer in my life!
He had been on his way to the Luxury Lotus spa, for his usual meet-up with Butterscotch. He really needed it today, he felt. Having your soulmate wrested away from you after only a single day of togetherness had worn on him hard. And according to the words *however wild they sounded* of his friends, his pegasus friend had recently undergone a similar ordeal. Today, he would cover the cost of both his and his friend's sessions. Nevermind that they were already given discounts for being about the only males in town who openly visited the establishment.
Ponies say what they will about the two colts, he would hear none of it. The Spa was a wonderful place to relax, and Alex and Lexi were always such joys to be around. And he had to admit, the masseur that usually gave his special, Quakehoof, had a certain charm about them...
"Hi Elusive! Bye Elusive!"
The stallion had to bring himself up short as a pink colt bounced right into his path, and then right back out, his constant cheerful manner bubbling as always. It took a second for his heart to recover itself, a relieved smile spread across his muzzle as he reminded himself that it was just Berry, being Berry, as he was usually want to do-
"Hi Pony-who-looks-just-like-my-best-friend-Rarity! Bye Pony-who-looks-just-like-my-best-friend-Rarity!"
His heart DID stop this time, as a filly-flavored afterimage of his friend landed right in front of him, before continuing on, following close behind the original. The two of them were bouncing towards Sugarcube Corner.
"B... B-bu..." the suitmaker stammered, Dusk's words from last night now resurfacing in his head. "T... Two? Two B-Berry Bubbles?! Oh... Ohh my goodness... oh, Oh my stars... OoooOOOOH Sweet Solaris!"
With a hoof to his forehead, Elusive's eyes rolled back as he fainted dead away right there on the street.
----------------------------
A jangle of the door sounded behind ‘Mrs’ Cake as she put the last of the carrot and raisin muffins into the display case, a cross-eyed customer watching the scene with rapt attention. "Oh, hello!" she greeted loudly, her eyes not really directed towards the newcomer.
"Hi Mrs Cake!" came the cheerful reply. Her eyes simply smiled as she recognized the voice, its pink source bouncing past her into the kitchen.
"Welcome home dear!" she called out.
"Hi Mrs Cake!" came yet another cheerful reply, noticeably higher-pitched than the first, its pink source bouncing past her into the kitchen.
"Welcome, dearie~" she automatically replied, closing the door to the display counter and turning to pick up a tray of meringue cookies, when her eyes shot open in realization. Did I just greet Berry twice?
There was a clop of hooves as the bright yellow pony galloped to the kitchen door. As she looked inside, she had to restrain from letting her jaw hit the floor. For inside of her store, there were a pair of pink ponies that were happily hopping about on the floor, following each other in circles, for no apparent reason other than for the pure sake of hopping. Two ponies that seemed neigh indistinguishable from each other in terms of color and energy, save that one was obviously a mare.
"B-Berry!" Mrs Cake gaped, trying to wrap her mind around it. "W-w-who's this? D-did you find a new friend?"
The colt and filly ceased their antics, as they faced the shop owner with a smile. "Hi Mrs Cake!" Berry bubbled, earlier greeting apparently forgotten. “Yes indeedily I did! This is Pinkie Pie, Mrs Cake, and she's my newest and bestest friend in Ponyville!"
"Hi Mrs Cake!" the strange filly greeted, leaping into the air in a manner disturbingly similar to Berry's. "I've heard a lot about Sugarcube Coner and I've always wanted to come visit, but I've been busy being kept in a cave, so I haven’t had a chance until now to visit! I'm so glad to finally see the place, even if it may be like I HAVE seen it all before, but that would be silly, it's not like I fell out of a dimension that's just like this one, save that everypony's genders are opposite, right?"
Pinkie was aware that she should be holding her existence a secret. She was trying. It just wasn’t working very well. She had forgotten to Pinkie-Pie swear on it after all.
"R-r-right..." the baker stammered, eyes quickly flicking from one pink pony to the other.
"She's a new Pony in Ponyville, so I'm gonna throw her one of my special Berryriffic Berry Bubble Bashes, to give her a proper welcome! It's going to be SUPER SPECTACULAR!" The colt was waving his hooves in the air.
"WOW, now that I think of it, I've NEVER had a Welcome-new-pony-to-Ponyville party thrown JUST for li'l ol' Pinkie-me!" his double gushed. "OH! I bet we could combine your Berryriffic Berry Bubble Bash with my patent pending Pinkielicious Pinkie Pie PARTY! It'd be SUPER DUPER SPECTACULAR!!"
"*Gaaaaaaaasp* WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!" Berry cried out, grabbing his new friend's hooves and dancing in-place with her. "It'll be AMAZING! The most AMAZINGLY Amazingest Mazey maze that ever amazed!"
The duo then brought their heads together, as their curled manes pressed up against each other. The following left their mouth in stereo.
"It'll be the BIGGEST, BESTEST and most AMAZINGLYEST Party in ALL of EQUESTRIA!!"
Slowly, ‘Mrs’ Cake backed up through the door, her eyes not leaving the scene of the twin plotting party ponies as they continued animatedly chatting to one another. "I'll get the balloons!" Pinkie was offering enthusiastically.
"And I'll get the streamers!" the bubblegum colt returned, his face matching Pinkie's grin.
"I'll get the food!"
"I'll get the hot sauce!"
"I'll get the invitations!"
"I'll get the games!"
The elderly mare pressed herself up against the wall next to the door with panicked eyes, as their list went on.
"I'll get the cupcakes!"
"I'll get the ribbons!"
"I'll get the punch!"
"I'll get the live band!"
"And I'll get the alligators!"
"Great! It's not a party without Gummy!"
"Is that everything we need?"
"Hmm, I think so. Though you can never tell! Let's add anything else we can think of along the way!"
There was a mess of giggling that made ‘Mrs’ Cake want to run her hooves through her red mane. She then proceeded to yipe as Berry leapt out of the kitchen in his usual bouncing manner, Pinkie right behind him.
"See ya Mrs Cake! Me and Pinkie're gonna go shopping for our party! OH! We need to remember the piñatas!" the stallion gushed, turning back to look at his femme self.
"Yeah!" She bubbled happily. "And the sugarcubes and sugarcanes, and the Sundaes and sunrays-"
"-AND SARSPARILLA!!" they bonked their heads together as they sang that last part in harmony. At this point, the Corner's few present patrons were openly staring as the shocking, not to mention frightening, display of pink.
"We'll be back soon Mrs Cake!" the frizzy-maned mare turned to the baker, and fixed her blue eyes on the perplexed pony. "When we get back, we're gonna have a Party soooooo big, EVERYPONY in Ponyville’ll be invited! See ya soon!!"
With that, the two ponies bounced their way out the door unimpeded. "Heya Pony-who-looks-like Miss Linky! Oh hi Pony-who-looks-like-Ditzy-Doo! Be safe delivering the mail today!"
A silence followed after their departure, nopony making any movements for a full minute, waiting to see if they would return. At length, the blonde-haired pegasus colt that had been single-eying the muffins before, slowly turned to the store proprietor.
"Should... Should I cull the Mayo?" he asked, crossed oculars both displaying looks of worry.
"N-not yet, Derpy. I-I mean... Berry's always been a kind soul..." ‘Mrs’ Cake tried to sound more reassuring than she actually felt. "It's just that... sweet honeybuns with icing, that filly he found! She's an absolute match to him! If she's his new fillyfriend... " both the grey stallion and yellow mare shared a shiver. "Then may Solaris help us all!"
Derpy looked back at the door for a few seconds, brows knitted in thought, before his eyes snapped open. Apparently, the scene with the pink equines had distracted him enough to forget the purpose of his visit. Turning to the baker again, he simply stated. "Muffins."
"Oh... o-oh, yes! Sorry about that dear. I'll get them right out to you."
She grabbed a pair of tongs and lifted out one of those freshly-baked pastries, the customer's golden eyes alight with reverence as the thing was held aloft over a bag-
The door jingled again.
Apparently, her nerves were shot, as the tongs slipped out of her lips, muffin sent flying through the air. Disaster was averted however. Derpy hadn't become Mid-air Snacker Champion of Trottingham for nothing.
"O-oh, ah'm sorry." came a voice from the door. "Ah didn't mean t' disturb y’alls."
"It's alright." ‘Mrs’ Cake soothed, collecting her wits as she made it back around the counter. "Hello, and welcome to Sugarcube Corner! What can I get for... oh hey! I remember you! Hello again!"
"H'lo~" the orange traveling earth-pony drawled. The elderly mare wasn't sure, but there seemed to be a tint of nervousness to her voice. She was also certain that the bright yellow sun-dress that the freckled horse was wearing, was a new addition as well.
"Decided to come back, eh?" The baker found herself relaxing as she spoke. "Care for another cup of coffee? I've got a pot brewing in the back, it'll be a minute still."
"Thank ya fer th' offer, but that's not what ah'm here fer." the farmer spoke, a hoof going up and rubbing the back of her head. "Ma'am, Ah... ah've got a mighty unusual question..."
A curious look. "Go ahead dear, let's hear it."
"Y’all wouldn't ‘ave happen'd t' have seen mah friend around here, wouldja? She kindah got 'way from me, and ah've been lookin' all over Ponyville fer her!"
"O-oh?" The store owner felt a suspicion bubbling in the back of her mind. "Can you describe her? I mean, we did see somepony new today, but... well you know, just to be sure..."
The traveler's green eyes gave her a flat look. "She's pink."
"Oh THANK Solaris." Everypony in the store let out a whoosh of breath they didn't know they'd been holding.
"We saw her!" a blue stallion with a curly do stated. "She was with Berry! Freakiest thing I've ever seen!"
"Berry Bubble is an employee of ours." ‘Mrs’ Cake explained. "He's a good soul, but has way too much energy in his body. And your friend... Pinkie Pie, right?" There was a nod. "She looks and acts essentially like a filly version of our Berry, from what we've seen! It was all I could do to keep from calling for help the instant they entered the Corner together!"
"Dagnabbit, Pinkie!" the blonde pony muttered under her breath. Out-loud, she continued questioning. "Where're they now? Ah think ah kin’ save Equestria from a party o' apocalyptic per’portions, if ah kin' find 'em in time!"
"They bent to the store!" Derpy exclaimed. "Dropping for hearty surprise!"
"Thank'yah Ditzy-! er, ah mean, uhm, thank'yah, mister!" The traveling equine appeared to be tripping over her own tongue, cheeks blushing in frustration. "Sorry fer not buyin' anythin', but ah need tah run! Thank y’all Mister-! Agh, Misses Cake!"
"Don't worry about it, hon!" the baker replied, waving a hoof. "Good luck! We're counting on you!" she added as the gaily-dressed pony turned around and galloped out the door, bell jingling as it closed.
Another pause of silence came and went, before the proprietor narrowed her eyes, dug her head back into the display case, and sat the tray full of muffins back on the counter.
"I decree today to be Free Muffins Dooms-Day. Everypony dig in. We may not have a lot of time left before they return."
"MUFFINS!" Derpy Doo cried out joyously, as he leapt into the air for a swan-dive, the question of why he had been called 'Ditzy' twice having completely slipped his mind.
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
"It's a MYSTERYYYYY~!" Pinkie offered, bouncing up between the two orange ones, Berry in step behind her. "And one that you're going to have to WAIT for!"
The farming colt gave Pinkie a look that said she'd just claimed she was a moon-pony. "Really? How d'y’all figure THAT?"
"Be-CAAAAuuuUSE my HOOVES are itchy!" she sang, shuffling her feet in the dirt. Instantly, Applejack's ears perked, as she began scanning the ponies on the street. "And that means you're gonna have'tah CHASE US!!"
"Pinkie!" the blond mare gaped, looking warily about with panic in her eyes. "He don't know anythin' bout yer Sense, why cain't yah keep yer pie-hole shut and let it all-”
Dusk Shine suddenly rounded about from behind a building's corner, Spines on his back. His expression had been calm and content, at least up to when he spied the open-doored state of the Joke shop. His purple eyes cast about the crowd...
... and instantly zoned in on her own green ones.
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Conner Cogwork
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755
| 8 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
| 4,503 | 100 |
<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2012-07-25T05:05:06+00:00
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2013-08-15T12:22:28+00:00
| 38,449 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Eight
Over the Hills
----------------------------
Well Tar-nation. Applejack grumped in her head. Not only were Pinkie not there, but they all had t' see me in THIS fru-fru thing.
Besides the removal of her hat once again, it was the only thing that they had added to her appearance. The dress was the same one that Rarity had begun to distract all the ponies as they waited. She had originally meant to have Fluttershy keep it, but, as everypony agreed, this was an emergency.
It looks better on 'er than it does on me anyways, on any day o’ th' week! she continued thinking, looking down at the dappled yellow thing. It had a white frilly border to its hem that made her think of pampered field fillies from the south, belles who did nothing but roam the hills behind their houses and occasionally broke out into song.
Not feelin' th' part. Especially not th' singin'.
But she hadn't protested at the moment. It had simply gone on over her head, pulled and tugged for a second, and then she had been out the exit like a shot, galloping at full speed towards Ponyville.
An' not a moment too soon! she gagged. She was chagrined to find that the twin bubbles of impending party disaster had already left Sugarcube Corner before she'd gotten there, but as long as she didn't have anymore interruptions, she would be able to catch up to her friend, before the both of them blew everypony out of the water.
At least the lead she'd been given was easy. There was only one party supplier in Ponyville, and that was the Jester's Joke shop. She had made a beeline for the establishment as soon as she had left the bakery.
As Applejack got closer, she began to notice that ponies... were staring. Not directly at her, to her relief, but off into the distance, down the street she was running through. Out of curiosity, she skidded to a stop next to a pair of young, gangly fillies who were also looking off in the same direction.
"What's all th' commotion'?" she panted, trying to catch her breath. "Somethin' come this way?"
"Not ONE something!" the taller of the two girls, an orange unicorn with a long green mane and lazy voice, proceeded to drawl. "TWO somethings~!"
"Yeah!" her green friend exclaimed, spiky red hair bouncing around a chubby-cheeked face. "There were TWO Berry Bubbles just now! And I heard them talking about a party!" She bunched her hooves together, as if she were about to explode into song. "Whenever there's a Berry Bubble Bash, everypony has fun, but if there's gonna be TWO of them, it's gonna be AWE-SOOOOME!"
The farmer found herself doing a double-take as she recognized the cutie-marks on the ponies she was conversing with. Proceeding to shake her head, she simply replied. "Thanks y’all, ah were just curious!"
They didn't even register her leaving, the cloud of dust she kicked up settling over their bodies like so much unused furniture.
As she turned down the street the shop was on, she encountered a mare escaping from the opposite direction. "They can take everything!" she was panicking. "Just DON'T LET THEM GET NEAR ME!"
Applejack had to blink a few times at the strange pony. She'd never met her before, either here or in her own world, but that apron she had been wearing had seemed important. Turning her head back to the shop, she then understood why.
Just now leaving the Jester's Joke shop were a pair of bubblegum bronies, saddlebags packed to bursting with various items of one sort or another. Hanging on the store's door, was a sign that read 'OUT OF STOCK.' That fleeing filly had been the storeowner, scared of the fact that the number of most loyal customers had suddenly doubled, and that by working together, they had completely cleaned-out her shop of each and every party and prank implement left in Ponyville.
Berry still took the lead, Pinkie apparently was more than willing to follow him about wherever he went. They turned back down the street towards Sugarcube Corner, heedless of the dozens of staring ponies. They still wore those overly happy smiles and content faces that they'd been wearing when he'd first left the HEDGE with her in tow. Acting like nothing was wrong with the world... That really got the orange equine's dander up.
With a snort, the farmer galloped straight towards the pair, fully intending on tackling her pink pony friend and whisking her out of Ponyville. At least, that had been the plan. She thought it was a good plan. Simple and straightforward.
It didn't account for the 'twins' suddenly looking off to the side and abruptly changing their course, as they chanted in stereo "Oooooh, slushies!"
Aw ponyfeathers. the applebucker groaned, as she landed in the dirt. Rarity's gonna 'ave a fit 'bout this dress.
She raised her head and tried to focus her spinning green eyes on what the two were doing. For a split-second, she saw four blurs of pink, which was too terrifying to even contemplate. Focusing harder, she saw that they had actually stopped moving, sitting on their haunches in front of a frozen treat stand, the stallion manning the place looking from one pony to the other, fear evident on his face.
"I'll have an EXTRA-large Cotton Candy Swirl, with some CHERRY COLA!" Pinkie cheered, a hoof pointing at the named item on a chalkboard menu.
"Make it DOUBLE for me!" Berry added, his curled mane bobbing as he rapidly nodded. "Double the pleasure!"
The pink mare's eyes lit up. "Double the fun!" she continued in a singsong voice.
They then pressed their heads together and sang out the rest of the jingle in harmony, looking at each other mischievously. "That's the STAAATE-ness of the great-ness of Bubble-Mare-Gum~!!"
The two then proceeded to giggle madly, giving everypony who was watching the scene an extra case of the uneasy shivers. Or at least the chance that Applejack needed to calmly get to her hooves and walk over to the party-ponies, seating herself right next to the female one.
"Pinkie Pie." she started, in a flat voice. "What in all o’ th' bloomin' apple trees 'n Equestria are ya doin’?"
"Oh, I'm going to have a SUPER-DUPER special party with my new friend Berry Bubble, wanna come and help?!" was the reply she got, before that frizzy mane turned, blue eyes seeing her friend for real.
"Oh!" Pinkie exclaimed joyfully. "Heya Applejack!"
"Heya sugarcube." Applejack replied.
"Oh!" Berry exclaimed joyfully. "Heya Applejack!"
"Heya haystack." Applejack replied.
The farm-filly's eyes shot open, her mane standing on end as she recognized that drawl. Slowly, she tilted her head to the right, peering past Pinkie, and seeing her male reflection doing much the same over Berry's shoulder.
"Oh! Why h-howdy there, Cousin JayJay." the orange stallion spoke. "Fancy meetin' you here. Ah was hearin' a buncha commotion all th' way from th' market, an’ ah had t' see what was goin' on." His green eyes then fixed themselves back on his colt-friend, before switching to gaze at the femme partypony, and then back and forth. "But laaaaaand sakes! Ah shore weren't expectin' anything like THIS!"
"Yer tellin' me!" The blonde mare agreed. "Ah'm awful sorry 'bout all this, a-ah had no idea that there'd be another pony like mah friend Pinkie-Pie here. Otherwise, ah'd woulda never 'ave brought her t' Ponyville in th' first place!"
"But 'JAY-JAY'!" Pinkie Pie gushed loudly. One could practically hear the quotation marks. "I thought that we arrived here knowing that there were going to be other ponies like-"
She was silenced by an apple. One good thing about the dress, AJ reflected, was that it possessed pockets for extra emergency apples.
The draft horse had to blink a few times at that scene. Why did that seem so familiar? "So... Berry..." he started slowly, fixing his friend with a gaze. "What were y’all plannin' on doin' wit' yer new... filly-friend?"
The pink colt stood on his hindhooves. Nopony knew where he had suddenly obtained a skillet and a white chef's uniform, complete with apron. "She's koinda new in town, y'see. Me 'n moi friend Pinkie here, woi're gonna shake things up around here in Poenyville tonoight!" he drawled in a depressingly hokey Emeril Lagrassy accent. "Tell mie, Appolejack... are youse all ready, t' BUCK IT UP A NOTCH!?" Berry tossed a clove of garlic into the pan, which exploded with a BAM!
Applejack was NOT ready, as evidenced when he stuffed an apple of his own into the pink equine's mouth.
His femme doppelganger couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. His ears perked at the sound, and he looked back at Pinkie Pie, who had begun chewing through her red fruit gag. He snickered, before joining in on the chuckling.
"Aaaah, land sakes!" the orange filly sighed, wiping at an imaginary tear. "Them Party ponies! Can't live wit' em..."
"Can't live wit'out 'em." he finished, before looking back at the female farmer herself. His eyes widened. "That's a new outfit on yah, cousin. Looks like somethin' a friend o’ mine woulda made."
"O-oh!" AJ found herself blushing and looking down, having forgotten that she was still trussed up like a schoolfilly on a first date. "Th-thank'yah kindly. Ah'm just borrowin' it from a friend. I-It tain't really mah style, y'know, now that ah look at it. Ah kindah-"
"Personally, ah think it looks pretty nice on yah." the stallion replied, his hooves crossing into his signature easygoing pose.
She had cause to blink. Did ah just go n' tell mahself ah look pretty?
"Cousin JayJay..." Now the orange workhorse faltered, the yoke around his neck seemingly weighing him down. "Since yer here, ah figure... now's as good ah time as any to... well… " He gave a sigh as he tilted his head down, trying to corral his words.
It was here that the farmfilly began to blush something fierce, the hole in her stomach yawning open ferociously. Ah hope he ain't 'bout t' say what ah THINK he's 'bout t' say! Ah don't even FEEL that way 'bout 'im!
"Ah wanted t' apologize." he finally blurted. "Fer th' other day. Ah had no right t' out 'n go be nasty 'n suspicious 'bout you. When y’all up 'n disappeared that time in th' market, Applebuck was as sore towards me as a pegasus who'd fergot t' flap." His blonde mane ruffled as he shook his head side-to-side. "After thinkin' 'bout it, ah realized he was right. Ah'm not quite sure what came over me that day. It was improper o' me, and mah Gran-pappy always told me t' treat a lady with proper respect. So it's wit' that respect that ah say, ah'm sorry... can we try again, cousin?"
Applejack blinked, her eyes wide. On the one hoof, she had been relieved to discover that it was not in fact, a declaration of affection as she had feared. On the other, she was rather confused about what she WAS feeling. The earlier pit in her stomach was no longer present. What she was feeling right now, she hadn't the words for. It was different. A warmth. Like she'd just had a piping hot cupcake straight from the pan.
Or a slice of familiar, comforting, apple pie.
It was family, she realized, now recognizing the tug she'd felt whenever Applebuck had been around her. Somewhere along the line, she really had started thinking of her other self as a cousin, she realized. If not something closer. And his apology just now, it felt as if a great big blanket had been dropped over her body, soothing and warming. She had been accepted.
"...shore we can, cousin." she finally replied at length, a genuine smile crossing her face. "We Apples've gotta stick together after all. Apology accepted, Cousin Applejack."
The stallion smiled in return, a look of relief evident in his face. "Glad t' hear that, Cousin JayJay."
"Awwwwww~!" a cheerful voice sounded from the side. It was interrupted by the sound of straw-slurping, before it continued. "Aren't they just so CUTE when they make up?"
"They are! Hey Applejack, you and 'Cousin JayJay' wanna help us with our party tonight? You can supply the apples for bobbing-for-apples!" This was also punctuated by another slurp.
AJ was quickly reminded of her mission, as she saw Pinkie Pie and Berry Bubble sitting together off to the side, watching the two orange horses intently, their slushies now in-hoof.
"O-oh, that reminds me!" she quickly started, coughing behind a hoof. "Pinkie, we need t' talk, you 'n I. Let's go off someplace AWAY from here, a'fore somethin' else happens."
The insinuation appeared to fly right over her friend's head. "But 'JAY-JAY', Berry and me need tah get back to Sugarcube Corner! How else are we gonna throw our super-duper special hybrid Berririffic-Pinkielicious Berry-Pinkie Bubble-Pie Bash-Party, without the Pinkie Pie Party portion involved?"
"Ah was kinda hopin' you wouldn’t actually, sugarcube." The farmer got her face right up into the pink pony's own. "Pinkie, ah just don't think Ponyville's ready fer th' two o' yah! Ah mean, yer parties are always a hoot'n a holler t' go to, an' ah bet his are too. But wit' th' two o' yah workin' together, y’all might wind up makin' a party that nopony can handle!"
"Awww, 'JAY-JAY' has a point!" Berry chimed in. The way he had said her alias made her wonder. "What if we DO over-do it?! Maybe NO one pony should have all that party!"
"Now now, haystack." Male-Jack offered. "Y'know, we're not doin' anythin' at th' farm this evening. You an' yer friend could work onna party there together, and we'd just invite the guys. Just a friendly li'l shindig. How's that sound, cousin?"
Darn mah tendency t' wanna offer mah support. "W-well, while that sounds mighty kind o’ yah cousin, me 'n Pinkie really have t' head out o' town t'day!"
"No we don-!"
"Sugarcube, please zip it." AJ whispered, bringing a hoof up to interrupt. She then turned back to her double. "A-sides, you shore y’all got everythin' done? Got th' pigs all slopped?"
A nod. "Applebuck got t' them this mornin'."
Green eyes were narrowed. "Got th' trees fertilized?"
A raised eyebrow. "Red Gala took care o’ that earlier."
Pinkie's blue eyes shifted back to her friend. "Y'done all the bakin' fer t'day?"
Berry joined her, his own bright orbs joining in watching the verbal tennis match. "Got th' last Dutch pie outta th' oven not forty minutes ago! Still fresh 'n hot, if you'd like t'come back to th' cart and have a bite."
And suffer another gut-wrenching indecisive sibling moment with Applebuck? No thanks. Desperate, Applejack racked her mind for another chore, any chore, that might not've been done yet. Then one hit her.
"What 'bout th' four-leaf Clover seeds? Y’all need those germinated in time fer th' derby."
"Oh pshaw." the stallion waved a hoof at her. "That's a right piece o' pie right there. We only ever grow three atta time, just fer th'-..."
He paused, his hat suddenly tilted to the side as his eyes widened. "Wait... hang on just one cottonpickin' minute... only Me, Red Gala, and th' Mayor know 'bout us supplyin' the Clovers fer th' Clover Derby... how did YOU know, Cousin JayJay?"
Her ears drooped in hopelessness, as she realized that the very same fact was also true in her world. For a depressingly long time, the Clover Derby had been a dismal failure, year after year, until the Mayor had approached the Apple family with an offer to help increase the odds of finding a four-leaf clover. She had given them leeway on their farm taxes, in return for a small number of the rare plants to be grown every year for the derby.
They had accepted, but had kept it hush-hush. Not that AJ had minded giving competitors a fair chance at getting one of the plants, but still. Apples growing clovers? She didn't really want that getting around.
And apparently, neither had her double, as he drilled a look of pure shock and curiosity in her direction.
"It's a MYSTERYYYYY~!" Pinkie offered, bouncing up between the two orange ones, Berry in step behind her. "And one that you're going to have to WAIT for!"
The farming colt gave Pinkie a look that said she'd just claimed she was a moon-pony. "Really? How d' y’all figure that?"
"Be-CAAAAuuuUSE my HOOVES are itchy!" she sang, shuffling her feet in the dirt. Instantly, Applejack's ears perked, as she began scanning the ponies on the street. "And that means you're gonna have-tah CHASE US!!"
"Pinkie!" the blond mare gaped, looking warily about with panic in her eyes. "He don't know anythin' bout yer Sense, why cain't yah keep yer pie-hole shut and let it all-'
Dusk Shine suddenly rounded about from behind a building's corner, Spines perched on his back. His expression had been calm and content, at least up to when he spied the open-doored state of the Joke shop. His purple eyes cast about the crowd...
... and instantly zoned in on her own green ones.
----------------------------
There were four ponies in front of that slushie stand.
Two orange. Two pink. All Earth-ponies.
One filly and one colt per color.
The manestyles and eyes... and CUTIEMARKS... all matched each other.
And the orange mare had spotted him.
"Sorry sugarcubes!" she suddenly blurted, teeth latching around the pink filly's frizzy tail. "Need tah move 'em out!"
"Bye Berry!" the party pony called out, cheerfully waving as she was hauled away tail-first at breakneck speed. "See you! We should do this again soon!"
"Bye Pinkie!" Berry Bubble called back, waving in return, a half-finished slushie in the other hoof. "We should! I'll be waiting!"
Applejack watched the rapidly retreating pair with disbelieving eyes, before he starting looking about to see what had set them off. Upon sighting his unicorn friend's own wide-eyed gaping expression, he called out.
"Dusk! What in tarnation's-"
"APPLEJACK!! AFTER THEM!!"
He didn't need to be told twice. His hooves thundered as he took off, hot on their trail, Dusk following him from behind, a startled dragoness holding on for dear life.
Trailing in the rear of the pack, a perky pink colt bounced along at his own pace, happily humming a tune to himself.
----------------------------
Consarn this dress! Tweren't ever made wit' runnin' in mind!
When Pinkie had mentioned itchy hooves, she had hoped against all hope that it wouldn't mean copious amounts of running for the two of them, as it had in the past. But alas, that was not to be. Once again, the Pinkie Sense had proved itself infallible. Unfortunately.
She had managed to make to the outskirts of Ponyville, her friend’s body flailing in the air as she continued hauling her by the tail, the filly’s body surprisingly light. So far, they were making good time with their head start. She had hoped it would be enough. However, that hope didn't hold out long as she heard the heavy hoofsteps of her male alter-ego slowly become more and more distinct, as he caught up to them.
"Cousin JayJay!" he called out. "Ah dunno what this is all 'bout, but if y’all come back, we can talk this over!"
"Shurhy, shurguhcube! Gun't du thut!!" she replied through a mass of pink frizz.
"What was that?!"
Pinkie cupped her hooves as she called back. "She said 'Shurhy, shurguhcube! Gun't du thut!'!" she explained, helpfully.
"Why not?!" the Stetson-bearing stallion yelled. At least having the yelling being done in HIS direction helped in translation.
"Nught aht lihberthy th' thay, cusfhin!"
"Whaat?!"
"She said 'Nught aht lihberthy th' thay, cusfhin!'!"
"Ah can't rightly say ah like that answer, cousin! Ah've got a few questions fer yah myself!"
"Thfey'll hvevv tah whet fpher anothftfa thime!"
"WHaaaaat?!"
"She said 'Thfey'll hvevv tah whet fpher anothftfa thime!'!"
"Pinkthie Pief, thuftf upf!!"
"Pinkthie Pief, thuftf upf!!" the party pony parroted, hooves and mane waving in the wind.
"Well, if that's how y’all're gonna be!..." a bit of silence, before his voice returned. "Thfen yuu gibv meh nu choife, phudnrah!"
The sudden addition of a lisp in her double's voice made alarm bells go off in her head. Instantly, Applejack felt like a sitting duck.
Her fears do not go unfounded, as a lasso flew out into the air, casting a thin shadow on the fleeing fillies. As it descended threateningly above her head, the farmer suddenly bolted off to the side, narrowly avoiding the closing noose. She swore she felt a seam or two rip in the dress's skirt. Pinkie whooped as she was jolted off alongside, body bouncing through the air like a wind sock.
A few lengths back, the orange stallion's eyes widened as his attempt at capture was evaded. He'd never missed a shot. Then again, he'd never tried to lasso an escaping pony before. Especially not a pony who had managed to surprise him twice in one week. She rather reminded him of... well, mahself actually, his mind pondered.
Still, he remained hot on their trail. They had continued running in a fairly straight direction, off towards the Everfree Forest. If he could catch them before they reached there, he'd be a right happy colt. And he was sure that he'd catch them eventually. He reeled the rope in, and started another lasso a-spinning.
The galloping mare moved in a zig-zag pattern as she continued covering ground. Ah'm gettin' close to th' HEDGE, but ah need t'shake mah 'cousin' off our tails first, a’fore ah head there f' real. He's a big boy... ah know that Big Mac has more stamina than me 'n Pinkie Pie. If mah other self's more similar t' Big Mac than t' me... will he... will he be able t' outrun me?
Her ear cocked as she heard the rope whistle again. "Incthuming ah fphive aclophk!" Pinkie yelled at her, now talking with a piece of her mane in her mouth.
AJ looked back in time to see a low-flying halo spinning towards her, aimed at her legs. He's tryin' t' hogtie me! she realized, and braced herself.
The lasso actually managed to hook itself around her right hindleg, but before it could draw tight, she leapt into the air. The noose popped loose as it slipped off in mid-flight.
The farm-colt in the back almost tripped at this. That should have gotten her, easily! Cousin JayJay shore seems t' know her lassos! he found himself thinking, as he pulled the rope in for another toss.
"Hpe's stfhrthin' upf aghein!" the pinky earth-pony called back to her friend. "I'hve nuveh BEEN inneh rhodtheo bffphore! Whpheeeee~!"
The blonde mare looked around the field they were running through, for anything, anything at all. Any obstacle that'd might help. All that she saw were trees in the distance. Wait, there was one tree that was closer that that... And as it drew closer still, she recognized its breed, and began angling herself towards it.
They were upon it in no-time, and it was only here that Applejack paused in her running. At least long enough to give the tree a good old-fashioned Apple family tree-buck. She then sent off flying again, Pinkie's momentary rest on the ground quickly interrupted.
Male Applejack closed in on the tree, and arrived just in time for the large plant to finish it's shivering, pelting the pony with dozens upon dozens of bumpy bright-green Bodark fruits. Quite literally, horseapples.
He yiped and stumbled, doing his best to avoid the falling crop. Here and there a bodark broke open on his flank or his snout, the heavy fruit giving him thumps, but thankfully nothing that would leave more than a bruise. For a second, he almost lost his hat.
Then he was off again, the rain of horseapples having done its job and slowed him down. He could still see the escaping ponies though, and worked his legs even harder as he tried to close in. She shore BUCKS like an' Apple. he found himself thinking once again. Ah've got no doubt now. She IS family. So why 'n tarnation's she so scared o’ Dusk?
He didn't whip the lasso back out, as he drew closer. Instead, he tried to come within conversation distance once again, his voice ragged from heavy breathing.
"Cousin!" he yelled. "C'mon back now and let's stop this foalishness! Dusk won't hurt ya' none, ah promise! Why cain't we talk this over like normal ponies?!"
"Cfhause weh thain't norfmhal pohnfies!" his doppelganger cried out, her natural honesty slipping out around her friend's tailfur.
"What was that?!"
Pinkie lifted her head "Thpre thaid, 'Cfhause weh thain't-!"
"Fer Pete's sake Miss Pie, y’all dun need ta talk like ah mule with ah toothache now, y'hear?!" The colt was seeing more and more of Berry inside the bubblegum pony every time she opened her mouth, and a little of that good-natured irritation he usually reserved for him was slipping out as a result.
The filly spat out the piece of hair that had been in her mouth, and drawled in a surprisingly good approximation of her friend's voice. "She said 'Cause we tain't normal ponies!"
Applejack rolled her eyes. Here she was, trying to shake off her stallion-self, and Pinkie was acting as a go-between. Her legs were beginning to burn, and she was pretty certain that the sundress she had on was looking like it'd just gone through a war.
Somethin' gottah give. she groused. Ah could maybe run faster if ah didn't have this fru-fru thing on, but he tain't gonna give me th' time t' slip it off. If only ah could find a GOOD way t'-
She saw a dark line come into view across the field. Memories began to pop up. She knew where she was. This was one of Barley Oat's fields, and the formation she was coming across was in fact, a three-yard deep, dried-up creek bed. She remembered playing around in it as a filly, and taking naps under the many trees that grew along its edge.
And just like that, she then had a plan.
She turned her head to look back at her opposite gender, her eyes narrowed and a smile on her lips. "Yhph'all pheelin' lucphy, cfusfhin?!"
"What'd she say?!"
"She SAIIID~" The pink filly looked back at her friend, before turning her head back around and giving the stallion a matching grin. "Y’all feelin' lucky, cousin?"
She then yiped as she was yanked forward, her body rippling like a flag in the breeze as the farm-filly put on an extra burst of speed, galloping towards one of the trees lining the creek. Jack gaped for a second, before increasing his velocity to match.
As they drew closer, AJ mumbled though her lips. "Hold ohn thpight, shurguhcube!!" she called out to Pinkie, before snapping her neck forward.
With her mouth full of tail, the apple pony wasn't really able to retrieve her own rope. So she had to make do with what she had. The party horse barely had time to squeal as she suddenly found herself being tossed around in circles, apparently being used for a substitute lasso. As they finally arrived at the tree, right before it looked like they were about to plummet into the creek bed, Applejack tossed her pink friend into the air.
For her part, Pinkie held up remarkably well as she caught a branch in her mouth, her body stretching like taffy as the orange equine pushed off and propelled herself into the air. As she hit the apex of her hang-time, she gave another yank to her 'lasso', causing the pony to dislodge herself. The pair landed on the other side of the creek with nary a scratch.
And as AJ looked back, she found herself grinning as her alter-ego tossed a lasso at that same branch, apparently intent on beating his cousin at her own game.
Sorry sugarcube. Despite everythin' 'bout th’ two of us that's still alike, you 'n me still have differences. Yer a boy, and so you've got th' endurace that ah know a stallion has. But ah'm a mare, an' ah've got somethin' that you'll never have.
And that's a different center o’ balance!
Applejack watched as her doppelganger pushed off into the air. However, his leg strength, coupled with his top-heavy musculature, worked against him as he took off much faster than intended, the rope looping him up and around the treebranch and giving him a face-to-face meeting with Mister Trunk, landing with a hefty *WHAMPH!!* on the opposite side.
With that, the farmer pony let out a whoop of country cheer, Pinkie yelling alongside her, as they galloped off into the bushes, unseen and unhindered.
----------------------------
There was a moment or so of silence. Or at least, he would have liked for a moment or so of silence. The ringing in his ears would just not let up!
Applejack stumbled as he peeled himself off the tree's bark, green eyes crossed. He was aware that somewhere in there, his hat had fallen off. Right now at this moment, his vision was too impaired to go looking for it. He was pretty content to just sit there on his haunches, leaning back, waiting for the world to come back into focus again.
There was a ragged breathing as another stallion clumsily ran up to join him. Dusk wasn't built for this kind of marathon running, and it showed as he came into view, bags under his eyes, his mane and tail limp with sweat. Even his horn seemed to droop. Spines was in no better condition, her eyes having shrunk to pupils, claws digging deep into the lavender pony's hide.
"Wha... wha..." the unicorn was having trouble catching his breath. "Where... did... did they... they go... AJ?"
The farmer barely registered his presence. Doing an impressive imitation of Derpy Doo, one eye focused on him, while the other seemed to inspect a random bird in the sky. "WHATDYA SAY?!" he shouted.
"I said, where did they go?!" The student raised his voice, already suspecting the worst.
"HOW DOES HAY FLOW? AH DUNNO, AH ALWAYS THOUGHT IT STOOD STILL MAHSELF!"
"No, the fillies, AJ!" Dusk stomped a hoof in frustration. "The fillies got away, didn't they?!"
"THE FLIES GOT T' PAY, Y' SAY? THEY'RE MIGHTY ANNOYIN' AH AGREE, BUT-"
"Gah, not this again!" he grumped, trotting past him and scanning the field with wide purple eyes. "We were so close Applejack. So CLOSE. I actually SAW them this time!"
"OH, AND DUSK, SORRY 'BOUT LETTIN' COUSIN JAYJAY AN' HER FRIEND GET 'WAY. AH STILL DUNNO WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT THOUGH!!"
"What happened, anyway?" He looked back at the applebucker, and seemed to notice for the first time his friend's condition, a look of concern going over his face. "She didn't happen to buck you, did she?"
"HUH?!" The orange colt blinked, before finally focusing both eyes on him. "OH! NAH, SHE JUST WENT N' PULLED A FAST ONE ON ME, S'ALL. OH, BY THE WAY, YOU SEEN MAH HAT?"
Dusk sighed, before wincing and looking back at Spines. "You can let go now, hon."
"I'm kinda afraid to. If I went and put a hole in your hide from hanging on too tight..."
She was given a look, and she obediently hopped down. The magician turned back to Applejack, and began inspecting him for bruises. "So... 'Cousin JayJay’?"
"THAT'S RI- Oh, eheh, uhm, yeah that's right." he began. "She showed up in town a couple o' days ago. Ah'd never seen 'er b'fore, but she said she were part o' th' family, just had th' farthest farm, an could never make it to th' reunion. She's an Apple though, through n' through." His eyes unfocused a bit as he recalled the chase. "Ah tried t' lasso her, but she 'voided every one, an' then she went n' bucked a horseapple tree on me." A hoof rubbed at one of his shoulders. "Darned near tripped me up there. But Ah stayed on their tail right up t'... well, right up to 'bout here, actually."
The unicorn raised an eyebrow, as he looked behind him at the creek bed. "Up to here? She made it across and you didn't?"
"It was SUPER AMAZING!" a new voice dropped in from above. "Applejack was all like VROOM, and then Cousin JayJay was all like VROOM, and they ran for the tree, and then JayJay used Pinkie as a rope and swung her way across, and then Applejack tried too, but he was too big, and he went WHOOP and landed back up against the tree, which looked like FUN, except for the landing-on-your-face part..."
All three looked up to see Berry Bubble hanging down from the sycamore's branches. They didn't ask how he'd gotten up there, as the pink pony fell from the height, accompanied by a few leaves. It was Berry being Berry. That was all they needed to know.
"Uhm... yeah. What he said." Applejack flushed slightly under his yoke, at his less-than-flattering defeat. Having been outsmarted by a filly, family or not, still stung something fierce.
"I see... At any rate," Dusk shook his mane. "Applejack, you did notice the resemblances, right?"
"Resemblances?"
"You know. Your 'Cousin' is an orange earth pony with a blonde mane just like you, right?"
"True, but th' same can be said o' my Cousin Apple Cobbler!"
"She's also got green eyes and freckles like you, remember?"
"In case y’all fergot pardner, Red Gala's got'em too. An' ah highly doubt you'd fergotten that. Ah've seen th' looks you've thrown at mah big sister-"
"NOT the point." the unicorn gave a hoof-swipe. "And she's got the same kind of accent that you've got, doesn't she?"
"Haystack, ah fail t' see yer point. In case y' haven't noticed, all us Apples speak th' same. Annit TAIN'T no ack-cent!"
"GUH, never mind!" Apparently, Applejack would be a hard sell. He quickly pointed a hoof at Berry. "What about HIM? You saw HIS friend, right? Didn't you find it a bit suspicious that they were so similar to each other?"
At this, the farmer brought a hoof up to his chin. "Now that y’all mention it, it did seem a might bit strange. Ah mean, ah understand that anypony who saw Two Berries bouncin' down th' street together would have th' right t' go freakin' like a striped ape. One's a bit much already. What in th' world would we'd ‘ave done wit' TWO o' them?"
"And you, Berry." Now the lavender pony turned his head to face his perky pony pal. "Where did you find your 'companion' in the first place?"
Bubble leapt to his hooves as he happily answered. "Oh, she hopped out of a bush!"
Stares all around. "She.... what now?" Spines asked.
"Well, y'see, it went kinda like this. I was on my way to Zircon's hut to see if he had any kind of good berries that I could use in my next batch of cupcakes, but while I was on my way there, I had a new kind of Berry-Sense COMBO that I'd never had before! My hindlegs spun in place, then my forelegs, and then my whole body spun me around like a tornado! And when it stopped, I saw this bush, and I figured that since my Berry Sense never usually goes off without somepony around, there must be somepony around hiding! So I go up to the bush and I say 'Hello, is there somepony there! But if there isn't, I TOTALLY understand!', and then I talked about throwing a party for them in Ponyville, and then BOING, she hopped out! She told me her name was Pinkie Pie, and that she'd love to help me hold a party, and so we went back into town and we went to Sugarcube Corner and we made plans on making a brand-new-kinda-party the likes that Ponyville had never seen, and then we went to the Jester's Joke shop, and everypony kept STARING at us, and then-"
"Berry." Applejack stuffed another apple into the stallion's mouth. "Ah think we git th' picture."
Dusk however, pressed in. "You said she jumped out of a bush?"
Berry took a bite of his apple, and munched, before going "Yep!"
"On your way to Zircon's?"
"Yessiree bob!"
"On the edge of the Everfree Forest?!"
"Uh-huh! Ran into a pink party pony who looks just like me, talks just like me, loves to party just like me, and even has the same CUTIE-MARK as me!"
"WHERE?!" the bookcolt demanded, grabbing his friend and shaking him by the shoulders. "Tell me Berry! WHERE'S THE BUSH?!"
"Dusk!" The farmer gaped, before taking the dark purple tail in his mouth and tugging him away from the fluffy-maned one. "Ah don't think Ah'm followin' here. Yer not sayin' that Miss Pie is actually dangerous, are yah?"
"It's NOT just her!!" he turned to face the orange one again, eyes wide and expression panicked. "Over the past few days, strange ponies! Strange FILLIES!! Have been showing up all over Ponyville! Butterscotch, you heard about his girlfriend?! Blitz got kicked in the face by one of them, who then escaped with the Sonic Rainboom! Elusive has a mare who looks JUST like him, visit his shop, and they fall head-over-heels with each other! Your 'Cousin' shows up and out-maneuvers YOU, the king of all things country! And NOW there are TWO BERRY BUBBLES!!"
While Applejack was left trying to imagine what a female Rainbow Blitz would look like, Dusk turned back towards his perky pink companion. "And I've been trying, with no luck so far, to find where it is they've been hiding! They MUST have some kind of plan for us! They wouldn't have caused so much CHAOS if they hadn't! Tell me Berry, where did you find the bush? Can you take me to it?! If you can, we can finally confront them and put an end to this WHOLE thing!!"
Berry Bubble took in the pleading face of his friend with his blue eyes, before he scrunched his face up, trying to think. "Hmmm..." he dramatically hummed, cupping a chin with his hoof, stroking his lip. Spines half-suspected a cheesy curly moustache to appear at any second now.
After a full minute of thought, the unicorn stallion leaned in. "W-well? Do you remember, Berry?"
A beat passed, before the party pony uncrossed his hooves and shrugged with an apologetic face. "Nope! Sorry Dusk, but ALL those bushes look alike, you know! They could be ANYWHERE along the Everfree Forest! Sorry I couldn't be of more help! Bye!"
And with that, Berry got to all four hooves and skipped away back in the direction of Ponyville, singing 'La-lala-lalaaaa~' as he went.
Dusk was left with a wide gaping look on his face. With no small amount of trepidation, AJ sidled up to him. "Ah... Dusk?... You gonna be alright there, haystack?"
"But... B-but he was... a-and She! The-they! A-and... g...g-G-G... GRAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGHHHGHHG!!!!!"
The farmer and dragoness both stepped back a fair distance as the unicorn leapt into the air and EXPLODED, his hide suddenly glowing white-hot, as his mane and tail transfigured into erupting columns of fire. His eyes turned ruby red as he momentarily lost all focus of rational thought, visions of destruction and frustration stampeding though his mind.
And then, just like that, it was over. The student pony collapsed back on the ground, hair and hide singed. In his eyes now, was a picture of defeat.
The two approached carefully, making sure he didn't have any fireworks left in him. After a few seconds, he looked up at them. They looked back. He let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry guys." he apologized. "I just don't know anymore. The evidence is all there, but... it's like how I was trying to research Berry-sense a while back. I just can't seem to get anywhere. For every one trot forward, it's three trots back..."
"N-now, don't beat 'cherself up 'bout it, haystack." Applejack soothed, his brow creased with worry. "M-maybe yer right... an' then again, maybe not. A-ah mean, th' whole story... well..." he redirected his gaze back downwards. "Ah'm just not sure. Some o’ it makes sense, after seeing Berry an' Miss Pie. Th' rest? Well..."
The lavender colt shook his head as he struggled to his feet. "Don't worry about it AJ. I'm not going to. I'm done chasing today... come on Spines." He turned around, head hung low in a defeated manner as he began to walk away. "We're going home."
The dragoness made as if she wanted to say something, but closed her mouth and looked back at the draft horse. He gave her a nod, and motioned towards the student. With a return nod, the assistant ran to catch up to her departing friend.
The orange stallion gave a sigh as he glanced about. The sun had begun its evening descent, and the light was starting to wane. A glance upwards revealed to him that his hat was hanging off one of the sycamore tree's branches. A quick trot over to the base, and he gave the tree a good hefty buck, enough so to return the favor by leaving a hoofprint in its bark. He smiled in satisfaction as his hat floated down from its lodging.
As he placed the hat upon his head, he caught himself glancing across the dried-up creek bed once again. "Cousin JayJay..." he murmured, the words that Dusk had imparted, that his cousin herself had spoke, danced through his head.
"Just what are you, Cousin JayJay?"
----------------------------
"We're home!" came the drawl. Everypony's heads perked up as Applejack entered the HEDGE, mouth still full of Pinkie tail.
"Applejack!" Rarity exclaimed, eyes instantly homing in on the dress's tattered condition. "What have you been doing?! Oh dear, I'm going to need to completely re-seam the entire thing!"
The farmer spat out the pink frizz, before fixing the dressmaker with a weary look. "Y’all're welcome to it. Ah'm awful sorry 'bout it Fluttershy, but it gets kinda unavoidable when yer runnin' fer yer life."
"Oh, it's no problem." the pegasus soothed, trading glances between AJ and their captive rabbit. "I'm sorry you had to wear it. I know dresses and you don't usually get along..."
"You had to run?" Dash was instantly up in the blonde mare's face, as Twilight helped Pinkie to her feet. "Who from?! Are they still out there?"
"Nah, lost 'em quite a ways back. They still got no clue where we are." AJ allowed a look of pride to grace her features. "Taught 'em a lesson too. A filly's more than capable o' takin' on a stallion, even if they are ‘er double!"
"Even if they... Oh no." the student groaned, trotting up to her. "You met your other self again?!"
"Weren't somethin' we could really 'void, Twi. Ah mean, he had 'is heart in th' right place at first. He agreed wit' me that TWO Pinkie Pies were worse than one!"
"Oh come ON 'JayJay', we weren't being THAT bad!" Pinkie grumped, fixing her rescuer with an accusatory look. "I mean, yeah sure, we DID plan out a super-duper spectacular party for everypony in Ponyville to enjoy, and I think we might've scared Missus Mister Cake, then we went shopping and bought ALL the party stuff at the Jester's Joke store, and then Me an' Berry each got a slushie, while Applejack and Applejack talked, and then-!"
The blue pegasus took the turn of stuffing an apple into the party pony's mouth. "You BOUGHT OUT the Joke store?! Geeze louise, talk about your show-stoppers!"
"Were they really being that bad, Applejack?" Fluttershy asked, hat in her hooves, as she watched Rarity assist the farmer in removing the outfit.
"Ah tell yah, *erf* ah went straight t' the Corner first. They'd already *ackpf* left by then, but everypony in there was twitcher thanna rabbit inna viper's pit! An' when I followed them down Apricot Avenue, *woof, thank ya Rarity* there were a ton o’ ponies standin' n' starin’, like they'd just seen Nightmare Moon inna tutu!"
Rarity blanched as she pulled the dress away from Applejack's form. "Oh my, that must have been quite the scene! Pinkie already stands out in a crowd. With two of them, anypony they passed must have surely noticed them!"
"And then that's when mah 'cousin' shows up. We manage t' have ah... friendly chat, actually, but then he offers t' hold this party that Pinkie 'n Berry are plannin', down at th' Acres. And while ah'm tryin' t' convince him he still needed work t' do, Dusk comes trottin' up, sees me 'n Pinkie, an then goes 'n tells mah other half t' catch us!"
"My hooves itched right before he showed up!" the pie pony added helpfully. "I just KNEW chasing was gonna be involved!
"D... D-Dusk?! No... No, Not good, NOT GOOD AT ALL!!" Twilight had passed panic sometime back, and was now livid. "If everypony in Ponyville knows there's two Pinkies now, then it won't take them long to connect the dots, and soon we'll have all of EQUESTRIA coming after us!!"
"Uhm, Twilight..."
"We've done our best so far, but it's all coming undone around us!" she wailed. Rarity found herself impressed with the sheer amount of drama the purple pony was exuding. "We've been hiding for days, and every day, we keep doing something that brings us closer to... t-t, to THEM! And on top of that, now THEY'VE started coming to US!" She pointed a hoof over to the hutch, glaring daggers at a white rodent who returned them with equal force.
"Ah, T-Twilight, listen, about that-“
"And to top it all off, that... that new PINKIE-Sense! What do we call that?"
"Th' Whopper." AJ stated.
"Sounds good to me!" Pinkie happily agreed.
"Fine then, The Whopper. Both she and her other half have the same sense, and it went off when they came into close proximity of each other! All it would take is blind luck for one of them to accompany him along the forest's edge, and set it off again! Pinkie's a ticking TIME BOMB waiting to go-"
"TWILIGHT!!"
That last word was spoken rather forcefully, from a demure set of lungs. All eyes turned to Fluttershy, who momentarily shrunk from the extra attention.
"Yes, Fluttershy?" The unicorn asked, giving the pegasus an assuring smile.
"Well, I was wondering... I thought of this after seeing them both do the same Pinkie Sense... this may not have much to do with anything, but, I just wanted to ask... " She paused, before gathering herself to air her question.
"H-have any of you felt something... weird, when your other self was nearby?"
The words sunk into everypony for a few seconds. Applejack was the first to reply, to everypony's surprise.
"Y'know, now that y' mention it sugarcube... Ah remember havin' a thought when I first met mah other half. It was kinda-sorta like a great big hole had opened up inside mah stomach. At first, ah'd just chalked it all up t' bein' scared..."
"But then, while he t'were questionin' me, an' Applebuck asked him t' lighten up... he said that he had a funny feelin' in his stomach... like there was somethin' 'off' 'bout me..."
The gears in Twilight's head were churning full-force. "H-he did? If you and him were feeling the same thing... at the same time..." her pupils were beginning to shrink again. "Dusk... he kept getting drawn back around the HEDGE for reasons he didn't know... and every time he was near, I had gotten this... this lump, in my throat..."
"I-if it helps any, at all..." Fluttershy spoke again. "When I met Butterscotch for the first time, I felt something. Like a... a lightness, almost. Like, I could fly away without even flapping my wings..."
"Huh, that's odd." Dash replied. When she was given looks, she sighed and relented. "When I finally saw Blitz in person, I... I dunno. It felt like being back at the Best Young Flier's competition. There was a rock the size of one of Applejack's seven-layer apple crumbles, resting in the pit of my stomach, weighing me down."
"My heart positively SUNG when I laid my eyes upon my prince~!" Rarity sung, forehooves clasping together. "Butterflies abounded within my very being, and he told me that he had felt much the same, the moment we met~"
"And ah bet that thing that Pinkie 'n Berry did a while ago... that WHOPPER of a Pinkie-sense, is what they feel when they get close!" Applejack reasoned. "Twilight! You thinkin' what ah'm thinkin'?"
"That we appear to all be connected to our doubles in some manner or another?" Twilight sounded rather glum at the conclusion. "Then yes, I think we are. Girls, this HEDGE isn't going to cut it anymore. If we can't get home by tomorrow night, then we're... we're going to have to move. Maybe to another town. I hear Fillydelphia is nice this time of year, isn't it? Or hey, we could head for Manehatten, 'cept this time, to STAY."
"Twilight..." Rainbow found herself most crushed by the tone in her friend's voice. "You're not sounding very hopeful here..."
"I'm being a realist." was the reply. "If we're all going to be affected by each other's proximity, then the only other recourse, is to distance ourselves. I mean, I have every confidence that we'll get home, tomorrow... but still, it doesn't hurt to plan ahead...'
"Twilight..." Fluttershy spoke again. "Is... is there really a point to us hiding anymore?"
The lavender pony bit her lip. "I... I don't think that that's... that's not what I..."
"The darling once again makes a point." Rarity stated. "With Ponyville having been repeatedly barraged by our appearances outside, and with the threat of Party-doom rearing it's head whenever Pinkie and 'Berry' meet, it seems to me that any hope of future concealment we may have wished for, is rather moot."
"You're... you're saying we should... come out of hiding... on purpose?!"
"That seems t' be the case they're pleadin'." Applejack drawled, walking up next to the unicorn. "Show ourselves. Explain things. Git sum help. Maybe see if their 'Prince' is a-willin' as Celestia and'll help us get back?"
Twilight screwed her eyes shut. "What? I-I... n-no, NO! I c-can't just give us up like THAT! They're LOOKING for us for a reason! You heard Dusk, they think we're some sort of invasion force! I mean, we've even taken a PRISONER!" Again, she gestured at Angela. "We'll be tied up and tossed in their prison, not to mention banished and then being banished again! W-we might even-"
"Twi. Sugarcube. Stop."
Twilight did, blinking as she noticed that her friends were all looking at her with worried expressions of varying degrees. The farmer had placed her hoof on one of her shoulders, locking her green eyes on the student's face.
"Hon... ah ain't no psycho-chiatrist, but even ah know an excuse when ah hear one. You're scared. You're more scared than th' lot of us were altogether, of yer colt-self. You're th' only one o’ us left now, who's not met their other half yet. And ah kin' see you're diggin' yer hooves in deeper 'n deeper, th' more an' more likely that meetin' becomes."
"H-hey..." Dash spoke up as well, trotting to stand next to her friend. "Twi, I... I'm not happy with the idea of having to face that Colt-Cru-... er, um, ah, my ‘other self’ again either. But, if it means a guaranteed chance at getting back to our home world... then I'm willing to put up with it."
"Besides, they're not like, EVIL or anything!" Pinkie stated. "They're just ponies. Just like us!"
The magician sighed, her ears down. "I-I don't know, girls... I mean, yeah, technically I could... b-but still... I..."
She trailed off, eyes directed at the floor, at a loss for words. She felt the blush of shame touching her face as she realized how true their words were ringing. She knew they were right. But that still didn't change how she felt.
A few seconds of silence passed, before Rarity breathed out a sigh. "Now now girls. Twilight, I can see that we're putting undue pressure on you. I DO apologize for my part. If you truly wish for us to remain hidden... then I shall remain by your decision."
Applejack kicked at an errant rock, before nodding as well. "Ah still think we should go wit' th' better chance... but if it means that much t' yah hon, ah'll trust yah."
The unicorn looked towards Rainbow, seeking her opinion. She got a shrug. "It's alright. I don't mind waiting some more. Gives me more time to catch up on my napping anyway." the pegasus said nonchalantly.
"I'm with you, Twilight!" the party pony quipped, giving her friend a look that spoke volumes about the trust she had. "I know I've been a silly pony today, but there's nopony else I'd trust when it comes to epic adventure big-timey choices!"
At last, Twilight glanced towards Fluttershy, who was in the process of delivering a carrot to Angela. The rabbit made a motion as if to refuse, but a miniature stomach growl signaled her surrender, as she scooped up the veggie and began to munch.
"Fluttershy?... I'm sorry. I..."
The butter pony looked over at her, and gave her as much a smile as she could muster. "I'm still with you, Twilight... you're my friend, and I could never abandon you... but sometimes, you need to be aware... that if we're not able to go home, well... there are lines that you have to keep from crossing. Besides the ones we’ve... already..." she glanced over to the hutch, before directing her gaze to the floor.
Dash sighed, foreseeing the moment, before turning tail and flying out of the HEDGE, reassuming guard duty. As the rest of the girls broke up, occupying themselves with other tasks, the lavender unicorn remained seated next to her, as they watched their captive. "... I know, Fluttershy... I'm sorry. I... I promise. I won't let it happen again."
A pink mane bobbed in reply in a nod, though she could tell that those eyes were still turned down.
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
Dusk didn't move. Didn't even budge. The stallion instead raised his head up level, as he spoke the final part from memory alone.
"The Final Cause, is that for the sake of which a thing exists, or is done... including both purposeful and instrumental actions..."
The mare that was seated behind him opened her mouth, unable to stop the words from spilling out.
"The Final Cause, or telos, is the purpose, or end, that THAT something, is supposed to serve."
A moment of silence descended between the two. Neither pony moved, neither one spoke a word, but the both of them were now keenly aware of this second presence that was in the room.
Finally, the lavender stallion asked the air quietly.
"What... is your final cause? What... what do you want?"
She almost choked right there. The lump that was in her throat felt so large and swollen, it was like she would gag on it, should a misplaced word pass through her lips. What do I say? How do I even begin?
... how would YOU want to be told?
"...all we want..." Twilight finally spoke. "All we want... is just to go home."
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Conner Cogwork
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755
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
| 4,503 | 100 |
<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2011-09-07T18:03:55+00:00
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2013-08-15T12:59:39+00:00
| 38,378 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Nine
Under a Midnight Star
----------------------------
She snorted, before blinking, and looking around.
Night-time had fallen, and everypony was snoozing away. Everypony that was, except Twilight Sparkle apparently. She sat herself upright and rubbed at her eyes, taking a look at her companions.
Dash was snoring, loudly, on her back, Applejack seemingly in a contest with her to see who could make the most racket. Rarity was tucked away in a corner, in a pile of blankets, as she murmured something about dream stallions. Pinkie, surprisingly, was the most serene of the bunch, hooves curled up daintily as she snoozed.
And Fluttershy... she found herself tearing up, as she realized that the yellow pegasus had fallen asleep sitting upright, head resting upon the hutch door, as Angela snoozed as well, curled up as close as she could to the timid pony's head.
I can't do this. she then realized. They're counting on me, and I can't do this. But I can't do THAT either...
I know what I need to do.
But... I can't...
The unicorn planted a hoof on the ground, as she lifted herself quietly.
I can't... please...
She got onto all fours, looking over her friends that she'd come to love. That she'd come to trust. That had come to trust her.
I... can't...
She wasn't sure who she was pleading to. But beads appeared at the corners of her eyes, as she realized that she was beginning to walk away from the group. Towards the cave's entrance. She knew what she had to do. For all of them. But her fear... the relentless, unyielding fear...
I.....
...just...
...can't.
Within minutes, the lavender pony had exited the safety of the HEDGE's shelter. The field and foliage about her was lit by the moon, giving her enough to see by. It also allowed her to see the hamlet that she had come to see her home, far in the distance...
... and the one building whose lights were still on at this time of night.
Slowly, alone, undisguised, and with a lump in her throat, Twilight began the long walk towards Ponyville.
----------------------------
Nopony was on the streets. She had never had cause to stroll through them at this time of night before, save that one time when she had to lull a star-bear to sleep. But she decided she had to do this more often. It was relaxing.
At least, she thought was relaxing, up to a point where she turned a corner, and spied the lit windows of the Ponyville Public Library. Then that knot returned, choking her as bad as before.
I-it's not too late. she told herself. I could turn around and go back. Yeah. I could go back to the HEDGE. Go back to sleep. Nopony would have to know. I could wait till tomorrow morning, and try the spell again. I could do that... yeah...
...but is it FAIR to them? To make them wait any longer? To have them wait on me to make a spell I have no idea how to control, that I can't reference anymore? I don't have the book. I can organize, write, and memorize... but I'm absolute crap if I don't have a book backing me up. Even if I DO cast it tomorrow, there's no guarantee, absolutely none, that I'll be able to do it successfully on my own.
I just... I need help.
But the one pony who can help in this world... can I do it?
Can I... face him?
Somewhere within that inner monologue, she had begun walking again, without even realizing it. As she looked up from the ground, she realized that she was no longer viewing the great tree from a distance. She was right at its door.
Her door.
HIS door.
She shook as she lifted a hoof... and knocked.
There was silence at first. For a second, she was hopeful that everypony inside had simply dropped off to sleep with the lights on.
Then the door-handle began to turn. She hadn't heard anypony come to the door. The knot tightened as she braced herself, coming face-to face with...
... nothing at first. The door finished its wide swing open, before an owl flapped out from behind it. The bird let its eyes rest upon her, before perching itself on the door-handle.
The unicorn took a tentative step inside, before looking back at the nocturnal avian. "I guess you're not called Owlowicious here, are you?"
"Who?"
She simply rolled her eyes, before looking around. Books were left open here and there, cluttering the floor, stacked on the tables, and littering the desks. And she didn't make this mess. Suddenly, she had a new appreciation of what Spike did for her, every time she went on a studying binge.
Which was apparently what her male half was doing right now. Her heart froze as she spotted him, hunched over a desk, head down low, relentlessly pouring through the heavyset text that was laid out before him.
His back was turned. He hadn't seen her come in.
Her hooves felt like lead as she stepped towards him. She could hear him speaking in a voice that was pitched low enough as not to disturb the assistant sleeping upstairs. Her ears perked forwards as she tried to make out his words.
"...there are four explanations, that each answer the question of 'why?' in different ways. These various means of explanation can be divided into the four general types of causality, as follows..."
Aristrotle, she realized, recognizing the words. He's reading Aristrotle's rules of Causality.
His head shifted as he continued reading.
"The first cause, the 'Material Cause', is the physical matter, the mass of 'raw material', of which something is 'made'. Of which the subject itself consists of."
He moved his head as he went to the next rule. "The second cause, the 'Formal Cause', tells us what, by analogy to the plans of an artisan, a thing is intended..."
"...What it is originally planned to be."
"...What it is originally planned to be."
Dusk's head rose a couple of inches. He wasn't sure, but it had sounded like somepony else had spoken the rule alongside him.
He looked back down as he recited the third rule. "The third cause, the 'Efficient Cause', is that external entity, an outside force..." he found himself trailing off.
"...from which the rite of change, or the ending of the change, first starts." Twilight finished, behind him.
He didn't move. Didn't even budge. The stallion instead raised his head up level, as he spoke the final part from memory alone.
"The Final Cause is that for the sake of which a thing exists, or is done... including both purposeful and instrumental actions..."
The mare that was seated behind him opened her mouth, unable to stop the words from spilling out.
"The Final Cause, or telos, is the purpose, or end, that THAT something, is supposed to serve."
A moment of silence descended between the two. Neither pony moved, neither one spoke a word, but the both of them were now keenly aware of this second presence that was in the room.
Finally, the lavender stallion asked the air quietly.
"What... is your final cause? What... what do you want?"
She almost choked right there. The lump that was in her throat felt so large and swollen, it was like she would gag on it, should a misplaced word pass through her lips. What do I say? How do I even begin?
How would you want to be told?
"...All we want..." Twilight finally spoke. "All we want... is just to go home..."
Dusk remained still for a few seconds more... before slowly turning around, and looking upon his own double for the first time. His mane was slightly in disarray, purple eyes half-hidden by hair. But it still allowed the femme to see his pupils shrink, as he took her in.
He got to his feet, and walked quietly towards her, before seating himself in front of his filly-self. To her credit, she didn't bolt or freak out. Instead, they kept their eyes locked on each other, studying features and differences. Face-to-face with nopony else but him and her own self.
At length, the colt spoke again.
"My name is Dusk Shine. I am the prized student of our benevolent leader, Prince Solaris, ruler of Equestria. And I am also the librarian of the Books and Branches Ponyville Public Library."
"And... and you?"
She tried her best to swallow that lump.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle. I am the prized student of our benevolent leader, Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. And I am ALSO... the librarian of the Books and Branches Ponyville Public Library."
There was a pause, and then a nod. "We... we at least seem to have the same taste in bags." he attempted to joke, nervously.
Twilight looked to her side. She had been carrying her saddlebag this whole way. She didn't even remember having put it on, leaving the HEDGE. Her horn lit as she probed its contents... and found, to her surprise, a book floating out. She stared at it, before facing her doppelganger again.
"Here." she simply said, as she levitated the green volume to him. "I'm... I'm hoping it's not overdue?"
Dusk took the book into his own hold. It was the book he had been rather afraid had gone completely missing. 'Supernaturals'. He offered her a grateful smile, before hovering the book and placing it in its proper spot on a nearby shelf.
Another bout of uneasy silence descended. This is ridiculous. Dusk found himself thinking. I talk to myself all the time, and now that there's TWO of me here, neither of us can think of anything to say!
The lavender mare then whispered. "I'm sorry."
He shook his mane, and trotted a bit closer. "I've spent days looking for you."
"I know. I'm... I'm sorry we put you through so much trouble."
"Why did you hide away? We could have helped."
"We didn't want to effect your world anymore than we possibly could." She directed her eyes to the floor, a depressed look on her face. "Though if the past week has told me anything, it's that it's neigh-impossible to accomplish."
Despite the tone and situation, the unicorn stallion found himself chuckling. "How many of you are here, altogether?"
She looked back up at him. "Six. All mares."
He didn't need to make any wild guesses as to who the other five fillies were. He seated himself again as he spoke. "Butterscotch?"
"Fluttershy." Twilight nodded.
"Rainbow Blitz?"
"Rainbow Dash."
"Applejack?"
At this, she couldn't help but give her own chuckle. "No change there. Still Applejack."
"Oh... uhm, then... Elusive?"
"Rarity."
"And... Berry Bubble?"
"Pinkie Pie. I know. I was rather frightened too."
The both of them shared an uneasy laugh, that died off as they resumed staring at each other. The silence was deafening. From above, came the soft snores of a baby dragon.
"…I had thought you had all come here on purpose. But it really was an accident, wasn't it?" Dusk asked.
A nod. "We were just trying to visit Manehatten. Applejack said she knew the place well, and I had found this book-"
"Exploring the Aether for Fun and Profit?"
Twilight's head shot up, a surprised expression on her face that made the colt smile. His horn lit up, and a book flew from the numerous stacks, over to hover between the pair of ponies. It was the same traveling spellbook
He opened the tome to the same page that contained the teleportation spell. "This is purely conjecture on my part... but you mixed up a portion of the Teleportation spell with the dimensional viewing spell that was directly below it. You tapped into our own dimension, thinking it was a leyline for Manehatten, didn't you?"
As the purple mare read over the rift-viewing spell, and its lengthy list of warnings... she found her ears burning, realizing what she could have avoided, had she not gone off at the spur of the moment. "It was the frequency." she clarified. "I tuned into the wrong one when I tried to perceive the leylines. I used the one in that view spell, instead of the one listed in the teleportation ritual."
"I found this book a few days ago." the stallion began, reading over the book as well. "When I first started reading, I was really excited to memorize some of these spells. But before I even got to this page... something happened."
Her eyes turned to the side, as she regarded her double with curiosity. "What... was it?"
"There was a surge of magic energy outside of Ponyville. I'm surprised no other unicorn sensed it. When I went to check it out, I found a hill that was soaked with leftover PKE residue."
Twilight gaped. "Our... Our teleportation spell..."
"And then, when I got back to the library, there was Butterscotch. Wrapped up in a hat and scarf." He shook his head as he chuckled. "Sounded weird. Said he was sick. Checked out ‘Supernaturals’..." he then turned his own eyes to the side to meet hers. "But you already knew all that, didn't you?"
Gulping, she nodded. He then continued his spiel. "After 'he' left, I got back to the book. I found the teleportation spell, and my first thought was 'I know ten ponies... but there are five in particular I'd love to invite!'... then I remembered that Butterscotch was sick, and so, I moved on to the next spell. Once I finished reading it... well..."
"The pieces started falling into place." the femme equine finished. "You had a hunch... that something had happened."
"Yes. After I read the spell, and referenced the Rules of Causality, I decided to pay Butterscotch a visit. Turns out, he wasn't sick, and he didn't have the book he'd checked out, nor did he remember doing so. And then later that same day, Blitz flies in and tells me that our timid friend had met his 'match'..."
"And it just kept getting worse from there." Now Twilight was fully shame-faced, looking at the floor. "Dash invaded Blitz's home. Applejack got into an argument with her 'cousin'. Rarity out and tricked us, when she went to meet with herself for the express purpose of romance. And Pinkie and Berry... we very nearly dodged a bullet there."
"You've certainly made our lives very... interesting, these past few days." Dusk admitted, looking at his doppelganger, a worried expression on his face.
"You mean we've made them a complete disaster. I tried my best to leave your world untouched. And I've failed." Her entire frame seemed to sag.
"H-hey now," he started, a hoof going out towards her, almost touching her shoulder. "Even if things didn't go according to plan, you know... you still managed to save us."
Her head tilted upwards slightly, causing him to retract his foreleg. "Save you? H-how exactly?"
"Well, think about it. Either our worlds are naturally a-synchronous with each other, or you also somehow traveled back in time by about an hour. Either way, if you and your friends hadn't touched down in Ponyville... if your Fluttershy hadn't shown up in the library, pretending to be sick..."
"Then more than likely, we would have wound up in your horseshoes. I would have gathered my friends. Applejack would have suggested Manehatten, and Blitz would have donated a feather. Knowing me, I'd have botched the spell, and then we would have wound up in your world instead... Solaris's mane, there's probably another pair of dimensions out there where that's exactly what happened. We'd have wandered around Ponyville, looking at all the unfamiliar ponies, trying to find a familiar face-"
"Lyra and BonBon." the filly suddenly stated.
That drew a surprised glance. "Who what now?"
"Lyra and BonBon. The first ponies we recognized here, were your Harpsy and Babar. In our world, they're known as Lyra and BonBon."
Dusk's eyes went slightly wide at the thought, but he shook his head. "Either way, the point I'm trying to make, is this: We owe you. If you and your group hadn't come here, then more than likely, we would have been undergoing the very same thing that all of you have."
Twilight let her eyes dip low in thought. Her male self had a point there. She could easily imagine the frustrations she would have suffered, had six stallions landed themselves in her world. Her imagination relived those past few days, through a mirror as she ran around the Everfree forest, tried to track down a captured colt, and then chased a pair of fleeing stallions from the village.
"We still caused you trouble." she stated. "You must have been really frustrated, trying to find us..."
"Well... I did have my moments, yes..." he tilted his head down to look into her eyes. "But that's all in the past. You're here now, T... T-Twilight. The only thing I REALLY want to know is... why didn't you come forward sooner? I know you said you didn’t want to effect our world, but… you know that we would have still helped. Why didn't you let us?"
The filly found herself stuttering as she lifted her head. "B-because... I... I was scared of you, D-Dusk." she answered, tears forming at the corners of her lavender orbs. "I was SO scared. By Celestia's Mane, I'm STILL scared of you! Can't you feel it?! I've had this lump appear in my throat, every time you've been near me. Tell me, aren't you feeling it now as well?"
The purple stallion shifted his eyes to the side as he gulped. He WAS feeling it right at the moment, actually ever since he’d heard her voice, but he had been trying his best to ignore it.
"I'm sorry D-Dusk, but I can't explain this... this irrational fear! I mean, seriously! You're ME! I'm YOU! The only differences between us are our genders, and that just... just makes things even MORE awkward! How am I supposed to FEEL about you?! Do I treat you like a cousin, like Applejack does hers? With abject aggression, like Rainbow? D-dare I even consider the route that Rarity took?! I'm... I'm so confused, and it scares me! There's no guide on how deal with situations like this, cause this situation's never happened before! At least I don't THINK there's a guide! If there is, I haven’t read it yet!!"
Dusk found himself becoming a bit edgier as his reflection continued her outpour. He'd never been good with emotional fillies, and now not only was he dealing with one, it was himself in femme form. As her voice continued to increase in volume, he found himself pointing up the stairs, going 'shhh!'
Instantly her eyes widened, and hooves clapped to her mouth. They both sat in silence, looking up at the bedroom above. Thankfully, the quiet snore of a snoozing dragoness continued uninterrupted.
"Sorry..." Twilight whispered, rubbing the tears away from her eyes. "I didn't mean to... get so carried away..."
The colt shook his head. "It's alright. She's slept through worse." he assured, before a corner of his mouth quirked in a smile. "Though I imagine you already knew that."
She gave him a nod, and for the moment, they let the previous topic pass away. They were content to just sit there, listening to the sounds of Spine's breathing.
"I miss him, you know." Twilight quipped, her eyes still misty.
"Your 'Spines', you mean?"
"I named him Spike." she replied. "I left him in charge of the library. Right before we left, I told him it would probably take us... two, three days, before we came back from traveling..." she found herself sniffling again. "I... I hope he's doing alright. I-I never got him his pizza..."
"... peppers and emeralds with extra cheese?"
"His favorite!"
He found himself chuckling, despite it all. "I'm sure he's doing fine. You know how, um... how they are, when it comes to pizza." He looked back up to the loft, and sighed. “I’m willing to bet he’s holding down the fort, just like Spines would, if I had left. It’s a little strange to think of her as a guy… but their personalities are still the same, despite whatever gender they are, am I right?”
Twilight nodded, eyes still concentrating on the loft above them. “That’s been one of the things about this world, that has comforted us. Every pony we meet here, still acts like the pony we knew back home. When I saw and heard Spines for the first time, it comforted me to no end to see how similar she was to Spike… You should be proud to have someone like her in your life.”
“Believe me, I am.” came the reply. "Getting Spines when I was growing up... even though she's not a pony, she's as good as a little sister, to me..."
Another bout of silence passed, before the colt turned back to his visitor. She was regarding him with a new light in her eyes. "A sibling..." she whispered. "The same with me and Spike. He became my little assistant... but he'll always be my little brother first..."
Somewhere in there, both unicorns began the same thought process. I don't know how to deal with you... you, this pony who is me, but isn't. We have so much in common. So much that we've both done. So many feelings we can’t understand. If I can't think of you as a cousin, a rival, or a lover... can I think of you, as a friend? Can I overcome my fear, and think of you, as somepony close to me? Like...
Slowly, tentatively, Twilight and Dusk each extended a hoof. Their movement paused for just a second, before they finally met and touched each other, simply holding hooves, staring at each other in the library's low light.
"Dusk..." she found herself speaking. "I've tried to perform the spell again to get us back... but I can't do it. I can't find our thread. I... I need help. Please help us. Please help my friends. Help us get back home. That's... that's all I ask for. Please?"
The colt allowed a smile to grace his lips, before nodding. "Sure thing, Twilight. I'll do everything in my power to help you... sis."
And it was then that the mare suddenly found herself breathing easy. The lump in her throat had disappeared. In its place... she didn't know. It felt like something. Like a tingle, maybe. Like... a spark? She knew that whatever it was, it was bright. He really doesn't mean us any harm. He's nothing to be afraid of. He IS me. And yet... he's not. But in a good way. He's... I can think of him like this. I can think of him, like I think of Spike...
As my brother.
She returned his smile. "Thank you, b-brother. I was... I was so scared, that you wouldn't agree. I don't know why still, but... I thought that..."
The purple stallion allowed an eyebrow to raise. "It's because I'm male, isn't it? Despite how similar we are, you originally thought that by virtue of gender, my thought process would be significantly different from yours... right?"
She lowered her head, ears drooping in a nod. However, her head was tilted back upwards to face his, as he gave her a reassuring gaze. "It's okay. I know a lot of us men out there tend to be... rough. But I'm not them. I'm you. And besides occasionally exploding over a scientific conundrum, you know how that is, I try my best to not perpetuate the masculine mindset stereotype. Seriously, sis... did you really think you'd turn yourself away?"
The filly allowed herself to sit up straight, as she became more at-ease. "I did... but I know better now. Thank you, Dusk. I-I never should have doubted you. Though, I have to wonder. Did you really think we were going to invade, or replace you, like pod-ponies?"
He flushed. "You heard that? Uhm... well, you see... I didn't have a lot to work with, so..."
Twilight found his blush rather amusing, and stifled a giggle. As she did so however, it turned into a yawn. A rather hefty one at that. By the time it finished, she possessed a set of rosy cheeks herself.
"Eheh... sorry about that. It IS rather late. Guilty conscience drove me to wake up and seek you out."
"Wow." He blinked, before looking back at the door. "So... are you heading back to your friends? Going to tell them that I'm willing to help?"
"I really should." The femme student turned her head towards the door, thinking of the looooong walk it had taken from their hiding place to here, before turning her head back upwards towards the bedroom, her face a picture of longing as she thought of her own bed so close at-hoof. "But I have to think... should I wake them now, or wait till the morning?..."
Dusk caught her line of sight, and chuckled again. "You know... that bed up there, is as much yours as it is mine."
A new heat suddenly overtook Twilight's face. "Oh! Oh, no, i-it wouldn't be right of me. I mean, this is YOUR dimension, not mine. I-I can walk! It's just..." again, her body sagged from weariness. "... right on the edge of the Everfree Forest..."
"Yeah, I had figured." he replied, taking to his hooves and walking around his double. "Really, I insist. Stay for the night. I'll just drag out that second bed and sleep in it tonight. You can have mine. I'll have Owlowicious wake the both of us up in the morning before Spines does, and we can go get your friends then."
The filly grimaced. "The second bed? Isn't that thing still full of lumps from when Applejack and Rarit- um, I mean, uh, Elusive, fought inside it?" Idly, she wondered if males had sleepovers or not.
"Well... yeah, that's true... but it'll still sleep." The colt continued walking towards the stairs. "Besides, if it's that uncomfortable, there's always the floor."
"Dusk, I-I..." she bit her lip, before finally airing the words she had been thinking. "Do you want to... y'know... share the bed?"
He stopped in his tracks, and looked at her in disbelief. Slowly, he turned his body back around to give her a long gaze. She returned his look with equal curiosity.
"...um... are you sure that'd be... proper?"
"Well... why not? Either way it's okay, I'd still wake up with myself."
"I know, I know. Still, what I mean is..." he trotted forward, placing himself in front of the lavender mare. "Do... I mean, we know each other... we know who WE are... but do you trust your own... 'brother'... enough to do that?"
Twilight stood her ground, noting that the flush she was seeing on his face, was similar to her own. "Do you trust your own 'sister'?” she asked back.
The twin purple ponies stood there, facing each other, the question lingering in the air. Around them, the night snoozed on.
----------------------------
"Good morning girls!"
Rainbow Dash muttered a plea for ten more minutes of sleep in some arcane language that incorporated copious amounts of yawning and mumbling.
"C'mon girls! Up n' attem!"
"Twaaaiii-light?" Applejack moaned, stretching her back out and wincing as a couple of joints popped. "What's up, sugarcube?"
"I'm up, for one. And the rest of you need to be too. Come on, let's get to it!"
"Oogh... my stars, what time is it?" Rarity whined, as she removed her sleeping mask. "Twilight, I must protest-...T-Twilight?"
Fluttershy snorted herself awake at the noise, and found herself looking around quickly, heedless of the mesh pattern that had imprinted itself into her cheekfur. The one pony whose voice they were hearing, they couldn't find anywhere inside the HEDGE.
"Wooow, are we playing hide and seek?" Pinkie bubbled, effortlessly perking herself awake. "If we are, you got GOOOOD, Twilight!"
There was a chuckle. It came from outside the entrance. "I'm not hiding, silly filly, I'm right over here!"
Twilight, outside the HEDGE? The apple farmer was the first one to scramble to all fours and gallop over to the opening. "Twi? What in tarnation's going-"
She paused as she poked her head out. There was her purple unicorn friend, standing there a couple of feet from where the cave of the warren began. She seemed well-rested, her eyes bright and open, and her saddlebag secured tightly to her midsection.
What AJ had NOT been expecting was for a stallion of similar hue and breed as her friend to have been standing a foot or so behind and to the left of the student. His own eyes were quite wide. Apparently, he hadn't been expecting anypony to actually have been hiding in there.
"TWILIGHT!!" Dash screamed, causing the orange pony to grimace from the pegasus’s sheer volume. She had stuck her head next to AJ's, and had just witnessed the same scene. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!"
Twilight blinked, and looked behind her at Dusk, who returned her blinking. She then faced her friends again, a smile on her face. "That he is, Rainbow. Why don't you come out and say hi?"
The two fillies were flabbergasted, their jaws hanging wide in absolute shock. They didn't even budge when Fluttershy squeezed past them and joined the two unicorns.
"Oh, h-h-hi. there, um, Dusk." the yellow pony spoke, her mood somewhat lighter than one would have expected. "Um, I'm... I'm Fluttershy. You probably didn't know, but, um, that day when you thought Butterscotch was sick? Um, well... that was actually me. I-I'm sorry for trick-"
He silenced her with a smile and a wave of a hoof. "Twilight told me all about it. And she returned the book. You have nothing to apologize for, dear."
"Oh, oh I'm so glad to hear that!"
"Twilight!" a grandiose voice spoke, before another pony- A certain white unicorn- squeezed itself out of the burrow. Her eyes quickly and calmly took in the sight of the colt, while Dusk did his level best to not ogle her frame. "Why, it appears to me you've been quite busy last night! Does this mean that..." her blue eyes began to glisten. "Do you... are we actually?!"
The magician nodded, before her expression turned serious. "Okay, listen up. Fluttershy, you can release Angela now. Everypony, get packing. We have about fifteen minutes before the rest of Ponyville wakes up."
"Come on, it's time to go home."
----------------------------
It was an interesting-looking procession that wandered through the streets of Ponyville in the early hours of that morning. Seven ponies overall, two of which looked like they could be twins. There was barely anypony out on the streets at that hour... which allowed the group a relative peace with which to use.
"So, finally went n' listened t’ reason, eh sugarcube?" Applejack joked, tossing a fond smile in Twilight's direction.
"Yeah... I guess you can say I did." she admitted, a blush of shame on her face. "I'm sorry I was so, well, scared guys. But you were right. This really IS the better way."
"I'm glad you came around to it." Dusk chuckled, looking back at the group. "I still don't know why you chose to do it at one in the morning, but I'm not complaining!"
"Good heavens, Twilight." Rarity crooned. "So late at night? And you didn't even wake us?"
"I had a bad case of guilty conscience. Especially after seeing Fluttershy. You holding up okay back there?"
"O-oh, I'm fine." the pegasus assured, rubbing the spot on her cheek. The indent had almost finished fading. She looked down to her side and smiled as Angela hopped alongside her.
"Guilty conscience, huh?” Rainbow Dash questioned. A cocked eyebrow said that she wasn't completely convinced. "You sure something else didn't come up? I mean, what REALLY changed your mind? You were pretty set against having anything to do with Dusk, yesterday."
"I was... but that was the fear talking." the purple unicorn explained. "I was so worried that he wasn't going to be understanding, or accepting. If anything, I was afraid he was going to make us into enemies of the state. And it scared me, because, well, thinking back on it... I was so certain that that was exactly what I would have done, in his position. You know what they say. Sometimes, you're your own worse enemy."
"Ouch. Low blow there, sis."
"Sorry, bro. No offense meant, you know."
The exchange caused everypony in line to blink and look amongst each other. "Sis? Bro? A-ah mean, ah can see why y’all're goin' th' family route, but... really, siblings?" the farmer questioned.
"That's another thing." came the reply, as she turned her head to look at her friends. "I didn't even know how to RELATE to Dusk. Over the course of our stay, all of us have developed different relationship ideas, regarding our male selves. Fluttershy and Rarity, the both of you came to see Butterscotch and Elusive as 'partners'-"
This caused the two named ponies to dart their eyes down as they blushed. Twilight continued, unabated. "Rainbow Dash, during her short encounter, came to think of Blitz as a rival."
"Psh, as if." the pegasus piped up from her spot. "I can fly circles around that imposter any day of the week."
Many among them rolled their eyes, while the two leading ponies exchanged a whisper. "She's Blitz's double, alright." the male shared. "Have to admit, it's a bit weird to see his nature wrapped up in a small form like that!"
This got a chuckle out of the magician, before she started again. "Pinkie Pie. I could see, from the short time you two were together, both you and Berry became really fast friends."
"Well, why wouldn't we be?" the pink filly squeaked "I like to throw parties. Berry likes to throw parties. Oh, and we both enjoy sarsparilla and slushies and muffins and meringue and Pin-the-tail-on-the-pony! I mean really, what's not to love?"
"And Applejack." The hat-bearing mare perked her head up at her name. "It's mainly thanks to you that I figured out my... connection with my double. You and the Applejack of this world came to relate to each other as cousins. That the both of you shared the same family."
"Well... that's true, Twi." the applebucker conceded. "Ah admit, when mah colt-self asked me fer another chance at bein' family... ah got rather relaxed an' easy. It felt right. Like he really were mah cousin. B-but still, what's yer story? Ah mean... ah already got sibling conniptions whenever ah'm around Applebuck. You?"
The two purple unicorns gave each other a look, before the male gave his 'sister' a reassuring smile. Twilight returned the smile, before speaking again. "It's because, well... last night, when I went and took a chance... when I went and spoke with Dusk... the both of us managed to feel something powerful. It felt really strong, stronger than just friendship... Like you said, it felt RIGHT. It was then that I realized that I was feeling the same way about him, that I felt about Spike."
"And Me, the way I felt about Spines." Dusk spoke up. "Once she introduced herself to me... once we managed to actually sit down, and talk... I realized that my heart was going out for her, the same way it did with Spines. It was there that we started calling each other brother and sister."
"And it's worked really well for us so far." The filly looked back at her friends with an honest smile. "I can say that I... feel right, whenever I'm around him now, instead of having that awful knot in my larynx. Good thing too." She turned her head back forward as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Otherwise, I NEVER would've gotten any sleep last night!"
There was a tumbling noise as a miniature pony pileup occurred, the sound causing the two leaders to pause and stare in confusion.
"S-sleep?" Rarity's eyes were wide. "Twi, you... you didn't come back to the Hedge after meeting Dusk, did you?"
"Well, it was a rather long walk, and I was... well, falling apart at the end of it, to put it bluntly, but still-"
"Twilight." Dash spoke up this time, her mouth trying to wrestle the words through her lips. "You guys didn't... I mean, with Dusk? You didn't, like..."
Both unicorns raised an eyebrow at the same time. "What're you getting at, Bli- er, Miss Dash?" the stallion questioned.
"N-now now." Applejack assured everypony. "You remember Rares, Twi has a second bed, right? Ah'm shore it tweren't anythin' that were..." she then turned her green eyes to the pair and coughed twice. "*a-heh-hem* IN-appropriate. Right, Twi?"
They got confused lavender stares for a few more seconds, before they blanched, the meaning FINALLY registering in their minds. Both boy and girl students blushed furiously, before they began sputtering at the same time. "How-! Really-?! You-! With him/her?! He's/she's my brother/sister! How could you even-?!"
That was all the mares needed to know, as they all laughed at the twin's expense, slowly straightening themselves out and getting to their hooves.
"Oooo-hoho! Ooooh I'm sorry, sugarcube." the farmer apologized, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, we know you two'd never do that. But that t'were too precious. Th' both o' you! Hey Pinkie, make that thar count 'Twenty', y'hear?"
"Gotcha!"
While Dusk looked at the girls in confusion, the bookfilly merely shook her head, the blush still present on her face. "Very funny, fillies. Now come on, we still have a ways left to go to the library. Barring any MORE unforeseen events, we should make it there in plenty of time."
Eventually, the great tree became visible to them, causing their pace to pick up a bit. As they drew closer to the library however, one more last unexpected event transpired.
Fluttershy yelped as she ducked down. Pinkie, who had been trotting in front of her, had seemingly suddenly bucked out both rear hooves behind her.
"Oop! Sorry about that!" the party pony apologized, before her hind legs began spinning in place. "Whooop! It's happening again~!"
"The Whopper...!" Twilight stared at her twitching friend, before quickly spinning her head to face her double, his own eyes wide open as he watched the Pinkie Sense go off. "Dusk! P-please... tell me you didn't!"
The colt looked at her, before sighing and shaking his head as he reached a hoof out to the library door. "I left a note behind for Spines, before we left this morning. I'm sorry, Twilight. You've explained things to me...”
“But the rest of them deserve an explanation too."
----------------------------
To Be Continued...
ON THE NEXT CROSS AND ARROW
"She's HERE!! She'shereshe'shereshe'shere~!"
"COLT-CRUDDER?! That sounds a bit TOO close to Colt-Cuddler if you ask me!"
"Ah'm sorry cousin. Mah name tain't JayJay... and it tain't Jonica Johnagold either..."
"You... you DID say you wanted to see my real cutie-mark someday, didn't you?"
“I-I didn’t think this through. But you’re right… we’re siblings now. And that’s just going to make this whole thing so much more… painful…”
“O-oh, I believe you Fluttershy. Angela wouldn’t have… well, I suppose you would know… um, but still. You knew that I was you. And… and yet, you… like me?”
"MISS RARITY! BIG SISTER!!"
"Ah want'd y’all t' stay! Ah wanna git t' know you better! Ah wanna be FAMILY wit' you!"
"I think I love you!!"
"I think I love you t-!!"
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Conner Cogwork
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
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<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2012-07-18T03:33:19+00:00
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2012-07-18T03:33:19+00:00
| 42,047 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Part Ten
Across the Horizon
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"Y'mind tellin' me what this's all 'bout?" Applejack questioned, as he looked around the library walls and its piled tomes of knowledge.
"Beats me." Spines replied. "I woke up this morning to find Dusk gone. That alone worries me, he's not usually up until way later. Then, I find a note from him. It said to bring you guys all together. Sorry about the early wake-up call, but he said it was urgent."
"Oh my~" Elusive stated. "If it's managed to get our librarian friend out of bed at such early hours, then it MUST have been important!"
Butterscotch pawed at the floor, looking around uneasily. "I... I wonder what it could have been? Oh I do hope it involves Angela. I've been worried sick since she went missing yesterday..."
"Don't worry guys." Rainbow Blitz assured, hovering on his back. "I've got a few ideas on what it could be..."
The farmer rolled his eyes. "Blitz, ah shore dun hope you're gonna say what ah think you're 'bout t' say..."
"Bliiiitz..." the white stallion added, cocking an eyebrow. "You're not going to talk about our 'doubles' again, are you?"
"You've all met them." the pegasus retorted, righting himself in the air. "At least two of you have gotten crushes on them. I'm kinda sorry I missed out on seeing Berry's double though, that would have been fun to see."
"It WAS fun!" Berry cheered, bouncing in place. "We had a good time together! We WERE gonna throw a party, but then Cousin JayJay ran away with Pinkie Pie and then Dusk said no."
The remaining colts all shivered at the thought. "Ugh... two Berry Bubbles. I can still see it." the unicorn stuttered. "They bounced right in front of me on their way to the bakery!"
"Ah-HAH!!" Blitz shouted as he zoomed and pointed a hoof at Elusive's face. "So you DO believe!"
A snort and a polite shove out of personal space. "Rainbow Blitz, please. While it was... unsettling, there's still no reason to believe that Ponyville has been invaded by opposite-gendered versions of our very own-"
It was right then that Berry's eyes shot open wide, as his hind legs kicked out. They all stared at him, as he proceeded to spasm right in front of their eyes. Hindleg spin. Foreleg spin. And then finally, a violent full-body tornado. The display was enough to make Butterscotch cower behind Applejack's flank.
At last, the party pony's motions came to a halt, body descending lightly to the floor. He stared blankly into space for a second, before leaping into the air and splitting it with a squeal of "She's HERE!! She'shereshe'shereshe'shere~!"
Before Applejack could open his mouth to ask the question on everyone's mind, the library's door swung open. Stepping into the threshold came the familiar form of Dusk Shine.
"Dusk!" the suitmaker changed his own question. "Where have you been? What exactly is this all..."
Any further words that he had, died on his lips as a SECOND Dusk Shine followed him into the room. The only differences between this one and the original being a delicate snout and the presence of additional curves. She was unmistakably a young mare.
As was the orange hat-bearing cowpony that came in right behind, who was also followed by a cyan, rainbow-maned filly. The males all continued to gape as a yellow pegasus followed close behind, their eyes especially going wide at the sight of a glamorous white unicorn. And heading up the rear, to eliminate any remaining doubt in their minds, was a bouncing, perky, pink pony.
Said pony was the first to speak as her blue eyes took in the room, resting them on a familiar face. "Berry Bubble!" she called out, breaking away from her group and leaping towards the colts.
"Pinkie Pie!" the aforementioned equine replied, jumping to his own hooves and bouncing forward. The pair met half-way in the middle, simply bouncing around in circles for the sheer fun of it, chanting "You're here!" over and over again.
Blitz broke his eyes from the scene to focus on his librarian friend. "Dusk... you DID it! You caught our weird doubles! I KNEW you could do it!"
"Hey!" came a brash, femme voice. The blue stallion suddenly found his face full of vibrant mane as his own doppelganger zoomed up to him. "He didn't 'Capture' us! We came WILLINGLY!"
Now face-to-rosy-eyed face with his female alter-ego once again, he had to pause to fight down the lump in his stomach, before rounding about on her. "Oh yeah? I bet he made all you an offer you couldn't refuse, eh, Filly-Faker?"
There was a honk as a pair of blue noses were squashed together. "Oh yeah? I didn't see YOU coming up with any brilliant options, Colt-Crudder!"
Oh, NOW he was mad. His nostrils flared as he pressed his head against hers. "COLT-CRUDDER?! That sounds a bit TOO close to Colt-Cuddler if you ask me!"
She pressed back against him with equal force, wings beating rapidly, rainbow-hued manes becoming tousled as they all but wrestled. "Whaddya think 'Filly-Faker' sounds like to ME?!"
They then both yiped in unison, as they were yanked to the ground by their tails, a pair of southern voices admonishing them. "Dash/Blitz! Stop harassin' th' man/lady, it tain't proper!"
The two country horses looked up from their friends at the same time, and caught each other's faces. An awkward silence descended between them, as green eyes went wide.
"Cousin JayJay?..."
She gave him a sad smile, as she shook her head. "Ah'm sorry cousin. Mah name tain't JayJay... and it tain't Jonica Johnagold either..."
The orange stallion felt his knees grow weak as he took in her form for real this time. Unadorned. Plainspoken. And so very similar to himself. He spied the hat upon her head. An eerily familiar hat. "Cousin... where'd you get that?"
She took her hat off, and held it in her hooves. "Mah... mah pappy gave me this hat. When he did, he told me... 'AJ, fer as long 'as you wear that hat... th' farm b'longs t' you. Make them apples grow big 'n strong, sugarcube..."
Tears were gathering in her eyes. Ones that reflected his own as he recalled the exact same speech. "You... yer not just mah cousin, are yah?..." he stammered. "Ah didn't want t' b'lieve it... but Dusk was right, wasn't he?..."
The blonde mare tossed the hat back onto her head, before reaching a hoof up to wipe at a tear. "No... ah'm not just yer cousin. You already know what mah name is, ah bet. But you know... ah'm still an Apple. Ah'm still family. Even in this world... Ah'm still Applejack."
In the background of this exchange, a yellow filly scampered from her place in line, towards a certain pegasus. His face lit up as he saw her, and the little rabbit running by her side.
"Butterscotch!" Fluttershy exclaimed, diving right at him with a shameless nuzzle. "Oh, I'm so sorry about making you wait so long!"
"I-it's okay." he assured, though he showed no signs of backing down from her affection. Indeed, he appeared to be attempting to return it. "I'm just glad to know that you're alright. I must admit, I'm... I'm rather confused about everything going on here..."
"Ooh," the female pony found herself blushing. "Well, um... I may have... gotten you into trouble earlier. You see, um, when we first came here, I... I had to pretend to be you."
Eyes widened. "You did? But you don't really sound like me..."
"Well, when you *ahack* pretend to be *ahack* coughing, it becomes a bit more believable..."
"Ooooooooh..." Butterscotch slowly nodded. "So that’s why Dusk came to my place, thinking I was sick."
Before the two could say anything else, there was a thumping on the floor between them. The butter colt's attention was swiftly directed downwards to an impatient-looking white lapine. "Oh! Angela Bunny! I'm so glad to see you're alright! What happened?"
"We did." came the reply from his female counterpart. She rubbed a hoof in embarrassment. "Twilight didn't want us found, so when Angela found us, we had... we had to... lock her up..."
At this, his face took on an expression of outright surprise. He looked back down at the rabbit again, and softly asked "Did they treat you okay, Angela?"
To both ponies' surprise, the little rodent leaned over to Fluttershy and hugged her hoof, before returning a smile and nod to the pink-maned male.
Towards the edge of the library floor, near the stairs, Elusive merely watched the ensuing interactions with a slack jaw. Two Applejacks. Two Dusks. Two RAINBOWS. It was all so much for the stallion to take in! For a second he thought to pinch himself to double-check and make sure if he was awake or-
"Elusive?"
He was startled out of his stupor by that voice. That WONDERFUL voice. He looked off to the side, and found nopony else standing there, but the beautiful mare who had visited his shop those short few days ago, her sapphire eyes staring into his soul with an inquisitive look. And, he noted, a lip set in trepidation.
"Rarity..." he breathed. "All... all of this... are you..." he bit his own lip. "Are you... really?"
The white mare bowed her head down with a look of shame, before turning her torso slightly to the side. "You... you did say you wanted to see my real cutie-mark someday, didn't you?..."
Gracing those curved buttocks, was a familiar trio of gems that he easily recognized as his own cutie-mark. This was the genuine article. He nodded his head before opening his mouth again.
"So it's true then. It all makes sense now, how you knew of my shame at the Gala. How you knew that those carrots were Silver's favorite. How you knew how to cook the perfect Broccoli Almondine..."
She looked back up and nodded. "Yes Elusive, it is true. I know not if you'll accept me for who I am, or if you will never wish to see me again... but even then, know this truth for what it is. For I... am YOU!"
Hearing her actually SAY it was enough to set him on his haunches. "Oh Rarity! Then why?! Why visit me, when you knew that the same blood runs through our veins?! While I must admit that the whole thing is rather kinky, now that I think about it, STILL! Were you merely attempting to play with my heart, as so many mares have tried before?"
The unicorn held a hoof to her chest as she gasped. "No, Elusive! I was... DRAWN to you. Even from our hiding place in the Everfree forest, I could feel the tugs of your presence in my heart!" She dared to take a few steps closer to the stallion, her eyes pleading and open. "Know that, though I had kept my identity hidden from you, the passion that I felt for you within my heart of hearts was nothing but true and genuine! I never meant harm for you! Indeed, if not for my own sister... if I didn't have Sweetie Belle waiting for me in my world... I would gladly stay with you by your side, forever!"
He stared at her, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Oh, my Lady Rarity... you truly mean every word, don't you?"
"I do!" she squeaked, "Oh Elusive, I truly do!"
"Oh... oh RARITY!"
"Oh ELUSIVE!"
There was a scrambling of hooves, as the two white ponies suddenly became entangled with one another, hugging and kissing each other once more, tears of joy being shed by both parties.
From a distance, another pair of unicorns watched the scene. Twilight found herself tearing up, as the dressmakers continued their affectionate display.
"Well?' Dusk asked, watching the scene with a smile on his own mouth. "Good idea, or bad idea?"
"Good idea." she replied, before letting herself lean up against him. "I'm sorry again for doubting you. It's a bad habit of mine to second-guess myself."
He chuckled. "Why sis, I'm shocked. And here I thought only I did that."
"Uhm.... Dusk?"
The both of them turned at that voice, glancing down. Spines was standing at their feet, her eyes glancing back and forth from her adoptive brother, to the lavender mare who looked just like him. "Wow..." she breathed. "You two really are... wow. I'm... I'm not sure I... am I still asleep?" She took a moment to pinch her tail, yipe, and then look back at Dusk and Twilight. "Huh. Guess not."
"Spines." the stallion began, before placing a hoof on his double's shoulder. "This is Twilight Sparkle. She's... well, she's me. She's my female alter-ego from that parallel dimension to ours. Twilight, this is Spines. You... you already know." he gave a chuckle.
She gave him a nod, before lowering her head. "It's nice to finally meet you, Spines. I would say that you remind me of a certain someone, but at this point, it's rather cliche." She held out a hoof for a shake, which was nervously accepted.
"I... I hope that's a good thing." the dragoness replied, before taking another look around at all the ponies conversing in the library proper. "Not to ruin the mood or anything... but I've read about this in some of those Nann-gas Scooteroll lets me borrow. Shouldn't there be lots of... exploding, right about now?"
They laughed and chuckled at that for a few seconds, before looking at their friends again. Rarity and Elusive continued to hold and cuddle each other, while Fluttershy slowly and patiently explained to Butterscotch what had happened. The Apple farmers had managed to strike up a steady, if uneasy dialogue between themselves, while Pinkie and Berry leapt around the room, cheerfulness unabated.
And on top of one shelf, a blue filly pegasus sat, studiously ignoring the rainbow-maned stallion on the other side of the room, though the both of them kept trading looks and glares back and forth between each other.
"Those two were the only ones I was really worried about." the male magician admitted, looking over at Rainbow Blitz. "The ones with the uncompromising egos... They probably won't be able to stay in the same room for too long without getting into a fight of some sort."
The filly let out a breath, before nodding. "Then let's go ahead and get this over with." she stated, her horn lighting up and levitating a white vase out of her saddlebag. "I'm ready when you are, brother."
He nodded, before turning his eyes back to the restive, uneasy scene. "Let's hope that they’ll be ready too."
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"So... Applebloom, eh?"
The magicians had gone upstairs to perform fine-tuning of the spell. There was nothing left to do but wait. And talk.
Each double had paired off with themselves, with the exception of the two speedster pegusai. The two fashionistas had not separated once, the both of them still holding hooves, even as they proceeded into small-talk. Pinkie and Berry had found and dug out an old game called Twister, and had managed to talk their animal-loving friends and the one lone dragoness into playing with them. This left the two orange equines on the sidelines, sitting next to each other, as they tried to sort out the conflicted feelings amongst themselves.
"Yeah, that's right." the female Applejack replied to her male half's question. "When ah first saw Applebuck, ah done near had a heart-attack. It t'were just so... weird, seeing mah li'l sister as a colt. Ah dun think Rarity had it any better 'n me, but still. An' then ah... well..." here, she bowed her head down a few inches, as she recalled the first day in this dimension. "When we all first arrived here, ah had thought t' mahself, ah'd best not get attached t' anypony over here on this side... but then yer brother comes 'long, and th' next thing ah know, ah'm thinkin' o' him th' same as Applebloom back home. He's not mah sister... but he's so much like her..."
"... An' ah guess mah bein' suspicious didn't help matters none, did it?" the stallion added, a sheepish look on his face.
She waved a foreleg in reply. "Dun worry 'bout that none, AJ. We both know ah would'a done th' exact same thing, were th' horseshoe on th' other hoof."
He was slow to nod back, the gears in his head obviously churning. "Yeah... y’all're prob'ly right. Just... just thinkin' 'bout it is givin' me a headache."
"We tain't exactly thinkers, are we?" the mare gave a dry chuckle. "We tend t' feel things out first, you 'n me. Not like Big Macintosh an' his fancy mathematics."
Ears instantly perked up. "Big Macin-?... oh, oh, I see. He's your big brother, ain't he? Red Gala's double. Ah... ah have t' admit, ah'm havin’ a hard time imaginin' her as a stallion..."
"Well, if it helps y'all any, ah cain't rightly picture 'im as a mare mahself." she assured. "Though if y' really want a comparison, look in a mirror an' imagine yerself red wit' short hair. Say..." the filly lifted her head to look in her double's face. "Does Red Gala happen t' look like me, any at all?"
The male farmer tilted his hat back, as he inspected his female reflection. "Hmmm... ah can see th' resemblance. Save she wears 'er hair loose all th' time... an’, well, she's a good bit taller."
Applejack nodded back. "Makes sense. Ah can only guess she's every bit 'a good at buckin' dem trees as y’all are, eh?"
"Oh yeah. Ah do as much as ah can, but sometimes ah wonder if Red Gala don't carry half th' farm on her back... heh." He then faced her with an apologetic look. "If y' fell intah our world 'bout five days ago... then y’all got some buckin' t'do when y’all get back. Ah'm awful sorry 'bout that."
HAS it been 5 days? It feels like it's been longer. the apple mare pondered to herself. "Neh... tain't nothin' ah haven’t done b'fore. Hey, least it's been an adventure an’ a half."
"That also reminds me... Ah done apologized fer bein' rude at th' market place, but ah haven’t said sorry fer chasin' you n' Miss Pie yet. So... sorry fer scarin' y’alls tails off."
She gave him a warm smile. "Ti's prolly a bit late fer th' scarin' part... but ah fergive yah, sugarcube."
He nodded back to her, before they both lapsed into a silence. From a corner, Butterscotch tripped trying to put a forehoof on a green spot, resulting in him falling on top of Pinkie Pie, who reacted with a giggle. The laughter filled the library, easing the overall mood somewhat.
"Say..." the orange stallion began again. "How much did our world scare you? Ah don't think Ah'd've handled it very well mahself..."
The green-eyed female tilted her head as she thought. "... well, at first? Yeah, t'was freaky as all git-out. But now that we've been here a while... ah kin' see it's just like any other ol' place y' would travel to. It tain't bad. Just... different."
"Yeah..." he nodded, before turning his head to focus on something else. "Real... different..."
For a second, Applejack was confused by the shift in tone in her other half's voice. But that didn't last long, as she moved her head to the side and found the object of his focus. The sight gave her a smile.
"Say... we know we're both feelin' types, right?"
"Uh-huh?" Male AJ replied, not looking back.
"So tell me... is it a pitterpat fer you, or is it more a thumpa-thud?"
That caused a reaction, as he suddenly turned away from staring at Rainbow Dash, a thick blush on his snout. "Uhm.. er, uh..."
She gave the colt a smile before blushing herself and turning to look at the other pegasus on the far side of the room. Apparently having made up her mind, she got to all four feet and stretched before whispering in his own ear.
"Ah dunno how long'll take fer them t' get the spell goin'. Now's as good a time as any. Her name's Dash. G'luck!"
There was a scramble of hooves as the draft horse shook his head, turning to see his filly-self trotting away to meet with his pegasus friend.
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"Hmmm... do you think this strip here would look too gaudy?"
"Let me see... ah, I can see why you would think that. Just make it a bit thinner, that should do the job."
"Riiii-tiiiyyyy.... aha! Correct as usual, my sweet! Oh, this will undoubtedly be the crux of our lines, love! I have SO much to thank destiny for, these past few days!~"
Rarity allowed her smile to widen as she leaned into her masculine self. It was amazing how much could be accomplished within a short amount of time. Whatever reservations the pair had about their true identities initially, they had been swiftly put to rest. The couple had more important things to take care of, such as an impromptu interdimensional Co-venture between the two clotheshorses, one that was bound to make quite a mark on BOTH their worlds.
"Such exquisite work~" she crooned, taking a look at the sketch between her own hooves. "And just think. Once we've returned, it's almost guaranteed that any modifications that I make to any of these, you'll also be making!"
Elusive turned to her and flashed that charming grin. "You know what they say, my love. Great minds, think alike!"
She giggled at this, before leaning in and planting a kiss under his chin. "Never before has it been more true~!"
They shared yet another intimate moment between each other, putting their eventual separation far from their minds. There were no words, simply snuggling and cuddling. And drawing.
At length, the stallion finally spoke. "So... Sweetie Belle, was it? Tell me... what's she like?"
At the name, the mare found her heart tightening. "She's... she's... well, you should know how it is. She's precious, and I could never trade her for anything in the world. Sure, she can be... clumsy, and annoying, and over-energetic..."
"Especially when her friends are around, right?"
"Oh most definitely. They're all such darlings, even when I can't wait to get them out of my mane. Still. I don't think I've ever... spent as long a time away from my sister as I have, these past few days..." she directed her eyes downward towards her hooves, as she sighed wistfully.
The white colt leaned in to nuzzle her cheek. "You must miss her terribly. I can only imagine what it would be like, to be separated from Silver for so long..."
"I do... I really do..." she sighed, nuzzling back. "I can't wait to see her again... but it's balanced out with how much I wish to remain by your side... How can I choose, Elusive? How can I choose between you... and her?"
There was a bout of silence between them, before it was finally broken by his voice.
"Choose her." he said, tilting her head up to look into his eyes. "Though I equally wish for us to remain together forever... I've even considered asking Dusk if I could be in on your 'return trip'... I realize that there's no way I could leave Silver Bell on his lonesome. Not willingly at least." He gave her an imploring look, gazing into her deep blue orbs. "Only promise me, even if you meet another stallion of your dreams in your world... you won't ever forget me. Will you?"
The unicorn felt fresh tears spring to her eyes as she realized that he was resigning himself to their fate. Something that she had yet to do herself. Even though his words rang true, she was still reluctant to admit that, despite how perfectly matched the two of them were, it could never truly work.
Her horn lit, and her saddlebag opened up, a pair of the rubies she had packed coming out into the open. She sat one in front of Elusive, before directing her eyes towards the gemstone in front of her. Her expression narrowed in concentration as her horn began to glow brighter. A sparking began to come off her jewel, a carving slowly making its appearance.
The stallion saw what she was doing, and instantly turned to his own ruby, his own magic going into effect. The pair remained silent in their tasks, gemstones flickering as their surfaces were etched, sparks flying every now and then. At long last, they finished, holding up their works for each other to admire.
The male had carved his name and signature eye into his. Rarity, with hers, had also signed her gem with a stylized flourish.
They looked at each other, and their horns briefly flared as holds were exchanged. The mare took her lover's gem, and placed it back in her bag, while the colt stowed hers away into his tail.
"I'll never forget you." Rarity finally spoke, her voice heavy. "We'll never forget each other... will we, love?"
He shook his head, before leaning in once more to nuzzle with her. "No, my love... we'll never forget."
Drawings forgotten, the two white unicorns simply laid there, enjoying their last few moments of togetherness, for however long it would last.
"I still don't want to go..."
"I know, dear... I know..."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
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The vase hummed with a steady glow, as a pair of magicians combined their forces to look into the voids unseen by mortal eyes. Though their eyes were closed, they still conversed, as their consciousnesses weaved around, studying and probing the dark-matter ball of yarn that made up what they knew now to be the multiverse.
“Y’ know…” Dusk stated, as he mentally prodded a dark purple coil. “I’m still a little bit perturbed that you took so long to come out. Who knows what we could’ve done while you were recovering your energy?”
Twilight felt her head bow, as she looked over another dimensional thread. “I know… Still, I wasn’t exactly eager to test out some of those interdimensional travel theories. Imagine if they had been correct? We’d all probably have been wiped from existence several times over by this point.”
The stallion chuckled uneasily. “You got me there. Still, my point stands. There’s a lot of stuff we could have accomplished together.”
She found herself mulling the words over. “Yeah, I know… we probably could have caught up on our studying in half the time, if we really worked at it.”
“Or have tried out a few of the lesser arcane spells.”
“Or have tried our hoof at painting? You know that’s always interested me.”
“Hehe, true. We could have painted each other!”
“Now that’s something the Princess would love to read about….”
A silence suddenly fell over the two. In the waking world, Twilight opened her eyes to gaze at her other half.
“What’s Solaris like?”
Dusk opened his own eyes, as he found himself smiling. “He’s… he’s an absolute inspiration to me. I… I’m not sure there’s much more that I could say, that you wouldn’t have to say about your own Princess Celestia…” he paused there, and his eyes seemed to widen, as a blush came across his face.
The purple filly couldn’t help but share his blush. “You’ve seemed to have come to the same realization I did… it seems weird, doesn’t it? To think of our mentors as opposite genders… and then realize that the love and respect that we give them, can so easily bloom into something more…”
“Perhaps…” he gave a nod before continuing. “Perhaps that tells us something about our own selves, doesn’t it?”
The silence from before washed over them again, and their horns ceased glowing. The vase stood inert, as they tried to marshal their thoughts.
“I’m going to miss you.”
The filly’s ears perked. “But… we’ve barely known each other for a few hours.”
“Does that really matter?” The colt gave her an imploring gaze. “You’re like the sister I never had. I’ve only just met you, and we’ve only barely gotten to know each other. And now, we’re working on getting you and your friends back home… we’re going to be separated again.”
Twilight worked her jaw, trying to think of something to say. Nothing was coming forth. He was right. They weren’t going to see each other again.
… and I don’t want that. she suddenly realized. I want to be with him now. I want to paint those paintings. Research those spells. SO many things I want to do with him… I miss Spike, but I’m also going to miss Dusk just as much…
“I’m… I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I-I didn’t think this through. But you’re right… we’re siblings now. And that’s just going to make this whole thing so much more… painful…”
Her eyes cast themselves to the floor, as the other unicorn fidgeted slightly in his seat. Uneasily, he got to his hooves and trotted over to her, looking at her face. When she looked back up to his, he sat himself and opened his arms wide… an invitation to a hug.
One that Twilight did not turn down.
They sat there for a minute or so in silence, listening to the hubbub coming up the stairs from below. Hooves wrapped around each other, they both shared their last few moments of siblinghood in peace.
“…hey.” The stallion suddenly let his ears perk up. “I’ve got an idea…”
The mare felt her own ears perk in curiosity at the words. “Oh? Let’s hear it.”
He bent down his head to whisper. Soon, the unease was dissipated, as a smile played over Twilight’s face at what she was hearing. I may not be with Dusk for much longer… but that may change, with time.
And that prospect, gave her hope.
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"Howdy?"
Blitz had been in the process of dozing off, before the voice had interrupted that endeavor. Blinking, his rubbed his eyes and tried to focus. "Yeah? Who's there?"
"Down here, sugarcube."
The voice was southern, but it wasn't Applejack. At least, not the Applejack HE knew. He stuck his head over the bookshelf, and found himself face-to-face with the farmfilly. She was looking up at him with a kind and friendly smile... one that was familiar, but still wasn't quite the same, coming from a girl.
"Oh, um... hi." he replied. Not quite sure how to handle this. "Can... can I help you with anything?"
She kept staring, only blinking once or twice. "Actually hon, I was wonderin' if ah could do somethin' t' help you."
He stared at her. "What?"
"Ah mean, you're kinda off in th' corner all by yer lonesome. Y'coulda joined in on yer friend Berry's games, y'know. Twister's yer fave, ain't it?" The apple pony allowed a knowing expression to cross her face.
The pegasus found himself stuttering. "W-well, yeah, but... I just know that the instant I join in, SHE'S going to join in too. And I just..."
"Aww, c'mon, don't be like that!” The orange equine was giving him a pair of bright-eyes now. “If nothin' else, I could give y’all a bit o’ company."
Dammit, he thought to himself. Those have no right to look so cute on AJ's filly-faker.
"Look." Blitz began, his hooves coming up in a placating gesture. "Listen here, Miss... wait, your name's the same as AJ's, isn't it?"
"EeeeYep." she replied. "Y’all kin' call me JayJay though, if y'want."
"Fine, JayJay. I um... appreciate your concern. But I'm fine. Really. I'm just waiting for you all to... y'know, go back to wherever you guys came from."
At this, Applejack had to chuckle. "Really now? Then why're you hanging around? Nopony's stoppin' y’all from flyin' out 'n doin' that trainin'."
"It's because of her." He pointed a hoof over to the other side of the room, where his other half was currently undergoing a similar chat from his farmer friend. "If I let her out of my sight, who knows what she'll do? She might... I dunno, go out and do another Sonic Rainboom. And Ponies'll mistake her for ME. That ain't happening. Not on my watch." He finished this with a snort.
The blonde mare rolled her eyes, before looking back behind her. "Ah know she didn't exactly make a good first impression on y’all, but honestly. Ah'm a bit surprised y' haven't challenged Dash to a race yet. You'd think she'd be th' perfect challenge."
Now he found his ears perking up, despite his attempt at keeping an aloof attitude. "D... Dash?"
"Yeah, that's right." She turned to look back up at him. "Her name's Rainbow Dash. And you're Rainbow Blitz, am ah right?"
"Well... I won't say you're wrong..." The blue colt put a hoof to his chest. "I mean, besides... her... do you know of any other pegasus as quick, maneuverable and awesome as this one?"
She gave him a grin. "Or as inflated an ego an' as big a blowhard?"
That was pure Applejack. It just stunned him that it had come out of the mouth of a GIRL. He stared at her for a long few seconds as she smirked.
At length, he finally shook his head. "That was freaky. You sounded just like AJ."
"Well, ah kinda am him, sugarcube."
A groan. "What do you WANT from me?"
"Ah just wanted t' be neighborly." She offered a shrug. "Y’all looked like y'could use some company, an' ah thought Ah'd come on over ‘n say hi. Really Blitz, just cause Ah'm a girl, y'don't have t' lookit me like ah just stepped off th' moon. Ah'm still Applejack!"
No, you're not! he nearly bit out in reply. Instead, he drew in a breath, before composing and speaking his answer. "Sorry, miss. I know that, up here in the noggin, you're supposed to be him. But... well I just can't see it. I mean... for one, your eyes are big."
The farmer blinked. "Uhm... Well yeah, got me there..."
"And secondly you're... well, you're all... curvy."
She couldn't help but giggle at this, as she shyly swayed her flanks. "Why, thank'ya kindly, sugarcube."
"And finally, you're... well, you're SMALL. You look frail."
Her expression instantly shifted into a stern look. "Frail?! Ah'll show you who's a frail pony! You pegasai tain't made o' nothin' but twig-fer-bones all 'round! Git down here, y' featherduster, hoofwrasslin' time, now!"
He was quickly learning to associate this filly-faker's image with that of his friend. That outburst was pure concentrated Applejack right there, and he had already gotten to his feet, fully prepared to accept the challenge, when he suddenly remembered Oh yeah, this is a GIRL. WHY can't I keep that straight?
"Erhm... ah... sorry, 'JayJay'." he replied nervously. "Ah... I-I usually don't make it a point to hoof-wrestle mares..." His eyes darted nervously about the room, trying his best to focus on anything BUT her.
AJ merely raised an eyebrow. She took the moment of silence to look about the room herself, a small rabble from behind her grabbing her attention. Her eyes and ears alighted on another spectacle, and she couldn't help but grin as she gave her reply.
"Then wouldja mind tellin' me what Dash's doin' right now?"
Rainbow Blitz blinked, and then looked over to the other side of the room... where he saw his female self and his REAL farmer friend caught up in the midst of their own contest of wills, grins set tight as forelimb struggled against forelimb.
"Wouldja lookit that." the apple filly stated in that tone of voice she KNEW frustrated her blue companion usually. "Looks like Dash tain't afraid of lettin' a li'l ol' thing like gender git in th' way of a bit o' friendly competition. Ahh well, so much fer' y’all bein' equals." She then turned her body away from the bookshelf, as if to trot off. "If y’all really that insistin' on bein' alone, ah guess Ah'll just mosey on then. Sorry t've wasted yer-"
"Okay. Okay. Wait."
She hid a grin as she heard the ruffle of feathers, accompanied by the clop of hooves alighting on the floor. When she turned back around, the rainbow-maned male was standing behind her, his eyes steeled, his pose trying its best to project a full aura of confidence. He took a few steps forward, before sticking his snout in her face. "You and me. Hoofwrestling time. Now."
Applejack nodded back, scoring this small victory in her heart, as she tried to keep the pitty-pats from coloring her face. As they walked towards a nearby desk, she noted the stallion looking over towards the other wrestling pair. Both parties seemed to have tired themselves out and were resting... Dash in particular, seemed to be looking straight at her doppelganger. But not with an expression of frustration like before.
If anything, she seemed... thoughtful? Whatever it was, it mirrored the look on his own face.
----------------------------
"Got any aces?"
"Hmmm... nope! Go Graze!"
"Darn." Berry sighed, as he drew a card. "So close, and yet so far."
Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle, hiding a smile behind her hoof of cards. "That's how the story of our stay here has been so far!"
There was a shared chuckle all around the four seated ponies, plus one dragon. After having finally tired themselves on the multicolored mat, the Pink and Yellow pony group had moved onto something more sedate. Pinkie and Berry so VERY much wanted to hold a party, but they had been continually vetoed every time the suggestion was aired. So, Go Graze it was.
“Aw gals, I can’t say how much of a blast it’s been!” Spines cheered as she leaned up against Pinkie. “Nothing against Dusk or the rest of you guys, but it feels good t’ have a little girl time, y’know?”
Butterscotch smiled over at the scaled one. “It’s not a problem, Spines. You’re certainly not hearing me complaining!”
The balloon-marked filly snorted as she laughed. “I’m SO glad you’re having a good time, Spines-sy! Even if this isn’t a Pinkie-Berry Spectacular, if ponies are having fun, then that’s good enough for me!”
“You said it!” Berry bubbled, bouncing in place and yet managing to keep his cards firmly secured. “Hey, if we still have time, maybe we can get AJ and AJ to join in! Twice the number of ponies makes for twice the fun!”
“Oh yeah, why not? The more gals, the merrier! I mean, not that there aren’t… some complications…” Again, the dragoness’s green eyes flickered not for the first time over to the corner where two white unicorns chatted, a dark expression on her face. “But still! I wish you girls had come out sooner! Who knows what we could’ve done?”
The pegasus mare among followed her line of sight, before smiling softly. “Oh, I would have loved to have done that, believe me. Uhm… though I don’t know if you would-“
“Hey, I know!” Pinkie suddenly exclaimed. “If we ever come by here again, we should bring Spike with us! I bet he’d love a little ‘guy’ time himself!”
“Sp…Sp-Spike?” Spines stuttered, her reptilian brain already making the connections, and shutting down as a result.
“Yeah, Spike! Cutest little boy-dragon I ever saw! Well, he’s the ONLY little boy-dragon I’ve ever seen, but I think he’s still the cutest. We could bring him along and have the two of you meet and then maybe you won’t be so jealous of Rarity being with Mister Pony-who-looks-just-like-Rarity anymore! You two should have a lot of fun, eenie-meenie-speenie-Spinesie! Oh, that’s MUCH more fun to say than Spikey-wikey!” She gave another giggle, before returning her eyes to her cards.
There was no reply to that. The assistant’s face wore a completely blank expression, the only hint of cognitive function going on inside being the rapid widening and shrinking of her slitted pupils, as she attempted to process what exactly the pony was insinuating.
"Hmmm... Hey Berry, can I ask you a question?" the pink filly spoke up, eyes still riveted to her hoof.
"Sure thing Pinkie!" The male perked his head up. "I think carrots in fruit salad should make a nice touch."
"*giggle* Crazy Colt, I already found that out earlier this week. No, I wanna ask. Do you know Blues?"
His eyes lit up. "Oh, the jazz-mare? Of course! Oh, wait, well, I guess she'd be a he in your place."
"Yeah, he is... so." She looked up at her double, face unusually serious. "Do you think we should?"
Berry thought long and hard, before looking back at Pinkie. Finally, they both nodded at the same time. "Yeah. We should." he answered.
The yellow pegusai exchanged confused looks between each other. Pinkie simply smiled as she replied. "Okie Dokie Lokie. Hmmm... got any 3s?"
"O-oh dear." Butterscotch sighed, picking out three cards from his hoof. "And I was SO close to a full set."
"Awww, it's okay." the filly sitting next to him reached her head over and nuzzled him gently. "Not even Pinkie can win every time. O-oh, by the way, would any of you happen to have any Queens?"
Angela made a noise, as she stuck out a card from her own hand. Fluttershy took the queen with a smile and a ‘thank-you’.
“You know…” the male pegasus started. “I’m still… a bit shocked. You, and Pinkie Pie, and all your friends…” he raised his head and looked back at the remaining ponies in the room. “You’re all… us. Except as girls?”
He got a nod back. “That’s right, Butterscotch. It’s rather… strange, for me too I have to admit. But we never meant any harm, I promise!”
“O-oh, I believe you Fluttershy. Angela wouldn’t have… well, I suppose you would know… um, but still. You knew that I was you. And… and yet, you… like me?”
She returned his gaze, a blush going over her cheeks as she fidgeted with her cards. “Well… you liked me. I mean… now that you know who I am… do you still like me?”
Butterscotch opened his mouth to answer. “Fluttershy… I… uhm, what I mean to say is… how could… t-that is-“ He closed his mouth and stared into her aqua-green orbs, before simply nodding, a likewise redness going over his own features. Berry and Pinkie simply grinned from ear-to-ear while Spines suddenly snapped out of her trance, as they watched their friends begin to lean into each other, eyes slowly closing, lips puckering…
It was at that moment however that the library suddenly got very quiet, save for a pair of hoofsteps. Twilight and Dusk were descending the stairs.
The atmosphere changed. Gone was the moment of boredom and camaraderie, instantly replaced by a sense of excitement... and reluctance. Elusive and Rarity, who had so far kept to themselves, suddenly wrapped their hooves around each other again, as if the approaching unicorns were about to bodily rip them apart. Fluttershy, now knowing that the time was near, suddenly dropped all her cards and launched herself at her double, giving him affection that he was not likely to forget very soon.
Rainbow Dash glided towards her bookfilly friend, an air of indifference around her. "So? How'd it go?"
The lavender pony gave a smile. "I think we've nailed it. It was hard, but Dusk and I both managed to find our original dimension. Girls... we can finally head home."
That sealed the deal. All six fillies got to their hooves, before each one turned to their doubles.
Fluttershy blushed heavily as she disentangled herself from the yellow colt. "When Applejack gave me that message from you... did you really mean it?"
He nodded shyly, a blush of equal proportion to hers on his cheeks. "Y-yes... I did. I'll always think of you... Fluttershy."
"And... I'll always think of you too." She smiled back at him, before darting her mouth forward to steal one last kiss from his lips. While he was frozen in shock, she used the moment to turn and dash away.
Applejack watched her race past, before turning to her own stallion-self as he walked up to her. A sly smile spread across her face. "So? How'd it go?"
He returned her smile with a raised eyebrow. "She's every little bit like Blitz. Kept comin’ up in ties, neither one o’ us managed to out-wrestle th’ other. You?"
The farmer filly tilted her hat back. "'Bout th' same, unsurprisingly. Yer Blitz's as stubborn as they come. Ah think ah managed t' get him thinkin' though. Ah kin' only guess y’all did th' same?"
"EeeeYup. Though ah gotta admit, ah t'was not expectin' her t' be so cute when she t'were frustrated... ah, erm, ah mean.." his snout turned red as he ducked his head down at his slip.
Fortunately, he was with his own self, who simply chuckled as she blushed alongside him. "Neither was I, t' be honest. Glad we had this chance, aren't you?"
They stared at each other for a long while, before they both extended hooves and shook.
"Take care o' th' farm, Cousin." the mare spoke. "Raise Applebuck right. He needs his big brother, whether he says he do 'r not."
"You too, Cousin." the colt replied. "And don't fergit t' give Cousin Honeycrisp a call. Ah bet they'd like some company sometime." He tossed her a wink.
With a shared chuckle, and a tip of the hat, the applebuckers parted ways.
The pair of pink ponies stared at the farewells between their friends, before they faced each other. They then exchanged a series of complex hoof-maneuvers and body gestures that could have been translated into oaths in some arcane sign language or another. Towards the end, they crossed their hearts, flapped their forelimbs, and then each closed an eyelid as they stuck a hoof into it. Their farewell ritual ended with a clopping of hooves, and the exclamation "Until Next Time!"
With that, Pinkie Pie departed her colt self, bouncing to rejoin the rest of her friends.
She continued her humming, as she passed a scene of reluctant drama between two white unicorns. They were holding hooves... and it was obvious that neither one was willing to let go anytime soon.
"Oh Elusive... it looks like this is it!"
"Oh Rarity! I... I can only wish that this moment would never pass!"
"As do I! But... Sweetie Belle! Silver! We can't leave them be, can we?!"
"No... no we can't! Oh, the cruelty of obligations!"
"To have met, and then to never meet again!"
"To only know perfection in love for such a short time!"
"I..."
"I..."
The last word shared between them was not a word, but another kiss, the likes of which they'd never shared before. It was held to a depth so deep, it would have made bathyspheres implode, before they finally wrested themselves from each other. Rarity took to her hooves and galloped away, tears flowing, as Elusive distanced himself from her, lest his heart cause him to entangle with her once more, and prevent her reunion with her sister.
That just left Rainbow Blitz. The blue pegasus colt wound up joining the rest of the men along the walls of the library floor, eyes searching out and then trading yet another look with his female alter-ego. Dash looked back at him, face now sharing more surprising emotions with his own. Those of panic and regret.
Twilight's horn lit up, as she levitated an already-prepared vase into the middle of the floor. Dusk spoke to the group of mares. "I'll be assisting Twilight in making contact with your dimension. Once you all get started, I'll get out of the way, and you all will be on your own way home."
"Thanks, brother." the magician thanked her other self, before looking over her friend's faces, taking in the variety of expressions everypony was wearing. "Are you... all ready to go?"
Applejack bit her lip. "Twi... Ah... ah think ah'm ready."
From the dressmaker, a heavy dramatic sigh. "Oh... if we must, we must."
"Uhm... I'm ready to go, if you all are." their yellow friend chimed in.
"A party waits for nopony!" Pinkie cheered.
"Yeah... yeah, let's go ahead and blow this joint already." Dash finally added, trying to sound more indifferent than she actually felt.
There were nods all around, as they sat themselves down around the ritual machina. The blue pony found enough time to direct a glare at AJ and whisper "Your colt-self's got a crush on ME. Care to explain that?"
While the farmer filly whistled in innocence, Dusk and Twilight turned to each other, closed their eyes, and lit their horns in tandem. "We're going to find the thread first, before casting the spell proper." the lavender mare told her friends. "Just give us a second."
"I marked the thing with a harmonic tag." the stallion spoke to his other self. "Keep your eye open for anything orange."
The prepared vase was enveloped in a familiar light. All the ponies in the room, male and female alike, fidgeted. You could cut the tension with a knife.
"Okay." Twilight spoke, her eyes still closed. "I think we have it. Is this it?"
"Maybe." he replied. "Give me a second to get a good look at-"
Something DID begin to cut through the air. A low hum that steadily increased in frequency, from a tinny noise, to a very prominent buzzing sound.
"Oh no." Rarity's eyes grew wide as her ears perked. "Um... did anypony leave behind a note at the HEDGE before we left?"
"Oh! I did." Fluttershy replied. "I wrote 'Thank you Crusaders for your help. We couldn't have finished our mission without you."
"The Crusaders?" Spines stared from the sidelines with a shocked expression. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders? The same ones?"
"They HID you?!" Now Dusk had his eyes open, though his horn was still aglow. "I could've tracked down Applebuck or Scooteroll and ASKED them where you were, this whole time?!"
Twilight gave an apologetic grin, before her expression changed to one of joy, her inner eye spying the tag her other self had left. "I see it! This is the right one!"
"Quick, git 'er movin'!" Applejack spoke, raising her voice over the steadily increasing volume of buzz. "A'fore they get here ‘n see us!"
The unicorn nodded, and bent her head down. The glow of the vase began to extend outwards, and Dusk quickly got to his hooves, nuzzling Twilight and whispering ‘good luck!’ before he cantered away, leaving his sister's side as it enveloped all six females. The golden effluence began to intensify, the wind picking up around its edges...
And then the library door exploded OFF its hinges, as a scooter and wagon mowed down the offending obstacle in their path, before skidding to a stop. The three sets of eyes on-board the Crusader-mobile widened as they took in the sight in front of them. Six stallions. Six fillies. And a whole lot of glowin' and blowin' goin' on.
"Cousin JayJay?!" Applebuck cried out, spying the orange pony inside. He leapt out of the wagon and galloped as if to join her, but as he encountered the perimeter of the field, he bounced off. It had become solid, preventing anypony from leaving or entering. "COUSIN JAYJAY!!" he yelled, getting back onto his feet and pounding against the glow.
"Miss Rarity!" Silver yelled in turn, running up short of the field, even though his elder brother hurried in to pull him back. "MISS RARITY! BIG SISTER!!"
"Silver Bell!" Rarity called back, getting onto all four hooves as she fought back tears. "Silver! Elusive! Take good care of each other!!"
"Applebuck!!" Applejack herself cried out, locking eyes with her otherworldly sibling. "Ah'm sorry, but Ah've got t' go!"
"Go WHERE?!" he replied, his face bunching up in confusion. "Ah want'd y’all t' stay! Ah wanna git t' know you better! Ah wanna be FAMILY wit' you!"
"Ah'm so sorry!!" Her own eyes were tearing up as well, at the realization that she wasn't going to be seeing him again. "Ah'm SO sorry, sugarcube! Ah wanna be family wit' yah too! But Applebloom's waitin' for me! I can't... I can't leave..."
The field's glowing began in increase in magnitude. Unsecured papers began to flit about in the steadily encroaching winds, books flapping open and closed in the breeze. All the present ponies began to duck their heads down, shielding their eyes from the brewing maelstrom. As the farming stallion closed in to sweep up his younger brother, Scooteroll sat back, his purple eyes wide at taking in the scene.
Hey... I never noticed before... but that lady's got the same hat as Applejack! And that pink one... she looks just like Berry! And... And... Agent D... she really DOES look just like-!
The next thing that happened, NOPONY had been expecting. There was a whir of blue wings, before two pegusai suddenly appeared on opposite sides of the field, their faces wide and regretful, eyes hiding tears, rainbow-hued manes flapping in the wind.
“This isn’t over!” both Dash and Blitz yelled at the same time. “Don’t you even PRETEND this is over!”
“Y-you’ll see!” The filly stammered, hooves pressing into the field as she tried to touch her other self. “We both know who the best flier in Equestria is!”
“Don’t think for a SECOND that’s you!” the stallion boasted in frustration and false bravado. “Next time… Next time, I want a REAL race!”
“You-! You’re on! Maybe next time, you won’t be so slow to face me!”
“Oh yeah!? Well maybe YOU won’t be so stubborn when I kick your flank!”
“Hah! Well maybe YOU won’t wait till t-the last minute to tell me how you feel!”
"Is that so?!" Blitz shook his mane as he tried to shrug off the increasingly heavy weight of regret off his back. “How... how do you THINK I feel?!”
"I think you feel pretty LOUSY!" Dash bellowed back, her own face a picture of frustration. “You’re letting a pretty filly like me slip through your hooves!”
"Well maybe I AM! And I bet you feel the same way!" He looked up, and pressed his face as close as he could, rose irises locking with her own.
"So what if I do too?!” she pressed her face forward as well. She swore she could almost touch him. “J-jerk! You should’ve TOLD me sooner!”
Tears finally escaped from their eyes as Blitz yelled at the top of his lungs. “You-! You’d BETTER come back someday! I mean it, you Filly-Faker!”
“Same to you, you Colt-Crudder!”
"Rainbow Dash!"
"Rainbow Blitz!"
"I think I love you!!"
"I think I love you t-!!"
Suddenly, everything turned white. Those who didn't shield their eyes, found themselves blinded as the vase erupted in a pillar of light, piercing straight through the library's ceiling. Blitz found himself tumbling away as the field began to contract, compacting its occupants. Applebuck yelled at the top of his lungs, fighting against his brother's grip, while the rest of the stallions grimaced at the brilliant light display.
The last thing any of them heard, was the dull clap of thunder as the ball of energy leapt out of the great tree, and into the summer sky.
----------------------------
TO BE CONCLUDED...
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Conner Cogwork
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755
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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complete
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<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2011-11-19T08:30:12+00:00
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2011-11-19T08:30:12+00:00
| 37,834 |
On a Cross and Arrow
By Conner Cogwork
Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!
Image credit to KtKat! Thanks SO much!
Epilogue
And Back Again
----------------------------
"Twilight?... you okay?"
"Huh? Oh... yeah, I'm okay Spike."
The dragon gave his boss a worried glance as he rode upon her back. "You sure about that, Twi? Ever since you all came back from your trip a couple of days ago... well, not to put too fine a point on it, but you've all been acting really weird."
The two were trotting along the streets of Ponyville, Equestria. Over at a nearby delicatessen, a blue-coated stallion blew long and hard on his sax, while a yellow mare with a carrot cutie-mark dug into her carrot-dog. Above their heads, a grey-coated, blonde-haired pegasus filly flew by, a letter in her mouth.
The unicorn chuckled. "Where we went, Spike... it kinda had that effect on you. Can you blame us? Again, I apologize for having taken so long. Didn't expect to be gone for a whole week."
Spike shrugged. "It's no problem. Gave me a good bit of freedom, y'know. And it wasn't that much longer, just a couple days. Though Owlowicious was startin' to get worried... not like me, y'know, heheh...” he blushed slightly, before clearing his throat and attempting to regain control of the conversation. “The only thing I'm frustrated about is that you never got me my pizza."
She rolled her eyes. "I know, Spike. That's why I'm making it up to you now."
With that, she turned a corner, revealing the local Pizza Cottage, the tantalizing smell of Italian herbs and melted cheese wafting from its open windows. His eyes goggled at her and the restaurant, limbs scrambling to keep his perch on her back. "Y... y' mean it? Seriously?"
"Of course, li'l bro!" she replied, tilting her head back to give him an affectionate gaze. "You've MORE than earned it."
He smiled back at her, but still lifted an eyebrow. "That's another thing. You've been calling me your little brother a lot more often now than you did before you left... you sure you don't wanna tell me where you all went?"
Her eyes looked away in contemplation, before looking back to him. "Ask Scootaloo for some of her Neighponese comics. The science-fiction ones. That should give you a good idea of what happened, before I really tell you."
The little lizard's eyes widened further. "You’re recommending Nann-ga to me? Are you REALLY SURE you're the real Twilight Sparkle?"
At this, she simply giggled as she sat down, allowing him to slide off. Once he was back on his feet, he found himself further beleaguered by an affectionate filly hugging and nuzzling him with, to his considerable surprise, small tears at the corners of her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Spike." she apologized again, her voice soft. "I just... really missed my favorite little assistant. My little brother. Where we went made me realize just how much you really mean to me. I missed you so much..."
"Awww... c'mon Twi, cut it out. Not in publiiiic~" he groaned, his cheeks rather red as what little masculinity he had left was threatened by his adoptive sister's display of love. "Can't we wait till we get our pizza and head back home for that mushy stuff?"
"Sure thing~" she sang, as she relented and began stepping towards the pizzeria again, dragon quickly keeping pace. Her eyes lit up however, as a thought came across her mind. "Hey... do you really want to take the pizza back home, or do you wanna eat someplace else?"
"Either's fine with me." Spike replied, looking at the magician with curiosity again. "Why d'ya ask? Got someplace in mind?"
Twilight held a hoof to her mouth as she cast her eyes upwards. "There's this nice little place that me and the girls have heard about. It's a fair walk from here, but it's pretty well... hidden. Nice and private. It's called... the HEDGE."
----------------------------
"I think I remember the Crusaders mentioning it." the dragon spoke, doing his best to keep a pair of pizza boxes balanced on his head. "I think it was before Applejack showed them the treehouse. They were gonna use it for a clubhouse, if I remember right."
"That's right." the purple pony replied, as the two continued walking down the trail towards the Everfree Forest. "It's too close to the forest to really be safe for them... but we're full-grown ponies. We can handle it."
"If y'say so." he replied, taking a look at their surroundings. Nothing but grass and brush for yards around. The town was receding into the distance behind them, and the woods were drawing close. "Say, um... if it's supposed to be so well-hidden, how do we go about finding it in the first place?"
The unicorn didn't say anything at first, her eyes simply scanning the premises. Finally, to her left, she spotted what she was looking for. A gathering of tall bushes.
"Over there." she directed, making a beeline, a confused reptile hot on her heels. As she approached, her eyes inspected the small gaps between shrubs. There, right where it had been in the other dimension. A small, dark opening.
"It's under here." she replied, turning back to her assistant. "It's... not been used in a while, so it'll probably be dirty, just to warn you. It's also a little steep, so watch your step."
With that, she lit her horn for light, and ducked down into the old warren, fully expecting an empty cave, with nothing much save a log and a rock table to be there...
... and instead, her eyes widened as she took in the interior. A few colored blankets hung on the walls, a small firepit had been dug out and lined with stones, and there were plenty of haystacks for seating. Hanging from a root in the ceiling was a firefly lamp, and the stone table she was expecting to be barren, stood festooned with a tablecloth and a vase full of daisies. In the middle of it all, a white unicorn hummed as she dusted the floor with her tail.
"RARITY!" Twilight exclaimed loudly, causing the dressmaker to yelp and turn in surprise. As she did so, another head popped up from behind the table, pink mane bouncing about. "And Fluttershy! Wha... what're you two doing here?!"
"W... w-why the same could be asked of you, Twilight!" Rarity replied, collecting her wits. "I hardly expected for you to return to our... little home-away-from-home."
"I-it was Rarity's idea." the timid pegasus explained. "After we got back... well, we both wanted to do something… you know, have someplace, well, to remember our visit by..."
"Woooow." came a low whistle of appreciation, as Spike descended into the HEDGE proper, pizzas still in-hand. "Pretty swank, Twi! I thought you said the place was aban- Rarity! O-oh, goodness gracious my lady! I had no clue YOU'D be here!"
"That makes two of us." The lavender mare added. "Spike and I were going to eat our lunch in here. I had no idea that, well, that you'd have spruced the place up already. I had thought you were getting tired of the HEDGE, weren't you, Rarity?"
The white one simply sniffed, putting on her best nonchalant airs. "It's true, that after an extended stay, the quarters did become rather... cramped." She then opened her eyes, and looked up at the patchy ceiling with an affectionate smile. "But I must admit, the memories associated with this place... have lead me to become quite fond of our little hideout."
The dragon was completely confused. "Woah, woah, hold on here. What're you girls going on about? You haven’t seriously been hiding out in this cave this whole entire past week, have you?"
"O-oh my." Fluttershy let her hooves go to her mouth. "You haven’t told him yet?"
"Well..." Twilight bit her lip and looked down at her assistant, taking in his befuddled gaze, before letting her eyes lock with Rarity's deep blue ones. "Have you told Sweetie Belle?"
She fidgeted. "Well... perhaps... not yet. B-but I swear that I will! Eventually..."
Everypony paused as a new sound coursed through the air. It was a familiar buzz of rapidly-beating wings. Thankfully, this time around, the sound did not bring a wave of trepidation, like before, but instead, a group of smiles.
"Looks like you may get your chance sooner than later. We're about to have company." Fluttershy stated, before dipping her head to tug at the tablecloth, straightening it out. "I hope there's plenty of room."
"I hope they don't want any of this pizza either!" Spike grumped, setting the boxes on the table and placing an arm over them protectively. "We only got enough for Twilight and me!"
The buzzing eventually halted, and there were sounds of scuffling outside. Soon, the bushes parted as a trio of small schoolfillies paraded into the cave, their eyes quite wide as they noticed the redecoration.
"Whoo-wee!" Applebloom gushed, orange eyes roaming the walls. "Who went 'n made th' HEDGE a bona-fide clubhouse while we were gone?!"
"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle replied, both as an answer, and as an exclamation as she rushed into her elder sister's hooves. "Big sis! How'd YOU find the place?"
"Ooooh... a little pony told me." the white horse let her eyes drift upwards mischievously. "Really Sweetie, it is too close to the forest for you girls, but as long as you're with one of us, I see no harm in you all using this place as well!"
"That's right, sugarcubes. Y'all kin' hang out here fer a right long while, long as somepony older's about!" came a familiar southern twang.
Everypony present turned to see Applejack descending from the hideout's entrance as well. She gave them all a beaming smile as she trotted over and sat herself next to her younger sibling. "Howdy gals. Fancy meetin' y’all here."
"Applejack!" Twilight managed to squeeze out past her continually surprised expression. "Watching over the Crusaders today?"
"That's right. An' they just HAPPENED t' let slip 'bout this here li’l ol' hidin' place they had b'fore th' treehouse. So ah says, 'How 'bout you all let me take a look 'n see if it's as good ah place as y'say?"
"Siiiiis!" The smaller earth pony sighed, before leaning up against her. "Ah keep tellin' yah, we din' say nuthin'! Ah STILL dunno how y' found out 'bout it!"
"Aww, that ain't real important now, is it?" the farmer lowered her head to nuzzle at her sister's mane. "What matters is, ah think this's a right good li'l place. And Ah'm glad that everypony else thinks so too, don't you?"
Applebloom rolled her eyes, but leaned her head up to accept the nuzzling. She glanced over to Sweetie Belle, who was also being slathered with affection from her own sister.
"They weren't all this lovey-dovey a'fore they left, were they?" she whispered.
"I don't think so." The small unicorn replied, closing an eye as Rarity kissed her cheek. "You guys've been really... um... close, since you all came back."
"Tell me about it." Spike quipped, directing a glare in Twilight's direction. "Suffocating's the word I'd probably use."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the entire scene, before her nostrils widened. "Mmmm... is that pizza I'm smelling? Is there garlic chips and feta? I wouldn’t mind a slice, scooting around three ponies makes a girl hungry."
The dragon panicked slightly, both arms now covering his precious boxes of Italian pie. "N-n-no, there isn't! Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but we had NO idea there'd be so many PONIES here! It's not like we'd planned to have a Pizza party!"
"A PIZZA PARTY?!" Pinkie Pie cried out, suddenly popping up from behind the log-constructed counter. "SPIKE, you've READ my MIND!!"
Everypony present let out a yipe of surprise. "Pinkie!" Fluttershy gaped, recovering her wits. "How long have you been there?! And how did you get-"
"It's Pinkie Pie." the orange pegasus groaned. "That's all we need to know."
The pink earth pony nevertheless, answered the question. "Well, I was hopping through Ponyville today and I saw Twilight and Spike going into the Pizza Cottage and I found myself thinking OH HEY, I never got to eat at any pizza places while we were gone, I mean, I totally had my mouth set on Mushroom and Olive right before we left, and then we spent a WHOLE WEEK without having anything itallion! So I decided hey, I think Rarity and Fluttershy are at the HEDGE, I know what I'll do! I'll order a buncha pizza and have ourselves our very own PINKIE PIE PIZZA PARTY here at our good ol' hidey-hole hiding spot!"
Applejack exchanged confounded looks with Twilight and Rarity, before turning back to the party filly. "But Pinkie... sugarcube, while that shore does sound lovely... ah shore don't see any pizza on you. Didja order delivery? If y' did, then th' poor delivery pony's gonna have a heck of a time findin' th' place!"
"Oh Applejack~" The frizzy-maned one gigged as she waved a hoof. "Don't you worry your little appley head about it! I made sure that we had a SPECIAL delivery pony take the order!"
As if on cue, another noise began to issue from outside the cave's exit. The steady whoosh of beating wings. As one last pony entered the premises, smiles were beamed all around, accompanied by one hero-worshiping gaze, at the blue mare with the vibrant mane and at least five pizza boxes stacked on her back.
"Delivery!" Rainbow Dash called out. "Fresh piping hot Pizza Pie! Straight from the oven to your door in ten seconds flat, or your money back!"
"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cheered, galloping towards her idol. "Oh wow, so much pizza! Did you really get from there to here in ten seconds? Oh, I bet it only took you FIVE!"
The pegasus only smiled as she allowed herself to be unloaded by her friends. "Heya squirt." she said fondly. "Didja miss me? Sorry I've not been 'round a lot, just had a lot of practice to catch up on."
"I remember." Rarity smiled at her friend. "The Double Rainboom was just as lovely to see as it was before."
"Oh yeah, it was AWESOME!!" the small fanfilly gushed, hopping in place. "I saw it! It was the most spectacular thing I'd ever SEEN! Rainbow Dash, you're like, the coolest pony in all of Equestria! I can only hope that I'll be half as good as you!"
The elder pegasus’s expression softened, as she recalled the words of another orange pony worlds away. "I bet you'll do better than half. Y'know... now that I think about it, the Junior Speedster's Flight camp is about to start soon. Aren't you going to be attending?"
Scootaloo paused in her cheering, a blush going over her face. "W-well... I-I'd like to, really. I-I mean, they're supposed to teach me how to fly and all... I just don't think..." at this point, she lowered her head as the words were reduced to a mumble. "I-I mean... I'm not sure if I'm really ready. I've been practicing, but... I still can't get very far off the ground..."
"Hmmmm... in that case... how would you like to have your very own personal trainer?"
Purple eyes shot open as she stared at Dash, who merely wiggled her eyebrows and grinned. A split-second later, she chuckled as the orange filly glomped her and hugged her tight. "Oh THANK you Rainbow Dash! Thank you thank you THANK YOU!!"
"It's no problem, Scoot. You'll enter that camp with an edge above all the others once I'm done with you! Gonna warn ya though, don't expect me to go easy on you!"
"I can take it, Dash!" Scootaloo assured, releasing her hold on her idol and landing on all fours in a readied pose. "I promise, I won't let you down! Maybe I'll even get to find my cutie-!"
"COME AND GET IT~!"
They were interrupted by the powerful lungs of a pink-maned pony, still seated behind her bar counter, which was now covered with opened pizza boxes. The familiar aroma of melted mozzarella and garlicky tomato sauce reached everypony's noses, and there was no hesitation as plates were distributed and slices of cheesy heaven were collected.
Spike, head still reeling from the spontaneous onset of a party, left the pandemonium and sat himself on the log bench up against the wall, before blinking and remembering that he was still carrying HIS pizza box around. With little fare-the-well, it was opened. If everypony was gonna eat pizza too, then why shouldn't he? “Girls.” he mumbled, before taking a bite. “Go figure.”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders took their slices and joined the dragon, while the elder mares regrouped around the table. Twilight herself was still blinking, her own pizza box opened as she idly munched a slice of her zucchini blossom and olive. "Wow... Pinkie, you are just full of surprises, you know that?"
The Pie pony simply grinned at her. "Silly filly, what's life without a few surprises along the way? BOR-RING~, that's what!"
"Well I for one, am not complaining." Rarity soothed, as she daintily nibbled a slice of sunflower seed and onion. "Pinkie, this is a most excellent idea. What better way to throw a cave-warming soiree' than with a pizza buffet?"
"Yof seid iff!" Rainbow agreed through a mouthful of pizza. "Whfn Pinkfie Pie toffed thph idhea hft mfh, ahf waf- *gulp* I was ALL over it! It's a good thing you and Spike already ordered yours, Twi, pizza boxes aren't that aerodynamic. Any more, and it woulda taken me a whole MINUTE!"
Applejack chuckled from her slice of apple on white sauce, before turning to the pegasus, her eyes darting back and forth between her and the crusader in the background. "Y'all really meant what y' said, Dash? You showin' Scootaloo th' ropes 'n all. You sure y' can even handle it?"
Dash looked back behind her, before giving a shrug. "To be honest... no, I'm not sure. You all know, I'm no good at this 'older sibling' stuff. But... darned if I'm not gonna try! I mean, if Scoot was... that is, uhm...if he..."
Fluttershy simply nodded back, a piece of five-cheese and daisy petals halfway to her mouth. "It was Scooteroll, wasn't it?"
"...yeah, it was. He’d told me he was hoping Blitz would become his teacher someday. I had no idea. But I knew that if he had those hopes... then Scootaloo would probably have them too." She dipped her head down, eyes staring at the tablecloth. "I kinda wish I... hadn't been so bull-headed now... wish I had told Blitz about that, before we left..."
There was a bout of silence, before Twilight scooted herself closer to the pegasus, and laid a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Dash. I mean, who knows? They are a parallel dimension, after all... perhaps, even as we speak... maybe he's already offered the same to Scooteroll. Maybe, in their world, they're all right here, right now, with us."
"Here in th' HEDGE." the farmer pony nodded in agreement.
"Havin' a party!" Pinkie chimed in.
"Reliving happy memories." Rarity added.
"Thinking... of us." Fluttershy finished.
There was a long pause of silence, as the six friends began to contemplate. Yes, it had been unintended, but now that they were back home, those memories they shared were cast in a fond light. Meeting Dusk and Butterscotch, Rainbow Blitz and the stallion Applejack, Elusive, and Berry Bubble. Meeting your own self, was an experience that... had no words.
"... we'll never forget them, will we?" Dash asked.
There were various sounds of agreement. The white unicorn in particular, levitated an etched ruby out into the open for all to see.
"As long as we keep in mind that our homes are theirs... that we are both reflections of each other's hearts... as long as we keep the HEDGE alive... I can't see how we ever will." She gave them all a smile, though her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
The silence that followed was filled with the munching of pizza, broken only once by a timid and forlorn voice.
"... i still miss butterscotch..."
The pink party pony slid over to her yellow winged friend, and leaned up against her, before looking up and giving the purple unicorn an unusually serious gaze. "Twilight, do you think... maybe someday, we could...?"
Suddenly, the student found herself the center of a barrage of gazes, all of them pleading. The first time they had turned to her with those, it had been with hope that she would be able to take them home. Now that they were back, safe and sound, the opposite was true.
"I still..." Rainbow Dash gulped. "I s-still want to challenge Blitz to a race someday..."
"You know me, dear." Rarity added. "For a few more moments with Elusive... to even bring Sweetie along and have them meet... I would almost give anything..."
"I never got to have my hybrid party with Berry, y’know!" Pinkie stated, giving another look to Twilight. "I'd love to get together with him and finally hold it!"
"If y' do, it'll have tah be a private li'l shindig." Applejack chuckled. "Say... at th' Acres? We got plenty o’ room, should anythin’ world-endin’ happen there."
Twilight could only shake her head. "Girls, believe me. I-I miss my brother too. But... even if we did try again, there's no guarantee we'd find the exact same dimension again. Besides..." she leaned in, a smile on her face nonetheless. "You wouldn't want to arrive there, and then find out that we'd missed them, because they thought the same things you all are thinking right now, right?"
That brought cheer to the table, as the six equines gave heartened looks to each other. "H-having them, come and visit us?" the butter pegasus pondered softly. "I... I don't think I would mind that."
The farmer looked behind her at her younger sister, before chuckling. "Boy howdy, ah kin' see it now. Cousin AJ'd prob'ly have a conniption fit like me, seein' Applebloom."
"So... we wait then?" the multihued mare questioned, eyes looking hopeful. "I... I think I can do that."
"We wait." Rarity agreed, holding the gem close and letting it rub against her cheek. "We wait... and we hope."
And with that, eating returned full-force to the six, as they let that single thought buoy their spirits. Even though they might be worlds apart, even though each of them still had mixed feelings, they couldn't disagree that they all now felt the same towards their other halves. A feeling of camaraderie.
A feeling of friendship.
Purple eyes popped open, before the magician stood up from the table. "Excuse me for a second girls. Need to take care of something."
"Sfur finhg Thwi!" came a muffled reply from Pinkie, cheeks bulging with cheese. "Anythinf beg?"
"Just need to send a letter. Spike~?"
The dragon popped his head up at the mention of his name, before dashing over to her. "Yeah Twi? What'cha need?"
Twilight gave Spike a soft smile, before lighting her horn. Out of her tail, came a wrapped scroll.
"Spike," she began. "Would you mind sending this to the Princess, please?"
"A friendship report?" the dragon asked, taking the parchment into his claws as if it were a precious artifact. "I don't think I recall you writing one since you’ve gotten back."
"I had it prepared while we were... away." she explained. "Could you send it, please? Celestia's probably worried sick by now."
He saluted smartly, before trotting over to the HEDGE's entrance. With a deep breath, and a gout of green flame, the paper was incinerated, the mystical smoke curling for a second before whisking itself out the opening, into the air.
"Say, Twilight?" Applejack spoke, having watched the exchange. "Ah don't 'xactly recall you writin' anythin' while we were there either. What'd you put in thar, anyways?"
She got a chuckle in reply. "It's just a letter... from me, to myself. Now come on. Let's not let the pizza get cold! This is a party after all!"
"YEAH!" Pinkie enthused. "Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pony time!!"
From outside, if one were to walk by a random patch of shrubbery, one could almost imagine the noises of a party going on beneath its roots. The sounds of their joy and warmth continued, as music, laughter, and memories warmed the HEDGE. The party continued well into the night, and as they all finally curled up to sleep, they imagined a strange world waiting outside their cave. A world like their own, but at the same time, different. A world they had touched once... and were looking forward to its touch yet again.
----------------------------
Court Canterlot had been slow today. No surprise there, thought Celestia. It's been a dull few days as of late.
Idly, the regent of Equestria’s thoughts turned back to her pupil as the last set of nobles finished their presentation on the state of lemon crops in Hoofington to her and bowed, thanking her for her time. She usually would have paid much more rapt attention, but the lack of friendship reports from her protégé had unsettled her slightly. Had something happened to Twilight? Maybe I should pay a surprise visit to Ponyville. Nothing saying I can't use these old wings every now and then...
Thankfully, she wouldn't have to wait much longer. As the two nobles opened the court door to exit, a stream of silver smoke rushed in. The monarch's eyes widened in delight as the dust paused in front of her, swirled for a second, and then flashed into its original shape as a scroll, descending into her telekinetic grip.
Without ceremony, Princess Celestia tore the bind and unwrapped it, her eyes greedily taking in the words on the page.
The expression on her face however, shifted from one of joy, to one of confusion. Carefully, she re-read the letter again, her lips moving silently as she self-dictated... before finally, a smile of comprehension graced her face once more.
So it has finally happened.
"Guards." she intoned. "Court is closed for the day. I desire a moment in private. Wait for me outside. I won’t be long."
The twin unicorns that kept station at her throne both nodded, before taking to their hooves and trotting across the floor out into the hall. With a thud of the doors, the princess had her privacy. All the better, for what she was about to do.
She stepped from her seat, and cast her eyes about the grand room. There. A full-length mirror that hung on the wall. She trotted towards it, scroll still in her grip.
The alicorn took in the image of herself as she approached it. She didn't think she looked bad, for a mare of a thousand plus. Then again, she didn't think he looked bad for a pony of his age either.
With a smile, she stopped in front of the silvered surface, before leaning forward and touching her horn to it. 40.1 Kiimehertz.
The frequency of magic vibrated the mirror in its stand, ripples forming in the center and pooling outwards, like a drop of water in a pond. Her reflection bent and wavered in the undulations, the form on the other side undergoing a change.
For a few seconds longer, she held the frequency, before stepping back and taking another look. Now standing on the other side of the mirror, was still a white Alicorn, to be certain. But instead of a flowing mane of blues, greens, and purples, their hair resembled the soft flames of a fire, coated with reds, oranges, and yellows. A more stately-than-elegant accruement of ornaments covered their person, complementing the pony's barreled chest, slightly flared legs, and goatee-adorned chin.
They were also holding a scroll. Their lavender eyes blinked for a second, before the squared face broke out into a smile.
"Princess Celestia!" the stallion spoke. "Always a pleasure to see you!"
"Prince Solaris!" the monarch returned, a smile on her face as she viewed her other self. "It's been far too long, don't you think?"
"Oh, you're telling me." her male counterpart replied, rolling his eyes. "I apologize terribly for not having gotten in touch as often as I'd like."
"You needn’t apologize, Solly." she soothed, a hoof reaching up and through the mirror to rest on her doppelganger's shoulder. "I've been just as busy as you have, if not more so. You know the nature of our dimensions, after all..."
"Oh, I can imagine. How is Luna, anyways? Does she fare well?"
"She's doing fine. She's been recuperating, and just a month or so ago, she began taking on her old duties once more."
"That's excellent news to hear. I hope she's taking the new nightlife in stride."
"Oh, she is, believe me. But you would know, wouldn't you? How IS Artemis, by the by?"
"He's doing just as well. I don't know about you, but I'm glad this entire Anarchy Apollo situation is behind us."
She gave him a wry grin. "Nightmare Moon in my world, dear. Still, as well as our siblings are doing, we would do good to keep our eyes on them... we can only hope that they'll be able to forgive themselves, in time..."
Solaris nodded back at her, before his eyes flickered over to his scroll. It hovered forward. "I believe that I have something that was meant for you."
She nodded, and floated her own scroll towards the gent. "The same here. Rather surprising to get a letter delivered to the wrong address!"
They exchanged their psychic grips, and pulled the pieces of parchment through the mirror's frame, each one now resting in their home dimensions. The two white horses looked back at each other, before Celestia finally spoke the question on her mind.
"Were they very much trouble?"
Solaris nickered in a chuckle. "O-ho, let's see. Young Rainbow Dash made quite an impression on Blitz, the two dressmakers actually prayed for a blessing in love from me, and from what I understand, Miss Pinkie Pie and Berry Bubble very nearly brought about the end of Equestria. How they were going to do it is still beyond me."
The wise mare let out a laugh. "Oh my, our students certainly have an imagination! They have a way of assuming the worst of things, don't they?”
They shared a hearty bout of mirth, before they returned to their conversation. "Speaking of Twilight... tell me, what did you think of her?"
The prince gave her a smile. "She's an astounding pony, Celly. To be able to cross the dimensional divide by pure accident. And then, that night when she finally revealed herself to Dusk, I was quite pleased to see her own character on display. It was quite cute to see them, especially when they shared the bed!"
Celestia let her hooves fly to her mouth as she let out an un-ladylike squeal. "Twilight shared a bed with Dusk?! AW! I am SO jealous Solly, I wish I could have seen that!"
"You would have loved it. I was watching to make sure they didn’t do anything, you know, ‘untoward’. And they were both so nervous and timid! But it was also very serene, once they relaxed. Held in each other's hooves, each one comforted by the other, like a brother and sister should.” He closed his eyes and remained motionless, aside from his red mane billowing in the solar wind, before he spoke again. “I was so proud... and you should be too, Celly.”
"I am.” she smiled with a parent’s pride, shaking her mane.”Even WITH the things that our little ponies get into."
"Indeed." he responded, shaking his own head and returning her smile. "And we wouldn't trade them for anything in the world."
They simply stood there and looked at each other for a few seconds more, before a chime began to sound in the distance, from both sides of the mirror. The twin deities both heaved a sigh.
"Sundown in fifteen minutes." they both said at the same time, before looking back at each other, and then breaking into another round of chuckling.
"It's been a pleasure, as always, Solaris." Celestia spoke, reaching a foreleg up to touch hooves with him through the frame. "I'll try to be in contact again soon."
"No worries, Celestia." the prince assured, shaking her hoof as he tossed his mane. "Besides, the way that Dusk has been since they left, we may be seeing each other again sooner than you think."
The white mare smiled in anticipation as she bowed her head, the stallion returning her actions. "Safe times, Prince Solaris."
"Safe times, Princess Celestia."
They then both turned as if to leave, but the male stopped in his steps, before looking back. "Oh, and Celly?"
Having fully turned around, she tilted her head as she looked behind her. Solaris proceeded to give her something completely out-of-line, had it come from anypony else: a rougish wink and a grin.
"See you later, sweet thing."
A likewise grin erupted on her face, as she proceeded to wiggle her flanks in his direction. "You too, hot stuff."
At last, the vision of her male reflection began to waver once more, the harmonic energies infused in the mirror finally wearing off. As the surface rippled back into its previous silvered form, the ruler of Equestria stepped back into the middle of her court, her mind imagining him doing the same, still wearing the grin she sported as well. She admitted to herself, she was REALLY looking forward to next time. Even a goddess needs to get her kicks every now and then!
Finally, her lavender eyes drifted back towards the paper that she carried with her. The seal was already broken, but that was fine. The ivory equine unrolled it, and lifted it up to take in this latest missive from Twilight Sparkle, a smile playing across her face.
Dear Princess Celestia
If this letter gets to you, then you probably already know of the adventure that my friends and I have been on. It was a complete accident, I assure you. But now, looking back on it, I don't think I would have traded it for the world.
When we landed there, it was scary, when we finally realized where we were. Sometimes, a new place can scare you when you see things that are so similar, and yet at the same time, so different from home. But just because the place is different, doesn't mean it's bad. Different can be good, and kind, not to mention fun. Just as long as you remember to be yourself.
Knowing yourself is a tricky thing. You think you know exactly how you would react, given a certain situation. But sometimes, you wind up surprising yourself, as you see sides of your own personality that you've never seen or considered before.
My friends and I have learned that even when faced with our own selves, we have to recognize that things will never go exactly as how you think they should. And sometimes, that's a good thing. How else can a pony grow, and get to better know themselves than to make a few mistakes along the way?
I know me and my friends will never forget this place, or the lessons we have learned here during our stay. As I'm writing this, they're all downstairs, saying their goodbyes, while my brother writes his own note. We intend to trade them, and send them to our own respective mentors. It may seem unconventional, but at least this way, it will not only explain my absence, but also give you something of the world that my friends and I have touched. Have you been there, Princess? If you’re reading this, I would have to assume so! I would love to hear about it soon!
I hope that this letter finds you in good health. Even if it never makes it back to you, I'm glad I had the chance to write this. I know that Dusk Shine is!
Your Faithful Student
Twilight Sparkle.
P.S. Prince Solaris, when you read this, I hope you don't mind a feminine perspective of your favored student! Dusk is fine, and he says hello. Expect an actual letter from him soon. Hope to meet you in person someday!
----------------------------
“Someday, Twilight Sparkle.” Prince Solaris hummed, as he turned and strolled towards the court door, the scroll wrapped and placed into his chestpiece. A smile played across his face.
“Someday.”
FIN
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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On a Cross and Arrow
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Twilight and her five friends are transported across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one they knew.
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<p>Twilight and her five friends are transported during a botched spell, across dimensions to... Ponyville, Equestria? But not the same one that they knew. Sitting on a bench is Harpsy and Babar. The Doctoress avoids apples from an aspiring Applebuck. And in a library across town, six stallions join their forces as they try to decipher the appearance of filly look-alikes of themselves around Ponyville!</p>
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everyone
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2012-07-25T05:06:56+00:00
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2012-07-25T05:06:56+00:00
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There was a whisper of wind.
The serene and empty road into Ponyville laid bare, only a couple of birds resting in the trees bearing witness to the sudden scene that unfolded.
A maelstrom suddenly erupted, as if torn from sheets of a mighty hurricane itself. Dust flew into the air and the setting sun's brightness suddenly became a back-lighting, as from the sky, a pillar of purest white suddenly descended.
It hit the earth with a muffled thunderclap. A final rush of wind shook the trees and scattered loose pebbles and leaves, as the impact blasted a wave of air outwards. It was certainly enough to send the birds flying.
Just as quickly as it had started, the noise ceased. A cloud of debris continued to float around the site. After a minute of silence, another sound cut through the quiet: that of a small pony, coughing.
"*ahack!* Uhh... *ahack!* Mister... Mister Presto? Mister Great and *ahack* Powerful Presto? You there?"
There were more sounds of scuffling and small clopsteps, as the young pony tried to wave away the cloud of dirt. Gradually, his form came into view as the dust began to settle. Though a fair amount of the dirt clung to his yellow hide, the young colt's orange eyes remained undeterred, even when he took off his baseball cap and waved at the cloud some more.
"*ahack, ahack!* Mister Presto? Where... where'd you go?" he questioned, obviously looking for somepony. Once he deduced that he was actually alone on the road, he began taking in his surroundings once more.
"It don't look like ah moved any... did Mister Presto get moved instead? Ah mean, he's s'posed t' be the second best unicorn in Equestria! Ah wouldn't think he'd be able t' get it wrong!"
When it became obvious that he'd get no answers from an empty patch of road, the young boy pony finally turned himself towards the small village in the distance. He set his eyes in determination, and placed his hat back on his head, before rearing up onto his hindlegs.
"If it did work... then maybe ah actually made it! But Ah won't know f' sure till ah find out! So... here we go!"
And with that, Applebuck began galloping towards Ponyville, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"JAYJAY!! COUSIN JAYJAY!! AH'M-AH COMIN'! WAIT FER ME, COUSIN JAYJAAAAY!!"
----------------------------
By the time he made it into the town proper and began encountering ponies, he was simultaneously heartened and unnerved to learn that he had indeed, landed in the right dimension.
The earth-pony's eyes were wide as he spotted familiar faces. Ones that were soft where they were once strong before, and vice-versa. He did a double-take as a pony he knew as ‘Lemon Hooves’ in his world walked past him, and then yet another as ‘Pokey Pop’ strolled through his path. The former was now a filly, the latter, now a stallion. All the colts were mares now, and all the mares were colts!
He shook his head as he tried to think. Ah need tah find Cousin JayJay! Even if she's... not really mah cousin, ah still want tah find her! She's not Red Gala, an' she's shore not Applejack! She's... she's th' big sis ah never had! And ah wanna be wit' her!
A young colt in a mare's land, Applebuck nevertheless steeled himself. He pointed himself towards the marketplace, a clear vision of the Sweet Apple Acres fruit stand in mind. He would have reached there unimpeded as well, if only he hadn't given himself tunnel-vision and accidentally run into another pony.
"Awp!" came the voice, as he felt his forehoof land on something that wasn’t ground.
"Oh!" he yelped, jumping back a step. "Ah'm so sorry, are y'all all-riiii.....?"
Harpsy and Babar were both giving him a curious look, the cream-coated pony in particular rubbing at a hoof. At least, they looked like Harpsy and Babar. But their shorter stature, rounded curves, and delicate snouts unequivocally marked them as mares instead of stallions.
"Oh, it's okay dear." the not-Baber soothed, a patient look on her face. "Though you should really keep a better eye on where you're going."
"A little preoccupied, are we?" the female Harpsy spoke up, giving the colt a smile. "Say, I don't think I've seen you around before, actually. You new here?"
"Uhm... a-ah yeah, ah am." the red-maned pony bashfully replied. "Ah just... got into Ponyville t'day, y'know. Hey, uhm... real sorry 'bout th' trippin' up, ah was just..."
Both fillies chuckled. The mint unicorn spoke yet again. "Well then, welcome to Ponyville! I'm Lyra, and the one you nearly tripped up here is BonBon. If you're lost, we can give you the grand tour of the town, if you'd like!"
Applebuck worked his jaw a few times, before managing a reply. "Ah... Well... ah... ah thank y-ya kindly, but... ah... ah'm just lookin' fer m-mah Cousin JayJay. She lives here in Ponyville, and ah wanted t' visit."
The mares blinked, before looking at each other. "JayJay... I don't know any JayJay." BonBon hummed. "Can you think of anypony named that, Lyra?"
"No-one comes to mind... then again, it's not like we know EVERY pony in Ponyville, that's Pinkie's job. I bet if we asked her-"
"A-ah'm sorry." the yellow colt interrupted, his cheeks slightly red from embarrassment. "T-that's just what ah call her. Her... her actual name is, uhm... Applejack." It felt odd to say the name out-loud and not be referring to his elder brother at the same time.
Thankfully, the two faces lit up in recognition. "Oh, APPLEJACK!" the musician exclaimed. "I should have guessed, with your accent and all. I'm afraid you just missed her."
The curly-haired equine nodded as well. "She was packing up the stall in the marketplace when we last saw her, a minute or so ago. If you know where the Acres are, you might could catch up with her!"
At this, the little pony cheered. "Yee-haw! That's all ah wanted t' know! Thank 'ya Har- ah, a-ah mean, Miss Lyra. And thank 'ya too Miss B-...B-BonBon!"
They waved farewell to him as he galloped quickly off in another direction, angling himself towards the apple farm. Once he was out of sight, the candy-maker put a hoof to her mouth, humming in contemplation.
"That colt... he kind of reminds me of a certain other little pony, don't you think?"
"Hmmm... now that you mention it, yeah, he does kinda. How exactly though, I'm not sure. Can't really put my finger on it..."
"... hon, don't you mean ‘hoof'?"
----------------------------
Applebuck ran pell-mell over hill after hill, his destination firmly in mind. As he finally crested one last grassy knoll, his eyes lit up in excitement at the sight before him. Sweet Apple Acres. Home sweet home.
Or, in this case, home-away-from-home.
He didn't really have a plan when he had first set out. He had only learned the basics. That the 'agents' were really doubles of the six most well-known ponies in Ponyville. That 'Cousin JayJay' was in fact, Applejack. A female Applejack. And that it was a spell that had brought them to his own world... and had also taken them back.
Finding the spell in question had been easy. A few well-placed questions directed at Spines had gotten him the info he needed. Finding another unicorn that wasn't Dusk, but just as strong as him, to pull off the spell had been trickier, but doable. And now that he was here... he found himself hesitating for a second.
Now that ah'm here... once ah go in thar... once ah find mah cousin... then what? Will she be happy t' see me? Or will she be upset? Ah don't want her mad at me! Ah just... ah wanna be family wit' her! Ah wanna sit down at th' table an' have dinner, an' then play some card games, an' then go t' bed an' listen to a story! Ah wanna know what it's like, t' have somepony like her as mah cousin! As mah SISTER!
"Cousin JayJay..." the young pony whispered to himself, eyes still trained on the farm before him. "Can y'all give me one more chance?"
The silence stretched into a long minute. At last, the cap-bearing colt finally placed a hoof forward, setting himself into motion, when a buzz began to echo through the air.
He froze and let his eyes dart around, easily recognizing the sound. "Sc... Scooteroll?" he called out, his mind awash in possibilities. Did the rest of the Crusaders follow after him? Was Scooteroll and Silver currently barreling down on his position? Or...
Wait, that was something else he hadn't thought about. For every pony that's a mare back home, they're here as a colt instead. And for every BOY that there was back home...
He barely dodged out of the way as a scooter and wagon suddenly crested over the hill's edge. Panicked screams were had all around as the Crusader-mobile careened and screeched to a stop, Applebuck tumbling head over hooves as he landed a short distance away, pride bruised, but otherwise uninjured.
"Scootaloo!" same a soft, squeaky voice. "You really shouldn't go so fast all the time! You almost HIT somepony!"
"I know, I know! I'm sorry!" came another voice, somewhat tomboyish, panicked in tone. They called out to him. "Oh man, hey! You alright?!"
"Y-yeah. Ah'm okay." the schoolpony groaned, rubbing the dirt from his eyes. He felt a presence step up next to him, before feeling a hoof upon his own. He accepted the help as he was brought back up to a sitting position, taking the time to bring both forelimbs to his eyes, cleaning them out.
"GOLLY." said a high-pitched, southern twang from the pony who had assisted him. "Y'all shore? Y' took a real tumble back there!"
Applebuck blinked, while his vision slowly cleared up. He felt the world come screeching to a complete halt, as the last thing that he had ever expected, came into his focus.
Standing before him was another yellow earth-pony. Her red mane was held back by a sizable pink bow in a ponytail, and her large, orange eyes were adorned with obvious lashes.
"Awful sorry 'bout that. Scootaloo 'kin be rather RASH sometimes.” she continued, looking behind her to give the orange pegasus a glare. She then quickly turned back. “But, um, if yer all right, then howdy! Ain’t ever seen you ‘round b’fore!" she greeted, eyes giving him a welcoming sparkle.
The young capped colt continued staring at the sight before him, being face-to-face with something that he was in no way in the least, in this entire short-sighted escapade, prepared for.
It's me. Oh AJ, Red Gala, Grampy Smith, help me! She's ME!!
The bow-bearing filly gave him a smile, before holding out a hoof towards him in friendship.
"Mah name's Applebloom! What's yours?"
----------------------------
To Be Continued?
|
thenacho
|
756
| 1 |
Comedy,Random
|
SWEET DASH AND HELLA PINKIE
|
THESE TWO FRENDS DO SOME ZNANY AVDENTURES,, WITH THEIR TOKEN BLAPCK FRIEND ZECROA
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>FETURING RAINBOW DSAH, PINKEI PIE, AND THE TOKEN BLACK FRIEDN ZACORA.</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-09-06T18:58:39+00:00
| 91 |
OKAY SO LIKE THERES THEES TO BROS, OR I GUESS SISES, WHO ARE ALL COOL AND THEYRE TOTALLY AWESOME. HERES THEY'RE STOREY.
ONE DAY PNINKE PYE WAS WALKING HODLING A BUNCH OF CPUCAKES. PINKE SAID "i cant wait to be a useless piece of shit all day and frost all these cupcakes."BUT THEN, DRAMATICALLY, A STAIRS CAME OUT OF KNOWHERE, AND PINKIE PRY FELL DOWN THE STAIRS. RANIBOW DASH CAME AND SED,, "I WARNED YOU ABOUT STAIRS SIS, I TOLD YOU PONY!." PINKIE PIES DELEMMA WAS ALTHOUGH WORSENING, AS PINK PIE DICSOVERED THAT THE STAIRS,,,
DID NOT STOP. PINKIE SIAD "IT KEEPS HAPPENING" AS SHE CNONITUNEED TO FELL DOWN THE STARECAIS. "I TOLD YOU PINKIE, I TOLD YOU ABOUT STAIRS!" RAINBOW CASH CONTINUED TO SHOUT AT PINKPIE AS SHE FALLS. "WHY IS THIS KEEPING TO HAPEN, " PINKIE WUNDERED AS THE STAIRS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. THEN PINKIE FELL TO THE END OF THE STARES, AND RANBOW DASH, SAID "oh look the stares stopped, they are no longer continueing to hapen." SO THEY SAT DOWN AND DESIDED TO PLAY VDIEO GAMES ALL DAY LONG.
THE END???????????????????
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 1 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-03-31T23:14:23+00:00
|
2012-03-31T23:14:23+00:00
| 13,557 |
[Note:] This story has a background music system intended to enhance the reading experience. The system is completely optional, so if you do not wish to utilize it, please ignore this note and the prompts that accompany it.
In order to use this music system, follow these two simple prompts as they appear throughout the story:
*******: Open the link in a new tab (on FimFiction, make sure you right-click on the link) and play the music while reading. If there is already music playing, stop it and replace it with the new music.
*******: Stop the music currently playing.
Please make sure the music playing is at a volume that doesn’t distract from the story.
Chapter One
*******
Picking up a pencil between his teeth, an earth pony penned down the final words of his novel and closed the tome that contained it.
He spit out pencil and sighed. Maybe, in a thousand years or so, I’ll get around to editing it. He stood up and opened his tattered curtains, grunting as pale yellow sunlight glanced over his eyes. Squinting, he carefully estimated the position of the sun. Midcentury already? Hmm...
The stallion glanced at the cracked glass for a moment, then closed the curtains again. He ambled to the stairs and descended, deep in thought. Where could they possibly be? It’s not like them to wait this long to meet me. Not in this time of crisis.
Magical text peeled from the wall. It was brightly colored, and vibrated as the stallion approached. The runes danced about the stallion, but he swatted them aside like flies. They lost their luster and faded into ashes at the stallion’s touch.
Surely the new vessels should be here shortly, the stallion thought as he trotted down the spiral staircase. I wonder if Celestia forgot to introduce them to me? That’s very improbable... but then, where are they?
The stallion paused. He shook his head, disregarding a thought. They are well protected from attack. Besides, I would know if they were in danger. Absentmindedly, he gazed out the window at the towers that lazily twirled higher into the desert sky. Soon, however, he recovered himself and continued briskly on his way.
He occasionally mumbled something to himself. Doubts, worries, fears, and hopes all danced about the stallion’s lips as he continued through the structure. All the while, the runes were watching. They murmured amongst themselves, but didn’t usually bother the stallion.
After he had reached his destination, a large, dark room at the bottom of the complex, the stallion paused for a moment to catch his breath. He approached a large, nearly flat bowl in the center of the room. It was about a meter in diameter, and filled with musty, stagnant water.
“Ostendite mihi Harmonia Elementorum,” the stallion said. He waited for several minutes, anxiously tapping his hoof on the tattered carpeting. Finally losing his patience, he shouted, “I said, Ostendite mihi Harmonia Elementorum!”
A chattering noise could be heard as rainbow-colored runes started to seep from the walls and floor, drifting to the bowl of water in the center of the room. The water glowed brightly for a moment, but gradually began to display an image. Eagerly, the stallion looked upon the water’s reflection. He arched his eyebrows in surprise, though, at the picture he saw.
They’re still in that puny town? he laughed to himself. That’s an odd style of training if I’ve ever seen one. I wonder what Celestia’s thinking, keeping them confined like that? She promised that she’d raise them to fight off the return of my siblings.
After a few moments, the water vibrated. Sparks shot off the surface of the pool, their intensity seeming to increase. The stallion jumped back and yelped as the bowl erupted in flames. The magical designs that had powered the reservoir scattered about the room, some of them dissolving into ashes.
“Huh?” the stallion asked hesitantly. When the flames didn’t dissipate, he yelled, “Redintegro hoc vox iam!”
The flames froze in midair. The runes, in a somewhat orderly fashion, crept back into the reservoir. Within a few moments, the room had been returned to its original state.
I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like that, the stallion thought. He glanced at his scrying glass, but his expression was more curious than frightened. There’s unstable magic in the town. Perhaps I should give it a rest for the time being.
A few hours later, his curiosity eating away at him, the stallion hastily prepared his glass once more. He silently gazed into the waters, his eyes narrowing at what he saw. I was right; the magic is deteriorating, and fast. At this rate...
Some of the runes seeped out of the fountain. Chattering slightly, they swirled around the room. The pony glared at them. “Go if you wish, but that means I’m dealing this Friday.”
The runes abruptly vanished. The mandolin the stallion was carrying slowly lifted off of his back, glowing with magic from an unknown source.
I know I’ll be covering for your foalishness by the day’s end, the stallion thought. The Elements of Harmony don’t take kindly to intrusions.
=====================================================================
*******
Twilight’s eyes creaked open, and she shifted in her soft bed. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes.
“...promised that she’d raise them to fight off the return of my siblings.”
Twilight jumped, turning to face the wall of her bedroom. Nopony was there. That’s... strange, she thought. She slowly stepped out of bed and touched her hooves to the floor of her bedroom. The sun was peeking in through the windows, its rays glancing off of Twilight’s haphazard bed-mane.
Twilight’s horn glowed as she used telekinesis to levitate a brush to her hair, but a spark of magic ignited and exploded in a flash of light. “Ack!” she yelped, bringing a hoof to her forehead and collapsing.
As the pain faded, Twilight lied on the hardwood floor in shock. My... My magic isn’t really that unstable, is it? But what else could it have been? She glanced nervously at her comb, which had clattered to the floor as she lost control of her ability. Maybe I’ll comb it later.
Thoroughly woken up, Twilight walked out of her bedroom and into the center of her home, heading toward the kitchen.
“Twilight? You awake?” Spike called from near the front of the house.
“Yes, I’m just making breakfast,” Twilight called back, her horn glowing slightly as she used telekinesis to crack eggs and pour milk into a mixing bowl. “What do you need?”
“About time,” Spike called, laughing. “Rarity’s here to see you.”
“Give me a minute,” Twilight called back, looking out the window. The sun was about a quarter of the way across the sky. I guess I slept in.
Setting the mixture on the counter to finish later, Twilight cantered to the front door and let Rarity in. “Hi, Rarity. How are you?”
“Goodness, you’re a fright!” the white unicorn exclaimed, glancing at Twilight’s hair. “Did a manticore attack your mane, darling?”
“Oh, I forgot! Sorry about that,” Twilight apologized, hastily attempting to pat down her cowlick with little success. “I just got up.”
“It’s a little late to just be waking up,” Rarity began, “but I suppose I shouldn’t criticize you about that, because I slept in as well. Had Sweetie Belle not been my alarm, I may have slept well into the afternoon.”
“Really?” Twilight asked. “Well, anyway, was there something you needed from me, Rarity?”
“Well, I was in the park looking for inspiration for a dress, you see. Out of absolutely nowhere, Pinkie came barrelling toward me, rambling on about some celebration that she need our help for,” Rarity explained. “She nearly knocked me over.”
“I’ll be over as soon as soon as I have breakfast,” Twilight said, mentally checking if she had anything else planned that day. “Do you know where it is?”
“Over at Fluttershy’s. Don’t be long, darling,” Rarity finished before departing. “And make sure you don’t forget to fix your mane. I won’t have any friend of mine waltzing around Ponyville with such a horrendous hairdo.”
Twilight said goodbye to Rarity and finished making breakfast, putting the leftover batter in the refrigerator. After she adjusted her mane, she grabbed a small pocketbook and quill, recording where she was going in her schedule. She was about to leave, but something occurred to her.
Hmm, Twilight pondered. Maybe I should write down what happened in the morning. It might be worth looking up. She flipped back to the current day in her schedule and found that what she had entered moments before had vanished. Huh? I didn’t use invisible ink, did I? Double-checking that she had written both down, she set the book on the counter and walked outside.
A brisk morning breeze welcomed her, and Twilight inhaled refreshing, cool air as layers of sleep slowly lifted off her pelt. Her ear twitched; Ponyville was unusually quiet. There aren’t any birds singing.
A blue pegasus mare, Rainbow Dash, walked up to Twilight on her way to Fluttershy’s house. “Hey, Twilight. You helping out with the party, too?”
Twilight nodded. “Uh-huh. Hey, Dash, did you notice anything different about Ponyville today?”
*******
Dash didn’t answer. Twilight turned toward her and jumped back in fright. Dash was frozen in place, as if time had suddenly stopped.
Twilight glanced around. Ponyville suddenly felt insufferably hot. She cringed and blinked as sand was thrown into her eyes, carried by the increasing wind that threatened to form into a gale.
Twilight was forced to look at the ground as the sandstorm increased in ferocity. Sand completely blotted out her vision as she felt a gust of wind plow her into the ground. What’s going on?! she yelled to herself, desperately trying to rid herself of the unbearable pain assaulting her from all sides. There was a bright light, then darkness.
=====================================================================
Twilight’s eyes creaked open, and she shifted in her soft bed. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes.
She slowly stepped out of bed, her hooves softly touching the floor of her bedroom. The sun began to poke through an overcast sky to reach Twilight’s bedroom.
A bright flash of light blasted Twilight onto the floor. Yelping, she braced herself as she was tossed to the side. Grunting in pain, she got up and hurriedly looked around. Ugh... I wasn’t even using magic that time.
Wait, Twilight thought. ‘That time?’ I don’t remember anything like this happening before...
Twilight looked suspiciously at her brush. Maybe it had something to do with- She shook her head, interrupting the thought. Why am I scared of an inanimate object?
She scratched her forehead. Memories slowly started to trickle back into her mind, like water in a leaky pipe. That... That was just a nightmare, wasn’t it? She glanced around. Her surroundings suddenly seemed much less homey.
Maybe I’m just feeling a little Déjà vu. That’s it, Twilight thought as she cautiously walked downstairs. For some reason, every board was creaking as if it was about to snap.
“Twilight? You awake?” Spike called from near the front of the home.
“Huh?” Twilight asked. “Didn’t you hear me?”
“Whatdaya mean?” Spike asked.
“I mean, when my magic malfunctioned and I was blown across my bedroom?” Twilight asked. “Didn’t you hear me yell?”
“No...?” Spike trailed off, walking into the kitchen. “Are you sure you’re alright, Twilight?”
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Twilight answered. There’s no way he couldn’t have heard that. I shook the entire house.
Spike shifted nervously. “Um, w-well, Rarity’s at the front door, but if you don’t want to see her...”
“No, I’ll see her,” Twilight said, pushing past Spike to the exit. Frowning, she paused, hesitant to open the door. Something here isn’t right; I’m just not sure what. It could just be me. Still, though... maybe I should test it, to see if it really was just a nightmare.
“Hi, Rarity. How are you?” Twilight asked, repeating the exact same thing she had said the day before.
“Goodness, you’re a fright!” the white unicorn exclaimed, glancing at Twilight’s hair. “Did a manticore attack your mane, darling?”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Twilight apologized, though she didn’t pay any heed to her hairdo. This is really, really strange. Why did she repeat it just as I remember? “I just got up.”
“It’s a little late to just be waking up,” Rarity began, “but I suppose I shouldn’t criticize you about that, because I slept in as well. Had Sweetie Belle not been my alarm, she probably would have been late for school.”
Twilight stepped back. “Okay, Rarity. I... I think something’s wrong.” She started pacing around the room, trying to make sense of the situation. “This entire day, from the time I woke up until now… it’s been an exact copy of the nightmare I’ve just had.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Twilight? Are you sure you’re not just feeling some Déjà vu, darling?”
“I can prove it,” Twilight stated. She ran upstairs to get her pocketbook, praying that the entries were there. They were, but now they completely covered the pages of her schedule. Every page now said the exact same thing; even the front and back covers displayed the same text she had written in her nightmare.
“You came to my house to ask me a favor,” Twilight began, levitating the book beside her and rushing down to the front door. “Pinkie Pie is arranging a party over at Fluttershy’s, right?”
Rarity stepped back, her eyes wide. “I was just about to say that exact thing!”
“That’s my point!” Twilight exclaimed, her breathing accelerating. “Rarity, something’s wrong. With this entire place. I…” Twilight’s horn began to glow with nervous energy; her eyes were wide with panic.
“Yes, darling, what is it?” Rarity asked, Twilight’s anxiety starting to rub off.
“Rarity, I don’t think we’re in Ponyville!” Twilight whispered.
Waves of dry heat started to ripple through the house. Particles of sand drifted through the air as windows rattled with the force of the wind. Twilight covered her eyes and yelled as a brilliant burst of light from outside blinded her. No, not again!
The tremors stopped suddenly. Twilight rubbed her eyes; it felt like she had stared directly into the sun. The air feels different, she thought. Thicker...? Twilight shifted, getting up and scanning the room for anything that could have caused such a quake. A thin layer of sand covered the floor.
“This has certainly been an eventful morning,” Rarity muttered, getting up and testing her limbs.
“Spike!” Twilight called, rushing into the other room. “Spike?”
He had vanished. Everything was deathly silent. Twilight frantically searched the library, her panic increasing with every empty, shattered room she found. “Spike’s gone!”
“Goodness!” Rarity exclaimed. “We should find the others. I agree with you, Twilight; something is seriously wrong.”
The two unicorns ran outside and were greeted with silence. It was quieter than a graveyard. The sun beat down on them with an unusual amount of heat. The pair stared at the sand dunes that were dotted around Ponyville, though there wasn’t any form of wind present.
“Everypony in the town has... they’ve just vanished,” Twilight murmured.
“Hey! Anypony there?” a familiar voice called.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled, looking skyward. “Down here!”
The blue pegasus swooped down from high above. “Thank Celestia I found you. I was clearing some rain when everypony just vanished in this gigantic flash of light!”
“We saw it, too. Something is definitely wrong with this town,” Rarity said.
“You’re telling me,” Dash grumbled. “It’s like a desert out here. Literally.”
Rarity rubbed her chin, analyzing the situation. Now that I think about it, Ponyville has been strange lately. I don’t remember seeing Scootaloo when I dropped off Sweetie Belle... Come to think of it, the class looked half empty.
“I’m not sure what’s going on, either.” Twilight paused, biting her lip.
“What is it, darling?” Rarity asked.
She shook her head. “Hmm... Well, you’re going to think that I’ve lost my mind, but I don’t think we’re in Ponyville. Since when has sand just appeared out of thin air?”
“Well, yeah, that’s kinda weird,” Dash admitted, “but that doesn’t mean we’re not, um, here. Weirder things have happened, right?”
“Name one,” Twilight challenged.
Dash scratched the back of her neck. “Well, not off the top of my head or anything.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean-” Twilight shook her head, trying to formulate her sentence. “From when I woke up until now, everything’s been the same as this dream I just had. I’m not sure that it was just a dream anymore, actually.” She shivered. “Not only that, but everypony besides the three of us has vanished.”
“Make that five!” Pinkie called. The pink earth pony bounded up with Fluttershy behind her. “Does anypony know what’s going on? I was just setting up streamers with Fluttershy when everything went ‘poof!’ There was a big flash of light and a BOOM and then everything went all crazily insanely weird!”
“If we knew, we would tell you,” Twilight sighed.
“There ya are,” a familiar orange earth pony said as she trotted to the group from a nearby street. “Anypony have any idea what the hay’s goin’ on? Half mah crop flat-out disappeared a few moments ago, and what’s left is half buried in sand.”
“Sorry, but I’m stumped,” Twilight admitted. “I woke up about ten minutes ago, just before all this started happening.”
“G-Girls?” Fluttershy stammered, trembling and urgently tapping Pinkie Pie’s shoulder. “We’re n-not alone…”
The group looked in the direction Fluttershy was pointing, but nopony was there.
“Um, Fluttershy?” Dash asked.
“No,” Fluttershy insisted. “Look.”
Text and symbols started to drift from buildings around Ponyville, but none of them even remotely resembled characters in the Equestrian alphabet. They glowed and pulsed with a variety of different colors as they piled along the ground. Bit by bit and piece by piece, they began to form a shape; that of a pony.
“Hello,” the shape began as its face was finally constructed. “I’m glad I could finally meet you. Real ponies are hard to come by where I’m from.”
“Wh-Who are you?” Dash asked. She swallowed her fear and asked more confidently, “And what are you talking about?”
I think I know it, somehow, Twilight thought, squinting through the bright yellow rays of sunlight which seemed to be getting brighter by the second. “Who are you?”
“My name kinda doesn’t exist, because I’m really only the shadow of a pony,” the figure stated. It lifted its leg, and the multicolored runes broke off and flew through the group, causing a variety of emotions as they struck the six friends. Sadness, anger, enthusiasm, determination, acceptance, forgiveness, and laughter all bounded through the group as the runes shot through their souls.
Fluttershy yelped as a rune seemingly ripped through her in a burst of icy cold desire. Pinkie giggled as she felt pride stroke her ego. Applejack glared at the runes irritably as Dash sighed in contentment.
“Just tell us who you are!” Rarity snapped, the runes having an effect on her as well.
It rolled its eyes. “Weren’t you listening? I’m not. If anything, I’m-” the figure cut itself off, as if it had bit its tongue.
“Then why are you here?” Twilight asked, though she could hardly keep a straight face through her grin. The runes must be causing all these annoying emotions!
“The Submaster wants to test you, so I’m here to retrieve you. It’s a little below my paygrade, but it’ll do for now,” the figure said. His supposed face shifted in what may have been a grin, but runes tumbled to the ground as he tried to make the expression.
“And what if we don't wanna be retrieved?” Applejack glared.
The figure shrugged, more runes flying off its shoulders and vanishing. “The world is collapsing. You don’t really have much of an option, do you?”
Twilight glanced around. The ground had started to vibrate, dust and particles starting to float in midair. In the distance, pillars of sand had started to shoot up into the sky, though they were rapidly approaching.
“You are the Elements of Harmony... right?” the figure asked.
“That’s us!” Applejack yelled, stepping forward. “An’ if you mess with me or any a my friends, yer gonna be hogtied so fast ya won’t know what hit ya! Now git us outta this mess!”
The figure shuddered as a sickly laughter weaved its way through the air. “Rather arrogant of you, Applejack. We’ll see about that, huh?”
We don’t have many options, Twilight thought nervously as the quaking ground increased in intensity. Houses in Ponyville had started to crack, splitting apart at the seams.
Fluttershy had her hooves pressed tightly over her eyes. “It’s all just a dream,” she muttered, hyperventilating slightly. “It’s all just a dream and when I wake up I will be in my bed in my house with Angel Bunny and all of my friends and, a-and...”
“Why does your ‘Submaster’ want to test us?” Twilight asked.
Part of the figure’s back broke off, and the characters floated in front of its supposed face. “Hmm... Says here he wants you to, ‘Prove that you can defeat your opposites and brave your weaknesses. Only then will I see if you can best the worst and traverse what hurts.’ Simple enough, when you get right down to it. It really just boils down to escaping the void.”
The sand columns were approaching. Far off in the distance, a great tidal wave of sand was rushing toward the group at blinding speeds. The ground was vibrating so rapidly that it was hard for Twilight to keep her balance.
“It isn’t simple!” Twilight argued. “Why is this happening? Why did I have a nightmare about this? Who are you?!” she exclaimed.
“Look, it’s either survive or not. I’m trying to throw you a bone here,” the figure argued. “Look, as soon as he decides if you’re ready or not, you’ll be put right back home. Promise, okay?”
A gust of fiercely hot wind washed over the group. Twilight flinched as sand flew into her eyes.
“Looks like time’s nearly up,” the figure observed, glancing behind itself. The columns were steadily demolishing what remained of Ponyville. The figure offered its hoof. “Last chance.”
Twilight shook her head in agitation, knowing she was running out of time, and fast. “Can you at least tell us your name?” she pleaded.
The figure thought for a moment. “Hmm... I’d have to think about it. In the meantime...” it trailed off, motioning to its outstretched hoof.
Sighing in exasperation, Twilight took the figure’s hoof. Nothing happened. The tidal wave of sand would be upon them in moments, and the columns of sand were mere meters away.
“What are you waiting for?” Rarity asked. “Do something!”
The figure’s expression was hard to place, but it may have been smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, well... It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
With that, a column of sand sprang up beneath the figure, shattering it and scattering the runes it was composed of. As a rune flew through the retreating Twilight, a burst of fury surged through her.
“That idiot! He just left us here to... to...!” she seethed.
A rune sailed through Dash, who promptly dove under Fluttershy. “Hide me!”
“Ah think ya’ll are overreactin’,” Applejack yawned. Snapping out of the runes’ spell, she asked hurriedly, “Any ideas, Twi?”
Twilight stared at the tidal wave of sand that was about to bury Ponyville. “...Hold our breath.”
As soon as the desert plowed into them, they heard a light tune, that of a string instrument.
Hmm, my name... a voice echoed through the darkness. I guess you could call me Verba.
=====================================================================
*******
Rarity moaned softly as she regained consciousness. She stood up, testing her limbs. Nothing seemed to be broken, but there were various dark indigo marks on her legs.
She halfheartedly glanced at her surroundings, noticing that her friends were gradually recovering their consciousness as well. She was in a grand hall; a single room of what may have been a castle long ago. Golden sunlight shone from outside, casting a dancing reflection on the aged red carpets and ancient gold thrones. The marble floors and columns only added to the atmosphere of what looked to be one of the most extravagant places in Equestria.
It would have been beautiful; however, the cracked marble floor was covered in sand. The tapestries and carpets were falling apart at the seams. Dust and dirt blew in from broken windows. The one room she had landed in was just that; a single chamber surrounded by the desert winds.
Pinkie rubbed her head. “That was some fall we took, huh?”
“No kidding,” Dash muttered, stretching her wings. “What’s that thing’s beef with us, anyways?”
“Hey, wh-where’s Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
The group looked around. Twilight was nowhere to be seen.
“I bet it took her!” Dash growled. “Where are you hiding Twilight?!” she yelled at the ceiling.
“I can wait for her, i-if that’s alright with you,” Fluttershy suggested.
“She’s probably just stuck somewhere else in this place,” Rarity assumed. “Chances are, we’ll run into her later. Um... does anypony know where we are, exactly?”
“Beats the hay outta me,” Applejack grumbled. “This don’t look like Canterlot or any a those big fancy palacey things Ah read ‘bout in storybooks. Come ta think a it, this place don’t look like it’s in the finest a shapes.”
“Well, I can agree with you there,” Rarity nodded. “This place looks like it’s been abandoned for quite a while. It’s a little... out of date,” she continued, glancing at the pictures woven into the carpets and tapestries. They depicted grand battles between mages and knights, kings and princes, and incredibly muscular warriors.
“Why is everything so... floaty?” Pinkie asked, staring at the curtains. They appeared to be hovering a bit in midair, as if a wind was blowing when they somehow froze. When she pawed at them, they fluttered a bit before coming to a rest. She tried to grab them, but they turned to dust in her hooves. She tasted the powder for a moment before coughing it out. “Drat! Everything’s so topsy-turvey in this place, I thought it would’ve been sugar!”
“Anypony remember why we’re here?” Rarity asked.
“We have to be t-tested,” Fluttershy stammered, looking to be on the verge of panic. “What’s going on? Please, won’t somepony tell me?”
“If we knew, sugarcube, we’d tell ya,” Applejack said, stretching her neck from side to side.
“Hmm,” Rarity murmured, taking a look around. The door at the end of the hall was open. “Let’s go this way.”
They followed Rarity outside, stepping carefully over rotten fabric and keeping a sharp eye out for danger. When they looked around outside, they found that they were on an island in space, stranded on a giant desert rock suspended in a black vortex. The sunlight that had previously filled the surroundings abruptly vanished as they walked outside. It was replaced with dim lighting from an unknown source in the darkness. The wind that blew through the chamber they had just departed was all but nonexistent outside of it.
Five spindly stone paths wove their way from the island. One was deep purple, the next bright orange, then bright crimson, then light blue, and finally a light pink. Occasionally, a loose rock would break off of one of the paths and fall endlessly downward. Fluttershy resisted the urge to look over the edge to see how far down the fall was, but, in actuality, there was absolutely nothing to see.
“I must be dreaming,” Rarity moaned, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing an illusion. “Where in Equestria could we possibly be?!”
Dash carefully looked over the edge of the island and saw nothing but a dark abyss. “Well, uh... I dunno.”
“C-Can I just stay in the throne room? Where it’s, um... safe? Safer?” Fluttershy trembled.
“C’mon, Fluttershy! We might find candy! Or treasure, or gems, or even buried treasure candy gems!” Pinkie encouraged. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold hooves now; I’m just getting started!”
Fluttershy paused, looking at her hooves. “Well, um, where are we going first?”
“We don’t have much ta go on,” Applejack shrugged. “Might as well flip a coin.”
“Okay, does anypony have a five-sided coin on them?” Pinkie asked.
“Means it’s yer choice, sugarcube,” Applejack said.
“Hmm... eeney, meeny, miney, moe!” Pinkie galloped off on the light blue path. The rest of the group ran after her, though Rarity practically had to drag Fluttershy onto the spindly path.
As the group moved onward, their destination came into clearer view. As the throne room slowly faded into blackness, a new shape could be seen on the horizon. It appeared to be a slightly blurry castle with various shapes dancing about. Hmm, Pinkie thought, pausing for a moment. It looks awfully familiar...
“Hurry up, girls!” Pinkie called as she ran along the bright blue path. It glittered as she approached.
“We almost there?” Applejack asked. “‘Cause Ah really wanna give that creepy pony a piece a mah mind.”
“Totally,” Dash agreed, jogging toward their destination. “He has serious issues, trapping us here.”
“You’ve got to take this more seriously!” Rarity chided. “It must have something to do with us being the Elements of Harmony; he mentioned that before. We should try to find out what!”
They approached the castle. The hazy image was barely recognizable once they were up close. “Whee! Let’s go!” Pinkie chirped excitedly as she ran into the hazy image.
“Um, is this thing solid?” Dash asked, pawing at the illusion. Suddenly, she felt a stabbing pain in her head. Yelling out in pain, the blue pegasus collapsed to the ground.
“You should not have followed her,” a voice whispered in the blue pegasus’s ears. However, this voice sounded nothing like Verba’s.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.
Cover image and illustration by Denial.
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 2 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-06-27T13:52:11+00:00
|
2012-06-27T13:52:11+00:00
| 6,612 |
Chapter Two
*******
When Pinkie stepped into the hazy image, vibrant colors suddenly blinded her. Various fragrances and pleasant smells wafted around her nose, but at the same time greatly overstimulated her senses, leading her to stumble backwards before gaining her bearings. When Pinkie finally did recover herself, there seemed to a mist hovering over her mind. What’s going on?
When she finally opened her eyes, what she saw shocked her into next week.
It was a party. Ponies of all shapes and sizes were laughing and frolicking throughout what looked to be a grand castle. Streamers and confetti blew through the air as colts and fillies chased each other up and down stairs in a playful game of tag. The ceiling towered above Pinkie and ended in a skylight, but this was just the lobby of what appeared to be an enormous castle.
“It’s a party!” Pinkie laughed. “Hey, girls...!” Pinkie turned around to see that her friends had vanished. “Um... where did everypony go?” They probably just went off to join the party. And I don’t blame them; this looks like a super amount of fun!
Pinkie bounced down the carpeted stairs of the lobby toward the front gate, awed by the great amount of ponies that had attended this grand celebration. In the lobby alone there must have been dozens that were laughing, chatting, and snacking on the sweets that lined numerous tables all around. Pinkie’s mouth watered when she saw one of her favorite treats, a fresh-baked triple-chocolate brownie.
Not hesitating, Pinkie delved into the sweets. Yummy!
“Ugh, that’s so rude, stuffing your face like that,” a voice behind Pinkie said.
The pink earth pony turned around, but nopony looked like they were paying any attention. Huh? Disregarding the insult, Pinkie set the sweets aside and made her way to the dance floor. Everypony there seemed to be enjoying her Quadruple-breakdance-somersault-cartwheel until she heard another voice.
“No talent at all. No form, no nothing,” a voice said from behind Pinkie’s back. “What a waste. You should just go home.”
“Huh?” Pinkie asked. She carried on regardless, but soon became tired and moved on to the snack bar.
Glancing around, Pinkie now noticed various ponies were snickering at her. I just thought they were having a good time, she sighed. They’re laughing at me.
Absently, Pinkie stumbled into a white earth pony mare. “Oh, sorry!” she said.
The mare glared at her with a gaze so cold that the Pinkie stumbled backwards, landing on her rear. Laughter could be heard all around. The mare slowly advanced on Pinkie, her gaze colder than an arctic wind.
Everypony there was laughing at her, at her mistakes, and at her clumsiness. The white mare’s eyes turned to daggerlike slits.
Whispers traveled from around the room to Pinkie’s ears. You are a pathetic waste of space and an idiot. Who invited you to the party? Ugh, what a loser. Did you actually think you deserved to come here without an invitation? Nopony likes you. Nopony even cares for you. It wouldn’t matter to any of us if you dropped dead.
You don’t belong.
Pinkie was on the verge of tears as she stumbled back to her feet. “H-Hey, I know!” she said. “Let’s have a contest to see who can look the scariest! I’ll go first.” Pinkie prepared her best glare and looked at the mare with fiery intensity.
The mare didn’t even blink. She simply glared back at Pinkie.
“Aw, it’s no fun if you don’t play!” Pinkie said. “In fact, how about we all play?” Pinkie felt her mind clear up a tiny bit, the haze starting to evaporate.
Pinkie took turns feigning anger and disgust at each of the members of the party, who gladly participated. Soon the party was in full thrall again. The pink earth pony turned back to the white mare.
“Aren’t you going to play? It’s wouldn’t be as much fun without you!” Pinkie said cheerfully. “Don’t you know how to laugh?”
Pinkie yelped as her mind readjusted suddenly. The hazy image she had walked into returned to being just that: A hazy image with shapes and sounds that sounded only slightly similar to actual ponies.
*******
Pinkie stepped out of the misty figures that danced about her, slowly backpedaling to the shaky path. The solid black space above and below the tiny island returned as her vision and mind cleared completely. The image broke apart bit by bit to form runes that sailed off into the distance. Only a few stayed to form the jagged shape of Verba.
“Yeah, yeah, um, pretty nice job there, Linky,” Verba began, looking at a clipboard that was also made out of multicolored runes. He pushed his glasses--also rune-based--back up on the bridge of what may have been a nose.
“It’s Pinkie Pie!” she corrected, “and don’t you forget it, mister!”
“I’ll be sure not to,” Verba chuckled, tossing the clipboard over his shoulder. It broke off into its base components and sailed off on an invisible wind.
“Where are my friends?” Pinkie asked indignantly, not afraid to show off her meanest look right in Verba’s face.
“Hey, hey, we’re all friends here,” Verba defended, taking a step back. “They’re back at the ruins. And did I mention how well you did, um, what’s your name?”
“Hmph! Thank you very much,” Pinkie said before bounding back off along the path.
“Jeez Louise,” Verba muttered, chuckling as he watched Pinkie hop toward the ruins. “She’s always quite the character. Wish she remembered me,” he mumbled before breaking down into dust.
=====================================================================
Twilight gasped as she awoke, though she quickly regretted it due to her sore throat. After she finished coughing, she examined her surroundings. There was a bowl full of water in the middle of what looked like an ancient library. Bookshelves lined the walls, and two staircases wound their way to the top of a spire above her. There was a golden aura about the area as bright amber light cascaded through the windows into the small room.
Standing up, Twilight looked outside through the windows to see nothing but a barren desert as far as the eye could see.
“Any news?” she heard a voice ask from nearby. She turned to see a dark brown stallion who was conversing with a series of brightly colored lights. They chattered a bit before vanishing.
“You’re awake,” he observed, not turning around to face her.
“Who were you talking to?” Twilight asked. “And where are my friends?”
“That was my helper. He communicates with me on the happening of the realm. As for your other question or questions... we’ll see if I can answer them,” he said, paging through a tome in front of him. He brushed his shiny black mane behind his ear. “However, before I provide any more of my answers, you need to give me some of yours.”
“Why should I? You haven’t given me any reason to trust you,” Twilight said, taking a step back.
“You have every reason to trust me,” the stallion said calmly, turning around and finally meeting Twilight’s gaze. His eyes had no pupils; they were simply white irises. “However, if you do not answer my inquiries, I will not be able to help your friends.”
“J-Just... Just tell me where they are a-and I’ll tell you everything you need to know,” Twilight promised, though she was severely off-put by the stallion’s eyes.
The stallion chuckled. “I was hoping you could tell me.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, confused.
“I have been trying to find you and your friends for quite some time now,” he began. “However, when you descended into my realm, you were the only one I could find. The others were stolen from my view.”
“Why were you trying to find us?” Twilight asked.
“I was trying to find you before your world collapsed. Or, rather, the copy of that world,” he added.
“Huh?” Twilight asked.
“You were in suspended animation. For how long, I’m not certain,” the stallion explained. “Tell me--you are aware that you are the Elements of Harmony, correct? What are they?”
Twilight stared at him warily. “My friend Applejack is Honesty, Pinkie Pie is Laughter-”
“Humor,” the stallion interrupted.
“Huh?” Twilight asked. “No... She’s Laughter. It says so in the Elements of Harmony reference guide.”
He raised an eyebrow, and he rubbed his chin. “There isn’t any reference guide... At least, there isn’t supposed to be a reference guide that I know of... At any rate, the Element of Humor is what you should call it, if you want to be precise.”
“Okay...” Twilight trailed off. Continuing, she said, “Rarity is Generosity, Fluttershy is Kindness, Rainbow Dash is Loyalty, and I represent the element of Friendship, or Magic.”
The stallion nodded. “Right. Do you know anything else about the Elements of Harmony?”
Twilight searched her mind. Hmm... well, we weren’t told much other than that. I don’t remember reading anything...
“Anything at all?” the stallion asked.
Twilight was put on edge by his demeanor. He seems really desperate. “Um, no. Should I?” Twilight asked.
The stallion shook his head and sighed. “Never mind.” He paused. “Are you aware of any other Elements?”
“No,” Twilight said.
The stallion exhaled. “Are you aware of my importance in the Elements of Harmony?”
“No…?” Twilight trailed off.
The stallion seemed agitated as he ran a hoof through his mane. “Do you know the alphabet, basic sentence structure?!”
“What is the point of all these questions? Of course I know the alphabet!” Twilight exclaimed. “If you want me to know, why don’t you just tell me?”
“You should have known all of this already,” the stallion said frustratedly. “What is going on?”
Twilight raised her eyebrows. “Don’t you know?”
The stallion shook his head, his glistening mane falling over his face. “You are already supposed to know all of the things I’m asking you about; telling you about them now would be useless. Celestia should have told you! It’s her responsibility!”
A powerful force washed over Twilight, making her shiver. “...Wh-What’s your name?” she asked hesitantly.
The stallion looked at her. “My name?”
“Please,” Twilight persisted.
“Obsidian,” the stallion said. “It appears times have changed since my last assignment. The Elements must not have been needed for a very long time.”
“No, that’s not true!” Twilight exclaimed. “Just over a year ago, my friends and I had to defeat Nightmare Moon with the Elements!”
Obsidian looked up and raised an eyebrow. “Nightmare Moon?”
“Yes,” Twilight said. “Nightmare Moon possessed Princess Luna one thousand years ago, but she escaped recently and we had to stop her.”
Obsidian’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “What did this… ‘Nightmare Moon’ look like?”
Twilight rubbed her chin, deep in thought. Why is my memory so fuzzy? “She looked a little like Luna. Okay, not really. She had a jet-black pelt and a pale blue mane. She was an alicorn, too. Um… her cutie mark had the same pattern as Luna's, but was green and purple instead of white and black. That’s all I remember.”
Obsidian stared at Twilight. “And where did Nightmare Moon come from, originally?”
Twilight was put off guard by the sense of urgency in the stallion’s tone. “I read in an old book that she was the sum of the bitterness and envy in Luna’s heart. That’s all I know, I swear.”
But Obsidian wasn’t angry. He wasn’t resentful; that certainly wasn’t the expression that was shown in his eyes. He didn’t even look like he needed any more information out of Twilight. What she said had been enough.
Obsidian’s eyes were alight with fear. A fear that was penetrating and real.
=====================================================================
*******
Pinkie bounced into the abandoned throne room to find her friends lying on the ground, unconscious.
“What happened?” she asked aloud, rushing over to Fluttershy. “Say something, Fluttershy!”
The yellow pegasus twitched a bit, her eyes opening slowly. “Wh-Where am I? Pinkie, is that you?”
“I think so,” Pinkie said, taking a glance at her hooves. “Yep, it’s me! Are you okay?”
Dash sat up and rubbed her head. “Ugh, what just happened? All I remember is trying to go into that misty whatever and then waking up here.”
Soon Applejack and Rarity were awake as well. Rarity was trying to get her hair to settle after laying on it for so long. Applejack stretched her stiff limbs while Pinkie told them what had happened.
“So we’re bein’ tested, is that it?” Applejack asked. “An’ we can’t do nothin’ but watch an’ wait while our friends are in danger?”
There was a great flash of light in the middle of the room. Glowing blue text started to appear on the carpet.
Those who triumph over their tests
Have endless positive hopes and dreams.
Ending Guilt is an important skill,
Unless you want to end your team.
“What an uplifting little poem,” Rarity muttered. “What are we supposed to do now?”
“I guess we have to keep on going,” Dash said, stretching out her wings. “Maybe then we’ll get some payback on the jerk that put us in here.”
“So what path are we takin’ next?” Applejack asked. “The orange one?”
“We might as well,” Rarity sighed, trying to fix her mane. It’s going to take forever to get this sand out of my hair. I want to go home right this instant.
“Um, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked. “How h-hard was your test?”
“Easy-peasy, why?” Pinkie chirped.
“Because we’re all going to be tested, right?” Fluttershy asked nervously.
“Don’t worry about it!” Pinkie said, giving Fluttershy her biggest, brightest smile. “Let’s go!”
The group started down the empty orange path. When their hooves first touched the unstable, fragile pathway, though, they found that they were in a dank tunnel.
The walls of the small corridor were dark, black, and eerie. Echoes and cool wind blew through the corridor, and the group was put on edge by clinks and shinks that resounded from invisible sources.
Rarity quickly put a hoof over her nose to try and drown out the smell. “Celestia, that’s foul!” she coughed, wrinkling her nose. “Are we in some kind of sewage drain?!”
“Wouldn’t be surprised, from the look a things,” Applejack said.
“If you’ll excuse me, I shall be waiting back in the throne room,” Rarity said before turning around and slamming into the wall of the tunnel.
“Um, I-I don’t think we can go back,” Fluttershy stammered.
“What is this, some kind of cruel joke?!” Rarity whined, clawing at the now-solid wall. “I’m going to smell like dirt by the time I’m out of here!”
Fluttershy tried to wave the smell away from her nose, but it was ever-present in the area. Oh, I hope that isn’t what I think it is, she thought, eyeing the puddles of unknown substances on the ground.
“Well, this ain’t gonna get any better if we just sit here,” Applejack said. “We better git goin’.”
Somewhat reluctantly, or in Rarity’s case extremely reluctantly, the group started to traverse the narrow corridors. Aside from the smell and ambiance of the tunnels, the journey progressed rather smoothly with every squish and squelch of the group’s hooves.
This is NOT how I expected to spend my day, Rarity groaned to herself as she stayed in the shallowest regions of liquid possible. It really couldn’t get any worse.
After a few hours travel, Applejack spotted something in a long and winding tunnel. “Huh?” she asked herself. Is that a mare? Better go check. Picking up speed, she ran after the unknown entity.
Dash yelped as she smacked into an invisible barrier. “What?”
Pinkie pawed at the invisible wall. It moved suddenly, and she was thrown off balance.
“What’s this?” Rarity asked.
“It’s following Applejack!” Dash realized.
“But... What’s Applejack following?” Pinkie asked.
“I dunno,” Dash growled, “but we’d better go find out. C’mon!”
*******
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 3 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-01-25T12:27:16+00:00
|
2012-01-25T12:27:16+00:00
| 5,381 |
Chapter Three
*******
“Hey!” Applejack called after the shadowy mare. “Git back here!”
The brown mare continued through the winding sewer maze, artfully avoiding the increasingly frustrated Applejack.
“Are ya scared a me or somethin’?” Applejack asked. Ugh, my mind’s feeling awfully strange for some reason.
“Me? Scared of you?” the mare laughed, her voice bouncing off of the walls of the corridors. Her slitted eyes glowed in the darkness. “Why would I be scared of you? Aren’t you a perfectly nice little farmer mare?”
“Hey!” Applejack yelled as the mare disappeared from view.
“You’re so perfect,” the mare giggled, but with sarcasm dripping off her every word. “You’ll catch me even faster than Rainbow Dash.”
“An’ ya know Ah will! Slow down!” Applejack complained, exasperated. “What’re ya runnin’ from anyways?”
“The most powerful pony in Equestria,” the mare said from behind Applejack. The orange mare whipped around only to see a hazy shadow of the mare she had been chasing.
“Huh? Whaddaya mean?” Applejack asked.
“You aren’t very loved, Applejack,” the mare continued. “Ponies should treat you with more respect, considering all you do for them. You’re the backbone of your group, somepony to lean on. Why shouldn’t you lean on them from time to time?”
“Well... Ah guess,” Applejack admitted, trying to keep track of the misty image floating around her. Unknown to her, darkness was slowly weaving through the air toward her head.
“You have so much wasted potential,” the mare said, her silky voice simultaneously annoying and calming Applejack. “Have you ever tried to do anything you know your friends would reject? Something they would say you couldn’t do?”
“N-Not recently,” Applejack stammered. She shook her head. “Look, Ah just wanna find ‘em and get outta this mess. An’ if you can’t help me do that, then skedaddle.”
Applejack turned to leave, but the mare stopped her. “I know where they are,” she said.
“Huh? Where, then?” Applejack asked. “Did you take ‘em?”
“I can tell you where they are,” the mare began, “but first... I need a favor.”
Applejack thought for a moment. “Name it.”
Applejack’s friends stared in shock and horror at the scene unfolding before them. The sewers slowly faded away to reveal Applejack walking through a hazy illusion, though the unseen barrier remained steadfast no matter how they poked and prodded at it.
The mare led Applejack deeper into the sewers, chatting with her along the way. Applejack’s mind became cloudier as the journey went on. Whatever this mare throws at me, she thought, I’ll smack it back at her so fast she’ll wake up on the other side of Appleloosa.
“I’m in a bit of a predicament,” the mare admitted, pointing toward a large, black void at the edge of the sewer. It was as if the entire world warped out of existence for a few meters, resuming as if the gap wasn’t present. “I need somepony to get across that gap and grab my saddlebags from the other side. Would you be willing to lend me a hoof?”
“Hmm... Ah ain’t sure,” Applejack said, tentatively looking over the edge of the pit.
“You could also prove two things at once,” the mare encouraged. “I’m sure your friends would never allow you to make this jump. They don’t think you could make it half of the way across. But you can show them, Applejack. You can make this jump, and when your friends find you, you will be a hero. To them, and to yourself.”
Applejack recovered her resolve and pawed her hoof on the damp floor. “Ain’t no little crack in Equestria that’ll stand in mah way,” she growled.
“Of course, if you want help, I’d be more than willing,” the mare offered.
Applejack shrugged. “Nah... Ah’ll be fine.”
Rarity watched in shock as Applejack prepared to make the jump. Applejack will have to jump thirty feet or more! Is she insane?!
Applejack gave herself a generous running start of about ten feet before rushing to the edge and taking a leap of faith that ultimately fell short. The orange mare screamed as she fell into the abyss below.
“Toodle-loo,” the mare grinned before vanishing.
A wind started to blow as bits and pieces of the surrounding area were torn off, slowly disappearing into nothingness. Slowly, the sewer revealed itself to be just another island in empty space.
Letters and symbols seeped up from the ground to form the incomplete form of a pony. Verba shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don’t think that’s the way to be the Element of Honesty.”
“Where’d you take Applejack?!” Dash demanded.
Verba turned to face the group. “I didn’t take her anywhere. This Void plays by the Submaster’s rules.”
“Well, who’s that?” Dash growled, trotting up to Verba and staring him directly in the eyes.
“I’d tell you, but I’m not allowed,” Verba shrugged.
Dash grasped Verba by the shoulders and got directly in his face. “I’m giving you five seconds to tell me where Applejack is!”
“I’ll give you that amount of time to find a toothbrush.” Verba broke apart, and, lacking a hoofhold, Dash fell flat on the ground. Verba reconstructed himself a few meters away.
“You’re really asking for it!” Dash seethed.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. AJ’s fine; she just failed her test, so the Submaster has to place her in holding. She’s only in danger if you all fail,” Verba explained dismissively. “Satisfied?”
“Not until I see her for myself!” Dash insisted.
“For Celestia’s sake, Dash, calm down!” Rarity begged. “Verba has already given us much more information than he should have. As long as we know that Applejack’s okay, we should focus on rescuing her!”
“But we don’t know that she’s okay!” Dash protested. She turned back to Verba. “Give us some proof!”
Verba laughed. “Jeez Louise, you’re less trusting than-”
“Verba.”
Dash jumped at the new voice and swung her head to the side; however, she didn’t see a pony. She saw a hazy, black shape with the texture of thick fog. Its eyes, though, were bright beacons of light.
“That’s enough,” it said.
“Who invited you to the party?” Verba asked coldly. His expression was difficult to place; it could either have been anger or fear.
“You’ve said far too much already; it’s my duty to intervene,” the apparition explained sternly. “Return to the Dissonance immediately.”
“Says who?” Verba challenged. “You’re only here because of my-”
“Evanescunt!” it suddenly shouted, thrusting its hazy hoof toward Verba. A powerful blast of humid wind broke Verba into pieces and carried him away.
“I must apologize for my companion,” the apparition said. “He says far too much for his own good.”
“I guess you won’t give us any explanation either, huh?” Dash muttered.
It chuckled. “That would compromise the test.”
Dash slammed her forehooves on the ground. “What test?!”
“If you weren’t informed beforehoof, I can’t really be blamed, can I?” the apparition asked. “I can tell you that your friend is safe, at least for now. Only if two more of you fail will she be banished into oblivion.”
“Right, your whole evil speech thing,” Dash growled. “Save it. You’re going to tell me, one way or another.”
“D-Dash?” Fluttershy stammered. “I... I hate to be a bother, but now might not be the best time...”
“Not now, Fluttershy!” Dash yelled, silencing Fluttershy.
“I must say that I agree with Fluttershy,” Rarity protested, stepping between Dash and the slightly amused apparation. “We are above trying to solve our problems with violence.”
“S’not like they’re giving us much of a choice!” Dash argued, glaring at the figure past Rarity.
“If I may,” it began. “If you truly want to fight me, go on ahead. However, it won’t do you any good. I don’t technically exist at the moment.”
“What does that mean?” Dash asked.
“See for yourself,” it said, offering its hoof.
It’s got to be a trap, Dash thought, eyeing the apparition's outstretched limb. Pinkie, however, didn’t see it that way. Slowly approaching the apparition, she inched forward until her hoof met its. It never actually did, though; Pinkie’s hoof passed through the apparition as if it was made of vapor.
“Neat!” Pinkie giggled, pressing her hoof through the apparition’s head.
“That’s enough,” it said, backing away from Pinkie. When she persisted, it vanished and reappeared behind Fluttershy, sending the poor mare straight up into the sky.
Fluttershy squeaked, hovering several meters above the dirt island. It... It can warp?
“A little high-strung,” the apparition observed. It motioned to its body. “This is only a projection. I shall be meeting you very soon, but until then, I would suggest continuing with your tests.”
He turned to leave, but Rarity asked, “Fine, we will. But in the meantime, will you at least be a gentlecolt and offer us your name? There’s really no reason why you should keep it from us.”
“Yeah, who are you, really?” Dash asked.
It paused. “I am the first and only Element of Honesty.”
He vanished.
"But..." Fluttershy breathed. "That's impossible..."
“Applejack is the Element of Honesty!” Dash exclaimed. “He must have a screw loose or something.”
“It didn’t look like it was lying,” Rarity said, confused. “But…”
“Is there more than one set?” Pinkie asked. “Is it from an alternate dimension?”
Rarity shook her head. “If there were, wouldn’t we know about it?” She paused. “Then again… I think there are quite a few things we don’t know.”
“Like why we’re here,” Fluttershy said. “And if Applejack r-really…”
“No,” Dash said, shaking her head. “I know she’s okay.”
“How do you know?” Rarity asked.
“She can’t be just... gone,” Dash murmured, shaking her head. “We’re all best friends, aren’t we? So that means we’d know if any one of us were hurt! I know that Applejack’s alright, okay? She’s got to be.”
“Y-Yeah,” Fluttershy agreed, wiping her eyes. “So what now?”
“I want to find Verba and that other pony!” Pinkie suggested. “Maybe we can finally find out why we’re here, and how to get out!”
“Maybe next time I can force some answers out of them,” Dash growled, turning toward the main island. “They’re not getting away so easily next time.”
=====================================================================
*******
“Umm…” Twilight began, gazing out of the library’s window into the desert. She had been trapped in one room for hours. Although she didn’t seem to get hungry, thirsty, or the like, it was boring just sitting there, and a little irritating.
A breeze wafted through the air as Obsidian walked into the room. He quietly settled on the couch and gazed at the ceiling, ignoring Twilight.
“Any chance of me getting out of here?” Twilight asked him.
“Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to leave this room,” Obsidian said sadly.
“Obsidian, I’m starting to get a little frustrated,” Twilight said. “You dragged me out of Ponyville to who knows where. This doesn’t look anything like the world I knew, so I want some answers. First of all, where in Equestria am I?”
Obsidian paused, contemplating his answer. “You were not in Ponyville, Twilight. That was an illusionary world conjured by an unknown source.”
“An illusionary world?” Twilight asked, bewildered. “Then…”
“I was trying to free you,” Obsidian began, “and I was successful. I can release you into the real world whenever I please.”
“Then why haven’t you?” Twilight asked. “I could get Celestia or Luna. They’d be able to help find the others!”
“I’m not sure if the real Celestia and Luna even exist. They were supposed to introduce you and your friends to me when you were just fillies. They were supposed to be training you to be an Element of Harmony. You don’t even know the basics and were trapped in a false dimension when I found you. I’m not even quite sure if you’re the real Elements of Harmony, because you aren’t wearing your necklaces,” the stallion explained. “I have no greater ire than taking unnecessary risks. Until I find your friends, you will stay here with me.”
“And just how long will that take?” Twilight asked.
Obsidian chuckled absently. “Anywhere from a couple hours to a century.”
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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759
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-01-30T21:51:09+00:00
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2012-01-30T21:51:09+00:00
| 5,359 |
Chapter Four
*******
The group of four approached the throne room.
“So, that was all just an illusion? You know, the sewers?” Dash asked. “It looked and felt so real.”
Rarity was downcast, but she tried to raise the group’s spirits. “We should hurry and find Applejack. I’m certain she’s alright; after all, who knows if this place is anything like the real Equestria?”
Fluttershy was shaken at the loss of Applejack. She bit back sadness and tried to swallow her fear going forward. We know we can fail now, she thought. We had better be more careful as we move on.
The eerie path floating in empty space slowly broke away as the quartet cantered down the amber path. Well... guess we’re not going back there, Pinkie thought, solemnly glancing back at Applejack’s illusion.
They made their way back to the palace to see another verse written on the floor.
Never give in to your Arrogance
While trying to solve and pass your test.
All those who fall to her whims and desires
Regret the day they said they’re the best.
Dash resisted the urge to spit on the carpet. Applejack isn’t like that at all. I blame Verba’s magic for making her take the jump. Dash ushered the group forward.
There wasn’t much speech as the group made their way across the empty island that surrounded them.
I feel really weird all of a sudden, Dash thought as she absently chose the bright crimson path, which was the closest. There’s a tightness in my chest, but I don’t know why.
Dash was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice her surroundings slowly changing. The black abyss that once forbade her now welcomed her with a soft blue color. The gravelly, rock-hard ground transformed into grass, and the blue sky was swept over with a carpet of stars, all glittering daintily. It was a wide-open plain with calm skies and dotted clouds.
“You’re here.” A voice next to Dash observed.
“Huh?” Dash responded, turning around. She saw a shadowy pony, similar to the one that Applejack had encountered, except that this one’s face was completely barred from view by a black fog that swirled around its head. It had an ominous and uneasy air about it.
“Now, you must decide,” the figure stated.
“Wait, who are you, again?” Dash asked.
“I am the sum of your doubts and fears. I am what you assume to be true, and what you disregard as obviously false,” the pony said. A shimmering white gate opened behind it, and a young filly galloped out. She was a bright orange pegasus with a spiky purple mane, similar to how Dash’s hairstyle. Her eyes lit up when she saw Dash.
“Scootaloo?” Dash asked in shock.
“Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed, bounding up to her idol. “Where have you been? It’s been, like, two forevers!”
“But I was only gone a couple hours... wasn’t I?” Dash asked.
Scootaloo shook her head. “No, more like a few days. But it’s okay, because I found you, and you can go home now!”
Dash looked at the shadowy visage that stood stalwartly by its gate. “Wait, I can actually leave now? For real?”
The pony stared at her, wisps of smoke travelling from its forehead. “Leave through the gate, and you will find yourself back where you belong. Where that truly is, I cannot say, for I do not know.”
“That’s easy; I belong right back in Ponyville! ...Maybe with a Wonderbolt uniform, but I kind of want to earn it, so you can save that until later,” Dash said, turning around. “Let me just go get my friends and tell them the news. I’ll be back here in ten seconds, tops.”
“What about Applejack, and Twilight?” the figure asked. Its expression was invisible, but Dash thought there was a smug edge to its tone. “Leave now, and they will be trapped forever in the Void.”
Dash stomped her hoof. “Fine, I’ll go save them, then I’ll come back.”
“There is no guarantee that she’ll be saved,” the pony warned. “Why not save what friends you have left when you have the chance?”
“Because I don’t leave anypony behind!” Dash retorted. She glanced at Scootaloo. “You’d better get back home until I finish up here.”
“But I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Scootaloo protested. “What’ll I tell the others? They’ll never believe me if I told them you were staying; some of ‘em already think that you’ve abandoned them, but I’d never give up on finding you!”
Dash gave Scootlaoo a noogie. “You never would. Trust me, Scoot; it won’t take too long to get in and out of here.”
“But if you stay, you could... you could...” Scootaloo wiped her eyes. “I-If you don’t come back, then I’ll go with you!”
Dash looked in her eyes, smiling slightly. “Scootaloo, you need to stay safe with your friends, and I need to protect mine. I’m not going to abandon you or anypony else in Ponyville, but... I can’t abandon Twilight or Applejack, either. I’ll be back before you know it, okay? Trust me.”
Scootaloo nodded shakily. Looking back once more, she stepped through the shimmering white doorway.
“Is this your final decision?” the mysterious gatekeeper asked.
“Yeah, it is. Now where are my friends?” Dash asked.
She felt a sharp pain in her forehead as her mind readjusted to her surroundings. Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! She stumbled backward, but was greeted by her friends.
*******
“Bra-vo, Dashie,” Verba said as he slowly pieced himself together nearby. “That test isn’t too easy nowadays. Maybe you have a chance after all.”
“Glad you think so,” Dash grumbled, rubbing her forehead.
Verba glanced around. “Guess there’s nothing left for me here. Enjoy your tests.”
He turned to leave, but Dash said, “Wait, I want some answers first.”
Verba didn’t bother to face her. “Look, unless you beat me at Friday night’s blackjack, I don’t owe you anything.”
“I’m navigating your Void, I’m beating your tests, and I’m playing your game,” Dash argued. “Just give me a few answers in return! ..Please,” she added. “I need to know.”
“...Hmph,” Verba said, finally turning to face the group. “So you do know your manners. Honestly, it wouldn’t have surprised me if you were raised by Diamond Dogs. Fine, then. One question and one question only.”
Dash bristled at Verba’s remark, but managed to keep her tongue in check. “Where’s Applejack?”
“Um, duh?” Verba scratched his head. “Didn’t I already tell you? She’s being kept at the Submaster’s.”
“Where’s that?” Dash asked.
Verba snorted. “Wait, you actually want to go out there? Your wings would fall off before you even got out of the Void, and the Submaster isn’t even in the regular Equestria.”
“Just tell me!” Dash exclaimed, exasperated.
“It won’t matter too much in the end,” Verba shrugged. “And jeez, Dash, she’s only in temporary custody. Hear that? Temporary. If Fluttershy and Rarity both pass their tests, sure, you’ll have a few red Xs on your report card, but Applejack’ll be delivered to your hooves safe and sound.”
“We have to keep moving forward, Dash!” Pinkie urged, tugging on Dash’s shoulder. “The sooner we teach these big meanies who’s boss, the sooner we can have Applejack and Twilight back!”
“See?” Verba asked. “All’s well that ends well. And, uh, good luck, ‘cause you’ll need it,” he added before breaking down and floating up into the sky.
Dash waited for a few moments before saying, “I guess that’s that.” She sighed, flexing her wings. “You’re right, Pinkie. Applejack really is only a few short tests away.”
“I... I don’t think you’re taking this seriously enough, Dash,” Fluttershy mumbled.
Dash looked back at Fluttershy, not hearing her statement. “What, Fluttershy? I didn’t hear you.”
“How are we supposed to make it out of here? M-My test could be next, and... and I think I might let you down,” she continued, biting her lip.
“Fluttershy, there’s no way you can let us down now!” Dash exclaimed. “Look, just don’t worry about it. Don’t let Verba get to you.”
“Dash is right; don’t overthink this,” Rarity cautioned.
“B-...But how am I supposed t-to pass?” Fluttershy asked, trembling. “How am I going to convince Verba that I’m worthy?”
“Well, if it’s a test of worthiness, you have nothing in all of Equestria to worry about, Fluttershy!” Pinkie encouraged. “All you have to do is be you, and Verba’ll see that you’re the best pony he ever met!”
“...But what if I don’t?” Fluttershy finally asked.
Dash put a hoof on her shoulder. “You will. Trust me. I know a winner when I see one.”
They sat for a moment, trying to collect themselves.
“What now?” Rarity asked. “Are we actually going to play into this lunatic’s hooves?”
“No choice,” Dash sighed. “It’s not like we have any real power in this whole thing.”
“I miss home,” Fluttershy sniffed. “I-It’s been too long.”
“I know,” Dash admitted. “But we don’t have any choice but to keep going.”
=====================================================================
Fluttershy was unhappy. She halfheartedly wove her way back along the empty, crumbling crimson path. Her hooves dragged behind her as if she were trapped in a thick bog of guilt and hidden frustration.
I don’t blame her, Rarity thought. Her outburst earlier must be eating away at her. Not to mention that she may be tested next. I may be tested next as well, for that matter.
I can’t even seem to cheer her up; she’s just not paying attention, Pinkie thought, a tad miffed after Fluttershy shrugged off a hug. She’s been awful cranky lately, too. I wonder if that’s because of Verba.
There was a new verse on the floor.
You’ve finished the trial of Deception;
A harder test does not exist.
Remember the lesson taught to you:
Every doubt, you must resist.
They paused, thinking over their situation and preparing themselves for the next test.
“Girls?” Fluttershy finally asked, staring at the mysterious poem. “What if I’m tested, and I fail? What will happen to me?”
“You’ll do great, Fluttershy,” Dash reassured her. “I’m sure you’ll be in and out in five minutes, tops.”
“There isn’t a single drop of malice in your heart, darling,” Rarity added. “Just relax and prepare yourself. There’s still a chance I’ll be tested first, anyway.”
“You’ll do super, Fluttershy! I’ll bet my tail on it!” Pinkie exclaimed. “When you’re tested, make sure you show that mean ol’ Verba how it’s done!”
I wish I felt better, Fluttershy sighed to herself, but I can’t really help but feel like I just can’t win. But I want some answers, too, so I’ll ace this test! ...At least, well, I’ll try...
*******
The shadowy aura that surrounded the group started to fluctuate suddenly as a harsh tune flowed through the air. Tremors rippled through the ground as cracks appeared in the pathway. Black vapor flowed upward from the cracks and started to form translucent shapes resembling legs and manes.
What...? Dash thought, poking some of the translucent white sludge. It was deathly cold, so cold that Dash’s hoof burned from frostbite. Youch!
The quake increased as the shadowy forms started to take shape. Pinkie stumbled a bit, trying to gain her balance as more and more black vapor started to seep out of the earth.
“Wh-What’s going on now?!” Rarity yelped as pieces of the island started to break away.
Fluttershy reeled back in fright. Shadowy apparitions of ponies had started to form and attack the group, their blank and lifeless eyes full of deathly pain as they slogged along. Pale-skinned and dripping with luminous fluid, they stumbled toward the group.
“Run!” Dash yelled, racing around the ghostly figures to the pink path. Rarity followed, and Pinkie was about to before she saw Fluttershy paralyzed with fright.
Pinkie ran up to Fluttershy and nipped the yellow pegasus sharply on the ear. “C’mon!”
Fluttershy snapped out of her fear and almost tripped before taking off for her life. The zombies were amassing in strength and number as black knights began to take shape from the vapor. The ghostly ponies seemed to be just as fast, if not faster, than the Elements as they quickly made up lost ground. Their bloodshot eyes and starving bodies pounded after the group.
“Of all the things!” Rarity complained as she narrowly dodged a zombie biting at her leg. To buy the white unicorn time, Dash leapt up, did a backflip, and slammed on the aggressor's chest. It dissolved into a pile of white goo. It was so cold, however, that Dash’s limbs stopped functioning for a moment. The blue pegasus stumbled before falling down. “Get out of here!” she screamed.
“No!” Pinkie yelled, slinging the disabled pegasus onto her back before taking off at her fastest possible gallop. They were heading fast down the light pink path that was starting to break away.
The extra weight on Pinkie’s back weighed her down, however, so she quickly fell behind and was absorbed by the approaching mob. Had she had any breath to spare, Rarity would have cried out, NO! Instead, she panted frantically as she tried to escape the mob.
Fluttershy had become airborne and was desperately trying to dodge the dark pegasus knights that were assaulting her. The yellow pegasus looked down for a moment to see Rarity starting to fail, her tireless adversaries gaining quickly.
“Rarity!” Fluttershy called, diving down and swooping upward with the white unicorn. Fluttershy wasn’t strong enough, however, and soon she had to land on the desert at the end of the pink path.
Fluttershy took off running, but Rarity was too worn out. The white unicorn finally met her doom at the hooves of the undead equines.
Suddenly, dark fire swept all of the ghostly apparitions aside. Fluttershy turned around to see a scrawny green unicorn stallion.
*******
The new pony snickered at Fluttershy. Rain started to cascade over a dirty desert road, which was located square in the middle of nowhere. Long-dead cacti withered by the side of the road, and the scorched earth steamed when the rain contacted it.
“You are, by far, the most useless pegasus I’ve ever seen,” the stallion chuckled as thunder boomed in the distance. He shifted some of his shaggy blond mane back behind his ear. “I mean, you completely abandoned your friends right there. It takes some guts to pull a stunt like that.”
“Wh-Who are you?” Fluttershy asked, shrinking away from the pony as lightning flashed in the distance.
“Well, Imma put it straight, Flutters,” the colt laughed. “I’m your only friend.”
“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked hesitantly, her mane beginning to become soaked by the icy rain.
“I mean, s’not like any of your friends over there are gonna like you too much after what you just did,” he smirked. “I know I wouldn’t. I’d want you gone.”
“No, my friends aren’t like that,” Fluttershy whimpered.
“Well, weak and powerless as you are, I guess they’d be pretty understanding,” the stallion shrugged. “But whatevs. You’re pretty much dead to them now. Makes me wonder what I’d do if I put myself in that bad a situation.”
Fluttershy shivered from the cold of the rain. Strands of her pink mane started to fall over her face and stick to her snout as warm tears rolled down her face.
“I mean, look at you. Here you are, in the freezing rain, not even making an effort to go and find them. Pretty pathetic if you ask me,” he continued, walking over to Fluttershy. “‘Course, your friends weren’t too useful, either.”
Fluttershy looked away. “Say whatever you want. I don’t care about myself anymore.”
“Huh,” he observed. “Takes nerve to say something like that. I should know; I don’t care ‘bout anypony. Anyways, speaking of guts, I got some right here.”
The colt stomped his hoof on the ground twice. An awful ripping sound was heard as space above the road tore in two and flapped about in the wind. A dirty and injured blue pegasus fell out of the resulting gap, too weak to move.
“D-Dash?” Fluttershy asked, racing over to the limp pegasus. The colt swatted Fluttershy aside, and she went rolling across the muddy desert floor.
“Fl-Fluttershy...” Dash breathed, stretching out a hoof to the sopping yellow pegasus, too weak to move. She could barely open her eyes. “Help me...!”
“Let’s see how long you play the pacifist after I snap this little twig here,” the colt grinned, stepping on Dash’s leg. She screamed in pain.
“Don’t hurt her!” Fluttershy cried. “Please, I’ll do anything!”
“Too little, too late, Flutters,” he smirked, stepping on Dash again and earning another scream. “You coulda saved her, y’know. Little Dashie right here’s probably wishing you were a little tougher.”
Dash’s life was vanishing right before Fluttershy’s eyes. Reddish-brown rainwater drizzled down into cracks in the desert dirt. “Fluttershy...” Dash murmured before losing consciousness.
“Please...” Fluttershy sobbed.
“Pathetic,” the stallion growled. “Where’s your fire? Your determination? It’s not even there! Not that your friends are any better. I’d almost say they were even more worthless than you are. But that’s impossible, ‘cause they’re dead.”
Thunder boomed. Flutteshy slowly stood up, her will solidifying. “You had better watch what you say about my friends, mister!”
The colt scoffed. “Oh, so the big, bad Fluttershy is gonna huff and puff my house down? Give me a break! I’ve dealt with jokes like you before; usually, they run home crying to momma. That is, if they even have one by the time I’m done with ‘em.”
“Stop it!” Fluttershy said defensively. I’ve had enough of this! “I j-just... I just wa-want to find my way home!”
“Wait, you have a home?” he asked. “How do you even pay for it? You look pretty un-hireable.”
“Sh-Shut up!” Fluttershy shivered, intensely frustrated with the stallion. The coldness of her frigid bones was matched by the heat of her increasing fury.
Lightning struck just behind the colt, and he yelled as the ground opened up beneath him. He grasped the first hoofhold he saw and desperately tried to save himself from the bottomless pit, clawing his way upward as rain fell down his face.
Fluttershy hurriedly trotted over, seeing that the colt was struggling to pull himself out. “Help,” he begged. “I-I don’t want to die like this!” She was about to help him, but she paused.
If I help him... If I help him, he’ll keep on hurting Dash! He’ll keep on hurting me! She peered over the edge of the gap and stared into the colt’s frightened eyes, wondering what to do. Finally, she slowly turned and walked away. I... I can't help him... I just can't. I can’t risk my friend’s life for somepony else.
The colt screamed as he lost his grip and fell into the infinite abyss.
The ground started to crack and splinter. Fluttershy looked up to see the stars getting bigger. No... they’re not getting bigger; they’re getting closer! She gasped and looked around. Dash was gone, and the pit was widening. She tried to take to the air, but the pounding rain disoriented her and she was forced back onto the ground.
Darkness overtook her.
Verba shook his head. The illusion vanished, and Fluttershy’s remaining friends were released from behind an invisible wall. They had not been restrained; they had full mobility except for the barrier that had separated them from Fluttershy.
Dash had bruises all over her legs from attempting to break through, and one of her wings was bent at an odd angle. She hung her head in unfathomable sorrow and loss.
Rarity was crying; she could not bear to think that another of her friends was gone. There were so few of us already…
Pinkie Pie’s hair had straightened out, instead of being its usually bouncy and bubbly nature. It only did so when she was incredibly sad, and in this case, even more so, for it was a paler pink than usual. All of the happiness had been drained out of her life in an instant.
Verba rolled his eyes. “Jeez Louise, are you mares soft. Kinda sickening, really. How’re you supposed to save millions of lives if you can’t even save your own? If you can’t just have mercy and save one?”
“Sickening?” Dash asked, tears streaking her face. “You know what’s really sickening? The fact that you just killed our best friend!” she yelled.
“Um, reality check,” Verba said. “Temporary confinement. Got it memorized? She’s not dead.”
“Not yet!” Dash yelled. “You’re not going to stop until she is! Until we all are!”
“You fillies are a dime a dozen,” Verba scoffed. “Cut the drama and face facts. You’ve still got a chance with your little fashionista over there. Stop whining and get on with it, will you?”
“You’re a liar!” Dash screamed. Her fury was akin to Fluttershy’s in its magnitude and force.
Verba burst out laughing, and loose runes scattered over the dirt. “Look at you! You’re falling to the exact same fault that your friend just did! C’mon, Dashie, haven’t you learned a thing?”
Pinkie sat down in defeat. “Why, though? Why are you putting us through this?”
“Not my decision. I just carry out the Submaster’s orders. But, y’know, his orders are kinda vague when you get right down to it,” Verba explained, scratching the back of his neck. “He wants to prepare you. There’s a lot more use and abuse waiting for you out in the real Equestria. But if you can’t survive this, then you’re not worth keeping around, get it?”
“You wanna know what I think?” Dash asked, her fury starting to condense and harden. “I think that this is all one big sham to torture us! What did you expect Fluttershy to do, let him go?! She reacted just like anypony else would!”
Verba raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you expect the Element of Kindness to be ‘just like everypony else?’ Get real. She’s above and beyond the scope of an ordinary pony. I mean, if she’s going to survive the dangers out there in the real world, she kind of, um, has to be.”
“Says who?!” Dash screamed. “She watched me die! Kindness or not, she should have torn that pony limb from limb!”
“It’s kind of subjective, yknow?” Verba asked, looking away. “Look, I can’t say I know too much about the Elements of Harmony, but I do know that if the Submaster tells me to test Kindness that way, then I’m going to test her that way. Don’t freak out about it, okay?”
“...Dash?” Pinkie asked feebly. “Don’t do this.”
“And you wanna know what else?!” Dash asked, ignoring Pinkie. Her lower lip trembled with sorrow and rage. “You’re nothing but a murderer and a coward who enjoys killing innocent ponies for kicks!”
Verba looked up sharply. “Okay, that is where I draw the line! You wanna see what I do to ponies for kicks? Well here you-”
“Verba.”
Verba swore, stomping his forehooves on the ground in frustration. “Ugh, not now!” He glared at Dash for a moment, then turned to Rarity. “Better thank your friend over there, ‘cause I’m going to make your test as hard as I possibly can!”
He broke down into fragments of glass, which shattered further into a pile of sand that blew away on the wind.
“You shouldn’t overstep your bounds,” the shadowy pony warned, stepping into view.
“You’re no better than Verba!” Dash seethed. “Get out of my sight, be-because you’re just a messed up lunatic that kills innocent ponies!” She collapsed into sobs, her anger spent.
He looked upon Dash indifferently. “I’ve saved Equestria several times over, whether you believe me or not. My purpose is to separate you from your leaders and make you independent. I will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. I’m not going to keep you on a leash, Rainbow Dash; I need to make sure you can survive without one. There are far greater foes out there than I.”
“Then tell us!” Rarity insisted. “What are we up against? What do we need to know? Celestia’s sake, why are we even here? Why are we going through this?”
“I feel that I must restate the fact that your tests are not complete yet,” the visage said sternly. “The reason your friend failed her test was because she succumbed to her anger and resentment. Pulling a stunt like that in battle is unacceptable and, more often than not, gets an innocent pony killed. My job is to make sure you learn these things now.”
Dash glared at the foggy vision. “What’s your job, really? What do you... you and Verba actually have to do to ponies like us?”
He looked away.
“Answer me!” Dash persisted. “Tell me!”
The figure turned around, his white eyes penetrating through the entire group, which had been whittled down to three. “We have to kill innocent ponies in order to save millions of others.”
“Ha! So I was right!” Dash said.
The illusion seemed to be vibrating with anger, but he somehow managed to keep himself under control. “The lives I sacrifice I do so for the greater good. Understand that. You will have to do it as well before your lives are over, mark my words.”
Dash glared at him. “So what now?”
“Do whatever you wish. There is only one of you left that needs to be tested,” he said, glancing at Rarity. “If she passes, you will all survive. If she fails, you will be forced to rely on my judgment alone. Keep in mind, though—I have control over how hard your tests are.”
“Get out of my sight,” Dash growled.
The figure looked at her scornfully. “I don’t take orders from you. Be aware that these may be the last couple hours of your natural lives. I wouldn’t waste them.” And with that, he vanished.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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759
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-07-18T15:38:01+00:00
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2012-07-18T15:38:01+00:00
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Chapter Five
*******
Dash sat down on the barren desert floor. The small island was beginning to fade away, but she didn’t notice. I don’t have anything left. I don’t want to keep this up anymore; I just want to die. I should have done more! I could have helped them... I’m a failure. “I can’t believe she’s really gone…” she muttered, her last tear slowly sliding down her neck.
“She’s not gone,” Pinkie murmured.
“How do you know?” Dash asked quietly. “And why should we care? Why bother? Why keep this up?”
“There’s always a reason!” Pinkie exclaimed. “There’s still a chance!”
“I-I’m sorry, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity sniffled. “But I have to agree with Rainbow Dash. Three of our friends might be dead, I…” she shook her head, at a loss for words.
“We have to go on! We have to recover!” Pinkie said. She lowered her voice slightly. “Don’t tell me you’ve given up?”
“I’m afraid so,” Rarity sighed.
“But there’s still hope!” Pinkie urged, desperately trying to lift her friends’ spirits.
“Really?” Dash asked, standing up angrily. “Honestly, Pinkie, do you really think there’s any way out?”
Pinkie looked Dash square in the eye. “Yes,” she said.
Dash looked away; she couldn’t meet Pinkie’s gaze.
“Remember when you thought there was no way you could beat Rarity in the Best Young Flier’s competition?” Pinkie prompted. “What about when nopony could beat that Ursa Minor? What then? Did everypony just suddenly give up?”
Rarity looked at her. “Do you really think any of that compares?! We’re trapped in a nightmare, and three of our friends are either dead or missing. Pinkie, we were living a dream. This… this is what evil truly is.” Rarity looked away, stifling sobs.
“But is that any reason to give up hope?” Pinkie asked. “Ursa Minor or evil stallion, I’m never giving in until I’ve saved what matters!” She turned to Dash. “I’ll go on and face him alone, if you don’t think you’re up to it.”
Dash sat back down in defeat. “Go on ahead.”
Pinkie was shocked. “Dash?!”
“You fight that big bad stallion on your lonesome, Pinkie,” Dash said sarcastically. “I’m done. I’m through!” she yelled, slamming her hooves on the cracked dirt ground in frustration.
“I’ve been through the exact same things as you, and I’m still kicking!” Pinkie yelled. “What are you, a pegasus or a platypus?”
Dash laughed slightly. “What’s that got to do with it?”
Pinkie hmph’ed. “Nothing. It made you laugh, though, didn’t it?”
Dash looked at her. “Well... yeah, a little. So?”
“So, it’s my job to make people laugh. I’m the Element of Laughter,” Pinkie explained. “Are you doing your job, Dash, the Element of Loyalty? The pony who’ll never, ever, ever let her friends down when they need her?”
Dash was hurt, but it was what she needed to hear. “No… I guess not.”
“Then get up!” Pinkie commanded, lifting Dash up onto her feet and backing up.
“Um, Pinkie, what are you doing?” Dash asked as Pinkie carefully positioned herself about ten feet away from the blue pegasus.
“I’ll need a running start!” Pinkie chirped.
Before Dash could properly react, she found herself on the ground in a massive Pinkie-style bear hug.
Dash laughed, for real this time. “Stop it! That tickles!” Pinkie hugged Dash tightly.
Rarity had been watching the entire scene. Pinkie’s hair’s gone back to normal. She’s laughing like nothing’s happened. I wish I shared that attitude.
“No matter what happens,” Pinkie murmured.
Dash paused. “No matter what happens… what?” she asked.
“Nothing, just, y’know, no matter what happens,” Pinkie smiled. She let Dash get back onto her hooves. She looked at Rarity, sizing her up. “I think another hug is in order!”
Rarity welcomed the affection, and the tight sorrow in her chest evaporated. Dash smoothed out her mane and stood up.
“We have to finish this,” Pinkie murmured in Rarity’s ear. “We’re too close to give up now.”
“We were too close to give up from the moment we started,” Dash growled. The silence in the infinite space made it easy to overhear a conversation.
The group of three made it down the thin path just as the island started to break into small pieces, each little chunk of earth slowly floating into the abyss. When they finally made it to the throne room, they saw that one more verse had inscribed itself into the unravelling carpet.
Become enraged and your end is certain;
A loss of sympathy is just the same.
Curb your desire for justification;
Know that you will later feel shame.
=====================================================================
*******
Obsidian stood on a tall tower, overlooking a wasteland. Twilight climbed up next to him. He was lying across a translucent armchair, strumming his mandolin and looking at the scorched earth and barren landscape surrounding him.
“Hmm,” Obsidian muttered. “That’s a little dreary.”
“Where are we?” Twilight asked.
“Huh?” Obsidian asked, startled. “Oh, uh, using magic, I can run simulations of real-life situations. Sometimes, that is.”
“But you’re an earth pony!” Twilight exclaimed. “How are you able to use magic?”
Obsidian chuckled, recovering his composure and turning to Twilight. “I am magic, Twilight. That’s my entire being; a spell put into effect long ago to sustain my soul. I couldn’t use magic at first, but as the boundaries began to degrade... I was able to do more and more that I would never have been able to otherwise. If I keep up magic use as I am currently, however, I might not be able to hold my physical form anymore.”
“Wow,” Twilight said. “That’s... kind of sad. Will you eventually, you know...?”
Obsidian shook his head. “Some form of me will exist for thousands of years to come. Whether that form will be good or evil, helpful or malicious, I cannot say.”
Following an awkward pause, Twilight began to stare at the ruined plain. It was primarily a graveyard full of bleached skeletons and barren desert sands. “How did it end up like this? And why are you even looking at these ‘simulations?’”
Obsidian sighed. “It would take more time that I have to explain it to you. It would be like trying to explain calculus in an hour. As for why, well, I desire knowledge. There’s nothing left in this world for me to attain.”
“Oh, okay. Are there any other possibilities I could see?” Twilight asked.
Obsidian looked over the battlefield. “It is a little bleak here, isn’t it? Well, this certainly isn’t the only possible outcome. Let’s zoom to another one.”
Twilight stumbled backward as Obsidian strummed a few notes on his mandolin, his eyes glowing with power. Lights and sounds zipped by so fast it was disorienting, with colors blending together and horizons becoming perpendicular to the ground.
When Twilight’s eyes finally refocused, she saw that she was standing in a throne room. There was half of Canterlot’s coat of arms on a torn flag. Rusty, worn armor sat beside piles of dust and torn cloth. I remember being here, but it didn’t look anything like it does now, Twilight remarked to herself, examining the dirty red carpet and broken stained glass windows. She turned around and saw a white and red alicorn lying on the ground, but it disappeared promptly.
“Ack, sorry,” Obsidian apologized. “Sometimes these images are a bit graphic.”
“Who was that?” Twilight asked.
Obsidian rubbed his chin. “It looked somewhat like Celestia, but the hair was off. So were the dimensions of the body; Celestia isn’t quite that tall.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter; I’ll look into it later.”
Twilight looked around at the ruined throne room. “Is this Canterlot?”
“In the distant future, yes,” Obsidian explained. “Unfortunately, everything falls into ruin eventually. However, this image is far too near in the future for my tastes.”
“Why are you even looking at this stuff?” Twilight asked. “Seems a bit, you know, depressing.”
“My duty, Twilight, is to be pessimistic,” Obsidian answered. “Whereas the optimist can better handle tragedy, the pessimist can sometimes prevent it entirely.”
“Can you show me Ponyville?” Twilight asked.
“No,” Obsidian said promptly.
“Why not? I’m only curious,” Twilight begged.
“It is for that exact reason that I’m not showing you. You might see something you cannot unsee,” Obsidian explained. He stood abruptly and faced Twilight. “In fact, you shouldn’t even be here. How did you escape from the library?”
“If somepony gets bored enough, trust that they’ll find a way,” Twilight replied resentfully.
Obsidian chuckled. “I suppose I shouldn’t have underestimated the Element of Magic.”
“How are my friends doing, by the way?” Twilight asked.
Obsidian sighed. “I still have yet to locate them. I’m sorry.”
=====================================================================
There was a single path left to take on the deteriorating island. The zombies and dark knights had all vanished, and the shadowy palace seemed all the more ominous as the group steeled themselves and walked down the final path.
There was nothing to say; nothing to do but keep walking aimlessly along a forgotten path, their hooves wearing out and their legs becoming numb from effort.
It’s my turn now, Rarity thought solemly. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Applejack is the strongest pony I know, and Fluttershy doesn’t have any evil in her heart at all. What makes them different from Dash and Pinkie? Why did they fail their tests?
I wonder how I passed my test, Pinkie reflected. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. Maybe that’s the point; we have to be consistent or something. This whole thing is crazy.
I’m fed up with this, Dash thought angrily. This is our last stand. I have to end Verba before he ends us.
*******
They arrived at the throne room. Verba materialized next to Rarity, his shape as jagged and sharp as ever. Rarity quietly asked, “Does the test start now?”
“Well, I’ve thought long and hard about it, and... it’s not really necessary, is it?” Verba answered.
Rarity’s eyes widened. “Huh?”
“The Submaster’s decided to let you off the hook, and I’m all for it. Less stuff for me to do, y’know?” Verba explained. He waved his hoof and, in order, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight were dropped out of a hole in space.
“D-Does that mean we can go home?” Rarity asked hopefully. “Surely the testing can’t end now!”
“Meh. Not my problem,” Verba finished, pointing toward the throne room. A glimmering white field appeared where the entrance once was, lighting up the surroundings.
“You can’t be serious,” Rarity scoffed. “Oh, well, at least you saved the best for last. Even if I wasn’t needed, of course. Come now, girls, time is fashion!”
“Um... uh...” Fluttershy stammered, glancing at her hooves. “Y-You tell her.”
“Hmm?” Rarity asked.
“Look, Rarity...” Dash began hesitantly. “You really haven’t proven yourself. Verba, well, he just basically gave you a free pass for now. Just so that we wouldn’t have to stay here.”
Rarity paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes. “Please. Verba, darling, you honestly expect me to fall for such a crude ruse? You even skipped the violet on Dash’s mane.”
All of Rarity’s friends froze, but not out of shock. They appeared to have been mechanically frozen--as if time had simply stopped. They vanished into thin air, and Verba sighed, looking bored. “Great, now I actually have to work to break you. Guess you won’t be as easy as the others. But, then again, these things take time, right?”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Hmm...” Verba began. A rolodex of runes appeared out of thin air, and as he flipped through them, Rarity got a peculiar itch on her skull, and it felt as if somepony was tap, tap, tapping her forward. She stumbled a bit before Verba found what he was looking for. “Ahh, here we go. Your childhood.”
Time and space warped Rarity to her school play as she used the gems she had found as a filly to decorate costumes for other students. The outfits were gorgeous, just as Rarity intended, and she had gained her cutie mark in her quest to craft such fabulous clothing.
“Exhibit A: You using priceless geodes to make costumes for your peers,” Verba said, with a hint of amusement as he looked upon the illusion.
“At least I didn’t sell them for my own benefit,” Rarity defended.
“Fair enough. Yet, you still kept them instead of, say, selling them and then giving the money to a charity organization and help save thousands of impoverished ponies. Those gems were worth upturns of five thousand bits. Each,” Verba added.
Rarity bit her lip. “But those gems helped me get my cutie mark; without them, I wouldn’t know who I am today!”
“Yeah, yeah, and I’m not judging you or anything; all I know is that there’s a starving filly out in Salt Lick City, shivering on the street, who could have really used a bit or two before she keeled over. But hey, that’s just me,” Verba said.
“Food banks are set up all over Equestria; Celestia saw to it that there was one in every city on the continent,” Rarity argued.
“And yet, ponies still die,” Verba stated. “It’s not just hunger, too. There’s disease, wild animal attacks, gangs, you name it. Stupidity, too, but there’s no fund for that. Moving on.”
They saw an illusionary version of Rarity arguing, bribing, and pleading with Twilight in various sections of Ponyville. The vision was slightly off, Rarity noticed, and it skipped details, but Verba wasn’t trying to fool her anymore, so it didn’t particularly matter. It was when Rarity had been desperately trying to get her hooves on Twilight’s only spare ticket.
“Okay, here we have you trying to play out your happily-ever-after story by winning your friend’s favor, much to her ire,” Verba said.
“How do you know all of this?” Rarity asked.
Verba flicked his head to the side, and Rarity lurched forward until she was at what appeared to be Verba’s snout. Since she was so close to his runes, she saw that they each had their own aura of energy and were pristine glass at the center, but hazier toward the edges.
“See all this?” Verba asked, gesturing to the surrounding area. “This is all an imperfect world. Where your world is like rock, this one is more like, say, silly putty. You’re kind of a guest, and I can do pretty much whatever I want to you and your memories.”
He flicked his head to the opposite side, and Rarity slid backward, flinching as though she was struck. “That’s no way to treat a lady!” she snapped.
“Jeez Louise, why does Generosity always pick the finicky ones?” Verba muttered under his breath. To Rarity, he said, “The longer you drag this out, the ickier it becomes. I can be real nasty if I want to.”
“I have no doubt about that,” Rarity growled. “What, then? What’s so bad about wanting to get out of Ponyville for a change?”
“The fact you did that for selfish reasons,” Verba explained.
“We were all at fault, then. It wasn’t one of my best moments by any stretch of the imagination, but I have since owned up to that mistake,” Rarity stated.
“If you were all at fault, then what about Applejack?” Verba challenged.
“She wanted to go to the Gala for the money,” Rarity said. “That’s hardly an altruistic goal.”
“Fair enough, but she wished to attend the Gala to afford surgery for her grandmother. You wanted to meet the stallion of your dreams. Tell me, which deed will earn you more merits as a Colt Scout?” Verba asked.
To that, Rarity had no answer. “...Fine. I was selfish and rude to my friend. But I forgave her for it, and we have remained friends!”
The illusion vanished. Verba laughed. “Good friends will let you off the hook for most anything, really. Doesn’t mean I will.”
The area shifted and bent into a new shape. This time, it was high in the sky at Cloudsdale, as Rarity plummeted to the earth after the fake wings Twilight had given her failed. Rarity was almost sick; even now, the terror of the experience jarred her, and seeing it all over again didn’t help. She frequently had nightmares.
Swallowing her bile, she asked, “What is it this time?”
“Airsick?” Verba asked, grinning. “Well, you wouldn’t be if you hadn’t tried to upstage your friend because of your own vanity. Got any defense to that?”
Rarity couldn’t argue with that. It was when Dash was participating in the Best Young Fliers competition. The original intention of the wings were only to allow Rarity to attend the event in the first place--unicorns can’t walk on clouds--but she had instead used them to fuel her own pride. Her own, selfish pride. “What are you trying to prove?” she asked quietly.
“I’m trying to make you understand that you weren’t even fit to be an Element of Harmony, much less an Element of Generosity. You’re selfish by nature, and there’s no fix to that. I had hoped to just fool you instead of crush your spirits--it’s not fun to make you hate yourself--but you made me show you just how awful you can be,” Verba explained.
“So. What do you want me to do?” Rarity asked.
“You have two options: Give up and hope your friends can pull you out of my abyss, or fight me with the power of Harmony that you just don’t have,” Verba stated.
“...And my odds are better if I let my friends come get me?” Rarity guessed.
“Yep,” Verba said. “Anything else you want to let me know?”
“Why should I give you any information when you can simply steal it?” Rarity asked. “I will wait for my friends to come find me so that I can teach you how to act around civilized ponies. Until then, do what you want with me.”
Verba clapped Rarity on the shoulder as he walked by her. “That’s what I like to hear.”
=====================================================================
Pinkie and Dash watched from the sidelines as their illusions crossed the border. Verba was having a long, drawn-out conversation with Rarity, and although they were too far off to hear what was said, they saw that black globs of matter were slowly weaving their way toward her. They stuck to her pelt, slowly creeping up her legs to her midsection as their discussion wore on.
Dash was beyond anxious; she was furious. “I don’t get it! What’s the point of this test?”
“Quiet, Dashie, I’m trying to hear what Rarity’s thinking!” Pinkie Pie hushed, standing precariously on the edge of the tiny dirt island Verba had summoned for them to stand on.
“That’s it, I’m going over there!” Dash yelled, fed up. She took to wing and started to zoom toward Rarity on a rescue mission, but Verba warped in front of her mid-flight.
“Woah, woah, woah. Hold your houseflies,” Verba said, zipping in front of Dash.
“But--But you’re over there!” Dash exclaimed, pointing to the island.
Verba grinned. “What, you don’t think I can duplicate myself? Anyway, where’re you going in such a hurry?”
“To save my friend!” Dash yelled. “You need to get it through your thick head that I actually care about them and I won’t let them die!”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that’s a little predictable.” His expression went from lighthearted to threatening. “Sit down. You try and save her, and you’re going to be the one getting sent to the Submaster.”
“Get out of my way!” Dash shouted. She tried to push past Verba or fly around him, but he was as solid as a brick wall and many times faster than she could ever hope to be. Dash’s attempts became more frantic as she realized that the dark globs were about to engulf Rarity.
“You’re not giving me many options besides getting rid of you!” Verba threatened.
“Nngh...” Dash muttered, trying to push past Verba. Hold on, Rarity!
“If that’s how you like it,” Verba finished, vanishing. “You’ll go together.”
Dash was suddenly thrust straight toward Rarity and swallowed by the black globs surrounding her.
Silence. Pinkie stared at the empty space surrounding her island. Verba reappeared next to her.
“It was good that she wanted to help her friend, and all, but not in the middle of a test,” he sighed. “Dash is with Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy now.”
“How was she supposed to pass that test?” Pinkie asked.
“She gave up,” Verba explained. “She allowed me to convince her that she was selfish. When you’re convinced that you’re something, well, that’s what you become. She wouldn’t have stood a chance out in the real world, trust me.”
“So what now?” Pinkie asked, not turning to face Verba.
“Now?” he asked. “Now, you have one last chance.”
Pinkie looked at Verba. “But wasn’t that our last chance?”
He shook his head. “Nah. In the past, there’s always been an Element that shines through the worst possible situations. Go grab your rabbit’s foot and pray that she can pass the hardest test in the Submaster’s repertoire. Your fate rests in Twilight’s hooves now.”
=====================================================================
*******
Twilight was sitting in the library, gazing out the window for what seemed like the millionth hour.
What’s so fascinating about that desert? Twilight asked herself. I feel drawn to it somehow, but why?
Obsidian appeared. “Twilight?”
“Yes, Obsidian?” Twilight asked.
“I have found the pony that’s holding your friends captive,” he began. “If you want to confront him, he is just through this gate.”
A shining white gateway appeared in the middle of the room. The light was so intense that Twilight couldn’t see what lay beyond.
“What do you want me to do?” Twilight asked.
“The choice is yours and yours alone,” Obsidian said. “However, if you do nothing, your friends will remain his captives. There will be nothing I can do to save them.”
Twilight swallowed. “Okay.” Hesitantly, she stepped through the gate.
She stepped onto a sandy island that hung forlornly in the emptiness of space. The air was hot and humid, and even though there was no sun to speak of, the little dirt that was on the island was cracked and dry. A pony completely made out of unknown symbols was lying down on a lawn chair, tanning himself with a folding mirror.
“Well, lookie here,” the pony began, taking off its sunglasses.
“You,” Twilight growled, remembering the pony that had dragged her into Obsidian’s domain. “Where are my friends?”
“Everywhere. Nowhere,” Verba said, putting his sunglasses back on and crossing his back legs. “They’ve been lifted out of existence until you defeat me.”
“Y-You mean, fight you?” Twilight asked, stepping back. She looked back for an escape route, but the glimmering white gate vanished as soon as she set hoof on this island.
Verba shrugged, shifting to make himself more comfortable. “Maybe.”
“Can’t we settle this... reasonably?” Twilight asked, biting her lip. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a real fight before...
Verba shrugged again. “Meh. Maybe.”
“Will you just give me a straight answer for once?” Twilight asked.
Verba shrugged, and his expression may have been a grin. “I dunno. Maybe.”
“Rrgh...” Twilight growled. She pawed her hoof on the ground. “If you don’t give me another way to get back my friends, then I have no choice but to fight for them!”
Verba’s head moved in a circular motion; he was probably attempting to roll the eyes he didn’t have. “Whatever.”
Twilight’s eye twitched in agitation. She ran at Verba horn-first, closing her eyes and bracing herself for impact. Feeling that she made no such impact, she opened her eyes just before she went tumbling off the edge of the island. Verba had vanished.
*******
“You’ll have to do better than that!” Twilight heard Verba say, though his voice came from all directions. Screeching laughter soared through the air as a torrent of runes started to form a cloud on the very edge of Twilight’s vision.
“No...” Twilight trailed off, realizing just how doomed she really was.
“Twilight!” she heard Obsidian call in her mind.
“What do I do?!” Twilight asked, beginning to panic.
“Stay calm! His magic is unstable. Try to disr-”
Twilight yelped and lost concentration as a chain of text tried to cut her in half. It missed, but hit the island instead, removing a good third of the already tiny platform.
“Fun, fun, fun!” Verba chanted. His runes formed multiple spears, and Twilight was frantically trying to dodge their thrusts. She warped out of the way of one just to be nearly cornered by another.
Twilight’s back hoof hit the empty air at the edge of the island and she yelled as she fell, clinging to the edge with her forelegs. Verba’s runes formed a long rope which cut off the portion of the island Twilight was hanging onto like a cut of cheese, and it slowly started to slide into oblivion.
Focus! Twilight screamed at herself, pulling her back hooves onto the crumbling platform and jumping just before it plummeted into the void.
The runes gathered at the center of the platform, forming a drill-like shape. They swirled in absolute harmony and rhythm as the shape became thicker and sharper. Layers of magic complied to form a solid shape, and there was nothing Twilight could do but watch.
Remembering what Obsidian had said, Twilight desperately threw a burst of energy at the drill. The runes were temporarily thrown out of focus, and the shape collapsed.
“Hey!” Verba yelped. “That actually... Oh, are you in for it!”
Twilight tried to dodge the rapid onslaught of daggers that were flung toward her, but there were too many. She grunted in pain as she felt her cheek and thighs cut by the magical knives. With another, though weaker, burst of instinctual energy, Twilight scattered the knives.
Panting, Twilight yelled, “Give up!”
“Oh, I’m not done yet,” Verba said. “Here’s what I call the Opening Line!”
Twilight saw a multitude of runes converge on the horizon, forming a massive wall in only a few seconds. It plowed toward her, leaving mere moments to react.
Twilight summoned her remaining strength, and blew a massive hole in the wall. Her magic electrified the runes, and the howling laughter that had formerly lit up the battlefield was replaced by wails of pain.
Twilight gasped for breath, but saw that Verba was weakened. She ran up, her horn crackling with leftover energy, and dove into the center of the remaining runes. She was thrust to the ground by the resulting explosion, but the giant mass of runes was all but destroyed.
Verba once again assumed his physical form and collapsed at the center of the island.
*******
Twilight took a knee, catching her breath. Leftover adrenaline slowly seeped out of her system, leaving her exhausted. That... That was actually kind of fun, heh.
Regaining her composure, Twilight walked over to the half-conscious Verba.
“Please... no...” he begged. “I don’t want to... N-Not yet.”
“Where are my friends?” Twilight demanded.
“I... I don’t know,” he mumbled.
“And I’m supposed to believe that?” Twilight asked. She turned away, saying quietly, “I don’t want to have to fight you anymore, so just tell me and I’ll go away.”
“Ob-... Obsidian, he has them,” Verba began, though the effort made him grunt in pain. A few runes turned to dust. “He sent you after me because... because he knew you’d take the bait. Now... he can do whatever he wants with them. He... He’s the Submaster.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Twilight asked. “You were just trying to kill me!”
“You struck first,” Verba reminded her quietly. “There’s more than one way to defeat somepony, y’know...”
“And what was I supposed to do then, huh?” Twilight asked.
Verba laughed slightly. “I dunno, aren’t you the clever one?”
Twilight sighed. “So how can I find them?”
Verba raised his hoof feebly, and the shimmering white gateway reopened. “...Through there,” he finally breathed. “But Obsidian... He makes me look like a pushover, so be careful.”
Twilight nodded, taking one last suspicious glance at Verba before departing.
=====================================================================
“Obsidian!” Twilight shouted. She was back in the library, only this time, it was empty.
The wall glowed with a warm light, and words started to write themselves along the wall of the room. It was a poem.
Those who triumph over their tests
Have endless positive hopes and dreams.
Ending Guilt is an important skill,
Unless you want to end your team.
Never give in to your Arrogance
While trying to solve and pass your test.
All those who fall to her whims and desires
Regret the day they said they’re the best.
You’ve finished the trial of Deception;
A harder test does not exist.
Remember the lesson taught to you:
Every doubt, you must resist.
Become enraged and your end is certain;
A loss of sympathy is just the same.
Curb your desire for justification;
Know that you will later feel shame.
Showing off is never acceptable,
Though Envying friends is a different fault.
Although you should never encourage pride,
Beware of your own dragging you to a halt.
Because your friends are all but annihilated,
Everypony now depends on you.
Death is certain.
.
*******
She turned around as cracks began to develop in the library’s floor. The ground shook, and Twilight was almost thrown off her hooves.
“Are you kidding me?!” Twilight yelled as the door flew open behind her. She ran as fast as she could to the outside desert.
The world was breaking apart. Chunks of sand and rock flew every which way as a haphazard and unpredictable wind tossed Twilight’s mane about in all directions. She tried to run, but she didn’t know where she was going. A bright pinprick of light appeared far in the distance. Twilight raced toward it, but the harsh wind impeded her progress.
“Give up!” a voice behind Twilight yelled harshly.
“Useless!” a voice next to Twilight snapped.
No! Twilight yelled to herself, willing herself onward. I have to save my friends! She struggled through the wind and over the unstable ground toward the bright light on the horizon.
“You deserve a break,” a soothing voice beside Twilight said softly. “Take a breather. There’s no rush.”
“Go away!” Twilight yelled, swatting the air beside her with her hoof. She met air, but continued staggering on, her vision blurry from grains of sand flying to and fro.
A violent burst of shadow tore the ground apart behind Twilight, and dark knights and undead wraiths started to rise from the darkness. The pale blue desert sky had turned a demonic red as a storm encompassed it.
“Can you trust yourself?” another voice asked. “Do you know if you will survive? Do you know if you’re making the right decisions?”
“I have to try!” Twilight screamed, relentlessly clawing her way to the pinprick of light on the horizon. A gust of wind knocked her back, but she relentlessly inched her way forward. The dark knights were gaining on Twilight, only a kilometer or two behind her.
Red lightning crackled all around Twilight, turning sand to glass and vibrating the already quaking ground. Chunks of rock started to fly upward, caught in the storm.
“Look at you. You’re not making any progress. You should give up now and save yourself the trouble,” another voice scoffed. “Your friends are dead, Twilight. Maybe if you turn back now, you won’t have to join them in their useless parade.”
“Don’t you dare say that about my friends! They’re not dead!” Twilight yelled before a stray rock smacked her in the face. Twilight heard a loud crack as her snout broke, and she howled in pain.
The ground had finally started to crumble, breaking away to reveal the final path into the light. The sand and dirt had blown away, but the harsh wind rendered Twilight practically immobile. I’m so close, there’s only a few meters left! she thought, desperately crawling forward.
“Applejack could shrug off the pain you’re feeling right now,” an icy voice said. “This wind wouldn’t even faze Rainbow Dash. If they couldn’t succeed, how could you possibly expect to?”
“I’m not going to sit here and do nothing!” Twilight screamed, throwing herself forward as blood streamed down her face. The black knights were almost upon her. A shadowy spear pierced through Twilight’s tail and a few strands of hair were lost as she pulled herself forward.
Twilight finally pulled herself to the light. But it was only that; a glimmer of false hope in the darkness. It didn’t lead anywhere. It didn’t save her friends.
Twilight finally sat down in defeat as the darkness enveloped her in its deathly embrace.
*******
Pinkie hung her head. She had been watching from a distance next to Verba. “So that’s it, huh? Guess this is goodbye.”
“An admirable performance,” a new voice observed.
“Meh... I’ve seen better,” Verba shrugged.
“Yeah...” Pinkie trailed off. Snapping to attention, she glanced behind herself to see the shadowy ‘Element of Honesty’ she had seen earlier. “Y-You!”
The figure’s shadowy form blew away with a single puff of wind. The newly-revealed stallion shook out his glistening black mane as a glowing mandolin levitated to his side. “My true name is Obsidian,” he said.
Pinkie gaped. “You were that shadowy shady dark evil pony that appeared after Verba’s tests!”
Obsidian chuckled. “Verba calls me his Submaster, but I’m not sure if it’s a title I deserve,” he said. “I simply oversee your tests and keep him from telling you too much.”
“Aw, you don’t give yourself enough credit,” Verba said.
“At any rate, Verba and I were working together to test you. Twilight’s test was the final one,” Obsidian explained. “I had kept her safe with me until we were sure she needed to be tested. I have been in the background, though; waiting and watching you. Sometimes, even going as far as to speak with you.”
Pinkie exhaled, the sudden excitement wearing off. “What’s going to happen to me?” she asked sorrowfully.
“Well...” Obsidian began, “technically, I would have to kill you if Twilight didn’t pass her test. However, Twilight’s test wasn’t designed to be passable.”
Pinkie looked up, surprised. “Really?”
Obsidian nodded. “The Element of Magic must never give up until the very, very end. Twilight demonstrated all of the true qualities of Friendship; she forged on through all her pain in an effort to save what she knew was more important than her life. She became something greater, even if it was for only those few moments--she became the pony I know will save Equestria. She passed with flying colors, Pinkie, and I am quite surprised, actually, to hear myself give that kind of praise. Only my brother was able to pass that test, and that was many thousands of years ago.”
“So my friends...?” Pinkie asked hopefully.
Obsidian’s mandolin hovered from his side and began to play a touching melody. A beautiful melody floated through the air while Obsidian’s eyes glowed with a fierce light. One by one, Pinkie’s friends started to return from the darkness.
The first to reappear was Rarity. Her horn glowed with a brilliant light as she was gently lowered to the ground. She was radiant and beautiful, and nopony could best her in that regard. She wore a necklace of a purple diamond-shaped jewel, just like her cutie mark.
Applejack was next. Her form shined with a bright, confident light, the light that a great leader always seems to give off. Her necklace had an orange apple jewel on it, just like her cutie mark.
Next was the ever-loyal Dash, who spread her wings and glided to the ground, completely healed. She gave her life in an attempt to save her friend, and even though it was unsuccessful, she had proven herself even in Obsidian’s regard. Her pendant was a shining ruby lighting bolt.
After Dash was Fluttershy, who appeared out of a soft green light. Fresh smells wafted through the air; it was as if the very essence of nature had woven its way through the surroundings. She had helped her friends through difficult times before, and she would be the last to give up on them. Her necklace had a pink butterfly jewel, ornate and wonderful.
Last was Twilight herself, who appeared in a blinding burst of color that suggested tremendous power and skill. Instead of a necklace, she wore a crown that had an irregular purple six-tined star on the tip. It was so elegant it put mundane jewelry to shame.
Finally, Pinkie felt a presence around her own neck. It tickled a bit, making her laugh. A sapphire balloon appeared on her chest, suspended from a golden chain. I have my own role to play, don’t I? I won’t forget that.
The six friends pulled each other into a warm hug. Despite all that had happened, the magical energy flowing through the air made it impossible to feel anything but warm contentment.
Fluttershy was the one most strongly affected as she tightly clutched Applejack. Ooh, don’t you ever leave me again! I... I thought you were... but you’re not, and that’s all that matters!
Obsidian bowed his head low to the ground in respect for the young warriors as the dust settled. “It is my honor to be your mentor and your guide. I apologize for the horrible trials I have put you through, but I had no other option. I had to prepare you. I beg you to forgive me, my ladies.”
“Heh. Weren’t you all high and mighty a second ago?” Dash asked. “Cut the formality and tell us what we need to know, alright?”
“Yeah, don’t take him too seriously,” Verba said, scratching the back of his neck. “He kinda does this to everypony he tests... He doesn’t get out much.”
Obsidian’s cheeks flushed for a moment and he threw a irritated glance at Verba. To the group, he said, “Yes, I suppose you’re right. This really isn’t the time.”
Twilight stepped forward. “We need an explanation. Now. Starting with why you lied to me and said that you and Verba weren’t working together.”
Obsidian looked away. “I’m afraid that any explanation I would be able to give you is inadequate. I can tell you that you’re here because a Dormientem spell was cast on you. It is a spell that is typically used to contact me, but it was far stronger than usual. Whereas normally an aspiring Element will lose a week or so of their life trying to contact me, it took years for me to get to you.
Fluttershy gulped. “Y-Years?! B-But… what about Ponyville and Equestria? Wh-What happened?”
“There’s no way to know,” Verba explained. “The only way we can see outside our realm is through your necklace... thingies.”
“I did see something long ago, though,” Obsidian said. “It may have been the Nightmare Moon Twilight mentioned. As for lying to you, well, I never said Verba and I weren’t working together, strictly speaking. However, I will admit that I did withhold information, but that was to make sure that if you needed to be tested, it would be in the right environment. You wouldn’t have been able to fight Verba if you knew him beforehoof.”
“That makes sense, but...” Twilight trailed off. “I don’t want to be rude, Obsidian, but you’ve put us through a lot and I want to know why, specifically.”
“Then you must find out yourself. Celestia and Luna should have far more answers than I ever will,” Obsidian stated. “Go outside my realm and I will do my best to guide you, but I believe it’s rather obvious I wish you no ill will. I understand that my explanations are somewhat unclear, but you must expect anything that could possibly come your way. I have some theories of what might have happened, but none are anything more than abstract guesses.”
“Is something wrong with Equestria?” Rarity asked.
“Well, duh,” Verba chuckled. “I mean, you were supposed to come to us as fillies. Not only that, but you should’ve basically had PhDs on the Elements of Harmony, and you come to us not even knowing the basics. There’s got to be something going on, and I don’t think it’s a good thing.”
“Ah guess…” Applejack agreed hesitantly. “So what now?”
“You have but one option,” Obsidian said. “You must go out into the real world and help me figure out what’s going on. The outside may be perfectly fine, but I have a very strong feeling it isn’t, and since I am the part of you that represents intuition, I don’t tend to distrust my instinct.”
They paused.
“We can’t really make sure you’re safe out there, you know. We can barely keep from tearing each other apart as is,” Verba said, nudging Obsidian.
“If something is wrong,” Obsidian began, ignoring Verba, “if something has happened, if order has collapsed, I cannot guarantee that you will be safe. I cannot guarantee anything.”
Absolute silence.
“Well…” Dash began. “I’m not going to sit on my flank and do nothing! If it means protecting Equestria, then what are we waiting for?”
“Yeah!” Applejack agreed. “If Equestria’s in trouble, we’d better git outta here as quick as we can ta help!”
“You’re not leaving without me!” Rarity said.
“Or me,” Fluttershy said. “We need to stick together.”
“We need to protect each other,” Pinkie added.
“If Equestria truly is in danger, then we’ll do our very best to protect it,” Twilight finished. She looked Obsidian in the eye threateningly. “But if you ever hurt my friends again, training or no training, I’ll have you removed from your post. Understand?”
“Well, I did some stuff, too...” Verba trailed off.
Obsidian looked at Twilight. “Pulling rank already, are we?” he laughed. “Well, I’m not too surprised. A crown has quite an effect on a lady.”
Twilight shrugged him off, a bit miffed. “You were the one just bowing to me.” The others laughed a bit.
Obsidian chuckled. “Of course, I was bowing to all of you. Anyway, if you are ever in dire danger, I will try my best to lead you in the right direction.”
A door opened behind him. It glowed with a bright light.
Dash rubbed her eyes and squinted. “What is it with you and bright lights?”
“I’ve always wondered that myself,” Verba said, though since he lacked eyes, he could stare directly through the gateway.
Obsidian smiled. “Light symbolizes truth. If you follow the path of light, you will live a happy and fulfilled life. Follow the path of truth, and you will be able to protect Equestria. I hope that you stay true to your cause and remember what I have taught you.”
I should be suspicious, I guess, Dash thought, but we’re alright, and that’s what counts in the end. I guess we’ll just have to make sure we don’t rely on Obsidian or Verba too much. We need to find out what to do on our own.
Twilight was the only one to look back at the two mentors before going through the door that was supposed to lead to the outside. I can’t help but wonder... how do I know they’re telling the truth?
How can I trust them after what they’ve done?
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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759
| 6 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-01-29T19:15:12+00:00
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2012-01-29T19:15:12+00:00
| 5,304 |
Chapter Six
*******
The Elements of Harmony, still wearing their jewelry, woke up in a rather strange predicament.
“Heh,” Dash murmured. “I remember having a dream kinda like this once.”
Twilight tried to move, but leather straps held all four of her limbs in place. Her back was pressed tightly against a padded wooden board. That seemed to be the case for all of the other Elements, as well. Wow, am I stiff, Twilight thought, trying to twitch her limbs a little bit. Slight echoes of pain resounded throughout her body.
It was pitch-black, so instinctively, Twilight summoned her magic and made her horn glow. However, it did more than glow. With the radiance of a small sun, Twilight almost set the room on fire.
“Ahh! Bright!” Applejack yelled. Since she couldn’t bring her hooves to cover her eyes, the orange mare shut them as tight as they could go.
“Sorry!” Twilight said, toning down her magic. I barely have to put any effort into it! Usually it takes me a lot of concentration to do any magic at all.
“Ugh,” Pinkie muttered, her eyes starting to adjust. “Next time, warn us!”
“Sorry,” Twilight apologized. “It’s never been that easy for me to do magic before.”
“You’re crown is glowing too,” Rarity observed. “Maybe it has to do with your wearing it.”
“Speaking a headgear, where’s mah hat?” Applejack asked, looking up at her bare head. She looked at the others. “Ya know what happens when Ah don’t have mah hat.”
Pinkie gasped. “Twilight, we have a situation! Applejack has to get her hat back right away or there’ll be a zombie infestation!”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Can we git outta here, Twi? Ah think Ah’m gettin’ a nasty brush-burn.”
Twilight nodded. The surroundings were simple; quite bare-bones, actually. They were in a black room with six of the devices that were used to hold them. There was a hatch in the ceiling with a ladder leading up and through it, supposedly the way out. Using as little magic as she could, Twilight snapped the bonds that had kept them restrained.
Fluttershy rubbed her ankles, which had thick red rings around them where the pelt had worn off. “There are marks,” she observed. “We must have been here for a long time.”
“But I’m not hungry or thirsty,” Pinkie said. “How long could it have been?”
“Obsidian said something about some kind of Dorme-something spell,” Dash said. “Have you heard of anything like that?”
“We can talk ‘bout it later,” Applejack said. “Let’s git outta here. Ah think we’d better find out what’s been goin’ on all this time, ‘cause this don’t look like mah bedroom ta me.”
Pinkie looked up the ladder. “Hey! Let’s go this way; I can see light up ahead,” she said, starting to climb.
“Well, let’s git a move on!” Applejack said. She and Pinkie went up first.
Dash pawed at her necklace. “Do we have to wear these things all the time? I mean, they’re awesome and stuff, but I’m not the biggest fan of, you know…”
“Once this is over, I guess we won’t need them any more,” Twilight shrugged.
“Are you kidding me? I’m keeping mine until the absolute end of time!” Rarity exclaimed, staring at her necklace. “Isn’t it gorgeous? I wonder why I ever let it out of my sight in the first place.”
“Calm down, Rarity,” Twilight said. The purple mare started to make her way up the shaft, followed by Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy.
Pinkie stuck her head out of the bottom of the shaft. Or, at least, that’s what it looked like. “Hee-hee,” Pinkie giggled. “Somepony forgot to flip the gravity switch!” She had poked her head out of the ceiling in Sugarcube Corners.
“Um, girls...” Pinkie began, looking back up (down?) the shaft. “This might be kind of tricky.”
“What’re ya waitin’ fer?” Applejack asked. “Git goin’!”
Pinkie awkwardly squeezed out of the tunnel and landed lightly on her feet. Applejack, not so much.
The orange earth pony rubbed her head. “Why didn’t ya tell me we were gonna drop outta the ceilin’?”
“Because you didn’t ask!” Pinkie said with a cheerful smile.
“Ah’ll remember that fer next time, then,” Applejack grumbled.
“This looks like a Portable Hole,” Twilight said after nimbly landing on the ground. “Only nobles or powerful magicians have them.”
Once the others had made a somewhat soft landing, they examined the situation. Sugarcube Corners was a wreck; the paint was peeling, the tiles were falling off, and there were various smells floating around in the air, most of them unpleasant. The curtains were torn, and most of the windows were cracked or broken.
“Where are Mr. and Mrs. Cake?” Fluttershy asked.
“I dunno,” Pinkie said. “How ‘bout we have a looksie?”
“I’m game,” Dash said, looking out the window. “Seems like Ponyville’s deserted. I wonder why.”
“We’ll find out sooner or later,” Twilight said. Her ear twitched. “I think I hear something outside.”
“Ah’m on it,” Applejack said, going out the front door to check. She glanced back at the rest of the group. “Hey, ya’ll might wanna come lookit this.”
The others headed outside and saw an orange pegasus with a spiky purple mane hopping around on nearby rooftops. Her eyes were tiredly scanning the town, her wings limp at her wide.
“Hey!” Dash yelled.
The pegasus turned and gasped, life suddenly flooding back into her body. “Sweetie Belle!” she yelled to somepony nearby.
“Is that…?” Dash asked, squinting. It doesn’t look like the Scootaloo I know.
The pegasus rushed up to the group, gliding across the ground and then tackling Rainbow Dash. “Dash! Where have you been?!”
“Woah!” Dash laughed as the pegasus hugged her. “Well, you tell me; I just woke up. And who are you, by the way?”
The pegasus looked up, a bit disappointed. “It’s me, Dash. You know, Scootaloo?”
Dash gaped at the new Scootaloo, but she wasn’t the only one shocked by Scootaloo’s change in appearance. The orange pegasus had grown a lot since Dash had last seen her, to be sure, but there were several other factors. Scootaloo looked extremely dirty, as if she hadn’t bathed in months. She was also very thin. But the most defining feature, by far, was a long white mark that travelled from Scootaloo’s left cheek down to her neck.
Scootaloo had never flown before when I knew her. That must have been what really confused me, Dash thought.
“Scootaloo?” Fluttershy asked, bewildered. The yellow mare shook her head in disbelief. “How long have we been gone?”
“What’s going—Rarity!” a white unicorn with a grayish-rose mane yelled in excitement. “We found you!” Rarity’s sister was also a lot thinner, but not quite as dirty as her counterpart. There was a mark on her flank as well; a roll of bandages.
“Sweetie Belle?!” Rarity asked in shock. She ran up to hug her sister, but quickly pulled away due to the condition of Sweetie Belle’s pelt. “Celestia, Sweetie Belle, are you filthy!”
Twilight couldn’t quite comprehend the situation. “Wait, what? Somepony fill me in; I’m lost.”
“Ohmigosh, I have so much to tell all of you!” Scootaloo said. “I mean, we’ve been looking for you for three years!”
“Three years?!” Fluttershy asked in shock.
“Yeah!” Scootaloo chirped, as if she was discussing a major upset in a competition. “And I can fly, and Sweetie got her mark, and there’s the Daymare, and Ponyville is deserted, and we’ve been on our own, and—and…” the orange pegasus trailed off, too many thoughts travelling through her mind for her to say them all.
“You can tell us all about it later,” Fluttershy said, fretting over Scootaloo’s features. She was poking and prodding in various places like an overprotective mother whose child has just come home from a fight. “We need to get you fixed up right away! How long have you been on your own?”
“Three years,” Scootaloo said, as though it was a regular occurrence. “We ran out of food a couple days ago, though. I guess it was lucky we found you.”
“Lucky my flank!” Rarity scolded. “You should never have been out here on your own. Oh, you’re so dirty…” she muttered, shaking her head.
“Sheesh, it’s no big deal,” Scootaloo said nonchalantly, flinching as Fluttershy examined her. “Hey, that tickles!”
“Heh,” Dash murmured, gazing at Scootaloo. I’m trying to remember what’s she was like, but all of my memories are fuzzy for some reason. I have the gist of it, but... But wow. Scoot’s a teenager and I haven’t aged at all.
“So what ya’ll are sayin’ is that we’ve been gone fer three measly years and all this’s happened?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m not buyin’ it. Had ta be more time than jus’ that.”
“You think we’d be lying?” Sweetie Belle asked. “We’ve been looking for you day and night for years. I think we’d know how much time it’s been.”
“Aww, I’m just playin’ with ya sugarcube,” Applejack said, nudging Sweetie Belle. “Ya grew up too darn fast.”
“Where’s Apple Bloom?” Twilight asked.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other, their expressions a new shade of worry.
“C’mon, spit it out,” Applejack said, a tad nervous. Did something happen to Apple Bloom?
“She’s really sick,” Sweetie Belle said. “At first we thought it was just a cold, but she hasn’t gotten better, and it’s been a week now.”
Applejack paled slightly. “Ah think ya better show us just how bad she is,” she suggested.
Sweetie Belle nodded, and swallowed. “This way. We’ve been staying at Fluttershy’s.”
Just then, Pinkie felt a sharp sensation in the back of her head as her Pinkie Senses flared. She slowly turned her head to the left. “Girls, we have trouble.”
*******
The group’s heads shot around to the roof of Sugarcube Corners, where a blue earth pony with a blue-green mane was lying down, peeking over the edge of the roof at them. She was about Scootaloo’s age, but much healthier.
“Wah!” she yelled, hastily getting up and running away.
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What’s going on?”
“She works for the Daymare!” Scootaloo yelled. “After her!”
Dash took to the air, and Applejack took off on hoof to where the girl had supposedly gone. For being an earth pony, she was surprisingly agile, and Dash had to weave around lamp posts and into alleyways just to keep up with her.
Applejack saw the blue earth pony run into an alleyway. “Ha! Gotcha!” she yelled, swerving inside, just in time to see the pony running off on the top of an adjacent building.
How...? Applejack scratched her head. Not pondering it for long, she took off again.
Dash managed to corner the young earth pony on the roof of a building that was about four stories tall. Scootaloo was fast approaching.
“What’s your name, and who do you work for?” Dash demanded.
The young earth pony was trembling. “S-Saphira,” she stammered. “Get b-back, before I have to hurt you!”
“I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to know what’s going on, and you’re going to tell me!” Dash stated. “Now!”
That was enough. In a flurry of motion that even Scootaloo barely saw, Saphira took down Dash and jumped off the building. Dash was seemingly uninjured, but she was unable to pick herself back up, grunting in frustration as some of her legs refused to move. Saphira somersaulted on the ground and continued running.
Scootaloo landed next to Dash. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Ngh,” Dash mumbled, her mouth pressed up against the roof of the building. “What are you waiting for? Get her!”
Applejack chased the earth pony and managed to corner her again. “Yer not gettin’ away from me!”
Twilight rushed up to see the blue earth pony take down Applejack, but slower this time. Saphira first reared up and hit Applejack in a specific place above the knee, tripped her, and then hit her again above her back knee. Applejack felt two pops before collapsing to the ground.
Saphira ran toward the woods and disappeared within the foliage.
*******
=====================================================================
“Are you both alright?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.
“Yeah, Ah am,” Applejack said, only two legs functioning. “But mah legs aren’t.”
“I don’t know what happened, it just all stopped working!” Dash complained.
“Sweetie Belle, now’s a good time to use your ability!” Scootaloo said, motioning to the two wounded ponies that had been moved near the town square.
Sweetie Belle looked nervous. “Um, yeah, maybe…”
“You got your cutie mark!” Rarity gasped, looking on the verge of tears for having missed so much of her sister’s life. “And I wasn’t there…”
Twilight nudged Rarity and looked at her. This isn’t the time, Rarity. Rarity sighed, but stopped talking.
“What’s your ability, Sweetie Belle?” Dash asked.
“Wh-when I sing, I heal ponies,” Sweetie Belle said. “But I don’t have much practice.”
“You have all the time in the world to get it right,” Twilight said. “And our friends really need your help. Can you try?”
“Yeah, sure,” Sweetie Belle said. She sat down next to Applejack, who had found a somewhat comfortable position.
Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and started to sing.
*******
“Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry, go to sleep my little baby. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses. Dapple and grays, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses.
“Way down yonder, in the meadow, poor little baby cryin’ mama, birds and the butterflies flutter ‘round his eyes. Poor little baby, cryin’ mama.
“Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry, go to sleep, my little baby. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses. Dapples and grays, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses.”
Sweetie Belle finished the lullaby with a brief hum, but it already had its effects. Positive energy started to flow throughout Applejack and Dash’s veins, revitalizing them and fixing their dislocated appendages.
*******
However, it did more than that. Fluttershy and Rarity had started to cry because of the song’s beauty, and Twilight, Dash, and Pinkie could do little to hold their emotions back. Once the song was over they quickly recovered, but the calm feeling they had in their hearts would last much longer. Scootaloo hadn’t cried, probably because she had heard the song before, but she was still appreciative of its beauty.
Sweetie Belle opened her eyes and smiled weakly at the group. Her eyelids had almost slid over her eyes. “Hehe,” she giggled weakly.
“That was breathtaking, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said, giving her sister a tight squeeze. “How in the world did you find such a glorious ability?”
“I’m sleepy,” Sweetie Belle said, yawning.
“Oh, dear!” Rarity said, suddenly shifting her weight to keep Sweetie Belle standing. She had suddenly gone limp on her feet.
Twilight helped lie Sweetie Belle down. “The magic must have drained her. I’ve never seen anything quite so powerful, even in my own talents,” she admitted.
“I guess it was pretty obvious to everypony that her talent had something to do with singing,” Dash began, “but that just blew me out of the water.”
“Yeah,” Applejack said wistfully. Three years... That’s a lot of time to miss. She turned to Scootaloo. “Where’d you say Apple Bloom was?”
“Oh, over at Fluttershy’s,” Scootaloo said. “I’ll lead the way.”
=====================================================================
Like most houses in Ponyville, Fluttershy’s abode was a mess, but it didn’t help that three teens were staying in it. Fluttershy didn’t mind, of course—you do what you have to do when the situation’s dire. Scootaloo had set most of the animals free, something that upset Fluttershy greatly, but again, you do what you have to do when you know that keeping them tied up won’t do them any good.
Their first priority was Apple Bloom, though.
Scootaloo led them upstairs, where Apple Bloom was staying. “Um, this way, and watch out for that step,” she said, pointing to a cracked board on the stairway.
When they were all on the verge of the room, Scootaloo stopped them. “I… I think that only Applejack and Fluttershy should go in. I don’t think we should stress her out; she’s pretty bad.”
Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, and Dash, though disappointed, complied and left to clean up the ruins of Fluttershy’s house.
Applejack slowly creaked open the door.
*******
This room was better kept than the rest of the house. There were no dirty dishes or wrappers like in other spots in the house; most of the trash had been evacuated. All in all, it looked fairly normal, except for the shivering mound in the center of a bed.
This mound was an earth pony mare, the same age as Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle. Her coat was a pale olive color, with a rose-red mane, although both looked messy and haphazard. She clutched tightly to a red bow. Applejack slowly approached her.
“A-…Apple Bloom?” she asked.
The mound slowly opened her eyes. “Sis? That you?”
Applejack rushed to her sister’s side and felt her forehead. “She’s burnin’ up,” Applejack told Fluttershy, who was now also now at the teen’s side.
“Did mah friends finally find you?” Apple Bloom asked, her hoarse voice barely above a whisper. She was incredibly thin, even thinner than her counterparts. “Ah knew they would.”
“We’re here now; everything’s going to be alright,” Fluttershy said. The teen’s state was dire; she was plastered with sweat and shivered violently as she tried to turn and face Applejack and Fluttershy. Her breath was shallow.
“Ah’m not goin’ ta let anythin’ happen to ya now,” Applejack said, nuzzling Apple Bloom’s neck.
“Yer finally here,” Apple Bloom murmured. She opened her orange eyes and smiled. For a moment, she looked like she had only just woken up from a nap. Then she closed them again with a grunt of pain.
“How do you feel?” Fluttershy asked.
“Not too good,” Apple Bloom said. “Ah have this nasty headache, ya see…” she looked like she was about to continue, but the effort was too much. She quivered and wrapped herself tighter in her covers.
“Oh, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said, holding the sick mare close. How could this happen? Please don’t die, Apple Bloom.
Fluttershy was already in tears, she could barely examine the pale lump lying in front of her. She had a basic knowledge of diseases from her work with animals. She’s... she’s not looking very well...
“Sis, you still there?” Apple Bloom whispered.
“Yeah,” Applejack said. “And Ah’ll always be here by your side.”
Apple Bloom’s head moved slightly, probably a nod. She was going to speak, but no words came out.
“When did you last eat?” Applejack asked.
“A few days ago, not—not too long,” Apple Bloom said. Another wave of pain washed over her, and she cringed.
A few days, Fluttershy thought sadly.
“Oh,” Apple Bloom said, her eyes lighting up for the briefest of moments as she opened them and turned over, pointing at the nightstand. A light brown Stetson hat was resting there. “Ah found yer hat a couple years ago. Thought Ah’d keep it…” she drifted off. “Ah’d keep it safe.”
Applejack hugged her sister. She was warm to the touch. “Thanks, sis,” she placed her hat back on her head. It was cold, as if it hadn’t been worn in a long time.
“How’s it lookin’, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked.
Fluttershy nodded. “She… sh-she’ll be fine.”
“That’s good,” Apple Bloom said. “Sis, you still there?”
“Ah have ta answer that?” Applejack prodded Apple Bloom affectionately.
Apple Bloom smiled. “I’m…” she didn’t finish. Her breathing steadied somewhat, and she fell into slumber.
Fluttershy wiped her eyes and turned away. “I can’t. I-It’s too much.” I’ve never seen anypony this sick before.
Applejack sighed, and looked at her shivering sister. Her heart shattered and fell into pieces in her chest. The orange mare looked at Fluttershy. “Just how ‘fine’ will she be?”
Fluttershy drew in a shaky breath, and exhaled. “I think it’s the flu aggravated into pneumonia by malnutrition. I-I don’t think that sh-she’ll…” Fluttershy couldn’t finish; she was crying too hard.
Applejack gritted her teeth. I want to be angry, but... but at what? I can’t fight an invisible foe. I can’t outsmart disease. “Let’s go tell the others,” Applejack sighed, taking one last glance at her younger sister before leaving the room.
=====================================================================
Applejack and Fluttershy came back downstairs to a slightly cleaner room.
“How is she?” Dash asked, though she didn’t really need to. Their expressions said it all.
Applejack shook her head. “It just ain’t right!” she exclaimed, stomping the floor in frustration. “Ah shoulda been here; Ah coulda helped her!”
“Is she going to… you know?” Scootaloo looked at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy sighed and repeated her diagnosis. “If we had food, I’d really only be worried about her surviving tonight, but unless you found any, we’re…” her bottom lip trembled.
“Food?” Pinkie asked. “Well, I have a secret store.”
“There’s no food left in Ponyville, or we would have found it already,” Sweetie Belle sighed. “We’ve been looking for days.”
“There’s no harm in checking,” Pinkie pointed out. “How about you come with me, Sweetie Belle?”
“That’s a good idea,” Twilight said, adjusting her crown to scratch her forehead. “How about you two, Dash, and Scootaloo go searching for food while Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy stay here to watch Apple Bloom?”
“What about you?” Rarity asked.
“I think I might have a healing spell I could use to help Apple Bloom; I’d just have to get it from my library,” Twilight suggested. “It’s better than nothing.”
Applejack took a deep breath. “What about that Saphira girl? We might git some trouble later on down the road,” she pointed out.
“Our first priority is our friends,” Twilight said sternly. “Apple Bloom is in danger, and we have to do everything we can to save her. Everything else comes second.”
“Right!” Pinkie said determinedly. “We’ll save her, mark my words!”
“Then that’s that,” Twilight finished. “We should get going right away.”
=====================================================================
*******
A blue-green unicorn stallion with a greenish mane was walking outside the ruins of Canterlot. His cutie mark was of a theatrical mask, the kind used to show either comedy or tragedy. If you wanted me to be here at precisely three o’clock, then you better be here at three o’clock as well! The unicorn thought angrily. I have been standing here for a full five minutes!
“Took you long enough,” said a blood-red pegasus mare who stepped out of a shadowy alley nearby. She had a short-cut, dark red mane and sharp metal tips on her hooves. “I’ve been here two minutes and counting.”
“Ha, ha,” scoffed the unicorn, who had a known taste for punctuality. “How’s Saphira?”
“Huh? Oh, a little flustered, but the tyke’s alright,” she shrugged, looking at the unicorn. “Why so concerned about her all of a sudden? I thought you preferred to think she didn’t exist.”
“I prefer to think that she’s of no implication to my life until I’m out of the mess I got myself into. The same goes for you, Lyvia,” the unicorn said coldly.
“Aw, how sweet,” Lyvia laughed, putting a hoof under the unicorn’s chin and fluttering her eyelashes. “You’re a real charmer, Lorey, you know that?”
Using telekinesis, Lorey thrust Lyvia’s hoof to the floor. “My patience is limited.”
“Duh,” Lyvia said, rolling her eyes. Her metal-tipped hooves sparked with electricity, and Lorey clutched his forehead, suddenly in the throngs of a powerful migraine.
“Mine, too,” Lyvia scoffed, resetting her hooves. “What’s with you today, anyway? That time of the month again, or what?”
“I’m not always as peachy-keen as I usually am, Lyvia,” Lorey hissed. “Today, much less so. I fear that she has been seeing me again, with more power than ever.”
“Aw, that hag? Why not just plug your ears?” Lyvia suggested. When she received an irritated glance, she added, “Y’know, figuratively speaking and all.”
“Never mind,” Lorey sighed. “The Daymare sent you, correct?”
“Yeah,” Lyvia nodded. “And she has a job specifically for you, too. It’s your lucky day.”
“Hmph,” Lorey said. “Has Luna finally amassed a force worthy of being recognized by our ruler? Or are you just pulling my leg?”
“Yes, but it’s not like she knows it yet,” Lyvia laughed. “Saphira came back with news that the Elements of Harmony are active for the first time in years. In Ponyville, too.”
Lorey raised his eyebrows. “Oh, did she now? Well, then... What is my mission?”
“Oh, c’mon, take a guess!” Lyvia proposed. When she once again received an irritated look, she said, “You’re so boring.”
“I wasn’t hired to entertain you,” Lorey said.
Lyvia rolled her eyes. “Well, the Daymare has something a little tough in mind for you, actually.”
“And what would that be?” Lorey asked.
“Infiltration,” Lyvia stated. “Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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759
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-01-29T19:24:33+00:00
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2012-01-29T19:24:33+00:00
| 4,950 |
Chapter Seven
*******
“Be very still,” Fluttershy said softly as she placed a new rag on Apple Bloom’s head to try and cool her down. Fluttershy had some basic supplies, but no medicine.
“Ain’t a fever supposed to kill the germs?” Applejack asked her. She was brushing Apple Bloom’s hair, which had been strewn out in random directions.
“No, not when it’s this high,” Fluttershy said. “It would only harm her. If we could move her, I would put her in a cool bath, but I’m still not really sure just how sick she is,” she sighed. “We should have been here.”
Applejack put her comb down and looked at the heap in front of her. “Yeah, Ah wish we were. But y’know what, Fluttershy? Focusin’ on the coulda-woulda-shoulda a the situation ain’t gonna git us anywhere. ‘Sides, this’ll all be just another memory once Apple Bloom’s all fixed up.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, you’re right. She’ll be better in no time.”
Rarity was busy washing Apple Bloom’s sheets. Meanwhile, Applejack and Fluttershy had wrapped her in quilts and blankets, something the young mare was very appreciative of. She laid practically motionless in her bed while the two others tended to her.
“Applejack,” Fluttershy began, “do you think I could leave for a minute? I think I might have some herbs that could help Apple Bloom sleep.”
“Sure,” Applejack said.
Fluttershy nodded and left the room. Applejack hummed a tune as she used her tail to brush some of the rubble into a dustpan.
Apple Bloom shifted. “Sis?” she asked.
Applejack barely heard her. “Yes, Apple Bloom?”
“Am I goin’ ta die?” Apple Bloom asked after a while.
Applejack paused, biting her lip. She walked to her sister’s side and nudged her gently. “Ah won’t let it happen, Apple Bloom. Ah swear.”
Apple Bloom dragged the rag, now lukewarm, off her forehead and looked up at her sister with bright eyes, even brighter due to her illness. “If Ah die…”
“Don’t talk like that,” Applejack said, nudging Apple Bloom. “Yer gonna be alright.”
“Listen ta me,” Apple Bloom said weakly. “If Ah die… please, sis, don’t avenge me. Ah came out here ta find you and git revenge on those nasty ponies like the Daymare…” she paused to catch her breath. “But it didn’t do me any good at all. Ah got myself into really dangerous places. Ah’m kinda lucky Ah get to talk to ya now.”
Applejack nodded, a hole starting to form in her heart. Is this the last time I’m going to get to talk to her? She shook her head. No, I’m not going to think like that!
“Jus’ be careful, sis, that’s all Ah ask,” Apple Bloom said. “An’ be careful what’cha wish for, alright?” she asked, smiling a little.
Applejack hugged her sister, disregarding her illness. “Ah will. Forever,” she added.
=====================================================================
*******
Scootaloo and Dash weren’t actually looking for food. They tried, but failed, to stay on task. Scootaloo just had so much to tell Dash about what had happened, and Dash was so ready to hear it that they, for the most part, just walked around and talked.
“So then, I started to follow this Saphira kid, right?” Scootaloo asked as they cantered around a ruined fountain. “But she just climbs up a tree like that! I still don’t know how she did it.”
Dash thought for a moment. “You think tree-climbing’s her ability?” she asked.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought at first, but the Daymare must have cast a spell on her or something, because trees don’t have anything to do with her cutie mark, you know, the rubber band?” Scootaloo explained. They were nearing the edge of town.
“Hey, you were talking about the Daymare earlier. What exactly is a Daymare?” Dash asked.
Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “You don’t know? Oh, right, stasis,” she realized, remembering Twilight’s brief explanation of where they were for three years. “Well, the Daymare is basically Princess Celestia.”
“What?” Dash asked, passing by a ruined gate that would have said ‘Welcome to Ponyville...!’ had it not been rusted and crushed.
“I dunno,” Scootaloo admitted, stepping over some rocks on a haphazard trail. “It’s just that the Princess went crazy all of a sudden and started attacking all these different towns. We got away, but we came back after it was over to look for you.”
“Wait, you sure you’re talking about Celestia?” Dash asked. That doesn’t sound anything like the Princess. She’s a really cool, fun ruler. How could she turn into something as bad as what the Daymare’s supposed to be?
“Positive,” Scootaloo said, her hooves meeting the soft ground of a forest. “I saw her myself. The only thing different about her were her eyes; they were dragon-like.”
“What?!” Dash said, stopping and looking at Scootaloo. “You’re serious?”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo said, a little startled by Dash’s reaction. “Everything else was the same, I swear.”
Dash paced a minute. “But it wasn’t Nightmare Moon? You’re sure she had dragon eyes, Scoot?”
“I swear,” Scootaloo said, a little frightened now. “You okay?”
But we beat Nightmare Moon! Dash thought. This doesn’t make any sense! Are there more than one? The blue pegasus shook her head. I’ll mention it to Twilight later, I guess. “Never mind.”
“Well, okay. Right, where was I…” Scootaloo paused. “Hey, Dash, I can fly now!”
“Really?” Dash asked. “Show me!”
Scootaloo had to take a running start. She spread her wings, and lifted off the ground with a noticeable amount of effort. Dash followed her high above the canopy of the forest.
Her form’s sloppy, Dash observed, but she’s been practicing. And for not having any help, that’s pretty good. “Nice job, Scootaloo!” Dash said, nudging her friend in mid-air. They landed after about five minutes of playing around in the air.
“I’ve been working hard so I could show you!” Scootaloo said proudly. “How was it?”
Dash looked at the teen pegasus in front of her. Examined her. She came to a conclusion.
“You’re just growing up too fast!” Dash said, pulling her fan into a big hug.
Dash bit back sadness. I’ve always liked her, a little. Like a sister. And now that she’s all grown up... Now I know how Rarity feels. I feel like I’ve missed the greatest years of my entire life. We could have had so much fun together! I’m the only one with any air speed, she could have helped me practice! Ugh... I feel so sad. I missed her first flight!
“Dash, are you okay?” Scootaloo asked, moving in front of her idol.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” Dash said. “C’mon, let’s go back. Rarity’s waiting.”
Scootaloo saw past Dash’s ruse. “Dash, what’s wrong? Are you sure you’re okay?”
Dash nodded and swallowed. “I… I just feel that, all these years, I’ve abandoned you. I just wish I could have been here.”
“Aw, Dash, don’t go all Rarity on me,” Scootaloo said playfully. “We all know you’d never live that down.”
Dash nodded, and laughed a bit. I feel really bad for not being here, but I’ll just have to work through it. I guess there are just some things that you take for granted.
“You don’t have to worry about abandoning me,” Scootaloo said. “Because no matter what happens to you, you’ll always be right here,” she continued, putting a hoof to her chest. “And no matter what happens to me, I know I’m safe, because I’ll always be right here,” she said, tapping Dash on the chest.
Dash nodded. “Thanks, Scoot. That’s what I needed to hear. It’s been rough.”
“I know,” Scootaloo said. “There are a lot of ponies that are counting on you, you know. Don’t worry about just me.”
“Where is everypony, anyway?” Dash asked.
Scootaloo sighed. “Everypony in Equestria had to evacuate to Fillydelphia with Luna. That’s the only safe place anywhere in the world right now.”
“What?!” Dash exclaimed. “There’s no way everypony in Equestria would fit into one city!”
Scootaloo looked away. “By the time ponies started to evacuate… there was.”
Dash’s heart felt like a rock in her stomach. All those ponies… how?
“How could anypony do that?” Dash asked. “Not only would somepony have to be pure evil to do anything like that…” she swallowed. “But the Daymare couldn’t be everywhere at once!”
“It wasn’t just her,” Scootaloo said. “She had help, willing help. One of them is a shape-shifter. One is an assassin. Then there’s Saphira, who’s pretty much useless. And then there’s Nightmare Moon. She might have more; those are just the ones Luna told me about.”
“Wait, Nightmare Moon?” Dash’s mind was practically turned upside down. “But… but…!”
Scootaloo nodded. “Well, I’m not really that sure, but I do know that somehow Nightmare Moon isn’t limited to Luna… she’s been possessing other ponies.” She shuddered. “Some of them I knew. She changes them almost monthly. I think at one point she was Twist. Another…” she wiped her eyes, and blinked. “I don’t even want to think about it. So many were taken, Dash, and killed. I’m lucky we all survived.”
Dash was furious. “That isn’t even supposed to be possible!”
“I dunno,” Scootaloo said, wiping her eyes. “It might have just been the shape-shifter. It was scary, Dash. Seeing friends from school having those eyes, that dark body. It’s just so evil. And it’s terrifying, because they… they’re trying to kill us.”
That’s awful! Dash thought. How could anypony do that?!
“We should get back,” Scootaloo said, looking back toward Ponyville.
Dash nodded. How…?
=====================================================================
“It should be around here,” Pinkie said, feeling along a wall in Sugarcube Corners.
“We already checked here a week ago,” Sweetie Belle sighed.
“Cheer up!” Pinkie said, continuing to feel for something Sweetie Belle didn’t think was there. “If we didn’t check, we would never find anything. Now let’s see... Hmm...”
“But what are we even looking for?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“That’s a good question! I’m not really that sure,” Pinkie said, laughing at Sweetie Belle’s expression. “Just kidding! It should be right around here. Just a few more paces Weast.”
“Weast?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“It rhymes with yeast!” Pinkie chirped, opening the bread drawers. They were actually fairly large, and she had to climb into it to fully look around, eventually disappearing inside. Sweetie Belle heard a tapping noise behind her and found Pinkie stuck in a long-broken oven.
After rescuing her, Sweetie asked, “How’d you get in there?”
“Same way I get anywhere! Jumping!” Pinkie explained. She rubbed her chin. “But it wasn’t in there, so it must be...” She crouched low to the ground as if she was sneaking up on prey, then pounced on a completely unprepared cabinet. She pursed her lips, finding nothing inside.
“Told you,” Sweetie sighed.
“Cheer up!” Pinkie said. “If Weast wasn’t for yeast, then Weast must be for... feast!” She exclaimed, pushing a small green sticker on the wall. Her hoof went through the plaster, and she felt around in the resulting hole.
“What are you doing?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Hmm…” Pinkie said, deep in concentration. “Ah! There we go,” she said. There was a clicking sound, and the wall opened up into a freezer.
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle said.
“The previous owners installed this for some crazy reason,” Pinkie shrugged. “I thought it might come in handy eventually.”
“Why’s that?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Pinkie shrugged. “Better safe than sorry!”
The great majority of the supplies in the freezer were canned or preserved, but to Sweetie Belle it was a godsend. Her stomach rumbled audibly at the sight of familiar brands, and she turned a slight shade of red. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
Pinkie nudged her. “There’s nothing wrong with being hungry. What did you think would happen, with you being all adventurey adventurous venture-pants?”
“Can we talk later?” Sweetie Belle begged.
Pinkie laughed. “Okie-dokey, lokie. Help me move this food, okay?”
=====================================================================
Twilight walked inside her house, or rather, what was left of it. Papers were everywhere, books were moldy, spiderwebs were hanging from the ceiling, and the wooden floor creaked when she entered. Just your ordinary, cheesy horror story, Twilight sighed, remembering a few that she had read as a filly.
She made her way across to the bookshelves and started looking through her spellbooks. Most of them were ruined, but she did find one on healing. Looking through it, she quickly saw it was useless; all of the pages had been ripped out long ago. Great, so they ruined my library, Twilight muttered to herself. What’s next?
Twilight noticed a note on a nearby desk with gold embroidery; she had only seen it once before, and that was on the oldest texts Celestia dared to give her. She picked it up using her telekinesis and read it, her eyes steadily widening.
Dear Twilight…
We write this note to thee in desperate times. Our quill is unsteady as We write because Equestria is under attack. The Elements of Discord hath decided to rear their ugly heads for the first time in centuries, and this time it looks like they hath constructed a plan far grander and more detailed than We hath ever known.
Time is short, so although We wouldst give thee a worthy explanation for Our actions, We must cut this message short. We have trapped thou inst thine own mind in order to allow an ancient being to aid thee. If thou readst this, thou hast probably already met him, but please know that he wishes thee the best. As do We.
Please be careful. Thou arest incredibly important to the safety of this world. Discord has decided to strike, and
We have seconds left. Meet Us in Fillydelphia. We can tell thee everything there.
-Princess Lun
It ended there. Twilight gradually deciphered the old language and sat down, pondering the implications.
She didn’t even have the time to write her own name, Twilight thought. Princess Luna… It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.
Twilight put the note on the inside of her crown, along with the best spell she could find to help Apple Bloom. This letter could be really important. I should read it to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and see if they know anything. It’s time I received some answers.
The world is in danger, Twilight shivered. The purple mare imagined just how powerful Discord could possibly be. It’s not the first time we’ve saved it, but… It might be our last.
=====================================================================
*******
A dark turquoise unicorn trotted into a ruined throne room. Her mane was an extremely pale cyan, almost white. It was braided and hung down to her neck. Her eyes were a pale yellow, containing dagger-like slits instead of pupils. Her cutie mark was of a fiendish harp.
She walked up to an important-looking white alicorn that was resting on a wide throne, flipping through a book. She was majestic; her horn and wings several times bigger than an ordinary unicorn or pegasus, and she wore a gold crown on her head. Her cutie mark was of a jewel; an amber sun. Her eyes were blue, dagger-like slits, but one was covered up by her mane, which was flowing with bright green, pink, and blue pastel colors.
“Sister,” the turquoise unicorn said impatiently.
“Yes, Envy?” the alicorn asked.
“Deception wants us to move to the next stage of the plan,” Envy said. Her voice was commanding and strong.
“Oh, already? I thought the Elements would stay in hiding for much longer,” the alicorn said, sighing and flipping through her book impatiently. “It’s about time they reared their ugly heads.”
“Oh, so you heard about that?” Envy laughed. But it wasn’t really a laugh; it was artificial and hollow.
“You expect me to just sit around reading all day?” the alicorn asked, swatting the book aside. “Ugh, books. My time is too important for something so stupid. There’s nothing new anymore.”
“You just can’t read as fast as I can,” Envy said. “If you want something to do, go find a new body. You’ve been hogging that one for the past three years.”
“And there’s a good reason why,” the alicorn said, her dagger eyes darting to her sister’s. “If I let go for a minute, she’s going to attack. She’s waiting for an opportunity, and that’s something I will not give to her willingly. Besides, the body of a goddess is the only thing that I truly deserve.”
“Psh, goddess. Well, if you’re bored, I need help finding a male body. So many females in this world, I do wonder how the population survives,” Envy remarked.
“I thought you preferred the feminine touch, brother,” the alicorn remarked.
“Yes, it is rather… interesting, inhabiting a female form,” Envy said, shifting her weight from one pair of legs to the other in a side-to-side motion. “And it’s also nice having such a wide variety of beautiful bodies. It’s almost as if somepony made entire populations using a template. Anyway, the reason I’m looking for a male body is to advance the plan, and I was hoping you could take a peek inside your Dreamscape or whatever and find me a specimen.”
“So Deception’s target is female again? That’s boring,” the alicorn remarked. “Aren’t there any in storage you could use? Looking through the Dreamscape is a pain and a waste of test subjects. You know how important my project is.”
Envy rolled her eyes. “Arrogance, this is Deception we’re talking about here. I looked in storage, found a perfectly acceptable body, and she turned it away like I pulled it from a dumpster. I wouldn’t be asking you if I didn’t need to; I know how important the Dreamscape is.”
“Fine, then,” the alicorn named Arrogance said. “I will take a look at my extensive reserves. When does Deception need it?”
“ASAP, so you better hop to it,” Envy said. “Meanwhile, I believe that we’re closing in on the Elements. Do you want me to give our troops the go-ahead?”
“Not until you’re there,” Arrogance said sternly. “It may be overkill, but I am not allowing a screw-up.”
Envy shrugged. “It’s not like I have anything better to do, and I’ll enjoy finally looking those brats in the eyes and having them read what Discord really is, written in blood.”
Envy turned to leave, but Arrogance stopped her.
“Don’t go overboard. We need them alive,” Arrogance warned, looking at Envy threateningly.
“Hmph. I was only kidding,” Envy scoffed. But she didn’t look like she was.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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759
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-01-30T21:47:15+00:00
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2012-01-30T21:47:15+00:00
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Chapter Eight
*******
Twilight and her small group of survivors started to help Apple Bloom out of sickness.
We don’t really have a plan at this point, Rarity thought, but we’re not going to just sit here and let her die. I’m not sure if we’re making a mistake or not by doing that, but I could care less. I would never forgive myself if I left her here without giving her the proper care that she justly deserves.
Applejack and Pinkie were stirring soup for their dinner that night. Applejack was gathering wild fruits and vegetables, and Pinkie hummed a tune as she tended to the various instruments around the kitchen. There was a giant pot on the stovetop, with enough soup that the nine ponies present could share.
Fluttershy, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle were tending to Apple Bloom, reading to her, and telling her stories. “Her life has been hard for the past few years,” Fluttershy had said. “I want to make it better, as much as I possibly can.”
Twilight was rehearsing the spell she had chosen. It’s not a very specific spell, she thought as she muttered magical phrases, but if I pull it off, Apple Bloom should survive. In fact, I guarantee it, with my new talent. Still, it doesn’t hurt to practice.
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo didn’t have as central a role, but mainly were just hanging about. This wasn’t to say they were being lazy; it’s just that when you try and have eight ponies all trying to help the same pony at the same time, the results don’t typically involve anything really getting done. So, they ran errands, but for the most part, they were reminiscing and just having fun, like friends should.
Apple Bloom was fast asleep.
“She’s been sleeping for a while now,” Fluttershy remarked. She felt for a pulse on Apple Bloom’s neck. She’s still alive, she sighed to herself, relieved, and she looks like she’s recovering.
“That’s good,” Rarity said. “I’m sure she’ll be better in no time.”
Apple Bloom was wrapped in her blankets. The herbs Fluttershy had given her had knocked her out within minutes, and Fluttershy was fretting about whether she had given her too much, even though the yellow mare had triple-checked to make sure that it was the right measurement.
“If she doesn’t wake up around dinnertime, I have a spell somewhere in my library I can fetch,” Twilight said, briefly interrupting her complicated incantations.
“What are you doing over there, Twilight? I mean, with all the gibberish and stillness?” Rarity asked. “I’m a bit worried.”
Twilight paused. “Um, you mean, incantations?”
“Well, if that’s what you call gibberish, then yes,” Rarity said.
Hmm… Usually my magic has been limited to concentration. Just how long have I been practicing? Have I lost track of time? It’s only been a few minutes, I think, Twilight remarked to herself. “How long have I been sitting here?” Twilight asked. Why am I all stiff? I think I’ve been sitting here a little longer than I thought.
“Well, you’ve been here since Applejack and Pinkie started dinner, and they said that it’s almost done now,” Sweetie Belle said. “Why?”
“Oh, I must have lost track of time,” Twilight said, getting up. Ack, now I’m really stiff. Twilight shook out her limbs. “Ugh,” she said. Incantations are usually reserved for intensive study; just how powerful has my magic become? Twilight shifted the crown on her head. It had a faint glow, but nothing too noticeable unless you were six inches away from it.
“Soup’s on!” Applejack called from downstairs.
“It smells wonderful,” Fluttershy said, wafting the air. She was hungry as well; it had been five or six hours since they first woke up, and it was nearing dusk.
“I’ll take a bowl up for Apple Bloom first,” Rarity said. “Twilight, do you think you could wake her up?”
Twilight looked at Apple Bloom, a peaceful lump lying in a cluster of blankets. She needs her rest, but she hasn’t eaten in days. That’s probably more important. The purple mare got near Apple Bloom. There’s no sense in getting a spell if I only have to, well, ‘knock on the front door,’ I guess.
Twilight shone a somewhat bright light near Apple Bloom’s snout. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
“Ngh... Ah was sleepin’, ya know.” She shifted.
“Food is ready,” Twilight said, putting out her light and nudging the little filly. “Rarity’s going to feed you some. It smells delicious.”
“Can’t she do that while Ah’m asleep?” Apple Bloom mumbled, turning away from Twilight.
Twilight laughed a bit. “Come on, it’s dinner in bed!”
Apple Bloom didn’t respond.
Twilight looked at Rarity. “Once you bring the food up, I’m sure she’ll jump at it.”
Rarity nodded. “She’s a lot better than she sounded earlier. I think she’ll be fine.”
“I hope so,” Twilight said. She went down to have dinner.
=====================================================================
It was safe to say that the Cutie Mark Crusaders, namely Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, ate more in one night than all of the others combined. So much was consumed that it even impressed Applejack, who was used to eating huge portions after a day out in the field.
I guess this is normal for teenagers, Twilight sighed to herself. She wasn’t actually too hungry; a bowl sufficed for her, and two bowls for Applejack and Dash, but Sweetie Belle had three and Scootaloo had four.
“And Ah thought there would be leftovers!” Applejack laughed.
“Nope,” Sweetie Belle mumbled, watching Scootaloo sip her last bowl.
“It was excellent,” Rarity said to Pinkie and Applejack.
“Well, it’s safe to say that Applejack’s the master of huge meals. I was actually going to make this half the size it is now,” Pinkie giggled. “Guess we know how that would’ve ended, huh?”
The others laughed. Scootaloo didn’t, but that was only because she had a bellyache.
Applejack looked at Scootaloo, a bit amused. The orange pegasus had gone to lie down, having eaten too much. Everypony knows not to eat so much at one time. Guess that’s something you have to learn the hard way. But I don’t blame her; two days without food and I’d be stuffing my face, too.
So, in general, it was uneventful. Apple Bloom looked like she was making a steady recovery, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were fed, and everypony was happy.
*******
Then Pinkie suddenly stood up, an unusually serious look on her face. Something’s wrong. Like really, really, super wrong. “Girls, there’s a problem. I can feel it.”
Pinkie felt little needles and pricks all throughout her body, like she was sitting on a cactus. The pain that spread throughout her body was so intense that she began to feel a bit dizzy; her Pinkie Sense was going out of control. This is the most pain that I’ve felt in my life! she thought, twitching a bit and scratching her leg. Applejack and the others looked at her, a bit frightened.
“What’s wrong, Pinkie?” Applejack asked.
Pinkie cringed; the pain was getting stronger. “Ow, ow! I think—We’re in danger, serious danger. Like life-or-death, mega-ultra-daredevil danger. Ouch!” she yelped, beginning to chase her tail around in a circle.
Sweetie Belle was a bit frightened. “What’s going on? I’m scared.”
Twilight stood up. Pinkie’s never been wrong with these things before... If she says we’re in danger, then I’m going to take that seriously. She went upstairs to grab Rarity quickly, but stopped to grab a kitchen knife first, in case she might need it. She tossed the weapon into her saddlebag.
“Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, you stay inside and protect Apple Bloom,” Twilight ordered after coming back downstairs. “Dash, could you check and see if there’s anything outside?”
Dash darted outside, and looked around. She didn’t expect to see the threat so quickly, but that was because she had seen her before.
It was Trixie.
She was a blue unicorn. Her mane and tail were a paler shade of that same color. She wore a purple, star-spangled cape and matching witch’s hat. From what Dash knew of her, she was an arrogant magician that had disappeared into the crowd as soon as her and her friends made her admit that she had been telling lies, and hadn’t been seen since.
However, there were a lot of things that were different about her now. One, she looked paler, and thinner. She had neither the confident aura she usually flaunted about nor the dominating presence that she, as a street performer and powerful magician, possessed twenty-four/seven. But her scariest feature was the shackles that hung from each of her limbs; they were ghostlike chains, each one only had a few links. They hung in midair as if they were underwater.
By the time Dash had taken all of this in, everypony was outside.
“T-Trixie?” Rarity asked. “What in Equestria has happened to you?”
Trixie took a deep breath, then exhaled. “If you want to live,” she began. “Run.”
*******
The group didn’t have to be told twice.
Dash took off across rooftops, along with Fluttershy. The others took off by hoof, Pinkie and Rarity going one direction, with Twilight and Applejack going another.
Trixie bent her head low and murmured, “Sorry, Twilight. I… I wish I had been stronger.” None of them heard this; they were too busy running.
Trixie’s horn began to glow, and the chains around her legs started to vibrate. They extended immeasurable lengths in almost a second, and Applejack soon saw chain links above her head. They plowed toward her, and because Applejack didn’t have a chance to react, she was tangled in the embrace of the chains and dragged backwards.
“Help!” Applejack screamed. Twilight looked back to see her friend being dragged back at almost the same speed she had been running.
Twilight summoned the full force of her magic and tore at the chains. They snapped in two like a rubber band. Trixie yelled in pain, but nopony paid attention.
“Move!” Twilight yelled to the dazed Applejack, who quickly got back on her feet.
Meanwhile, Dash and Fluttershy were trying to escape chains as well. They weren’t nearly as successful, however.
Dash tried to dodge in mid-air, but the chains were quicker. Two of them, working in unison, tangled Dash in an unbreakable grip. Dash screamed as she was slingshotted back toward the ground. Fluttershy broke her fall to some extent, but both pegasi spiraled toward the ground and landed with a dull thud near Trixie.
A chain tripped Pinkie and, while she was in mid-air, twirled around her leg and up her thigh. Pinkie grabbed onto a nearby fencepost, but had to let go; otherwise, the chain would have ripped her in half. She was the next to go down.
Twilight watched in horror as Trixie’s chains slowly engulfed the rest of her friends. It was all the purple mare could do to dodge them herself, batting them away with her telekinesis.
Rarity was next. With three chains on her, she really didn’t have many options. They tangled her up in a mess of wire, practically strangling her, and deposited her next to Pinkie, where she was promptly restrained.
Then Applejack. Twilight was busy with five chains; the sinister metal links seemed to be multiplying. Applejack couldn’t even fend off one. It shot behind her and wrapped itself around her back legs, flipping her over and dragging her away, earning Applejack a nasty brush-burn on her already chafed back.
Last was Twilight. She tried to tangle the chains together, anything that would buy her some time, but she couldn’t. It was too much. She was only one unicorn.
The chains wrapped around her with such efficiency that she was in a metal prison, only the tip of her snout showing. She felt herself flung up into the air, then land with an awful thud next to her friends.
*******
“I thought I said run!” Trixie sighed. She stomped the ground in defeat and yelled in frustration.
The group didn’t respond. Dash knew she at least had a broken leg, Applejack probably had a twisted ankle, and Fluttershy had a broken wing. Twilight would have nasty bruises tomorrow and Rarity felt her belly bleeding where it had been cut. Pinkie seemed to be the only one uninjured. The chains had restrained all of them, hooking them into the ground to the point where they couldn’t even move.
“Why, Trixie?” Twilight asked.
“Why?” Trixie asked. She laughed a bit. “Huh, that’s a good question. Maybe it’s because I was captured and enslaved. Ever think of that?!” she yelled. She bowed her head low in sadness, and a tear slid down her neck and to the ground. “The Great and Powerful Trixie, reduced to fighting against her own allies. And in such a barbaric way…”
“Can’t you… can’t you break free?” Pinkie asked.
“What a stupid question!” Trixie barked. “If I could, I would have already. You know that. You’re smart enough to know that…” Trixie was crying. “Why couldn’t I be stronger? I don’t want to do this, not when you’re so close to winning!”
Rainbow Dash looked up at her captor. She looks like she hates what she’s doing, but then why is she doing it?
“How were you enslaved?” Pinkie asked.
“I was looking for all of you!” Trixie yelled, her emotions taking a rollercoaster from sadness to anger to guilt. “I wanted to find you, so that you could save us. I was sent out by Luna herself. Princess Luna! That would have redeemed me in the eyes of everypony… but that’s not why I volunteered.”
“Then why?” Rarity asked.
“Because I saw a colt murdered, that’s why!” Trixie cried. “Snails was his name. He was one of my fans. He was ripped to pieces by the Daymare! I saw it with my own eyes, so I went looking for you all. You’re the only ones that can fix this. You’re the only ones that can save the world! Now look at you! You’re nothing!” she yelled through her tears. “The Daymare found me first. She cast a spell on me, and now… Now I have as little control over my actions as you do right now. I can’t move on my own; I can’t do anything! I’m pathetic! I’m weak!” she screamed, tears falling down her face.
Trixie was so passionate about this point that even Dash wanted to pity her. She was frustrated to begin with. Now she’s just a wreck.
“I didn’t want to find you,” Trixie continued, “but I did anyways. And now…” she laughed a bit out of sorrow. “Now, you’re all going to die! And it’ll be all my fault. All my fault… The Great and Powerful Trixie ending the world that was supposed to be her oyster from birth.”
I want to say that there’s still a chance that she could break free, Twilight thought, but Trixie knows magic well enough that, if there was a loophole, she would have found one already.
That didn’t stop Applejack from asking, however. “Can’t ya break free? Don’t tell me you’ve given up!”
“You think I haven’t tried?!” Trixie screeched in Applejack’s face. “I’ve spent all my waking hours trying to break free! Now it’s all over, and I couldn’t beat her...” Trixie cried a river, so much that it made the ground beneath her moist. “I couldn’t beat her! I couldn’t!”
“What are you waiting for?” Fluttershy mumbled. “Just kill us now, and g-get it over with.”
“No,” Trixie mumbled. “Envy wants to meet you personally. I can’t kill you. Not yet.”
As if on cue, there was a dark flash of black nearby.
It was a black portal in the ground; a swirling mass of dark energy that made Twilight’s horn buzz. Rarity’s horn was irritating her as well in response to this new magic, making both unicorns’ heads rattle.
A young unicorn stepped out of the ground, as if she had been walking up stairs. She was a dark turquoise unicorn, her mane an extremely pale cyan, almost white. It was braided, hanging about down to her neck. Her cutie mark was of a fiendish-looking harp. Her pale yellow eyes with daggerlike pupils widened upon seeing the Elements of Harmony.
She looked like Lyra.
“L-Lyra?” Pinkie asked.
The unicorn laughed. “You couldn’t be farther from the truth,” she remarked. She glanced at Trixie. “Very nice hoofdiwork. I would have preferred more blood, but since you cut up Generosity, I suppose I can let it slide.”
Trixie only whimpered, hanging her head in an effort not to meet the unicorn’s gaze.
“Who are you?” Twilight asked. “What are you?”
“Who am I?” the unicorn asked. “Well, I suppose you could say I’m Nightmare Moon.”
“You’re kidding,” Dash scoffed. “You don’t look anything like Nightmare Moon.”
“Oh, but it goes much farther than just looks, Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty,” the unicorn explained. “However, if you want to be specific, my name is Envy. The sixth Element of Discord.”
You could almost hear the group’s jaws hitting the floor.
Envy laughed, and motioned to Trixie. “You can let them go, now. They won’t cause any trouble.”
Trixie nodded, and the chains around Twilight and the others receded back into their creator, who stepped behind the group.
“There are Elements of Discord?!” Fluttershy asked. “B-But…”
“Oh, now I’m much scarier, aren’t I?” Envy cackled, circling the group. “Though I can’t say I’m surprised. Nightmare Moon was mostly Luna. I couldn’t control her as properly as I control this body.”
“What have you done with Lyra?” Dash asked menacingly.
“Lyra? Well, let’s see,” Envy said. “She was a very nice young unicorn. Very pretty. She had a nice personality, a best friend, and great support from the rest of the community. She really felt at home in Ponyville, I’m sure. She had everything going for her; an education, a job, and she was probably looking for a lifetime partner. But I don’t envy her. No, not at all.”
“Why not?” Rarity asked.
“Because… she’s dead,” Envy finished, her chilly gaze piercing through the group.
Twilight’s heart turned to stone. The others had similar reactions; even Dash was speechless.
“She was killed to order, actually,” Envy continued, pacing around the stunned group of friends. “I prefer a special quality of body; typically I go male, but I chose female for a change of pace. Lyra fit all of my standards. Once she was dead, I forced my way into the shell that was left behind, and, well, rearranged it.”
“Monster!” Pinkie yelled. “Lyra was our friend!”
“Keyword there, was,” Envy pointed out. “Now she is only a memory. I believe her friend BunBun was quite upset, but I didn’t stick around long enough to find out.”
“Her name is Bonbon!” Dash screeched. The blue pegasus flew at Envy, but a force field blocked her path.
“Patience, Loyalty,” Envy said, smirking. “Wait your turn.”
Twilight thought for a moment, examining her options. She didn’t have many. But why is she just talking to us? Why hasn’t she killed us already? Twilight asked herself. Her eyes widened suddenly and then narrowed.
Using telekinesis, Twilight slowly drew the kitchen knife she had picked up earlier and pointed it at Envy.
Envy laughed. “What, you’re sending a kitchen knife after me? How crude,” she remarked.
“I may not be able to hurt you,” Twilight growled, pointing the sharp end of the knife at her chest. “But I can hurt myself.”
“Pardon?” Envy asked.
“Twi, Ah’m not followin’,” Applejack said, a bit worried.
“There’s only two reasons why you would have kept us alive until this point,” Twilight continued slowly, glancing backwards in case Trixie tried anything. “Either us dying would hurt you, or it would mess up your plans. If you don’t leave now, I swear I will plunge this thing six inches into my chest!”
“Twilight!” Fluttershy exclaimed in shock.
“You’re bluffing,” Envy laughed. “You don’t have the guts to pull a stunt like that. Give me some credit.”
Twilight only glared at her. It took a great deal of willpower, but Twilight slowly began to sink the blade into her chest. “Stay back,” she snapped at her friends when they ran up to stop her. This might be our only chance of survival.
Envy paused, and stared at the rapidly increasing blood flow coming from Twilight’s chest. It was agonizing, but Twilight continued while retaining a straight face. Her will to keep her friends alive overpowered her pain, and she could see that it was working. It took all of her concentration to stay conscious, but Envy was looking less sure by the second.
“You can’t be serious…” Envy muttered. She raised her voice a bit. “You know what happens if you die, Twilight.”
Twilight didn’t answer, but continued pushing the blade toward her rapidly beating heart.
Envy scowled. “Trixie, let’s go. They want to take the coward’s way out.”
Trixie looked up in shock, but smiled once she realized that the side of Discord had lost. She nodded.
Envy and Trixie disappeared, as if they were never there.
*******
Twilight gasped and pulled the knife out of her chest. It had penetrated at least two inches, and blood was rushing from the wound. She fell unconscious within seconds.
“Twilight!” Pinkie exclaimed, trying to catch the dying mare. The others rushed over, as well.
Fluttershy put pressure on the wound in an effort to seal it, but the injury was too large. “Get Sweetie Belle!” she yelled to Rarity.
“Huh?” Rarity asked. “Why?”
“Her ability!” Fluttershy yelled. We can’t save Twilight without it!
Rarity dashed inside and found Sweetie Belle with Scootaloo in Apple Bloom’s room. “Hurry outside, Sweetie Belle, we need you!”
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Just go!” Scootaloo said, realizing the seriousness of the situation and pushing the confused Sweetie Belle off the bed.
Outside, Twilight’s blood had formed a small pool on the ground that was rapidly growing. Sweetie Belle looked at the frantic situation in shock, not sure what to do.
“Please, Sweetie Belle, use your ability!” Fluttershy begged, pushing on the unicorn’s wound. The others had cleared away, and Rarity was trying to seal the wound with her telekinesis, but blood was dripping out of the corners anyway. Twilight had become pale, and her pelt felt cold to the touch.
“Uh…!” Sweetie Belle said. She felt like she was in a nightmare, her heart rate accelerating in response to the panic of the situation. She bent down near Twilight and tried to sing.
“Hush-a-bye, d-don’t you c-c-c…” she stammered. The young mare started to cry. “I can’t; I just can’t! Twilight’s going to die, a-and it’s all my fault…”
Fluttershy was panicking. She only had one thing going through her mind: HELP! She blinked in realization. “Calm down, Sweetie Belle,” she said calmly, but with authority. She rubbed Sweetie Belle’s back in an effort to get her to settle. “The bleeding’s not that bad.”
The young teen opened her eyes and sniffled. The others didn’t dare argue about what Fluttershy was saying, but for a more behind-the-scenes reason.
“You have as much time as you need to sing,” Fluttershy soothed. “Don’t be scared.”
Sweetie Belle nodded, and wiped her eyes. Calming down, she began to sing clearly and with a passionate voice. “Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry…”
As she sang, Twilight’s wound began to seal up. The blood flow vanished, and Twilight’s rapidly beating heart slowed. Twilight’s pelt regained its color and warmth. By the time the song was finished, she was fully recovered and had gently fallen asleep.
Sweetie Belle was shaken, to say the least, but Scootaloo gave her a big hug in order to ease the trauma. “You did great,” she whispered as she led her friend indoors.
Pinkie walked over to Fluttershy once the others had carried Twilight inside. “Where did that come from, Fluttershy?”
“I think… I think that Obsidian and Verba helped me,” Fluttershy confessed. “I would never have been able to do that on my own.”
Pinkie leaned in close and looked at Fluttershy’s chest. “Thanks!” she chirped.
“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy said. She blinked. “Um, why did I…?”
Pinkie laughed. “C’mon, Fluttershy. Let’s get some sleep.”
After Sweetie Belle had healed the others as well with a group song, the Elements of Harmony had their first night’s sleep in the real world.
=====================================================================
*******
Twilight gasped, her eyes flying open. She flailed her limbs, finding herself suspended in empty space. However, this space wasn’t black like during Obsidian’s test; it was a soft, gray color with a watery texture. Still, this peaceful atmosphere didn’t make Twilight panic any less as she grasped for a hoofhold.
“Woah, woah! Take it easy,” she heard a voice laugh. “Jeez Louise, are you fidgety! Let’s get this straightened out, huh?”
Gravity kicked in, and Twilight’s hooves abruptly landed on a gray rock face. She shook her head. “Verba?”
“Yessum?” Verba asked, though his form wasn’t clearly visible. It was a myriad of flashing, undefined lights that dotted the space surrounding Twilight.
“Where are you?” Twilight asked, looking around.
“Well, I’m with you in spirit,” Verba began, “but my connection isn’t so good here. Envy’s magic is blocking me a little bit, so I can’t fully form right now.”
“Well, then... Where am I?” she asked. Wisps of white fluff were weaving through the air daintily, and waves of gray light washed over the horizon like the ocean on a breezy day.
“Glad you asked! I kinda dragged your consciousness into your dreams. Since you haven’t dreamt up anything just yet, it’s a little empty,” Verba explained. “It gets kind of boring here when you’re awake, and I wanted company for a little while. That alright?”
“You exist in my dreams?” Twilight asked. It’s so calm here... I should be asking a lot more questions, but none really come to mind.
“Well, sorta,” Verba said. “See, I’m a part of your mind. I try my best to guide you through life, help you make good decisions, pick your first date, the whole deal. I can’t really overrule what you want, but as long as you wear your crown, you’ll find yourselves making better choices, y’know, for the most part. I’m not perfect.”
“Oh, okay,” Twilight said, beginning to drift off.
“Leaving already, huh?” Verba chuckled. “I’m not surprised. Most mortals find it hard to even stay awake a few seconds here. You’ll get better in time, trust me.”
Twilight yawned, nodding. “Hey, Verba?”
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Am... Am I dead?” Twilight asked.
She expected laughter from Verba at such a question, but she didn’t even receive a chuckle. After a long pause, Verba said, “You came close, Twilight. You came pretty darn close. Be careful, though, because you won’t get that lucky ever again.”
Twilight didn’t hear the last part. She was fast asleep.
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[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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759
| 9 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-01-31T22:43:17+00:00
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2012-01-31T22:43:17+00:00
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Chapter Nine
*******
Sweetie Belle half-stumbled and half-sleepwalked into Fluttershy’s abode. She curled up on an armchair and silently fell asleep.
She’s worked very hard, Rarity remarked, draping a quilt over her lightly snoozing sister. I hope we’ll be able to get back to our normal lives soon.
Dash stretched her wings. “What a day!” she complained.
“You know it!” Pinkie giggled. “You think this’ll become a regular thing?”
“If it does, I’m the one that’s going to play the hero next time,” Dash grumbled, glancing at Twilight. “That was some stunt she pulled.”
“Well, it saved our hides, so Ah’m not complainin’,” Applejack shrugged. “Still, if it weren’t fer Sweetie Belle’s healin’ magic, Twi’d be done in just like the rest a us.”
Fluttershy shivered and glanced at the broken windows dotted around her house. “It’s getting chilly.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle agreed.
Fluttershy looked over at the now-awake teen. “But... weren’t you just asleep a moment ago?”
“It’s kind of strange,” Sweetie Belle admitted, rubbing her eyes. “But I only seem to be out for a few minutes after using my ability. I just can’t use it again for a while.”
“I’m tired,” Scootaloo yawned. “I call the couch.”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Rarity scolded. “You are getting a bath right this minute! I have let it slide all throughout the day, but the water is fine and you are getting cleaned up!”
As Rarity chased Scootaloo around the house, Fluttershy remarked at how good the condition of the town was for having been abandoned for three years. It’s almost as if it’s just been dormant.
After subduing an orange pegasus and placing her under the slightly amused Applejack’s care, Rarity removed the half-eaten bowl of soup from Apple Bloom’s room. She should have eaten more… she thought worriedly. The teen was sleeping steadily, but seemed slightly weaker than before. I hope she’ll be alright.
Sweetie Belle had decided to stay in Apple Bloom’s room, to keep an eye on her. She cuddled up in an armchair and rested her head on a pillow.
Hours passed.
Sweetie Belle woke up and blinked drowsily. She thought she heard something.
Stretching and getting up, Sweetie Belle noticed that it was still night. Why did I get up? she asked herself, annoyed. Taking the opportunity, she took a brief look at Apple Bloom.
But something was wrong.
Apple Bloom was a lot paler than the last time Sweetie Belle had seen her. She hurried over and checked her pulse, checked her breathing.
*******
Nothing.
Sweetie Belle exhaled sharply. She needed help. Rushing downstairs, she yelled for it. “Apple Bloom isn’t breathing!”
Applejack was the first awake. She looked like she had never actually been asleep; her face was tight with worry. She barreled past Sweetie Belle with Fluttershy close behind.
But when they arrived, Apple Bloom was fine. Absolutely nothing was wrong with her.
“But…” Sweetie Belle said.
“Don’t ya scare us like that!” Applejack breathed, turning angrily at Sweetie Belle.
“Come now, Applejack; the poor dear’s obviously terrified!” Rarity said.
Sweetie Belle had finally realized she was wrong, and the tension drained out of her like thick syrup. Apple Bloom actually looked better; her breathing had steadied, her color returned. Maybe I was just seeing things.
“Let’s go back to sleep,” Pinkie suggested.
She thought she was right; Sweetie Belle wouldn’t have lied to us like that, Fluttershy thought on her way back to her bed. Maybe she was just too tired to think straight. I know I am.
Thus, with the minor incident of terror over, the group settled back into a good night’s sleep.
=====================================================================
*******
“They did… What?!” Arrogance screeched at Envy.
They were back in the throne room. Trixie was standing next to Envy, but one of them looked slightly more pleased with the course of events than the other.
“Obsidian must have told her,” Envy said, rubbing spittle off her face. “Look, aren’t you the one who said we needed them all alive?”
Arrogance turned away angrily. “Yes, I am! And you failed me!”
“Calm down!” Envy said. “They still don’t know anything about their powers, otherwise they would have tore through me like a hot knife through butter. So what I suggest is send somepony a little stealthier to deal with them. And, more importantly, to disarm them.”
“I believe Lorey is already working on getting himself inside their little group,” Arrogance said with distaste. “Meanwhile, I shall also send Lyvia and Trixie after them.”
“I do not suggest that,” Envy said.
“Why not?” Arrogance asked, annoyed.
“She is still resisting, now more than ever,” Envy said, taking a glance at the unicorn next to her, who had hung her head and refused to lift it. “If you want to play it safe, Lyvia should do fine on her own. And Lorey, needless to say, has not failed us to date. Shattering their spirits shouldn’t be very difficult.”
“Hmph,” Arrogance said. “Once you have captured them, bring them to me personally. I want to make sure that they know where they’re headed.”
“As you wish, sister,” Envy nodded, strands of her braid falling over her face. “I will send them immediately.”
“You better. I’m not allowing for second chances, Envy. We need to redeem ourselves, you especially,” Arrogance finished.
“I… I know,” Envy muttered, teleporting out of the throne room.
Arrogance glared at Trixie. “You have served us well, but you are on thin ice. If you want to retain what little control you have over yourself, you will stop resisting. Otherwise, you will be added to my collection.”
Trixie swallowed. Be added to her collection, she thought nervously. I don’t ever want to know what that feels like. “Yes, my lady.”
Trixie left the room. Arrogance turned and saw another pony with dagger-like eyes appear almost out of thin air. The pony smiled pleasantly at her.
“Deception?” Arrogance asked. “I didn’t expect you. Do you like your new body?”
The strange pony nodded. “Quite, actually. You do have a keen eye for quality, Ivy.”
“Do not call me that. My name is Arrogance,” Arrogance huffed. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“What did you have in mind?” Deception asked.
“Don’t be smart,” Arrogance glowered. “You may be the mastermind, but Vengeance put me in charge.”
“Ah, yes, at the meeting. I keep forgetting,” Deception sighed. “Well, if it’s not too much trouble, I would appreciate you locking up the Elements before you ‘do away with them,’ so to speak. I need to introduce myself, and I would prefer to do so courteously. It shouldn’t take more than an hour or two.”
Arrogance nodded. “I’ll pass that along. Thank you, Deception. You may go.”
=====================================================================
*******
Twilight got up and grunted as a sharp pain flashed through her chest. It’s morning, the purple mare thought as she squinted at the bright sun through cracked and dirtied windows. Ack, cramp! Twilight thought, clutching her stiff foreleg. She examined herself, pawing at her bandages. Her eyes widened. I... I almost died!
“She’s awake!”
Pinkie rushed into the room and gave Twilight a gentle hug. “I was so super-duper worried about you, Twilight!”
Twilight was still drowsy. She sat up and brushed the covers off of her. Cool, brisk morning air wafted onto her pelt, peeling off the layers of stifling heat she had felt under the covers.
“Twi?” Twilight heard Applejack ask. The orange earth pony walked into the room accompanied by Dash, with Fluttershy close behind.
“Ya gave us all quite a scare, there,” Applejack said.
“How did I survive?” Twilight asked. I know I almost died, but how close did I come? Her chest throbbed with a gentle pain, not unbearable but still off-putting.
“Sweetie Belle saved your life, with some help from Obsidian and Verba,” Fluttershy explained. “He told me how to calm Sweetie Belle down so that she could sing. You wouldn’t be here without either of them.”
Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Rarity were the next ones in the room.
“Don’t you ever do that again!” Rarity breathed. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Heh... another letter to send to Celestia once this is all over. My friends really do care about me, a lot. But like I didn’t know that already, Twilight chuckled to herself. I would probably be dead long before now without them by my side every step of the way. I really owe this tiny group of ponies a whole lot... and I guess they owe me some, too.
“That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen,” Dash remarked. “I don’t think I could have done it… Well, maybe. But seriously, Twilight, I thought you were a goner. How’d you push through all that pain?”
“That’s a bit of a mystery,” Twilight laughed weakly. “It took a lot of fight, but I pulled through.” She looked at Sweetie Belle. “Thank you. A lot.”
Sweetie Belle blushed. “Fluttershy helped me,” she said.
Twilight hopped out of bed, but needed to be steadied by Applejack and Pinkie Pie.
“I want to see Apple Bloom,” Twilight said.
Applejack nodded. She and Dash helped Twilight into the young girl’s room. Apple Bloom was wide awake, reading a comic book, which she threw aside when she saw Twilight.
“Twi!” she said. She had much recovered, and although she was still obviously sick, it wasn’t life-threatening anymore.
Looks like I don’t need to cast my healing spell anymore, Twilight thought. Which reminds me…
“I have something I need to show all of you. Can you set me down?” Twilight asked. Her two friends gently laid her down on the armchair Sweetie Belle was sleeping in earlier. “Rarity, can you get my saddlebags?”
After Rarity had run her small errand, Twilight used her telekinesis, which was as strong as ever, to open the pack and took out the letter that she had found in her home yesterday, the one hastily written by Luna.
Twilight read the letter and, at the end of it, said, “Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo… we need to know what happened three years ago.”
Sweetie Belle looked nervous. “A-Are you sure?”
Rarity nodded. “It might help us make better decisions moving forward.”
Scootaloo bit her lip. “It’s not something we like to talk about, but alright.”
Sweetie Belle began the story.
=====================================================================
It began three years ago, in Ponyville.
Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were all scampering around on the schoolhouse playground. Some other fillies their age were playing as well, and adults trotted through the town, running errands and chatting with friends.
“Looking back, we really had no idea it was coming,” Scootaloo said. “There wasn’t any warning at all. It was just another day.”
Their teacher, Cheerilee, was talking to Trixie, who had stopped by on her travels to say hi.
“Nopony really paid any attention to Trixie because she wasn’t grandstanding. She was just another pony that had stopped by,” Sweetie Belle said. “But she really helped us get away.”
“Why didn’t we know she was there?” Twilight asked.
Scootaloo shrugged. “She probably just came in quietly, like any other traveler.”
Then the attack started.
*******
It started out as a bright flash of light, but soon the entirety of Ponyville was engulfed in a giant fireball. Screams echoed throughout the small town while burning and stunned ponies barreled toward the first location they thought was safe. The sun was engulfed in red light, and it cast a reddish glow over the landscape. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom leapt for cover.
Trixie was the first to leap into action. She looked toward the center of the flames, but stopped in shock, her jaw practically hitting the floor.
It was Celestia.
Nothing was different about her except the fact that her hair covered up one of her eyes, and the only eye that was showing had a daggerlike pupil. She seemed to be the perpetrator of the attack and the only antagonist present.
Trixie snapped out of it and threw a blinding ball of light at Celestia. The white alicorn merely shrugged it off and directed her attention toward Trixie.
“Pest,” Celestia sneered. She grinned fiendishly. “I’ll have fun with you.”
Celestia inhaled and then blew out a fierce gale that knocked Trixie off her hooves and buffeted those who were watching, including Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
“Don’t hurt my friends!” Scootaloo yelled, barreling toward Celestia and biting her outstretched wings.
Celestia threw the orange filly into the air and slashed at her when she came down. Scootaloo screamed in pain, but the delay gave Trixie enough time to stab Celestia with her horn and twist. Celestia yelped and retreated, but the immortal ichor in her body sealed up the wound in a few seconds.
Seeing that Celestia was about to attack Trixie, a tall colt named Snails tried to pull off what Scootaloo had done. He didn’t even come close.
Celestia swatted the young colt aside, her horn glowing. Snails felt a flash of heat before disintegrating into ashes. Trixie gaped and decided now would be a good time to retreat.
Grabbing the wounded Scootaloo onto her back, Trixie summoned her strength and ran for her life.
Suddenly, another alicorn arrived. It was Luna. She had a flowing, magical blue mane that glistened with little drops of light and a dark blue pelt. She had a black cutie mark with a white crescent moon and a matching neckerchief and crown.
“Sister, what crimes hath thou committed?” Luna, Celestia’s sister, screeched.
“I’m not your sister,” Celestia giggled fiendishly.
Sweetie Belle hid behind the schoolhouse, watching with wide eyes.
“Then what arest thee?!” Luna screeched angrily.
Celestia’s eyes glowed. Evil energy radiated from her as she inched closer to Luna, a grin plastered on her face. “I am the Daymare.”
Luna gasped. “No… i-it cannot be…”
The Daymare laughed harshly. “You should have expected my return, along with all of Discord! You were fools to ignore it, and to ignore the change that went on in your sister for one thousand years… and now you will perish for that mistake.”
Luna backed up, clearly frightened. “How… no, no, no!” The moon goddess recovered her resolve. “Thou art a fool, Arrogance, to think that We would give in so easily!” She charged at Celestia, dark magic flowing through the blue alicorn as her horn glowed with immense power. “Fie upon thee, villain!”
The Daymare merely giggled. “You think you can best me? You’re so weak, even compared to my brother!” She deflected Luna’s advance and tossed her aside. “Get with the times, Princess!”
The Daymare ran over to the still recovering Luna, reared up, and crushed her chest. Golden blood spit from the moon goddess’s mouth as she gasped in pain.
“And again!” The Daymare laughed maniacally, hurting Luna just as fast as she could heal.
By this time, everypony in Ponyville had run away except for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, who both were watching the scene in horror.
Luna yelled and used what little magic she could gather to push the Daymare away. She gasped for a minute as she slowly healed, knitting herself together.
The Daymare simply laughed. “You lose!” she cackled, her horn glowing with a blinding energy.
But she never got to attack.
Luna, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and any surrounding residents vanished.
*******
=====================================================================
They reappeared in Fillydelphia, where the evacuation was commencing.
Luna panted, the event having drained her significantly. She had almost died, despite having been immortal.
“W-Where’s everypony? Where’s Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“We didn’t know then, but Luna is actually pretty good at teleportation. After everything was said and done, she had me in the infirmary and the others had temporary lodging. It makes me kinda wonder how long the Daymare had been rampaging without us in Ponyville noticing,” Scootaloo said.
Later…
Sweetie Belle was in the infirmary, sitting next to Scootaloo. Apple Bloom was with her. The orange pegasus was asleep, and although the bandages had stopped the bleeding, something else must have been wrong because the filly’s condition was dropping fast.
“Doc said that he can’t stop the bleedin’ without some sorta magic,” Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah guess…” her eyes watered.
Sweetie Belle was still in shock; this had all happened in about an hour. “I think… I think I should sing for her.”
“Sure,” Apple Bloom said, not really paying attention. “If it’ll make ya happy.”
“I had meant to sing the Cutie Mark Crusaders theme song,” Sweetie Belle began, “but this came out instead.”
*******
“Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry,” Sweetie Belle began, closing her eyes. “Go to sleep, my little baby. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses. Dapples and grays, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses.”
Apple Bloom stared at Sweetie Belle, and as the magic started to have its effect, the olive earth pony started to cry.
“Way down yonder, in the meadow, poor little baby cryin’ mama. Birds and the butterflies flutter ‘round his eyes, poor little baby cryin’ mama.”
The others in the infirmary started to take notice. Scootaloo’s condition was improving.
“Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry. Go to sleep, my little baby. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses. Dapples and grays, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses.”
Sweetie Belle finished, never noticing the fact that she had been singing that song.
The nurse rushed over and checked Scootaloo’s status. Slowly, she removed the bandages.
Scootaloo was completely healed. Only a thin white line remained where the fatal injury once had been.
Sweetie Belle’s flank glowed. A mark appeared on it; a roll of bandages.
=====================================================================
*******
Twilight had unwrapped her bandages. All that was left of her wound was a small, vertical white mark, about an inch long.
“So that’s how it happened,” Sweetie Belle finished. The effort of having to relive such a terrifying event had exhausted her, and she felt tired even though it was only midmorning.
“I don’t understand. How were we not there?” Twilight asked.
“Beats me,” Scootaloo shrugged, similarly tired from narrating the tale. “Maybe it has something to do with that letter. I dunno.”
That would make sense, Rarity thought, rubbing her chin. Luna could have been hiding us when the attack started. It would explain why the letter was so hastily written. But…
“Why don’t we remember any a this?” Applejack asked, taking the words right out of Rarity’s mouth. “Ya think we would have a pretty distinct memory a that kinda thing.”
“Well, if Luna was trying to cast the spell under pressure, it could explain the memory loss and the fact that we were captive for three years,” Twilight explained. “Hasty magic can have any number of side effects. We should be glad we don’t think we’re cheese graters, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Well, what now?” Apple Bloom asked. “Should we try ta get back ta Fillydelphia and find out?”
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” Dash said. “It’s better than being sitting ducks for the enemy.”
They all agreed on that point, and started their preparations.
=====================================================================
After a couple of hours, they were ready to set out. There wasn’t much trouble on the horizon, and Apple Bloom recovered fairly quickly as far as the others were concerned. Twilight packed some spells and learned a few more just in case.
They stood at the edge of Ponyville.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders, reporting for duty!” Scootaloo chirped, having gained height but little maturity in her time in the ruins of Ponyville. “Scootaloo!”
“Sweetie Belle!” the white unicorn said.
“Apple Bloom!” the olive earth pony said, with equal enthusiasm.
To think that she was on death’s doorstep just a few days ago, Fluttershy remarked. I’m glad we could save her.
Dash laughed. “Great, we have our own special forces!” she said, giving each of them a high hoof.
Twilight was smiling as well, until something occurred to her. “We don’t even have a map; how are we supposed to find our way?”
Applebloom fished around in her bags. “Here ya go, Twilight!” she chirped, offering her a map.
Twilight examined the map. “Perfect. Thank you, Apple Bloom.”
“S’the least Ah could do,” Apple Bloom said humbly.
“Hey, Apple Bloom, where did you get that map?” Scootaloo asked.
“Jus’, uh, well,” Apple Bloom turned slightly red. “Fishin’ ‘round in Twi’s library.”
“I was wondering where this went,” Twilight chuckled.
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. I don’t remember her ever pointing out a map before. “When’d you find it?”
Apple Bloom shrugged. “Not sure. Probably just before Ah got sick.”
“Wish you had told us sooner,” Scootaloo grumbled. We could have used that map to get back to Fillydelphia for food long before we ran out.
Pinkie Pie and Applejack had packed supplies for the trip. There was enough to last them a week or so; more than enough time to reach Fillydelphia if they kept up pace and weren’t wasteful.
“Okay, let’s go!” Pinkie exclaimed, leading the way. They had set off on another great journey, as far as she was concerned. Another adventure!
Applejack was far more practical about the situation, but the feeling of high adventure was contagious. Even Fluttershy was feeling a little courageous.
Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were practically walking on air; they had found the Elements of Harmony and were completing the mission entrusted to them by a goddess. What an honor!
Apple Bloom didn’t talk much, however, which was strange because she was usually the main spokespony. However, Scootaloo more than made up for that with her constant banter.
Twilight and Rarity were cautious as always, but they were happy to be out of the ruins of their hometown. We’ll fix it up later, Twilight thought as she followed the others out of the ruins. First we have to fix Equestria.
Soon they were in the Indeciduous Forest. It was a wide expanse of tall oaks and taller evergreens. Fillydelphia was located near the top of Equestria, and that fact was prevalent as the temperature dropped the further they journeyed.
“Hmm...” Twilight mumbled, intently concentrated on her map.
“Ain’t this the right way, Twi?” Applejack asked.
*******
“Well...” Twilight trailed off. “It says that this is the right way, but none of the landmarks are corresponding to the landmarks on the map.”
“It’s the right way,” Apple Bloom said confidently. “Ya’ve never led us astray before, Twi. Ah’m sure this’s the right path.”
“Lost?” a voice asked.
Twilight turned to see a blood-red pegasus mare. She absently adjusted her dark red mane with a metal-tipped hoof, leaning against a nearby tree. Her cutie mark was of a knife so sharp it appeared to gleam as the sun hit it.
“Pardon?” Applejack asked.
“Need directions?” the mare asked, smiling. “Name’s Lyvia.”
Lyvia’s eerie smile put Twilight on edge. She hesitantly asked, “What’s the nearest path to Fillydelphia?”
“That way,” Lyvia said, pointing to the right.
Instinctively, Twilight looked in the direction the mare pointed, and was promptly smacked in the side of the face. She gasped, tumbling onto the ground.
“Wh-What’d you do that for?” Dash asked, fuming.
“Hmph,” Lyvia grinned. “Same reason I’m about to do this.”
Lyvia leapt up into the air. Her hoof only appeared to brush Dash and Applejack’s necks for just a moment, but they both fell unconscious immediately. Without any loss of blood, their now-limp bodies crumpled to the forest floor.
“...Orders,” Lyvia finished.
Fluttershy trembled, backing up behind Pinkie. Scootaloo stepped in front of Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.
“Just tell us what you want!” Scootaloo barked.
“Well, here’s a start. Try and make this fun,” Lyvia grumbled, wiping off her ankle on her chest. “S’not every day I get to assassinate the Elements of Harmony themselves.”
Lyvia felt all her muscles seize up, and she grunted in pain. The others looked in shock at Twilight. Blood dripped slightly from her nostrils. She was still on the ground, her horn glowing, holding out her hoof and channelling her magic into Lyvia’s body.
“N-... Now would be a good time, Lorey,” Lyvia grunted, frustratedly trying to move her limbs.
“You said that you were following orders,” Twilight began. “Who do you work for?”
A great magical burst flew through the forest with so much force it almost set the trees ablaze. Twilight lost control of her magic, and her vision faded to black.
=====================================================================
*******
When Twilight came to, she found her hooves bound together. She was lying on her side, and through her blurry vision she recognized that she was still in the Indeciduous Forest. She craned her neck and saw a blue-green unicorn sitting patiently on a mat, paging through a novel.
He noticed that Twilight was stirring. “The Element of Magic wakes,” he said. “You were quite a dear to me back in Ponyville; it makes me sad that I have to capture you and put you down.”
“You say it... You say it as if I’m an animal,” Twilight growled, disoriented. She rested her head on the ground.
“Well, you’ll have that much sympathy once the Daymare has you, so you might as well get used to being treated like a useless dog,” the stallion said simply.
“Who are you?” Twilight asked. She wearily looked around, trying to count all of her friends, but she couldn’t see all of them. “And where... Where are my friends?”
“My name is Lorey,” the unicorn began. “As for your friends, they are all here, safe and sound. My cohort is sending for Envy, and as soon as she is here, you will be escorted to our base.”
“...Huh...? What?” the hoarse voice of Applejack asked. “Where am Ah?”
“Ask Twilight,” Lorey said. “I dislike repeating myself.”
“Applejack, can you see who all is here?” Twilight asked. Most of the group was similarly tied up; she heard their breathing, but since she was lying on her side at the front of the group, she couldn’t be sure just how many were actually present.
“Ah see... Ah see Rarity, Dash, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Sweetie, Scootaloo...” Applejack paused to take a breath. “But where’s Apple Bloom?”
“You don’t see her?” Twilight asked. Not waiting for an answer, she looked up angrily at Lorey. “You said all my friends were here!”
“I was assuming you aren’t friends with a cadaver,” Lorey said indifferently.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight barked. She coughed, her throat dry.
“Don’t strain yourself,” Lorey warned, though he didn’t particularly seem to care for the group’s well-being. “Apple Bloom is dead.”
“...What?” Applejack asked. “What’d you just say?”
“Apple Bloom perished to late-stage pneumonia, if you want to be precise,” Lorey stated, as if he were discussing the weather. “It’s quite a shame, too; a young life going to waste in such a tortuous way.”
“B-But Apple Bloom recovered!” Twilight exclaimed. “How could she be dead? She was right with us before... before you showed up! Where did you take her?” Twilight struggled against her bonds.
Lorey’s horn glowed, and Twilight yelped as magic surged through her veins and overloaded her system. She once again fell limply onto the dirt.
“Perhaps it’s better to show you,” Lorey said. His form wavered for a second or two, morphing into something else. He shrank significantly, his pelt changing from its typical blue-green to a pale yellow. A new color washed over his mane, turning it rose-colored instead of its former greenish hue. His horn vanished, and his brow and chin crackled as they rounded out, becoming feminine. Layers of youth draped themselves over Lorey as his eyes finally turned a bright amber. To complete the transformation, Lorey pulled a red bow out of some unattended saddlebags and fixed it to his mane.
Lorey was now an exact replica of Apple Bloom.
“That’s not possible...” Twilight breathed, too weak to do anything but stare.
Applejack was horrified. “It can’t be!”
Apple Bloom smiled with some degree of pride as she reverted back to her original form. Her voice was high at first, but gradually returned to a deeper, masculine tone. “Sweetie Belle was correct in stating that Apple Bloom had died after Trixie attacked. Rather impressive for her first examination, if I do say so myself. Her outburst notified me of a possible opening without having to take a life on my own, and I inserted myself into your group without you noticing.”
“It can’t be... Oh, Apple Bloom,” Applejack murmured. Fury quickly overtook her, and she wrestled with her bonds. “Murderer! Ya yella-bellied traitor!”
Lorey raised an eyebrow. “‘Traitor?’ That’s something I haven’t been called in a very long time,” he remarked. He tossed the bow to Applejack. “If it’s any consolation.”
Lorey’s face was expressionless, but to Applejack it might as well have been the smuggest grin he ever could have worn in his life. She threw a fit, but Lorey had restrained her effectively, completely preventing any actions she could have taken.
Twilight would have been in shock, had Lorey’s magic not drained her strength. As it continued to weaken her, she could only think, We were outwitted... I should have seen it coming.
“You’ll pay for this!” Applejack screamed.
Some of the others, startled, began to wake up, as well. Twilight heard the grunts and groans of her drowsy friends, but she couldn’t pay much attention. She was rapidly losing consciousness.
The last thing she heard was Lorey grumbling, “I hope I don’t have to repeat myself.”
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 10 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
|
2012-07-08T07:27:00+00:00
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2012-07-08T07:27:00+00:00
| 4,036 |
Chapter Ten
*******
It was over. The Elements of Harmony had lost.
Each of them was locked in individual cells. The dungeon was moderately clean, nothing too sinister looking, but the real tragedy laid in the Elements’ expressions, along with their counterparts.
Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, had cried herself to sleep long ago. I thought we had saved her. She can’t be dead, not like that, she was so young, she had so much left... she had thought while weeping. She was heartbroken, and her will to fight had vanished with the young girl’s life. Apple Bloom can’t be gone, not like that. A hole formed in her heart so deep that it seemed irreparable.
Rarity, the Element of Generosity, had boiled over at the start, but now she just looked at her prison with the utmost of loathing. Apple Bloom couldn’t just be gone, she said to herself in disbelief. She’s too young to die. She’s... she will be avenged. Having no way to vent her rage, it cooled in her heart and encrusted her soul, and the more she stared at her cell, the more she wanted to tear everypony in Equestria apart.
Dash, the Element of Loyalty, had a similar reaction to Rarity. I can’t believe that a single pony took all of us down so quickly! she thought, staring at the wall in shock and fury. I’m going to make him pay! Dash had bruises up and down her legs from trying to bash the cell in, but her efforts had left little more than a dent.
Applejack, the Element of Honesty, was curled up in a fetal position, lying on her side, sniffling and clutching the bow Apple Bloom had worn ever since she received it. It’s all I have left of my sis; I’m not going to let it go! It’s... It’s a treasured memory. I’ll keep it for the rest of my life. Even wear it, if that’ll make Apple Bloom happy. Wherever she is.
Pinkie Pie, the Element of Humor, was staring blankly at the floor, her pelt a dull shade of pink, her hair straight. I feel... like I’m drifting away. Why, why did she have to go? Why did it have to end up like this? Oh, Apple Bloom, why?! Her sorrow and guilt gnawed at her soul like a teething parasprite. Her necklace had turned from gold to a rusty iron; the blue sapphire balloon in the center having turned to cracked glass.
Twilight Sparkle, the leader, the Element of Magic, was going over the situation again and again in her head, but nothing could possibly explain how they had gotten into this bad a situation. I feel like I’m in a nightmare and I can’t wake up! she screamed at herself, pounding on the floor in frustration. There’s no way out! How are we supposed to save Equestria now?
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shared a cell, but Scootaloo was too furious to talk, and Sweetie Belle was in a stunned silence anyway.
It’s just not true, Sweetie Belle thought. It can’t be true. We’re best friends; she can’t just be gone. There has to be some other explanation. She’s just being held captive somewhere else.
Scootaloo, though, was blisteringly angry, even hours later. I am not going to let this slide! Apple Bloom, I’m coming for you! Her heart was of molten magma; she was looking for a target, somepony to vent on.
Just then, another pony was dragged into the prison cell by none other than Envy herself.
“Hey! Quit it!”
Twilight looked up wearily. Envy was using telekinesis to hover a young unicorn stallion into the last cell in the room. He was a light brown color, with his mane a hazy red, like some reddish soil Twilight had once seen in a geography book. He wore goggles on his forehead. His cutie mark was a set of crosshairs. He was struggling for a hoofhold, but since he was in midair, his attempts did him little good.
“You’ve been quite the troublemaker,” Envy sneered, throwing the young stallion into the cell and locking the gate with telekinesis. She spit through the bars. “Rot in jail.”
The stallion banged on the bars, desperately trying to break free. “You’ll be sorry!”
Envy sneered and vanished.
He slumped to the floor. “Great. Just peachy.”
“Who’re you?” Dash asked. Her cell was across from the stallion’s; she could see him more clearly through the bars.
“Me?” The stallion asked. “Well, I’m Oliver Montgomery Fredrick Gregory Ninja. But you can call me Olly, if you like.”
“Seriously?” Dash giggled.
“Well, that’s the name they gave me,” Olly said.
Rainbow Dash smiled a bit at the new captive, slightly amused. What a weird name…
“Where are you from?” Pinkie asked.
Olly sighed. “Well, I’m just your average John Doe from crazytown.”
“Huh?” Rarity asked.
Olly tapped his forehead. “Means I have amnesia, can’t remember much. I was in some weird dream place when I was brought down here for absolutely no reason!” he shouted at the ceiling. “...And, well, here I am.”
“Envy said that you were causing trouble,” Twilight said.
“Well, that sounds like me, from what I know of me, at least,” Olly chuckled. He glanced at their necklaces and his eyes widened. “Wait, are you guys the Elements of Harmony? For real?!”
Dash looked away in shame, as did Twilight.
“What’s wrong, shouldn’t you be out of here?” Olly asked. “Or did you just stay here to rescue lil’ old me?”
“Enough with the charm!” Scootaloo snapped. “We’re here because we failed. End of story.”
Olly laughed. “Oh, so you’re just sitting on your laurels, then? Seems a might boring if you ask me. Though if you brought a crossword or something, then yes, I can understand why you’d want to stay.”
Rarity looked at him. “Olly, we’re as stuck as you are.”
Olly looked around at the broken members of the group and sighed. “What a sorry cast of characters… Come on, cheer up! If I can get out of who knows where, I can surely get you all out, too!”
Olly got a running start, and started kicking at the bars with as much force as he could muster.
“Stop it!” Sweetie Belle scolded. “You’ll only hurt yourself.”
Olly wiped his brow, but kept pounding. “Quiet, this is between me and the iron!”
Dash laughed. Olly glanced at her. “Look, you can still laugh, can’t you? You can’t be in that bad a situation.”
Pinkie looked up. The gold started to return to her necklace. “Th-That’s what I kept telling her. She doesn’t listen to me, though. It takes a stallion,” she smirked, adding emphasis to that last word.
Dash looked at her. “Um, yeah, you just keep telling yourself that.”
Twilight and Rarity looked at the scene unfolding, and couldn’t help but feel a little bit uplifted.
“So, are you going to help me outta here, or what?” Olly asked.
They looked around. There weren’t many options.
“Look, you’re the Elements of Harmony. You’ll find a way out of here, I’m sure,” Olly said confidently.
This pony is too cheerful for this kind of situation, Applejack thought. Seems too good to be true. “Look, Olly, right? We’re stuck. End a story.”
Olly blew the hair out of his eyes, miffed. “Look, if you talk like that, you’re never getting out of here. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, you know. I’m finding a way out of here, with or without you. But if you’d like to lend a hoof, that’d be swell...”
Twilight sighed as Olly once again tried pounding away at the bars. Only hours before, Dash had been doing the same thing. They’re a bit alike, she remarked.
Pinkie stared at the never-ending confidence of the stallion. He kept at it for what seemed like hours, even though it had only been fifteen minutes or so. Dash, however, had given up after five. Pinkie got up, and started pounding at the bars, as well. The blue glow returned to her necklace.
“Pinkie, what are ya doin’?” Applejack asked.
“Well, there’s no point in just sitting here!” Pinkie said in between tries. “We’re breaking out!”
“What’s the point?” Twilight asked. “Where would we go?”
“Don’t be such a pessimist!” Pinkie yelled at Twilight. She continued pounding. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again! I’m not giving up until I’ve saved... what matters!” Pinkie finished, earning a bruise to her knee and a lot more spirit with her last attack.
A warm glow was spreading from Pinkie. Fluttershy looked up, as did all of the others, including Olly. Pinkie’s necklace was pulsing with blue energy. At first, it resonated with her gradual bangs on the bars, but it steadily sped up, as did the intensity of her energy.
For the first time in what seemed like ages, Applejack smiled. I can’t just give up... not yet. Apple Bloom, I’m not letting you down!
Dash had once again started to pound on the bars, along with Olly, which created a large amount of ruckus, but both of them were grinning. Pinkie’s energy had spread throughout their bones and created a resolve in them neither had experienced before. I feel great! Dash laughed to herself. Who cares about prison? There’s got to be a way out!
Fluttershy and Rarity got up. My friends still need me, Fluttershy thought. I can’t let them down, and I’m not helping them out by crying. Each and every one of us is needed!
Twilight’s crown and horn glowed as she used her magic to try and bend the bars. Although they were magically sealed, it felt great to finally try and do something after so long being saddened and miserable. I can’t fail my friends; they need me. Equestria needs me; the future needs me! I have to protect what matters, I just have to! Losing isn’t an option anymore!
Pinkie’s pulsating energy sped up until her whole body glowed with a bright light. She stopped pounding, and opened her eyes. The light was almost blinding. Slowly, Pinkie’s hooves lifted about six inches off the ground. Her balloon-shaped Element spread across her chain; turning her entire necklace to a smooth sapphire.
But what was most shocking were her eyes. Her pupils disappeared, leaving only a blue iris behind to fill the gap. Her eyes were now a striking white-rimmed blue.
She had realized her Potential.
With the force of a small explosion, Pinkie’s energy rocketed through the castle and skyrocketed toward the stars. The light could be seen for hundreds of miles. It was beautiful, even from inside their prison.
Pinkie slowly lowered herself to the ground. She closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, the changes remained. She looked toward the awed group with a new outlook.
“Everything matters,” Pinkie said, her voice overlapping with somepony else’s. “I am glad you have all realized this, but you still have so long to go. As long as you have hope, you will be able to protect Equestria.”
The glow faded. Pinkie sighed. “That felt just super.”
“Y-Your eyes,” Fluttershy stammered.
“Hehe,” Pinkie said. “I don’t think they’re going back to normal any time soon.”
*******
Just then, there was a dark flash of magic. But this dark magic was soft; like a lullaby, as opposed to Envy’s, which was sinister. A blue alicorn mare stepped out of the portal.
“P-Princess?!” Olly gasped, utterly dumbfounded. “Well, this has certainly been an eventful day…”
“There’s no time to explain!” Luna yelled, thrusting her head to the side. Her magic threw all of the iron bars to the wall. “We have to move!”
Envy appeared to block the one exit. “You’re not getting away that easily!”
Luna swatted the smaller mare aside and blew past her, with the others not far behind. After a moment or two, Envy was back on their tail.
They emerged into a large, but ruined, courtyard.
It was Canterlot.
Twilight looked in awe at the ruined city. She didn’t have time to sight-see, though, and Dash quickly pulled her aside to follow the group.
Applejack spotted a blood-red figure in the sky, and dove out of the way just before it struck with lightning force. It was a Lyvia, her cutie mark the same, unreassuringly sharp blade.
“‘Bout time something happened around here; I was getting bored!” she laughed as she used the iron spikes on her hooves to cut Applejack’s neck open. Applejack yelled out in pain as blood spurted out of the open wound.
Luna and Twilight used combined telekinesis to try and plow Lyvia into the ground, but she dodged the wave and took another dive.
Dash swerved in midair and batted Lyvia away, then headbutted her in the gut. Blood spit out of her mouth, and she made a hasty retreat.
Luna swung the wounded Applejack onto her back, but it wasn’t long before she was held in a magical stance.
“You dare show your face in the courtyard of our queen?” Lorey said, his horn glowing. “Fool of a ruler.”
Lorey was slowly strangling Luna, preventing air from reaching her lungs. This allowed Envy to catch up and plow into Fluttershy, tossing the gentle mare to the side and breaking a few bones.
Scootaloo sprang into action and dove at Envy, biting at her hind leg and distracting her for a moment. Twilight, on the other hand, used a powerful burst of magic to stun Lorey, and then slashed at him with her horn.
Lorey examined the small, but bleeding, cut on his side. He smirked at Twilight. “You’re such a bookworm; I should have expected you to specialize in paper cuts,” he yelled harshly. He reared up for another attack. “Prepare to die!”
Just then, Saphira bounded in. She took a few swipes at Twilight, going for her legs and neck, but Luna swatted the blue earth pony aside with her wing. “We don’t have time for this! Get Fluttershy and go!”
Rarity and Dash picked up Fluttershy, and continued to move with the rest of the group, but Lorey stopped them. “Are you senile? I’m still here, you know!” he shouted, using powerful dark magic to turn the ground beneath them into a bog. He dodged bolts of magic artfully, but didn’t directly attack.
He’s only stalling for time! Pinkie thought desperately.
With a powerful bolt of starry energy, Luna brought Lorey to his knees. Saphira recovered him and ran away as fast as her legs would carry her.
Envy shook off Scootaloo and kicked her aside. “Pest!” She shouted. She fired a bolt of negative energy at the orange pegasus, but it was redirected into Pinkie’s necklace.
“Not on my watch,” Pinkie grinned mischievously.
For the first time since the chase, Envy truly looked in Pinkie Pie’s eyes. When she saw her blue, yet pupil-less irises, her face contorted into true fear.
But just then, a white alicorn arrived.
Twilight looked up and gasped. “C-Celestia?”
“No!” Luna screamed. “It’s the Daymare!” She fired bolts of electricity into the alicorn’s path, but the villain simply dodged them.
“How dare you?!” the Daymare sneered. “I’m not through with you yet! Do you know who you’re dealing with?”
“An arrogant twit!” Luna shouted, forming a protective barrier around herself and her nearby allies.
The Daymare merely laughed, and slammed into the barrier. Luna cringed, the magic having a heavy toll on her overall health.
Scootaloo got back to her feet, and saw with horror that Luna was losing. She made up her mind. With all her strength, Scootaloo flew up and bit the Daymare on the rim of her wing. The white alicorn howled and shook the teen off.
“Scootaloo?!” Dash yelled.
“Leave without me!” Scootaloo shouted. “Now!”
Luna took this opportunity, despite the others’ protests. While Scootaloo was distracting the enraged Daymare, the blue princess charged up magical energy.
The Daymare plowed Scootaloo into the ground, but the battle was over.
“You lose…” Scootaloo laughed before losing consciousness.
The Daymare turned around and screamed. Luna and the others were gone.
=====================================================================
*******
Luna, the Elements of Harmony, Sweetie Belle, and Olly found themselves in a semicircular chamber. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a teakettle was sitting next to an open flame. Somepony sure left in a hurry, Olly observed. Ornate furniture and velvet rugs, most of them a shade of purple, adorned the room. The edge of the chamber was a giant window that looked out upon the city. The walls bore Luna’s own coat-of-arms.
Rarity looked out the large window and gaped. A large blue field of energy surrounded a city and its farmlands; an enormous one, at that, much larger than Ponyville. We’re in Fillydelphia!
Luna hurriedly got a potion and healed Applejack’s wounds, along with Fluttershy’s.
I’ve had a broken wing now how many times? Two, three? Fluttershy sighed to herself. When am I going to get back home? Back to what I knew before?
“Princess, are you alright?” Twilight asked worriedly. Luna didn’t look very well.
“Y-…Yes, We’re fine, thank you,” Luna panted, wiping the sweat off her brow. Her horn started to glow again, though she didn’t look like she was using magic. “Although you probably owe your lives to Pinkie Pie. Her realization was like a flare gun, and We have been looking for that kind of signal for three years.”
The others looked back at Pinkie Pie, appreciative.
“We?” Applejack asked.
“Sorry, I,” Luna corrected herself. “It’s a royal custom. Language has much changed since I was last present. I still slip up a little bit here and there.”
“That makes sense; you’ve been gone for one thousand years,” Rarity said.
“I still can’t get over those eyes.” Dash shook her head. “Sorry, Pinkie.”
“Oh, I guess it’ll be all right,” Pinkie shrugged, looking in a nearby mirror. “Heh, guess they do look a little funny.”
Luna’s immortality was slowly revitalizing her. “You will all need those types of eyes if you want to defeat Discord.”
“What is Discord, princess? I have so many questions to ask you,” Twilight begged.
“I would love to tell you, Twilight, but there is somepony else who can explain the situation in much greater detail than I,” Luna said. “Come this way, down to the ruins of the Garden.”
Luna led them to a stairwell. As they made their way downward, Luna told them in little detail why events had turned out the way they did.
“We are under a new threat, but it stems from an old foe,” Luna explained. “I hid you from the Daymare so that you could contact Obsidian, an ancient being who could help you realize your Potential and fight against Discord, but it appears that I cast the spell too fast. You appear to have lost a portion of your memory, as well as three years of your waking life.”
Twilight sighed. “That much we know, Princess. We figured that out based on what Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle told us.”
“Where is Scootaloo?” Dash asked worriedly. “Weren’t you able to teleport her, too?”
Luna shook her head sadly. “Not while she was fighting, no. Your friend is at the limited mercy of the Daymare now. I am sorry.”
Dash shook her head. I’m not giving up on Scootaloo yet.
Twilight was literally itching with all the questions she had, but Luna refused to answer any of them, and despite the fact that they had been in a death match only moments before, Luna showed a surprising amount of hustle as they made their way through the tight series of corridors.
They walked downstairs, underground. It was dimly lit, but the two unicorns and the alicorn present made for more than enough lighting. They made their way down a narrow, but ancient corridor.
“Here,” Luna said.
The hallway opened up into a clearing, where four torches burned around a glowing fountain. It was very majestic looking, and grass grew even though it was underground.
“Scary,” Fluttershy shivered.
“All this’s on the underbelly a Fillydelphia?” Applejack asked, shocked.
Luna nodded. “The Gateway is one of the only surviving relics from Ancient Times, back before the Elements of Harmony and Discord were first created. When Elements of Harmony drink from it, they can contact Obsidian and Verba. They should be able to tell you what you need to know.”
“Mind if I take a sip too?” Olly asked.
“It is only for the Elements of Harmony for a reason,” Luna said sternly. “Any normal pony that drinks from its waters will become Corrupted.”
“Corrupted, huh?” Olly said, staring into the waters. “Sounds interesting.”
The Elements of Harmony circled around the elegant-looking fountain. One by one, they started to sip from its waters, starting with Rarity and ending with Twilight.
Closing their eyes, they drifted off into a world unknown.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Olly’s name IS a reference. Can you guess to what?
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 11 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-02-02T12:26:21+00:00
|
2012-02-02T12:26:21+00:00
| 3,846 |
Chapter Eleven
*******
The Elements of Harmony awoke in a windy desert.
Dash rubbed her eyes and shakily stood up, but quickly had to cover her face because sand was blowing everywhere. “Obsidian!” she yelled.
“My apologies,” the brown stallion said from nearby. The storm quieted. “So, you have arrived.”
“Yep,” Pinkie chirped.
Obsidian’s eyes widened, but he soon had a wide smile on his face. “Ah, Pinkie Pie. It is refreshing to see those eyes; I have long awaited the Return of Harmony to these lands.”
“Well, as you’ve probably seen, it’s a bit of a wreck outside,” Twilight sighed.
“I am aware,” Obsidian nodded. “But it is our job to correct that.”
“Where’s Verba?” Applejack asked.
Obsidian motioned to flickers of color drifting on the sandy wind. “The magic here is too powerful for him to form properly. However, he is watching us, make no mistake.” After a brief paused, he charged up, his eyes glowing with a bright light. A powerful gust of wind blew away all of the sand within a circle about fifty meters across, revealing an ancient stone courtyard.
Rarity looked up and gasped. A crisp image of six ponies hovered through a thin glass plane above them. They were looking through a window into the real world.
“That is the Gateway,” Obsidian said. “It is one of the only two places in the world where Harmony meets Discord, and one of the few places I can contact you.”
“And the other?” Fluttershy asked.
“The Lock, deep in the heart of Discord.” Obsidian closed his eyes in thought for a minute, but quickly recovered himself. “However, that is not what I am here to talk to you about.”
Obsidian’s eyes glowed again, and the vision changed. The mirror crumbled for a moment and rearranged itself to be in front of the Elements. Obsidian warped behind them.
Slowly, their reflections changed.
Rarity’s became even more beautiful, if such a thing was possible. Her pelt changed to a light purple color, her body sprouting wings. Her mane was an indigo color. Her blue eyes changed into white discs with purple irises, but no pupils. Her Cutie Mark was a purple gem, like her necklace.
“That is the original Generosity,” Obsidian began. “She didn’t value beauty or skill, only what other ponies could give to each other. However, she possessed many talents and wasn’t afraid to share her knowledge and abilities.”
Applejack’s reflection wavered and then refocused into an orange alicorn stallion with a shiny black mane. His expression was solid and his stance firm. His irises were glowing an amber orange. His cutie mark was an orange gem, similar to Generosity’s.
“This is the original Honesty. He might look like someone you know,” Obsidian chuckled. “He could always tell if somepony were lying and could convince ponies to take risks they never would have otherwise. However, he was endlessly pessimistic and paranoid.”
“What happened to you?” Twilight asked.
“Magic isn’t perfect,” Obsidian sighed. “There are always some discrepancies, my appearance being one.”
Dash’s reflection morphed into a crimson alicorn stallion. His red iris eyes shone with determination and confidence, and his dark purple mane blew in a nonexistent wind. Upon closer inspection, purple flames seemed to be leaping from it, as well. His cutie mark was an almost invisible red gem.
“That is the original Loyalty,” Obsidian said. “He inspired the original revolution against Discord, and led the Elements into battle along with Magic. However, his battle was cut short when Deception, disguised as his lover, backstabbed him.”
“Ouch,” Dash cringed. “Who’s Deception?”
“We’ll get to that,” Obsidian said.
Pinkie’s reflection morphed into a pale blue alicorn mare with a pink mane. Her blue irises were shining and playful, and she had a wide grin on her face. Her cutie mark was a sky-blue gem.
“This was the original Humor,” Obsidian said. “For us, she was a source of comfort in tough times, somepony to lean on. Always the very last to give up, her energy prevailed against impossible odds in the fight against Discord. However, her emotional instability led to her losing control of her ability.”
Fluttershy’s reflection morphed into a pink alicorn mare with a rose-red mane. Her pink irises had a very happy and sympathetic expression that made Fluttershy want to run up and give her a hug.
“That is the original Kindness,” Obsidian explained, “the oldest in our family. She, like Humor, was somepony to go to when sad or unhappy, but she was very weak otherwise. Nopony can or will attack her, however.”
Twilight’s reflection became slightly more holy, the crown on her head glowing brilliantly. Her body turned to a pale white color, like Rarity’s, and her long mane to a brilliant rainbow, like Rainbow Dash’s. As her form became more masculine, her purple eyes became wry and clever, though they retained a powerful aura of friendship and amusement.
“That was the original Magic,” Obsidian said. “He led the Elements of Harmony on their first crusade and ultimately won the war on Discord without Loyalty or Kindness. He has immeasurable strength and is the only pony that can survive without the other Elements. However, he shares all of his counterparts’ flaws, leaving himself exceptionally vulnerable to Vengeance.”
The reflections disappeared.
“Wow…” Rarity breathed. “To think that we share some of that power. It’s amazing!”
Obsidian nodded. “Now that you know your roles, let me show you how the Elements were created. All of them.”
The Elements of Harmony disappeared.
=====================================================================
*******
They reappeared in what looked like a magnificent garden. Butterflies and birds fluttered throughout the sunlit trees by a sidewalk that led through the foliage. The air smelled of lilacs and roses, which wasn’t surprising considering the thick flora surrounding the path. However, despite the royal look of the garden, there were some conventional elements present as well. Sopping wet sidewalk chalk and washed-out pictures dotted the sidewalk, and there was a small playground with a swingset next to the path.
Rarity glanced at her hooves. They were slightly misty and undefined.
“Where are we?” Twilight asked Obsidian.
“This is before the Elements were created, in the family garden,” Obsidian explained, looking upon the place fondly. “It was where we spent the greatest moments of our childhood. We were a family of fourteen, you know.”
“Wow,” Applejack said, raising her eyebrows. “Ah have a big family, but most a it’s extended.”
“Tag, you’re it!” A nearby voice chirped.
A young Honesty chased a young Loyalty through the garden. They couldn’t have been more than school age. They were weaving and stumbling their way through the garden with Loyalty in the lead.
“Slow down!” Honesty complained, pausing to catch his breath.
A filly Kindness also ran up to join the group. “If you want, I’ll be it,” she offered.
“Aw, that’s no fun!” Loyalty said. “You’d never get any of us! You’re just too darn slow, Pearl!”
“That’s not very nice,” Kindness hmph’ed.
“Tag!” Honesty said, quickly swiping his hoof at Loyalty and brushing his thigh.
“Hey, no fair!” Loyalty whined. “It was time-out!”
“But you never said so, so you’re it!” Honesty said, ducking in-between trees as he tried to avoid Loyalty.
“It’s always time-out when we’re talking!” Loyalty complained. “That’s a rule!”
“Nuh-uh, that’s not a rule, you’re lying!” Honesty retorted.
“D’aww…” Pinkie giggled. “They’re so cute!”
“You especially,” Dash said, nudging Obsidian.
Their mentor turned a slight shade of red. “Nopony is spared the innocence of youth, Rainbow Dash, least of all me.”
“What are you doing?” Another filly asked. She was sitting under the shade of a tree. Her pelt was a dark blue, her mane a pale gray.
“Playin’ tag,” Loyalty said. “Wanna join?”
“Ugh, no,” the filly rolled her eyes. “What a waste of time.”
“You’re such a stick in the mud, Ivy,” Honesty rolled his eyes. “Have fun being bored.”
“I will, thank you very much!” Ivy said, going back to her sulking.
“C’mon, let’s go play somewhere else!” Loyalty said. He scampered off, with Honesty and Kindness close behind.
Another filly walked up onto the path. She was bright green, with a yellow-green mane. She was using telekinesis to carry a picture book, but wasn’t looking where she was going, almost tripping over several objects as she was reading. A tall white alicorn carefully guided her along the path to make sure she didn’t stumble into some of the many ponds that were scattered around the garden.
“Bookworm,” Ivy grumbled to herself as the pair walked by.
“I just don’t understand!” the filly said, tossing the book into a nearby pond.
“Elie,” the adult alicorn chided, pulling the sopping wet book out of the water. “That was your favorite book; why did you ruin it?”
“Sorry, mother, but I just can’t understand something. Why are all the villains in the stories so dumb?” Elie asked.
The white alicorn stifled laughter. “Oh, dear. That question.”
“What about that question, mother?” Elie asked. “In every book I’ve ever read, the villains ignore all of these things that are right there in front of them. They never make backup plans, they never double-check; it’s as if they’re trying to lose!”
“The reason the villains are, well, challenged is because they aren’t real,” the alicorn said.
“But it’s rather boring, in my opinion, that heroes never have any challenge. If I ever write a book, I’ll make sure the heroes don’t get away so easily,” Elie said determinedly.
“I’m sure you’ll be a fantastic writer; You’ve always had the knack for storytelling,” the alicorn said, affectionately nudging Elie’s side.
“Mom!” the group heard yet another voice cry.
Two colts, Honesty and an indigo colt with a purple mane, were running toward the scene, with Honesty in the lead.
“Lucifer hit me!” Honesty bawled.
“Did not!” the filly Lucifer shouted.
“Did too!”
“Tattletale!”
“Meanie!”
“Calm down!” the white alicorn mother scolded. “Obsidian, where did he hit you?”
“Nowhere!” Lucifer protested.
“She was asking me!” Honesty sniffed resentfully. He showed his mother a bruised front leg. “Right here.”
“Oh, that’s not good,” the mother said. She looked sternly at Lucifer. “You take a time-out right now!”
Lucifer grumbled as he went to sit on the swingset. “You’re no fun to play with; you always end up crying.”
“That’s because you always cheat!” Honesty retorted.
“Both of you are right,” Elie muttered, but loud enough that everypony present could hear her.
“Obsidian, how about you go and ask Norton when lunch will be ready?” the white alicorn suggested. “Elie, how about you find a chapter book? I’m sure you’ll like those much better.”
“Sure!” Honesty chirped, scampering off to a nearby manor.
“Okay,” Elie shrugged. She walked off as well.
“Jeez,” Dash grumbled. “Twelve kids and two parents? How did they survive?”
“Wealth helped, as well as a noble position,” Obsidian said. “The white alicorn you see before you is Queen Harmony. She was the wife of King Discord. They didn’t rule Equestria, but they helped spread harmony and kept discord in check.”
Another small colt was sneaking up behind Ivy, who was taking a nap. He had a swampy green pelt and a sickly yellow mane. “Boo!” He yelled, snickering as Ivy nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Krysk!” Ivy shouted as she started chasing Krysk around the garden. She wasn’t fast enough, however, and she soon got tired out. “I’ll get you back later!”
A young Humor was bouncing along the path with another alicorn, a grayish filly with a mane that was a slightly darker gray in color.
“...And then, the pink pony popped out of random places saying ‘Forever’ for the rest of her life!” Humor chirped.
“That's a great story!” the grayish filly said. “Can you tell me another?”
“Sure, Alexandra!” Humor grinned. “Just the other day I was talking with Steele…”
“Seems pretty happy,” Twilight observed. “Why are you showing us this?”
“Because there has to be happiness in order for there to be sadness,” Obsidian said ominously.
The group disappeared.
=====================================================================
*******
They reappeared in what looked like a sacred hall, with a glowing fountain in the center. It was an inside courtyard, with grass growing even though the only source of light was the fountain itself.
“This is the Gateway!” Rarity gasped.
Obsidian shook his head. “No, this is the Fountain of Harmony. This is where most of the evils were born. It all started with Deception’s incessant curiousity.”
A young filly walked into the room. It was clearly Elie, but she was older than in the last illusion. She was looking to and fro, as if she thought somepony might be following her, or she was in a place she wasn’t supposed to be.
“Heh,” Elie chuckled. “I’m smarter than they think.”
Elie walked up to the fountain, eyeing her reflection in its waters and grinning mischieviously. “Hello, beautiful truth. How are you on this fine day?” She licked her lips.
“What are you doing here?!” Alexandra hissed.
Elie nearly jumped ten feet up in the air. “S-Sister?! Oh, thank heavens; you scared me half to death!”
“Answer my question,” Alexandra growled. She too was slightly older. A year or two must have passed.
“This fountain has been locked away from us with powerful seals. Don’t you think it might have something special here? Something that mother and father are hiding from us?” Elie inquired. “You know they are.”
“Hiding what?” Alexandra asked, now more interested than angry.
“Hiding the truth,” Elie explained. “So many secrets have been kept from us, sister. Although I do not want to defy mother and father, I am not entirely sure that I trust them. This fountain will be able to tell us everything we need to know, you and I.”
“We should trust our parents,” Alexandra said.
“Perhaps, but what if mother and father are keeping from us something that we have the right to know?” Elie asked. “I trust that you have your curiosities as well. Our parents kept this from us, correct? Can’t you feel how much magic is coming off of this fountain? They might be hiding much more from us, you know. We must find out what.”
“This isn’t a good idea,” Alexandra said, biting her lip in apprehension.
“You mean you have no desire to know why we were kept here all these years?” Elie asked, shocked.
Alexandra shook her head. “No. If the truth is too painful to realize, then I’d rather live a lie, actually.”
Elie paused, looking at Alexandra as if her sister had just turned down a winning lottery ticket. “...I respect that of you, sister, but I cannot bear another minute not knowing the dark truth behind Harmony.” Elie turned back to the fountain. “They say that this fountain reveals the depths of a pony’s heart. It may be worthwhile to take a little sip.”
“Elie,” a voice warned.
This time, Elie really did jump ten feet up in the air.
A jet-black alicorn stepped out from the shadows. He wouldn’t have been noticeable had he not come into the light of the fountain. “You’re supposed to be in bed, darling. What are you doing at the Fountain of Harmony?”
“J-Just sightseeing, Father,” Elie chuckled, gritting her teeth and shaking with fright. “I’ll be on my way, now.”
“You drink from this water, and there will be some dire consequences, ones that I assure you will be unpleasant,” King Discord growled sternly. “Go back to bed right this instant.”
Elie quickly nodded. “Yes, father.” She then ran off as fast as her legs would take her.
“And, Alexandra?” Discord asked, turning to his daughter.
“Yes, father?” Alexandra asked, slightly nervous.
“See to it that she doesn’t come back,” Discord ordered, vanishing.
“I…” Alexandra trailed off. After a brief minute of thought, she made her way back to bed.
Now that everypony had gone, Obsidian warped the group to their next destination.
=====================================================================
They reappeared in the exact same room, but this was much farther in the timeline.
“Why all the warping around?” Dash asked. “Why not just, y’know, tell us what happened?”
“Because,” Obsidian began, “the horror of these events will better resonate in your minds if you actually see them.”
They were at what looked like a ceremony. All of the Elements of Harmony, their siblings, and their parents were at the Fountain of Harmony.
“Today is a fantastic day,” Discord said. “For today, we will add some more great warriors to Equestria.”
One by one, the now mature Elements of Harmony took a small drink from the fountain. First Generosity, then Honesty, then Loyalty, then Humor, then Kindness, and finally Magic. Their eyes glowed for a minute, but then their pupils disappeared. It was calm, almost serene, as the ceremony was completed.
Alexandra stepped up to take a drink as well, but Harmony stopped her.
“Mother?” Alexandra asked.
“I’m sorry, Alexandra, but you aren’t quite ready,” Harmony said sadly. “Maybe in a few years you can join your siblings.”
“B…B-But… B-But I’ve worked just as hard as they have!” Alexandra protested. “That’s not fair!”
“Trust in me, daughter,” Discord said to Alexandra, who was tearing up. “I know you are disappointed, but to allow you to drink the waters of Harmony now would be a mistake.”
Rarity cringed. That was not the right thing to say…
Alexandra nodded, and swallowed her sadness. She went back to sit next to some of her other siblings who hadn’t been allowed to drink either.
“You will depart in the morning,” Discord said to the Elements of Harmony.
The scene changed.
=====================================================================
*******
They were in a large bedroom, supposedly Alexandra’s. The adult was crying her eyes out, dampening her pillows and sheets. It was dusk now, almost night.
Elie walked in the room. “So, you’re going to allow our parents to tell you what to do?”
Alexandra wiped her eyes off on her comforter. “Do I have a choice?”
“But of course,” Elie grinned. “We all have the choice, you know. If you feel that you can handle it, the others and I will be visiting the Fountain shortly, and I would be glad to have you along.”
“But… that’s against the rules,” Alexandra sniffed.
Elie shrugged. “Yes, I suppose, but what are rules in the grand scheme of things? Our siblings’ power already dwarfs our parents’; Who knows what could possibly happen if we, for instance, were to drink the sacred waters?”
Alexandra nodded. “S-Sure, I’ll go. Are you sure that it’s a good idea?”
Elie laughed. “Well, I guess we’ll see, won’t we? Better than sitting on our flanks and twiddling our hooves, now isn’t it?”
“Are the others coming, too?” Alexandra asked.
Elie nodded. “Hurry, while Harmony and Discord are occupied.”
“Oh, yeah, I passed by their room earlier. Do you know what they were doing?” Alexandra asked.
“Revitalizing their youth,” Elie said nonchalantly.
“Come again?” Alexandra asked, confused.
Elie arched an eyebrow. “You know… knocking hooves.”
Alexandra stared at her blankly.
Elie rolled her eyes. “Never mind; we have to hurry or Lucifer will drink the entire Fountain without us.”
The two made their way down to the fountain room, easily bypassing the security magic. They traversed the corridors and found themselves with four other alicorns their age.
“Now it’s a party,” an older Lucifer snickered. “Miss goody-two-shoes got rejected and joins the cool club.”
“I can’t blame her,” Krysk said with a smile, circling around Alexandra. “She must have been jealous.”
“Hey, what’s that one alicorn over there doin’?” Applejack asked, pointing to a brown alicorn with a dark brown mane.
“He is Guilt,” Obsidian explained. “He has a mental defect that prevents him from speaking properly; he was perfectly intelligent but could never form words. Despite being very nice and talented, his disability held him back, which is why he is with the others.”
Alexandra looked warily at her counterparts.
“Alright, since you so generously volunteered to join us in this little banquet, you can taste test,” Ivy said, shoving Alexandra toward the fountain.
“Um… why me?” Alexandra asked, stumbling forward.
“Father said that there would be dire consequences, but we want to know if those are real or just made up,” Elie said, motioning to the fountain in front of her. “Go ahead, have a sip.”
Alexandra stared at her reflection in the fountain for a while, biting her lip and anxiously shifting her weight. Indecision bounced through Alexandra’s mind as she thought long and hard about the life-changing decision in front of her. Eventually, though, she lowered her lips to the water and started to drink.
Alexandra began to change. Her grayish body began to wash over with black, her wings lengthening and becoming black as well. Evil started to spread throughout her body, spreading to the others in the room. All of the others started to shriek as the evil started to enter their souls and change their personas, each and every one of their pelts and manes becoming dark and sinister. Alexandra, however, was the most affected.
But the most staggering change was their eyes. Not able to become fully pure, they became vertical, daggerlike slits.
Alexandra started to laugh, but she wasn’t Alexandra any longer. They had all lost their previous identities to this new and powerful evil; the evil of a corrupted soul.
They had turned into the Elements of Discord: Envy, Arrogance, Deception, Guilt, Hate, and finally Vengeance.
The image vanished.
“No…” Twilight murmured.
“That was how it started,” Obsidian began. “Now, we must-”
Suddenly, the world started to shake. Cracks developed in the desert courtyard as the world became unstable, fuzzy, and undefined. Fluttershy fell over as Obsidian tried desperately to correct the situation.
“The outside is under attack!” Obsidian yelled. “Hurry, you must leave; I can tell you everything else later!”
The Gateway appeared to them once again, and the Elements of Harmony jumped through it.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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759
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-03-21T01:51:25+00:00
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2012-03-21T01:51:25+00:00
| 3,964 |
Chapter Twelve
*******
Earlier…
The Daymare was sitting on her ornate throne, nursing her second glass of wine. It had been a few hours since Luna and the Elements had escaped, and although her physical injuries had healed, the wounds to her pride had not.
Worst of all, she was forced to rely on Deception’s backup plan. A backup plan! How humiliating, she muttered to herself, taking a sip of fine red wine. These Elements are trickier than I expected. I should probably have a follow-up attack to prevent them from contacting Obsidian a second time.
“Mistress?” Lyvia asked.
“Yes, Lyvia?” the Daymare asked absently, barely noticing Lyvia had entered her chambers.
“You wanted to deal with this little bundle of joy here, ma’am,” Lyvia grunted, thrusting the thoroughly restrained and muzzled Scootaloo to the Daymare’s hooves.
Lyvia doesn’t look very injured despite being mortal, but looks are deceiving, the Daymare thought, rubbing her temples. What is this, a premature hangover? I don’t have time for this! “Place Scootaloo in Saphira’s care and get ready for an attack on Fillydelphia.”
“Pardon?” Lyvia asked. “Are you sure Saphira is the best choice, ma’am?”
The Daymare glared at her. “You dare defy your ruler?” she challenged.
Lyvia bowed. “N-No, ma’am. I will place her in the holding lounge.”
“And send for Envy while you’re at it,” the Daymare added.
Lyvia nodded and left, hauling Scootaloo after her. Envy appeared a few minutes later.
“You called, sister?” she asked.
“Yes, as a matter of fact,” the Daymare stated. “Make sure that the shield around Canterlot is intact. Also, make sure Scootaloo is sent to the specific cage Deception mentioned.”
“Could I have a ‘please?’” Envy asked.
“Please,” the Daymare hissed.
“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Envy sneered, glaring at the Daymare. She vanished.
=====================================================================
Lyvia deposited Scootaloo in her cell, the same one that she had been locked up in earlier, and chained her to the wall before removing her other bonds, though carefully. Scootaloo, who really didn’t have a plan at this point, complied with the rough pegasus.
“You don’t cause anymore trouble, okay?” Lyvia grumbled, though in a slightly caring fashion. “I’ve never seen the Daymare spare anypony who attacked her before, especially after what you did. Either she’s drunk or something’s up. Anyway, have a good time,” Lyvia finished before ducking out of the prison to alert Saphira.
Scootaloo sighed and examined her surroundings. It was the same dull cell she had been stuck in when Lorey captured the entire group. The only difference was that, this time, she was alone.
Well, Scootaloo thought, sighing. Better than I expected.
*******
Saphira came in only moments later. The blue earth pony teen set a book down nearby and began to read, not making eye contact with her charge. Scootaloo watched her for a moment, expecting her to do something, but she was practically motionless. Scootaloo noticed she had a thin, white mark running across her cutie mark, almost cutting it in half.
“What are you gonna do, interrogate me?” Scootaloo asked. “My lips are sealed.”
Saphira said nothing.
“Fine, then, just don’t talk to me,” Scootaloo growled, turning around. “Ignore me. Let me rot.”
Saphira mumbled something, but didn’t look up.
“What was that?” Scootaloo asked.
Saphira didn’t answer.
“You’re just like the rest of them,” Scootaloo growled. “You’re just a wimp and a coward who works for the Daymare!”
Saphira bit her lip and buried her nose in her book. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.
Scootaloo grunted in frustration and shook the bars of her cell. “Arrgh! Let me out!” She sat down and glowered at Saphira. “You’re just going to let me die here, aren’t you? You’re just as evil as the rest of them!”
“I-I...” Saphira trailed off.
“You can’t even form a stupid sentence!” Scootaloo yelled in frustration. “How’d you even get to work for the Daymare if you can’t even talk?”
“St-Stop it!” Saphira yelled, startling Scootaloo. She shrunk away. “J-Just stop it...”
“Why do you work for the Daymare?” Scootaloo asked, slightly calmer this time.
“I work for the Daymare b-because I have no other choice,” Saphira stammered.
“There’s always a choice!” Scootaloo yelled harshly.
“No,” Saphira murmured sadly. “There really isn’t. It’s either work for her, or get added to her ‘perfect world,’ the Dreamscape. It’s horrifying… i-indescribable,” Saphira shuddered. “You lose your entire mind, your entire soul to the Dreamscape if the Daymare gets a hold on you.”
“So?” You’re letting thousands of ponies die!” Scootaloo argued.
“Shut up!” Saphira yelled. She wiped her eyes. “I can’t go anywhere, I-I can’t do anything, I can’t make any friends. Y-You don’t know wh-what it’s like because you have friends. I d-don’t.”
Scootaloo stared at the earth pony teen. She doesn’t look too evil... Are the others that work for the Daymare like this?
“I’m not even s-supposed to be talking to you,” Saphira whimpered. “Just leave me alone.”
Scootaloo took a glance at her before turning back around in her cell. “Fine.”
=====================================================================
Lyvia returned to her quarters, pondering why the Daymare would have left Scootaloo with Saphira. She was lying on her back on a couch, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine.
Lorey walked in. “Taking your lunch break already, hmm?” he asked. He turned to Lyvia. “What do you make of Scootaloo? That is her name, correct?”
“Kid’s a bit old not to have her cutie mark,” Lyvia shrugged.
Lorey nodded. “Hmm, yes.” He paused. “Lyvia, how did you get your mark? Of the many things I know about you after three years, I’m surprised that’s not one of them.”
“My cutie mark?” Lyvia looked up. “Well, you know Stalliongrad isn’t the best neighborhood in Equestria. For the most part, I had to grow up on the poor side of the equation. But when I was a kid, I was cornered by these thugs, so what did I do? I cut them open,” she shrugged. “No big deal; I hid the bodies. I knew how it worked. Had this mark on my flank ever since.”
“You make it sound simple,” Lorey remarked.
“‘Cause it is,” Lyvia said, turning back to her magazine. “What is there to tell? I ended some lives. I’m only going to end more.”
“Don’t you ever feel any remorse?” Lorey asked. “Anything at all when a pony dies at your hooves? It tears at me every time I do, whether it’s visible or not.”
“Should I?” Lyvia asked resentfully. “I grew up as an ugly angel, just trying to make her way. Now I’m a beautiful demon who’s at the end of others’ paths. I think we both know which way I prefer."
“I would like being on the good side of the equation, if possible,” Lorey admitted.
“Did you know my given name is Sharpie?” Lyvia asked.
“Sharpie?” Lorey asked in shock. “Are you serious?”
“I know!” Lyvia hmph’d. “I changed it as soon as I joined my first gang; it’s been this way ever since. And that’s just one of the reasons I hate my old life so much.”
“I can imagine,” Lorey shook his head.
Lyvia paused. “How’d you get your mark?”
“I grew up in Manehattan,” Lorey began. “Theatre was big at the time, and I was an understudy in a large performance as a young teen. The lead was sick, so I had to take her place.”
“Her?” Lyvia chuckled.
“Yes,” Lorey nodded. “I was forced to play a female role. During the performance, however, I had somehow turned into a perfect replica of her, without having any idea. Quite the embarrassing experience for me, but a memorable performance nonetheless.”
Lyvia burst out laughing. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!”
“I met her afterward, and we fell in love,” Lorey said wistfully. “We moved to Stalliongrad because that’s where her family was and had our first child. And, unfortunately, our last.”
Lyvia calmed down. “It’s a shame, too.”
“It wasn’t as if I had any control. Not back then.” His gaze was distant, but it snapped back into focus. “Lyvia,” Lorey began, “have you ever considered settling down and having a child?”
“Well, yeah, a little,” Lyvia shrugged. “I’ve always wondered what it’s like having one of the little buggers inside of you. Why do you ask?” she said, looking up and grinning at the blue-green unicorn in front of her.
“No particular reason,” Lorey said. “And I’m not thinking what you are. Heavens, no.”
“That’s okay, we all know you really like Envy,” Lyvia smirked.
Lorey groaned. “Lyvia, you have just given me a mental picture I cannot un-see!”
Lyvia smiled and got up. “Then you’d better stick to what you know,” she said, swatting Lorey’s flank with her tail before leaving the room.
Lorey shook his head. “Mares,” he muttered before departing as well.
=====================================================================
*******
The group woke up. Dust was falling from the ceiling; it felt like the entire city was shaking from some unimaginable force.
Luna’s teeth were gritted, her horn glowing with feverish energy. Sweat was rapidly dripping off her forehead.
“Somepony’s having a heck of a party upstairs!” Olly exclaimed, trying to balance himself.
“It’s an attack… by the Daymare!” Luna grunted, yelping in pain as the magic she was trying to maintain started to tear away at her life force. “Hurry, we must go outside!”
Nopony argued. Luna charged up a teleport to the surface of Fillydelphia.
Slightly charred by the shaky teleportation, the Elements, Olly, and Sweetie Belle arrived in the town plaza. Above them was a terrifying sight; the Daymare, in full splendor, was firing lightning bolts at the barrier, each one causing Luna visible pain.
“The barrier is becoming difficult to maintain,” Luna wheezed. “Please, defeat the Daymare!”
“I’ll lend you some energy,” Twilight said. “Rarity, could you help?”
Rarity nodded, and the two unicorns started to allow their magic to drift into the alicorn’s. It helped, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Dash started to fly up, but Applejack grabbed her.
“Let go!” Dash commanded, trying to shake Applejack off.
“You go up there an’ you’ll git yerself killed!” Applejack yelled. “Find another way!”
Dash didn’t want to admit it, but Applejack was right. “Alright, Applejack, you help Pinkie and Fluttershy distract the Daymare and find any of her cronies.”
“An’ you?” Applejack asked.
“It’s Rainboom time,” Dash growled, making her way to the edge of the barrier.
Is she nuts? Applejack asked herself in disbelief. She’s only pulled that thing off twice before in her life! We’ll be goners even before she pulls off those sorts of speeds, and she might not even hit the Daymare head-on!
Fluttershy grabbed Pinkie and dragged her up to the top of a building, and Applejack went along the rim of the barrier to try and root out any accomplices. It was obvious to everypony that the Daymare wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and attack a well-protected city alone.
The Daymare charged up a beam of energy and poured it onto the barrier with all her might. Twilight cringed as some pain overflowed from Luna’s nerves to hers, and Rarity saw some bright blue cracks forming on the blue alicorn’s horn and temples.
The barrier will fall any minute! Twilight gasped as the magic took its toll on her, as well. But I’m pouring in all of my magic; why isn’t it working?!
Pinkie’s blue eyes glowed, and a massive explosion of blue light spread from the tallest building, about a kilometer from the Daymare. However, it wasn’t concentrated enough, doing little more than annoying her.
Dash was now high enough to start building a charge. Taking a deep breath of the chilly, thin air around her, she dove into a free-fall and propelled herself forward as fast as she possibly could.
Applejack spotted a pegasus among the shadows of the trees surrounding Fillydelphia, and recognized her as Lyiva, the same pegasus that engaged Dash back during their escape. She’s that same dumb pegasus that cut me open back in Canterlot! “Payback time!” Applejack grunted, rushing toward the pegasus.
The crimson marauder simply grinned. “Back for more, huh?”
She tried to kick Applejack aside, but Applejack was ready this time. Ducking, Applejack slid across the dirt and bit Lyvia when she tried to slice her open.
The mercenary yelled and kicked, but Applejack’s jaws were stronger. When Lyvia broke free, she was in even more pain than before, and she beat a hasty retreat.
“Scaredy cat!” Applejack yelled.
Lyvia laughed. “You’re not my problem, sweetheart. You don’t have wings.”
Sweetheart, Applejack growled to herself. Oh, when I get my hooves on her…
Applejack raced back into town to warn the others, the barrier recognizing her and allowing her back in.
Pinkie was trying to attack the Daymare with her energy, but it really didn’t do any noticeable damage. Please, Dash, don’t fail us now!
Fluttershy was trying to distract the Daymare, but she couldn’t do so from inside the barrier very well, and going outside it would be suicide.
Dash was picking up insurmountable speed, but it wasn’t quite enough. I need more time! Her lightning-shaped pendant had begun to pulse a bright red.
Meanwhile, the barrier was breaking down. The Daymare, noticing the resistance around her, was pushing the barrier with everything she had, and though Luna almost fell unconscious, the barrier held. Frustrated, the Daymare began charging up her final attack.
It’s all over, Luna thought miserably, taking a knee as black spots invaded her vision. I… I can’t go on…
Twilight poured all of her reserves into Luna, but it did little more than make the moon goddess sweat one droplet less. Rarity was having similar results.
Olly was sitting there, feeling useless, until he noticed something. Lyvia was flying upward at an odd angle, almost vertical. He estimated the path she was taking, and gasped.
She’s on a collision course with Dash!
Hurriedly, Olly looked for a weapon. Any weapon. He grabbed a rusty knife out of the street, and took aim. He accounted for arc, wind speed, the whole deal, as he used telekinesis to charge up a Hail Mary throw. Putting all of his energy in this one toss, he flung the knife skyward.
The knife spun in a circular motion, twirling and twirling away, but it traveled so unimaginably fast that it would have been a blur to anypony close to it. Olly heard a yell and, a little later, a faint thud.
The knife had connected with Lyvia’s wing.
Had Olly been nearby, he also would have heard a number of obscenities, but thankfully he was celebrating his success with a little jump of happiness.
Twilight, who had been watching, was awestruck. How in the world did he make that far a throw?! Rarity was thinking the exact same thing, but Luna was concentrating too intensely to notice.
Tears were streaming from Dash’s face at the speed she was going. She was about to connect. With one final breath, Dash screamed, “DON’T… HURT… MY… FRIENDS!” Her pulsating necklace gleamed with crimson energy.
With the most force any normal pegasus could ever generate, Dash’s speed exploded and she connected with the Daymare in a field of rainbow energy, sending deafening sound throughout all of Fillydelphia.
But it did more than that.
Even though the Daymare had redirected her energy at the last second to a personal shield, Rainbow Dash’s necklace had begun to glow. Her whole body began to glow with a reddish light, and her pupils started to disappear.
*******
The glow spread to Fillydelphia, and, one by one, the ponies who had once looked upon the scene with horror and terror became angry, determined, and strong. Luna’s wavering will solidified, and it was reflected in her barrier, which gleamed with ruby energy.
Pinkie’s eyes were shining as she watched her friend begin her transformation, just as she had. Dash was becoming something greater.
Rainbow-colored flames started to leap from Dash’s mane, but they didn’t seem to hurt her. Her eyes were now a fiery red, her expression pure valor and strength. Her mane was glowing brilliantly, and her wings grew slightly in size, though vastly in strength. The pure inspiration dripping from her body spread throughout Fillydelphia, and the setting sun only added to the magic of the event. She had realized her Potential.
The Daymare looked upon the scene in horror.
“You think you can come into this world and wreak havoc without consequence?!” Dash yelled, her voice being broadcast over the entirety of Fillydelphia. Her voice overlapped with a stallion’s voice, one that was proud and strong. “The citizens of Equestria have had enough of your reign of terror, and are about to show it!”
Rainbow-colored energy began to flow out of the city with its residents’ cheers. Dash glowered upon the Daymare, who was trembling with rage.
“No! That wasn’t supposed to happen!” she yelled in frustration.
“You have decided your own fate,” Dash said calmly, the flames around her mane and wings growing in heat and intensity. “Prepare yourself for the end.”
“Never,” the Daymare growled. She fired her pent-up energy at Dash, but the blue pegasus simply dodged with unimaginable speed, ducked under her opponent, and kicked her in the ribs.
The Daymare’s expression wavered, but she wasn’t through yet. She laughed, relaxing and preparing herself for a serious skirmish. “Finally, a challenge,” she grinned. Her horn glowed and a burst of fire weaved its way around Dash and sliced her in the side.
Dash yelled as blood poured out of the charred wound, but she didn’t feel any pain. She instead looked up at the Daymare with fury. “I’m not done yet.”
“Well, that would be boring! The big, bad Dashie going down with a tap to the noggin,” the Daymare snickered. “You’re going to go through some serious hurt before I’m done with you.”
Dash glowered at her, her ruby red eyes heightening in rage as blood dripped down her leg. “You’re really asking for it.”
“Yep.” The Daymare rolled her eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know. I got where I am by pushing buttons.”
Dash ducked under her opponent and threw some punches, but the Daymare was quicker. She slammed into Dash’s side and tossed her up in the air.
No, Dash! Pinkie gasped, horrified that Dash was somehow still losing. We... We have to help her! She fed all of her energy toward the sky.
Dash felt some of her wounds heal. Thanks, Pinkie. She looked up, her wings aching slightly. She dove below the Daymare and swerved behind the white alicorn at the last moment to kick her in the neck. The Daymare flipped in midair but was seemingly uninjured, her immortality healing any temporary wounds.
“Quick, Twilight, everypony!” Luna shouted, her voice booming over the city. “Lend her your strength! The more ponies that support Loyalty, the more damage Dash can inflict!”
Twilight nodded in realization. She sent out a mental beacon to the citizens of Fillydelphia, and they heard the call.
Dash suddenly felt her body flood with a fountain of power. With a magnificent burst of energy, her rainbow-colored flames scorched the Daymare’s neck. It still wasn’t enough, though. The Daymare grabbed Dash, headbutted her, and kicked her in the wing. Dash fell limply onto the surface of the barrier.
“Naptime,” the Daymare said with a smug grin.
“No,” Dash mumbled, her wings repairing themselves. “I... I’m not through yet!”
Pinkie funneled all the energy she could into Dash’s body. Twilight made her beacon stretch to every crevice of Fillydelphia. Lend Loyalty your strength so she can save Equestria! This is a call to arms, ponies; do not let the Daymare rule us anymore! Rainbow colored energy surged from the city like a river and slowly weaved its way to a single destination.
Slowly, Dash became airborne again, steadily rising up off of the barrier. Ruby energy crackled around her as her eyes glowed bright red. Suddenly, she took off at hyperspeed and slammed into the Daymare, who was completely unprepared for the lightning-fast attack.
What?! the Daymare thought as she flew fifty feet to the side, golden ichor spurting from her mouth.
The endless amount of positive energy coming from below gave Dash the strength of an entire army. The strength of valor, the strength of honor, and the strength of Loyalty.
The stunned Daymare was unprepared when Dash delivered another crushing blow to the side of her face, breaking her jaw and her spirit. This is unbelievable! The Daymare thought as she screamed in pain. This can’t be happening!
Dash soared high above the Daymare in about a second or two, and then came back down with the force of an entire planet. The Daymare would have been split in half had she not been immortal, but she still fell limply onto the surface of the barrier.
“You made a mistake coming here,” Dash growled. “Never show your ugly snout in Equestria again.”
The Daymare hissed something and disappeared.
Dash thrust her wings up in victory, and the cheers were almost deafening. Dash had never felt better in her entire life; this was her Element, her entire reason for existing. I have to protect the weak and stay loyal to my country. Nothing else is more important than that!
It was a celebration. Fluttershy helped Pinkie off the roof and joined the party herself. Ponies were laughing in the street, prancing about and commending the brave and loyal Dash, who sailed down, putting out the fire on her wings. Her piercing red eyes, however, would stay that way for the rest of her life.
“The Return of Harmony,” Luna murmured, though nopony heard her. “When all is lost, an Element will always be revealed.”
This is the greatest moment of my entire life! Dash thought as she stared in awe at the crowd that was cheering for her. It can’t get any better than this!
We’ve won the battle, not the war, Twilight admitted to herself as she watched her friend swoop low over the city in triumph. But can’t we celebrate a little? Grinning from ear to ear, she went off to join the party.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Happy chapter is happy!
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Mindblower
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759
| 13 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-03-12T19:38:28+00:00
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2012-03-12T19:38:28+00:00
| 3,917 |
Chapter Thirteen
*******
Scootaloo halfheartedly poked at the food she was given. There was nothing wrong with it; there were crisp lettuce leaves, ripe strawberries, and daisy petals to make up the plate of salad with some steaming tomato soup off to the side.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Saphira asked. “You didn’t have food last time I saw you.”
“We found food, thank you very much,” Scootaloo growled.
Saphira looked away. “D-Don’t be mean...”
“Why not?” Scootaloo challenged. “You’ve caged me here and won’t let me out. Why should I care about your feelings?”
Saphira didn’t answer.
Scootaloo nibbled on a lettuce leaf. “That’s what I thought.”
There was a long pause as Saphira paged through her novel. Her lips moved, but they failed to form words until she asked, “Wh-What w-was Ponyville like?”
Scootaloo was unsure whether to answer or not. “...It wasn’t anything special. There was a town hall, a bakery, a library, a school...” she trailed off.
“Y-You must miss it a lot,” Saphira assumed.
Scootaloo nodded suspiciously. “Um, yeah, I guess... What about you? Where do you come from?”
“I’m from St-Stalliongrad, before it was...” Saphira trailed off.
“Before it was what?” Scootaloo asked.
Saphira bit her lip. “It was destroyed, a-all of it. I was lucky to escape with my life.”
“What about your parents?” Scootaloo was immediately sorry for asking that question.
“My mom is dead, and I c-can’t talk to my dad anymore,” Saphira said, wiping her eyes.
Should I feel sorry for her? Scootaloo asked herself. She could end my life like flicking a switch, so why hasn’t she already? It’s not like I’ve been nice to her or anything. She just looks... She looks sad. Like a lot of ponies since three years ago. Fillies that could barely walk were spared by the Daymare simply so that she could see their bodies lying in the street a week or so later and laugh. I’ve heard stories from refugees. It’s just awful.
“You joined the Daymare to save your life,” Scootaloo finally said.
Saphira nodded. “What choice did I have? What ch-choice do I have…?”
Scootaloo didn’t have an answer. She stared into her salad bowl until Saphira asked another question.
“How di-did you get your scar?” she asked.
“Huh?” Scootaloo asked, though she instinctively brought her hoof to the long, thin line running down her cheek and to her shoulder. “I got it when the Daymare attacked Ponyville. I would have died if my friend hadn’t healed me.”
“Oh,” Saphira said.
“How’d you get yours?” Scootaloo asked in return, motioning to the white line that bisected Saphira’s cutie mark.
Saphira bit her lip. “M-... Mm...” she stuttered. “M-My d-...”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Scootaloo said.
“...-ad,” Saphira finished. She buried her head in her hooves.
“...Oh,” Scootaloo said. Here I am, in the midst of the enemy, talking to the enemy, and all I can do is feel sorry for her. Why? Why did Equestria have to become such a terrible place?
=====================================================================
*******
After the celebration cooled down, Luna quickly hurried the group inside a central room in her Fillydelphian headquarters and shut the door tight. There was a giant flat bowl in the center of the circular room, about two meters in diameter.
“What’s the deal? I was having fun,” Dash protested.
“And where are Sweetie Belle and Olly?” Rarity asked.
“I apologize for the interruption, but there are some things I need to tell you posthaste,” Luna breathed. “The first is that we must depart in the morning to attack Canterlot.”
“What?!” Applejack exclaimed. The rest of the group had similar reactions.
“I am aware you’re exhausted, but this is the only advantage I’ve had over Discord in three years and I’m not giving it up! We must strike while they are weakened or let more ponies die,” she stated.
“But Princess, the Daymare is immortal; she would have recovered by now,” Twilight pointed out.
“But her minions haven’t,” Luna argued, “and that’s besides the point; the Daymare intended to strike us with full force, break through our barrier, and then lay waste to the city. Her body may have recovered, but the amount of magic she used will take a couple days to regenerate completely, at the very least.”
“Okay, is that it? Because I kinda liked being the center of attention,” Dash said, motioning toward the door.
“No,” Luna said, her tone grave. “You desire answers, correct? I can give them to you here and now if you just listen.”
“But isn’t that Verba’s job?” Pinkie asked. “And Obsidian’s?”
“It is, but the Gateway also has a one-day cooldown. It isn’t usually a problem, but for all our sakes, I must tell you the things you need to know immediately,” Luna said, with a sense of urgency that even unnerved Applejack. “Please, time is something that we can’t afford to waste at the moment.”
“Okay, Princess,” Twilight said. “What do you need to tell us?”
Luna nodded. “Obsidian and Verba have tested you, correct?”
They nodded.
“Well, those tests weren’t designed to test just your Generosity, or just your Honesty. They were designed to test you against your opposites, as well,” Luna explained. Some of the group opened their mouths to ask questions, but Luna held up her hoof. “Patience. Let me explain. Now, there are mundane opposites, such as greed being the mundane opposite of Generosity, but those traits are of little importance. If you were to be an Element at all, you would never display those qualities. At least, not successfully,” she added, glancing at the slightly sheepish Applejack.
“Although dishonesty is the mundane opposite of Honesty, quite obviously, Arrogance leads you not only to lie to others, but to yourself as well, until you no longer know what the truth really is. Envy leads a soul to not only keep everything to themselves, but also wish they had more, and wish that others had less. These are called polar opposites, and each of you has one,” Luna said. “You will know them when you see them.”
Luna’s horn glowed, and a stream of the purest water started to fall into the bowl in the center of the room.
The water, however, was magical. It twisted and turned to form a pony’s shape, a unicorn mare. Envy.
“Now, I will show you your polar opposites, the Elements of Discord,” Luna stated. “He, you are already familiar with.”
“He?” Fluttershy asked.
Luna nodded. “Envy was originally a colt. He was actually fairly average-looking; in fact, Obsidian might have shown him to you as Krysk, his original form. Envy is a controlling and self-centered pony, and he can switch bodies in mere seconds, where his siblings take an hour or so.”
“Wait, so yer sayin’ this here mare is actually a colt?” Applejack gaped.
Luna smiled a bit. “As were the spirits of Magic, Honesty, and Loyalty.”
Twilight glanced at her chest. “Um… that’s really creepy.”
Luna laughed. “It’s something all Elements of Harmony have to deal with at one point or another. If you think about it, though, the Elements are so old that they’re nearly gender neutral.”
“Just how old are they?” Fluttershy asked.
“Almost back to the beginning of recorded history, many thousands of years ago,” Luna said. “Even older than I. The world has much changed, of course, but the Elements haven’t.”
The water morphed again, this time into a tall alicorn princess otherwise known as the Daymare.
“This is Arrogance mixed with my sister, Celestia,” Luna said. “Arrogance and Envy often work together because their abilities complement each other. Arrogance can overpower almost any soul, given enough time, and dominate their body for centuries. Envy probably weakened my sister before attacking me, allowing Arrogance to invade her soul. However, it took nearly one thousand years for the transformation to complete.”
“Pardon?” Applejack asked.
“The last completely Celestia decision my sister made was probably a month before I became Nightmare Moon. Everything after that had some form of Arrogance influencing it,” Luna explained.
“Even sending you to the moon?” Fluttershy asked.
Luna nodded. “Yes, in fact, Celestia didn’t look anything like she does now. Her mane was originally red, orange, and yellow, and her eyes were amber instead of magenta. Even her pelt has some change; it’s redder than it was before.”
It suddenly dawned on Twilight. “I was apprenticed to Arrogance my entire life!”
Luna nodded sadly. “Yes. The only reason I didn’t notice after breaking out of the moon was because Envy was still grappling with me for control of my heart; by the time I broke free, I barely had time to hide you before the attack began.”
Twilight fell to her knees. “This… This can’t be real!”
“I’m sorry, Twilight,” Luna began, “but it gets worse. Had Arrogance had her way and was in complete control of my sister, you would have stayed a bookworm all your life. Arrogance realized right away that you were the Element of Magic and cast you aside from society, isolating you as best she could and satisfying your intense need for knowledge with the royal library. Celestia was only able to gain control for one, critical moment--the moment she sent you all to Ponyville, where Arrogance believed the rest of the Elements resided.”
“I always thought that letter didn’t sound quite like the Celestia I knew,” Twilight chuckled weakly, still trying to wrap her head around the situation.
“When I escaped from the moon, Envy was still in control, and he tapped into your Elemental powers in order to confirm whether you were the Elements of Harmony or not. He placed specific tests in your path, and when you found your Elemental necklaces, he attempted to subdue you. It was a dire mistake on his part, though, and Arrogance fiercely reprimanded him for it when you weren’t watching. However, he was still partly in control of my body--that’s why I was shorter that usual, and also why my mane lacked its magical flow.
“Arrogance and her siblings decided that it would best to keep you all in one place until they attacked, so she had you stay in Ponyville for a few months. All the while, she was trying to keep you happy, which, in the end, meant keeping you close friends. She strictly avoided training you in Elemental magics, however, and kept you from ever knowing about Obsidian and Verba. She appeared to you personally sometimes, but that was only to avoid suspicion; it was expected of a Princess to appear before her most treasured subjects at least a few times a year. Just before the attack, I broke free of Envy’s control and rushed in to save you. You know the rest.”
Twilight stared at the floor, her emotions limiting her ability to think as they rampaged through her soul. Eventually, though, she nodded at Luna, signalling her to continue.
Luna waved her hoof, and the water changed again, this time into a white earth pony mare with a silver mane. She looked sad; as if she had just lost a loved one, and it made the others sad, too. However, the most defining feature was her dagger-like eyes.
“This is Guilt’s last known body,” Luna said with a grimace. “He cannot speak, but he doesn’t need to. Negative energy flows from him like a broken dam; it is so strong that he has burst unicorns’ horns and even killed regular earth ponies that can’t handle the energy.”
“What a horrendous ability,” Rarity remarked.
Luna nodded. “But he isn’t very powerful on his own. He works with an entity called Hate.”
The water morphed into a scrawny green unicorn colt with a shaggy blond mane. His eyes darted to and fro, and the grin plastered on his face made Applejack want to spit. His slitted pupils didn’t help.
“This is Hate’s last known body,” Luna said. “It is impossible to attack him while feeling negative emotions; you will only hurt yourself. The only way to defeat him is to make yourself happy in some way, and with Guilt present that is often impossible. They alone can kill inexperienced Elements of Harmony. However, they are not the ones you have to really worry about.”
Fluttershy swallowed. “Wh-Who are the ones that we have to worry about?”
The water changed into a yellow pegasus mare with silver-tipped wings. She looked down upon the group with what looked like pity, and for a moment Pinkie felt really angry, but not at the Elements of Discord, at her friends. It disappeared quickly, though.
“This is Vengeance’s last known form,” Luna explained. “She can tear Elements apart like the press of a button because she possesses all of the other Elements of Discords’ strength. However, she is useless without a body, and she can only inhabit a willing host.”
“What do you mean, ‘willing’?” Twilight asked.
“The host has to want to give his or her body to Vengeance, and has to want revenge on somepony. It’s frightening how often she actually gets a body, but that’s usually because this next one is involved,” Luna said.
The water changed again; this time into a handsome maroon-colored stallion with a crimson mane. He smiled warmly upon the group, but his dagger-like eyes told a different story.
Luna looked upon this one with the utmost of loathing. “This is the Element you have to look out for.”
“Who is he?” Twilight asked.
“She,” Luna corrected. “Her name is Deception, and she has become a growing problem in all of our pursuits. She is incredibly intelligent and can act to such an extent that…” Luna drew a shaky breath. “Her specialty is infiltration and sabotage. Her primary weapon is that she can copy the abilities and personality of whomever she possesses, even if the body is deceased. She is incredibly dangerous.”
“Wait, you mean that these Discord spirits possess ponies that are already dead?” Dash stuck out her tongue. “Gross!”
“It makes the job much easier on their part,” Luna sighed. “The only reason they haven’t killed me or Celestia is because we are immortal. If you see somepony you know possessed by an Element of Discord, you will never see them alive again.”
Lyra, Twilight thought. Oh, poor BonBon. How can we tell her?
“That’s the long and short of it,” Luna finished. “Be extremely careful; Deception is incredibly crafty, and is often the mastermind of Discord’s most successful schemes. All we really can do is hope for the best,” she added unreassuringly.
The Elements of Harmony contemplated that, but before long they hustled to the rooms Luna had given them.
“Wait, don’t we even get to see any of our friends?” Rarity pleaded at the goddess.
“No, you’d stay up all night!” Luna said sternly. “After you beat the Daymare, I couldn’t care less about your social life, but you need to get some rest now because we leave at dawn.”
The entire crew was disappointed, but they accepted it and also accepted a quick supper before settling in for the night. Sweetie Belle and Olly had met up with them at dinner. After the short meal, they soon clambered into their beds and snuffed their candlelight.
Applejack, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Pinkie had all fallen asleep fairly quickly, but there were four ponies that didn’t.
=====================================================================
*******
Fluttershy was tossing and turning in her room. It was a very nice room, with a nice bed, good décor, and a balcony, but something just wasn’t right. She felt it.
Getting up, Fluttershy sighed and leaned against a wall. But then she heard something.
Fluttershy heard somepony crying.
Fluttershy gently pushed open the door of her room and walked outside into the hallway. Looking into the room beside her, she saw that Dash was lying on her bed, sobbing softly, but not so softly that the gentle Fluttershy couldn’t hear her.
“Dash, are you alright?” Fluttershy asked.
Dash looked up suddenly, and then buried herself in her blankets. It was clear she didn’t hear Fluttershy approach. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Just leave me alone.”
“Are you upset about something, Dash?” Fluttershy said, hopping up onto Dash’s bed and sitting down next to her. “What’s wrong?”
Dash turned away from Fluttershy and refused to meet the yellow pegasus’s gaze.
“Dash, please,” Fluttershy asked. “I want to help.”
Dash looked up. “I feel like I’ve failed, alright?”
“Why would you think that? You really saved us out there; we couldn’t have done it without you,” Fluttershy said.
“I don’t feel like I’ve failed you,” Dash said, wiping her eyes and trying not to meet Fluttershy’s gaze. “I feel like I’ve failed Scootaloo.”
“Oh, Dashie…” Fluttershy’s heart cracked. The strong Dash, being reduced to tears from failing to save her friend. “She made her choice, and we still don’t know if she’s dead or not.”
“Yes we do!” Dash insisted. “She never would have been kept alive. The Daymare’s probably killed her already, and I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye!” she sniffled.
“It’s not over yet; don’t give up on her,” Fluttershy persisted.
Dash just threw herself under her covers. “I can’t, I just miss her so much. I’ve already missed three years of her life; how am I supposed to survive missing the rest?”
“You’re strong, Dashie. You can pull through this just like everything else,” Fluttershy said.
“But I can’t, I just-” Dash’s voice cracked. “I should have done something, anything; I was right there! Now she’s gone, and I’ll never see her again!” she yelled a little in frustration.
Fluttershy gently hugged the lump of comforter she assumed was Dash. “Come on, Dash. There’s nopony in the world more loyal than you; if she was dead, you would feel it.”
“But I do,” Dash mumbled through her tears that were beginning to dampen her comforter.
“Then you just want to feel it,” Fluttershy argued. “Please, Dash, I can’t help you if you can’t help yourself. Tell me that Scootaloo isn’t dead. Please.”
Dash tried, but she couldn’t form the words. All she could do was cry for a life lost. I understand, Fluttershy sighed to herself. I felt the same way when Apple Bloom died.
“Please, Dashie,” Fluttershy murmured, hugging Dash close. “I can’t help you if you can’t say it.”
“Sh-She…” Dash began. “She’s not dead.”
“There you go,” Fluttershy encouraged. “Come on, say it again.”
“She’s n-not dead,” Dash repeated, slightly stronger this time.
“What are you going to protect?” Fluttershy asked.
It took Dash a bit to answer. “What matters,” she finally murmured. She pushed her covers off of her. “Thanks, Fluttershy. I-I think I’m okay, now.”
Fluttershy nodded. “It’s okay to cry,” she said. “Everypony does. And it’s good that you got those feelings out, so that you can fight your hardest with all of us tomorrow.”
“But what if she is dead?” Dash asked. “What if they took her body?”
Fluttershy looked sternly at Dash. “Were you lying to me, Dashie?”
Dash smiled a bit. “No, Fluttershy. I… I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
With a last gentle hug, Fluttershy walked out of the room, feeling greatly fulfilled and a bit sleepy. She had emotions she wanted gone, too, and as she tucked herself in, she finally let go of the hole Apple Bloom left in her heart, replacing it with the memory of the young filly who gave her life to try and save Harmony.
I’m sorry, Apple Bloom, Fluttershy thought as her eyelids slid over her eyes, but there was nothing I could do. I’ll always remember you… Always. And that’s a promise.
Fluttershy then slept deeper than she had in three years.
=====================================================================
Twilight had too many questions to sleep; they bubbled up just as fast as she could think about them, and while the explanation Luna gave answered a few of her questions, about a million more came rising to the surface.
Thankfully, she wasn’t the only one tossing and turning. Her ear twitched as she heard a small thump in the room next to her, Olly’s room. Getting up, she went to investigate.
She peeked in the crack to see the light brown stallion wide awake, tossing, turning, and gnawing on his pillow in frustration. Stifling a giggle, she slowly knocked on the door. “Olly?”
“Uh, come in; I’m not doing anything weird,” the red-maned stallion said, tossing his pillow behind his bed. Twilight obliged, and Olly asked, “You awake too, huh?”
“Too many questions,” Twilight sighed. “I didn’t get to tell you earlier, but that was a really impressive stunt you pulled with the rusty knife. I still don’t know how you aimed it.”
“Well, maybe it has something to do with this,” Olly chuckled, motioning to the mark on his flank, a set of crosshairs.
“So why are you awake?” Twilight asked.
“Aagh, my memory!” Olly moaned, rolling over in bed. “The last thing I really remember is getting thrown into that cell, and the rest is all hazy. I’ve been trying to remember all night, but so far I really haven’t made any progress.”
“Well, I can’t say I know what that feels like,” Twilight admitted, “but is there any way I can help?”
“I wish; I’m probably more stumped about it than you are,” Olly grumbled.
Twilight laughed a bit. “Well, we can start with where you’re from. What was it like where you lived?”
“Hmm…” Olly thought for a moment. “I remember rolling green hills with forest all around, like a center of nature… and dusty plains with train tracks and skyscrapers.”
“Olly, those are two completely different places,” Twilight said. “Maybe three!”
“Well, you’re a help!” Olly laughed. “I can’t control what I remember, y’know.”
Twilight sighed; this was going to be harder than she thought. “Okay, family members?”
“A brother. No, a sister,” Olly said. “Wait, or was it both? Or neither? Were my parents divorced…?” He threw his head up in frustration. “I have absolutely no idea.”
“A job?” Twilight suggested.
“Hmm, that’s a tricky one,” Olly said, rubbing his chin, deep in thought. “Either a plumber or an electrician.”
“Well, that’s a start,” Twilight said.
“Or was it a broker?” Olly asked, more to himself than to Twilight.
Twilight laughed. “Okay, not so much. If you have no idea, just tell me, okay?”
Olly sighed. “I’m stumped. Maybe I never had a past at all, like in that one movie I saw put on by illusionists. Ponies were made to order in a factory. It was weird, because they got all these different angles, it was like a 3-D experience…” Olly’s eyes lit up. “Wait, I was a photographer!”
Twilight nodded. “Well, that would make sense, I guess. Your ability would allow you to get the best shots, and very precise ones from far away.”
Olly nodded. “Well, I guess I can settle with that for tonight. Thanks, Twilight; I owe you!”
“Hey, we’re friends, right?” Twilight smiled. “I help you, you help me, and we protect each other. Isn’t that how it goes?”
Olly grinned. “Yep, sounds about right. Well, I’m going to have a snooze. Night, Twilight.”
Twilight nodded and left the room, going back to her own.
It feels nice to help ponies, she remarked before falling asleep. Dear Princess Celestia, what I learned today about friendship is… she sighed sadly.
Oh, Princess… What are you really like?
=====================================================================
*******
Twilight shook herself awake. She was in the same drifting gray space she had been in after she had almost fatally wounded herself. “Verba?”
“Yessum?” Verba asked. Multicolored runes started to piece themselves together, but it took them a minute to fully form Verba’s haphazard shape.
“Where is this, again? My dreams?” Twilight asked.
“Technically, no,” Verba said, just as his body finished forming. “It gets kind of complicated.”
“Tell me,” Twilight said.
Verba scratched the back of his neck. “Um, well, we’re in your subconscious. Y’know, the place in your mind that has dreams?”
“Oh, okay,” Twilight yawned. Sleep pounded at her, but she resisted the urge to lay down and curl into fetal position. “Can I control it?”
“Sure. Give it a shot,” Verba said.
Twilight thought long and hard about where she wanted to be right now. Sleep may have influenced it slightly, but she attained an idea rather quickly. The gray ground below her slowly hardened into wooden planks and logs that bent and curved to form a room. A bed slowly rose out of the floor, and a sun appeared, letting light in through the developing windows. A drawer lined with books sat next to a podium with fresh ink and parchment.
She was in Ponyville, in her bedroom.
“Nice place,” Verba observed, strolling around the cozy loft.
Twilight sighed. “Well... Not anymore.”
Verba put a glittering hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “C’mon, cheer up. You can always rebuild. Restart.”
“But I can’t replace the ponies,” Twilight said, turning away from Verba. “It’ll never be the same, Verba.”
Verba’s nonexistent eyes darkened. “At least you have a home. Closest thing I have is Obsidian, and... Y’know what? Let’s go outside. I don’t really want to talk about this here.”
Twilight nodded, but she stopped when she heard Spike call, “Twilight?”
Before Twilight could open her mouth, she heard another pony answer for her. “I’m heading upstairs, Spike. Make sure the bread doesn’t burn; the flames have to be exactly red-orange! Not red, not orange, red-orange!”
“Oh, who uses a brick oven anyway?” they heard Spike grumble.
Twilight saw a translucent version of herself walk upstairs and scan the room, probably looking for something. After she checked the drawers, she groaned in frustration and headed back downstairs. “If I don’t find The Misadventure of the Marvelous Mare in Manehattan, I don’t know what I’ll do!”
Twilight gaped for a moment. “What...?”
“Well, you are living a memory, right?” Verba grinned. “Which one was this?”
Twilight thought for a moment, then smiled warmly. “This is when I lost my favorite chapter book before Spike and I baked blueberry bread for a party at Pinkie’s. Spike did end up burning it... the flames were too orange. I think I managed to find my book under Spike’s bed later that night. He was probably reading it and didn’t want me to know.” She hung her head. “I miss him so much... I can’t believe Luna didn’t let me visit with him. I wasn’t even allowed to see him.”
“The Princess has a lot on her plate, managing a broken country and all. Once you deal with Arrogance, everything’ll go back to normal,” Verba promised.
“Maybe...” Twilight trailed off. She motioned toward the stairs. “There was something you wanted to tell me, right?”
“We don’t have to walk, y’know. This is your dream, after all,” Verba pointed out.
“Oh! Okay.” Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated on the town square. The ponies, the decorations, the dirt roads, and the shops. When she opened her eyes, she was there.
“I have to say, Ponyville is one of the most idyllic towns I’ve ever seen,” Verba laughed. “Jeez Louise, it’s as if nopony’s ever even heard of a pickpocket before!”
“PIckpocket?” Twilight asked.
“Well, to be fair, not many of them have pockets, either.” Verba shrugged. “Still, it’s weird seeing a town this happy. Most of Equestria isn’t like this.”
“Why not?” Twilight asked.
“Dunno,” Verba admitted. “If Arrogance had control over Celestia, though, it’s probably gotten worse. I’m surprised she let a town like this survive. Like Luna said, it was probably to keep you happy.”
Twilight paused, glancing at the ponies’ translucent bodies. “Why are they all so hazy?”
“Huh? Oh, that’s because they’re projections,” Verba explained. “They’re like a placeholder for your memory instead of just having a blob there. Memory doesn’t usually function on sight, see, it focuses on little details that make up the big picture. Anything you can see through, you don’t really remember, and your subconscious kind of guess-timated it based on your other memories.”
Upon closer inspection, Twilight saw that Verba was correct. Most of the shops, signs, and wagons were translucent as well. Even the dirt road could be seen part of the way through.
“What was it you were going to say earlier?” Twilight finally asked. “About not having a home, or something?”
Verba scratched the back of his neck. “See, Obsidian and I... we aren’t real ponies. As in, we’re not real, real ponies. As in, uh, we only exist inside of you, and... Y’know, I shouldn’t over-complicate things, right? It doesn’t really change who we are, anyway.”
Twilight nodded. “So... What now?”
“Get some rest,” Verba advised. “You’ll need it for tomorrow, trust me.”
=====================================================================
*******
Scootaloo had fallen asleep in her cell, and Saphira was wandering around the ruins when she heard a scream.
“NO!” she heard somepony yell. “I WON’T LISTEN! NEVER!”
She knew who it was. “Lyvia!” she yelled in panic. “It’s happening again!”
“On it,” Lyvia grunted from somewhere nearby. She was rushing through the corridors toward the source of the noise.
It was Lorey.
He was bent over a table, retching and trembling. Vomit was scattered everywhere. His face was contorted in pain, and dark energy swirled around him. His mane, usually well-kept, was tossed in random directions.
“I won’t listen. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Lorey screamed. His pupils were changing from dagger-like to normal, but it sometimes sped up and slowed down.
“Help me hold him down!” Lyvia yelled to Saphira. She grabbed the shaking and spasming Lorey and held him to the ground. He was trying to shake her off, but his attempts were uncoordinated, as if they were only partly controlled.
“GO AWAY!” Lorey screamed, tears flowing down his face. He was kicking and screaming, clearly having an inner war.
Saphira was crying as well as she tried to hold Lorey’s legs down. This isn’t the first time this has happened, but it’s still just as scary. I think it’s getting worse.
“YOU’LL NEVER BEAT ME!” Lorey screamed. “YOU’LL NEVER WIN! I WON’T LET YOU! NEVER! NEVER!”
Whatever was left in Lorey’s stomach was spewed out to the side of his mouth. The dark energy around him, however, was starting to ebb away. Whichever side Lorey was on, he was winning.
Lyvia was struggling to hold the adult stallion down, but she was tough enough to keep him under control until the episode ended. Lorey’s contortions ceased, his eyes returning to normal. The tear flow stopped, and the dark energy disappeared.
“Never,” he growled, staring at the ceiling. “She will never overpower me.”
“But she came pretty darn close,” Lyvia grumbled, wiping acid off her leg. “What if you have one of your fits while I’m gone? Saphira can’t control you on her own. Not while you’re like that.”
Saphira looked up at Lorey, still crying. “Please, h-how long do you think you can keep this up? You can’t fight her f-forever.”
“I can try,” Lorey snarled, but not at Saphira. He wiped his mouth. “I’ll kill myself before that monster ever gets a hold on me.”
Lyvia sighed. “I’ll pray for you, Lorey, but you better think up a better way to fight her off, otherwise…” She crossed her hoof in front of her neck and made a slicing sound. “Kssh.”
Lorey used magic to clean the area up, even though he was already drained. “My willpower overrides hers. As long as I have something to fight for, I will never give in to her power.”
Lyvia looked fondly at him. “You better keep that promise.”
Saphira wiped her eyes. “Don’t leave us yet, L-Lorey,” she murmured.
Lorey nodded. “This is a war I have to win.” He exited the room.
=====================================================================
Lyvia was wide awake, lying in her queen-sized bed and staring at the ceiling. “It’s happening too often. He’s not telling us everything,” she muttered to herself. “Lorey...” I hate to admit it, but I’d probably be more upset than Saphira if he kicked the bucket. He’s the only one ever to see past... this, she thought, motioning to herself.
She heard a knock on her door. “Who is it?” Lyvia asked.
A blue earth pony slowly creaked the door open. “L-Lyvia?” she asked.
“What is it, kid?” Lyvia asked.
“I-I can’t sleep; I had a nightmare,” Saphira trembled.
Lyvia resisted rolling her eyes. The kid’s never matured, not out here. She’s a filly in a teen’s body. “Get up here,” she said, motioning toward her bed.
Saphira nodded, walked up, and hopped into Lyvia’s bed. She curled up next to the blood-red pegasus and shivered. “Th-Thank you.”
“Why aren’t you with Lorey?” Lyvia asked, stroking the younger pony’s mane.
“B-Because he’s s-still scary,” Saphira stammered, tears filling her eyes. She turned around to face Lyvia. “I-Is he going to lose?”
“If he does, I’m still here,” Lyvia said, holding the young teen close. Saphira had started to cry. “And don’t you forget that, okay?” Lyvia added.
Saphira nodded, and squeezed Lyvia as tight as she was able. Lyvia hugged back, and pulled the covers over both of them.
She’s so scared, Lyvia sighed to herself. It’s a wonder the Daymare allowed her to survive in the first place. As much as I like the kid, she’s not useful like me or Lorey, which means she’s probably going to have some awful fate. Just like the rest of us, I guess.
“Lyvia, w-what am I g-going to do i-if L-L-L...” Saphira stuttered, crying harder into Lyvia’s pelt.
“Don’t you worry about that, okay?” Lyvia soothed, rocking Saphira. What is this, the third time I’ve had to do this? The kid’s shattered so bad it almost makes me want to cry.
“But wh-what will I do, Lyvia?” Saphira whimpered.
“I’ll stick by you every step of the way,” Lyvia stated. “As long as I’m still kicking, nopony’ll be able to lay a hoof on you, you hear me? Nopony,” she added. “‘Cause you and me, we’re sisters now.”
“Sisters?” Saphira mumbled, her eyes closed. “I’d li-like that, Lyvia. Can you k-keep m-me safe?”
“I’ll protect you, Saphira, I promise,” Lyvia murmured in Saphira’s ear. “Whatever it takes.”
Saphira’s breathing steadied, and she slowly fell asleep in Lyvia’s limbs. Lyvia silently kissed the young mare on the forehead. I hope nopony saw that, she muttered to herself.
“I’ll keep you safe. I... I’ll protect you,” Lyvia promised softly. There’s only three of us. We need to keep each other safe, because if we don’t, who will? Not the Daymare. Not the Elements of Harmony. We’re on our own.
Tucking a pillow under Saphira’s head, Lyvia curled up in her comforter and closed her eyes. And that’s just the way I like it, she added before silently falling into slumber.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 14 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-02-05T19:11:26+00:00
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2012-02-05T19:11:26+00:00
| 3,786 |
Chapter Fourteen
It was dawn.
The Elements of Harmony were at the edge of the barrier. The edge of safety; the edge of civilized life. The edge of the place they needed to protect.
We’re going straight into the heart of evil in order to stop it in its tracks, Twilight thought as she looked at her small strike force. You’d think there’d be applause, or ponies begging us to stay. But everypony is asleep. A quiet morning with a quiet departure.
“Are you absolutely sure you want to make this journey?” Rarity asked Sweetie Belle.
“Positive,” Sweetie Belle affirmed. “If you get hurt, who’s going to help you?”
“I just don’t want you to get into trouble; you’re so much safer here. Please, stay in Fillydelphia,” Rarity begged.
“No,” Sweetie Belle said forcefully. “I’m going, and that’s final. Sorry, Rarity, but I want to save Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.”
Rarity sighed and turned away. She still doesn’t believe Apple Bloom is dead. Oh, poor Sweetie Belle.
Pinkie walked over to Olly. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Butterflies?”
“Um, no, more like writhing snakes,” Olly chuckled nervously. “Still, I’m glad to be a help, and besides, Envy still owes me one memory, and I’m determined to collect.”
“I guess we set off now,” Luna said excitedly. She was antsy from anticipation, and it showed in the way she hurriedly rushed from place to place.
“Can’t you just, y’know, teleport us there?” Dash asked.
Luna shook her head. “No. Magical flow can be interrupted, and it doesn’t function very well around evil energy. However, it shouldn’t prove to be a problem because our journey is relatively short.”
Dash nodded, and without fanfare, without celebration, the Elements of Harmony left on their conquest.
=====================================================================
*******
Soon enough, they landed at their first checkpoint, Stalliongrad. However, they spent much more time there than they originally intended for one reason and one reason alone.
Horror.
Stalliongrad was a boneyard. Bleached skeletons, all of them about three years old, littered the streets and pavement of what had been the third-biggest city in Equestria, next to Fillydelphia and Canterlot. But what was most horrifying was their number; they were literally everywhere. They were lying in the streets, sitting on benches, and even strewn among the trees. Thousands of skeletons for thousands of ponies.
Fluttershy stared down at the city, having glided high above the group to look for danger. This is unspeakable, she thought, her jaw slack. Why? Her necklace was a dull shade of copper.
The grounded Elements were in utter shock and dismay at the entire situation.
“All these ponies,” Applejack breathed. “Ah can’t… Ah can’t even understand…”
Twilight stared at one particular skeleton. It was only the front half of a pony, lying right up against a building. She looked up and jumped back in shock. The back half of the pony was at the top of a skyscraper, hanging perilously off the edge. It must have been cut in half!
Pinkie’s energy flared. Should I be angry? Or sad? Eventually she settled, and stared blankly at the carnage, her mind losing all capabilities of thought.
Olly stared at the carnage blankly. “An entire city turned into a graveyard just like that,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. That I remember, at least, but still.”
Luna sat down near the center of the city by a skeleton of a filly, and did something nopony would ever expect her to do. She began to cry.
“This was the first city hit by the Daymare,” she said, tears falling down her face. “Arrogance’s power combined with Celestia’s. The strength of such a villain is unfathomable. Never before has Discord killed so many ponies so quickly.”
Dash’s mane ignited in anger. “That monster,” she growled. “She did this! All of it! When I get my hooves on her I’m going to tear her to shreds!”
“The Rule of Evil,” Twilight murmured, reciting an article of scripture that was particularly memorable to her. “A heart so black crows cannot caw, a soul that disregards the law, a void that swallows all in its maw. A being that has no moral bounds, a demon that makes its dreadful rounds, a spirit that is neither lost nor found.” She shuddered slightly. That poem’s given me nightmares even as an adult.
“A God from whom you can’t forefend, a beast which good can never mend, an essence that begins again,” another voice said.
Twilight and the others whipped around to see Lyvia sitting on top of a two-story building.
“You know your poetry,” the mercenary observed.
“Why have you come here?” Luna asked menacingly.
“I’m here to deliver a message,” Lyvia said. “Not usually my job, but…”
“Say it and leave,” Twilight commanded.
“Okay, miss bossy-hooves,” Lyvia snickered. “Scootaloo is still alive and well. However, if you come to Canterlot and attack…” she shrugged. “That may change for the worse.”
“Coward!” Dash said. “If you want a fight, you’re asking for one.”
“I dare you,” Lyvia laughed.
Happy to oblige, Dash ignited her wings and leapt at her adversary. However, the battle was over so quickly that none of the others had time to help her.
It seemed like it was happening in slow-motion. Lyvia leaped off the rooftop and cut Dash just below the neck, then did a backflip to kick her up into the air. Finally, she flew up and did a frontflip, kicking the dazed Dash down into the pavement.
Laughing while Dash’s friends went over to help her, Lyvia hovered above the group. “Man, I knew you were weak without an entire city backing you, but come on. Toodles, and good luck putting the last nail in your coffins.”
Lyvia flew off.
=====================================================================
*******
Scootaloo examined her cell. It was early morning, and the sun just barely creaked in through the dingy window opposite of Scootaloo. It was nearly pitch-black, but gradually brightening. Scootaloo couldn’t sleep, so she was scanning her cell for signs of weakness. She didn’t expect to find anything, but she didn’t have anything better to do.
Saphira was probably still asleep, so now would be the best time to make an escape. The orange pegasus spotted a rusty hinge on the cage, and she kicked it. To her surprise, it made a dent.
Can I really...? Scootaloo paused. She backed up, took a running start, and slammed on the cage. The front bars snapped off and fell to the floor with a loud clang.
Scootaloo stepped out of her cell. This... This is really lucky. I have to get out of this castle, pronto.
Silently sneaking out of the jail, Scootaloo ducked behind cover every chance she got and looked left and right for signs of danger. The ruins showed obvious signs of dust and age because nopony had walked the corridors for a long while, and the Daymare didn’t care about the cleanliness of any part of the city except for her throne room.
So, as it were, the hedges had either outgrown their surroundings or were strangled by the vines that turned the entire royal garden, and the great majority of the city and castle, into a mesh of organic wiring. Any stone that hadn’t turned to dust and blown away in the wind had to have been magically enhanced, which led to the walls and ceiling of city buildings being perfectly fine, but the stone floors were cracked and fading into dust and dirt. Any artistic integrity the city used to possess was nonexistent now.
Scootaloo quickly made it to the edge of the castle before bumping into Saphira. She stared in fright at her, and the blue earth pony returned the frightened gaze.
“Wh-What are y-you d-doing here?!” Saphira hissed.
“Escaping!” Scootaloo retorted, looking behind herself to make sure nopony was sneaking up on them. Quietly, she said, “Don’t get in my way!”
“If they f-find you, th-th-they’ll....” Saphira stuttered, unable to form the necessary words.
“I don’t care; anywhere’s better than here!” Scootaloo said, taking wing and beginning to fly off.
“Wait!” Saphira yelled.
Scootaloo cringed, but stopped. “Not so loud!”
“Sorry, but if you take to air, th-they’ll find you for sure!” Saphira said. “I kn-know the city; you have to follow me.”
“You honestly expect me to trust you?” Scootaloo scoffed.
“I-If you don’t, y-you’ll be executed, or worse, added to the D-Dreamscape,” Saphira explained urgently, forcing herself to speak. “P-Please, take me with you. If you th-think you can escape, then m-maybe I can, too.”
Scootaloo examined her options. She’s right; I really have no idea what I’m doing or where I’m going, but if I follow her, I’m leaving myself open to any trap they might have planned. “Fine,” she finally decided, “but you follow me.”
“I’m afraid there will not be any following of any sort,” another voice said.
*******
“E-Envy!” Saphira shrieked. “I-I-I-”
“Save it,” Envy sneered, dark energy beginning to swirl around the Daymare’s assistant. “I harbor neither traitors nor fugitives. Prepare to die.”
“C’mon!” Scootaloo yelled, grabbing Saphira and taking off down the street, heading for the edge of the city. Saphira rapidly picked up the pace and they weaved through the ruins on hoof.
“Hmph. Run all you want, it can’t save you from your fate... as much as I hate to admit it,” Envy muttered, summoning Trixie with powerful magic. “They’re spirited young mares, aren’t they, hmm?” She glanced back at the blue unicorn. “Would you kindly put them to sleep for me, Trixie?”
Trixie nodded sadly. Her chains began to vibrate as they extended and sapped her life force. Trixie paled and grunted in pain as the chains began to seek out their targets.
A chain soared over Saphira’s head and she yelped as it almost impaled her. Instead, it sunk itself two meters into the ground.
Scootaloo had to land, otherwise the chains would have tangled her in midair. Panting, she narrowly dodged a few more chains that tried to trip her or turn her and Saphira into a kebab.
“We need to find cover!” Scootaloo yelled.
Saphira nodded. “O-Ov-Over-” she screamed as a chain cut her leg. Scootaloo ducked under another chain and quickly picked up Saphira, though she was significantly weighed down by the smaller earth pony.
“Hmm? They’re working together, are they?” Envy asked, overlooking the scene from a nearby building. She looked at the nearby Trixie, an evil grin plastered onto her face. “Stop this. I’ll take care of it from here.”
Trixie was surprised for a moment, but she nodded gratefully, and the chains gradually receded back into her ankles.
Noticing that the chains were gone, Scootaloo set Saphira down in an alleyway and wiped her brow. “Where’d they go?”
Saphira sniffled and wiped the blood off her leg. “We have to get to the edge of the city. Hurry!”
Envy warped to the exit of the alleyway, blocking their path. “Let’s make this interesting,” she smirked, her horn glowing.
Scootaloo felt the joints where her wings connected to her torso pop. When the orange pegasus tried to take to the air, she found herself grounded, unable to move her wings. She was more clever than Envy gave her credit for, however. Leaping up and grabbing a clothesline, she swung herself over her adversary. Saphira rapidly started to climb the building despite her wound, her joints seemingly nonexistent as she bounded up the sides of the buildings. It looked like she was made of rubber, but she took an ordinary gallop once she was at the top.
Envy laughed, turning to face the fleeing Scootaloo. “You’d better run,” she chuckled.
The edge of Canterlot was now in sight. Scootaloo ran up to the border, but slammed against an invisible wall, as did Saphira.
Scootaloo felt the shimmering barrier. “B-But... No!” she screamed. We were so close!
Envy ambled up behind them. “I suppose it would be a bad cliché to tell you to ‘say your prayers.’”
Scootaloo glanced at the panicking blue teen beside her. No... I’m not going to let another pony down! She grabbed Saphira and took off running.
“Oh, please,” Envy complained, rolling her eyes and stopping Scootaloo and Saphira in their tracks with a line of fire. “Accept your fate.”
“Never!” Scootaloo yelled. She turned around and tried to run the other direction, but with the exact same result.
“You just don’t know when to quit,” Envy laughed. “Please, continue. It’s amusing.”
Something inside Scootaloo burst. She plowed toward Envy and ducked at the last second, propelling herself forward. Envy was surprised, but not because Scootaloo had escaped. It was how Scootaloo escaped.
Scootaloo was skating along the ground as if it were an ice slick, with Saphira following close behind.
Envy raised an eyebrow, making no attempt to pursue them. “...Interesting. She may make a good host after all.”
Scootaloo hurriedly ducked into a building and hid Saphira and herself in a jar of a sticky substance.
*******
A few minutes later, they heard hoofsteps. Scootaloo tried to make herself as small as possible while remaining silent inside her vat, and she had no doubt Saphira was doing the same.
A beam of light made its way onto Scootaloo’s face a few moments later, and her heart nearly stopped.
“And in an herb shop, no less,” the irritated voice of Lorey muttered.
“Lorey?” Saphira asked, tentatively looking up at him. “Wh-What are you d-doing here?”
“You have to hide,” Lorey warned. “The Elements of Harmony are about to storm Canterlot, and I don’t believe they’ll be any more merciful to you than to me. And take Scootaloo with you; if the Daymare can’t find her, she can’t use her as leverage.”
“What do you mean, leverage?” Scootaloo asked. “And why do you care? You should be turning us in.”
“I don’t like wasting lives,” Lorey explained, “and by leverage, I mean that Envy and the Daymare are going to use you against your friends.”
Scootaloo stared. That’s why I’ve been kept alive all this time, and why they didn’t want me to escape!
“However, if you act fast, you can hide and flee when they come,” Lorey said. “You must leave now, however, before the Daymare or Envy finds you, understand?” He looked urgently at them. “Hurry! Go!”
Lorey charged up a teleport and vanished.
Scootaloo went to leave, but Saphira grabbed the orange pegasus’s sticky shoulder.
“What? Didn’t you hear him?” Scootaloo asked. “And why the sudden change of heart? Why are you following me?”
“Scootaloo, I-I think that... I th-think...” she trailed off, having difficulty finding the words. “I want to join your side. I’ve been t-thinking about it, and to be honest,” she swallowed, “death is a better option than a life of murder.”
“...Okay, Saphira,” Scootaloo said hesitantly. “Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Saphira exclaimed, pointing to Scootaloo’s flank. “Y-You... You ha-have...”
Scootaloo looked at her flank and paused in shock. A mark had appeared on it; a pair of roller skates.
=====================================================================
*******
The Elements of Harmony arrived at the ruins of Canterlot.
Luna had applied a potion to Dash’s wounds, and the blue warrior had leapt back into action a little later. Lyvia’s going to regret the day she crossed me, she thought angrily as she walked onward.
Everything was crumbling; there was not a single building that was unaffected by three years of wear and tear. As they walked through the ruined city, the Elements could only wonder what awaited them, and what awaited the world.
I just want Sweetie Belle to be safe, Rarity muttered to herself as she glanced worriedly at the young mare beside her. As long as we make it out of this alive, I think I’ll be okay with whatever happens.
That Lyvia mare needs a kick in the hindquarters for calling me ‘sweetheart,’ Applejack muttered to herself, and Lorey’s going to get a good beating for impersonating my sis, too. She shifted her hat to make sure a bright red bow was inside.
Where are you, Scootaloo? Dash looked up toward the ruined castle, pleading for her young companion to be safe. If she’s been hurt, I’ll never forgive myself. Please, Scootaloo, please be alright!
Pinkie glanced at Rainbow Dash, whose wings were ignited in fury and worry. She spread a little of her energy to the pegasus in order to calm her down. Anger isn’t what we need to be feeling right now; we all have to be in tip-top shape for the final battle, she thought. Why do all my friends look like they’re about to do something mean?
Fluttershy stared in awe at the castle, and suddenly felt apprehensive. We’re supposed to go in there and fight the Daymare? I wonder if we’ll ever make it out... No, I won’t think like that! We have to win! And... um... then what?
Twilight wanted to end the conflict. Too long has this gone on without us noticing. We need to put an end to it, once and for all. If that means giving up my life, then I can die without regret, because I know I’ve saved the world. That’s enough for me. But... making it out alive would be nice too, I guess.
I finally get to avenge Equestria and give Envy his just desserts! Luna thought excitedly. I’ve let far too many ponies die. It’s time to finish this. Envy and Arrogance will pay.
I wonder if Scootaloo is okay, Sweetie Belle thought to herself. And Apple Bloom, too. I hope her sickness isn’t bothering her too much. Maybe this can end well after all. Then we can go back to being the Cutie Mark Crusaders again.
This is it, Olly thought. The moment of truth. Either we win, or we don’t. And I, for one, am very excited to see how this all turns out.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 15 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-05-21T22:49:54+00:00
|
2012-05-21T22:49:54+00:00
| 3,387 |
Chapter Fifteen
*******
The Elements were wandering through the ruined halls of inner Canterlot until they finally came across the gate to the central portion of the city.
“This is the main castle,” Luna said. “The Daymare is inside.”
Just then, a red pegasus swooped down in front of the entrance.
“Heh, guess this is where it ends,” Lyvia muttered, but it was so quiet in the ruins that everypony heard her. “Either I die, or you die.”
“We don’t want to kill you,” Twilight said. “I’ll grant you full amnesty right now if you step aside and allow us to enter.”
Lyvia chuckled. “That simple, huh? Well, Twilight, right? There’s three reasons I became an assassin. One, I’m good at it. Two I enjoy it. Three, well, I’ve always felt the need to put you stubborn do-gooders to rest. Cheery attitudes just aren’t my thing. You say murder, I say population control, you know the drill. But I guess there are just some times you just have to lay your sword to rest.”
Lyvia plunked herself down square in front of the doorway. Tendrils of energy flew through the air, making the door and Lyvia’s life force one and the same.
Twilight gritted her teeth. This is a rock-and-hard place decision. If we let Lyvia be, we’ll sit here for the rest of our lives. The walls are magically reinforced in case of an attack, we’d never be able to knock them down. But if we try to kill her, we’ll only be proving the entire purpose of Discord. We won’t be any better than they are.
“Step aside,” Luna ordered.
“You and I both know that in order to get through this doorway, you’re going to have a take an innocent life,” Lyvia yawned.
Applejack snorted. “Innocent?”
Lyvia shrugged. “I’m not throwing any punches; you want to kill me, you kill me. And hey, I do deserve it, don’t I?”
Oh, great, Dash grumbled to herself. Loopholes 1-0-1.
“Your choice,” Lyvia said, stretching out on the floor, her belly to the ceiling. “I’m wide-open.”
“Coward,” Dash growled. “Why don’t you just fight us and get it over with?”
Lyvia shrugged. “I’m just not in the mood. There are days for slaughter and days for peace. For me? Well, it depends on how much time I have to buy for the higher-ups,” she smirked.
The group stood there for what seemed like hours before something happened.
“If you won’t throw the first punch, then I will!” the group heard somepony say.
A blue earth pony ran up and pounced on a slightly unprepared Lyvia. She tried her best to disable the mercenary, but Lyvia knew all her tricks, and she tossed her against a wall. “Saphira? What are you doing?!”
“Saphira?!” Rarity asked in shock.
An orange pegasus swooped along the side of a wall and dive-bombed Lyvia, but was still only able to throw a few punches, having lost the element of surprise.
“And Scootaloo!” Dash exclaimed, happiness flooding her system.
“Why, Saphira?” Lyvia asked in shock.
“B-Because I don’t want to kill any more ponies!” Saphira yelled. “I don’t want to have any more ponies d-die at my hooves. Please, Lyvia, you can help us win!”
Lyvia turned away, biting her lip and hiding her face from the group. She didn’t say anything for a few moments, but she didn’t lash out at Saphira in retaliation, either.
Is she... crying? Applejack thought, craning her neck.
“Don’t you understand?” Saphira asked earnestly. “You could have a life again. Like b-before the war.”
Lyvia laughed sadly, wiping her eyes. “Kid, you have no idea what my life was like before the war.” She turned around, slowly advancing on the young earth pony. “It was miserable. It was a waste. Just like yours is now!” she shouted, stomping her hoof on the ground in frustration. “You’re throwing your life away for these... these clowns!”
“They’re not c-clowns, they’re my friends!” Saphira defended.
“We were supposed to be sisters!” Lyvia yelled bitterly, blinking back tears. “Don’t you even care?”
“Lyvia, this isn’t the life I want to lead,” Saphira said. “N-Not anymore.” She walked up to Lyvia and looked up at her. “Please, Lyvia, don’t you understand?”
Lyvia closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she smacked Saphira clear across the room, where she fell to the ground limply.
“Saphira!” Scootaloo yelled to the fallen earth pony. She turned angrily to Lyvia. “She’s your friend! Can’t you see that she’s trying to help you?”
Lyvia stared at them. “I thought that she was different. I thought a lot of ponies were something greater than they actually were. Look where that’s gotten me. But y’know what? I’m done with this,” she said, fury alight in her eyes. “I’m through with every single pony in this miserable country you call Equestria!”
*******
Twilight and the others prepared for battle. This is the moment of truth, Twilight thought.
“I hope you realize that you’re all officially dead,” Lyvia snarled, preparing herself for an attack.
“Bring it on!” Dash yelled, igniting her mane.
Lyvia leapt up to the ceiling and dive-bombed Luna. The alicorn was able to deflect Lyvia with her magic, but this was just what the mercenary had hoped for. She used the extra propulsion to slice Applejack’s chest open, barely missing her neck.
“Man, are you bad at this!” She sneered at the wounded earth pony. “I’m two for two!”
Applejack leapt up at the mercenary, but Lyvia simply dodged and kicked the wounded mare aside. Dash swooped around the red marauder, but Lyvia swiped her metal-tipped hoof at Dash’s neck, earning Lyvia another scream for her collection. Lyvia then twisted Dash’s wing and kicked her to the floor.
Fluttershy caught Dash and set her down gently. The blue warrior’s flames had gone out when she went unconscious. Twilight and Rarity attacked the assassin with their magic, but it wasn’t enough, and Lyvia knocked both of them aside.
“Man, am I on a roll today!” she screeched, following up her attack on Twilight with a headbutt and a few deft swipes to her belly with blood-stained hooves.
“Get away from her!” Rarity screamed, attempting to run Lyvia off of Twilight, but the mercenary simply did a backflip and slammed Rarity into the ground. Lyvia’s heartbroken tears flew all over the room as the marauder continued to fight with all her passion and drive.
How could she be so skilled? Luna gasped as the Elements of Harmony, one by one, started to fall to the lone pegasus. The moon goddess took a brief moment of opportunity and trapped Lyvia in a bubble-shaped forcefield.
Lyvia started to bang on the magic, but Luna held the spell strong. Lyvia opened a compartment in her sharp metal hoof tips, and it sparked with electricity. Luna screamed in pain as the damaging energy shot through her bubble, destroying it and frying her horn.
“You think I hadn’t thought of that?” Lyvia asked, glowering upon the godess. “You pick up a few things working for an omnipotent goddess.”
Applejack, Twilight, Luna, Rarity, and Dash were down. The ones left, namely Olly, Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and Pinkie, did their best to defeat their adversary.
Olly levitated some shards of glass from the floor and tried to shoot them at Lyvia, but he didn’t have enough time to aim, and Lyvia either dodged them or deflected them with her metal-plated hooves. She got in close and smacked him to the side.
Fluttershy tried to get under Lyvia and attack her, but her attempts were feeble. Oldest trick in the book, Lyvia thought as she did a frontflip and slammed Fluttershy to the floor, where her vision blurred and her consciousness threatened to give in to the pain.
Scootaloo tried to dodge attacks by surfing along a wall with her frictionless hooves, but Lyvia quickly caught on and pinned Scootaloo by her wing to the wall, breaking the fragile appendage. Screaming in pain, Scootaloo fell to the floor.
“Sorry, kid,” Lyvia muttered, “but I know my place.”
As Lyvia looked for the others that were still standing, she was wrenched backward. Somepony had grabbed her mane and was holding on tight. Lyvia turned to try and find her aggressor, but she was unsuccessful until she flew into the air. Scootaloo, who had been clinging to her, lost her grip and slid down to Lyvia’s tail.
“Oh, so you wanna play?” Lyvia growled. She flipped, rocketing Scootaloo to the wall. However, Scootaloo was able to make use of the propulsion, slide up the wall, leap, and slam back into Lyvia.
Lyvia flew backward, yelling in pain as Scootaloo headbutted her, but the recoil was too much for a young pegasus to handle. Scootaloo fell to the floor, limp, this time for good. Lyvia wiped blood off the corner of her mouth. “Alright, gloves off!”
Lyvia landed and galloped toward Pinkie, who was completely unprepared for the sudden rush. With a buck to the chest and a hoof in the stomach, she was down, as well.
That left Sweetie Belle.
“You’re the last of ‘em, huh?” Lyvia growled, wiping her eyes. “I hope you know that I’m not going to enjoy killing you. But nopony seems to care ‘bout me, either. I tried to convince them that I wasn’t a monster, but they wouldn’t listen. That’s why I became one.”
Sweetie Belle was backed up to the wall. Rarity looked up to see her sister being slowly approached by the pegasus that obliterated their entire group, and suddenly felt an entire ocean of rage boil inside of her.
No! Not like the others! Not like Apple Bloom! Rarity screamed to herself, willing her body up. I won’t let her die!
“I wish you knew how much pain I felt when my friends first betrayed me three years ago,” Lyvia seethed. “It’s only gotten worse. I’ve been lied to left and right from then ‘til now. I tried giving everypony a second chance, but you give an inch, and they take a mile.”
Rarity silently limped up behind her assailant, and prepared herself.
“I hope you have fun wherever you’re going to end up,” Lyvia hissed, biting back tears. “It’s better than here... trust me.”
Sweetie Belle was pressed up against the wall, pure terror showing in her young eyes as tears fell down her face. No... I... I still have to save Apple Bloom...
“Get away from her!” Rarity screamed. Startled, Lyvia turned around, but that was just the opportunity Rarity was waiting for. She used her horn to slice open Lyvia’s neck.
But she didn’t stop there.
The screaming, enraged Rarity also followed up with a kick, further breaking Lyvia’s nose and sending her sprawling. Before she could recover, Rarity stabbed her horn into the marauder’s chest.
Panting, Rarity removed her blood-soaked horn from Lyvia’s body.
“No…” Lyvia murmured, her life slowly fading away. “Not like this…”
*******
Saphira got up and silently walked over to the bleeding Lyvia. “Lyvia...?” she asked, lying down by the dying pegasus. She took one of Lyvia’s hooves in hers. “Please, say something, Lyvia.”
Lyvia exhaled. “H-Hey, kid.”
“Y-You’re alright,” Saphira smiled, pressing her head against the bleeding pegasus.
“Not... not for long, Saphira,” Lyvia mumbled, her eyes beginning to glaze over.
“No, Lyvia, do-don’t say that!” Saphira said, her eyes watering.
Lyvia lifted one of her hooves up to Saphira’s cheek. “Sorry, Saphira... I can’t protect you anymore. I wish I was a better friend,” she said, before grunting and going limp. Her blood was rapidly forming a small pool.
“No, Lyvia, please stay alive, please!” Saphira begged, sobs shaking her tiny frame. “Lyvia...!”
“Chin up, kid,” Lyvia said weakly, her final tears sliding down her cheek. “We’re sisters, right? I’ll see you... see you again...” Then she was still. The shimmering force that had barred the way slowly evaporated as Lyvia took her last breath.
The battered and bruised party looked up at Rarity, who had finally ended the battle. But she had also ended something else; something she had never wanted to end. She had ended a life.
Am I the murderer now? Rarity thought to herself, staring at the body that laid in front of her. Two wrongs don’t make a right... They never make a right. “I’m so sorry, Saphira.”
“It’s not y-your fault,” Saphira whimpered, tightly hugging Lyvia’s body. “Sh-she tried to kill all of us. I just w-wanted her to b-be alive. I w-wa-wanted...” she trailed off, crying too hard to continue.
Sweetie Belle was still terrified, but was slowly beginning to calm down. The horror of the situation was starting to ebb.
The calm after the battle was unbearable. Everypony was just sitting there, waiting for something to happen. Perhaps Lyvia would just jump up and attack them all again. Perhaps the Daymare would revive her. But nothing did happen, and Lyvia’s bloodied and broken body would lay there, motionless, until somepony else removed it. Lyvia was dead.
Lyvia was dead.
Why...? Why do I feel the need to repeat that, over and over? Twilight thought as she stared at the blood-stained pelt of the fallen warrior. It all happened so quickly.
Are we going to have to do this again? Pinkie thought, looking away from the corpse in the center of the room. I’ve never seen Rarity get so upset.
Luna was the most shocked. The fact that Rarity could have so much rage inside her heart that she lost control of her actions and killed a pony... Taking a life is the most selfish thing anypony could ever do. You only get one.
This could happen to any of us, Dash thought. To kill a pony, whether they deserve it or not, is something we all might have to do. Over and over again. How are we supposed to live with ourselves after this is all over?
Slowly, though, the stunned group pulled itself together. They gathered in a bunch, and Sweetie Belle sang her song to alleviate the injuries the battle had inflicted on the group.
But there was still the question of Saphira.
“Can we trust her, Scootaloo?” Dash asked.
Scootaloo nodded, and showed her cutie mark to the group, her roller skate. “She helped me to get this.”
“You got your cutie mark?!” Dash asked in shock.
“Yep,” Scootaloo said. “Thanks to her,” she added, glancing at the quiet and somber earth pony sitting next to her.
“Well, why do ya want ta join the group?” Applejack asked.
“B…Be-Because you f-fight the good fight,” Saphira stammered. “I d-don’t want to live a li-life where I have t-to hurt ponies. Not like Lyvia...” she trailed off, struggling not to cry.
“Come here,” Fluttershy said, pulling the upset earth pony into a soft hug. “If you fight with us, then everything will be alright. I promise.”
“Th-Thanks,” Saphira murmured, though she didn’t make eye contact.
She’s holding something back, Applejack remarked. I can see it in her eyes. There’s something on their side that’s making her nervous of joining us, and it’s not Lyvia. Either that, or she’s lying, and I don’t think she is.
“Well, a friend a Scootaloo’s is a friend a mine,” Applejack finally said. “If we finish this battle, ya can come home with me until ya get settled.”
Saphira smiled. “Th-Thank you. I’ll fight my hardest, I promise.”
“Well, now that everything’s all hunky-dorey, I believe we have to exterminate Equestria’s biggest cockroach,” Olly said cheerfully.
“What would that make Envy?” Twilight asked.
“Equestria’s second-biggest cockroach,” Olly said.
Rarity nodded. She had wiped the blood off her horn. “Let’s go.”
Far above them, on a balcony, a blue-green unicorn was watching the group with a mix of expressions on his face, but most of them resembling remorse and guilt.
=====================================================================
Trixie stood outside the entrance to the Daymare’s throne room. I’m going to die soon, aren’t I? she silently asked herself. I’m sorry, Equestria, for failing you. I don’t want to fight against you, I don’t! But I can’t do anything else, except hope that I die. Hope that I make it easy for them. The chains around her hooves glowed with nervous energy.
Just then, Lorey jumped down from above. Trixie noticed, but didn’t lift her head up to meet his eyes.
That’s why she was moderately surprised when feeling flooded back into her legs and body.
“Go,” Lorey hissed. “I may not be able to outwit her spell for long, but you should have plenty of time to get to the Elements of Harmony before the spell kicks back in.”
Trixie stared at the now limp, mundane chains that hung at her hooves. They still glowed with a faint magical energy, but they no longer dictated her actions.
“Thank you,” Trixie said earnestly. “I’ll be sure to reward you for-”
“Hurry,” Lorey interrupted, looking at Trixie urgently. He vanished in a burst of magical energy.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 16 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-07-23T18:09:05+00:00
|
2012-07-23T18:09:05+00:00
| 3,605 |
Chapter Sixteen
*******
Arrogance, lying casually across her throne, flipped through a small book. She was using telekinesis to levitate a quill and ink in midair beside her. She scribbled something inside the pages. Dear diary...
Envy walked into the throne room. “Sister,” she called.
Arrogance hurriedly tossed the diary to the side. “Y-Yes, Envy?”
“What was that?” Envy asked.
“Um, nothing,” Arrogance said quickly. “Your report?”
“Um...” Envy said warily. “Saphira, Lorey, and Trixie have betrayed us, Lyvia is dead, and the Elements of Harmony are on our doorstep. We finally have worthy opponents, for the first time in centuries. If we follow the plan, we will have set the stage for Deception.”
“Ugh, I hate losing,” Arrogance rubbed her eyes.
“Everything must go according to Deception’s plan, sister. You know that,” Envy said sternly. “I believe I need another body, though, in order to carry out this task.”
“That Trixie girl should do just fine; she never was much of an asset to us anyways,” Arrogance sighed, resting her head on her front legs.
“What’s wrong, sister?” Envy asked.
“Why can’t I be in charge?” Arrogance sighed. “I’m perfectly capable. Justice may have her ideas of a perfect world, but my Dreamscape is an absolute Utopia!”
Envy laughed. “You know the rules! Besides, Deception has never been wrong before. Harmony within Discord, remember? The world is at our mercy as long as we follow her lead.”
“Yes, Envy, but why do we have to give it mercy?” Arrogance complained.
“Because our leader commands us to,” Envy explained. “And besides, you know the golden rule of Discord: We’re always winning if we’re having fun.”
“Bleh, that’s such a lame rule,” Arrogance sneered. “Why couldn’t it be something more dark and sinister?”
“You would have named it the ‘Nightmarish Rule of Consequential Discord—’ yadda, yadda, yadda,” Envy said. “I’m still a bit peeved at you for calling me Nightmare Moon. I know I lost the bet, but sheesh.”
“It’s a perfectly applicable name!” Arrogance defended.
“What is this, a children’s cartoon?” Envy sneered. “You’re more suited to creative writing than to ruling an empire.”
Arrogance hmph’d. “Well, that’s one more thing I have that you don’t.”
“I wouldn’t suppose that includes a brain,” Envy muttered under her breath. “They’ll be here in a few minutes; you might want to prepare yourself.”
“A goddess such as I doesn’t need to prepare herself,” Arrogance said.
Envy glanced at her before leaving the room to prepare. I wish I had your self-confidence... but then again, I don’t.
=====================================================================
*******
The Elements of Harmony and company made their way up to their final destination, but their resolve was shaken. Like most new soldiers that get into their first real battle, they were startled by the conclusion, which is always death.
I knew I would have to end some lives, Dash thought to herself. I didn’t like it, but I knew. But now that I’ve actually helped kill somepony... I feel empty.
There was no friendly banter as they made their way up to the throne room, now only a few minutes walk away.
We should be planning our strategy, Twilight thought absently. We should at least be a little nervous. But why aren’t we? Why do I just feel so guilty? Lyvia deserved to die, didn’t she? She was a heartless monster! So why do I feel so ashamed? Why do I feel like I’m the evil villain? Am I still the hero after what I just helped accomplish?
Twilight looked up to see a blue unicorn clanging toward them with shackles around her legs.
“Trixie!” Twilight yelled, adopting a battle stance. “Stay back!”
“No, Twilight, I’m in control now!” Trixie yelled before they could start attacking her. “Please, there isn’t much time, I need you to break me out of these bonds before they come alive again!”
“Careful, it might be a trick,” Luna warned.
Twilight squinted, her horn glowing with magical energy as she felt out the magic in Trixie’s chains. It was faint, but the malicious magic was still there. It feels like the magic is asleep, somehow, Twilight thought.
“No, this is the real Trixie,” Twilight said. “I can tell because her chains are the same.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Pinkie said. “C’mon, help her out!”
“It’s not that simple,” Luna said. “This is a Lock-and-Key spell; only one pony can get her out, and that’s the one with the key.”
“Well, can’t you pick the lock?” Olly suggested.
Twilight sighed. “It would take time.”
“Time that we do not have to spare!” Luna persisted.
“Luna, Trixie’s chains are probably more dangerous than Lyvia’ll ever be,” Applejack said. “She hogtied all a us and presented us to Envy like pumpkins in front of a judgin’ table.”
“She’d be much more helpful as a friend,” Fluttershy pointed out. “Trixie really wants to help us.”
Trixie nodded vigorously. “You’re the one that sent me, Princess! Please help me out, I’ll do anything!”
Luna sighed. “Twilight, you help me break Trixie out. The rest of you stand back in case she attacks.”
Twilight and Luna gradually began to feel out the magic. They slowly wrapped their minds around the twists and turns of the lock, looking for the keyhole, or the tumblers, or some part of the metaphorical mechanism. After a few minutes of silent concentration, they found what they were looking for.
The shackles clicked open, and fell at Trixie’s hooves. She stepped out of them, and rubbed her bruised legs.
“Th-Thank you,” Trixie said earnestly. “I won’t forget this.”
“You did all you could, but I’m afraid I have to ask you to aid us a little longer,” Luna said.
“Are you kidding?” Trixie laughed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has been looking for an excuse to beat those senseless barbarians ever since they dared to imprison her!”
Pinkie smiled. “Glad to see you’re excited!”
“Aren’t you?” Trixie looked at Pinkie. “We finally get the opportunity to get back what we’ve lost! Finally, I can feel the magic coursing through my blood again!”
Trixie’s horn lit up, and a bright flash of light escaped from it, brightening the room. A warm glow spread over the Elements.
“Losing isn’t an option,” Trixie snarled. “I’m getting my revenge on that nasty Daymare, and don’t try to stop me!”
I remember why I’m here! Applejack growled to herself. There are ponies that need my help!
“Who will have the honor of helping the Great and Powerful Trixie?” Trixie asked, beginning to lead the way toward the throne room.
Dash’s red eyes lit up with excitement. “Right behind you!” she said.
=====================================================================
*******
They made it to the throne room. This was it. This was the sum of their entire journey, their entire livelihoods. They were confronting the Daymare.
But it didn’t quite go as expected.
The Daymare sat on her throne looking down upon the Elements with Envy by her side, not saying anything for a long while. An chill spread through the group’s spines with the antagonist’s glare, silencing even Trixie and Dash. Then, after five minutes that seemed like five hours, she asked, “Are you proud of yourselves?”
“Huh?” Pinkie asked.
The Daymare stepped down from her throne. “Look, I’m immortal. With or without this pathetic body of your overrated sun goddess. Really, I’m the one you should be bowing down to, because unlike your Celestia here, I’m not only immortal, I’m eternal. Even more than the soil that you use to grow your wheat. There will always be Arrogance. Forever. And ever.
“So why do you even care?” she continued. “Even if you defeat me, I’ll be back in a month, and what’s more, the lives that I take will never come back. Discord will always exist, no matter how much you want to pinch yourselves and wish it was just a nightmare. ‘Cause it is a nightmare, my little Elements of Harmony,” the Daymare sneered, placing extra emphasis on those last words.
“Do you even realize how little you mean to me? You’re merely a speed bump. A crack in a sidewalk. I could wait until you die of old age and then kill every single pony on the planet. But where’s the fun in that? No, I have to make you fear me, just so that I have a tiny little bit more fun than usual,” the Daymare said. “Ask Luna; if it weren’t for Deception, the mastermind, the spy, and our leader, the world would have ended long ago.”
Twilight glanced up at Luna, astounded, but the goddess just hung her head in shame.
The Daymare laughed harshly. “You really have no idea, do you? Jeez, they don’t tell you anything over there, do they? You’ve been watched. Cataloged. Filed. All throughout your lives, no less. You’ve been watched by different sides of the same conflict. Or at least you would have been, if your leaders were competent.”
“Is that true?” Dash asked in shock.
Luna nodded sadly. “The forces of Discord were in complete control of your lives, from beginning to end. But…” She looked up. “Just because you think the Elements of Harmony are useless doesn’t mean that we won’t keep fighting! It is our sole purpose to protect Equestria. Futility is irrelevant; if we don’t fight for those who can’t fight for themselves, who will?”
“You expect us to just sit here and do nothing?!” Trixie asked in indignant shock. “The nerve! After everything you’ve done to me, you think I’ll go down without a struggle? Never!”
Envy looked at her. “I suppose that’s one way to put it, but our real question is, why bother? You’ll only end up dead in the end. Why not just… give up?”
Dash stepped forward, her red eyes ablaze with determination. “I fight for honor. I fight so that I can help those around me, I fight so that can I help my friends through their pains, I win battles that others can’t. I represent the will of a nation, the strength of an army, and the principles that have governed our world since the beginning of time. I am Loyalty, and I will never give up to evil when my country needs me, and it is my duty to dispose of all threats to peace.”
Pinkie nodded and stepped forward, her blue eyes shining with passion. “I fight so that ponies all across the globe can have those little moments… the moments when you can throw back your head and laugh. In a world ruled by Discord, ponies live under constant fear. I fight so that they can enjoy what life they have! Because you only get one, and giving up is a waste of a life! I am Humor, and as long as a pony is still sad or lonely, then my job isn’t completed.”
Rarity stepped forward. “I fight so that ponies learn to forgive and forget. I keep ponies from simply caring about themselves and their own survival; I spread love so that ponies will help the weak and the sick survive. I will never, ever, allow ponies to give up on each other, and I will never, ever give up on my friends. I will give my life to save the world, and as Generosity, I want everypony in Equestria to be able to do that.”
Applejack stepped forward. “Ah fight so that ponies will learn ta be honest, and never ta keep harmful secrets or turn on each other. Ah can’t let ponies live in fear a bein’ lied to or betrayed, and as long as there’re still ponies out there that can’t be perfectly honest with everypony around them, then mah job isn’t done. Not yet. Ah’m Honesty, and ta be perfectly truthful, Ah don’t even know what ‘givin’ up’ means,” she added with a wry smile.
Fluttershy stepped forward. “I, like Dash, fight so that I can protect the weak. But I also protect the innocent; I will never allow a life to be wasted if I have something to say about it. I will never give up on somepony who needs me. At the end of the day, if everypony is kind to each other, then I have fulfilled my duty. If not, as Kindness, I still have a job to do. And like your job, Arrogance, my duty is eternal. I will never allow that task of mine to fall into disrepair.”
Twilight finally stepped forward, ahead of everypony else in the line. “I fight for my friends. As long as that inseparable bond can exist between two ponies, as long as two ponies can become friends, best friends, even lovers, then I will come into battle with the fury of a hurricane to protect the sacred ties that exist between ponies, the bonds that I have to make sure exist between all of us. I am Friendship, and giving up will never be an option for me, never again. I will push forward as long as there is something to fight for, and I will endure the harshest of conditions in order to protect Equestria.”
They did not prepare these speeches, but to those watching, it felt like they had rehearsed them for days on end until it was so heartfelt that it brought tears to some of the others’ eyes.
“I suppose that about sums it up,” the Daymare said, unimpressed. “A very nice little speech you’ve dredged up out of the depths of that junk you call a heart.”
“Sister,” Envy began, “I do believe it’s time to end this little group of pests. But I will need a new body to do so.”
“Medium or well done?” the Daymare grinned evilly.
“Medium well,” Envy said, glaring into the center of the group.
“So be it,” the Daymare said.
The Daymare’s eyes flared with bright energy. There was a flash, a crack of lightning, and a scream. Then silence.
Twilight got up; the force of the blast had knocked her over. But what she saw in the center made her heart turn to stone.
It was Trixie.
The blue mare was lying in the center of the blast; everypony else had been knocked aside. She was limply lying there, like she was only sleeping. Smoke drifted from the corner of her mouth. Trixie was dead, and she didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.
“No…” Fluttershy said, tears brimming in her eyes. She looked up at the Daymare, struggling not to cry. “How could you?!”
Envy ignored the weeping pegasus. “I said medium well, not well done!” she snapped at the Daymare.
“It will have to do, brother,” the Daymare said calmly.
Envy mumbled something, but prepared for her transformation. She opened her mouth far wider than it ever should have been able to, and a black mist similar to the pattern on Nightmare Moon’s mane drifted up from her lungs.
It must be her soul... Twilight gaped as Lyra’s body fell to the ground limply. Please, Lyra, please be alive! she hoped, but it was a feeble wish. Lyra was still.
The group watched in horror as the mist quickly inserted itself into Trixie. The Elements of Harmony watched, motionless, powerless to stop Envy from invading the body of their friend that was alive less than a minute before.
The transformation began. Trixie’s pelt turned a dark purple color, almost maroon, her pale blue mane and tail becoming a light purple to complement it. Getting up, she shed her wizard’s hat and cloak. Her cutie mark turned into a fiendish sickle that encased a dark flame. But what completed the transformation were her slitted magenta eyes.
Trixie, or rather Envy, laughed. “What happened to the fire all of you had just a minute ago? Don’t tell me just one lighting bolt took that away from you.”
“It doesn’t really matter in the end,” the Daymare said, watching as the Elements and company prepared for battle. “They die, end of story.”
The battle began.
*******
The Daymare spread her wings and smiled as black energy started to swirl around the throne room. Dark blue lightning struck just outside the chamber as the stained glass windows began to crack and shatter. The Daymare’s slitted eyes glowed with white-hot energy.
Envy stepped back, her eyes wide. “Huh?”
“Are you surprised, brother?” the Daymare smirked, bowing her head low as her shadow started to twist and bend.
“To be honest, yes, quite,” Envy gaped.
Applejack stepped back, unnerved. Envy ain’t lying. Whatever stores of power the Daymare has in her, it’s a lot more than even he reckoned.
The floor of the throne room started to crack and eventually split down the middle, sending the heroes down into a deep darkness. They sunk through a thick, black syrup-like substance before being expunged into the middle of a wasteland. Cracked desert sands surrounded the small island of dirt they stood on. The small world the Daymare had created abruptly ended in an almost smothering darkness. A cloudy fog fell over the chunk of rock, slightly obscuring vision.
A single light shone through the fog, the Daymare’s fiery glow. Nearly silent whispers, deathly howls, and eerie groans echoed throughout the Daymare’s own nil dimension.
Fluttershy whimpered slightly to herself and shrunk back behind Dash. This is the Void...
“I wish you could fathom just how doomed you are,” the Daymare grinned, landing in front of the group. Her darkness slowly enclosed the area, preventing any escape by air.
“Enough,” Luna growled. “Your flashy darkness will do you no good against the powers of Harmony.”
“Well,” the Daymare smiled deviously. “Might as well make absolutely sure, right?”
Envy’s horn glowed as she used her now intense magical powers to spread flames all along the rim of the dirt island, which was only thirty meters in diameter. The heat of the white flames quickly dispersed the fog and the bright light almost blinded the group.
Envy leapt at Applejack, but instead of hitting her, she grabbed the orange mare and forced dark energy into her skull. Applejack limply hit the ground.
“One down, a few more to go,” the Daymare smirked, eyeing the group.
Twilight broke away from her fear and leapt at the Daymare, trying to stab the white alicorn in the neck with her horn. However, she simply tossed the purple mare aside and threw her into Rarity. Swooping overhead and plowing toward the center of the group, the Daymare launched Olly to the side of the arena. He narrowly missed the flames as he tumbled to the dirt. Saphira fared little better when she tried to disable the Daymare. With a swift kick, the Daymare clipped Saphira’s jaw, and she fell to the ground, the taste of blood in her mouth.
The Daymare snickered at their feeble attempts. “Jeez. I hope you’re just warming up, because that’s all I’ve been doing.”
Envy reappeared and took a swipe at Dash. The blue warrior leapt toward Envy and swiped at her with her hoof, but Envy simply kicked Dash in the jaw, flipping the pegasus onto her back before pounding repeatedly on her abdomen. Fluttershy, who was trying to bat off attacks from the Daymare, ran over and tackled Envy, knocking her aside. The Daymare flew over and bit down hard on Fluttershy’s mane and tossed her aside like a rag doll.
Envy was locked in a fierce battle with Rarity. Rarity tried to uppercut Envy with her hoof, but Envy merely stepped to the side, spinning under the blow and using the extra momentum to smack Rarity aside with her hoof. The white unicorn, using the momentum from the blow, rolled to her hooves as quickly as she could, yet despite her swiftest efforts to evade Envy, she was simply slammed into the ground once more.
“You think you’d be a little, I dunno, tougher?” the Daymare scoffed. Pinkie attempted to body-slam the white alicorn, but the Daymare simply swatted her into the dirt. Scootaloo flew above her adversary and landed hard on the Daymare’s snout. Dodging another blow, Scootaloo zipped under the Daymare and kicked her legs out from under her.
“What?” the Daymare yelped, getting up only to have Scootaloo kick her in the back of the head. Utilizing long coils of darkness, she grasped Scootaloo by the neck and strangled her into submission.
She threw Scootaloo aside, wiped blood off her nose, and cracked her neck as she prepared for battle once more. “Guess I stand corrected. Ah, well, can’t always have a perfect run.”
Luna shot a bolt of darkness at the Daymare, which her adversary dodged effortlessly, swooping overhead and preparing to crush the moon goddess. However, Luna managed to teleport above the Daymare. She quickly kicked the Daymare’s neck, and the immortal went flying into the flames.
“Ack!” the Daymare choked, hurriedly putting out her wings. She glared at Luna. “You’ll pay for that one.”
Luna grinned in triumph, but it was short-lived. True to her word, the Daymare manipulated the dark mini-dimension she had created, warping a spear of dark matter toward the moon goddess, who narrowly dodged. Instead, the shaft of the twisted black spear smacked her into the ground. She tried to get back up, but was too disoriented to do so.
The Daymare spit. “Psh. They don’t make goddesses like they used to, huh?”
“I tire of these games, sister,” Envy sighed, eyeing those that were still standing: Pinkie, Fluttershy, Twilight, Saphira, and the cowering Sweetie Belle.
The Daymare nodded, and a tiny bead of light appeared on her horn. “Lets see them dodge this.”
There’s no way we’ll survive another attack! Saphira gaped. Her mind blanked for a moment, but she quickly recovered herself and rushed behind Envy. She hastily kicked precise spots on Envy’s back legs just before being smacked aside by the Daymare. Envy grunted as she suddenly found herself unable to move properly.
“That’s for my dad!” Saphira yelled before being silenced with a blast of negative energy.
Twilight stumbled over to Applejack while the Daymare and Envy were distracted and used warm magic to revive the orange mare. Her eyes opening slowly, Applejack attempted to stagger to her feet, but fell, still too weak to properly fight. Twilight’s crown began to glow as she eyed Envy.
“On the count of three, Applejack,” Twilight muttered to the orange mare.
“Huh?” Applejack asked, slightly dazed. Her necklace began to glow.
“One, two...” Twilight murmured. Pinkie and Fluttershy’s necklaces had started to glow as well. “Three!”
Magical energy quickly flowed from Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy’s necklaces before being directed into Twilight’s crown. Twilight carefully directed the unstable magic toward the collapsed Envy, and it shot toward her with the force of a freight train. The Daymare shrieked as rainbow-colored energy plowed its way into Envy and drove her brother’s soul out of Trixie’s body.
Trixie’s body fell limply to the floor.
The Daymare murderously glared at Twilight and the few that were still standing. “Idiots,” she sneered.
Twilight smiled a bit. We may be in more trouble than we were before, she thought to herself.
The Daymare’s anger made the small area unstable, and bits and pieces of the island started to float about in the air. Pinkie yelped as a sharp rock poked her in the side.
Twilight ducked as the Daymare swiftly swatted where her head would have been. Pinkie leapt up and bit the Daymare’s mane, tugging her backward. Applejack followed up with a kick to the Daymare’s abdomen, but the orange mare was still weakened by her near-suffocation. Twilight instead leapt up and latched onto the Daymare’s muzzle, smothering her.
While the Daymare was distracted with Twilight, Fluttershy briskly tripped the villain while Saphira pounded on the Daymare’s back. She was being attacked from all sides.
Applejack once again leapt up and bucked the Daymare square in the flank. “That’s fer Trixie!” she yelled.
Ugh... the Daymare thought, the pain almost overwhelming her. She summoned all of her willpower and wrapped herself in flames, forcing them all back. “Amateurs!” she screamed. A high-pitched tone was heard as the Daymare’s already unstable energy nearly went out of control. The flames that were still surrounding the arena grew in intensity and brightened to a blinding white, superheating the entire area.
At this rate, we’ll burn to death! Twilight gasped, desperately trying to stay out of the scorching flames. I need to end this!
“I. Have. Had it!” the Daymare screeched, powering up once more and preparing to torch everypony inside the chamber.
Twilight charged up a superpowerful lightning bolt. I can’t miss this one! Purple energy crackled around her horn. When she fired, tendrils of bright magenta electricity shot their way from her horn into and through the Daymare’s chest, exiting the other side. Before they struck the edge of the chamber, however, Twilight turned her head sharply to the side. The lightning bent around and struck the Daymare again in the jaw before dissipating.
Her energy gone, the Daymare spat blood and tried to shake the dizziness out of her head. Time for plan B, she muttered to herself, glancing at her charred pelt and the cauterized hole in her chest. She spread her wings, and a gate opened up behind her, a brilliant golden gate. It silently glimmered in midair and didn’t look completely solid, as if it was unsure whether it was a solid or a liquid. The Daymare spoke a few quick incantations and leapt through.
The dimension collapsed. The darkness surrounding the heroes slowly morphed back into the Canterlot throne room. The golden gate remained.
*******
“What a mangy mutt,” Applejack muttered.
“She’s gone?!” Saphira asked. “But… b-but…”
“I almost had her, if I only had a little more time!” Twilight muttered in frustration.
“I-Is everypony alright?” Sweetie Belle asked. There was nothing left of the throne room except the craggy floor. The walls, windows, and tapestries had been destroyed, and the thrones were all but melted from the intensity of the battle.
Everypony was alive, besides Trixie and Lyra. With Sweetie Belle’s song, they were all healed rather quickly. They stood looking at the two bodies of their friends, standing in front of the open gateway to the Daymare’s stronghold.
“So many lives lost…” Luna muttered. “I’ve never seen anything like it before, not from Discord. Killing without morals, destruction without care, and no true desire to win at all. Deception must have finally lost her mind, and is trying to end the world.”
“Oh, poor Trixie,” Fluttershy cried. “She was just freed only to be killed by the same pony that imprisoned her. What an awful way to go.”
“Is there a good way to go?” Dash sighed. “That goes for Lyra, too. We have no idea how she was possessed, or where she was. And I personally don’t think we should spend the time worrying about it when we still have a job to do. It’ll just make us sad.”
Twilight nodded. “Yes, we should leave now, and have their funerals after we’ve won. The Daymare is still just as dangerous as ever.”
They made their way toward the gateway, toward their destiny. Small slivers of golden energy started to warp the room as curtains and stained glass windows started to fall apart like warm caramel. The gateway the Daymare had left behind seemed to lead into a syrupy mess of colors and sound, incomprehensible to anypony on the outside.
We’re going to save Equestria, Dash thought. The Daymare’s going down. One by one, they all hopped through into a world unknown.
Scootaloo nudged Saphira before she went through the portal. “That was some nice battling out there. You’re a real warrior.”
Saphira blushed. “Well, I guess,” she said modestly. “You f-fought really well, too.”
Scootaloo was almost through the gateway when Saphira stopped her.
“Scootaloo?” the blue earth pony asked.
“Yeah, Saphira?” Scootaloo asked.
“C-Can you protect me from her?” Saphira asked. “The Daymare?”
Scootaloo ran up and gave Saphira a big hug, startling the blue earth pony. “I won’t let you get hurt, Saphira. You’re... you’re like a sister.”
Saphira blushed, but she hugged back, her eyes watering. “Thanks, S-Scootaloo. I’ll try my hardest t-to keep you safe, too.”
The sisterly pair walked uncertainly through the portal.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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759
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-03-12T19:42:30+00:00
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2012-03-12T19:42:30+00:00
| 3,701 |
Chapter Seventeen
*******
Saphira slowly walked up to Scootaloo and brushed up against her side. The young earth pony’s eyes were wide. “Scootaloo?”
Scootaloo’s eyes were distant. “Yeah, Saphira?”
“I-I’m scared,” Saphira stammered.
Twilight and the others stood on the top of a large tower, overlooking a large city on yellow clouds. It was beautifully designed, and it even made Rarity gape in awe. The streets were paved with marble, and the buildings were lined with gold and platinum. The streetlamps looked all to be hoof-carved, and the sidewalks were made of soft grass. The entire city was resting on a cloud layer, and above it shone a brilliant yellow sun.
The ponies in this magnificent city of about a million and a half were all looking at one central point in the center of the city. Their expressions were blank, their eyes motionless and unblinking. A huge number of ponies looking toward one alicorn who was shouting commands in an unintelligible tongue, an ancient one.
Twilight looked on in horror. These ponies have been brainwashed! Dragged from their homes by this tyrant! They’ve all lost their sense of direction, their sense of self. Sent to this... this place.
Luna stared. I’ve heard of magic so powerful it can warp space and turn our very consciousness into virtual paste. This must be the most powerful of all of them, the ancient Dreamscape.
“This can’t stand,” Rarity growled. “I won’t let it.”
“Me neither,” Applejack said, gritting her teeth. “We’ve been gone way too long ta allow this ta keep happenin’. We’re goin’ head ta head with the Daymare; who’s with us?”
“You bet I am,” Olly said excitedly. “Let’s go.”
Dash nodded. “We have to protect Equestria, life or death.”
“We have to redeem ourselves,” Saphira said.
“And we have to fight for the good of everypony,” Twilight said.
The group watched as the commands were completed. The final fight had begun. Twilight, the leader, looked up at the Daymare, who was standing on the highest tower. All of the ponies in the city were staring at her and her friends.
“This ends now,” Twilight growled.
Twilight leapt off the building, the low gravity helping slow her descent. Dash, Fluttershy, and Scootaloo took to the air. Applejack skidded down the skyscraper, and Olly bounced between the walls. Saphira grabbed the side of the structure and skidded down while Pinkie and Rarity leapt across the canopy of the city.
“Lend me your strength,” Dash said softly, though it was so quiet in the city that they could hear each other from kilometers away.
The group began to glow with a warm red light, and they drifted into a central circle of consciousness. The key bond that they all shared began to link their minds and souls.
“Lend me your energy,” Pinkie said. The glow around all of them turned from red to purple. They all felt more invigorated than they ever had before in their life. Energy spread through their veins and heightened their senses.
Dash prepared for battle, igniting her wings and mane as her red eyes glowed with fury. Twilight drew upon her new reserves of strength, her horn glowing with power. Pinkie’s blue eyes shone and Luna prepared a magical shield as each of them descended.
However, the expected attack never began. The seemingly mindless ponies stepped aside. They were not armed; they weren’t wearing armor or brandishing weapons. They simply formed an honor guard and allowed the group to traverse the city streets unharmed.
“Twi, Ah’m a lil’ worried,” Applejack said, warily eyeing the ponies on either side of her. They blankly stared back.
“Why are all these ponies so zoned out?” Scootaloo asked.
“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted, picking up her already hurried pace to a sprint. The stares sent shivers down her spine. This is surreal.
The group made their way up the spire. It had a spiral staircase that went along the outside. Before long, they were face-to-face with their one adversary, their one nemesis, the single white alicorn that had started this entire catastrophe and killed so many ponies.
The Daymare.
“What have you done to these ponies, Daymare?” Luna asked.
The Daymare shrugged.“Look, I’m not going to waste much time on you. Win or lose, it will all go according to plan. And for the record, I could take you all on by myself.”
“What plan?” Twilight asked.
The Daymare raised a hoof to her lips. “Shh. It’s a secret. But there’s one hint I can give you.”
“What’s that?” Dash asked.
The Daymare smiled. “There’s no way we can lose,” she cackled. “Because I am the best!”
The Daymare began with a large series of blasts that blew some members of their group skyward. Dash recovered, but Olly flew onto the roof of a building and fell unconscious.
Twilight leapt up, charging up her horn, and it collided with the horn of her possessed mentor. They remained in contact, the Daymare crushing Twilight down to the ground while the young mare fought for her life.
Fluttershy tried to knock the Daymare aside, but the Daymare smacked her with such force that it broke the gentle pegasus’s wing.
“I’m not holding back this time!” The Daymare yelled as Fluttershy drifted downward from the spire. The Daymare pulled away from Twilight’s energy before almost overpowering her with a burst of sky-colored magic.
Dash charged up her front hoof, and it glowed with a crackling red energy. “Take this!” she screamed as her hoof collided with the Daymare’s face with enough force to knock down a building.
The Daymare simply shrugged it off. Dash flew back in shock; her hoof had made a visible dent in the Daymare’s face.
“You think you know what pain is,” the Daymare practically whispered. “Go ahead. Kill this body. I’ll thank you for it later!”
Pinkie tried to kick the Daymare’s legs out from under her, but the mighty leader simply reared up and crushed the earth pony’s chest, then kicked her off the side of the glass disc. Scootaloo had to swerve to catch the bleeding earth pony, but Pinkie was too heavy for her to keep aloft for long, and she was forced to deposit her at the base of the spire. Saphira attempted to disable the villain’s legs, but the Daymare simply warped to the other side of the platform.
“This isn’t possible,” Dash breathed. “You’re not supposed to be this strong!” she yelled, attempting to kick the Daymare. A powerful force field blocked her attack, though, and held her in place.
Golden blood flowed from the Daymare’s face. She puckered her lips at Dash, mocking her. “My sweet wittle Wainbow Dash… I was holding back. And I’m still holding back. Look, I’m in the world I created, you think I wouldn’t stack the odds in my favor?”
The Daymare used telekinesis to drag Dash under her, and then crushed the pegasus’s leg with one hoof. Dash screamed in unimaginable pain.
“Don’t hurt her!” Sweetie Belle yelled, running up toward the Daymare.
The Daymare glanced at her, and then kicked her aside. “You think you can tell me what to do? I’m in the body of the most powerful mortal on the planet!”
Luna dragged Dash aside and, in combination with Twilight, launched a beam of magic at the Daymare. It connected, but the Daymare didn’t even flinch.
“That can’t be possible!” Twilight gasped.
“Good, now you know what you’re up against,” the Daymare grinned, slowly approaching the group. Her eyes were murderous. “Let’s have some fun!”
Twilight blinked back tears. I won’t fail! She charged up a beam of friendship, calling on her friends to aid her, but the Elements of Harmony were too weak. When she fired, her eyes didn’t glow, and the Daymare simply dodged.
Luna ran up and tried to attack the adversary, but it wasn’t enough. The Daymare manipulated the blue alicorn’s hooves and pinned her down.
The Daymare smiled sinisterly, her ichor dripping onto Luna’s face and down the moon goddess’s cheek.“Sweet dreams,” the Daymare giggled before snapping Luna’s neck. She collapsed limply to the surface of the blood-stained glass, unconscious but alive.
Applejack tried attacking the Daymare, but her attempts were futile. With a quick swipe and a stab, the Daymare skewered Applejack’s midsection with her horn and tossed her aside.
“Honesty. Completely worthless,” the Daymare said with a sneer while deflecting an attack from Rarity. “Why be honest when you control an empire? You can make those idiots under you believe anything you want!”
Applejack tried to get up, but yelled in pain. Blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth. “It’s over, Twi, Ah… Ah can’t go on.”
Scootaloo tried the same tactic she had used in the previous battle, sliding under the Daymare in an attempt to trip her, but the Daymare wasn’t one to fall for the same trick twice. She blocked Scootaloo’s path with her hoof, and when Scootaloo tried to dodge, she struck her with a blast of air, almost knocking her off the tower.
As she saw her friend blasted up into the air, Sweetie Belle started to sing in desperation, but the Daymare was upon her before she had even finished the first verse.
“You won’t be able to sing without a mouth!” the Daymare yelled as she kicked Sweetie Belle in the jaw. “Demon spawn!”
“No!” Rarity yelled, rage once again overtaking her system. Her necklace pulsed a bit, but it faded quickly. “Monster!”
The Daymare quickly turned around and smacked Rarity into the spire. “What a waste. You might have made a good body for me if Generosity hadn’t gotten to you first. It’s kind of a shame; you’re really beautiful. A body to be envious of, for sure. And certainly one to be proud of,” she licked her lips. “Yes, once I kill you, you’ll make a fine body.”
Rarity blinked back tears. I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle, I couldn’t protect you.
Twilight slowly got up. “Th-This isn’t through!”
The Daymare laughed. “Oh, no it isn’t. There’s actually a real specific way this battle has to end. But you’re not really making it easy for me, now are you?”
“What…?” Twilight breathed. “You’re trying to lose?!”
“W-Why?” Fluttershy asked.
“Well, if I win, whoop-de-do, but you’re supposed to be stronger than this,” the Daymare sighed. “Might as well end your lives right now and wait for somepony more fun. Sadly, that’s against the rules.”
Twilight threw a lightning bolt at the leader, who didn’t even try to dodge. Not that she needed to. Scootaloo feebly attacked the Daymare, but the leader simply sidestepped and kicked the orange pegasus aside.
“This can’t be happening!” Twilight screamed.
The Daymare looked at her and smirked. “Isn’t that my line?” She ambled up to Twilight. “Kind of sad, really. I came in here with the expectation of losing, but now it looks like I’m going to have to make you win.”
Twilight glowered up at the ruler. “Who are you working for?” she demanded.
“Discord,” the Daymare said, thrusting her head to the sky and outstretching her wings. The sun’s rays penetrated the misty yellow haven and made the Dreamscape city gleam. “The ultimate power! The end to justify all means! And you, my sweet, are just begging to fulfill our purpose. Unfortunately, that’s against the rules, too.” The Daymare kicked Twilight a few meters ahead of her.
“Your... Your purpose?” Twilight coughed up blood.
“A perfect and stable world, rid of all imperfections,” the Daymare stated. “The Dreamscape was our prototype. Now that we know it works, we can plunge the entire world into absolute perfection.” She grinned, liking the thought. “A world worthy of ruling. And, sorry, but the Elements of Harmony don’t quite fit the bill. You’re going down with all the other pathetic waste your world’s dredged up. Nice knowing you.”
Everypony was down. Twilight had a broken leg and her magic was spent, Rarity was lying limply on the surface of the spire, Applejack was bleeding to death, Dash had a broken wing and a broken snout, Fluttershy was unconscious, and Pinkie had collapsed at the base of the tower. Luna was incapacitated as well as Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Saphira, and Olly.
They had been defeated.
“Sadly, this is where it ends,” the Daymare said. “I wish you had been more fun. It’s hard to find a challenge these days, being as powerful as I am.”
Twilight’s horn glowed as she stood up, her crown pulsing with energy. She tried to avoid putting weight on her broken hind leg. “I’m not done yet.”
“Of course you’re not,” the Daymare sighed, once again pushing Twilight to the ground.
Twilight’s crown glowed with a bright light. Applejack’s chest wound started to seal up, but the Daymare didn’t notice.
Twilight tried to get up again. “I’m not going to let you hurt my friends!” she said determinedly.
“A little late for that,” the Daymare laughed. She put a hoof on Twilight’s head, shoved her to the ground, and started to crush her. Twilight yelled in pain. “You just don’t get it,” the Daymare said. “I’m not even the one you really have to worry about. That’s my brothers and sisters, minus Envy. I even heard Deception is among your ranks now. That’s the very definition of pathetic,” she laughed.
Twilight’s crown started to pulse faster.
“There’s no way out of this,” the Daymare continued. “I told you, I am the best. I managed to destroy every single thing you care about.”
Twilight began to glow with a purple energy. Rarity woke up.
“It began with Stalliongrad, but that was just a test run of this body,” the Daymare said, pushing harder on Twilight’s head. “It’s actually pretty nice. It reminds me of my days as a young adult. Alicorns are pretty rare, you know. And very powerful. Oh, so powerful.”
Dash, who was lying behind the Daymare, felt some of her bones click into place.
“Then Ponyville. I took a lot of ponies, you know, to be used as hosts. Lyra was one my brother particularly liked, so I was happy to oblige. I also took a brawny red stallion and a dumb yellow pegasus. They were the only ones with the nerve to fight back, besides Trixie. The others just ran away or got taken with Luna, but we did get a lot. You would be surprised,” the Daymare continued. “You’ll probably see a couple later. But, y’know, they’ll be dead.”
Applejack blinked her eyes open, but shut them tight. Her wound was healing, but very slowly, and Twilight’s screams weren’t helping. I feel like my skull is about to shatter! she thought through her screams. Make it stop!
“Canterlot was a sitting duck, so I captured it next. Then I went through just about every single city, taking ponies and killing the rest,” the Daymare smiled, putting more weight on Twilight’s cracking frame. “I’ve never been this successful, you know, except in the Dark Times, but back then I had to self-edit so there’d be enough ponies to repopulate. I’m so powerful, though, that sometimes it’s hard to control myself. You know how it is, right?”
Pinkie, who was at the base of the tower, had already started to climb it. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were almost fully recovered.
Twilight’s power built up until it was almost impossible to contain. The pain in her fractured skull vanished as the bone repaired itself, and her crown glowed white-hot as she charged up her energy, opening her eyes. With a powerful burst, she teleported to the center of the battlefield. Her crown was glowing a bright purple, as were her eyes. “I’ve heard enough, Daymare.”
The Daymare stepped back, though her smug smile was ever-present. Twilight started to float off of the ground.
“Aww, already? I had a pretty good rant going there,” the Daymare chuckled. “I guess you’re right, though; this has to end. You’ve already wasted enough of your time on me.”
Twilight’s glow stopped. She fell back on all fours. “What?”
“You heard me,” the Daymare grinned. “Deception has already completed her task by now; in fact she could have completed it four times over. Goodbye, Twilight. We’ll meet again.”
The Daymare turned to leave, but Dash blocked her path. “You’re not getting away that easily!”
The Daymare sighed. “I guess not.” She smacked Dash to the ground, knocking her out with one hit. “You never learn, huh? That’s so like you.”
The Daymare looked back for the last time. Blue smoke was starting to drift up from her mouth. “Heh. Good luck trying to beat the rest of Discord. You gave me a pretty good run, there. I’ll be watching you with great interest. Ta-ta for now.”
Princess Celestia slumped to the ground, Arrogance having departed her body.
********
Then she began to change. Her hair turned from a blue, green, and pink color scheme to fiery and vibrant red, yellow, and orange. Her coat turned an even brighter white than before, and her eyes turned to an amber orange color. She also shrank a bit and was now closer to Luna’s height. She had transformed into the original Celestia.
The captivated ponies began to regain their senses now that Arrogance’s magic had left their minds. They glanced around, slightly dazed.
Celestia stood up. “Finally…”
“C-Celestia?” Twilight asked.
Celestia nodded. “Thanks, Twilight, for freeing me.” Her voice was lighthearted despite the events that had just occurred.
Twilight looked away. “Thank Arrogance. I failed, Princess.”
Celestia walked toward the now reunited group, her formal and dominant aura gone. “No, you didn’t. Not to me. Arrogance left because you were about to realize your Potential. You would’ve been too dangerous if you had.”
Dash’s eyes lit up. “So then... we won?!”
“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Twilight said. “She didn’t looked defeated at all; she just left! She looked like she had some kind of plan.”
“Like Deception completin’ some sorta task,” Applejack said.
“Meaningless,” Celestia said firmly. “I felt Arrogance’s pain, and she was close to breaking. Whatever task Deception could have done won’t matter once we finally lay Discord to ruin. After all these years, I’m finally free to lead the Elements of Harmony again. I owe you all my lives, and so does the rest of Equestria.”
Rarity nodded. “At least we’re safe.”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo walked toward the front of the group, dragging Saphira. “We all helped!”
Celestia grinned. “You went out there all on your own, didn’t you? Well, let me tell you now that you were over-qualified for the job,” she said, nudging the blushing Sweetie Belle and the beaming Scootaloo. She adressed Saphira. “Ah, Saphira. I’m sorry for doing all those awful things to you, and hope you can forgive me.”
Saphira was starstuck. “P-P-Princess, I-I… I h-hope you c-can forgive me f-for helping the e-evil s-side,” she managed to stammer.
“A royal pardon!” Celestia laughed, and pulled the young earth pony into a hug. “You did well, and fought like a warrior. Your mother would be proud.”
Saphira turned a bright shade of red. “Th-Thank you.”
Celestia looked at the group, and spread her wings. “You have saved Equestria from the influence of Discord. You all are national heroes. The Return of Harmony will once again save the world, like it has before, and before that. I know that we’ll be able to sort out this mess and finally return Equestria to a state of peace.”
The entire group, minus Olly, who was lost in the crowd, had wide grins across their faces. They were so proud of their actions; nothing could ruin this moment.
The formerly brainwashed ponies had started to gather around the spire, recognizing that the battle was over and that the Elements of Harmony had freed them. They all were cheering; millions of voices. The group relished in the applause.
“Excuse me…” a blue-green unicorn who had walked up the spire began.
Twilight stepped back. “Careful! He’s one of them!”
“I know,” Celestia said. “What do you want, Lorey? Have you been watching this entire time?”
“I have been waiting for the end of the conflict,” Lorey explained. “I know that I have committed immeasurable sins and horrible deeds in the name of Discord,” Lorey started, looking away. “But I am so ashamed. All I can ask of you is to leave me in peace. I will not cause any more trouble. And Saphira, I wish you the best.”
“Granted,” Celestia looked warily at the unicorn. “Get out of my sight.”
*******
Lorey turned to leave, but Applejack felt something burst inside her. She felt a flare of anger more than anything she ever had in her life. They’re... They’re just going to let him get away?
“Thank you kindly,” Lorey said, turning to leave.
“Hold on just a moment,” Applejack said. Lorey stopped and turned around. She turned to her cohorts. “Yer seriously just gonna let him git away?”
“Live and let live, Applejack,” Luna said. “We have more pressing things on our minds.”
Applejack turned and glared at Lorey. Ain’t no way, no how, am I going to let him get away without a good beating. She pawed her front hoof on the ground.
“Applejack?” Twilight asked. “Are you alright?”
He... he killed Apple Bloom! He doesn’t deserve to live! Applejack’s fury flared. Saphira’s eyes widened as Applejack’s rage swelled. Filthy varmint!
“Is something wrong?” Lorey asked.
“Yer gonna pay fer what you’ve done!” Applejack screamed, rushing toward Lorey with murder in her eyes. Saphira gasped and ran toward the skirmish. Lorey closed his eyes and looked away; he knew he deserved this.
There was a leap, a snap, and a dull thump.
Saphira fell to the ground.
Applejack stepped back in shock. She had been aiming for Lorey, but her hooves had connected with Saphira’s neck. The young mare had leapt in front of the attack. Lorey rushed to her side, as did Scootaloo.
Lorey felt for a pulse. “She’s dead,” Lorey finally said. He bent over the body, grief flooding his system.
“No,” Scootaloo breathed. She looked back with unbridled fury at Applejack. “MURDERER!” she screamed with all her might.
A cold wind washed over the entirety of the Dreamscape. Pinkie was almost crippled by the negative energy flowing through the air, but it was only present for a brief moment before dissipating. The massive burst of negative energy from an unknown source even silenced the crowd. Scootaloo was overwhelmed with sorrow and started to sob over the body of her friend.
Saphira was dead, within a second’s time. Even Celestia was in shock at the turn of events, and they were all crying in some form or another.
“Ah… Ah didn’t mean…” Applejack stumbled backward and fell down, in utter disbelief of her action. “No… i-it can’t be…”
“Why?” Fluttershy cried. “Why did she jump in front? Why?” she bawled, tears flowing down her face. “I don’t understand!”
“I knew this would happen,” Lorey murmured, gazing fondly at Saphira. “Your mother and I have never had the best of luck. I should have known we’d pass it on to you.”
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 18 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-02-09T21:01:59+00:00
|
2012-02-09T21:01:59+00:00
| 3,069 |
Chapter Eighteen
In the very top of an ancient, airy temple, there was a pedestal. On that pedestal, there was a black gem, a diamond. The chamber was aged and crumbling, the only lighting from luminescent runes that hung all along the walls.
A tremor shook the temple, and the gem glowed a bit before once again becoming inert.
That was the most important event in Equestria since the Dark Times.
=====================================================================
*******
The entire group, the entire Dreamscape, and what seemed like the entire world was stunned into a shocked silence and unbearable grief at the loss of a young life in a senseless action. Saphira was gone.
Lorey was lying near the dead teenager. He brushed her eyes closed. “When Stalliongrad was attacked by the Daymare, we had few options. The Daymare wouldn’t have allowed us both to live because of our family ties, but both of our abilities were useful. I lied and said that I had never seen her before, but to prove it, I had to do something I will never live down… I had to beat her. My… My own daughter, to save her life.” Lorey looked at Saphira wistfully, stroking her mane. “Sh-She’s had the most adorable stammer ever since.”
Celestia had fallen to her knees. “No, not Saphira; she was so close to finally being happy, only to have her life snatched away... Why?” she cried, tears falling down her face.
Fluttershy had fallen to pieces; she wouldn’t stop crying, even if she could. Her emotions were so jagged and harsh that she could no longer stay standing, so she collapsed on the surface of the tower in a fit of anguish.
“She never stopped loving me, though, no matter how cold I was to her,” Lorey continued, staring at his daughter. “She never quite understood why I had to do those things. Why she could never talk to me again. Why she couldn’t leave; why she couldn’t have friends like you, Scootaloo. She was envious of you, I’m sure, but never left because she didn’t want to a-abandon me.” He paused. “Maybe... No, not maybe. If only she had left me behind, this all could have been prevented.”
Scootaloo had fallen limply by the body of her friend. Apple Bloom was hard enough… she cried softly. Not Saphira, too! It’s not true! It’s not!
“I knew that this would happen if she stayed,” Lorey said. “I knew I would be staring at her like this one way or another. But when you came, Scootaloo, I had hope… Oh, I had hope. It was a wonderful feeling, that perhaps she might finally leave; that she might finally go and live the life she always deserved, always will deserve… but it wasn’t to be. It never was to be.” He kissed Saphira’s forehead. “Goodbye, my darling. I will be with you soon.”
His head turned slightly toward the group, but he remained sitting by his daughter. “I know trying to exact my revenge on you would be suicide, but I have no desire for revenge. ...Though I might receive it anyway,” he sighed. “I have been holding back a spirit for five years now, even before the invasion. You have destroyed my only reason to fight her off. So, I apologize, but this would happen whether I would like it to... or not.”
“Who are you fighting-” Fluttershy began, before Luna hurriedly stepped in front of her.
“No, Lorey, please don’t go,” Luna begged. “You cannot let her win!”
“I have one final wish, for all of you,” Lorey began, darkness beginning to swirl around his hooves. “Please, honor her as a warrior. She endured so much in her short life. Keep her memories alive in your hearts. Then, perhaps, I can die without regret.”
Twilight felt like she was going to throw up from misery, but she weakly nodded. “I… I promise.”
Lorey nodded. “Farewell.” he finally said. The darkness entered his body, swirling all around him.
*******
But he wasn’t Lorey anymore.
“Ah, a new body,” not-Lorey said, suddenly standing up. His slitted, swamp-green eyes glanced at each one of the shattered group that stood before him. “Always exciting to get a new one, you know. It’s like a… tingly feeling.”
“Leave, now,” Celestia commanded. Anger flared in her eyes harsher than Twilight had ever seen before.
“Oh, and how are you, Celestia? Haven’t aged a bit since I last saw you; you’re still as cute as a button. Perhaps we can visit the coffee shop on Fourth and catch up? I’m sure you have a lot to tell me since our last encounter,” the stallion said. His tone was as friendly as it was creepy.
Celestia stared furiously at the entity in front of her. “Bite me,” she hissed.
“Oh, how impolite!” the stallion remarked. “A Princess should know better, now shouldn’t she? But considering we’re simply the best of friends... perhaps I can overlook your poor manners.
“Who are you?” Dash asked.
“I’m glad you asked,” the stallion said, slinking toward Dash, who was thoroughly terrified by the new enemy standing in front of her. “You’ve probably already met me, though. You just didn’t know it. I have that effect on ponies, you know. They never remember my face, but they always remember my name.”
Dash’s eyes narrowed. “Wh-What do you mean?”
“Well, that’s my little secret,” the stallion giggled. “It would ruin the fun if I told you. This is all just a game, you realize. Pieces on a chessboard. And I do believe I just took out one of your rooks.”
“Answer my question,” Dash said.
“My name is something to be feared, Rainbow Dash; it must be presented as such,” the stallion said. “Because I will be breaking your heart in a year or two. Maybe less, if I play my cards right.”
What? Breaking my heart? Dash thought, inching away from the stallion.
“My name is something that you have already heard, but something that you will learn to loathe. And although I may not be the most powerful of the Elements of Discord, I am the most dangerous,” the stallion finished. “Care to take a guess?”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Deception!”
“Ah, we have a winner!” the stallion exclaimed. “I was wondering when you’d finally catch on. And do you know what else I have to show you?”
She glared at Deception.
“Not the life of the party, are you?” Deception asked, bemused. “Well, I’m not surprised; you do spend a lot of time falling for tricks.” He paused. “You have given me the body that I have been after for five years, but you know that already. Do you know why I have been after this body for such a long time?”
“Why?” Rarity asked.
“Because, I can do this...” Deception said, slowly turning around. But, as he turned around, his body slowly transitioned into being an exact copy of Rarity’s; mimicking her eyes, necklace, and all.
Rarity jumped back in panic. “That’s… that’s impossible!”
The fake Rarity’s blue eyes turned to dagger-like slits, and a dark shadow with red eyes hung over her body; the shadow of the original Deception. She smiled at Rarity, daintily raising her forehoof to her chest. “I am a shape-shifter now. I can look like anypony I want. I owe you a tremendous thanks, by the way, for presenting me with such a useful ability.”
Celestia gritted her teeth. “Go away. There is nothing else you can do here, not on your own.”
Deception’s eyes widened, and she reverted back to Lorey’s form. “Well, I’ve already accomplished my goals. Applejack was surprisingly easy to influence, though I didn’t quite need those results. Saphira should still be alive, if everything had gone according to plan. Elements, I have seen, quite like to interfere with plans.”
Applejack stared at Deception in shock. “That… that was you?! You made me k-kill...”
“Well, to an extent, but if you had any practice as an Element, you would have been able to easily resist my feeble influence. Such a shame; Saphira was a sweet little filly, as well. I’m very sad that you killed her, but I guess that some things just can’t be avoided,” Deception smiled sadly.
“Careful about listening to Deception,” Luna warned. “She is almost always dishonest if she accomplishes her goals.”
“Oh, I suppose,” Deception admitted. “Still… what if I were telling the truth? You would have no way of knowing, now would you?”
Celestia glared at the villain.
“I don’t think there’s anything left for me here,” Deception finished, looking around. “I just want you to know, Celestia, that I have far greater plans for each and every one of you.”
Deception turned to smoke and drifted off.
*******
“It’s over,” Celestia sighed. “We should head back to Fillydelphia.”
“But how can Ah?” Applejack murmured. “Ah… Ah don’t deserve ta live anymore… not after what Ah did.”
“We can worry about it later,” Celestia said. “The wounds of battle hurt more during peace. If we don’t leave now, we might stay here for the rest of our lives. We have to have hope, if nothing else, that things can get better from here. I’m sorry, but we have to go home.”
Scootaloo looked up, her tear-stained face hung low to the ground. “O-Okay…”
Celestia’s horn glowed with a warm magic, as did Saphira’s body. It levitated upward, the young mare being held in a magical embrace. Celestia spoke an ancient incantation. “She will remain young and beautiful forever.”
Luna spread her wings and glowed. Her booming voice addressed the ponies below as a gate opened in the square. “Ponies of Equestria, the battle is over. You may return home.”
There was a moderate amount of cheering from the crowd, but it ceased when they laid eyes on the heroes’ faces.
The battle is over, Twilight thought to herself. But this war, this war that we’ve been fighting for thousands of years, definitely isn’t. Luna hasn’t deliberately lied, but we aren’t safe just yet. But our wounds have to heal, Twilight thought, looking at her battered and broken group as they walked through the gate. We have to rest.
Twilight felt a sharp, stabbing pain in the back of her neck before the world was lost to her.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Sad chapter is sad.
|
Mindblower
|
759
| 19 |
Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Envy and Arrogance
|
The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
|
cancelled
| 244 | 11 |
<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
|
teen
|
2012-03-12T19:51:08+00:00
|
2012-03-12T19:51:08+00:00
| 3,638 |
Chapter Nineteen
*******
“Verba?”
“Yeah-huh?”
Twilight found herself strolling around an illusionary Ponyville. The one she used to know, full of happy ponies. They were free of sadness, depression, guilt, anger, and any other negative emotion. Verba accompanied her, but she found his light-hearted attitude hard to match under the circumstances. Twilight’s memory was foggy; she remembered everything up to the defeat of the Daymare, but not much else.
“Why do you think the Daymare just... left?” she asked. “She said she was buying time for Deception, but to do what?”
“Dunno, don’t care,” Verba laughed. “All I know is that good ol’ ‘Tia’s back in business, and for good this time. Trust me, you’re a lot better off now.”
Twilight didn’t really have a counter-argument. Her instincts told her something was incredibly wrong, but she didn’t know what, and Verba didn’t seem to think it mattered.
“So, what’re you going to do now?” Verba asked.
“Wait for my broken bones to heal,” Twilight muttered, “and hopefully get some answers. Hopefully.”
Verba laughed. “Yeah, well, they don’t come easy. You know that as well as I do. Still, though, you can’t ever stop trying to find the truth. If you do, well, rest in peace, as far as I’m concerned. It’s a lot easier to outsmart somepony than overpower them. Keep that in mind, because, uh... no offense, but you’re not as smart as you think.”
“None taken. I try not to be,” Twilight said. She paused, thinking for a moment. “How’d you get your name?”
“How’d you get yours? My parents-...” Verba cut himself off, turning away.
“What about them?” Twilight asked. “Is something wrong?”
“Look... I’m just a leftover fragment of magic, right? You know that. I don’t really have a mom or dad. Obsidian gave me this name, ‘cause he says that’s the name of my past self. But... I’ll never really be sure. I’m still searching.”
“Well, if you need any help, I’m available from nine until six a.m.” Twilight smiled, putting a hoof on Verba’s shoulder.
He nodded, but didn’t make eye contact. “Glad to hear it.”
Twilight paused. “You called Obsidian your Submaster, right?”
“That’s just a title. He’s more of a brother,” Verba clarified.
“Well, okay, but who’s your Master, then?” Twilight asked.
“...I’m the shadow of my Master. My Master is my past self reborn,” Verba said. He scratched his forehead, and a few runes were broken into pieces. “I think that’s how he told me to say it.”
“I’m... not sure I get it,” Twilight admitted.
“Well, then, maybe it’s better to show you,” Verba said. His form faded to gray, then to black, as he crumpled to the ground. He was a blob of black energy for a moment before he gradually copied Twilight’s shadow, intersecting with it. Her eyes widened.
I am your shadow, Twilight. The shadow of the original Magic.
=====================================================================
*******
“Twi? Twi? Ya’ll better get over here; she’s wakin’ up!”
“Ugh...” Twilight moaned. She tried to sit up, but it felt like somepony was driving a nail into the back of her neck.
“Stay still,” Luna urged. Twilight felt herself being gently lifted into the air via telekinesis. Luna touched her horn to Twilight’s injury, and the pain ebbed slightly. She set Twilight back down in her bed. “Let us know when you’re ready to speak.”
It took Twilight a few moments, but she gradually came to her senses. She was in a white hospital room, resting in a cozy bed. Various magical wires were hooked to her temples and limbs, transferring energy back and forth to make sure she stayed stable. Her friends were gathered around her, anxiously waiting for Luna’s go-ahead.
“Wh-... What?” Twilight began.
Pinkie leapt toward Twilight to hug her, but Luna’s telekinesis kept her in check. She squirmed in midair, blubbering and struggling not to break down. “Oh, Twilight you gave us all the scariest scare in all of scaryville, and not the good kind!”
“What happened...?” Twilight asked, shielding the light from her unadjusted eyes.
“Some idiot plugged this in the back of your neck just as we were about to leave,” Olly explained, levitating a black dart in front of Twilight. It was two inches long and as shiny as polished china, with illegible writing scribbled along the sides. Twilight detected a faint magical aura on it.
“Who?” she asked.
“It has Envy written all over it,” Dash said.
“How do you know?” Twilight asked, becoming more aware by the second.
“No, uh, it actually does,” Dash said, motioning to the tiny script on the darts, ζήλευαν.
“It means ‘Envy’ in the ancient language,” Luna explained. “It was enchanted to go for your vitals, and would have, had it not veered off at the last second. A different enchantment knocked you unconscious instantly, as well. To all of us, it looked as if you’d just fallen over.”
“We were all so worried,” Fluttershy said, tightly gripping part of her mane with one hoof.
Twilight moaned as fresh pain threatened to overload her once again. “How many times am I going to nearly die?!” she complained.
“You’re the most powerful Element of Harmony, and the one that ties all others together,” Luna explained. “Crosshairs were on your forehead from the beginning. I’m amazed Arrogance let you get so close to realizing your potential; it would have been the end of the war if you had.”
“That’s... a good thing, right?” Twilight breathed, shutting her eyes tight. Her breathing accelerated as Luna tried to heal her once again.
“You shouldn’t keep her awake too long, Princess,” Rarity warned, biting her lip. “She needs her rest.”
“No, it’s because I owe something to her,” Luna said, putting the finishing touches on her spell. “They should be arriving soon.” With Luna’s spell in effect, all of Twilight’s pain faded, and she opened her eyes again to see Spike and her parents rushing into the room.
“Twilight!” Spike exclaimed, rushing to her bedside. He had grown a lot in the past three years, and was now almost as tall as Twilight was while standing upright. “Where have you been?”
“Spike...” Twilight trailed off, pulling him close. “Just... Just saving the world a couple times, with the help of my friends.”
“Why couldn’t I come?” he asked, though he didn’t sound angry. “You could have used some help. Friends or not, I’m your friend, too, and I won’t let the Elements of Discord hurt you!”
“You know about that, too, huh?” Twilight asked. I’ll explain it to him later, I guess... She looked up at her parents. “Mom... Dad...!”
Twilight’s mother was nearly in tears, but her father was simply relieved. He went up to Twilight’s bedside, opposite of Spike, and gave her a gentle hug.
“There’s really no way to say how proud of you I am,” he said. “I knew from the moment you started studying magic that you were going to become a superhero. Your mom didn’t believe me, but I said I’d never give up on my little filly,” he added, winking at her.
“I think it was the other way around,” Twilight’s mother said, bemused.
“Shh, she doesn’t know that!” Twilight’s father joked.
Twilight laughed before she abruptly lost consciousness. The back of her neck glowed, as did the iron thorn.
*******
Luna’s eyes widened, and Olly lost his telekinetic grip on the thorn in surprise. It clattered to the floor, where it levitated of its own accord, and started scratching text into the wall at almost blinding speeds.
“What’s happening?” Twilight’s mother asked.
“Twilight? Say something!” Spike pleaded, shaking Twilight.
“It’s in the ancient language...” Luna breathed. She turned to the royal guards that were stationed at the exit of the room. “Take Spike and Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle somewhere safe, and then I want an entire search of the premises for anypony and everypony currently using magic of any kind. Bring anypony suspicious to the hospital immediately and keep them there. Understood?”
The guards nodded, quickly shuffling Spike and the Sparkles to the lobby of the hospital.
“Can ya tell what it says?” Applejack asked.
“I can try. It’s been a while since I’ve read the ancient texts,” Luna admitted, staring intently at the wall, which was now almost covered in ancient scripture. She began to speak, but stopped out of pure shock.
“What’s it say? C’mon, don’t leave us in the dark!” Dash exclaimed.
“It’s... incantations for a spell,” Luna breathed, “and a complex one, at that. I’m not sure if I should attempt it or not, but it appears to be just a simple illusion.”
The thorn clattered to the floor after finishing its writing, but dissolved into dust before anypony could retrieve it.
“What’re you waiting for? Castitcastitcastit!” Pinkie urged.
Luna nodded, and studied the script for a moment before reciting,
"Textus antiquorum ne timeas.
Expecta una visit a me in parum.
Desinet constanti suspicio, licet.
Praesertim vos,
Filia Reginae.
Est talem rem quae overcaution.
Dimittam te paucis verbis tamen.
Supra humerum vestrum, ego apparebit.
Numquam dubitare quod dico.”
“It translates into a wonderful little poem,” a voice behind Luna said.
Icily, she turned and glared at Deception, though he didn’t seem to be fully formed. His visage fizzled and wavered, as if he was made of mist.
“What do you want?” Luna growled.
“Skipping the formalities, are you? Don’t I even receive a ‘how-do-you-do?’” Deception asked. “Very well, then. I’m here to tell you that this war, in fact, isn’t over at all. It begins today, for today is the day when all uncertainties in my plan become naught, and you no longer have any measurable free will. You are all pawns in my magnificent game of chess,” he added with a malicious grin.
“You shut your snout!” Dash snarled, attempting to pounce on Deception. She phased right through him, but she seemed to have expected such a trick, as she landed on all four hooves.
“My apologies. This is a pre-recorded message, Lady Loyalty,” Deception smirked, not turning around to face Dash. “I’m only acting based on previous inferences.” He raised his hoof in a mock attempt to cover his smile. “Though, I suppose there’s really no way you can check. Not that it matters much, in the end.”
“You haven’t answered my question,” Luna said, not seeming to care if Deception was an illusion or not.
“That I haven’t,” Deception began. “However, to me, at least, this war is but a game. Or maybe it isn’t. You’ll become angry if you think I think it is, and angry ponies quickly become frustrated, and frustrated ponies are predictable. Or you could assume I’m lying, but if I lie so often, when am I telling the truth? But what if I say something important, and you pass it off as a fib? You see, war isn’t just a simple game of chess, no... it’s a mind game, Princess. And I’m afraid you’re losing quite badly.”
Luna gritted her teeth. Applejack scratched her head and asked, “Couldja run all that by me again? Ah’m not sure Ah understand.”
Deception snorted, but once again didn’t turn to look at Applejack. “You’re a crude interpretation of the power of Honesty. Maybe that’s why you’re were so easily manipulated, and will be easy to manipulate in the future. I have no respect for you, and therefore I don’t see it fit to answer your questions. Perhaps you should ask your rulers to spell it out for you, but I frankly don’t have the time.”
Applejack bristled, but a warning look from Luna kept her quiet.
“That aside, I will let you know that you will face many a tragedy in your future. You will stare terror in the face. You will take dangerous gambles that, ultimately, do not pay off. The innocent will prove to be your undoing, and the guilty will fight you to your last breath. One of you will simply cease to exist,” Deception forewarned. “I won’t tell you who, though; that makes it all the more suspenseful.”
“Is that all?” Luna asked.
“No. There is a word that is the key to all our suffering, Princess, and it is a word that I have been longing to say ever since the beginning of the Dark Times,” Deception said, his smug grin being replaced by a slightly manic one. “Indicina.”
The spell ended, and Deception disappeared.
Luna’s brow furrowed as she contemplated Deception’s words. Twilight rubbed her eyes and sat up, beleaguered. “Wha...?”
“Princess, what was that about, exactly?” Rarity asked. “‘Indicina?’”
“This is a matter I must discuss with Celestia before I discuss it with you,” Luna stated, her tone deathly serious. “Until then, you may do what you wish. Pinkie, if you wish to do your volunteer work, the train to Manehattan boards in two hours, as does the train back to Ponyville for the rest of you.” With that, she charged up a teleport and warped away.
“What now?” Twilight moaned.
“We’re never really gonna git all the answers, are we?” Applejack asked.
Rarity shook her head. “Probably not. ...I have a sinking feeling about this whole ordeal, to be honest. Deception sounds like far mightier a foe than Envy or Arrogance.”
“And we haven’t even seen the others yet,” Applejack added.
“Are you feeling okay, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked her.
Twilight nodded. “I feel... fine, actually.” She used telekinesis to removed her bandages while Fluttershy and Pinkie inspected her wound.
Only there was no longer a wound to be inspected. It had vanished without a trace, save the thin black powder that dusted the back of Twilight’s neck.
=====================================================================
*******
Pinkie had ridden to Manehattan and attended a meeting of the Rebuilder’s Guild, a faction dedicated to repairing Equestria. After getting assigned a home, she was cheerily cleaning it out when she spotted a white alicorn outside. Is that the Princess?
Celestia’s horn glowed as she used powerful magic to sweep up rubble in the street and convert it into beautiful flowers. “Phew,” she sighed.
“Hey!” Pinkie shouted from two stories up. “Princess, is that you?”
Celestia looked up and smiled. “Sure is! How are you, Pinkie?”
Pinkie gaped at her ruler. “You’re helping out, too? Shouldn’t you be in Fillydelphia or something?”
Celestia laughed. “No, my sister handles all the bureaucratic nonsense. I prefer on-site work.”
Pinkie excused herself for a moment and went down to help her ruler. Celestia? Doing actual hooves-on work? I must be dreaming!
Celestia set her flower pots down on the side of the walkway, her horn glowing with vibrant energy. Her fiery mane swayed in the wind as she wiped her brow. “Okay, that’s one street down.”
“It’s just super you’re helping us!” Pinkie smiled. “You’ve never done it before. At least, not that I know of. Of course, there was that one time in Winter Wrap-up where Dash crashed into a tree and got covered with snow. There was a pinecone on her snout, and I wasn’t sure if she was an alicorn or a abominable snowpony!”
“That’s great, Pinkie,” Celestia began, not actually paying too much attention, “but I’m just not the leader you knew. Arrogance’s personality is almost opposite to mine, and she was the one heading Equestria for so long. You’ll see a lot more contrast pretty soon, when I officially train you in a week or two.”
“Train us? How?” Pinkie asked.
“I can teach you and Rainbow Dash what it means to be an Element of Harmony,” Celestia said. “I know it’s a little scary once you find out it’s one year’s worth of effort, but it’s a lot of fun, trust me.”
“A year? I’m so excited!” Pinkie yelled. “I’ll rush home and pack my balloons as soon as I’m done helping out! Thanks, Princess. I like the new you!”
Celestia smiled as the young Humor rushed back into her volunteer work. It’s great to be back.
=====================================================================
“Was there any loss of life in the final battle?” a novice reporter asked Luna.
“No,” Luna said. Mentioning Saphira would make the Elements look bad, and not only that, but it’s just upsetting to think about. “The Elements of Harmony and their friends defeated the Daymare. The battle is over.”
“There are several rumors floating around about a pony named ‘Deception.’ Is he or she as dangerous as the rumors claim?” another reporter asked.
“Deception is the craftiest of the Elements of Discord, but she lacks any supernatural strength. Hopefully we will be able to defeat her when the opportunity arises,” Luna said.
“Do you plan to train the Elements of Harmony and help the others reach their Potential?” one reporter asked.
“Unfortunately, that is out of my control. While my sister and I have intimate experience with the Elements of Harmony and can train them well, an Element of Harmony can only realize his or her potential if Harmony itself is at risk, and I want to avoid that if possible,” Luna explained.
“You said an intimate experience,” a female reporter said. “Just how intimate?”
Luna bit her lip. “We have trained several in the past.”
=====================================================================
Applejack rested in the shade of an apple tree out on the fields. Feels real nice to be back out here again, she remarked to herself, watching the rest of her working family. But there’re so few of us now, I don’t know what I’ll do...
“You okay, honey?” Applejack’s grandmother, Granny Smith, asked the orange mare.
“Who, me? Ah’m fine,” Applejack said.
“Ah’m sorry if this comes a bit out a the blue, dear, but Ah think ya should take the rest a the day off,” Granny stated.
“Why, Granny?” Applejack asked. “Don’t we need all the help we can git out here?”
“But ya’ve just fought a huge battle, sugarcube. Ah’ll be darned if ya don’t git those sore bones a yer’s some rest, an’ that’s final,” Granny insisted. “An’ it’s not just yer health. Ah’m also worried that yer burryin’ yer sadness in yer work, an’ while that may be all fine an’ dandy fer you, Ah don’t think it’s right.”
“Granny, Ah’m not hidin’ anythin’,” Applejack persisted, getting up.
“Ya are,” Granny said. “We all know ya feel guilty for some a the mistakes ya’ve made out there. Well, missy, if ya don’t get them out a yer system right now, they’re just gonna come back and haunt ya later. Mark mah words.”
Applejack took a deep breath. “We need ta stick together, the Apple Family,” she finally said. “Like glue, Granny. And Ah’ll be willin’ to have a therapy session with ya, just after Ah’m finished workin’, ya hear me?”
Granny nodded. “You better hold tight ta that promise,” she said before walking off.
“Sure, Granny,” Applejack mumbled, returning to her work. She nibbled on a piece of straw and sighed. “Sure.”
=====================================================================
Scootaloo sat on her cot in Sweetie Belle’s room. It’s nice of Rarity to let me stay, she thought. She laid down and buried her head in her pillow, sorrow overtaking her thoughts. ...I miss Saphira...
Sweetie Belle walked in, dragging Scootaloo’s suitcase. “That’s about it, Scootaloo. Anything else?”
Scootaloo didn’t answer. She didn’t even turn to face Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo and sighed. Not again, she thought. She just won’t let it go. How close could they have possibly become in that amount of time? She laid down next to Scootaloo. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Scootaloo answered.
“Scootaloo...” Sweetie Belle sighed. “It’s about Saphira, isn’t it?”
Scootaloo pressed her head harder into her pillow.
“This isn’t healthy,” Sweetie Belle said. “It’s been almost a week, and you’re still having episodes. It has to stop.”
“No,” Scootaloo said, angrily turning to face Sweetie Belle. She wiped her eyes. “You have no idea how much pain I’m in right now!”
“I do,” Sweetie Belle said. “You were like this after Apple Bloom d-...” she trailed off.
Scootaloo laughed a bit. “See there? You still don’t even believe she’s dead. Well, where’s Apple Bloom now, Sweetie Belle? Where’s Sa-Saphira...?” her voice cracked, and she buried her head in her pillow. “I was supposed to p-protect h-her...” she cried.
Sweetie Belle gave Scootaloo a hug. “Scootaloo, there was nothing you could do. Don’t blame yourself.”
“Then who am I supposed to blame? Applejack?” Scootaloo asked resentfully.
“No,” Sweetie Belle said. “Blame Deception and all the awful things she’s done to Equestria. She’s the one that made Applejack do what she did.”
Scootaloo once again buried her head in her pillow. “Go away, Sweetie Belle. Leave me alone.”
“Scootaloo, I want to help you,” Sweetie Belle argued.
“I said leave me alone,” Scootaloo insisted.
Sweetie Belle got up. “...Okay, Scootaloo. If that’s what you want.” She exited the room.
=====================================================================
“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!” the crowd cheered as Dash paraded around Fillydelphia.
When they said they were going to throw me a party, I didn’t expect a parade! Dash laughed to herself as a marching band played a song dedicated to her. These ponies are awesome!
After the festivities and some other ceremonies, Dash walked up to the statue built in her name. The inscription read: Rainbow Dash, the Savior of Fillydelphia during the War of Discord.
Dash shook her head. “Jeez, are these ponies... naïve,” she muttered, not loud enough for anypony to hear. “I haven’t saved these ponies. I mean, I will, but I haven’t yet. There’re still things that need to be taken care of. Some loose ends. But,” she said as a filly ran up to her and hugged her leg, “this is the best thank-you ever!”
=====================================================================
Twilight walked into Fluttershy’s home and began helping her clean up the mess. However, just as they were wrapping up, a small white puffball bounded into the room.
“A-Angel?” Fluttershy asked. Angel was her pet bunny, the same one she had been worried about ever since her adventure started. “Oh, I missed you so much!”
Twilight stared in awe at the little companion that was cradled in Fluttershy’s legs. “But that’s not possible...” she said. “There’s no way he could have survived for three years; it goes against all probability!”
Fluttershy softly cried as she hugged the little bunny that she had known for most of her life. “Don’t try to explain it, Twilight,” she said, popping the little bunny onto her head and giggling, joy flooding her system. “Some things are just miracles.”
Twilight was in shock for a moment, but she gradually collected herself and smiled a bit. I guess she’s right.
Spike stepped into the room. “Twilight, you wanted my help?”
“Sure, Spike,” Twilight said with a cheery smile. I raised him from an egg, and he’s almost as tall as I am now... Guess there won’t be any more piggy-back rides. “We’re just cleaning up. Did Luna send you those papers I asked her to?”
“What papers?” Spike asked.
“You’re getting home-schooled, Spike,” Twilight said. “What, you think I’d let you slide by without an education?”
It dawned on Spike. “Um... I’ll look into that,” he said apprehensively. He blinked. “Oh, and Olly asked if he could help run the library.”
“Sure!” Twilight said. “He’ll be a great help, I’m sure.” He’s quite the character, even with his amnesia. Or maybe because of it. Anyway, I’m happy to have him room with us.
Spike suddenly exhaled a burst of green fire. “Hrgh,” he said, rubbing his neck. “That’s the first letter in a while. It’s probably from Luna.”
Twilight read the letter aloud. “The Elements of Harmony and all those that journeyed with them are invited to a celebration on their behalf to commemorate the saving of Equestria. Sounds important, and it begins tomorrow.”
“I’ll start getting ready right away,” Fluttershy said.
=====================================================================
*******
In the now rebuilt throne room, the Elements of Harmony and their friends walked down an honor guard. Hundreds of ponies cheered them on from outside the throne room, and dozens of nobles smiled upon them from inside. Dash was glowing red from all of the energy placed upon her, and she had the widest grin of anypony in the room, her red eyes ablaze with excitement.
“It is here that we honor the Elements of Harmony, their friends, and those past that have helped them,” Luna stated. Her horn glowed.
Four caskets appeared in the center of the room. One had a crescent moon and wand on the top, and was colored blue and purple. One was colored a light blue and had a rubber band on the top. The next was blood-red, and had a sharp blade carved into the top. The last was blue-green, with theatrical masks on the top.
Twilight came up and touched her horn to the first casket, honoring Trixie. “I wish you the best, wherever you are. Without you, we never would have had the courage to stand up to the Daymare. May you rest in peace.”
Scootaloo came up and bowed her head to the deep blue coffin. “You were the closest to a sister I’ll ever get. You helped me through the toughest time in my life, and without you I would probably be dead. I will make sure Deception pays for this. I swear it.”
Dash came up and paid her respects to the red casket. “You fought like a warrior and stayed loyal to your leader. I may not have agreed with you, but you were a real challenge, and although I didn’t know you well, I do know that you battled with pride. Rest in peace, and I hope you’re happy wherever you are.”
Rarity came up to Lorey’s casket. It was empty, but fulfilled a symbolic purpose. “I am sorry for the crimes Discord has committed against you and your daughter. I will not allow your body to be used for selfish means. You fought off Deception for much longer than any of us could have, and I am deeply sorry for your loss.”
Luna stepped forward, using telekinesis to hover a box to Applejack’s hooves. Applejack removed her hat, and took a bright red bow out of it--the same bow she had kept through all of her struggles since its owner had died. Struggling not to cry, Applejack placed the bow in the box, which had the words ‘Apple Bloom’ inscribed in cursive on the top.
“Sorry, sis,” Applejack said quietly to the box. “Ah was too late. But Ah’ll never forget ya. Never, ever.”
Luna nodded. Her horn glowed and the caskets disappeared. “Those who were lost will not be forgotten. The royal mausoleum is open to any of you if you want to pay your respects.”
Celestia motioned for the Elements to line up, with Olly and the two teenagers to the side.
“Here’s my present to you, Rarity,” Celestia said, using telekinesis to open a container filled to the brim with the most expensive and exotic cloth and materials money could buy. “I would have given you a dress, but I think you would prefer making one of your own.”
“Princess,” Rarity gasped, feeling the materials. “Is this... Is this really mine?”
“Of course!” Luna chuckled slightly. “This box contains the finest silk, thread, and adornments. Please, craft a dress for yourself; I would hate for such beautiful materials to go to waste on the highest bidder.”
Rarity took the case and hugged it dearly. Blue with red stripes going down the sides, and a sky-blue scarf... Maybe I need less contrast? No, I can make it work. Hmm, should I use yellow instead of red? Maybe if I...
Luna motioned to Applejack. She levitated a seed packet over to the orange earth pony. “These seeds are magically enhanced; they will grow in a day and deliver twice the amount of apples as a normal tree. The trees grown are only enchanted for about a week, but that should be enough to get your business back on its hooves.”
Applejack nodded and put the seeds in her saddlebags. “Thank ya kindly, Princess.”
Dash’s turn. Celestia turned around and whistled. Five goggled pegasi, each wearing blue jumpsuits with a lighting bolt pattern on them, walked up in front of the group. “Meet your new team.”
Dash was starstruck; it was the Wonderbolts, the group she had been trying to get into for the entirety of her life. “For real?!”
Their apparent leader, Soarin’, a light blue pegasus with a dark blue mane, stepped forward. “Yep. We lost Spitfire in the attacks,” he said sadly, “but we would be more than willing to make you an honorary member.” He tossed Dash a uniform. “We can start whenever you like.”
Dash stared at the uniform at her feet. Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh… She jumped up in the air and did a triple backflip. “Yes! Yes! Do you even have to ask? Yes!” She was walking on air the rest of the day.
It was Pinkie’s turn. Celestia took out a case of potions. “These potions can make any sweet, like chocolate, last forever. If you put one in your mouth after having applied a potion, you can suck on it all you like, and it will never get smaller, ever. Just be careful not to swallow.”
Pinkie took the potion pack and put it in her saddlebags, already daydreaming about the type of sweets she would use the potions on.
Fluttershy’s reward was next. Luna opened up a cage, and out popped a beautiful red, orange, and yellow bird with smooth feathers that resembled flames. It was Celestia’s, or rather Arrogance’s, pet phoenix, Philomena.
“To be honest with you, I have absolutely no idea what I would do with a phoenix,” Celestia chuckled. “Until I figure it out, you can keep her, Fluttershy. A noble pet for a noble mare.”
Philomena swooped over and set herself on Fluttershy’s shoulder. Fluttershy giggled and brushed her head up against the bird affectionately. “Thank you, Princess.”
Twilight was the last of the Elements, and was eager to get her reward. Luna stepped forward, levitating a book in front of her. Ancient scripture and dark symbols adorned the tome that was rapidly falling apart.
“The dark art of Necromancy is something we never dare teach our students,” Luna said. “I hope you will learn as much as you can about it, because it is the most effective device at getting rid of Discord’s stolen bodies. Be sure never to attempt a spell before you know you’re prepared. Of all magical arts, Necromancy has the most dangerous and irreversible side effects.”
Twilight took the aged book and stared at it with awe. “Are you sure I’m ready, Princess?”
“You don’t have to answer to us anymore,” Luna said. “You are the Element of Magic, supreme law of the land. Nopony is more capable of handling this magic.”
Twilight nodded and extremely carefully placed the book in her saddlebags, making sure it was secure and would not be damaged by anything else she was carrying.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were next.
“I think you’ve missed quite enough school.” Celestia raised an eyebrow at the sheepish teens. “I will grant you full amnesty for that alone, and give you our most qualified tutor in order to help you catch up. It will be a lot of work, but if you can pull through, you will finish your entire schooling in about... six months or so. Give or take a week.”
Scootaloo was a bit disappointed, but Sweetie Belle simply nodded. “Thank you, Princess.”
“Oh, I’m not done,” Celestia said, levitating a box toward the teens. “Step forward, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Oliver.” She opened the box, and inside were three exquisite medals with Equestria’s coat-of-arms emblazoned on the front. “Each of you receives a Medal of Valor, Equestria’s highest honor, for outstanding courage, bravery, and spirit in desperate times.”
Celestia stuck the medals to each of their chests with a bit of magic, and they stepped back in line, extremely pleased with what they had accomplished.
“You may return home. The celebration is in a few hours; you may want to prepare,” Luna said.
Thoroughly fulfilled, the Elements of Harmony and their cohorts left the room. All of them, that is, except Twilight.
“Twilight…” Celestia began. “There is something that we have to show you.”
=====================================================================
*******
In Fillydelphia, Twilight was led down the same narrow and ancient corridor that she had before, when she had gone to the Gateway. They were clearly headed to that sacred place under Fillydelphia. However, Luna and Celestia’s demeanor suggested that they were not going there to contact Obsidian, and Twilight soon saw why.
The grass around the Gateway had dried up and died; the room was now dark. The sacred water that had once filled the Gateway fountain had disappeared.
“What…?” Twilight asked. “Why is the water gone?”
Luna pointed to the top of the fountain. “Deception has removed the source of the holy waters.”
“The source?” Twilight asked.
“When the Queen of Harmony was killed, she was split into three pieces,” Luna said. “One of them was the good that was in her heart. It powered the Gateway. The other, the evil side of her heart, the side that was corrupted by darkness, however little, is what fuels the Lock. The third part, her will and consciousness, formed a black diamond called the Willpower. We do not know where it is, though, or what it does, exactly.”
“And Deception stole the source?” Twilight tilted her head to one side. “How do you know it was her?”
“She is the only one that would be able to get this close without anypony noticing,” Celestia scowled. “I hate her so much, you don’t even know. She could be any one of us, and we would have no idea. Even worse is the fact that she has kept Obsidian from teaching you how to realize your Potential.”
Twilight bit her lip. This is bad. “Is there any way to root out Deception?”
“No, not without hurting innocent ponies and wasting our time,” Luna sighed. “I have developed a spell that might help; it will alert you when any of your team members die.”
“How would that help?” Twilight asked.
“Deception often uses the cover of sleep to depart her disguised body and sneak into another,” Luna explained. “However, she will not be able to take out any of your group if she can’t kill any of them without us knowing. At the very least, it might catch her off guard. Be on the lookout for her, though; she has outwitted the smartest of foes.”
“Yes,” Celestia added. “The most paranoid ponies can sometimes trust Deception for the briefest moment before she backstabs them. Never let your guard down, for she is not only a game-changer, but a sadist that will stop at nothing to make your lives miserable. Trust me to the letter when I say that Deception is the single most dangerous Element of Discord in Equestria, and I mean no offense when I say this, Twilight, but she is much smarter than you ever will be.”
Twilight took no offense, but what Celestia said made her that much more frightened. “But what can she do, really?” Twilight asked. “You said that she could stab us in the back, but do you mean that literally?”
Luna sighed. “The Elements of Harmony have a very large weakness which Deception was able to exploit in the Dark Times: She can break ponies’ hearts by having her target fall in love with her and then brutally ending the affair. Loyalty is especially vulnerable to this because the way Deception’s mind works is so foreign to him.”
“And what happens if a pony’s heart is broken?” Twilight asked.
“…They die,” Celestia finally said. “Nopony can survive a broken heart, least of all the Elements of Harmony. It is Deception’s final slap in the face to her victims, and she has humiliated the Elements of Harmony several times using this tactic. Too many times,” she gritted her teeth.
“But what’s her plan now? Why not just kill us?” Twilight asked.
“Deception doesn’t want to kill you because then the Elements of Harmony would be reincarnated into new bodies,” Luna said. “We think that Deception wants to permanently disable the Elements of Harmony by some means, but I honestly don’t know if that is possible. But it must be, otherwise Deception never would have let you live this long.”
“So what do we do now? Why are you allowing life to return to normal if everypony is still in danger?” Twilight asked.
“Because a simple barrier won’t hold back the next wave of Discord,” Luna explained, “Guilt and Hate.”
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
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Mindblower
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Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Original Character,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Envy and Arrogance
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The Elements are critical to world stability. Twilight and her friends find this out the hard way.
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cancelled
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<p><b>[NEW VERSION </b><a href="/story/113207/dissonance" rel="nofollow"><b>HERE</b></a><b>]</b></p><p>With the help of forces beyond their control, six friends discover their true importance in Equestria’s timeline. With this new knowledge in hoof, they must try to figure out whom or what has crosshairs on their foreheads. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the only weapons of mass destruction in Equestria.</p>
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teen
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2012-03-10T14:22:29+00:00
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2012-03-10T14:22:29+00:00
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Chapter Twenty
*******
The Royal Garden was probably the only part of Canterlot that was spared from the Daymare’s wrath. That was for a very specific reason; a reason that a pony, with a white cloak over her head and a smug grin on her face, was about to illustrate in full splendor.
The pony walked up to a particular statue. It was of a creature that looked as though its body parts had all been taken from various animals and sewn together haphazardly. The creature had a horse-like head with both a deer antler and a goat horn, one fang and a small beard hanging off its chin. His four appendages were an eagle’s talon, a lizard’s leg, a goat’s leg, and a lion’s paw. He had a snake’s tail, a dragon’s wing, and a black pegasus’s wing.
It was a draconequus, and one that was posed very theatrically, as if it were singing an opera solo in front of a grand audience.
The pony walked up and touched the statue’s base. It glowed, and cracks started to appear along the statue, spreading up its chest and to its now glowing eyes. Slowly, as the statue shed what appeared to be only an outer layer of stone, the original being revealed itself from underneath.
The creature stretched and yawned. “Five thousand years…” he said, “will give you such a crick in the neck!” The surrounding space seemed to warp and twist for a moment before returning to its natural state.
The pony smiled. “It’s been a long time, Discord. I trust you are well?”
The draconequus, Discord, scowled. “Yes, because plaster is so wonderful for the skin. You left me here for eons, Mistress, how do you think I feel?”
The pony, Mistress, laughed, though her laugh was sharp and biting. “I think you feel spectacular, what with the calcium carbonate laced into your pelt. Do not take me for a fool, Discord. I know exactly how your nerves are generating emotions at present, and I also know what you’re capable of... provided you do not let those trivial chemicals interfere.”
“You want me to mess around with those Elements again, don’t you? Because I hardly believe you’d release me simply to discuss the weather,” Discord sneered. A plum emerged from of a nearby daisy, and Discord popped it between his jaws. Swallowing, he said, “I know your game, my lady. I have played it myself, and it is not a game I usually win.”
“Well, the odds are quite with me, true,” Mistress admitted, “but my games, you see, are not things that simply end and begin.”
“I am aware,” Discord said. “You shouldn’t take me for a fool, either. What’s your proof that we aren’t destined to lose, however? How do I know that this ‘grander scheme’ is the horse’s bray like you say it is?”
“Because I know exactly how the Elements process data, and I shall use that to my advantage as I take them down one by one,” Mistress smirked.
“Oh, yes, your typical thing, right?” Discord folded his arms. “Give me a break. So you gave the Elements some boo-boos. Big deal! They always come right back and ruin all the fun.”
“But…” Mistress said, “what if they don’t come back...?”
Discord raised an eyebrow. “Alright, fine. How in Equestria do you plan to turn that fantasy into the glorious reality you see in that pretty head of yours?”
“It’s actually quite simple, really,” Mistress grinned.
Continue the adventure:
Guilt and Hate
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Thank you all for reading! Let me know what you think of the story in a comment or a private message. I'll be sure to respond! And above all, have a pleasant day.
|
Nvr Rmbr
|
761
| 1 |
Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Castle of Shadows
|
This castle has a few dark secrets that are back.
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>When a young Princess Luna and Princess Celestia move into a castle deep within the Everfree forest, they get more than they bargained for.</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-09-07T00:42:11+00:00
|
2011-09-07T00:42:11+00:00
| 980 |
The walls of the house absorbed the mare's screams, until they felt to her as muffled and pointless as yelling underwater. Still, her lungs kept pushing out cries for help. Her attacker carried her over his back, holding her up with his magic. The stench of his sweat filled her nostrils. He payed no heed to the frantic writhing, or the pounding of her hooves on his back, which dug into his flesh. He simply lumbered, as steadily as a freight train, through the big corridors of the castle.
She knew where they were heading, but not where they would end up. In this castle nothing was as it seemed, nothing was normal. So while she new in advance the turns her attacker would take, which hallways he would traverse, their destination was as unknowable as a faraway universe. And that meant her ponynapping would be completely untraceable. She would be unreachable by possible rescuers. To her family – And that thought scared her worse than death.
But then she saw something even more terrifying: her foals, galloping to catch up, to help. They stumbled up the staircase behind her attacker. The thought of them falling into the same fate as she was too much to bear.
“Go back,” she said, but by this time, her throat was raw, and her voice a mere whisper.
The stallion reached a landing and turned down another corridor.
Temporarily out of sight, her son yelled, “Mom!” His young voice was almost lost in the shrill ness of his terror. He appeared on the landing. His hooves slipped on the floor, and he went down. Behind him, his little sister hesitated. She was terrified and confused, too young to do anything more than follow her brother. He clambered up and started to gallop again.
A hoof gripped him, stopping him.
The boy's father had something with him: A lamp! He passed the boy in the hallway. His strong body allowed him to catch up to the attacker in seconds.
Thank goodness, she thought.
With the lamp held over his head with magic, he grabbed her wrist in his hooves. He pulled, attempting to anchor himself on the ground. But the brute under her continued on, pulling him with them. Pain flared in her shoulder. He might as well have been trying to pull a tree out of the ground with his bare hooves.
She caught a glimpse of the torches that lined the walls. The flames flickered in time with her rapid pulse.
“Orion,” she said, pleading, hopeful.
His gripped tightened as he stumbled along beside them. He swung the lamp with his magic at her assailant. If the stallion carrying her had flinched, she didn't feel it.
What he did do was stop. He did such a quick spin that the mare's husband lost his grip on her. And now, facing the other direction, she could no longer see him. Not being able to see him felt like having the wind knocked out of her. But realizing that he was now face-to-face with the stallion that had kidnapped her hurt even worse.
“No!” She yelled, her voice somehow finding volume. “Orion!”
His hand gripped her back hoof, but released almost instantly. The stallion under her moved erratically, shaking her violently. Her head collided with a wall.
Everything went dark, her consciousness slipping away. It came back to her slowly, like the warmth of a fire on an exceptionally windy day.
She tasted blood. The impact of hitting the wall must have caused her to bite her tongue. Her eyes snapped open. Orion lay crumpled on the floor. Her foals were there, touching him, and calling his name. Her son's eyes found hers, and determination pushed away his fear... at least a part of it. He stepped over his father, coming to her rescue. Orion raised his head, stunned. He reached for the boy but missed.
Over the huffing breath of the stallion, she heard the clop of her son's feet. How she loved that sound, knowing it would bring him to her. But now she only wanted to hear it carry him away from the danger. Orion called out to him in a strained voice. The boy kept galloping.
Her assailant turned again, into a room – one of the small antechambers. He strode straight towards the next threshold.
Her son reached the first door just as it was closing.
“Mom!” He yelled, worry showing on his face.
“Stay,” she said. She showed him her hooves in a “stop” gesture, hoping he would understand, and follow her order. She took in his face, as a diver takes a deep breath before going under water. He was completely in the antechamber, reaching for her with both arms, but the captor had already opened the door and was going through. The door was closing behind him.
The light they were stepping into was blinding. It swept around her, through the opening, and made pinpoints of the boy's irises. His blue eyes dazzled. His cheeks were sparkling with tears.
“I-” she started, meaning to say she loved him, but the brute went down, causing her to crash into his back. Air rushed from her, untouched by vocal cords, just pure air.
“Mom!” her son screamed. He was full of despair, reaching for the door. “Mo-”
The door closed, severing her from her family forever.
|
Nvr Rmbr
|
761
| 2 |
Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Castle of Shadows
|
This castle has a few dark secrets that are back.
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>When a young Princess Luna and Princess Celestia move into a castle deep within the Everfree forest, they get more than they bargained for.</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-09-07T19:25:38+00:00
|
2011-09-07T19:25:38+00:00
| 897 |
“Nothing but trees,” Celestia grumbled, looking out the carriage window. Outside her window, there was nothing but trees.
A month ago, her father, Sirius, had announced that he was taking a teaching job over 200 miles away, and the family had to pack their bags and leave the only home that Celestia had ever known. They were going to a place she had never heard of: Ponyville, almost straight north from their home in Manehatten. Still in Equestria, but just barely. Ponyville. The name itself almost screamed “small”. Of course, she had screamed, begged, threatened to run away forever, but she was eventually dragged to the carriage, and jammed into it with her little sister, and her mother. Her dad drove the cart, and two very strong pegasus were recruited for the time being to transport them to Ponyville.
The farther they went, the thicker the woods got, and the more homesick she became. It was bad enough having to leave Manehatten, but leaving it for Ponyville? That alone was painful to her.
She shifted in her seat, and bumped into her sister, Luna, causing her to drop her book. Luna just sighed and picked it back up off the carriage floor. “It's too cramped back here!”
“Don't start that with me.” Sirius warned from his seat on the front of the carriage.
“What?” Celestia asked, faking innocence.
“I used to do the same thing with my father.” Sirius said. “The carriage's too small... it's too run down...”
Celestia smirked. “Well, it is.”
Her mind wandering, Celestia started thinking about Eclipse. She thought back a bit. He hadn't returned her latest love letter. He used to always do that. But Celestia knew the score: Out of sight, out of mind. Even in the past week, she had sensed a coldness in him, as if he had no more emotion. When she had told her sister, Luna had just shrugged. Luna had never had a particular liking of Eclipse.
Celestia had tried to convince herself that he was just another friend she was leaving behind, but whenever she thought about leaving him, she felt an ache in her heart.
Stop it! She told herself.
Her mother reached over and patted her shoulder.
“Give it some time,” she whispered. “You'll find new things to do, and make new friends. Just wait, and you'll see.”
|
Nvr Rmbr
|
761
| 3 |
Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Castle of Shadows
|
This castle has a few dark secrets that are back.
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>When a young Princess Luna and Princess Celestia move into a castle deep within the Everfree forest, they get more than they bargained for.</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-09-07T20:50:18+00:00
|
2011-09-07T20:50:18+00:00
| 770 |
Their rented room was decorated like a crazy rave-music-addicted pony's bedroom. There were posters all over the walls showing off all the most popular rave music artists, including a few that Celestia had never heard of in her life. A throw rug in the middle of the floor was supposed to look like a record, but it was so worn that it could easily be confused with a black-coated pony laying down in a ball on the floor.
“Who do they think stays here?” Celestia asked, noticing a poster that looked to be in an entirely different language. When she pointed it out to Luna, her sister thought it was a poster that someone had put up upside down. The two were sitting on the bed that they, unbelievably, had to share until their parents arranged something more permanent.
“This décor is... lovely,” Celestia's mother said.
“Since when did you become a rave fan?” Luna asked.
Celestia chuckled at the joke. “Since today!” She laughed, shoving Luna off the bed playfully.
One thing that Celestia liked about Luna was that she always attempted to stand up for herself. Instead of tattling, she would always either turn a cold shoulder, or fight back. This time she fought back. Grinning, she leaped off the floor and tackled Celestia to the bed.
Celestia rolled, so she was sitting on top of her sister. She grabbed Luna's arms and tried to keep her from moving. Luna jerked her arms free and managed to land a hit on Celestia's stomach. Celestia got a solid grip on Luna's arms, and held her arms to the bed, right next to Luna's ears. Luna squirmed.
“Girls!” Celestia's mother said.
“Oh, Nova, it's just some sibling rivalry, let them have their fun.” Sirius said.
“I don't want them getting hurt.”
“Okay, okay.” Celestia said, getting off of Luna. Luna pulled her knees to her chest to prevent Celestia from jumping on her again. Before Luna could turn, Celestia spit, nailing Luna's cheek. Celestia cackled maniacally and galloped out the room's door.
“Get back here right now!” Nova yelled after Celestia.
But Sirius called out to her, “Not too far!” giving her permission to carry on.
Celestia glanced back, still at full gallop, and saw Luna galloping after her. Luna's cheek still had saliva on it.
|
CarcinoFlavors
|
764
| 1 |
Original Character,Spitfire,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Can't Start a Fyre Without a Spark
|
The tale of a young Spitfyre
|
cancelled
| -1 | -1 |
<p>The sad tale of Spitfyre as she struggles through her a life changing day in her childhood, and beyond</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-09-07T01:36:58+00:00
|
2011-09-07T01:36:58+00:00
| 1,652 |
M.
Can’t Start A Fyre Without a Spark Pt.1
It was around midnight in Equestria. Luna’s moon hung high in the sky, the huge white orb blazing through the darkness of night. Blaze was pacing around nervously. His bright red coat and fiery mane stuck out in the otherwise peaceful and dark evening. For a pegasus who was well know for his calm level headiness it was strange to see him so frantic. However like any father can tell you, there is no experience quite like your first child. It brought him such a strange mix of joy and fear. What if something went wrong? What if he was a bad father? What if the kid hated him? He continued to push himself further and further into his own fears until he was shocked back into reality by the opening of the door to the house.
“It’s done.” said a young Nurse Redheart with a satisfied smile, “The operation was a success.” At that moment the immense joy and relief Blaze felt immediately trumped any doubts or fears he may have previously held. He was a father now. Redheart led Blaze inside where mother was with child. Blaze felt his eyes get wet, and for half a second his vision was blurred with tears of joy. The moment seemed to hang in the air forever, then finally after what seemed like ages, Blaze walked towards his wife.
“He’s beautiful Crystal.” he said whispering to his wife. She looked up at him and gave him a weak, tired smile. “He’s a she, Blaze. You have a daughter.” Blaze was dumbstruck. He had a daughter. HE HAD A DAUGHTER. He wanted to run through all of Equestria and scream it. BY CELESTIA HE HAD A DAUGHTER. He looked at the foal clutched in Crystal’s hooves. She had a bright yellow coat like her mother. She also had a fiery red and orange mane like her father. He could have looked at that foal all night and it was, in a way, love at first sight. Suddenly the foal turned and looked straight at her dad. Blaze looked right into her eyes. She had fire in them. “Just like her father,” he thought.
He broke his gaze and looked again to his wife. “What should we call her?” he asked. Crystal took a moment and thought. “Spitfyre, we’ll call her Spitfyre.”
Blaze smiled, it was a good name.”My little Spitfyre.” Nurse Redheart nudged him gently.
“Excuse me, Mr. Blaze, but your wife has just made a delivery and both of you could use some sleep, why don't you two rest and I'll send a doctor over to check on your wife tomorrow.”
She then turned and quietly left the house, leaving the young couple alone with their new foal.
“She’s right Crystal, we shou-.” Blaze began but he stopped and smiled. She was already fast asleep with Spitfyre curled tightly in her hooves.
“Goodnight Crystal,” he whispered leaning over giving her a small kiss on the cheek.
“And goodnight little Spitfyre,” he said leaning over and gently ever so gently kissing the new foal on the cheek. He paused for a moment and looked around the room.
“My Spitfyre,” he said to himself one more time before he promptly sat in a nearby chair and fell into a deep, dreamy, slumber.
Blaze woke up and sunlight was already pouring in through the windows. He had slept in. He got up from the chair yawning and rubbing some of the sleep from his eyes. Then it hit him. He had slept in, on his daughter’s birthday. It had been five short years since that fateful night. Time seemed to go by so fast. He looked around the house. Either no pony else was awake or Crystal had already taken Spitfyre out somewhere for her birthday. He headed upstairs to their bedroom, and cracked open the door. Crystal was still sound asleep with Spitfyre curled up tightly right beside her. She had been having terrible night-terrors lately. She would always burst into their room with tears streaming down her face. She’d run towards and jump in the bed quivering and mumbling in between sobs about all the horrible things she had seen. He quietly closed the door and went back downstairs.
Blaze grabbed his goggles off the mantle place in the living room. They were old and covered with dust but still as sturdy as they were the day he first got them. He put them on, feeling the familiarity of them. Just one quick flight, he thought, to Sugarcube corner to pick up the cake. Besides, his daughter couldn’t rightly have a birthday without a cake now could she? He flexed his wings when he got outside, it had been some time since he had done a considerable amount of flying. He took off with one powerful down stroke and began rocketing towards the sky. He broke through the clouds and started to beat his wings in the direction of Sugercube corner. Blaze started moving faster and faster, the wind was whipping in his face and whistling through his ears as he streaked across the sky. “It’s almost like the old days,” he thought. He started to think back to his younger days. Back when he was still with them, but quickly pushed the memories from his mind. Those days were through; he was a father now. He landed outside the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cake and after a brief conversation, some laughter, and a couple of bits Blaze was on his way back home with birthday cake in tow. He looked off in the distance and spied some very sinister looking clouds. Must be the big storm the weather pegasi were planning to make up for missing all those days of rain, he thought. The clouds were huge and swollen, and jet black. Blaze had never seen such huge or dark clouds before, but he had faith in the weather team at Ponyville. Besides now was not the time for worrying. It was a time for celebrating. By the time Blaze reached home Crystal and Spitfyre both were already awake.
Blaze could hear Spitfyre anxiously pestering her mother about what she got for her birthday while she was desperately trying to get breakfast prepared. He swung open the door wide, shouting “I heard it was somepony’s birthday?” Spitfyre noticing the grand entrance of her father forgot all about trying to squeeze information out of her mother.
“Daddy!” she cried with delight.
“Hey there, pipsqueak.” he responded with equal mirth. Spitfyre ran over to Blaze nearly vibrating with excitement “Whatcha got there? Can i see it? Is it mine?” Blaze smiled at the energetic filly.
“I don’t know,” he replied playfully, “but if somepony isn’t a good girl and doesn’t sit down and eat her breakfast she wont get anything.” Obediently Spitfyre sat down in the nearest chair and tore into the plate of neglected breakfast.
“Slow down Spitfyre, I don’t want you to choke,” said Crystal “and sit up straight, and when was the last time you brushed your mane, young lady?” Crystal continued to nag the filly as she finished her breakfast. Blaze smiled. It was just another morning as usual. Far off he thought he heard thunder rumbling but quickly dismissed it. He quietly snuck into the kitchen and hid the cake on a high up cabinet where Spitfyre couldn't see and slipped back into the dining room. Crystal looked at him and smiled. The smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of puzzlement.
“Spitfyre, honey go play outside,” she said eyes still riveted on Blaze “mommy and daddy need to talk, and don’t go to far you hear me?”
“Yes ma’am.” Spitfyre responded as she dashed out of the room. as soon as the door closed Crystal spoke.
“You’re wearing your goggles.” She said quietly, staring at him.
“Yeah, I put them on when I went to go pick up her cake. I guess it’s just an old habit.” Blaze responded nonchalantly trying to avoid the subject.
“You’re retired Blaze. You’ve been retired for four years,” she was getting angry now. “Promise me you didn’t do any flying.” she said suddenly. Blaze knew he couldn’t lie to his wife so he didn’t even try.
“Yes I went flying today,” he sighed “I just needed to get out some pent up energy.”
“DAMMIT BLAZE, YOU AREN’T A WONDERBOLT ANYMORE.” she yelled tears now streaming from her face. Blaze just stood where he was, not knowing what to say. There was a loud crash as the far off storm was bearing down upon them. after a while Crystal began again.
“Do you remember why we moved to Ponyville Blaze?” she asked.
“To start a family,” Blaze whispered.
“That’s right and what is a family without a father, Blaze? After your accident I didn’t think that I would even be able to have a family with you, but you pulled through. I know it hurts that the doctor told you that you can’t fly anymore, it’s like telling a fish not to swim, but Blaze this family needs you, I need you, Spitfyre needs you.” Blaze cringed at the mention of the accident. It was a moment he would never forget. He had been young then; young and reckless. He was the head air-pony of the Wonderbolts, Equestria’s best team of fliers. They were doing a special celebration in Cloudsdale. It was to be Blaze’s last show before he retired and let somepony else take over. But Blaze wanted to go out with a bang, and what better way than to try out his newest most dangerous stunt? The Wonderbolts took to calling it the Blaze of Glory. Each one would accelerate straight upwards peeling off one by one until only Blaze was left. He would then turn and dive straight downward towards the crowd and a split-second before he hit the ground would pull up sharply and skid across the clouds leaving a trail of bright hot fire behind him. On the day of the show everything had been flawless, but when the time came for the Blaze of Glory, Blaze had flown too high in his own reckless abandon. The air was too thin, and it was hard for Blaze to breath. His vision began to blur. Keeping his eyes opened seemed harder and harder until finally he blacked-out completely. He began spiraling to the ground unconscious, but to the eager on-lookers it appeared to be part of the maneuver, until Blaze fell straight through the clouds. Blaze came to just in time to see the Everfree forest rushing up to meet him.
The trees softened the otherwise fatal crash but he was still in a horrible state. Bones broken everywhere. He was covered in head to hoof with all manners of cuts and gashes. He was a grisly sight to behold, but inside him was the real problem. A couple of his ribs had broken and punctured his lungs, and as the doctors would later tell him it was by the grace of Celestia alone that Blaze had lived long enough to receive care. He spent 6 months in Canterlot Medical Care and Trauma Center. It was a long painful fight that Blaze fought everyday just to stay alive. But after the long 6 months he was discharged from the facility almost as good as new. However, the damage done to the lung had held unforeseen consequences. The doctors told Blaze if he exerted himself too hard he could risk rupturing his lung again which could prove to be crippling and even fatal. So Blaze lived through the ordeal only to be striped of the only thing that gave his life meaning. Flight. On the day he was discharged the Wonderbolts came to visit. They brought him the only thing that had survived the crash; his old flight goggles. They told him he would always be a Wonderbolt even if he could never again take to the air.
There was a bright flash of light followed by a loud boom. Blaze was forced out of his memories and back into the present. The once far off storm was directly over-top of Ponyville now. Crystal was still standing in front of him. She was no longer crying but her eyes were red and puffy.
“I'm sorry, honey”, he said softly “I promise, no more flying.” Blaze pulled her forward and embraced her. She clung to him tightly, but something was still wrong. Crystal seemed to notice it too. they both realized it at once.
“Spitfyre! She’s still outside!” shouted Crystal. Without a moments hesitation both ponies burst outside into the pouring rain. Crystal headed towards the Everfree forest while Blaze went through the town.
“SPITFYRE, SPITFYRE!” he called but his voice was drowned out by the rain and peels of thunder. The streets were deserted. Everypony was inside their house cowering in fear. Ponyville had never experienced a storm like this before. Blaze ran and ran, calling her name but heard no reply.
Crystal must have found her, he thought. He turned around and headed straight for the forest. He was a third of the way to the outskirts of the forest when there was a blinding flash accompanied by a deafening boom that shook the very earth, and then there was a scream.
Blaze took off. He flew hard and he flew fast. He needed to be there and he needed to be there NOW. He was pumping his wings faster than he ever had. The ground became a blur beneath him. Suddenly he became aware of a dull pain in his side but pushed it back. Spitfyre was more important. However the pain only intensified, until his whole body seemed to be on fire. It was becoming difficult for him to breathe but he kept flying until the pain became so unbearable it forced him to land, and start walking. He staggered forward breathing heavily. He had to get to Spitfyre. He finally came to the outskirts of the forest. He was greeted by a large fallen tree, and he could make out a bright yellow speck in the distance. Blaze continued step by agonizing step until his hooves could no longer support him. He fell to the ground with a wet splash, defeated. Glancing up he could tell he was close. Only a few more feet. Gasping for breath Blaze began to crawl through the muddy ground digging his hooves into the earth and pulling himself along until he could no longer move and his hooves were cracked and bleeding. His vision began to fade and the crash of the rain and thunder seemed so far off. Before him he saw his daughter looking down at something pinned underneath the tree, and before the blackness completely took hold of him he heard her pleading to it.
“Mommy, please get up, please, I'm scared.”
|
CarcinoFlavors
|
764
| 2 |
Original Character,Spitfire,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Can't Start a Fyre Without a Spark
|
The tale of a young Spitfyre
|
cancelled
| -1 | -1 |
<p>The sad tale of Spitfyre as she struggles through her a life changing day in her childhood, and beyond</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-09-07T01:38:30+00:00
|
2011-09-07T01:38:30+00:00
| 1,442 |
M.
Cant Start a Fyre Without a Spark Pt.2
Spitfyre had woke up that morning excited; it was her birthday after all. When she came down stairs she tried in vain to get some information about the present she had asked for from her mom. When Blaze came home she was sure she was bound to get something totally awesome. But first there was breakfast. She began to quickly devour her meal until her mother caught her.
“Slow down Spitfyre,” she said “i don’t want you to choke, and sit up straight, and when was the last time you brushed your mane young lady?”
Spitfyre sighed it was mom being her usual self. She started eating slower to appease her mother. She could be so demanding sometimes. Just as she had finished, her mother told her to go outside. Spitfyre could tell something was wrong but she didn’t want to upset her father; after all she had promised to be a good pony on her birthday. So she got up quietly and hurried to the door. As soon as it shut behind her she carefully pressed her ear against it.
“You’re retired Blaze, you’ve been retired for four years.”
Her mother said. She sounded angry. Spitfyre was scared, her parents never got mad at each other. Ever! She kept listening.
“Promise me you didn’t do any flying,”
she heard her mother say, even angrier still. Flying? She had never seen her dad fly . She'd assumed that he was a horrible flier and was too embarrassed to do it around other ponies. Now she was intrigued, she had to know more. She pressed her whole body against the door hanging on every word.
“DAMMIT BLAZE! YOU'RE NOT A WONDERBLOT ANYMORE!”
her mother yelled.The exclamation was accompanied by a crash of thunder. The sheer surprise of it sent her spinning head over hooves. Spitfyre quickly jumped up and ran. It was all too much. Her mother had rarely ever raised her voice and she never ever swore. What if they hurt each other? she thought. What if they don’t love each other anymore and go away forever and leave me all alone? She kept running, all the while lost in her own fears. She felt tears running down her face, or was it rain? How far had she run? Where was she? There was a bright flash followed by a loud boom. Spitfyre was panicking. “Momma!, Momma!” she screamed, but her words were lost in the pouring rain and roaring thunder. She was in full on panic mode now. She began to run blindly, the rain stinging her face as she went.
“MOMMA!, DADDY! ”
she screamed at the top of her lungs over and over until her voice was hoarse and her throat, raw. Finally her tiny body gave out. Her hooves slipped from under her and she landed in the muddy ground with a splash. Her legs trembled in a feeble attempt to stand, and her whole body shook with fear. Spitfyre, too exhausted to rise, curled tightly into a ball, Hot tears flowing out of her eyes. She was sure she was going to die.
She looked up and saw the gargantuan trees before her. She had run quite a long way if she was in the Everfree forest. There was a blinding flash followed by a blast of thunder that shook the very Earth she laid upon. There was a loud splintering noise; Spitfyre could hear it, but she was stunned by the lighting and couldn’t see. She forced herself back on her feet to flee, when something slammed roughly into her side sending her sprawling back to the earth. Just moments later there was a dull thud. Once again the earth shook. The thud was accompanied by a sharp, cracking noise followed by a cry of pain.
Spitfyre struggled to her wobbly feet. There was a stinging pain in her hind leg that she had twisted funny when she fell and she was sore all over . In a daze she limped to the to the source of the scream willing her eyes to focus. It took precious seconds but before long she stumbled upon a grizzly scene that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
***
Crystal didn’t know how long she had been searching, it seemed like ages since she had left the house, and ventured into the dreadful storm in search of Spitfyre.
“SPITFYRE!” she called hoping that the little filly would here her over the raging storm.
She refused to think of anything else except Spitfyre. Spitfyre was her daughter, her pride and joy, her everything, and she loved her more than life itself. Every muscle in her body ached and burned. but it didn’t matter. Only Spitfyre mattered.
Her ears perked up.
“Momma! Daddy!”
She heard the faintest sound over the storm. It was Spitfyre! Crystal turned towards the sound with renewed energy beating her wings vigorously.
“Hold on sweetheart." Crystal yelled, "I’m coming!”
Soon the bright yellow filly came into view. A feeling of relief washed over Crystal she smiled and her heart felt at ease.The young filly seemed frightened, but unhurt. As Crystal headed towards her daughter, a huge bolt of lighting struck the tree in front of the sobbing filly, followed by a blast of thunder. Crystal watched in horror as the tree slowly began to topple in Spitfyre’s direction. Instinct kicked in. Without thinking Crystal took off, faster than she had ever flown before. She pushed her wings to the limit. Spitfyre was about a hundred yards away, but it felt like ten thousand. Everything happened so slowly. She reached Spitfyre just in time, tackling her out of the way, only to be too late to save herself. The tree caught her in the flank and smashed her into the ground with a sickening thud. White light exploded in her eyes and she screamed in agony.
The pain was unbearable, it was like nothing she had ever experienced and it was all she could do to not slip into a fatal unconsciousness. She was gasping for breath unable to breathe with the weight off the tree bearing down on her. However she saw Spitfyre limp over towards her and she then she smiled weakly. She’s okay. Once she saw Spitfyre ,safe, standing before her she knew it was worth it.
“I..I..”
she started to say with the last of her breath. Everything was starting to melt away, the pain that was once so intense was so far away.
“I......love....you” she gasped at last sighing and closing her eyes. Yes, it was worth it.
***
Spitfyre watched in horror, paralysed with fear, unable to accept what had just happened. It was all her fault. If I hadn't have run away then...then.
A fresh set of tears welled up in her eyes.
“Mommy, please get up. Please. I’m scared.” she pleaded to her mother’s lifeless form “Please.” her pleading was broken by sobbing. She knelt down and hugged her mother, tears mixed with the rain rolling down her cheeks. Spitfyre suddenly became aware of another noise beside that of her own sobbing. She turned behind her to see Blaze gasping on the ground.
“Dad!” she shouted turning her attention to her father “Daddy what’s wrong?” there was no response.
She ran over to him. He was covered in cuts and bruises. his once illustrious coat and fiery mane were now covered in mud and flecks of blood. His hooves were cracked and bleeding, and blood was seeping from his muzzle.
“No daddy not you too! It’s not fair. You can’t go too. I don’t wanna be alone.” Spitfyre whispered into his ear,
“I don’t wanna be alone...” Blaze shuddered and his eyes grew dim and then finally closed
“So alone...”
***
Blaze opened his eyes and he was back in his comfy chair. He was slick with sweat and breathing hard. His head was spinning. Crystal was standing over him with a worried look on her face. Sunlight was pouring in through the windows behind her giving her a sort of ethereal appearance and illuminated everything in the room with a pale golden glow. Her bright yellow coat had turned a majestic gold in the light, and she seemed to float gracefully lime an angel. The angel spoke to him,
“Blaze, honey, are you okay? You’re all sweaty. Were you having a nightmare?”
Blaze shook his head still in a daze. Was it a dream? It had felt so real. His head swam and he could hardly remember anything.
“Its okay now.” Crystal said to him, “Come here”
Blaze stood and embraced his wife. She squeezed him tightly and he leaned in burying his face in her mane. She smelled fresh and clean and she was so peaceful. Blaze wanted to hold her there forever. He felt as if he let go he might never see her again.
“I love you” he said and kissed her. But it felt wrong, everything felt wrong. He started to remembered something.
“Where’s Spitfyre.” he said urgently.
Crystal looked at him strangely “Spitfyre? Why she’s outside.”
Blaze made a motion for the door when Crystal stepped in front of him. “No need to check on her. stay here with me.” she said slowly advancing toward him. Blaze began to back away,
Crystal spoke to him again this time with a more sinister edge on her voice, “tell me you love me again.”
“I love you and I've always loved you.” He said.
She stopped. Then smiling once again wrapped her hooves around him. This time however it felt different, it felt fake, unreal. It felt like a dream. Suddenly the color began to fade from the room, and even from Crystal her once golden coat that had shimmered in the sunlight grew flat and lifeless. Blaze again became aware of a dull pain in his side and his mind began to focus.
“This isn’t real” he said aloud. He pulled away from Crystal’s embrace
“What are you talking about sweetheart?” Crystal responded “Of course its real.”
“This isn’t real” He repeated the memories of what happened rushing back to him all at once.
He remembered everything, the fight, the storm, Spitfyre missing, flying, and her. He remembered seeing Crystal’s broken body beneath the tree. The pain in his side became intense. Blaze’s eyes became wet, and the color drained from his face. “This isn’t real because you're.......” He couldn’t say it. The words wouldn’t come to him.
“Dead?” she finished for him. “No Blaze i moved on, and I’ve come to get you so we can go together.” She said, her voice sweet and thick like honey.
“But what about Spitfyre?” He said worried . “What about our daughter, Crystal?”
“It’s out of our hooves now Blaze. Now come with me. We can be together forever. You won’t ever have to worry about pain again. You can FLY again Blaze don’t you want that?” She said holding her hoof out for him.
Fly? Blaze thought. It was once the thing he thought gave his life meaning, what he lived for. I could fly again. He reached out for her hoof. and then stopped. He thought of something new. An image appeared in front of him. He saw a bright yellow filly staring up at him. He looked at her. Their eyes met and Blaze knew what he had to do.
“No.”
Blaze turned and took off towards to doorway leading out. The pain returned to him in full force and Blaze collapsed.
“Come back, Blaze! I can make the pain end!”
He heard the illusion of his wife call. Blaze staggered back to his hooves and headed to the door. It seemed to be impossibly far away stretching down an endless corridor. Blaze grit his teeth, every step was one step closer. In his head echoed his wife’s words,
“DAMMIT BLAZE YOU AREN’T A WONDERBOLT ANYMORE!”
“I HATE YOU!” screeched the illusion, “HATE! YOU!”
Blaze felt teardrops roll down his face. It’s not real, it’s not real. He told himself, but it sure as hell still feels real. Every step was filled with writhing, agonizing pain that would have long since crippled any normal pony, but still Blaze continued. Every step was another knife in his side; another reason to give up and turn back. Still he continued. If he couldn’t fly then he would run, If he couldn’t run then he would walk, and dammit, if he couldn’t walk then he would crawl. There was a Fyre in his heart, and that's all that mattered . When he reached the door he was blind from pain. He tasted blood in his mouth and felt the stickiness of blood on his hooves. Slowly, ever so slowly, he pushed the door open. Light poured from the opening As light enveloped his body Blaze could have sworn he heard a new voice, one that broken and full of sadness
“So alone.”
|
CarcinoFlavors
|
764
| 3 |
Original Character,Spitfire,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Can't Start a Fyre Without a Spark
|
The tale of a young Spitfyre
|
cancelled
| -1 | -1 |
<p>The sad tale of Spitfyre as she struggles through her a life changing day in her childhood, and beyond</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-09-07T01:40:17+00:00
|
2011-09-07T01:40:17+00:00
| 1,523 |
M.
Can’t Start a Fyre Without a Spark pt. 3
***
“So alone.” She whispered one more time as the wind and rain began to subside. The vile black storm clouds had finally begun to break apart revealing the deep, majestic blue of the night sky. The radiant moon was high in the sky like a silent sentinel keeping watch over world. Every blade of grass and every leaf of every tree was dotted with drops of rain that mirrored the moonlight, causing every surface to appear as if it was covered in thousands of tiny crystals. ‘Why does everything have to be so pretty,’ Spitfyre wondered in her grief ‘Its not fair.’ She knew that she couldn’t stay with her parents anymore, and that it was time to leave
Spitfyre was beyond exhausted it took every ounce of her strength just to stand. She couldn’t even bare to look at her mother again, let alone say goodbye. The sight of her made her stomach churn and her eyes burn with tears. The best she could manage was a raspy “I love you.” She looked down at her father, who had given his life only to see his wife die and his daughter abandoned. A single teardrop rolled down her cheek and ran down to the end of her muzzle, falling gently onto her beloved father’s face. Spitfyre, in the deepest depths of her mind, hoped that she would see his eyes flutter open and see him to spring back to life. But no such thing happened, as Blaze remained unmoving in the mud. Spitfyre shuddered, forcing back tears as she bent low and kissed him on the forehead, and whispered into his ear.
“No matter what, I still love you.”
***
Blaze had to shield his eyes from the intense light. The first thing he noticed was the pain he had felt earlier was completely gone. ‘Bad sign’. It took several moments but eventually his eyes grew accustom enough to where he could at least make out the shape of some kind of pony. He called out to it in hopes to find out something.
“Celestia?”
The spectral pony was silent and shook it’s head no.
“Am I...dead?” Blaze said with pained words.
The pony again remained silent and only nodded its head no once more.
“If you aren’t Celestia then who--,” Blaze was cut short by a sudden flare of light that caused him to double over in pain. Inside his head he heard a sweet and airy voice began to speak.
“I am something special,” the voice said, “for you see, many old tales tell of the power of friendship and how it can do miraculous things, but there are tales older still that speak of a different kind of magic. There is another deeper stronger power than that of friendship. It is the power of love. For you see Blaze, I am Love.”
Blaze was awestruck as the shimmering pony came fully into his view. Her coat was a pure, snowy white with a glittering white mane that flowed like silk. Her eyes were bright and shone full of life, emanating a light that caused him to cringe and shrink back from its harshness.
The voice inside his head continued “I am the manifestation of this ancient and powerful magic that was called upon when you committed the ultimate selfless act and sacrificed yourself in an attempt to save your daughter.”
Blaze scoffed. “Save her from what? Crystal was the one who saved Spitfyre from the tree...not me. All I did was watch as my wife died and my only kid was left alone... a whole lot of good I did there.”
Love smiled and replied, “It doesn’t matter, you did whatever it took to ensure that your daughter was safe. Even in the face of death you fought for your daughter so that she wouldn’t grow up alone. That, Blaze, is true love. Now... take my hoof.”
Blaze looked dubiously at the offered hoof, remembering what had happened before. “If you’re so powerful then bring my wife back, not me. She was the one who saved Spitfyre.”
Love’s face changed to a pained look and it took a long time to reply. When it finally said something it’s voice was full of sorrow.
“I can’t Blaze, you see in order for my magic to work there has to be a strong bond between both ponies. The love between Crystal and Spitfyre was great to be certain, but its just not enough. Spitfyre loves you more than anything in all of Equestria and deep down so do you. I’m sorry it has to be this way, Blaze, I truly am. But we are running short on time, if we wait any longer you will be well and truly dead. This is your last chance. Take my hoof.”
Blaze took one last look at the hoof and said, “This is going to hurt like hell isn’t it?”
Love smiled, responding, “Ever heard of tough love?”
As Blaze grabbed Love’s hoof, light began to pour into his body. Slowly the smiling pony began to fade away, and all the pain he had felt before came rushing back to him. He felt like he would collapse, but Love gave him strength. Love kept him standing tall, and Love kept him going. A great voice boomed in his head
“ALWAYS LOVE HER!”
Then, once again, Blaze was consumed by darkness.
***
Blaze awoke with a gasp as air filled his lungs. The cold mud had soaked through his coat leaving him stiff and chilled to the bone. He tried moving just the slightest bit. By Celestia he hurt. Every inch of every muscle and bone in his body ached with exhaustion, but he was alive. Welcome back, Blaze, he thought to himself. He tried to stand, but all he could manage was to configure himself into an awkward sitting position. He immediately scanned his surroundings for Spitfyre. As soon as he laid eyes on his wife he regretted it. He turned away in horror, he felt light-headed, and his stomach rolled. He remembered her final words to him.
“I HATE YOU!” she had screamed at him. He felt hot tears well up in eyes but he blinked them away. Spitfyre first. He tried calling out to her but when he opened his mouth but no sound came out. He was experiencing an odd sense of déjà vu.
Spitfire was missing again, panic began rising inside him. What if something else happened.... What if I’m too late... What-if.......
He squinted his eyes aided by the moonlight. With each passing moment his heart sank he had just about given up when he noticed the limping form of a bright yellow filly; all the aches and pains he had felt meant nothing anymore. It was replaced by pure elation. He staggered, unsure, to his feet and when he felt steady enough and started out after his daughter. However he hesitated for a moment. Blaze turned to his wife. He couldn't think of anything wise, loving, or kind to say to her. He limped over to Crystal, her final words to him echoing in his head. He fought against the urge to back away to simply leave and do nothing. He ground his teeth forcing himself to remain composed. he bent over and nuzzled her cheek. “I’ll make this right,” he finally breathed. “I swear it.” he took a deep breath and kissed her on the muzzle. Blaze got up took one last look at his wife and with a heavy heart again took off after Spitfyre.
It was slow going at first; his wobbly legs wouldn’t go where he tried to place them, but after a while he managed to get down a walk, and pretty soon a brisk trot, and then a full on gallop. The sheer joy of living and the simple pleasure of being alive had finally hit him. His heart didn’t feel so heavy and his mind not so burdened. He had a second chance, he was going to live and Spitfyre was going to live. The sensation he felt at that moment was better than flying, a hundred times better than flying. He was going to see his daughter grow up. Blaze could barely contain himself. He closed in so quickly that the poor yellow filly never saw it coming.
***
It had been hard for Spitfyre to say goodbye to her family. Her eyes were puffy and swollen from the crying and every step was filled with pain and grief. She didn’t know where she would go. Perhaps some nice pony will take me i- Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly when she felt herself lifted off the ground by some mysterious force, and she felt somepony’s hooves tighten around her. At first she was terrified that somepony was trying to filly-nap her, but she turned around to face this “mysterious force” only to see the beaming face of her father. She opened her mouth in shock to say something, but she gave up. Blaze just squeezed her harder. Finally she managed to squeak out from her father’s crushing hug
“Daddy, why did you leave me?”
Blaze looked at her with a sad smile his eyes wet with tears of joy. “I'm so sorry. So sorry...” Blaze could no longer hold himself together tears rolled freely down his face as he embraced his daughter “I’m never leaving you again” he said at last when he managed to steam the flow of joyful tears.
That was all she needed to hear. She gave him a huge hug in return. They stood there for a long time not saying anything just being glad that the other was alive. Eventually Spitfyre got up the courage to ask her “real question.”
“Dad, what about Mom...” she said in a broken voice. At the mention of her mother, her eyes began to fill with tears. Blaze saw this and gently wiped away the tears with his hoof.
“Look, sweetheart, you gotta be strong. What your mother did for you was her doing and it wasn’t your fault. sometimes you just have to grow up, and face what life gives you. It’s not always pretty, and It’s not always fair, but you have to be strong. It’s what she would want. It’s what I want for you. So no more tears alright?”
Spitfyre looked at her father’s face for reassurance. She swallowed her tears and put on a brave face.
“No more tears. I promise.” she said, trying to sound bold.
“One more thing.” Blaze said as reached up to his disheveled mane and pulled off his old flight goggles. “If you’re going to be a grown-up pony then you’re going to need these.”
Spitfyre felt the weight of the goggles on her head. They were far to big for her tiny head and immediately slipped down around her neck. She felt herself getting choked up but quickly crushed the thought of crying. No more tears. She made a pact with her father, and the the moon and all of the stars were all witness. I WILL be a strong pony.
That night, the two battered ponies walked home side-by side. Spitfyre’s goggles swung low on her neck. Blaze had offered to carry her home, but she refused. She walked differently now; she held her head high. Her eyes were no longer wet. Instead the tears had been replaced by fire, the will and determination to do more than just live, and she knew that tonight wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning.
|
CarcinoFlavors
|
764
| 4 |
Original Character,Spitfire,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Can't Start a Fyre Without a Spark
|
The tale of a young Spitfyre
|
cancelled
| -1 | -1 |
<p>The sad tale of Spitfyre as she struggles through her a life changing day in her childhood, and beyond</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-10-01T06:16:55+00:00
|
2011-10-01T06:16:55+00:00
| 1,396 |
M.
It hadn’t been an easy life, but it was life. Both father and daughter made it safely back to town that night. Most of the other ponies knew faintly, at least, who Blaze was, so when the word got around that his wife had passed their hearts went out to the broken family. Early that next morning there was no shortage of volunteers to help Spitfyre and Blaze.The group started at sunrise hacking the fallen tree to pieces. Once they could fully recover the body there was a simple funeral held. They buried her in the spot she had fallen, and the grave was marked pieces of the downed tree Everypony who had helped that day was in attendance, plus a few more who had heard about it by word of mouth. Even the Wonderbolts did a fly-over to help ease the pain of a friend with a heavy heart and a troubled mind. Into the grave marker were carved only a few simple words.
Crystal, Loving wife and caring mother,
A dark and depressive mood hung about the on-lookers like a fog. It wasn’t long before crystal clear teardrops began to form on the faces of a few ponys. Words were shared, speeches were given, hugs exchanged and by the end of the ordeal there wasn't a single pony in the entire crowd that wasn’t burdened by the crystalline drops, except one.
Young Spitfyre stood, with icy resolve, among the onlookers. Not a single tear ever touched her face. The urge was there. She wanted nothing more than to breakdown into a sobbing heap lamenting her life and what had happened to her, but that wouldn’t save her mother, that wouldn’t make her father fly again. There was nothing she could do or say or think that could possibly return her life to normal. So instead she choose silence. Silence was her armor, she used it to shield herself from all the emotional pain that she felt, and when it came time to face the world Determination was her sword. The determination to live the determination to be the best that she could be, the determination to make herself worth all the pain she had caused. With Silence and Determination she fought all her battles. The battle to wake up every morning, the battle to train herself, the battle to become a better, stronger pony.
The day after the funeral Spitfyre set right to work. She might not have known how to fly, but she was determined to learn as fast as she could. Day in and day out she would go to the same field where her mother’s grave was, and everyday she would practice and exercise, completely set on not just learning how to fly, but on how to be the best. At the end of each day she would come home, covered in dirt, grime, cuts and bruises, to her father the only pony she truly confided in. Blaze was always there for her to offer her support when she required it, advice when she asked for it, and, of course, love when she needed it. The bright red stallion had gotten his life back and for that he was grateful, however coming back had cost him dearly. His family was broken and he knew it. He knew could never replace Crystal, and he didn’t have the urge to even try. Every night he was haunted by the disfigured form of his once beautiful wife. Visions of Her corpse would follow him no matter where he tried to flee. She would scream the same words at him over and over night after night. It was his fault.....he made her die. Blaze hadn’t slept soundly ever since the funeral. As bad as the emotional cost was, the physical cost was just as high. Before Blaze had at least been able to move his wings and use them as normal, however with a potentially deadly cost, now they hung snapped ridged against his side forever. No amount of will could get them to move again. The once great Wonderbolt was truly crippled forever. He also suffered from viscous onslaughts of excruciating pain. They happened when he least expected it, and when they did occur the worn stallion was forced into a pitiful unmoving state where just blinking his eyes felt like he was burning from the inside out. It hurt him for Spitfyre to see him in such a terrible condition, it hurt him more than she would ever know, it hurt more than all the pain he felt. Blaze was supposed to be her great protector, her wise teacher, and all that other nonsense. Just how well could he truly guide her when some days it took his entire being just to get out of bed. Sure he could offer advice, but he couldn't teach her how to fly. It was every pegasus's greatest pride to teach their foal how to take to the air, and he would never be able too. However every-time he was in great pain from one of his mysterious episodes, or he was so terribly depressed because he would never see Crystal again, or even when he just felt worthless Blaze would always remember that scared little yellow Filly he saw that horrible night, and how tightly that same filly held him later. The pain would start to lessen, the sadness would melt away, and the great stallion would remember his purpose. He had to love her and show her how to love. That was his job. Losing her mother may have empowered Spitfyre to be the best that she could be, but it had also hardened her heart. Blaze knew that somewhere buried deep within his daughter was the sweet loving soul of her mother, the way she had been before her world had been turned on its head and he would try his damnedest to get it back.
So it went day after day. Soon the days turned into weeks, weeks to months, and months to years, one year to be exact. Everyday Spitfyre grew stronger and everyday Blaze was there to support her in her endeavors. Pretty soon however Blaze began to realize Spitfyre needed more than just practice by herself to become the best, and as much as it pained him, he couldn't be the beside her to give the lessons she needed, but that wouldn't stop him from trying to help. Finally on one of Blaze's better days, when his mind was not so clouded by pain, he had an idea. While Spitfyre was out he got out a quill and some parchment and quickly addressed a letter, the letter read:
Dear Brimstone,
How ya been you old bastard, you? look i’ll make this short for ya cause I know those old eyes of yours are having trouble reading now-a-days. Remember that favor you said you owed me a while back when we were still flying for the ‘Bolts? Well im calling that in. I need you to come teach my daughter, and teach her right. You’re the best flyer the Bolts ever had (well besides myself of course), and i wouldn’t want any other second rate hack, that doesn’t know a flying buck about anything trying to teach her. Don’t make me wait.
Your Friend,
Blaze
P.S Enclosed is enough bits to put her through flight-school up at Clousdale, I've been meaning to do it myself, but they need a Guardian there and well....since i can't exactly fly up there anymore i want you to sign her up, so congrats you're an Uncle now.
Blaze satisfied he had done all he could have quickly went outside and dropped the letter in the mailbox just as the Mail Mare was coming around. Although his part in Spitfyre's education may have ended, for the young filly everything was just beginning. It was time to wait and see what she would do. it was time to put things in motion, it was time for Spitfyre to grow-up
|
CarcinoFlavors
|
765
| 1 |
Comedy,Random,Slice of Life
|
The Things We Remember
|
The two most powerful Alicorns look back at the times they shared growing up
|
incomplete
| -1 | -1 |
<p>some light-hearted flashback stories of Filly Luna and Celestia</p>
|
everyone
| null |
2011-10-01T05:12:08+00:00
| 64 |
M. & S.
Life Is a Beach
It was a sweltering day outside, far too hot for a princess anyway, now that she thought of it ,though, it wasn’t much better inside either. Celestia had been inside the palace ALL DAY with barely nothing to do but some various droll tasks like writing a couple of letters to neighboring cities, and taking care of some smaller concerns made by denizens of Canterlot . Twilight and all her exciting friends had gone down to Sweet Hay Shores to enjoy the nice COOL ocean with the COOL sea breeze while she was forced to stay inside and remain stuffy and hot. Sometimes it’s just not fair She thought to herself. She plopped down on a big, overstuffed chair in the palace lobby, the airiest place of the massive castle, and her thoughts began to turn to the beach. She thought of the sand underneath her hooves, the calming sounds of waves gently lapping against the shore, and she thought of Luna. Celestia smiled and closed her eyes, and she could almost picture Luna as a filly all those years ago, going to the beach for the very first time.
***
“Would you hurry up? I want to go to the beach today not tomorrow!” A flustered young Celestia called upstairs to her sister. She opened her mouth to continue her complaints, but stopped short of saying anything. A good princess must learn to wait she reminded herself. Moments later there was the sound of a door slamming followed by something going flop on the stairs. The flopping got louder until Luna had come completely down the stairs and fully into view. Celestia smiled and bit her lip to choke down the laughter. A good princess doesn’t laugh at somepony else’s expense. She reminded herself. She felt tears come into her eyes and her smile widened into a massive grin. She tried as hard as she could to force the tears back and stifle the giggles, but it was too late. What started as a small chuckle ended in Celestia rolling on the palace floor gasping for breath, with teardrops streaming down her face.
“What’s so funny sister?” Luna asked innocently with her large eyes shining
“You look absolutely ridiculous!” she gasped out through her fits of laughter.
Luna stood before her completely decked out in every imaginable summer accessory . She had on a brightly colored PFS (Pony Flotation Saddle) that was three sizes too large and slowly devouring her. On top of the already bulky PFS, she wore a gaudy polka-doted inner tube. On her hooves were four flippers, which caused her to stand and walk in an incredibly awkward fashion, her knees bent slightly outward and flippers facing out. Each leg donned a set of water wings that were meant to help really young fillies stay afloat. And to top it all off, atop of her head sat an outrageous looking umbrella hat, completing the entire ridiculous outfit. In addition to everything she had on, clasped in her mouth was a sizable looking bag full of things that Celestia could only hazard a guess at. It was a miracle that Luna had made in down the stairs without falling head-over-hooves.
“But sis’ i read all about the beach and the ocean last night, and- and......” Luna started to trail off. “..........and........I can’t swim.” she said meekly, staring down at the floor.
Celestia smiled and felt guilty for laughing at her beloved sister. Why didn’t she think of it before? That's why she had been so hesitant when she brought up the idea for a trip to the beach.
“It’s okay, Lu,” the white pony said, calling Luna by her favorite pet-name to give her some comfort. “No pony is born a swimmer; it’s just something you have to learn. I’ll help you, I promise!”
Luna looked up at her sister with big, wet eyes, basking in the glow of Celestia’s confidence and kindness.
“Okay, whatever you say, sis’.”
“First, though, we need to get you out of this crazy get up,” Celestia suggested, chuckling a bit. “I don’t think you could make it to the beach in that, let alone out the front door.”
“Oh come on sis’ it can’t be that bad,” Luna said in protest waddling over to a nearby grand mirror. As soon as she caught one glimpse of herself Luna cracked a huge grin and, pretty soon both ponies joined together in laughter.
“Come on now you crazy thing ,you. The carriage is waiting for us outside.”
***
The royal carriage seemed to be meandering especially slow pace that day, and it just couldn’t go fast enough for Luna. She was back to her normal, yet somewhat obnoxious self, and it put Celestia at ease to see her that way. The now energetic filly, Unable to contain her anticipation, tapped her hooves in an impatient rhythm, conducted by her nerves.
Celestia noticed, and nudged her sister. “A good princess always practices patience,” she teased.
Luna squinted and playfully stuck out her tongue. Disregarding Celestia’s pearl of wisdom, she continued to click her hooves upon the carriage’s marble floor.
“Are you sure they can’t fly any faster?” Luna whispered none too quietly.
A disgruntled snort was emitted from one of the pegasi supporting their pampered weight through the sky, and Celestia reddened at Luna’s thoughtless words.
“Ahem, they’re flying at the best of their abilities, I can assure you,” Celestia said, with a caution in her tone that made Luna aware that she had done something worthy of disapproval. She attempted to restate her intentions.
“But, couldn’t we just fly there ourselves? I mean, we have wings, don’t we?” Luna challenged, flexing her wings for good measure.
Celestia could have sworn she heard a chuckle from the front of the carriage, but dismissed it from her mind. “Luna, please, we’re almost there,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
Luna huffed and pushed herself deeper into her cushioned seat so that her hooves dangled and were unable to reach the floor. She pawed at the air with them a few times and gave a side long glance in her sister’s direction. “There. Happy now?” Luna pouted.
Pretending to misinterpret her sarcasm, Celestia smiled and nodded. The little purple filly, frustrated at her loss of the only vent for her impatience, sat brooding in silence for what, to her, seemed like eons.
“Are we there yet?” Luna moaned, when she couldn’t take the suffocating boredom a moment longer.
Her elder sister, visibly irritated, for a fleeting moment fantasized of tossing Luna off the side of the speeding carriage and watching as her annoying, purple burden disappeared completely with a satisfying splat. If only she was born without wings, she mused with contempt. But a good princess isn’t hurtful towards others, Celestia thought, her vision of hurtling Luna over the side ending, as she recalled some old mantra of what a “good princess” was. She sighed and turned to Luna.
“No, MOST lovely and MOST dear sister, we are NOT there yet.” Celestia replied in the most polite manner that she could muster.
Luna let out one final groan and slouched back further into her seat. It was not long, however before Luna caught the scent of the salty sea air, and felt the cool ocean breeze flow gently through the open carriage. When she heard the distant sound of waves crashing on the shore every fiber of her being tingled with excitement. Seeing her sister practically vibrating in place, Celestia, grinned. Pretty soon The elder sister was infected by her younger sister’s uncontrollable mirth as they progressed ever closer to Sweet Hay Shores. Celestia’s head was filled with all the fun activities that she had planned out for today, and she could hardly wait to start. Finally the carriage began it’s slow descent towards the ground, and came to a rest right outside of a brightly painted sign with big swooping words reading, WELCOME TO SWEET HAY SHORES. Luna, a split second after the carriage met the ground, gave a cry of delight and leapt from her “mobile prison” and skipped of in the directions of the crashing waves. Celestia smiled and called out to her
“WAIT LU! A GOOD PRINCESS ALWAYS WAITS FOR OTHERS!!” to which her sister offered no reply. Celestia sighed and shook her head. She climbed out of the carriage and grabbed their saddle bags out from the back. A good princess is always says Thank You she remebered and, walked back around to the front of the carraige. She bowed to the storong team of peagsi who pulled them
“Thank you ever so much for your assistance, and for ,of course, putting up with my sister” she said in a proper tone, remembering to bow.
“it was our pleasure princess” They responded in unison and with one powerful stroke, took to the sky to find a more suitable place to put the carriage for the time being, after all they couldn’t simply wait outside and leave both princesses unprotected, besides there were bound to be some nice looking mares out on the beach this time of the day. Celestia, having collected their bags, and thanking their ever faithful guards set out in the direction her sister had previously bounded off in.
The first thing she noticed was the big colorful sign in front of a boardwalk leading to the beach that read: SWEET HAY SHORES WHERE THE BREEZE IS SWEET AND THE WAVES ARE SWEETER. Just reading the sign and feeling the cool breeze blow through her mane made her want to run wildly after Luna so she could start her day of fun as soon as possible.
A good princess walks and talks with calm, careful consideration
|
HeirApparent
|
766
| 1 |
Adventure,Alternate Universe,Crossover
|
My Little Lagann
|
Title should be fairly self-explanatroy. Gunmen in Equestria. Enjoy!
|
incomplete
| 20 | 2 |
<p>This is the story of a mare who has yet to realize her destiny.<br /><br />In the closed-off, underground village of Ponyville, life is simple and serene. For most of the town's inhabitants, all that matters is digging down and down, away from the dangers of collapsing ceilings and mythical beasts.<br /><br />For pegasi Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, all that matters is finding some way to escape their impossibly restrictive existence.<br /><br />Unexpectedly, their wish is granted, and the two are thrust into a whole new world, one brimming with deadly foes and loyal friends, and with danger and adventure just behind each corner. Together with their new allies, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo fight against the tyrannical rule of the Lunar Empress, leading a revolution that will forever alter the fate of Equestria, no matter the cost.<br /><br />Row Row. Fight the Power.<br /><br />Image made by MisterBrony: <a href="http://misterbrony.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4qqyf9">http://misterbrony.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4qqyf9</a></p>
|
teen
| null |
2012-05-31T21:44:29+00:00
| 284 |
My Little Lagaan
Ends and Beginnings
To anypony on the ground, the sky above would prove to be an entertaining sight. Above the birds, above the clouds, out of reach of even the strongest and most daring pegasi, an irregular cavalcade of lights danced through the heavens, countless specks of brightness glimmering in the afternoon sky, strong enough to be seen even through the sun’s still brilliant rays. Had they held still, it would have been impossible to distinguish them from stars, or simply slow-moving satellites, albeit impressively bright ones. Had they flown in a single direction, obeying the laws of gravity and momentum, they might have been mistaken as a cloud of shooting stars, bits of anonymous debris lighting the coming night as they burned to ash in the atmosphere. Again, they would be considered amazingly luminescent, but otherwise nothing special.
As it were, this armada of mysterious gleams chose neither of these options, opting instead to dash here and there, zig-zagging through the vast void of space, like a swarm of innumerable fireflies soaring across an open prairie. The lights in the heavens each followed their own impossible paths, some dashing against each other in furious explosions of flare and fire, others dipping and diving through seas of smaller glimmers, like a bullet-hell played on a celestial scale.
To whatever ponies were sitting on the surface, staring up at the incredible display that graced the slowly darkening sky, it must have seemed as though, short of divine intervention, the light show could not have possibly gotten more interesting. And as it turned out, they would have been right. It certainly took an act of God (Or more correctly, Goddess) for the moon to begin rising at a little past four in the afternoon.
Despite the sudden appearance, and the abnormal speed, of the heavenly orb, the specks of light that danced across the sky refused to slow down in the slightest, their prodigious maneuvers entirely unhindered by the latest addition to the cast. If anything, the tempo and frenzy that drove their movements only increased as the silver sphere continued its ascent, its surface now alight with hundreds of tiny glows.
What came next was a combination of horrifying and… Really just horrifying, actually.
The moon, instead of completing its typical route across the sky, decided to stop, and inscribed a ghastly, gigantic grin across its pale face. If the hideous smile, complimented by an enormous pair of soulless eyes, did not attract the attention of the myriad lights, then the sphere’s new choice of direction, towards the world below, most certainly did.
Considering the impressive distance that still separated the moon from the its larger neighbor, it would be somewhat obvious to note that to the hypothetical, earthbound audience would have a hard time discerning the events that took place miles overhead, as countless flashes of red, green, and orange lit the heavens. Still, it would have been hard for anypony to miss the vermillion gleam that suddenly burst into existence, a magnificent gleam that briefly matched even the sun’s brilliance. Likewise, it would have been impossible to miss the similarly hued eruption that scored the moon’s surface, its cinnabar hued flames tearing a massive crater into the celestial orb, obliterating any hint of the sadistic smile that had despoiled it.
While most certainly impressive, the blast failed to impede the moon’s descent in any observable fashion. An impressive display of pyrotechnics, but it did precious little to slow the celestial leviathan. Its fall unabated, the moon continued to draw nearer and nearer to the earth, every minute bringing it a bit closer to a devastating collision.
And then the moon, for lack of a better word, exploded.
And then, in short order, exploded again.
As though it were a gigantic eggshell, the silver sphere was rent into pieces, some infinitesimal specks, others still massive chunks of matter, their bulk spanning hundreds of miles. With a sound of thunder, the pieces were tossed into disarray, floating out from the epicenter of the blast. Instead, however, of being evenly dispersed, floating away in a circular pattern, most of the remains were thrown away from the world far below, guided by an invisible force. In fact, not counting a few tiny meteorites, only a sole fragment was actually being dragged towards the planet, smashing through hundreds of the dancing lights as it fell. Without distinction, the collision extinguished the bright glimmers, over half a thousand explosions momentarily covering its surface.
The massive piece of the moon, roughly an eighth of the heavenly sphere, cascaded downwards, its destroyed passengers reluctantly in tow. Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, the inhabitants of the world below could do nothing but gape, staring in a fearful silence as their doom rushed closer and closer.
The lunar fragment broiled as it descended, its torn and desecrated surface set aflame by the atmosphere it tore through. Rocks melted and dust vaporized as they were scorched by unheard of temperatures, a bloody, crimson aura engulfing the incredible missile as it fell towards the earth far, far below. Exposed to air for the first time in countless ages, the stone behemoth crumbled as it plummeted, vast chunks of stellar dirt and debris peeling off its edges, each swiftly reduced to ash, then oblivion, by the scorching air that enveloped them. From far away, the harbinger of destruction might have appeared to be surrounded by innumerable meteors or shooting stars, specks of light that briefly glimmered in the night sky only to fade into nothingness a few moments later.
A thunderous shockwave tore through the air, sounding for all the world like some angelic horn heralding death and decay, as the projectile finally breached the troposphere, its descent unabated by the immense air resistance. The scarlet corona increased in size and brightness, scalding the billion billion tons of rock and debris as it fell, its crust seared black as the heat continued to rise.
External Temperature Exceeding Safety Levels. Shields Failing.
“Oh come on!” The orange-coated mare’s shout rose above the frantic beeping that accompanied the warning. Violet eyes glowered at the flashing panel, as though daring it to continue to display the flashing, scarlet words. “Not now, not now, not now!”
Safe inside a steel cockpit, the winged mare forced her hooves even harder against the pedals, willing the controls to push further than they possibly could. Despite the awkward seating that the devices required, she performed the task with limbs guided by years of familiarity, her forehooves grappling with the pedals at her chest, her hind ones with those connected to the floor.
All around her, opaque panes assaulted her with images and strings of text detailing her craft’s status, as often as not accompanied by some attention-grabbing noise. The cacophony of bleeps, sirens, and whistles was beginning to wear on the mare’s fraying nerves, as she tried to focus her attention on the monitor in the chamber’s center. Larger than the other screens, this pane spanned roughly half the cockpit’s circumference, occupying the mare’s full field of vision and stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Although parts of it were obscured by several of the smaller panels, flashing their pictures or words with as much urgency as they could muster, it was still easy to see the rock-filled view the giant screen detailed, the gray scenery tinged by scarlet waves of heat.
In addition to the cratered and blackening lunar surface that filled the display, a pair of metallic appendages, shaped to roughly approximate hooves, were grinding their way into the dust and stone, their cyan and red coloring slowly being obscured by burns and scorch marks. Cracks spider-webbed out from the giant pair of hooves as they shoved another few inches into the stone, their splintering snaps drowned out by the roar of rushing air.
Outside of the mare’s protected cockpit, the steel beast she piloted was suffering. “Standing” on the fragment’s bottom, the giant metal equine was being shoved closer and closer to the asteroid, its head and tail also dragged towards the burning surface by the awesome might of the roaring wind. Scrapes and scratches covered the mechanical creature from head to hoof, parts of its armor missing entirely, a few exposed and torn wires spitting violet sparks. Two stubs of metal, each about a foot in length and adjacent to its front legs, jutted from the mech’s back, their tips crushed and crumpled. The damage extended to the machine’s twin faces as well, a second pair of eyes and another mouth marking the front of the steel pony’s torso, as well as those on its head.
Like the planetoid it stood upon, the robot had developed its own cherry-red aureole, the crimson glow nearly obscuring the orange, red, and sky-blue colored plating beneath it, and the flickering emerald glow that lit both sets of eyes. Barely able to stand upright, the mecha struggled against the forces attempting to pin it to the ground. Unable to even lift its head, the machine was ground a couple more inches into the lunar rubble, its hooves slowly sinking into the solid rock as the planetoid continued to fall.
As though reminding the steel equine of its inevitable fate, hundreds of other pony-shaped machines littered the fragment’s scorched surface, some torn in half, others crushed flat, and still more mostly whole, with only limbs or heads missing; a few of these even managed to occasionally emit a cloud of multicolored sparks. Lifeless stone eyes blankly stared at the barely standing creature, its futile struggle reflected over and over in the thousands of empty orbs.
“Shut up!” Shouting out, the mare slammed a hoof against a nearby button. Immediately the discordant symphony of bleeps, whirrs, and whines quieted, their accompanying panels and displays switching off as well. Blank and translucent, the screens that dotted the walls of the cockpit began to retract, slipping into hidden grooves and alcoves, until only the main display remained. Left alone, with only the view of the lunar surface and the roar of air rushing past, the mare took a slow, ragged breath, before gently depressing another button.
A single panel emerged from its slot, the white silhouette of a microphone emblazoned upon its black background, with a trio of gray bars emitting from both sides of the pale shape. Struggling to keep her voice steady, the pegaus began to speak, the panel’s bars shifting to white and back to gray as her volume fluctuated.
“Can anypony hear me? Hate to admit it, but I think I’m kind of stuck here. Some backup would be pretty handy right about now.”
Pausing, the orange-furred pony waited for a response, as another panel, marked by a white speaker symbol, rose into place. As the bars on the new panel rose and fell, the mare was assaulted by wave upon wave of static, garbled white-noise echoing around the tiny space.
“Applebloom? Sweetie Bell? Applejack, Rarity?”
A brief pause.
“Pinkie?”
Silent for a moment, the pilot allowed the static to echo around the chamber, before slamming a hoof against the wall, shouting out at the top of her lungs: “NO! Don’t do this to me, not you guys too! Don’t you dare leave me; not now, not like this!”
Her voice trembling from the violent outburst, the pony finally lapsed into silence. Purple eyes gently falling shut, the winged mare allowed the hissing white-noise to wash over her, attempting to discern any words or coherent signals from the chaotic sound. There was none to be found.
“Hey, it’s no problem, right?” A labored laugh forced its way through the mare’s lips, as she slowly lowered her gaze, staring at the nothingness between her hooves. “Just the end of the world; that’s all it is. Nothing we didn’t see coming.” With one last effort, the pegasus combatted the unyielding controls, hoping against hope that this time would be more productive than any of the others. The only result was the protesting groan of metal, as her vessel once more failed to escape from the forces that imprisoned it.
“But geeze, all alone at the end of it? Got to admit, that part I did not see coming.” The mare’s hooves were barely moving as her voice trembled, the orange limbs lifelessly resting against the jostling pedals. “Didn’t think we’d get trashed that badly either. Heheh, we really got caught off guard that time, didn’t we guys?” Her quavering chuckles quickly faded away, the cockpit now silent but for her gentle breaths.
Outside the cockpit, the mecha slowly slumped forward. Whatever strength that had kept the machine standing finally failed, its knees slamming into the lunar surface with crushing certainty. Burn and scorch marks continued to creep their way across the robot, marring its legs, back, neck, and head, turning the prismatic metal black as soot. The two pairs of eyes that marked the equine mech, already flickering and waning, died completely, emerald dots fading into lifeless chunks of rock.
It was a ruined machine that lay on the fragment’s surface, joining its brethren in eternal sleep. Covered in ever-worsening battle wounds and irreparable damage, half buried in otherworldly rock and rubble, it was plain that the craft was beyond hope.
Its pilot fared no better. Her hopeless eyes were unseeing, taking no notice of the warnings that lit her displays. Her ears were dropping forward, barely reacting to the now familiar whine of the static, no longer seeking a friendly word or acknowledging signal. Her legs listlessly fell away from the controls, limply bouncing against the cold metal seat.
Sniffling, the pegasus extracted her wings from their tight confines, awkwardly wrapping the feathered limbs around her trembling form. Burying her muzzle in their soft plumage, the pony’s whispered apology was barely audible, yet the pain and sorrow it contained were still apparent. “Sorry guys… I think that’s it for me.”
THUD
With a dull boom, the stone and debris that had engulfed the mech’s legs was blown away. A massive shockwave slammed into the mechanical beast, ripping away hundreds of tons of rock, dust, and shattered metal with its insane force. All around the metallic equine, millennia-old formations and craters were reduced to nothingness, while the ruined remains of the steel army were tossed away like tissue paper upon a breeze. Yet, even as the bizarre blast continued to wreak destruction upon the fragment’s surface, the machine and its pilot remained absolutely unharmed, as though they stood in the eye of some ruthless hurricane.
Within moments, the maelstrom that air that roared across the planetoid tore away the mist of dust and debris that surrounded the mecha, allowing the mare a view of her new surroundings.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”
Free from its stony prison, her craft was kneeling in the middle of an enormous crater, easily a mile across, if not more. About a hundred yards from the depression’s exact center, the pegasus and her machine were perched on a gently sloping hill, one that curved perfectly around the crater’s interior. The surface that they stood upon was perfectly smooth, free of even the smallest holes or marks, as though the ground had been polished to perfection over hundreds of years.
What really drew the mare’s attention, however, was the silhouette that proudly stood in the hollow’s middle, right at the point of impact.
Its burnt and damaged armor screeching out in protest, the robot struggled to its hooves, its pilot suddenly gripping the pedals with a fanatical strength. Though the forces that had once pinned the machine to the ground had not diminished in the slightest, it took but a few seconds for the damaged mech to traverse the distance separating it from the massive, perfectly upright spear in the crater’s epicenter, the weapon’s ornate blade firmly stuck into the ground.
A slight glimmer returned to the machine’s eyes as its pilot gaped at the lance, awe filling her eyes. The conical head carved from some violently purple crystal that spiraled to a needle-sharp tip, half buried in the lunar surface. The elongated shaft, twice as long as her own mech, that tapered to a perfect pointed zenith. The polychromatic gem in the pole’s center, the one decoration that marked the armament, its color always shifting, never holding still as it cycled through every shade and hue of the rainbow.
“That… there’s no way that’s possible.” The mare’s voice was tinged by doubt and shock, as her gentle whispers fell from her lips. “I saw you… You died.”
A brief moment of silence filled the cockpit, before being replaced by an uproar of laughter. “What am I talking about,” the pegasus managed to choke out, tears of joy and sorrow staining her vision, “if anypony was going to find a way to lecture me after death, it’d be you. And I used to think Rainbow Dash was hardheaded…
“Alright, what’s the lesson this time,” she continued, her voice tinged with traces of mirth and bitterness. “What’s this week’s friendship report? Don’t ever let myself get that down? Never give up hope, even when things seem hopeless?”
In response, the lance merely stood there, unwavering despite the forces that sought to snap it in half. “Well?” The mare choked out, her laughter already fading away, “What’s the answer? What was so important that you couldn’t stay around to tell me yourself, huh?”
As the mare slumped forward, the tears that ran down her cheeks no longer held any hint of cheer. “Why’d you have to leave me too?”
Thump
The dull sound filled the pony’s ears, gently reverberating throughout her entire body.
Thump
Then again. And again.
Thump
Silently, the mare lifted a hoof, pressing it against her chest, once more closing her eyes. Inhaling and exhaling, the purple-maned pony felt the unending beating of her heart, felt the strength that pulsed through her body with every passing second. “No, that’s wrong… You’re still here, aren’t you? All of you are.”
A moment slipped by, as the mare held perfectly still. Then, a small smile drifting across her lips, she spoke once more, her voice no longer burdened by despair. “Alright, alright, I gotcha. Stop feeling sorry for myself, right?”
A small panel in the center of the cockpit, its circular display void and empty, began to gently glow as the pilot once more gripped the controls, a thin line spiraling from its rim into its exact center. As the mare began to push against the pedals, a number of small green bars began to blink into existence. Beginning in the middle of the panel, they followed the path the line laid out for them, each slightly larger than the last.
The panel continued to fill with light as the mare’s hooves grappled with the pedals, its round surface now more than halfway lit. Simultaneously, the mechanical equine rose to its full height, its gargantuan hooves digging into the ground, its head upright and staring at the lance’s gem. The black, burnt crust that marred its body began to crack and crumble away, fading into dust as the brilliant colors beneath were unveiled. The metal plates that had been so scratched and damaged, or even missing, suddenly began to glow for a moment; as the light faded away, it revealed whole, unharmed armor. Finally, two pairs of eyes, carved from emerald stones, burned with a mighty light, as the large mouth set in the machine’s chest began to open and close, mirroring the words spoken by its pilot.
“Okay, I think I’ve got it. This time, for real. Thanks for the help.”
Jokingly, the mare lifted her hoof from her chest, casually saluting the giant lance. Then, with a widening smile on her face, she bent forward, eagerly grasping the controls, pushing the pedals forward bit by bit.
“I’ll be off then. Looks like there’s something I need to take care of.”
With one final burst, the circular display filled entirely, its entire surface lit by the layers of jade bars that spiraled around it. A mighty roar burst from the mare as she pushed the pedals to the limits of their reach, her craft bending and buckling as she did. Ignoring the vast forces fighting against it, the robotic beast reared up onto its hind legs, its forehooves stretching high overhead. Laughing wildly, the mare shouted as loud as she could, her eyes gleaming with strength and renewed determination.
“Blitz! Lagann! We’ve made it this far, haven’t we? So let’s take it a little bit further!”
Metal hooves glowed green for an instant, as their form shifted and changed, growing wider and lengthening, until a pair of gleaming cones sat atop the robot’s outstretched limbs. As quickly as it had come, the glow dispersed, revealing the grooves that spiraled around the edges of the twin, pony-sized drills.
”Now, COME ON!”
As she cried out, the mare shoved her forelegs forward, each pushing a pedal along the indented grooves in the cockpit wall. In response, the mecha swung its legs down with all its strength, thrusting its new appendages into the rock with a mighty crack.
The machine began pushing against the very ground it stood upon, as the twin stubs of metal along its back began to glow with a golden light. Without warning, the steel stumps exploded outwards, a pair of metallic wings sprouting from thin air, summoned out of the nothingness. Spreading wide, the freshly created limbs extended a series of feather-like plates, their color flawlessly alternating between bright blue, light russet, and violent crimson.
Despite this flagrant breach of reality, gravity seemed to continue on as though nothing had happened, dragging the massive lunar chunk ever downwards, the ruined city below drawing dangerously close. However, all this seemed to do was encourage the mare.
“You can bury me underground, turn my friends against me, burn my home, and twist my memories. But if you think I’m going to let any of it slow me down, THEN YOU’VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!”
From underneath the mechanical wings, a large pair of engines burst forth, once more ignoring a few basic laws of physics. Simultaneously, the robot kicked up with its hind legs, as though it were doing a hoofstand.
”I don’t care what you put in my way, I don’t give a damn about anything you could possibly throw at me!”
Massive gouts of flames began to pour from the two new machines, forming an emerald contrail that engulfed the mech in its brilliant glow. The engines roared out as the metallic equine pushed with all its might against the titanic asteroid, an unstoppable force colliding against an immovable object.
”Even if my strength alone isn’t enough, then I’ll just trust my friends to pull me the rest of the way!”
Despite the sheer, overwhelming bulk of the moon’s fragment, the impossible was happening, the hundred quintillion tons of rock and rubble slowing its inexorable descent little by little. As the sole mecha continued to push, against all odds, the massive projectile finally came to a stop, the once-celestial body floating a mere mile above the scarred and ravaged world below.
“Because that’s what being a Crusader means. Because that’s what our Friendship means!”
Somehow sensing that it wasn’t yet enough, the machine’s engines kicked into overdrive, their green conflagrations swelling even larger. The lunar fragment, its descent inexplicably halted by this lone machine, rose into the air by a single inch. Then another. Then another.
”JUST WHO THE HELL…”
Within moments, the gigantic meteor was rising at an incredible rate, its miraculous ascent meeting, if not surpassing, the incredible speed of its fall. Screaming through the ever-thinning air, the piece of the moon once more developed a burning aura as it rose, not of scarlet or crimson, but a brilliant jade. The robot’s propelling fire had spread across the entire surface, setting the ruined landscape alight with its shining strength.
Breaking through the atmosphere with a thunderous explosion, the planetoid shifted, its absurd bulk rotating as its lone carrier shifted its grip. Now with a single hoof digging into the surface, the mechanical equine allowed what little air remained to drag against the missile, slowly forcing the fragment to trail behind it, the sudden redistribution of weight doing nothing to hamper its flight.
As she dragged her impossible burden along, the pegasus glared at the sea of lights that stretched out before her, filling the heavens with their innumerable ranks. As the distance between them shrunk faster and faster, the winged mare roared out one last time, her craft projecting her cry far and wide.
”DO YOU THINK I AM!”
|
Darkevony
|
768
| 1 |
Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
It Is Always Best Forgotten
|
It is always best to forget, but what if what your trying to forget is connected to your future?
|
complete
| 25 | 3 |
<p>Illuminous simply knew nothing of the world of Equestria. His world consisted of just his father and his sister, with no magic and living an isolated life in quiet remote woods. One day, a mysterious entity kidnaps his sister and his father is slain, ruthfully stripping him of the life he had ever known as he sets out to rescue his sister. With an unknown and dangerous power coursing through him, he must face the threat of controlling this new power to be able to save his sister and protect everyone he cares for, or succumbing to it, in turn, destroying everything himself. With new found friends, he embarks in a journey of a lifetime.</p>
|
everyone
|
2012-07-19T15:02:02+00:00
|
2012-07-19T15:02:02+00:00
| 3,100 |
***Reworked and Remastered***
What Starts Never Ends
My father always told me to never mourn for what has been lost. That it is always best forgotten. I never understood the weight of his words. They were hollow to me. I never knew my mother, and all I ever had was my family and my home. Now however, I understand them completely, and I'd be a fool to not heed them. But... I am fool. He is right. It would be and is best forgotten. Call me a fool, because I'd rather be one than stand idly by after I watched my world be ruthfully stripped from me. Not just mine, but from the two who made up my world. Even if my days grow lonely and my nights restless, I won't rest until she is brought back to me, and I've done my father justice.
~~~~~~
Sunset illuminated the sky in an orange-gold glow, enveloping everything in calm soothing warmth. The stallion’s slow yet peaceful sound of every hoof beat harmonized with the gentle breeze that winced its way through the grassy green leaves. The woodland creatures would stop by to imitate a hello to the two Earth Ponies that were making their way back home from a long and arduous day of tending to the still undisturbed natural rocks that lay between them and a good year's crop. It was a hefty amount of work for two ponies to do it alone, but they only needed enough for themselves and one other pony.
"Why am I not surprised that you tired out so soon? I would have thought that by now you would have grown a bit of muscle and held out as long as I," The large dark brown stallion said over his shoulder towards the dragging white colt with a light blue mane.
The colt stiffened up his poise and took stride along beside him, grinning at him with a warm smile.
The stallion chuckled to himself as he glanced his way to the colt, satisfied with the display of affection towards him. "That's what I want to see. Ha! I'm partially kidding. You shouldn't worry about it too much." The stallion answered the colt's curious eyes.
"I'm not. I want to be like you. So, I might as well start early." He yawned, dozing off as he said it.
"No. Don't be like me." He stopped and looked at him, a serious expression on his face. "Be much more than I ever was." The colt's inspired eyes almost instantly shut from sleep few moments after he said that. The stallion chuckled once more and placed him over his back, carrying him back home. "But for now, take it slow. A lot will change, and I need you to be as strong as you possibly can."
"I promise dad."
"Don't promise me. Be." A waste of breath there. The colt was fast asleep. He chuckled his way back through the familiar dirt trail.
-------
As he a woke, a small but humble wooden house came into view. Enclosed between the shades of tall trees, the house sat as an oddly misplaced silhouette in the many shadows of the trees that made up the forest they lived in. As far as he knew, they were the only ones living here. He had grown accustomed to labor, as he had busy days to tend to in reaping as much as they could of the crops they grew before winter. And for reasons unknown, it has stayed this way all through their childhood, though he wouldn't have it any other way. He helped his father build the last of the house and it sat ever so proudly in the peace of the forest.
These woods were quiet and calm. His father told him that somewhere in the land of Equestria lay a forest of mystery called the Everfree forest. He said that ancient lore, secrets, and even monsters rest somewhere deep within it's unwinding wild growth. This forest however was one of peace. It was lonely at times, on rare occasion a small animal or two would pass on by, but other than that it remained calm and gracious. He loved them, loved everything about them, it was his life.
Although it was lonely in some ways, the colt took great comfort in his family and did his best in tending to the needs of his father and sister. On the occasional free time, he'd help his younger sister Rosemary gather roses and other things to aid in her love of flowers and gardening. There was always one thing to do, and in ways, it almost seemed as if there was too little time to do them all.
The colt disembarked from the stallion's back as they approached the house. Near the front entrance to the side sat a small looking white pony with a reddened mane. She was hunched over a small patch of dirt now lined up with carefully carved stones.
"Hi there your majesty, princess of the forest." The Stallion bowed to the young mare as she spun around to greet them.
"Hiya dad. Look!" The young mare spoke as she pointed to the much larger patch next to the one she was tending.
The flowers were in full bloom, gleaming in the shades of their bright color and all neatly organized with a few well-placed slabs of stone. Aside from their beauty, they spelled out words and shapes. Around the trim it imaged out a pattern, similar to that of a heart. Inside, the flowers spelled out "Daddy" and "Illy" and in the center of the two words, a small defined purple flower stood out portraying all the others.
The young mare walked up in between them looking over her garden, a smile of pride and joy slathered across her expression. "So, Illy, I'm not so useless now huh? Come to think of it, I might be even more useful than you."
"Not bad... not bad... but it is clear that I am more useful around here."
"You did doze off on the job." The stallion said smugly, grinning in content.
"Touche. She was the one that didn't let me sleep last night!"
Rosemary puffed her cheeks in playful frustration. "Yeah well, I was thinking of what dad said... oh and Illuminous is too long, I rather call you Illy."
"Alrighty then... Rosy." He said smugly. "We can play that game all day long, sister." They shot daggers at each other with their eyes, laughing mildly afterwards.
The stallion stood silent as he looked over the small garden Rosemary had made. Finally, after a while of back and forth arguments from the two siblings, he spoke up. "I want to tell you both something... the reason as to why we are moving soon." the Stallion's voice trailed off and they sat in silence for a bit, both siblings looking at him intently. "Princess Celestia has asked me to join as a royal guard once again. I really don't want to force my decision on both of you, so now I ask you... do you want to move?"
"I'd think it'd be nice. We can meet all different types of ponies right? It'd be great!"
"The thing is, that means leaving all of this behind..." The stallion said nothing more and he lowered his head as he walked over to the large golden oak tree in the back of the small house. The oak tree itself was oddly out of place with the forest's trees and their natural summer green shade. It has stood beside them for as long as Illuminous could remember and it carried a huge significance to his father... Seeing his father this way... The origin of this tree...
"It’s okay dad. My life is where you both are, so if you decide to move or stay, I will follow." Broke the silence.
"Yeah. What Illuminous said. We're with ya daddy." Rosemary spoke up
The stallion looked up resentful, still unsure of his decision, he looked over to the tree, and then into the ground, and lowered his head as to show appreciation.
"Mom loved to go to Canterlot. I think she would have wanted us to go." He added to his words.
The two young ponies walked over to the stallion and hugged him.
"Alright then, I've made up my mind. I can't keep you both here forever. We'll head out tomorrow morning," The stallion smiled warmly at them as he stood up again. A hint of excitement ran through the two young pony's eyes. "For now you two get some rest, I still have some things left to do." The stallion said, waving them off as they walked back into the house, the sun now setting over the horizon.
------
The two young ponies lay nuzzled together, attempting their hardest to get some night's rest. It was difficult to be sure of what to feel. He felt excited, but on the other hand, he felt fear, sorrow, and it scared him. He was finally going to be able to see the world. Living alone in the woods wasn't bad, in fact, it was great, but in his heart he wished for something more. His life was with his sister and father, and he wouldn't want it any other way even if it meant living in solitude. His mind filled with sorrow in thinking of leaving it all behind. The pain that it would cost his father... but, maybe it all was just a small price to pay. A fear of the world. He had never known anyone else, and it scared him to think just how different it could all become.
Their father had told them tales and stories about the grand city of Canterlot and much about everything else in Equestria. The stallion would tell them bed time stories before they slept. He would tell them about the beauty and magnificence of a giant castle, outlined in gold and all sorts of bright colors, and how a beautiful and majestic pony ruled from the throne, Princess Celestia.
He would speak of how the Princess would raise both the sun and the moon with her powers. He also explained to them that there were other types of ponies. Unicorns that used magic with their horns, which sounded more like a fairy tell than anything else, Pegasi that could fly with their wings, which it too sounded like a tall tale, and Alicorns who had both, but the only ones known to be Alicorns were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna who ruled over the land, which was hard to believe too but he didn't doubt his father. The two young ponies dreamed of the possibilities that the stallion infused in their innocent minds of what the world outside their haven could be like.
As for Illuminous, what part intrigued him the most was that of Princess Luna, he would always rise up more curious than ever to hear any tale that his father had of the Moon Princess. He said that she once turned into the Evil Nightmare Moon as she was resentful for all the ponies who played and laughed by day and took shelter and slept through the night she forged. Nightmare Moon vowed to bring eternal night to all of Equestria forever and only recently had she returned from her imprisonment in the moon through the aid of the stars, and something called the Elements of Harmony were able to rid Nightmare Moon and bring Luna back.
His father always told him that she turned evil because of her own thoughts and actions, but every night he would walk outside into the small balcony of his home and stargaze, viewing the moon and at awe with the beauty of the moonlight. Deep within him he believed that she was innocent. That she couldn't have been the reason to her own demise. How could someone that have made something so beautiful ever harbor such thoughts? Wasn't there at least one pony back then who stayed awake just to see the night? Like... himself...?
Illuminous always hoped to meet Luna, he had so many questions, and he wanted to thank her, thank her for the gift of night.
His father had also told the two ponies about their mother on rare occasions, and the two of them new very well not to bring it up, it seemed to be a painful memory for the strong stallion. Their mother had died after giving birth to Rosemary. His father told them they had to move to the forest because it was a dangerous time back then. Their mother lived several years with his father in this house. One day, she grew weak and fragile from a disease, and eventually she succumbed to it, leaving the stallion broken inside, only held up by the two that made up his life to that day. Illuminous still too young to remember, didn't affect him as much, but he could feel the pain his father would go through, his voice and his eyes spoke a language stronger than his words when he would bring it up.
Just then, his father walked in. The stallion laid down beside them two and hugged them in a warm embrace. He would have wanted to stay awake to have been able to see the night, but they had a large day ahead and he couldn't afford staying up late. He fell asleep with wonders now feeling the blanks in his head.
-------
Illuminous awoke to a few hard nudges to the side of his stomach; he opened his eyes to see his father. His expression was coldly solemn, and it scared him.
"Whats going on?" Illuminous asked holding back signs of his drowsiness.
"Keep your voice low, wake your sister up. I don't need you to ask questions, just take your sister and go out the window and run, run as fast as you can eastward into the Everfree Forest, I need you to disregard everything I told you about the forest. From there, get across the forest, it’s only a short way. Protect her. Now go!" the stallion said whispering urgently and rapidly, nudging him harder and harder.
Without asking questions he woke his confused and drowsy sister up and placed her onto his back. He turned to glance back only to see his father bolt out of the bedroom. He walked out through the window and began to pace himself, running a bit. Still unsure, he looked back to see what was going on. A small glint of white light caught his eye before disappearing and his father's figure came into view. He stood in a ready position, a dark outline came into view. As dark as the night itself was, the shade was pitch black... almost like seeing through an abyss. What was going on?
A loud sharp noise rang through the air and he covered his ears. The noise itself hadn't awoken Rosemary yet. A strange panic began to settle in him. He looked back to see his father only to see him sprawled on the floor, at the hoof of a very large pony-like figure, darker than night itself.
Without second thought, Illuminous ran his heart beating heavily and painfully in his chest, beads of sweat running down his forehead, and trailing off into his mane. He galloped as fast as he could, avoiding the sharp pains that now filled his legs. He was strong, yes, but he wasn't built for running, especially with his little sister on his back half asleep and now waking up, thankfully she didn't witness what he did. His thoughts raced with panic and terror. Had his father...? No... Tears began to swell up in his eyes.
The brave little mare didn't even dare ask questions. She could sense the deep struggle that her brother was in. She stood quiet as she stared at him... whatever it might have been, she could feel the pain and sadness in his expression. As they ran, the trees began to take a different shade of color. A much darker color. Strange plants and over-growth began to fill the gaps between trees, vines hanged from the dark trees brushed against him as he ran.
Illuminous began to feel exhaustion, he couldn't keep going forever... His lungs began to ache as he took deep cold breathes. He faltered and collapsed onto a nearby tree as he stumbled upon a massive root that stuck out of the ground.
"Illy... what happened?" She was quick to ask as she got off and watched him stand back up.
His panting was already too hard to properly respond her. "We... have to... keep... moving..."
"What about father? What happened to him?!" Her voice was loud and filled with panic. Before he had time to even speak, a glimpse of shadowy smoke winced its way through the tree line. He hurried over to Rosemary, standing protectively and looking around.
"You cannot stop this. Darkness incarnate must not prevail! The girl is mine!" The voice was composed of many other voices, all very low, dark, and almost ethereal. Horrifying and almost sickening. A horrible shrill scream filled the air and he could do nothing but shroud his ears in hopes to stop it.
"Brother!!" Rosemary's scream pierced through the scream. He opened his eyes to see Rosemary being dragged into the darkness. His eyes widened in fright... The dark figure of a shadow red eyes turned from his sister to him, and almost suddenly, it took Rosemary and began to swim away through the trees and out of sight.
"Rosemary!" He charged after it, completely avoiding his fear. Whatever this thing wanted, it was taking Rosemary, and he couldn't afford to lose her too... "I won’t let you take her too!" The black smoke swam through the air and off a cliff, floating off into the night. Without second thought, he jumped after it.
Like fog, his grip went right through and he felt himself falling. He hit the edge of the inclining hill. The hard rocks of the cliff battered him as he tumbled violently down. He felt a sharp pain, a pointed rock had cut his side. He hit the ground hard, leaving him out of breath. A warm sensation began to cover his chest.
He rolled over to his back, a mixture of blood and tears covering his face. His vision fogged and the moonlight was all he could see. The Everfree forest, a place of mystery and danger, with monsters that could kill him as easily as the fall will. Rosemary is gone... his father... mother... He couldn't stop it... He couldn't do anything... Maybe this was for the best...
"I'm sorry... Rosy..."
|
Darkevony
|
768
| 2 |
Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
It Is Always Best Forgotten
|
It is always best to forget, but what if what your trying to forget is connected to your future?
|
complete
| 25 | 3 |
<p>Illuminous simply knew nothing of the world of Equestria. His world consisted of just his father and his sister, with no magic and living an isolated life in quiet remote woods. One day, a mysterious entity kidnaps his sister and his father is slain, ruthfully stripping him of the life he had ever known as he sets out to rescue his sister. With an unknown and dangerous power coursing through him, he must face the threat of controlling this new power to be able to save his sister and protect everyone he cares for, or succumbing to it, in turn, destroying everything himself. With new found friends, he embarks in a journey of a lifetime.</p>
|
everyone
|
2012-11-14T04:50:55+00:00
|
2012-11-14T04:50:55+00:00
| 2,309 |
Exploding visions of bright gold swirled in the empty blackness of the colt's head. The golden streams and swirls subsided into the grassy greens of his home. His vision was strange, everything outlined in faint but noticeable white glow. Everything was so vivid. He could feel the softness of the grass at his hooftips. The leaves slowly swaying with the gentle breeze, the sound so smooth and comforting, it left him at awe as he prospected the beauty. The slow chirping of the summer rattling bugs making a harmony of peace.
A small light at the corner of his eye had gotten his attention. He glanced over at a white mare with a bright crimson mane(his sister); she lowered her head to examine some flowers behind the neat stone pavement. Suddenly without warning, she sprang back up and looked directly at him, as if frightened, the mare started galloping away. The colt tried yelling to stop as he chased after her, but no words were even spoken, there was no sound other than that of the breeze running through the leaves and the Cicadas, the rattling bugs.
They approached an eerie dark forest, and the mare disappeared into it, the glow still noticeable until the last trace of her was gone. He ran into the forest, still determined to catch the mare. A loud maniacal laughter echoed through the forest, forcing the colt to stop at his hoofs. A shiver ran down his spine, two large green eyes stared at him through the darkness, the pupil resembling that of something unholy, like a cat, except fiercer and more vicious, full of anger and hatred. Black fog rose at his feet, and as if a vortex, it spun around him, closer and closer. Fear and desperation forced the pony to jerk back only to be trapped within the spiraling darkness. He cowered in fear, shaking, hoping for dear life that it would all just end.
As the darkness closed in onto him, a light illuminated from him, a strange white light so powerful and bright, it tore right through the black fog, and it backed away as if in fear of him. A gentle and worried voice called to him, and a yellow light mixed with a bit of pink took place of the black all around him. The voice spoke again, a smooth gentle lullaby, calming and beautiful.
~ Hush now, Quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, Quiet now
It's time to go to bed
Drifting, off to sleep
Leave exciting' day behind you!
Drifting, off to sleep
Let the joy of dream land find you... ~
The voice echoed, still clearly visible even after it had ended. He felt oddly at peace, and so he was.
-------
The light hurt his eyes, all he could see was blurry outlines of everything, and it took him a while to regain full vision. He analyzed a room. A brightly decorated room, with all sorts' things, like bird houses, animal feed, pink butterflies decorating the outlines of the walls. He tried moving, his body ached with unbearable pains, so he stopped the moment he even tried. He looked around a bit more and realized he was laying down on a couch, like one that his father had bought from one of his trips to town, although they weren't allowed to go, the stallion always made sure to bring something special with him. He smiled sadly at this memory. He quickly turned to realize that another pony was sleeping right beside him. It was a yellow-coated pony with pink mane that flowed silkily and nicely curving to the side of her. He had no words to speak, nor thoughts to think. This was his first ever encounter with another pony other than his dad and sister. He stared at the mare for quite a while, still sleeping.
'Wow, she's an angel.' Illuminous thought to himself as he studied the mare before him. She was hunched over, her head in between her hoofs, her body going down to the ground. It seemed that this pony exhausted herself and ended up sleeping on the couch, taking care of him maybe? He felt gauges strapping across his abdomen and many other sorts of band aids covering the sharp pains from the night before. Her face was right in front of his, and he found himself staring even more at her beauty.
The mare slowly woke up, analyzing the scenery just like he did, Illuminous could only but stare. After she snapped out of her momentary sleep deprived state, she focused on the colt before her. She smiled widely and gave a sigh of relief.
"I'm so glad you woke up, I was getting very worried I-I...." her voice trailed off as she saw the colt staring at her eyes, at awe and admiration.
The mare blushed, unable to continue what she had to say, they both stared into each other's eyes, and what seemed like forever, the two just stood gazing at each other.
Illuminous felt his cheeks turn warmer and warmer, he didn't understand this feeling. It was brand new to him, he had only known the comfort of his father and sister, but this was something new... he had no way of explaining it. All he could think of was that it felt nice, being so close to her, like in his dream before, that voice, it was her. He felt so at peace staring into her beautiful emerald green eyes, and so.... he could not explain it.
The never ending moment between the two ponies broke as soon as a white rabbit strolled onto view and hopped on the chest of Illuminous, the colt gasped in pain.
The yellow mare suddenly alarmed, nudged the rabbit out of the way. "Angel! That is not good, please treat him kindly, he is badly hurt." she said in a scolding-like manner to the rabbit, and turned to face Illuminous. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?" she said with worry.
Illuminous only turned to stare at her again and nodded very slightly, still unsure of what to say.
The rabbit known as angel just sighed. Jumped onto the cabinet of the kitchen, and took out a long carrot, then proceeded to walk back up the stairs to go sleep.
This gave the yellow mare an idea.
"Oh! You must be hungry. I-I'll make you something to eat right away, rest easily." she eagerly said.
To his surprise, the yellow pony sprang two wide and majestic yellow wings, and glided over to the kitchen with ease, he was more than astonished. Mesmerized, or captivated by her both grace and beauty. He had so many questions, so many things to ask and tell the mare, but he couldn't even do a simple nod for a reply. He had never seen another pony before, let alone a Pegasus pony.
The mare returned with a soup filled with carrots and lettuce, appreciatively, he didn't hesitate to eat, and even though he hadn't felt the hunger before, it seemed quite obvious and apparent. His stomach began rumbling and aching with pains. It was delicious, tangy and sweet, with the rich taste of the carrots, it was amazingly good.
After he finished eating, he noticed the yellow Pegasus staring at him again, her eyes full of wonder and curiosity.
"So uh... what's your name? I mean, if it's okay with you, if you want to tell me and all" she said in a low voice, rubbing her hoof onto the ground, shyly wondering.
She quickly interrupted, "Oh my, I haven't even told you mine, how rude of me. My name is Fluttershy."
Could Illuminous get more captivated already?
"I'm Illuminous" he said quietly in a shy whispering voice.
"That's a really good name, your parents must have been really good!" she said even more curious.
That snapped Illuminous into reality, his mother... his father.... his sister.... they were all...
Pain filled the colt's heart as he fought back tears that will never subside, he had failed his father... and in vain he.... a tear ran down his cheek.
Fluttershy was at an odd disposition "I'm sorry I didn't mean to.... I'm really sorry." she said trying to fix whatever wrong she might have caused.
Illuminous shacked his head, "It's okay... it's just that, my mother gave me that name, I never met her, and I only knew about her from my dad, he said that my mom called me that, because she found hope from me, the light that guided her. But....."
He sadly shook his head, told her what had happened to his mother.
Fluttershy had no idea what to do in this sort of situation, she'd never been in something like this, she nuzzled onto him and hugged him, like what she would normally do when an animal friend was sad or upset. This only made her blush even more but she felt more obliged to do so and felt a strong sense of pity for him that she paid no mind to it.
Illuminous enjoyed the hug, it was the first time he had ever received one, from someone he hardly knew, but somehow felt deep abiding connections to.
Illuminous spoke gentle soft and quiet words into Fluttershy's ear while she hugged him, "Thank you." He said, smilingly sadly.
Fluttershy turned deep red, she wasn't used to being this close to a colt before, she had problems even being around other mares, let alone a strange colt she had saved from the Everfree forest. This sparked her interest a little.
"You were badly injured, bleeding and wounded, scratched and bruised from everywhere back in the Everfree forest, I had to take you in, you're lucky you even survived, but... what happened?" she asked staring at Illumious's bright yellow eyes.
Pain stricken, the colt recalled past events, down to the starting peaceful morning, and to even the events of his father... Fluttershy was horrified, and felt even more pity. He had lost both his father and his little sister within the day. When he was done explaining, she didn't even know what to respond to him, but finally grabbed his hoof with both of her own and looked straight at his eyes.
"Well whatever happens, you'll always have me."
------
He slept comfortably that night, aside Fluttershy in a comfortable bed, the couch was nice but at his condition, not good enough to aid his struggle to get better, you could imagine the pain for Illuminous as he got up, sore from everywhere. Although he faced the other way, he could feel the small panting breaths of the yellow mare, warm and comforting, onto his back, he turned to see her. There were still so many things in his mind that didn't make sense. He could think clearly, just by looking at her, he thought about his father... what had happened? A day ago he came to us with promises of Canterlot the next moment he's.... And who was that pony... the one that took his sister. So much that he wanted to know. And he focused back on Fluttershy; she was innocent, loving and caring. He wasn't sure exactly what he felt, but surely he felt happy just being around her. He was never thought this concept. Illuminous had no idea about love, but if this is how the feeling was, he'd wish it upon a million stars. As for Fluttershy, he was still confused, unsure of what to say to her, it was like a race, a race to tell her, it seems like worthless futile efforts, because if he gets too close to the finish line, it's like you get warped back to the beginning. She was kind, and pretty, cute, and beautiful. Yet he still lies unsure of anything.
As if by telepathy, Fluttershy woke up, sleepy and rubbing her eyes, and turned to face his gaze. Another moment, beneath the moonlight, it was still too strange for him, he broke the gaze by looking to the moon, which Fluttershy also turned to see. The Pegasus nudge herself closer to Illuminous, unsure, the colt felt his cheeks get warm, then warmer as she nuzzled herself under his chin. (Imagine the confusion on poor Illuminous.)
"My sister would call me Illy, short for Illuminous, I wouldn't mind if you'd call me that." he spoke in a quiet whisper into her ear, her backed turned to him.
"W-w-well okay t-then," she whispered back and giggled a bit.
"You know, you heal quickly, much faster than anypony I've seen, the first day I took you in I called in a doctor, he said you had a near to fatal wound. But apparently you healed faster than it could have been deadly. "She said, clearly with admiration in her voice.
"There was never a time I'd gotten injured, except for an incident that happened, where a large boulder nearly fell on me, but dad held it on his back, protecting me." he tried sounding reasonable.
"Oh well then, you must be really special then." she smiled warmly at him, making him blush yet again.
He placed his forehead to hers and they blushed, as if in synchronization, they looked away, said their goodnight sleep, and dreamed.
Surprisingly he slept peaceful that night, memories in regard to all the good things in his life. Grateful to Fluttershy with all his life, he said thank you once more, and before he drifted to sleep, a question still remained on his head. What if the pony from before comes for Fluttershy too? No he muttered to himself.
I'll protect her, even if the cost is my life.
=============
(Author's Note: This goes out to the people specifically concerned about Fluttershy's affection toward Illuminous, and Illuminous' thoughts on it. All I have to say is.... calm down my fellow bronies, you'll find out sooner or later. For now, keep waiting. If you liked the story enough to get past the 1st chapter to read the 2nd, I appreciate it. If you like it, rate it, It would help me out a lot.
If your still concerned about it and don't fully understand what I'm getting to is that, later things will be revealed, keep on reading because there is just a major shift in the force. :T Allons-Y!
Also, all throughout this story I kept hearing that song. "Your too, shy shy, hush hush quiet now." I don't know the name of it and well darn I wish somebody could tell me. x3 )
|
Darkevony
|
768
| 3 |
Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
It Is Always Best Forgotten
|
It is always best to forget, but what if what your trying to forget is connected to your future?
|
complete
| 25 | 3 |
<p>Illuminous simply knew nothing of the world of Equestria. His world consisted of just his father and his sister, with no magic and living an isolated life in quiet remote woods. One day, a mysterious entity kidnaps his sister and his father is slain, ruthfully stripping him of the life he had ever known as he sets out to rescue his sister. With an unknown and dangerous power coursing through him, he must face the threat of controlling this new power to be able to save his sister and protect everyone he cares for, or succumbing to it, in turn, destroying everything himself. With new found friends, he embarks in a journey of a lifetime.</p>
|
everyone
|
2012-11-14T04:51:08+00:00
|
2012-11-14T04:51:08+00:00
| 2,079 |
Illuminous awoke from his peaceful slumber, removing sleep from his eyes. As his vision focused, he studied the room around him. As he tried to move, the aching commenced. He lied back down, watching the ceiling. He healed fast, but not fast enough to let him be useful. He looked over his shoulder to notice that the yellow Pegasi was missing. He was ultimately grateful to Fluttershy, for saving his life and taking care of him. She was kind, honest, caring. He smiled as the word 'cute' arose in his mind. He sighed, still completely unsure of anything. This was all too brand new to him.
'Tending to me wouldn't be all she has to do' he thought as he wondered what she might have been doing. Why the question even became apparent in his mind, he had no clue.
After a few minutes of thought, he became desperate, he wasn't used to just lying in bed doing nothing. The colt tried endlessly to get his body to move. Slowly the aching subsided to small bruises and he began walking, taking baby steps. He lowered the upper part of his body, arching downwards as if ready to run, and jolted his tail high. Stretching felt good, since he hadn't done anything for what felt like 2 days. As he started to gallop in place, he must have wondered how foolish it would be to do so in front of someone else, but it was his own special way of getting rid of exhaustion.
He walked down stairs, still no sign of the yellow Pegasus. He slowly crept outside, surveying his surroundings. Just a bunch of chicken coops, a road that lead to Celestia-knows where, and a big tower with a giant watch on it. He remembered his dad said something about those, it was a clock-tower, it tells time for everypony to see. Curiously, Illuminous had the urge to go at it, but not wanting to stray far from where he was, in fear of losing his way and not seeing Fluttershy again, he ultimately decided on keeping his distance to the house.
He started to gallop around a big circle of the house, after half a lap; he noticed the edge of the Everfree forest. Illuminous stopped to think. He wasn't ready... Not after what happened. He wanted to become stronger. He wanted everything to save his sister. There was no telling what that.... thing.... did to Rosy. And he was more than sure he wasn't near close to being ready to face that thing. He kept on running, pacing himself, building stamina as he went. Last time, he wasn't able to run fast enough to catch his sister. With determination in mind, nothing would stop him.
Hours passed by, and not a single break did he take, his legs surprisingly didn't feel exhausted nor did he. Slowly he sped up, every lap becoming faster and faster. He wasn't much for the long run, but his father always told him he had speed and grace. And it was true, he loved the wind against his face, although work at the house required little running, he would practice on his own sometimes, when he wasn't busy apple-bucking or plowing. His father would tell him tales of an annual event called "The Running of The Leaves". Most of his stories though never told of where it took place, but he had the out-most confidence that it was real, his father had never lied to them before, or so he thought. All of his stories seemed wonderful. Since a young pony, Illuminous started his very own private running of the leaves at his forest; coming fall, he and his father would gallop together making the leaves fall. Usually the leaves would fall naturally, but it was a quicker way of getting things over with.
As he neared towards the front of the house, he heard a shouting. The tone of a mare's calling out to someone. As he approached it more and more, the words being called out were much clearly comprehensible.
"Fluttershy! Hey Fluttershy are you there?" the voice rang out.
As he came into view of the source of the voice, it was another Pegasus, this one with a light blue coat and a rainbow mane, strikingly awesome. The Pegasus spot him and looked at him as he came galloping in front of her. He did a quick stop, stopping with his two front legs, panting slightly; he puffed his chest out to ease his breathing efforts, his mane coated in sweat, shimmering in the daylight. He looked back at the Pegasus, whose expression was more of an awed and astonished one.
"Oh uhm.... Hi." Illuminous said trying to regain his breath, wondering what this Pegasus was calling Fluttershy for.
The Pegasus tried to speak but failed, muttering unintelligible words. As she regained herself, she finally spoke more clearly.
"Oh uh, I'm sorry I was just... well uhm... I was wondering, what were you doing anyways running around like that?" she asked, coming to the ground after a few beats from her wings, her voice cracking ever so often.
"I was just stretching my legs a bit." he said in a low voice, embarrassed that she had been noticing him.
"Well that was pretty fast for just 'Stretching your legs a bit' you were pretty fast." The Pegasus said, galloping in place to imitate his running. He found it funny and cute too.
He shook his head thinking about it and became instantly relieved seeing as another pony does the same.
"What's wrong?" The Pegasus asked curiously noticing him even more closely.
"Oh it's nothing..." Illuminous said even more shy.
"You remind me of someone... oh wait yeah! I came to talk to Fluttershy." The Pegasus said coming to the realization of her true intentions. "What were you doing running around Fluttershy's house anyways?"
He had an idea it was her house, but the question never arose in his mind. "Oh well I uh..."
"I was taking care of him since he was injured." the gentle, warm, and soothing voice of Fluttershy came from a distance, he felt more at ease. She looked at him with a warm bright smile, and all he could think of was just that. "You started running today?" she wondered in awe and curiosity.
The two Pegasi looked closely at him. The pressure was totally on.
"I felt impatient; laying down all the time is exhausting. So I've been warming up and running this whole time, since the morning." he said, his voice very low and shy, as the two Pegasi mares listened in.
"Wow you do heal fast, you really are special." Fluttershy said with admiration.
"What do you mean Fluttershy? What happened or what? Does anyone care to explain to me?" The sky-blue mare said impatiently.
"He was very and badly injured when I found him in the Everfree forest, not far from Ponyville."
Clearing another question from his mind, Illuminous concluded he was at a place known as Ponyville.
"I've been taking care of him for 4 days, he didn't wake up until a day ago." she kept explaining.
Wow, 4 days? He must have been gone for quite a while, no wonder his muscled felt so tense.
"Oh! Now I remember, Fluttershy I came to find you, you were gone for quite a while, we thought you'd vanish or something. Twilight wants us to go meet her, she said that all of us have to be there, I wouldn't know why though." she said, spinning in the air, as if it was a common thing to be so active when having a normal conversation. She turned to Illuminous, "I'm Rainbow Dash by the way, and you are?"
"Illuminous" The colt said.
Rainbow Dash smiled at him warmly, shaking his hoof. He shakes his head again, what was it with him? All he could do was smile apathetically back at her. He could find a little disappointment in Rainbow Dash's expression.
"Oh, Illuminous, now that you can walk again, I was going to ask that maybe if you could..." Fluttershy hoofed at the ground shyly. (For future reference: Pawed at the ground) "I was wondering if you could help me with my last chore, I also care for the woodland creatures and I have to go check on an Ursa Minor's health, the poor thing has been sick for a while, and her mother is nowhere to be found, so would you come with me?" she asked sheepishly.
He nodded in response to that, and smiled warmly at her, which made Fluttershy blush a bit. In turn making him blush, Rainbow Dash curiously looked at both of them.
"Can I go too?" Rainbow Dash unexpectedly called out.
"Okay then" Fluttershy replied. "It's in the Everfree forest, I hope you don't mind Illuminous..." she asked before heading forth.
Illuminous simply shook his head, in reply of not minding.
-------
The three ponies made their way towards the Everfree forest, memories Illuminous wished he could keep forever and at the same time forget, rose from the ground beneath him like scorched earth. They we're painful, but he wouldn't let it bother him. He walked next to Fluttershy, glancing ever so often at her, wishing some things to be true. Rainbow Dash talked about herself when Illuminous asked her what kind of things she does and did. She told him about the time when they saved their new friend Twilight, a smart, and egghead Unicorn pony from falling down a cliff. Flipping her body in circles as she explained.
He wanted to know about Unicorns, since he has never seen one, let alone what they do. But he kept quiet, hearing all sorts of crazy tales. Like how she won Best Young Flier's competition and saved the Wonderbolts and her friend Rarity by going at insane speeds, ones that could only be reached by doing a Rainboom. Naturally, Illuminous ended up asking her what both of those people were.
"You don't know about the Wonderbolts? They're the best Arial team in ALL of Equestria, they are famous ponies known for the speed and cool moves. Do you live under a rock or something?" Rainbow Dash asked, irritated by his lack of knowledge.
"I've never seen or heard of any pony other than my dad and sister, he told me Tales of the Princesses but that's as far as I know of any other pony. I used to live in a quiet and isolated forest, far from anypony else. So I'm sorry if I don't know them" he explained.
"Oh" Rainbow Dash said with an expression of like how she just discovered something that was pretty obvious before."Used to?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.
"Yeah..." Illuminous said quietly, pain clearly visible in his eyes. And everything turned silent. No one spoke for a while.
"I knew Fluttershy when she was a filly." Rainbow Dash said, breaking the ice between them.
"It's true; she even stood up for me when some mean bullies were making fun of me." Fluttershy replied, sensing Illuminous' downfall to depression, trying to lighten up the mood. (I'd be lying if I said he didn't)
"I beat those 3 easy, I went so fast that I did the first ever Rainboom! And that's how I got my cutie mark." Rainbow Dash stated proudly as she showed the small rainbow colored thunder at her flank.
Although a bit embarrassing for Illuminous, but in the end he viewed at it curiously.
"A Cutie Mark?" Illuminous stood dumbfounded and confused.
"You don't have one?" she asked, taking Fluttershy's attention too.
Illuminous looked at his flank. Seemingly blank. He knew of these, her little sister had bouquet of different flowers as a cutie mark (her love of flowers), and his dad had a crested sword and shield (Celestia's Ex Royal Guard), and for some reason, he had nothing. His face reddened when he turned back at the two Pegasi who were now speculating his flank.
"That's strange..." Rainbow Dash said curiously.
"A cutie mark is when a pony finds his or her calling in life. Everyone's is different. The strange thing is that you don't have one." Rainbow Dash explained.
Embarrassed, Illuminous shy fully walked in a manner that hid his flank.
"Sometimes it just takes time, don't worry, it just means you can be good at anything!" Fluttershy tried cheering him up
He smiled warmly and appreciatively at Fluttershy. "Thank you" He said quietly, slowly getting out of his shyness over his blank flank.
----------
Minutes later they arrived near the edge of two cliffs forming something similar to a crevasse; there was a large gap between the two sides.
"Oh my, Illuminous won't be able to get past this; I didn't realize it since I just fly over it. I'm sorry Illy." she said, first time stating his pet name.
He blushed, momentarily ignoring the question, and then he finally answered. "It's okay, I can wait here while you two go on ahead." he reassured them
"Oh well okay, we won't take long." she said as she hugged him in her way of saying goodbye, even if it was for a little while.
He blushed again and the two Pegasi flew off into the thick fog that surrounded the forest.
Truthfully, Illuminous was scared of being alone, he didn't know what lay behind the fog, it was thick and no pony could view clearly 5 feet away from themselves. He lay down on the ground, and rested his eyes, waiting for the time to pass by.
A while passed by, Illuminous started feeling a sense of worry. And then another, his head by then was racing with questions, each with a possibility of something bad. And then another, by then, Illuminous was sure there was something wrong, he searched the crevasse like pitfall for a way to jump across or walk over.
None.
His worry grew ever deeper, and suddenly, he heard the crackling scream similar to that of Rainbow Dash's voice. Illuminous had good ears, he could hear anything from anywhere, so it was no surprise when he heard Fluttershy's small and quite shriek. Something inside Illuminous surged in him. Both Panic and confusion is what he felt. He had to do something! Anything, he didn't want to lose them. Neither of them. Even if he just met Rainbow Dash, he wished endlessly to see her safe, especially Fluttershy. A sudden light forced his eyes shut, blinding and powerful, it overwhelmed him, and he could see it clearly, even with his eye lids close!
A sudden realization occurred to him. This light, he knew now he was the cause of it. He opened his eyes, quickly, they adjusted to the intense radiation and power of it, His coat and mane were literally glowing! The light itself was harmless after getting adjusted to it, but power surged through him, immense power. He felt stronger, faster, lighter, and more powerful. It seemed all of his senses were heightened, he could see very far beyond the thick abnormal fog that the Everfree forest emitted, his hearing was clear perfect, he heard a thud and Fluttershy's small terrified voice, pleading for something to stop.... the Ursa Minor.
Without thinking twice, he dashed straight for the giant crevasse and powerfully jumped across, sending rocks flying behind him, and crushing the earth beneath him as he landed. He ran faster than anything, faster than what Rainbow Dash claimed to be the speeds of a Rainboom.
This time however, a clear and visible thought came into his head.
Never Again
===========
(Author's Note: Oh I can already sense it, so much fun I'll have from this. Its not obligatory to write these stories, especially for me. But I find it fun as hell. :D SO MANY IDEAS.)
|
Darkevony
|
768
| 4 |
Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
It Is Always Best Forgotten
|
It is always best to forget, but what if what your trying to forget is connected to your future?
|
complete
| 25 | 3 |
<p>Illuminous simply knew nothing of the world of Equestria. His world consisted of just his father and his sister, with no magic and living an isolated life in quiet remote woods. One day, a mysterious entity kidnaps his sister and his father is slain, ruthfully stripping him of the life he had ever known as he sets out to rescue his sister. With an unknown and dangerous power coursing through him, he must face the threat of controlling this new power to be able to save his sister and protect everyone he cares for, or succumbing to it, in turn, destroying everything himself. With new found friends, he embarks in a journey of a lifetime.</p>
|
everyone
|
2012-11-14T04:51:12+00:00
|
2012-11-14T04:51:12+00:00
| 1,993 |
The earth below seemed too trembled at every hoofbeat that Illuminous took. His heart raced faster and harder than his legs could. An explosion of emotions, mainly fear and worry, surged through him. He would never again lose someone he cared about.
Pure shining white light shone from his entire being, he could feel the untamed power coursing through his body, empowering him, becoming stronger and stronger, so powerful that the wind sliced as he galloped through the forest. The moon was covered in dark clouds, but to Illuminous, it seemed clear as day. He followed his ears, hearing the quivering of Fluttershy, and a fierce growling. The Ursa Minor.
From the distance, he heard a much louder thud, and the swing the Ursa Minor did.
With a fiery rage in his heart, he sped up faster nearing the mouth of a giant cave galloping as hard as his legs could carry in this state.
~~~~~~~
"So hey Fluttershy, what's up?" Rainbow Dash curiously asked after reassuring herself that Illuminous was too far to hear after leaving him waiting back at that big crevasse.
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy said, confused at her question.
"Well you know, what's up with you and that colt? The Fluttershy I know of is too shy to even talk to a colt, but you hugged him, relative or something?"
"Huh?! Well we're just uh... -um... we're just friends." Fluttershy replied, blushing and looking away crossed leg and hoofing the ground.
Rainbow Dash looked at her suspiciously and the decided to accept her reply. She slowly made her way back to the ground with a graceful move of her wings.
"He sure is quite something, you should have seen him ran! I bet he was faster than AJ!" Rainbow Dash excitedly stated as Fluttershy took curiosity.
Fluttershy smiled warmly, "I found him in a serious condition, battered and cut, with a deep wound coming the side of his chest, it's surprising though, he healed up so fast compared to even the toughest animals I take care of."
"That bad?" Rainbow Dash stared at Fluttershy with curiosity.
"Worse than you can imagine, I'm sorry I couldn't be with you all for a while, I wanted to see him safe, so I treated him, and he was out cold for 2 days." Fluttershy said with a little embarrassment.
"Nah its okay, we we're just worried to what might have happened to you. No one will expect you to be caring for him, I mean seriously, I think he's actually cute, wow you should have seen him when he pulled up next to me, and he was like the sun, bright and amazing." Rainbow Dash confessed, admiring every inch of Illuminous
Fluttershy blushed as the word cute arose. She burned up into a brighter crimson as she tried picturing Rainbow Dash's description.
"Really? Just friends?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.
Fluttershy didn't respond she just looked away, trying to avoid the ruby colored eyes of the rainbow Pegasi.
"You know, you're pretty obvious Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she giggled to herself.
Fluttershy lowered her head, shyly trying to conceal her blushing. "I am?"
"Yup, easy to read like a Twilight on a book." She joked.
"Have you done anything with him beside a hug?" Rainbow Dash asked still very curious.
Aww poor Fluttershy, she must have been dying from embarrassment, you could tell by how badly she blushed. Like an apple kind of red.
"N-n-n-no n-n-nothing like t-t-that" she muttered
"So do you like this colt?" Rainbow Dash said, this time sounding more serious. Like if she wanted to know instead of trying to poke fun out of her.
Fluttershy shyly hoofed the floor blushing a bit, without respond.
"Oh hey isn't that where the Ursa Minor is!" Rainbow Dash broke the silence by spotting a deep cave, the sound of a sleeping bear coming from within.
"Oh it is." Fluttershy said, the two Pegasi making their way into it.
A giant blue celestial-coat bear lay asleep, snoring peacefully. Fluttershy touched the massive forehead of the bear, intending to find the temperature to see if he still remained sick. Then she took out four buckets of milk from her saddlebags and poured it into a half empty container on the side.
"That should be good."
Rainbow Dash nodded and the two Pegasi began to walk away.
A purple mist arose from the ground below, and seeped into the Ursa Minor, infusing itself with it. Its blue celestial coat that showed many stars on it turned completely black, the stars still showing, then warps began to form, black holes formed on the Ursa Minor's coat. It awakened, opening its eyes, crimson red and unholy, like a cat's eyes.
It growled fiercely as it spotted the two Pegasi, the two turned around confused and a gasp of horror filled them both as they saw the transformation of the Ursa Minor and enormous body coming for them, Fluttershy's wings closed shut together and Rainbow Dash tried flying away.
The Ursa Minor raised his paw in the air, ready to strike the defenseless pony that was too afraid to move. Rainbow Dash looked backed and noticed the danger Fluttershy was in.
She swooped down quickly in front of Fluttershy. The paw swung down with a mighty force, striking the Rainbow Pegasus, making a thud as she hit the wall hard. Rainbow Dash fell unconscious, dealt from the heavy blow. Fluttershy saw Rainbow Dash get hurt and she yelled at the Ursa Minor.
Fluttershy went up to the beast, using her stare on him and lecturing him with all her might. The bear just growled even harder at her, even fiercer than before. The yellow Pegasi went back to her scared state and begged the beast to stop what it was doing. It was too far into corruption since it completely ignored her.
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, aching and hurting from everywhere, the air was knocked out of her when the Ursa Minor swung at her. Her left wing was broken, and a deep sorrow overwhelmed her. Then she noticed Fluttershy, the Ursa Minor was ready to swing again, looking even more fierce than before and more angry, she stood up, wobbling from the force, and ran in front of Fluttershy again, and as she hit the wall even harder this time, she saw darkness. A tear escaped her eye, she was positive this was the end.
Before she shut her eyes, a blinding white light was looming over the cave wall, getting bigger and bigger, but she couldn't hold it any longer, she closed her eyes. Darkness filled inside her.
~~~~~~~~
Illuminous galloping caused an uproar as he ran, full force, he entered the cave anxiety making his gaze look everywhere, his heart sank as he saw Rainbow Dash battered and beaten to a pulp, laying down unconscious, Fluttershy crying, shielding her eyes from the light he emitted.
He was full within rage, an explosion of anger and hatred filled him, this was unforgivable, he stared at the black Ursa Minor, it too growling and yelping at the blinding light.
It swung its paw blindingly at any direction, one if it swings directed over to Fluttershy.
He ran fast, catching the paw before it hit her. It knocked him senseless, like a doll, right into the wall.
Fluttershy cried out "Stop please, just go, don't get hurt too... not for me..." as he slowly stood up again, anger and determination filling his expression.
He wanted to obey her, but it was a horrible request, he would never leave, never let another person he cared about get hurt.
He dashed full force at the Ursa Minor, he kicked his hind legs hard at the ground, picking him off the ground hard and fast, like a white arch, his trail of light left a completely white rainbow as he went right through the Ursa Minor.
It growled out in pain and panic, burning in a purple fire, the darkness of his coat becoming the quiet blue from before, the black holes disappearing from his coat. The Purple fire disappeared into the top of the cavern ceiling.
Anger still in Illuminous' heart, he came up to the Ursa Minor. Power surging endlessly into him. He could not forgive.
He raised his two front hoofs in front of the Ursa Minor's forehead, which lay on the ground defeated. And as he was ready to slam them down, he felt something wrap around him.
In an instant, the light dimmed to a small glow, his expression more exhausted than angry, and put his hoofs down gentle to the ground. Fluttershy was holding onto him tight, holding on for dear life. He looked down at the floor, utterly ashamed at his inability to control his own emotions. He was about to......
Illuminous shook his head and looked at Fluttershy, she looked into his eyes and smiled warmly at him. How could she have forgiven me? He asked himself.
Fluttershy kissed him on the cheek and whispered into his ear. "Thank you."
Although he remained serious, joy was inevitable in his mind. You could say he blushed from the inside.
He put Rainbow Dash on over his back and walked over the Ursa Minor. He put his forehead to the massive beast, he was truly sorry, never had he felt such remorse because he never had to be ashamed of his actions. To his surprise, he could hear the thoughts of the Ursa Minor. Yet it was still rather incomprehensible. The only thing that he could make out was one thing. 'The Key to Unlocking the True Potential of the Elements.' Questions arose from this, but he paid no mind. He was sure of it, that the Ursa Minor could read his thoughts as well, he told the Ursa Minor he was deeply sorry. But what he heard next was what he had not expected. The Ursa Minor thanked him; he removed the darkness within him. Physically the Ursa Minor licked him to show his gratitude.
He and Fluttershy made their way back, their top priority was Rainbow Dash, and as Fluttershy examined her, the more surprising thing was that her bruises and scratches were gone! But she was still breathing heavily, signification of that she was still injured. Much time passed within the events that happened. It was dark, really dark outside, the dark clouds covering the moon's light. Fluttershy could not see a single thing, she was being guided by Illuminous, and he had a small glow around him. Like if he was lighting the way.
--------
Rainbow Dash became conscious again, remembering half the things that happened. Although still a bit pained and aching. She felt much better. She felt herself moving slowly and steadily, but not from her will, like if she was on someone's back. The darkness filled her mind then, when she was beat, she was sure of it, that she'd be a goner. But a light broke through the void of darkness. When she opened her eyes, she saw a white coat, and a blue mane, she recognized it as Illuminous. To Dash, this was the first time she'd touch a colt that closely, she just remembers putting her arm around the Wonderbolts, but nothing this close. She felt comfortable, like if every passing minute her wounds were healing. She nuzzled into his coat and fell asleep again.
--------
When they arrived at the house, not uttering one word from both Illuminous and Fluttershy, they set down Rainbow Dash on the couch. Illuminous completely oblivious of his body's potential, felt a huge wave of exhaustion wash over him. His glow was reduced to nothing, turning him back into himself. And he collapsed, too weary from his legs, tired and aching. It seemed he ignored all the pain and it accumulated to strike him down good.
Fluttershy helped him to his feet and walked him over to the bed. He felt great comfort as he lay down on the soft mattresses. The Yellow Pegasus left to go to tend to Dash.
He smiled at himself, proud but mostly happy that he had been able to rescue them. There were just so many questions in his head. What had just happened? What did he do? Why was he able to connect to the mind of the Ursa Minor?
'What does Fluttershy think of me?' he sighed, maybe she thought he was evil, tempered minded. He never had any problem like that; the only thing that truly affected him was seeing Rainbow Dash hurt, and Fluttershy about to get hurt. His anger overtook him, and he was truly ashamed for that. He just hoped Fluttershy would forgive him, or he'd never be able to forgive himself.
-------
Minutes later, Fluttershy walked in, looking tired and exhausted, walked slowly. She wasn't able to withstand it all, it was too much for one day. She lay down beside Illuminous and smiled to herself. There were so many questions in her mind. She had undying trust to Illuminous, she felt the pain in his eyes, but she still wondered who really Illuminous was? And what kind of power did he poses? He defeated the darkness in the Ursa Minor with one blow; he was more than just a mere regular Earth pony.
She brushed away those thoughts; the only truth that she was sure of is that she was happy being next to him, not like friends kind of happiness. This joy to her was different. Although she didn't truly understand it but, the closer she was to him, the happier she was. She turned to see Illuminous, staring at the moon, who peeked itself from gaps in the dark clouds.
"It's lovely, even if it isn't fully showing, you can already expect something beautiful to come out of those clouds any time now." he said, noticing her watching him.
Fluttershy nodded, agreeing with him.
"I would understand why you'd be afraid of me. After all, I don't even understand what happened." his voice in a deep serious note.
This brought up so many things Fluttershy wanted to say.
"I'm not, I-I..." she wanted to say something... anything... "Thank you" she said quietly, as she nuzzled into his chest. Unsure of what she was doing. She didn't truly understand herself yet.
"For what?" Illuminous' question catching her off guard.
"For saving that Ursa Minor, it wasn't the same... thank you for freeing it and also for sparing him." she said still in the same quiet tone. "For saving Rainbow Dash, I don't think I could ever be happy if she'd... well... she saved me, twice, the Ursa Minor badly injured her, I couldn't do anything...." she said, deep disappointment in her voice. "And also... for saving me" she blushed as she said it, turning her face away to keep him from looking at her embarrassment.
His warm and gentle laugh caught her even more off guard.
"You saved my life Fluttershy, it was only fair, and I wasn't just doing that because it was the fair thing to do, I wanted to save you. I didn't want to see another pony I cared about get hurt."
Fluttershy reddened deeply. This is the first time hearing, if not a direct confession, but one where he cared about her.
"Also I vowed to myself one thing." He said, pausing after that.
Fluttershy turned to look at him, now gazing at her, his yellow eyes deep with emotion, some that she didn't recognize, but determination. She blushed as she their gaze combined.
I will always protect you
=============
(Author's Note: I didn't meet the day deadline that I put for myself, but its okay, because I said from 1-2 days of chapter release in a deadline. Its 1:14 when I'm finishing this, so I wasn't too far off. if you liked this chapter, thank you. Comment and Rate if you liked it please, it assures me at least someone is actually enjoying my work. Thanks again everyone!
P.S. Dat Title Drop)
|
Darkevony
|
768
| 5 |
Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
It Is Always Best Forgotten
|
It is always best to forget, but what if what your trying to forget is connected to your future?
|
complete
| 25 | 3 |
<p>Illuminous simply knew nothing of the world of Equestria. His world consisted of just his father and his sister, with no magic and living an isolated life in quiet remote woods. One day, a mysterious entity kidnaps his sister and his father is slain, ruthfully stripping him of the life he had ever known as he sets out to rescue his sister. With an unknown and dangerous power coursing through him, he must face the threat of controlling this new power to be able to save his sister and protect everyone he cares for, or succumbing to it, in turn, destroying everything himself. With new found friends, he embarks in a journey of a lifetime.</p>
|
everyone
|
2012-11-14T04:51:15+00:00
|
2012-11-14T04:51:15+00:00
| 1,942 |
The hard galloping of two ponies rang out through the trees, disturbing a pool of mud making multiple ripples in the once peaceful puddle. Two ponies stealthy ran by, one bigger than the other, both wearing black hoods that concealed their faces. A red-orange glow consumed the path behind them, getting closer and closer. It was a fire. The flames now visible, licked the trees around them, the spreading flames gained distance ever more dangerously closer to the two hurried ponies.
A purple mist appeared out of the flames, seemingly unaffected by the heat, it shot past the two ponies and buried itself on the ground, and then it wrapped itself around the smaller pony's leg, ensnaring and slowing it. The other one turned back, seeing the danger heading towards them. It was precious time lost, the smoke thick around them, making it dangerous even to breathe. The bigger pony tried in vain to free the smaller one, but it seemed too late, the fire encircled them, not getting closer or backing away, trapping them within a wall of fire.
The purple mist appeared from the fire again, this time, materializing into a black pony with a purple Celestial main. The same vicious eyes, yet this pony was smaller... in a way. Its horn started glowing, and shot a beam of energy, concentrated to the two ponies. The larger pony burst into a bright white light, and then subsided into a small glow. Both of them unharmed. The larger pony stomped the ground with such force, it shattered the earth beneath them in a giant radius, the smaller one freed as an added effect. The fire still circled them, growing more and more viciously. The purple pony from before vanished.
The flames finally grew closer to the two. In desperation, the bigger pony suddenly grew wings. Not feathery wings, but wings made from pure white light. The smaller one wrapped itself around the back of the bigger one, the wings seemed to not be materialized, since the light would ignore the pony's wrapped arm and stayed completely undisturbed.
The bigger pony burst again, this time, the light concentrated in front of him, blowing a gap between the flames that quickly started to regain itself. He kicked the earth with his hind legs, blasting him forwards, his wings bent for speed, flying low but extremely quick, avoiding trees, and the grass, picking up as he passed by from the force. They quickly made their way out of the forest, into a grassy hill clearing, the fires consuming the forest behind them. The light from the bigger pony faded to nothing, and the two ponies dropped from the sky, the bigger one too tired to even try to move, somehow managed to get below the smaller one and take the full hit to the ground onto his back, cushioning the smaller one's fall with his chest.
After a while, the two ponies got up. The bigger still weary, seemed unharmed. Yet the smaller one walked limping. The smaller one took off its hood, revealing a beautiful white mare with golden hair. She looked tired, much more than the bigger one, who had taken such a hard hit.
"I can't-I just can't go on..." she said, dropping to ground, sideways lying on the soft grass. Her voice was beautiful, silky and smooth, warm and gentle. An angel's voice.
"Don't worry... it's almost over." The other one replied, his voice firm with worry and anticipation. He put the mare on his back and started walking away from the burning forest. He lowered his hood; it was a stallion, his face sharp, strong and stern. There was something familiar about him. A younger version of someone...
Then it soon became obvious.
It was his father.
--------
Illuminous woke up sweating, gasping for air. The dream was too vivid... it was so intense. He calmed himself down and sunk into the bed, taking deep breaths, trying to make out what had happen. He closed his eyes, trying to picture something... anything... that would take his thoughts off that dream.
That was easy to do however, he noticed something around him, and two hoofs were wrapped around his chest. He followed the arms to a peacefully sleeping yellow Pegasus.
The sun outside peeped from the horizon, welcoming a new and beautiful day, a pack of birds flying in a V shape gracefully gliding through the sky.
Illuminous turned deep red, aside from his dreams; this also was a bit too much for current events. He felt light headed; hardly any thoughts made their way past his head since one thought big and wide had already made its way through every gap of his subconscious. 'Fluttershy had been hugging him all night'.
He placed his forehead onto Fluttershy's and gazed at her, their breaths in synchronization, blushing up a mad man. He disappointed himself; he had no control over his actions...
Fluttershy slowly woke up, her beautiful emerald eyes focusing; trying to see what was in front of her. Two bright yellow-golden eyes gazed back at her. Still sleepy, she felt her arms on something warm. And as she finally regained thought back, let's just say yellow wasn't Fluttershy's color anymore.
She flipped her entire body to the other side, her one free wing covering her face.
Illuminous placed his forehead on her back and in a quiet voice whispered to her. "I'm sorry if I startled you."
He lowered his head and closed his eyes, and two hoofs placed themselves on his cheeks and picked his head up again gently.
"It just... caught me off guard" she said, smiling warmly and shyly at him.
He smiled along with the yellow Pegasus and sighed in relief.
"I never got to properly thank you..." she continued."The thing is....I... I... want to know myself better."
She leaned closer and closer to Illuminous; his heart beat faster and harder in his chest and soon became painful. Her lips we're so close to his. He closed his eyes, feeling Fluttershy's warm breath against him so close...
"Hey what you guys doing!" Rainbow Dash suddenly appeared.
Fluttershy pulled back immediately and blushed her face away. Illuminous rolled out of bed quickly startled by her sudden appearance. The two were extremely confused.
"Rainbow Dash?!" they said in synchronization as they saw the Pegasus beating her wings in the air like usual.
She set herself down gracefully with a powerful beat of her wings and then smiled a sort of a playful and devious smile.
"Surprised?"
"How are you even up... and more importantly, how are you even flying!" Fluttershy exclaimed, remembering the events of the night before.
"Yeah it surprised me too. There are things I don't even understand, but the wonderful thing is..." she spun around in the air with her wings. "That my wing is fixed! Usually when you break a wing, flying is history. But somehow it got fixed!"
"Wow that is really good news!" Fluttershy said, her expression lightening up again, totally forgetting this morning's events.
"Yup!" Rainbow Dash said as she walked over to Illuminous, who was still on the floor, his chin to the soft rug, his bottom up in the air still on the bed.
Rainbow Dash giggled her crackling small laugh. "Thank you for yesterday by the way."
"Oh uh... its okay, how did you know that I carried you back anyways?" he wondered.
"I regained my consciousness and saw you, but I fell asleep because I was tired." she said lazily as she yawned. It was rather early in the morning.
He sighed, still in the same position as before.
"What is that?" Fluttershy said, pointing one hoof at his flank that was high in the air. Of course, Illuminous blushed as he realized that Fluttershy had taken notice of his blank flank.
"Is it some sort of spike or somethin' ?" Rainbow Dash asked confused.
"What? What is it?" he asked curiously, spinning himself around.
"Your cutie mark." They both said in sync.
He quickly turned his gaze at his flank, which now had a small bright yellow crystal in the form of a yellow shard.
"Huh?!" He said rather alarmed.
"So did you find out what your good at? Your cutie mark doesn't explain much..." Rainbow Dash asked.
He tilted his head in confusion, remembering the events from the night before, but nothing came to mind, he was still completely unsure of what was his calling in life.
"Actually I.... I don't." he said ashamed of himself.
"But how?! Usually you would know as soon as you get it... erghhh..." Rainbow Dash put her hooves to her head trying to think.
"Maybe Twilight knows what's going on, should we ask her?" Fluttershy suggested.
"Brilliant idea Fluttershy! And plus, we have to go visit her today anyways."
"Should Illuminous come too?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well duh, how else is Twilight going to know what happened?"
Illuminous knew what they were talking about, his unnatural power from the night before.
The two Pegasi looked at him, and he shrunk back into the wall, a bit embarrassed.
"Well, go tell Twilight I'll be there in a second, I'm going to show Illuminous around Ponyville first." Fluttershy said.
"Alright then!" Rainbow Dash kicked the air and dashed out the window, disappearing and out of sight.
--------
"Hey Twilight!!!!" Rainbow Dash screamed at a purple unicorn pony with colored streaks in her mane.
"Spike open the door before Dash slams into it again." the intellectual pony commanded a small purple dragon with green scales.
The dragon opened the door, and sure enough, the Rainbow Pegasus blinked in, nearly crashing into artifacts that lay around the library under glass or standing as statues.
"What is it Dash?" Twilight Sparkle asked, her head stuck in some book again.
"Oh my gosh you, wouldn't believe it!"
"What, what happened, why didn't you come back after I sent you to go get Fluttershy?"
"Uh yeah... about that..." The rainbow pony said sheepishly
"There's a new pony in town, and a stallion too! Fluttershy has been taking care of him for a week now, that's why we haven't seen her for a while." Rainbow Dash explained
"Fluttershy? A stallion? Rainbow Dash, you know Fluttershy is too timid to be around stallions. Is this some sort of game?" Twilight asked suspiciously.
"No I'm serious! He is something else though. I don't know what happened but, me, Fluttershy, and that new pony went to go take care of the sick Ursa Minor. It seemed fine until it turned all dark and evil. Then Fluttershy tried talking sense into him and the Ursa Minor still tried attacking her, I got in front of Fluttershy and took the hit, My left wing was broken when I got back up, I saw him strike again towards Fluttershy. And then I took another hit, the second one was harder though. I was sure I was a goner. When I woke up, I found myself completely healed riding on the back of that new stallion. "She said in a mouthful.
"An Ursa Minor? They're not usually aggressive only when it is disturbed from its sleep.... huh... and you said you broke your wing?"
"Yup" the Rainbow Pegasus lifting her right wing in the air, completely unharmed and good as new.
"Dash, you really understand that Pegasi can't heal a broken wings right?" she said trying to find reason to her spouting nonsense.
"I'm serious Twilight! He is something else... he had a blank flank and he looks just as old as us, but this morning, he had a small yellow shard on his flank. He had no clue what his calling in life was. Fluttershy is giving him a tour of Ponyville right now so they'll be here in a few."
Twilight squinted her eyes, still not believing the Rainbow Colored Pegasus.
"Well then, can you go call the others? I still wanted to talk to you all." Twilight said.
"Can do!" and with that, she flew off out the window.
-----
Fluttershy would smile every time Illuminous had an expression to the things in Ponyville. She'd giggle as he'd tell her how he'd never seen a house made from candy, Sugar cube corner. And he'd had starry eyes when he viewed the wide landscape of apple trees. He'd tell her his farm wasn't even close to being half of the length of what Sweet Apple Acres was. He was at awe when he saw the Carousel Boutique, wanting to go in but had little time to spare a visit. He told her how his father used to mention the clock tower when they passed it by.
Illuminous was dumb-founded when they approached the library. A tree? Well that seemed odd.... but then again, everything else in Ponyville was odd, this was no exception, or at least to Illuminous that was.
When they entered, Fluttershy was greeted by all her friends except Rarity and Applejack, apparently Rarity was busy trying to make a suit for Apple Jack who'd proven to be a difficult fashion challenge, asking her where she'd been this whole time. Illuminous hesitated to go inside until Rainbow Dash finally pushed him inside. All attention drawn on him.
The pink pony immediately went over to him. "Are you a new pony? You're totally a new pony; I know everypony in Ponyville so I would know if you're new. If you're new that means you don't know a lot of ponies. And that means you don't have many friends. Ah I know. I'LL THROW YOU a PART-" the pink pony was silenced by the hoof of Rainbow Dash basically putting a cork in her mouth.
"Not now Pinkie Pie." Rainbow Dash said, clearly annoyed by the talkativeness from the hyperactive Pink pony.
"So you're the famous new stallion Rainbow Dash has been telling me all about, your name is?" the purple pony asked him.
He didn't answer; he just stood staring at the horn, full of wonder and questions.
"Uh hello?" she asked again.
"Oh uh... I-I'm ... uhh..." he was cut off by Fluttershy as she noticed him having difficulty introducing himself.
"He's Illuminous; I found him wounded in the Everfree forest and took care of him." Fluttershy said, smiling at him every so often.
"Well Hello Illuminous, I'm Twilight Sparkle. You can call me Twilight." her voice sounded shaky. Not her usual voice he presumed.
Illuminous just nodded.
"Rainbow Dash told me about your cutie mark, is it okay if examine it?" she asked Illuminous.
"Uhm, sure I guess." Illuminous responded.
Twilight turned away immediately and then regained herself to look back. It seemed the purple Unicorn pony was having difficulties from something, but he didn't dare ask her.
She examined his cutie mark, taking a while to think of a solution. "You don't know what you're calling in life is?"
He shook his head, being completely honest.
"It's so small though, hmm, I've read about this somewhere. Spike, bring me the "Myth and Legends" book.
A purple dragon appeared from the stairs, carrying a large dusty book, Twilight released it off his grasp with magic, and it flew in the air and in front of her studying stand. He was curious, did she just use magic? His father told tales of Unicorns using magic to help them do things. This was the first time seeing it in action. Then he stared at the purple dragon.
"Are you really a dragon?" Illuminous asked, curiously staring at Spike.
"Sure am, you can call me Spike, I'm Twilight's loyal assistant. She hatched me from an egg long time ago and so now i just sit around the library cleaning up after her mess."
"Wow, that's really cool. Do you breathe fire?"
Spike stared at Illuminous like if he was some sort of alien. He liked Illuminous' curiosity though.
"Yup! I can even send messages with my fire, I just burn them into ashes and they're carried through the wind. The messages are only for Princess Celestia though."
"Princess Celestia?! You mean the Princess that raises the sun?"
Spiked look at him even more curious.
"Yeah. Ms. Twilight Sparkle over there is Celestia's apprentice, she's been sent to study the magic of friendship, neat huh!" spike said, sarcasm clearly in his voice.
"Huh..."
Suddenly, Twilight Sparkle rose up from her study board. "Found it!" She exclaimed as she came up to everyone who was still waiting on her.
"What is it Twilight?" Dash asked.
"I knew I've seen it before, and here it is... but I still can't believe it, it's just an old pony's tale..."
"Well then, care to tell us?" The impatient Rainbow Pony asked.
"It seems that his cutie mark is connected to the Old Kingdom... but the Old Kingdom is just an old Pony's tale nothing more."
"Then what does that make of him?"
"I don't know...."
"What do you purpose this means Illuminous?" Twilight asked him
As he tried thinking about it, Illuminous fell unconscious, as if a sudden force had knocked the air straight out of his lungs.
============
(Author's note:OH MY GOD SO MANY DISTRACTIONS TODAY. *huff huff* But I finished!!! Woo. Anyways, I'd like to point out from now on this story is dedicated to a very good friend of mine. Though we don't talk much, she doesn't need to talk to be amazing in her own way. Something I truly respect. Thank you Cat! I really hope you liked this story. I will continue, every day.)
|
Darkevony
|
768
| 6 |
Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
It Is Always Best Forgotten
|
It is always best to forget, but what if what your trying to forget is connected to your future?
|
complete
| 25 | 3 |
<p>Illuminous simply knew nothing of the world of Equestria. His world consisted of just his father and his sister, with no magic and living an isolated life in quiet remote woods. One day, a mysterious entity kidnaps his sister and his father is slain, ruthfully stripping him of the life he had ever known as he sets out to rescue his sister. With an unknown and dangerous power coursing through him, he must face the threat of controlling this new power to be able to save his sister and protect everyone he cares for, or succumbing to it, in turn, destroying everything himself. With new found friends, he embarks in a journey of a lifetime.</p>
|
everyone
|
2012-11-14T04:51:17+00:00
|
2012-11-14T04:51:17+00:00
| 1,610 |
The cold gust picked up, chilling him to the bone. His teeth started chattering endlessly, the skies gloomy with dark clouds. The mare on his back had proven to be a more difficult task than what she appeared. He took forced steps trying to fight the violent winds. A single drop fell on his cheek. It was sheer cold. It started pour a little bit, the small patter of the rain drops becoming increasingly louder. He grabbed the mare's shroud and put it over her head and his too. Minutes later, heavy rain started, mixing with the winds and becoming an even more difficult task to carry on. The trees of the forest that they found themselves in had little protection from the rain.
At the corner of his eye, he spotted a small uplift of the ground that covered a portion of ground that seemed unaffected by the rain only fit for one pony. He placed mare gently into it and looked up into the sky. He closed his eyes, as if in great pain, he lowered his body, stiffly preparing himself for something. A burst of light came out of his coat, his expression in extreme pain. Hundreds of small streams of light burst from him. Each one seemed to hurt him more and more. He opened his eyes; pure white light replaced anything that made them up. The light circled around him and became a giant pure white sphere. Nothing could be seen inside. The rain bounced off the sphere, sending rainbows scattering in each direction. Then the sphere expanded, suddenly without warning, a huge amount of the forest was covered in it. And then just like that it vanished. The stallion in the center, laying down his eyes closed, the rain pouring onto his exhausted face.
The stallion stood up and walked over to the mare who sat dry under the uplift, sleeping soundly. A small baby pony nuzzling under her arm, yawning its quiet small yawn ever so often. He placed his forehead onto the small colt. Without him speaking, his voice was clear and bright. It echoed in his mind. He could hear everything.
I've given up my will at last; this burden of mine is free.
I did everything I could to keep you safe for now.
But even my entire strength cannot keep you safe forever.
I hope that until then, you will grow up to be a fine stallion.
One that will not only take my place, but become better than me.
You're our last hope. Live on.
The mare was awake now; she placed a hoof on the stallion's cheek gently. The stallion turned to look at her. Their eyes both full of despair and exhaustion. They smiled as if they had just agreed on something. Then they turned to look at the sleeping small baby colt, safely away from any harm. The mare placed her nose gentle onto him as well as the Stallion. Then the voice of angel whispered quietly.
"You are so bright and strong, just like your father. I believe in you. You are everything I hoped and wished for my darling. And I know someday, you'll be much more. You are the light that guides me."
~~~~~~~`
He quickly opened his eyes, widely awake, beads of sweat running down his forehead, panting for air. He closed his eyes again, and then reopened them as he saw a group of mares looking at him. He sank deeper into whatever he was laying down on.
"Are you okay Illy?" Fluttershy asked.
No matter how many times Fluttershy could say it; somehow it made him so happy and blushes whenever she'd call him that. All the ponies looked at Fluttershy strangely and then back at him.
"Uh, you took a pretty hard hit on the table when you fell asleep there." Twilight said, trying to straighten her voice.
It seemed the purple unicorn pony wasn't used to be around him, or at least talking to him.
"What happened?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I... I don't know...It felt like I had lost my breath and everything just went... blank" trying to find an excuse. He was unsure of the dreams he was having, whatever they were, he couldn't let anyone else know. They felt... dangerous...
"Well you were gone for a while there." Twilight said, a bag of ice lifting itself into the air and onto the table.
"Magic?" he asked, still puzzled by even the smallest magic.
"You've never seen magic?" she asked, just as confused as he was.
"Well... no I haven't..." the dreams still wildly racing through his mind, trying to keep himself from blurting out something.
"Well, only Unicorn ponies are able to use magic, aside from Ali-corns like Princesses Celestia and Princesses Luna."
"Only unicorns?"
"No one else, other ponies like the Pegasi and Earth ponies like yourself have a different sort of magic, but that only involves your limbs or body features. For example, the Pegasi have a small amount of magic that keeps constant. Making their body lighter, that way, they can fly and walk on clouds. Earth Ponies on the other hand have a little to nothing of magic. It only lets them use their tail more efficiently."
So many questions were still left unanswered. If he was an earth pony, how in the name of Celestia was he able to....?
He looked away, his mind deep in thought.
Suddenly, two more mares appeared from the small door, slamming quickly against the walls.
"Gosh darn it Rarity, I tell's ya I ain't gonna wear that silly dress anyway, why try forcing it on me?" the strange accent from the Orange pony with the yellow tied mane wearing a hat called out behind her. No horn, no wing. An earth pony.
He stared at her, the Orange pony completely oblivious of his existence as she looked towards the doorway arguing with the other mare.
"Oh please oh please Applejack! Hoity Toity is asking for southern style dresses and I need you to model for me please~" the White and fashioned purple mane unicorn begged.
"Ugh, fine." the orange pony said, finally agreeing.
"And that's why you're the most trusted and honest pony in Ponyville." she said, trying to butter her up a little so it won't seem like a total drag.
"Hi Twilight" the two ponies said in unison.
"Oh this is good, everyone is here at last!" Twilight exclaimed, clopping her hoofs together in excitement.
"I wanted to talk to you all earlier but there a few... things that got in the way with some of us" she said, clearly pointing out Fluttershy who just looked downwards, an expression of sorry.
Illuminous stood quiet; the 2 ponies still oblivious to his existence, the couch concealed any vision of him.
"But first, you should meet our new friend." she told them, Illuminous standing up, looking more shy than ever.
Quickly enough, just like the pink pony, the Orange one shook his hoof wildly with both of hers. "Hi it's nice to meet ya. I'm Applejack; I tend to them farms over at Sweet Apple Acres."
"All by yourself?" he said without problems. I guess he felt more curious than shy.
"Oh please Applejack that is no way to treat someone." The white unicorn pushed Applejack out of the way.
"It's so nice to meet you, I am Rarity, Ponyville's most elegant and fashionable pony" she said, battering her eyes at him. Aside from Applejack, Rarity made him rather uncomfortable; she was beautiful and amazing, so he felt strange unease around her.
"I'm Illuminous" he said shyly.
"Such a wonderful name if I do say myself. I run the Carousel Boutique." Rarity explained.
"Now that everyone's here we can throw him a welcoming party!" the wild pink pony said, throwing confetti into the air.
"I'm sorry Pinkie, but we still have things to do." Twilight responded.
"Aww" Pinkie pie said with disappointment in her expression.
"Spike, would you please read the letter that Princess Celestia sent?" Twilight asked.
"Already on it." The small purple dragon responded, taking out a scroll, clearing his throat, and reading it out loud
To My Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
My schedule seems to have cleared up, and free time is available.
I gladly invite you and your friends to come over to Canterlot.
I will personally give all of you a tour alongside Twilight.
Hope to see you here soon.
Princess Celestia.
'Wow, a letter from the Princess herself.' Illuminous thought to himself.
Twilight's eyes we're bright and cheerful. "I was thinking that maybe we could head out today and make it there within the day! So what do you say girls?
"Well shoot Twilight, can we really say no to a request from the Princess herself?" Applejack responding to her statement in behalf of everyone who just nodded their heads.
"Alright girls, go pack your things."Twilight ordered.
"It's gonna be awesome, you only got to see the donuts shop last time we went on the night of the Gala!" Spike said, escorting everypony out the door.
Fluttershy went up to Twilight. "Um, can Illuminous come to? Maybe Princess Celestia could explain a few things about Illuminous and his cutie mark."
He could clearly tell, Fluttershy was also trying to hide his abnormal power, she hadn't mention to anyone, not even Rainbow Dash, it seemed she didn't know either, I guess she couldn't see the irregular glow around him that night. No regular earth pony could contain his attributes. Why didn't she say anything? Was she trying to protect him?
"That's a great idea Fluttershy. Does he have anything to pack?" she asked.
Illuminous just shook his head.
"Well, if it's okay I mean. Can you help me carry a few things?" Fluttershy asked him.
Of course, Illuminous obediently agreed.
----------
The small road lead up to a peaceful forest, a grand castle sitting at the edge of a mountain at the top, which was by far the grandest and most amazing of any building that could be in Ponyville. His stomach churned with excitement. It seemed like a long way. But by now, he was used to it, being home sick. Missing everything he had. At least not all was bad; having Fluttershy around was great, better than great. It was amazing. The thought made him smile greatly.
Twilight, Fluttershy, and Illuminous were already set and done before any pony arrived; he carried several kitchen utensils and tools in a saddlebag that Fluttershy gave to him. It was a heavy load but he had more than enough strength. All the ponies arrived together, all ready with whatever they needed. Applejack, carrying a various amount of apple treats in one bag and apples in the other, seemed to be the heaviest. Rainbow Dash had nothing on her; I guess she was more of the kind of pony that would just fly around looking for food. Pinkie Pie had a bunch of sweets in her bag, as cheerful and hyperactive as ever. Rarity had a scarf on, looking as magnificent as she was an hour ago, carrying clothing and warm things. Fluttershy carried the lightest items, mostly because Illuminous refused in letting her get half his weight. She carried first aids and other things. Twilight carried books and maps. 'Typical', Illuminous thought in his mind. He'd only met them for a short while but judging by their cutie marks and attitudes, it seemed pretty obvious.
The party of ponies left to enter the forest that sat between Ponyville and Canterlot, talking of all sorts of stuff. On how excited they were to get to spend time with the Princess, to all the wonderful places in Canterlot. Laughing and foaling around, going a long day's journey.
-----------
The sun narrowed down into the horizon, waving goodbye to the day with its beautiful patterns of orange and gold reflecting upon the clouds, the moon ready to show its beauty.
"We should set camp for the night, that way we won't arrive to Canterlot tired and sleepy; it would be bad if the Princess lost her free time because we all were asleep." Twilight said, trying to sound as reasonable as ever.
The party of ponies set down sleeping mats and flopped down, each pointing to the middle, circling into a group. Illuminous made his way slowly down onto the mat as everyone was already laying down, in-between Dash and Fluttershy.
Rarity broke the silence that everyone seemed to be enjoying. "So Illuminous, what are you good at?" Rarity asked a sparkle of curiosity in her eye.
"Well the thing is... I don't know."
"He has a strange cutie mark, too small to be deemed one." Twilight explained to them as Illuminous turned around at a degree, showing everyone the small yellow shard.
"We're going to speak to Princess Celestia to see if she knows anything; the only thing I know is that his cutie mark is part of the Old Kingdom."
"And what is the Old Kingdom?" Rarity asked.
"That's just it, there is no evidence or proof of the existence of the Old Kingdom at all, but pony legend tells of an old civilization of evil, where rulers of the lands would rise up by forceful dark methods." Twilight explained.
Twilight turned to Illuminous, who was busily playing with the grass, swaying it side to side. A rather unusual hobby of his.
"Illuminous, do you know anything about your family that might be connected to the old kingdom?" Twilight asked.
"Well no, the only thing I know is that my father was Princess Celestia's Ex. Royal guard. Or at least that's what he told me."
"Then Princess Celestia should have an idea about this. And your mother? Are they in Canterlot or something?"
Illuminous filled with sadness as the memories poured in.
"Twilight, I don't think now is the best time to talk about th-" Fluttershy tried intercepting the question but was interrupted by Illuminous.
"It's okay Fluttershy... I'll have to tell them sooner or later...."
Illuminous told them everything, he never knew his mother, and his father told them that she was somewhere watching over them. Illuminous was old enough to know what this meant, and him, his sister, and his father lived away from everypony in a quiet isolated forest. He never knew of Ponyville or Canterlot or anything other than his own woods, and tales that his father used to tell him.
He told them what happened that day. To his father... to his sister...
He kept the secret of his unnatural powers to himself. And Fluttershy made no attempt to even mention it.
Everyone looked at him with pity in their eyes as he told his story.
Even Pinkie Pie wasn't cheerful after he'd finish his story. They all gathered around him and gave him a group hug. Illuminous was confused, why? He was just a stranger to them... He looked away, and without uttering a word, lay down to sleep. So did everyone else.
-------
Illuminous woke up in the middle of the night. He nudged Fluttershy awake.
"What happened?" the confused and sleepy Fluttershy asked.
"I just wanted to thank you..." he said shyly.
Fluttershy nuzzled into his chest. "What for?"
"For not mentioning that... light. I don't even know what it is, but I do know I'm afraid of it..."
She wrapped her arm around him. "its okay, no matter what happens, I promised I'd be here for you."
He placed his forehead on hers, treasuring the moment.
Then his ears perked up. He heard the rustling of leaves. There was something... watching them. He stood up, ready for anything. Fluttershy looked confused.
Then, from the darkness it appeared, two pairs of unholy crimson eyes, similar to that of the corrupted Ursa Minor.
===============
(Author's Note: -.- Today was bad, my computer kept crashing, my mom kept giving me pills and interrupting me telling me if I felt okay. Relatives, etc, etc. Bleh, But I finished! another good news is that I have an Illuminous drawing on the making. My sister was kind enough to do the honors. :3 Hope you enjoyed!
|
Darkevony
|
768
| 7 |
Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
It Is Always Best Forgotten
|
It is always best to forget, but what if what your trying to forget is connected to your future?
|
complete
| 25 | 3 |
<p>Illuminous simply knew nothing of the world of Equestria. His world consisted of just his father and his sister, with no magic and living an isolated life in quiet remote woods. One day, a mysterious entity kidnaps his sister and his father is slain, ruthfully stripping him of the life he had ever known as he sets out to rescue his sister. With an unknown and dangerous power coursing through him, he must face the threat of controlling this new power to be able to save his sister and protect everyone he cares for, or succumbing to it, in turn, destroying everything himself. With new found friends, he embarks in a journey of a lifetime.</p>
|
everyone
|
2012-11-14T04:51:20+00:00
|
2012-11-14T04:51:20+00:00
| 1,609 |
The eyes stared at him, evil intentions clearly visible in the bright crimson, their line of sight unbroken. They just... watched him.
"Fluttershy, wake the others up and take them somewhere safe." Illuminous ordered, the seriousness in his voice alarmed Fluttershy, but she didn't question him.
He stood still ready. Ready for anything, but the eyes did not move, did not flinch, and did not blink. They just stood there... watching... like if they were waiting for something. Illuminous was frightened to the core, but the thought of wanting everyone safe overruled it. He stood his ground, keeping a close eye on the two.
"Illy, the rest won't wake up!" Fluttershy said alarmed.
Suddenly one of the pair of eyes vanished. There was just the quiet rumbling of leaves and all stood silent again.
Fluttershy was holding onto him, afraid of what Illuminous would be so worked up about. She had an undying trust in him. Not a single doubt entered her mind.
The other pair of eyes vanished, leaving the night air still, the quietness felt uneasy. Illuminous didn't back down though, he still felt the presences. He would wait it out all night if he had to, he would never let anything happen to his friends.
He felt a light breeze. The trees rustled at the small current.
One pair of eyes appeared, looking at him even more intently. And then, a shadow started to walk out of grass, it was still too dark to see what it was, but it was an outline of a small pony.
"You wish to save your friend? Come for her." it spoke out, its voice hardly recognizable.
Then a small shriek bellowed out of the dark forest. Fluttershy.
He looked around helplessly trying to find the yellow Pegasus who had vanished without his consent. He couldn't. His worry grew deeper and then looked back at the eyes.
"What did you do to her?" Illuminous rang out, anger enforcing itself within his voice.
Strangely, the other ponies just slept through it all.
The shadow let out a shrill laugh, like if it had been expecting his anger. "This will be easy." it followed up.
Then the shadow vanished into the dark forest, leaving no trace behind.
Illuminous ran after it. He was truly afraid... if anything had happened to Fluttershy he'd...
He shook off the thoughts and kept running. He wouldn't let that happen, never again.
--------
Two shadows sped across the dark forest, one carrying a passed out yellow Pegasus with pink mane.
"What was your plan when we got this girl?" one of the shadows asked.
"Simple. Lure him." the other said.
"Remember, he is the only one we want. Nothing happens to the girl." the first one said.
"A soft spot for this... thing?" the other one replied sharply with disgust.
"No, must I remind you what happens if anything happens off according to plan?" he said back in the same sharp tone.
"Eh, and I wanted to have some fun too." A bitter disappointed in the voice shown.
"When everything is done... there will be plenty. Of time. For that." it said in short bursts.
"Why not now!?" the other shot at the shadow.
"Are you thinking of disobeying orders?" Sheer anger visible in the shadow's eyes.
"Whatever" the other one casually said.
The two shadows stopped, they placed the Pegasus down on the ground in the middle of all the trees, and then they quickly blinked on to the trees.
"There, everything is planned. One mistake and I'll personally end your life before mine is ended." the shadow snarled.
"Nothing can go wrong; we've been warned about this one. Considering his stature, he won't be able to even harm us. This is easier than that other stupid pony." it laughed, recalling the past events.
"Don't get a big head, we still don't know what his potential is, but at least we know he won't stop until he sees this one here safe. Let's give him the pleasure shall we?"
-------------
His worry grew worse. There was no sound, nothing he could track. No movement, no presences... nothing. As he ran through the forest, he felt helpless, blindingly chasing after a shadow, Fluttershy so easily kidnapped with him present. He fell into utter despair. Not until he saw Fluttershy safe will he forgive himself.
He was afraid of the light. His visions... all of it seemed... dangerous. When he had lost control against the Ursa Minor, he was afraid of his power, afraid of himself. Than dreadful thoughts came into his head, what if that evil pony was there... and what could it have done with Fluttershy?
'No no no no!' he angrily screamed in his thoughts, galloping even harder and faster, the grasses picking out of its roots as he passed by. Tears flooded his eyes, sparkling like gems by the moonlight as they fell to the ground.
"Fluttershy!!!" He yelled with all his might hoping with all his heart it reached the yellow Pegasus.
-------------
A dark void surrounded her, she was terrified, and this was pure darkness. She tried screaming out but her voice was mute. Even her thoughts weren't there, just the sense of terror and fear. She curled up, trying to make the darkness go away. A few thoughts appeared. Illuminous. Whatever had happened to her, she knew Illuminous was trying his best to save her. She felt despair and horror. She didn't want him to get hurt... not for her... a tear escaped her eye.
A voice rang clear into her head, a voice of desperation. It called her name out. It was strong, stern, and a bit sensitive. Illuminous quickly popped into her mind. It was him. A sudden hope assured Fluttershy, Illuminous did care, even though she didn't want him to get hurt for her. She felt happy... that he was coming.
-------------
"Fluttershy!!!" he yelled again in desperation.
His eyes grew in both worry and relief, seeing her asleep lying down unharmed.
Fluttershy looked troubled though, a sense of dread overtook him. What had happened?
The shadow appeared from the darkness of the trees.
"Seems like you got here just in time." the playful voice of a dark Pegasus pony wearing goggles and a full body suit said as it appeared into the moonlight. Its red crimson eyes making it look more menacing. It never took of its smile. It just stood in front of him.
Another Pegasus exactly the same, dropped off of the trees, this one with a more serious expression.
"We didn't harm her. At least not yet. If you wish to save her, defeat us." it said.
"What did you do to her?!" He snarled at them angrily.
"She is just in a trance, if you fail to defeat us, she won't see the light of day for a very long time." it said calmly.
Illuminous stomped his hoofs towards the two Pegasi.
"Don't make this boring." The playful dark Pegasus said still with the same sly smile.
Illuminous charged, at them. They stood still. He kicked the ground propelling him towards the two Pegasi who remained still. When he nearly reached them, they vanished, making him tumble onto the ground and regaining himself quickly on his feet.
"What a laugh." the cheerful snarl of the Pegasus said.
Then he got hit from the side heavily, leaving an intense pain on his ribs. Before could even turn to see his attacker, he got kicked straight on his chest, knocking him back. He slowly regained himself, hurting from the places he had been kicked. He didn't have time to think before the second wave of attacks took him by surprise. He wasn't able to see them, they were shrouded in the darkness and they were too quick to attack.
"Hah! You're too easy. Then again, we are, The Shadow Bolts. Nothing and no one is faster than us."
Shadow Bolts... this reminded him of what Rainbow Dash told him, the Wonderbolts x Shadowbolts? No... They couldn't be. He would know it.
Illuminous stood his ground ready for an attack.
Like the Pegasus had said earlier, they were fast. Too fast. They knocked him around good until he was finally tired. It was a never ending of barrage of attacks that he couldn't dodge or counter against. His entire body hurt. There was just no way to it. He had to...
Two voices spoke out to him. One that said no, the other one said yes. He was terrified of that power... but if he didn't use it now... he would be defeated and Fluttershy would...
He shook off the possibilities. It was obvious what he had to do.
He didn't know how to use it; the last time... it just... happened... He cried out in desperation. He finally gave up and stumbled to the ground. He looked over at Fluttershy.
"I'm sorry." he whispered over to her.
He thought of all the things he wanted to still do, and it all included protecting those he cared about. A big thought appeared in his head. He wanted to protect Fluttershy, no matter what the cost. Even if it was his life.
Suddenly he burst into a white light. It had appeared! This time though, he felt... different. Stronger, Lighter, Smarter..... Quicker! Two small wings sprouted from his back, not feathery wings, but pure white light. He could control them easily. Like if they were part of his limbs. He beat them towards the trees creating a strong gust. Revealing two ponies trying hard see from the blinding light.
The two Pegasi put on their goggles. "Nice try lover boy. Your fancy lights won't affect us." The voice that once belonged to the cheerful Pegasus said looking at him. He had lost his smile. "Nice wings you got there, care to join us in the sky?" He taunted and the two Pegasi flew into the air high above the trees.
Without a second response, Illuminous shot to the sky, his wings creating a stream of light behind him.
~~~~~~~
Suddenly, a galloping Illuminous replaced the complete darkness, projecting like a screen. Fluttershy wanted to rush to him but she couldn't move she could only watch as he lied down beside her, wondering if she was okay, seeing her own body unconscious. She heard the entire conversation between the two Pegasi before Illuminous had arrived, and she was afraid that he might have fallen into a trap. This confirmed her suspicions when they talked to Illuminous, challenging him for the safety of Fluttershy's.
She couldn't stand seeing Illuminous get beat up like he did. The only thing that went through her mind was "Stop please stop!" but Illuminous just kept standing up.
When he dropped and then looked at her, tears running down his eyes. She wanted to cry, but nothing... the light sent joy to her, giving her hope as he stood back up, stronger and better than he was before, more capable of fighting the two Pegasi.
Fluttershy prayed for his safety.
~~~~~~~
"This is starting to get interesting." The cheerful Pegasi said, this time with an evil smirk.
He looked over at the other Pegasus. The more serious one never lost his poker face. He just nodded, in agreement to something.
Before he knew it, they had already commenced their attack. He took one wave of the attacks, analyzing their patterns and movements in their strategy.
When they had gone to strike again, Illuminous kicked back, hitting the change of attack to surprise attack him. And then quickly got into a ball and spun himself in the air hitting the other pony as he went in for the hit.
"Heh, not bad for an incompetent Earth pony." the cheerful one said.
"Well too bad we can't fool around forever." the more serious one replied.
Suddenly, Illuminous felt a deep strike onto his back; it shocked his limbs and body. A third Pegasus pony appeared from behind him as it had attacked. This one was different, its mane was blue and black, a pattern resembling fire. The uniform had small symbols. The captain.
He fell out of the sky, quickly dropping through the branches, roughing him up before he took a hard hit to the ground, close to Fluttershy. His body felt useless, he couldn't move a single limb. His wings disappeared, and his glow vanished.
The three Pegasi dropped to the ground beside him.
"You foalish Earth pony. I hope you enjoy sharing your father's fate." the captain spoke, the voice that of a mare.
A tear rolled down his cheek. Even with that... he had still failed... he looked over to Fluttershy, his heart full of despair. He closed his eyes, but the tears just kept falling.
He heard the ground being stepped on softly coming towards him. He shut his eyes harder, ready to face his fate.
A warm, recognizable forehead was placed onto his. He opened his eyes. It was Fluttershy.
"How heartwarming, the mare saying her last goodbyes to that wimp of a pony." The captain snarled.
Fluttershy paid no mind to it; she was struggling to keep herself conscious. Illuminous just stared at her, wondering what she was doing.
Without a second thought, he heard her voice. The sweet, gentle, warm and kind voice filled his mind.
'Please don't give up... I... I... love you...' her voice said. His mind was racing. Thousands of emotions just hit him at once.
Fluttershy lied down, exhausted by her efforts.
Illuminous stood slowly.
"Oh what is this? I can hardly believe your even standing when I just shocked your entire body. Well at least you have a little bit of fight left in you, would've been boring to end it so soon." The captain said.
Illuminous just grinned. This infuriated the captain.
"Take him down!" he ordered the two silent Pegasi. They looked like puppies compared to her. Of course they obediently agreed vanishing into the air quicker than a grass leaves they picked up could fall to the ground.
Two kicks straight to his chest threw him back violently. Illuminous tried standing up again really slow and wobbly.
"You just won't die!" The captain screamed, going over to him and throwing him back on the ground, and proceeded to kicking him repeatedly.
The captain stopped once Illuminous stopped moving, huffing loudly and angrily. "He's...."
Illuminous opened his eyes, his yellow eyes staring at the crimson ones of the Pegasus, concentrated and never breaking sight.
"How are you still alive you annoying Earth pony!!!?" She screamed.
Illuminous stood up without any hard effort and grinned even wider.
"I heal quickly." he responded before his eyes turned into white light and his shine came back on, his wings much larger and more majestic.
Without the beat of an eyelid, Illuminous stood behind the two followers who were just as shocked as the captain.
He didn't have a single scratch on him, his mane flowing longer and more majestic. Illuminous touched the two Pegasi and they both fell to ground, unable to move. He walked slowly towards the captain.
Without him even making a movement, she voluntarily lied down, trembling upon his presence.
Illuminous walked over to Fluttershy. He touched her forehead with his. It instantly broke her out of her trance. She stared at him in awe. He put his forehead to hers.
'Sing' the voice of Illuminous rang out into her mind.
She sung a small melody, so sweet and gentle, her voice sounded even more perfect than an angel's. When she was done singing, he took his forehead off and walked over to the now purified Pegasi. They all seemed like regular Pegasus. It seemed they suffered the corruption like the Ursa Minor did. Whatever was after him, he was sure it was using anything it could get its hand on to defeat him. He put the three Pegasi on his back and flew them onto a cloud, gently laying the sleeping ponies down.
And as he touched the ground, his wings and the glow vanished into smaller little lights, the shapes of butterflies. He walked over to where the yellow Pegasus was. And with a sigh, he lied down next to her.
"I....I-" Fluttershy tried saying when Illuminous was down next to her, looking into her eyes, his bright yellow eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
"It's okay Fluttershy, I wanted to save you. I told you, I would always protect you." he said softly.
"No" Fluttershy said shaking her head, and then she leaned in closer to him and kissed him.
This caught him off guard. He was blushing wildly, surprised by the sudden affection. It seemed like it lasted an eternity. Both of them lost in the moment.
Fluttershy buried her face into his chest, trying to conceal her blushing. "I-I've been wanting to do that for a while..." she said quietly and shyly.
Illuminous placed his chin on her mane, nuzzling into it, viewing the bright white butterflies that were still left.
"I was so worried that you would have...."
"It's okay... I would have never allowed you to get hurt. Even if the cost was my life. I promised myself that." Illuminous said gentle and warmly into her ear, placing his hoof onto her chin to pick up her face to see his, kissing her once more.
She retreated to bury her face deeper into his chest, blushing more. He smiled greatly. They fell asleep there together, in the same embrace, with a smile on both of them. When he saw into her mind, it felt like he knew her more, everything about her, what she felt, what she thought. Both their hearts in unison.
Two Hearts United.
=============
(Author's Note: Its becoming obligatory to make one of these every chapter ((an author's note)) :D. I poured every little bit of my unintelligible grammar into making both the fight scenes and the ending. I hope they are as amazing to everyone else as they were to me. Especially my dear friend Cat if she ever reads this. I had tons of distractions today. It was breaking my head, but really I do love and enjoy making these every day if possible. and I hope you all love them as well. I also thank everyone who reads this story loyally to this chapter. Mostly because we have reached 1,000+ Views! This is a great milestone for me because I just started out 5 days ago. I wrote stories but never for an audience before. Thank you all!
Also, I'm starting to get used to the entire Fluttershy x Illuminous..... but don't worry.... I have something up my sleeve....)
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