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Mist	1148	17	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-08-05T12:48:23+00:00	2017-02-26T19:51:42+00:00	474	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Sixteen (Cloudsdale Saga) Vinyl seemed to be fairly calm about entering the abandoned city, despite having concerns earlier. Now she was just acting like we'd waltz in and snag the element and skip our way out. That or she was exceptional at hiding her concern. Whatever the case though, I was still worried that we might not be heard from again. If Cloudsdale didn't kill me, no doubt Vinyl would. The former DJ stuck her nose in the air and inhaled, bringing a grin to her face. "Smells like death..." I wasn't really sure why the scent of death was something to smile over; however I decided it was wise not to question it. "How are we going to find this element?" I wanted to get off the previous subject. The mare shrugged and began rummaging through the debris scattered all over. "Hell if I know. I imagine it would stand out. Supposed to possess extreme magical properties, so I would imagine that we could find a way to track it somehow... That is if it's actually here." I grunted and took a step towards her. "You mean to tell me, we came all the way here, to probably the most forgotten hellhole in Equestria and not only did we not bring a way to look for what we even came here for, but we're not even certain it's here?" Vinyl laughed and dropped a piece of plywood she was checking under. "Didn't you pay attention to One-Eye? She said it might be here. Regardless if it is or isn't we still have to reach the archives." I turned around and sighed. "Great... I'm stuck in the ruins of a dead city with a psychopath and no way out... This is totally how I wanted to die." I sarcastically remarked. "We're not dead yet, kid." She chimed in, clearly not offended by the psychopath comment, then again that was to be expected. I sat down on what was left of a bench and sighed again. "I should have guessed..." Vinyl's ears twitched as she turned around with her right firearm raised. The action was enough to get me out of my seat, or rather the remnants of my seat. Within the fog the two of us could hear growling and manic laughter. We weren't alone, and perhaps Cloudsdale wasn't as "abandoned" as we had thought. From the unknown trotted what looked like the remains of ponies. Barely skeletons with rotting meat on them they were. Their appearance made the savages look as though they had returned from a feast. Emaciated would have been a generous word to describe them with. Their skin usually bore only a few small patches of fur and the rest was black and diseased. They looked quite fragile, but mostly hungry. After we were surrounded, Vinyl kept her weapon drawn as a female with only about a hoof full of blue mane stepped out from the crowd to the front. The lieutenant’s firearm redirected at that single "pony". The creature was actually capable of speech. Its jaw was quite slacked; however her Equestrian was understandable despite her accent. "Vinyl Jennifer Scratch... It's been a long time hasn't it?" I was a little amused that Vinyl's middle name was Jennifer, however I'd have to find time to laugh about it later. Vinyl kept her weapon steady without answering. Her face remained on the same serious expression. The disgusting pony in front of her started to trot around Vinyl as she examined her. "What's wrong? Don't recognize me? Well I suppose that's to be expected... After all, I've undergone quite a... Transformation since we last met..." She was answered with more silence. Either Vinyl was actually shaken up or she really didn't give a shit. Both seemed equally likely at this point. "Does Melody ring a bell to you? Melody Scratch?" The monster slithered up to Vinyl's ear as she brought her voice to an almost whisper. You could actually hear her joints creak when she moved. Still no reaction out of Vinyl, shy of a sniff. "Where were you Vinyl? I could have sworn you promised you'd take care of your younger sister? Yet when the war came about, you joined Rainbow's Raiders without so much as a second thought." Venom started to build up in this creature's voice. Vinyl didn't even turn to her direction, which seemed to anger it further. "Answer me!" Nothing, not even a flinch. "So you have nothing to say to that? Nothing at all?" It was starting to get closer as it came back to her front side. "You make me sick you worthless piece of-" She was cut off by a loud bang. Vinyl must have had enough because she had unleashed a powerful shot from her weapon directly into Melody's skull. The gaping hole through the remnants of her grey matter dripped and oozed as her still body remained standing for a few seconds before tumbling. The other "ponies" all fell silent, Vinyl however finally spoke up. "That's the only thing you deserve." The warrior mare turned her weapon on the rest of them. "Who's next? I got 3 clips and I'll use them all before I go down. So if you want a piece of this, you better wait in line." They didn't seem threatened by her claims. As we noticed more and more coming out of the woodworks. I took a step back up against Vinyl's side. "Think 3 clips will be enough?" "Well I could probably hit a couple through the eye and the bullet will go through two... However that'll still leave us with quite a few to deal with. I guess melee is our best bet. We should try and conserve ammunition." She kept turning her head to keep as many of them in sight as she could. I nodded as I readied the freshly modified Punishment that Pinkamena had given me. With a grin I got the motor running on the chainsaw blade using my U.M.S.A. Vinyl stood on her back hooves and readied the two blades on her front right and her front left. "Try not to get killed, kid." She chuckled as she jumped into the crowd. Sure enough they dashed towards me with teeth bared and ready to rip me apart. Amateurishly I swung my weapon slicing a few of them. They backed off a few steps as they tried to rethink their strategy. One large one charged at me though. He was met with my blade to his shoulder. He grunted and screeched as it sawed through him, splattering the dark green liquid that I presumed was blood, or at least what once was blood. Turning to see Vinyl, she appeared to be... Dancing... Dancing with her swords, however it appeared to be dicing them up with ease. Pushing the big one off of me, I bolted towards her and the opening she was making. With a little team work she had made a path large enough to escape through that would lead deeper into the city. The moment she was sure we could break through she began to run, with me not too far behind. She was in better shape than me that was for sure. Our foes were rather sluggish and thus had a difficult time keeping up, however the sheer numbers that were hiding away in the rest of the city made up for that. Everywhere we turned more were either out in the open or just barely visible in rundown buildings. Vinyl pulled us both into the alleys to keep us hidden. Keeping low we ducked behind debris and old junk as we traveled. We could hear the ones from the entrance catching up as they came through town. "We know you're here!" Vinyl kept us low until she located an old cloud cellar behind an abandoned home. Quickly she ushered me inside and closed the door behind us, barring it with an old plank. The plank was so rotten there was no way it was going to hold anything back though. I went to speak, but she covered my muzzle and held her hoof there for a solid minute. Once she was certain that our followers weren't close she sighed and released me. She began to inspect the rest of the room at that point. With her back turned to me I figured now I actually had the upper hoof. My weapon ready I aimed it at the mare and cocked it; a sniper round ready to go in the barrel. Vinyl's ears twitched at the noise as she turned to face me. Her expression became serious. "I've seen a lot of ponies die out here. I've seen plenty get murdered too, but you..." I steadied my weapon. Vinyl spoke up. "Am I supposed to be scared now because you have a gun? Mother fucker, I've had more guns pointed at me than times you've jerked off you little shit stain." I kept firm in my stance. I didn't want to show even an ounce of doubt, though it was certain that she could see right through me. "You would kill your own sister without even flinching. What is to say you won't kill me the moment my back is turned?" "First off, kid; if I wanted to kill you I wouldn't have to wait until your back is turned. Second, that wasn't my sister, not anymore anyways. All she was now is a husk resembling what she once was. There's only one cure for that." She didn't move any closer. No remorse, just as I suspected. I don't think Vinyl Scratch was even capable of seeing the negatives of killing. "How can I even be certain I can trust you?" I replied. Vinyl grinned. "Because you have no choice. Without me you're never getting out of here. I'm the only one crazy enough to survive this place, and that's why One-Eye sent me. Even she knew if there was anypony alive that could survive Cloudsdale it was going to be me." She paused as she eyed my weapon. "So unless you want me to leave you here, I suggest you lower your weapon." I hesitated as I contemplated it. Vinyl took a few steps closer and pressed her forehead to the barrel of the gun. "Do it then. Just try. I warn you though; you better hit me right in the head, because if there's even an ounce of life left in me, I'll come back and rip your fucking balls off. I'll make you eat your own shit. I'll make you beg for death, so if you are going to do something with that gun, I suggest you do it now..." Her voice was tense and I noticed a light shaking in her hoof, but not a fearful one; a hungry one. She was just itching for a reason. When I didn't let up right away she screamed. "KILL ME THEN, SHIT FACE! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?" Finally I lowered my weapon. She sighed and shook her head. "And you think you have what it takes to join the Knights?" I grunted. "Excuse me?" Vinyl took an advance and pinned me to the wall with a blade to my neck. I could feel her hot breath on my neck as she came close, savoring the moment. Her voice came to a whisper. "You hesitate. In the heat of battle, hesitation is death." I held still as her blade pressed closer and she brought her lips right to my ear. "You're lucky I don't kill you right now..." She nipped my ear with her teeth playfully before giving it a soft lick. With that she released me and allowed my body to fall to the floor. "I will admit it took balls to stand up to me. Perhaps you've got some guts to you." She grinned as she leaned down to my level. "You're crazy..." That was an understatement. She went from angry to flirty to relaxed all in a minute. Not to mention she had just murdered her own sister with no remorse. Perhaps Vinyl was bipolar? "Says you, and several battle fatigue therapists. But in case you didn't notice... We're all a little crazy. You have to be out of your damn mind to survive out here. What about you? You left a paradise to come to the ruins. You're out of your fucking mind, to choose this place over a place where you don't have to sleep with some pony on guard duty. A place where you would survive." She rambled as she got closer to my face, I couldn't see her eyes but I assumed they were pointed at me. My breathing had gotten heavier as she was crawled over me. "I was tired of surviving... My entire life has been about nothing but surviving. What's the point of surviving if you always feel empty?" I gave her a serious expression. She nodded slowly as she got closer. I could feel her chest touching my own now. "You want that excitement.. The thrill that only comes when you're inches from death. Sure at first you fear it, but after a while you come to love it. To thirst for it..." "I don't know if I'd put it that way..." I replied just staring at her. "Take a chance, little Flare. Because out here you never know when it's all coming to an end." She grinned. I nodded as she finally calmed down and rested against the wall beside me. Truly, Vinyl was unpredictable. --- We had been resting for an hour in our new temporary living quarters. Vinyl had dispatched a special ops bubble force field around us from her utility belt she had brought with her. Apparently it would keep us protected for a short time should our enemies decide to make another appearance. To be honest though I was more concerned about Vinyl killing me in my sleep than that. Vinyl had huddled close to keep us both warm. Apparently she didn't think to bring her blanket as she joked. It definitely was fairly cold down in the cellar though. "What are those things anyways?" I yawned as I asked. Vinyl shrugged while running a sharp rock along her blade, sharpening it. "Beats me. I ain't never seen anything like them before. Not even back home." "Is that what the darkness does to a pony?" I had never actually come face to face with this "darkness" yet. "No. They are something new, something I've never seen before. The darkness is far worse... It steals your mind and fills your heart with blackness. Once it takes you, your free will is gone, and you obey it and only it. It makes you its slave..." She had gotten really serious again. "And Trixie controls those slaves?" I was surprised that even mentioning her name didn't turn Vinyl's face into a scowl. "Pretty much..." She kept her gaze forward as she answered, but then turned towards me. "So what's the story between you and Dash? You like her or something?" She liked to change the subject it seemed. That or the thought of Trixie annoyed her too much to talk about. I shrugged. I wasn't really sure what the situation between me and Dash was really. "She pretty much saved my life. Then she brought me to the Knights, but our travels together are supposed to end there. After she's done with her meeting with the General, she is heading back to Ponyville she says. Went on and on about wanting nothing to do with Twilight's war and playing soldier anymore." Vinyl laughed. "So you two never....?" It was clear what she was implying. "No. The thought never crossed my mind as I mentioned before. Besides, Dash is a hardened warrior; I doubt she has any interest in that." Vinyl's laugh grew at my comment. "So am I and I would tear that ass up." That was a mental image I could do without. "Dash is out of my league anyways. I'm just a simple earth pony with a crazy dream of being a hero. If anything she probably thinks I'm a moron who is throwing his life away over childish notions." I replied. Vinyl sat quietly for a minute and leaned back with a nod. "Well, you got that right. You are quite a moron." Thanks for the nod of confidence... "But you've got guts. I mean any pony that would leave paradise to come here, and then agree to come to Cloudsdale, and even stand up to me... Well that all takes guts." A small smile appeared on her lips as she leaned a bit towards my way. "What's your point?" "Maybe that'll be enough to make it out here. Maybe it'll be enough to turn that moronic earth pony into a Knight." She nudged my shoulder playfully. Maybe she was right, but that was a big "maybe". Achievement: So You DO Have a Pair - Flare stood up to Vinyl.
Mist	1148	18	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-08-11T14:18:54+00:00	2017-02-26T19:53:27+00:00	365	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Seventeen (Cloudsdale Saga) Rested up and weapons readied we had left that old cellar within a few hours. Vinyl stated it was important we got some rest so we'd be in top form. She stressed the importance of keeping the upper hoof on our enemies. They moved very sluggishly most of the time, and very much like zombies. In fact, Vinyl and I had been jokingly calling them "zombies" for a while now and eventually the name stuck. Moving through the city was no easy task. We could rush through the hordes, but a more defensible strategy was to keep in the shadows as much as possible and to use the back alleys and the service networks where we were less likely to get surrounded. If we kept our heads down, we hoped that we’d actually be able to sneak into the archives undetected; though having a device that turned us invisible would still have been much appreciated. Vinyl halted us both and pressed her back to a wall as she peered around a corner. I did the same and waited for her word. "Shit..." She was speaking in a low volume. Cursing usually was a bad sign. "What is it?" I tried to peek over her shoulder to no avail. "There are tons of them... At least 50... There's no way we'll be able to sneak past them..." She growled a bit in annoyance. I blinked. "50? Seriously?" She nodded and drew her blade. "You can't be serious... We can't fight that many..." I pressed back up against the wall as I tried to talk her out of what she was clearly planning when she got her sword ready. "No other way around them, so we will have to go through them. Rip them apart and then make a run for the shopping mall there." She jerked her head to signal what direction she was suggesting. I sighed and got my weapon prepared. I wasn't thrilled about this plan, but it was obvious that Vinyl was already set on it. Not to mention it didn't appear as if we had much time to devise a better plan, the longer we sat there, the greater the chance of one of them noticing us. With a deep breath I waited for her order. Vinyl held her hoof out to give me the signal. Then with a forward gesture she bolted from the wall and darted towards the horde. I gave chase only seconds later with the motor of my blade whirring and hissing as it craved the flesh of any who were dumb enough to stand in our way. When I came out into the open, Vinyl was already hacking them to pieces with ease. Her blades were sharp enough to cleave them apart liked old meat, then again that's all they really were at this point; old meat. I still questioned why their bodies appeared to be in the advanced stages of decomposition, but I suppose it was a question that would have to wait until later. One of them leaped through the sky to pounce on me only to land his stomach onto my blade which tore him to shreds with ease. The chainsaw blade's new diamond edges really made ripping through flesh a simple task; it even hacked through bone with no issues. "Remind me to thank Pinkamena." I called out to Vinyl as I fended another two off. She swung her left hoof blade and a group jumped back to avoid her swing. All of them had the crazed look that rivaled the savages. They weren't about to be discouraged just because we had weapons. "There's too many of them." Vinyl commented. She was right, we could keep them back for a few minutes, but eventually they'd overwhelm us and even with bullets we wouldn't be able to take many of them down. Vinyl pushed through the crowd and brought us both to an old brick wall. She sighed and put her back to the wall and drew both of her front blades. "We make our stand here. If I'm going to die, I want to see the fucker's face when he does it." She certainly knew how to give a pep talk. "So what now?" I stood with my weapon ready to slice. "We go down with the best of them, kid." Vinyl didn't seem moved by the situation at all, almost if she was ready to die at the drop of a hat. It was obvious that Vinyl Scratch did not fear death. Ready to meet our fate we watched as the horde raced towards us. Vinyl was actually reciting some kind of prayer as we stood. I didn't take her for a religious type, but I listened nonetheless. "We on this day give thanks for the pleasures of life. Your will be done, peace is with us, we go gladly to the final resting place. We accept your embrace; we give ourselves to you entirely. You whom have given us all we have, we return to you. We give you our faith, and pray that you give us your blessing..." She was rambling as we stood. Her prayer seemed to tune out everything to me, so much that we didn't even hear the gunfire that reigned through the skies. Before us, a stray bullet penetrated three skulls in a single shot, followed by another. Laughter roared through the airs followed by a warning in some kind of accent. "Mates, get down. I'm about to open the gate to Hell on them!" Sure enough before we even had a chance to react a bottle of whiskey was tossed in front of us, and ignited instantly. The sound of zombies burning and screaming echoed through all of Cloudsdale. More precise gunshots rang as a few within the horde tried to brave the fire and come towards us anyways; followed by amused laughter. "I can cure what ails ye'." The voice called out. Another loud boom or two and he was calling out to our foes again. "Death is your freedom!" Finally the horde began to retreat. Once the fire died down we could hear the voice of our savior again. "Hold on, mates. I'm comin' down." With a jump, a young griffon landed in front of us. His crown decorated with messy brown feathers and a simple white marking across his left eye. Interestingly enough he bore a holy symbol on a silver chain around his neck. It was interesting that he could find peace with deities while he was in a place like this, then again it probably was the only way he could keep his sanity. He gave a smile as he holstered his weapon. It was clearly made specifically for griffons as the design kept claws in mind. "Bloody hell, I ain't seen travelers in these parts for some time. The clouds usually keep everyone out, and if that don't, then the fuckin' mutants sure do." Vinyl scoffed and retracted her two blades as she let her front hooves rest on the ground. "I've handled worse." The griffon seemed to admire her vigor as he gave an approving claw gesture. "Aye. Name's Eagle by the way. Who might you two be?" "Flare." I looked to Vinyl half expecting her not to give a proper answer. She looked back to me before answering his question. "Lt. Vinyl Scratch." He nodded and approached. "Ahhhh, military blokes then? What could the Equestrian military want with a dump like Cloudsdale. Ain’t nothin’ here but the dead, and you two don’t look like you’ve come to die." "Classified." Vinyl's retort was quick. It was clear she was already annoyed with Eagle. Sometimes I questioned if she was capable of liking anypony... "Fair 'nuff. Though you'll probably need me to get through the city. Lot of the main paths are blocked off, so I have alternate routes I went and made to get around. Nobody knows this city better than me." He puffed out his chest proudly as he boasted his knowledge. Vinyl just sighed and shook her head as she began to walk away. Deciding to accept the free help I came closer and kept my tone quiet so Vinyl wouldn't hear. "We're looking for the archives... And... An element of harmony..." Eagle nodded as if he finally got it. "Well I can take you both to the archives." Vinyl turned around as she heard those words. "Really now...?" Her interest suddenly returned. "Aye, but only if you're looking to shorten your lives. The archives are protected by a mighty beast with tremendous power." He stretched his legs as he spoke, trying to limber up. "The good news just keeps rolling in..." I sighed. Vinyl chuckled. "Bring it on; I'll have quite a story to tell when I get back then. On top of the unbelievable story I already have to share." Eagle smirked and nudged my shoulder. "Your girlfriend is quite the beast, ain't she?" Before I had the chance to correct him Vinyl's face lit up from the praise. Her ego was only matched by her blood thirst. "You say it because you know it's true. There isn't another pony put there fiercer or more badass than me." "Can you help us reach the archives?" I interrupted, not wanting to stay any longer than we needed to, though these two looked like they were flirting with each other already. Eagle gave us both a look over and then nodded. "Aye, I'll take ya lads there, but you'll have to brave the coliseum. I don't go there anymore... It's protected by that beast I told you about. But it’s the only path to the archives that still works. The rest are blocked off unless you have wings, and even then... Well let's just say you won't be making it back if you choose to go those ways..." Vinyl made and advance with a boastful step. "You're telling this to the mare who has slain three dragons at once." Eagle's expression became more serious. "This ain't like no dragon that's for sure, love..." "Good, I was looking for something to top that story anyways." Vinyl seemed more interested in the challenge than her own safety, or mine for that matter. It's no wonder she isn't allowed in active combat anymore. --- We had been trotting through an escape route that Eagle apparently had made some time ago to get to the coliseum faster. He had tunnels and pathways all over the city apparently. Vinyl played tail guard this time. With Eagle's marksmanship up front and Vinyl's... Well Vinylness, in back I'd wager we made a formidable team. I decided to strike up conversation to break the awkwardness. "When did you make this tunnel?" Eagle kept his attention in front of him. "Eh, probably 'bout two years ago now. Hard to remember sometimes." Two years? Had he been here that long? "Are you the only normal life here?" I asked. He nodded. "Just me and the mutants." I preferred the term zombies, but I wasn't about to argue terminology with him, or his bad grammar for that matter. "How do you manage to survive with them?" He laughed. "They ain't so bright in case you didn't notice. Advanced mutation has caused most of their brains to decompose. They're easy to trick." "How long have you been here?" Vinyl finally chimed in. "Six years." He replied very plainly. "During the-" He cut me off and finished my sentence. "Apocalypse, yeah." "Not to be one to criticize your home, as I’m sure it’s lovely in the Summertime, but why have you stayed here all this time?" Vinyl spend up a bit so she could hear him better. He took a deep breath then reached in his jacket pocket and retrieved a cigarette. Vinyl rushed up to him and offered a light which he accepted with a wink. The thought of a romance between the two of them was mildly disturbing. Vinyl pulled out a smoke of her own and lit it with his. The two took a long drag before she slowed down to get back to being the rear guard. "Well..." He started as he took another toke. "I came from Trottingham, I'm a salesman, so I travel Equestria a lot. I was going on vacation so I could come back here to visit my fiance." I already knew where this story was going. "But, the war took her from me. When that black mist hit, I ducked and covered. I was fortunate enough to survive without infection... They however..." I didn't like how he said "they." "They?" Vinyl asked the question that I wanted to avoid. "Her and my daughter." He grew rather quiet. "Turned them into one of these mutants and I had no choice but to cure them of their affliction." "A bullet to the brain." Vinyl said to the both of us, already figuring it out. Eagle had a slow nod as he took a deep inhale of his cigarette. "Yup. And since there's no bringing them back, I ain't got much else to live for besides purging this infection." That part had my interest the most. "What do you mean when you say infection? These things aren't zombies?" He shook his head and laughed. "You sure have an imagination, mate. Nah, they're mutants from extreme exposure to darkness. Their hearts were too strong to be taken, yet the darkness grows on them anyways. It influences them, but it does not control them. As the saying goes; there is evil among them, not within them. However the long years of decomposing and hunger drive them to be less than sociable as you’ve noticed." "Wait... That sounds like the plague... But the plague doesn't look anything like this..." Vinyl returned to the conversation with some confusion. "I ain't got a clue what you're on about, love. Remember, I haven't left this city in years." Eagle replied. Vinyl simply nodded and returned to covering our backs. I suppose her interest in the subject wasn't that great. "Fuck." Eagle cursed as he put out his cancer stick. He pushed himself up against the wall and gestured for us to do the same. Sure enough, Vinyl and I were hugging the wall with him as he peeked around the corner. "There's a ton of the buggers... If we try and force through them, they'll overwhelm us for sure..." He grunted with annoyance. He looked around and smiled as he looked up. "I got a plan. But you two are going to have to be the bait." I really didn’t like any plan that used me as bait. However I guess Vinyl didn't mind. "Tell us what to do, chief." She said. "Right, I can fly up there and use the buildings to move around up high. I can pick them off from up there. You two can lure them in so I can get better shots. I'll meet you at the coliseum." He explained as his mighty wings spread. Before I had a chance to share how I actually felt about this plan he had already begun to ascend. Vinyl just grinned as she drew a single blade. "Hey retards!" She called out to the horde as she jumped into the open. "Fresh meat, right here! Come get it!" Sure enough, they started coming as promised, Eagle's powerful rifle began blowing them to pieces. A single shot from that thing not only decapitated, but tore the body into pieces. I imagined the kick back on that weapon was very high. With another shot we could hear him deliver prayers to the fallen as he bolted to the next building. "Your suffering ends, she guides you to a better place!" He fired another round as Vinyl and I rushed into the crowd with weapons drawn. We could still hear Eagle calling from the balconies around us. "Thy kingdom, come!" He delivered another few blasts taking down several in a single shot as Vinyl and I began to hack and slash at any that got too close. "Be strong, friends. We've stirred up the hive!" He laughed as we heard a loud call from the distance. Tuning to see it, there was an onslaught of mutants heading towards us at top speed. Vinyl hung her mouth open, causing her cigarette to fall out of it. "Sweet Luna..." She said. Eagle laughed maniacally as he hurled another Molotov into the distance, blocking the path between us and our foes with a wall of fire. "Let the flames cleanse you!" He called out to them. The fire was not enough to stop them entirely, as many just rushed right through it. Eagle sniped off any who actually made it to the other side of his fire barrier not completely charred. "Let us go now, friends. To the coliseum while they are at bay. It's just up ahead; I'll take the high path." Sure enough we galloped as fast as our hooves would go. The sooner we faced this beast, the sooner this nightmare could finally end. --- The coliseum was even larger inside than it was outside, or at least that's how it felt anyway. Years of poor maintenance however had not been good to this place. Most of the structure was covered in filth and the same blackish green residue that the rest of Cloudsdale was covered in. "It fucking stinks in here..." Vinyl lit another cigarette and waved the match about futilely trying to mask the odor. "Smells like something died." That was an accurate assessment. "Let's just hurry before that thing snows up..." I commented trying to get her to keep moving. "I wanna see this thing. I came all the way here; I want to spill some blood." She protested. "Are you serious? You're going to risk our lives just for the joy of fighting this thing?" I should have partially expected this. "Hey, fuck you. I can take down any mother fucker they throw my way. Got that? I'm still in charge of you, maggot." She growled. Eagle interrupted the two of us as he came running down the seated area. "Friends, bring your attention forward..." Vinyl and I turned around and sure enough Vinyl's mouth hung open. That was the second cigarette she lost today. "Make your peace with the heavens now... She stirs." He pointed to the creature rising in the center of the stadium. "Dear Celestia..." I uttered. "Actually... I think that might be your dear Celestia..." Vinyl points to the golden neck piece around the rising creature. Black tendrils hung off of its body as it flapped its mighty decaying wings. Its boney figure vaguely resembled what it once was. Vinyl wads right, it was her; Princess Celestia. Achievement: I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight! - The group survived long enough to make it to the arena.
Mist	1148	19	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-08-22T13:36:04+00:00	2017-02-26T19:54:44+00:00	392	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Eighteen(Cloudsdale Saga) "I can't believe it..." I stared as the mighty monster that resembled the former princess took to the heavens. "Believe it, kid. It's a good thing we saved all that ammo, we're gonna need it to bring her out of the sky." Vinyl cocked her weapons. She was serious? This creature was the thing that actually set up the military she so proudly served. It was the pony she served under, and she was ready to slay her in an instant. "Are you serious? That's Celestia!" "Not anymore it isn't, she's one of them now. And there's only one cure for this disease... Celestia would rather be dead than live like this anyways." Vinyl explained as she readied her blade. Eagle started making his way up to the stands again. "I'll cover you blokes from up here. I brought some ammo reserves with me that I left at the top. I'll toss it down to you, just focus fire on her wings. We have to bring her down of we want to have a chance." "Alright... Let's bag us a monarch." Vinyl grinned. "Kid, you go in the opposite direction and we'll confuse her. Try not to get killed." She bolted away from me and drew one of her fire arms and began unloading rounds onto the flying monster. Celestial responded with a roar, with a lightning bolt to accompany it. Vinyl just narrowly escaped the bolt of electricity and kept firing. Realizing I was a sitting duck, I let off a few shots on the former ruler of Equestria. Needless to say it only angered her as she threw fireballs in my path. I jumped back and started following Vinyl's plan of moving away from her in two directions. Eagle laughed as he pointed towards the stadium doorways. "Looks like we've woke up the worker bees. I'll take care of them." He let off a few shots as he laughed. I could still hear his odd chants. "Death will free you." Vinyl lobbed a grenade into the air after cooking it for a few seconds. Her timing was perfect as it exploded right next to Celestial, causing her to groan in pain. She raised her horn and with a glow it unleashed a powerful beam that chased Vinyl. Fortunately she was quick on her feet so she was able to move faster than it while showering Celestia in bullets. Sure enough though she called out to me. "Cover me, I need to reload!" At those words, I aimed at her wings and unloaded everything I had to distract it from Vinyl. It didn't seem to care much until I got a few hits on it though. At that point it turned around and swooped down towards me in a very impressive dive. Jumping out of the way, I could feel the gust her wings created; it was enough to send me flying back even farther. Taking to the sky again she had lifted a large chunk of debris, and hurled it at me. I ducked as I noticed it split in half. A clean shot from Eagle had saved me. "You two better take her down soon, I don't know how much longer I can hold them off." Eagle yelled to us as he reloaded his weapon. Vinyl had come up beside me to utter part of her plan. "I got an idea, but I need you to lure her closer to the ground." She started heading up into the stands. I called out to her in confusion. "What are you gonna do?" Vinyl stopped and looked directly at me with a smile. "I'm gonna go for it." I wasn't certain what "it'" was, but I already didn't like this plan. Regardless, I followed along as I started to shoot at Celestia to get her attention. She threw a few more fireballs which I just narrowly dodged. Finally frustrated with her attacks failing she did another dive, but this time she managed to tackle me. Pinning me to the dirt, her jaw snapped at my face, trying to rip any part of it off that she could. I held her back with my hooves, but I knew I couldn't forever. "Vinyl, where the hell are you!? Get this fucking thing off of me!" Behind Celestia I could see Vinyl leaping from the grandstands with her blade drawn. Coming closer to the ground she landed next to Celestia with a slicing sound ringing through the air. The "princess" let out a shriek of pain as Vinyl stood back up, blood dripping from her blade. I took the opportunity to punch her in the face and push her off of me. Crawling out from under her, I noticed a part of her didn't move with her: her wing. Vinyl had sliced it clean off. "Alright, ugly... Let's dance." Vinyl readied her blade. The princess stood up and revealed a similar device strapped to her hoof. With a glow of her horn, a blade came out. Vinyl just laughed heartily. "Now this should make things interesting!" Celestia merely roared as she bolted forward swinging. Vinyl's blade work however proved more than a challenge for the princess. She was able to move so agilely swinging her two blades at once. Their swords met several times with loud clacks. Vinyl and her had been slashing at each other a solid 30 seconds before she jumped back and cracked her neck in delight. "Is that all? I'm not even trying yet." She mocked as she jumped right back into battle. Celestial gave a few power swings which Vinyl was able to easily avoid. She was much faster than her foe, giving her a small advantage over the sluggish mutant. In anger, Celestia took another mighty swing, just for Vinyl to tuck and roll out of the way. Springing back to her battle stance, she grinned as she mocked her. "I suppose the royal sword isn't that great is it?" With a grunt Celestia dashed forward with her blade. Springing into the air, Vinyl jumped right on top of her sword. She balanced on a single back hoof and cut at the beast's face. It jumped back with a hiss as it grasped its wound. Vinyl of course landed on her hooves weapons still drawn. "Celestia, it's Vinyl Scratch, remember?" I called out, hoping that perhaps we could reason with her. Vinyl waited for her to make another attack before jumping to the side and taking off Celestia's other wing with a clean cut. The growl of pain she made was the loudest I had ever heard. She hissed and spat as her horn began to glow. "Now' we're talking!" Vinyl grinned with excitement. "Uh.. Eagle, what's she doing?" I asked to the griffon on the stands. He lit another cigarette and drew his weapon. "I don't care what she's doing, I'm going to stop it." Cocking his gun he gave a shout out to Vinyl. "No more fooling around, love. Use every bullet you have on that thing." With a sigh, Vinyl started backing up with her weapon drawn. She began to fire rapidly at the monster which only seemed to scream more and more, but soon a powerful aura emitted from her horn and eyes as she bolted forward towards Vinyl. Eagle attempted to get it away from Vinyl let off a few rounds. A big mistake as Celestia, just teleported next to him and knocked him back with her hoof. Eagle went flying backwards and crash landed into a set of seats. He hit them so hard that he knocked a few off their mounts. Trying to prevent her from giving chase to him, I began hitting her with every round I had. It definitely got her attention. Which was both good and bad. Good because she had forgotten about Eagle, bad because I had a jam in my weapon. I fumbled with it, trying to dislodge the jam while she came darting towards me at incredible speeds. The only response I could think of was to turn the other way and run. Jumping into the stands, I ducked below some seats, knowing full well it wouldn't be enough to still her. Seconds later she leapt into the stadium and smashed everything that stood in her path to me. Only a few feet away I heard another gunshot. Celestia flinched as she turned around to see Vinyl. I could then see where she was hit. Blood (or whatever that black liquid that leaked out of her body was) dripped from her backside running down her legs and costing her flank. I couldn't believe it... "Right in the asshole." Vinyl chuckled as she stood there. The two had a few seconds as their standoff. Vinyl however made the invitation. "It's me you want, come and get me, ugly." Celestia let out a battle cry as she started to gallop. Vinyl began to hum and lightly sing a tune as she ejected the magazine from her weapon and pulled out some rather strange shaped magazine and began loading it casually. The tainted princess was only a few meters away as Vinyl raised her weapon still humming her tune. Just as she cocked the weapon she took aim. "Fuck off." She said plainly. The bang from that weapon was louder than a box of grenades going off. The kickback was enough to make Vinyl skid back a few feet, though she stubbornly didn't fall over. The impact was great. Celestia's head not only came off, but it essentially exploded on impact. That bullet made light work of the fight. Running down to meet her, I noticed Eagle coming out of the stands brushing himself off. I was actually glad he was alright. The two of us came up to the triumphant mare and at first we remained silent. Eagle was the one to finally speak up. "That's one hell of a bullet." "Custom anti-tank round. I was saving it for someone who really pissed me off, but I figured now was as good a time as any to try it out." She shrugged. "Someone, like Trixie?" I joked. "Oh no." She became very serious. "I want that to all be hoof to hoof combat. Then when I subdue her, I want to strap her to a chair and torture her for a while. Then I'll let every stallion in Equestrian have their way with her. Then when she finally started to beg me for death... I'll piss in her face and break her hooves one by one." She was practically drooling. Clearly she had thought about this plan for a long time. Eagle seemed rather unmoved by her thought, which partially made me question his morality. Then again he probably was trying to have his way with Vinyl. Vinyl looked at the corpse and lit another cigarette. "I think it's best we keep this little incident to ourselves." --- After a short walk outside the coliseum, we were back on the road. Eagle stopped at an intersection. "Alright, the archives should be just down that road there. Big building, you can't miss it. If there is anything valuable in this city it's there." "Thanks, chief." Vinyl gave his shoulder a nudge, to which he winked at her. "Why don't you come to Canterlot with us?" I questioned. He shook his head and readied his weapon. "Sorry, mates. My home is here, after all someone has to contain this infection. This flock tends to get restless if they are not tended to." "So I guess this is goodbye then?" I frowned a bit. I really was hoping Eagle would come with us. "We all meet again when we leave this world, friend." He grinned. Still a very religious creature in a place like this, it was almost inspiring. Before he had the chance to say anything else, he heard another horde coming. "Shit... Listen, when you get what you're looking for, there is an exit to the city in the town hall over there. It's a second teleport beacon. It was meant as an emergency escape for the council. Be careful though, not even I have ventured this part of the city." He ran towards the coliseum doors and tossed another Molotov behind himself, blocking his path with fire. "Farewell friends' and good luck!" After that all we could hear was gunfire. "We better get moving." Vinyl instructed as she started heading down the road. I stopped for another few seconds to catch a glance of the spot where Eagle exited. I really did hope I'd see him again, maybe in a better place where we wouldn't be fighting mutants every day. Then after I had cleared my head, I turned to follow Vinyl. A short walk brought us to the archives. Vinyl rushed inside with weapons drawn. I just decided to enter slowly and carefully. When Vinyl was certain it was safe she unpackaged a small box from her belt and hooked it up to an old terminal. Working quickly she tried to start the machine up. A celebratory "yes" left her mouth as she managed to get it to turn on. "Alright kid, I'm going to be busy hacking this thing. Once I got it cracked I'm going to download the archives onto this drive and we can get the hell out of here. You should check around for either that element or anything useful. I'll try and shut down all the security so you can get around easier. You should check out the vault, that might be a good place to start." Vinyl instructed as her face was lit by a glow from the screen. Nodding. I began to head deeper into the building. It was falling apart slowly, and the foundation didn't appear every stable. It was amazing that anything was still working in a place like this. I took a quick stop to check an old map of the building on the wall. I scanned it until the word "Vault" popped up. Making a mental note, I began heading in that direction. It actually wasn't too far from the entrance, though I noticed that there were old sentries that have long since gone out of order protecting it. I imagined back in its day, it was closely guarded by many security officers. Now though, it was free for looting with the vault door hanging wide open, thanks to Vinyl Scratch. With nothing stopping me, I waltzed right in and began to check the contents. There were many oddities and strange artifacts in the vault, most of which I assumed were top secret so I wouldn't have known about them prior anyways. However one certain object stood out to me; a golden necklace inside of a glass box sitting in the very back of the vault. It bore a butterfly jewel and didn't seem to stop sparkling. It was a perfect match, this was the element of kindness. Part of me wondered how it even got here. I hesitated, but then realized that there was nothing stopping me from taking it. This part of Cloudsdale had been abandoned for so long that nopony stood between me and that element now. So I reached out and grabbed it without fear. I could hardly believe I was actually holding it. This item was a part of Equestrian history, and here I held it in my hoof. Throwing it into my bag I raced back to Vinyl to show her the treasure I had found. She turned to me wondering why I was so excited. Before she even had the chance to ask, I retrieved the emblem from my bag and presented it to her. For once, Vinyl actually appeared legitimately stunned. Taking it in her hooves, she examined it. "This... It's been so long since I've seen it..." She was very quiet. "This could certainly change the tide of this war if we can find the other ones. It is said that the power of harmony comes from the hearts of those who use it. The strength of their desires can take form..." She paused and grinned. "If that's the case, then Dash's desire... Well let's just say Trixie is fucked." "So can we leave now?" I asked taking a look at the device hooked up to the terminal. Vinyl nodded. "Yeah, I just finished downloading it. We'll have to see if One-Eye has anypony who can decrypt it. I'm sure she'll be happy to see this element again though." Vinyl clenched the necklace in her hoof. "Let's get out of this hell hole." She added as she packed up the device now containing the archives, and kept the element in hoof. I suppose she wanted her eye on it at all times. Stepping out of the door, she grinned. "I gotta admit, kid... I'm impressed. You actually got this thing, and on top of that, you survived Cloudsdale. Maybe you have some potential about you after all." She chuckled as she nudged me. "Thanks... I think..." I replied, rubbing where she hit. "When we get back, you buy the beer, I'll buy the women." She grinned. "I think I'll pass..." I rolled my eyes. "Ahhhh, holding out for-" she stopped herself as she felt a wind pass her. Looking to her hoof she saw the element was no longer there. Looking up, she saw a strange cloaked pony standing on the balcony above us with the element in hoof. She wore a bandanna over her muzzle and a very nice black silk hood over her head. Her mane was midnight black, with a shining silver coat to match it. Her hooves adorned with a very interesting set of shoes made from silver and what appeared to be some kind of black metal. Her cloak had a very odd emblem on it that resembled a black cloud inside of a white circle. Vinyl drew her blades without asking any questions. "That was pretty sneaky, it's too bad you won't live long enough to tell anyone about it." She grinned. The thief jumped to the ground, flapping her wings to break her fall. When her hooves touched the ground she drew two blades and stood on her hind hooves. Vinyl merely laughed. "Good, I like them with a little fight in them." Before she gave the mare a chance to rebuttal she jumped at her swinging both blades in an arch to try and dice the thief in half. In just a blink the thief was behind her; I didn't even see her move. "Fast, huh? How about this then?" Vinyl gave a series of vicious slashes all of which appeared to go right through her opponent. Vinyl stopped with a puzzled look. I pointed to the clouds under her. "Look." Vinyl took note of the skid marks in the clouds she stood on. Was she moving faster than we could even see? Vinyl grinned at this discovery. "Ah, so speed is your secret?" With another slice, the mare had appeared three feet away and started making a run for the town hall. Vinyl began to dart after her. I didn't realize what was going on until seconds later when I started trailing the two who were locking swords every thirty seconds as the thief made her escape. We had followed them all the way to the town hall, and of course they had just managed to enter the beacon before Vinyl. With a bright glow of the platform Vinyl dived after her to be teleported at the same time. I had to wait another thirty seconds for the device to charge again. I impatiently tapped my hoof hoping it would speed up the process. "Come on... Come on..." Finally it let me through. I jumped right in this time, not concerned with the risks now. I knew if I lost Vinyl, she would not be coming back for me. Fortunately the two were only a short distance ahead. The pegasus and her were clashing blades with no sign of fatigue. Vinyl jumped back and grinned as her horn began to light up. "Too bad that I have something you don't... Magic!" She sends a fireball from her horn in the thief's direction. With a twirling hoof gesture, the pegasus took a small leap forward as the ground came up as some kind of barrier that blocked the spell. "What the...?" Vinyl didn't even have a chance to finish that thought as the barrier then got pushed in her direction. She jumped out of the way and took note of a fireball sent from her opponent that she narrowly dodged. "So... You have a few surprises don't you?" Vinyl picked herself back up and was ready to fight again. My attention was drawn to a song being sung nearby. It was some language that sounded older than time itself. However the voice conveying it was magnificent. It sounded more elegant than a thousand angels singing. When I turned to the direction of it, I could see a another cloaked mare. The same emblem on her hood could be seen in the distance. She approached me very gently. No weapons drawn, no signs of hostility. Nonetheless I kept my blade ready. Her song kept ringing in my ears as she came within a few feet of me. With her front hooves extended she offered an embrace into her gentle white coat. I don't know why, but I felt drawn to her. I openly allowed myself to be held by her. I ignored the situation and just let my head bury into her chest. Her song was so pleasant... Yet it made me so tired... So relaxed... So peaceful... Achievement: I'm Not Even Trying Yet - Defeated infected Celestia.
Mist	1148	20	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-08-26T13:42:59+00:00	2017-02-26T19:56:55+00:00	464	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Nineteen (Knights Saga) "That one looks like a carrot." A familiar blue pegasus pointed with her front left hoof to the clouds above. I responded with a chuckle and teased her. "I see one that looks like a cute girl." Her magenta eyes began to scan the sky in search of what I was referring to. "I don't see one like that..." I rolled over and pecked her on the cheek. "Right here." She laughed and nudged my shoulder playfully. "Oh stop it, Romeo. I'm not even in the clouds." Grinning I gave her wing a gentle touch. "I wouldn't mind seeing you up there though." Rolling her eyes she stood up and allowed her summer dress to drape her figure. It was simple and white, but I always thought it was nice to see her looking feminine and not her usual tomboyish self. She had a great body when she was willing to show it off. "We should probably go meet with your mother so we can get ready for this party tonight. After all, she is the one supplying all the culinary supplies." The mare spoke as she took my hoof. Pulling myself up with her help, I nodded. "I suppose so, though I was kind of enjoying our time together here..." I admitted as I bit my lip a little. It was obvious she knew what was on my mind. She leaned in and planted a soft kiss on my cheek as she smiles. "Awww, come on Bear, that can wait until tonight can't it?" Bear, her little pet name for me. Somehow it felt... Fitting. "Well, we promised we'd wait until our one year... And that's today after all..." The girl just giggled and gave me an eskimo kiss as she pet my cheek. "And it'll be so much more special after we've had the celebration. After all, your mother went through a lot to set this up. I'm surprised really, most couples don't exactly get a party for their anniversary..." "This is my mother we're talking about, remember." I chuckled. She nodded and gave a familiar sugary smile. I returned it as I brushed a strand of her prism mane out of her face. It was always so unkempt, yet so elegant at the same time. "You look more beautiful every day, Rainbow." I complimented. She placed her hoof atop of mine as she locked eyes with me. "You're too sweet, you know that? I can't figure out how a roughneck like me managed to find such a charming stallion." "A girl like you deserves only the best there is to offer." I smiled as she pet my hoof gently. "We may never get a chance to always be together, but I want to make the time we do have count. I want my life to have you in it..." She was speaking very quietly as if she was telling me a secret. Her eyes became very solid and serious. "We'll be together as long as time will permit." I replied with a kiss to her forehead. --- My mother had been spending all day making preparations. Seldom did she skimp out when a party was involved. Working as a party confectioner had given her too much pride in her work to just allow a job to be done half assed. She was always one to make sure every event she planned outdid the last one. With her pink silky mane getting in the way of her vision, she brushed it behind her ear and tucked it under the frame of her glasses as she worked on unraveling some lights. Holding up her completed work she gives me a glance. "What do you think, Flare? Are these the appropriate colors. I figured I'd go with multi colored to match Rainbow." I rolled my eyes. "Mom, it's not necessary to go this all out." "See that, Rainbow, he's embarrassed." She giggled, Dash leg out a few of her own to accompany her. "I like them, Pinkamena. They're pretty cool." Dash lit up and turned around to speak. She had been hanging some streamers from the ceiling. Having wings often meant she would handle the jobs that required elevation. My mother shook her head. "You know, you can call me mom..." Rainbow chuckled. "I want to reserve that for when it's actually true." She shot a smile in my direction as she said it. It was obvious she was hinting at when we decided to make that final step. Rainbow took a while to warm up to ideas. Ordinarily she was quite daring, but in romance she liked to take her time. I recall it took ten dates before she even was willing to kiss me, then another two before she actually did it. It was always a graduated plan with her. First you had to make step one, then if she liked that, you allowed her to adjust before going to step two. The plan was as followed: first we'd date a bit, see if we like each other. Then when she got comfortable, we'd kiss for the first time. From there on I slowly work my way up to snuggling. After that when we hit our year mark she felt she was comfortable enough to make love for the first time. That was the step we were currently on. After we had been together a little longer after that, the plan was to move in together, then eventually ask the big question. Like I said, very graduated, and much like clockwork. "Well, if my little Flare decides he is ready to be a husband anytime soon..." My mother glanced over at me as well. I rolled my eyes and tried to focus on hanging decorations. "It was pretty cool that Vinyl let us use her dance hall to throw this thing." Rainbow changed the subject. I nodded. "Yeah, your sister is kind of strange though, so is it really surprising that she does stuff like that?" "Oh Vinyl's not that bad. She's just ecstatic." My marefriend defended her rebellious sister to me. "Ecstatically gay." I winked to my mother who just tried to ignore my rude joke. My mare just sighed. "One time we caught her making out with another mare..." "One time and numerous discoveries of playcolt magazines." I teased. So many times had we gone to see her younger sister and stumbled across them in her room. "She's a little sensitive about the issue, but we can't pressure her to come out. Now I expect you to not tease her about it tonight. She was nice enough to not only give us this location, but perform as well." She floated down next to me and gave me a smile. How could I say no to that smile? "Alright, I promise. But if she starts coming onto my sister, I'm stepping in." I joked. Rainbow ruffled my mane playfully. "Oh stop it, you." "You two are so adorable together. You remind me of me, and Flare's father when we were kids." My mother begins to ramble. "He'd take me to the theater, buy me probably every candy at the concession stand..." My father walked in at that moment and finished the story. "And we would seldom even watch the movie, if you know what I mean." He gave a wink to us as my mother giggled. I gagged in mocking disgust. "Gross." I commented. Rainbow however was trying to contain her giggles as she saw how uncomfortable my parents were making me. The last thing I wanted to think about today was my parents making out though. "Say, Flare there was a reminder you left for yourself upstairs. Something about a box?" My father said. My eyes bulged. He almost ruined the surprise. Fortunately Rainbow didn't seem to hear anything. Nodding I made a quick excuse to leave. "I gotta go talk to Fluttershy for a bit. I'll be back in time for the party." Dash nodded and gave a small frown. "Awww, alright. I'll see you then, bear." She gave a kiss to my nose and returned to her decorating. I lingered for another few seconds watching her. Absolutely stunning, it was hard to believe she was for real. --- Fluttershy had managed to keep this whole surprise under wraps, which was amazing considering she was terrible at keeping secrets. You really couldn't trust her with anything too confidential, simply because she'd get so excited she'd eventually blab about it to somepony. This however was different, I had made it very clear that this was a very special event. "You think Rainbow will like it?" I questioned as I looked at the contents of the box. Fluttershy giggled and nodded. "Absolutely, diamonds are her favorite, she isn't much for jewelry, but she has a weak spot for them." I nodded and took another look before I closed the box. "So, how are you going to give it to her?" Fluttershy leaned in with genuine interest. I got the impression she was all over this lovey dovey stuff. "Well, I wanted to wait until tonight. Then when we have a moment alone I want to put it around her neck when she closes her eyes." I had pictured it in my head so many times at this point. I wanted this whole thing to go so smoothly, that my expectations were so high there was no way reality would have been as good as the picture in my head. Fluttershy was a already making annoying noises and squeeing. "Ooooooh that's so cute! I know she'll love it!" I chuckled. "Dash doesn't like to admit it, but she has a soft spot for that romantic crap, she just doesn't like to show it in public. She's always trying to put on that tough girl act." "Do you prefer tough girls, Flare?" She inquired as she sat down. "I guess so... I mean I always found myself attracted to the more... Brutish mares." I blushed as I admitted it. The truth was that I did enjoy a girl who had a little fire in her. One that could throw down with the stallions if need be, and one that could hold her own. My mother certainly was a big influence on that. The woman never really needed my father's help on anything. She just let him help to be sweet to him, but it was clear those two were very independent. "You can't always be together forever, but it's important to enjoy today. For all we know, this fleeting dream could come to an end tomorrow." Fluttershy's words became very cold. Something about what she said really stuck, I wasn't sure why. --- I had showed up to the party a few minutes into the festivities. I was usually late to almost every occasion, but this was actually pretty good for me; I had only gotten there 20 minutes in. Fixing my tie, I could already see my mother along with a familiar Vinyl Scratch approaching. Composing myself, I smiled in their direction as they drew nearer. "Lookin' sharp there, Flare." Vinyl praised as she admired my suit. "Heh, thanks, I just hope I am not overdressed is all..." I rubbed my neck as I admitted that. Dash was not one for formal occasions, so she would often show up semi-casual. However judging by the fact that even Vinyl had a tuxedo on told me I might be safe regardless if Dash showed up in a wife beater. However it once again pointed to the idea that Vinyl was very butch. My mother and Vinyl both snickered. "Oh, I don't think you will have to worry about that." Clearly they knew something. "What do you mean?" I inquired as my brow rose. Vinyl gestured behind herself. "Why not see for yourself." I peeked around her corner and my jaw fell open and just hung there. I couldn't even believe what I was seeing. Dash was in a proper dress, and not just a dress, but an exceptionally formal one. Hell it might have even been the fanciest dress at this entire party. Black in color it was decorated with a few emblems that resembled her cutie mark, and nice matching earrings. Her mane was done up with an interesting tiara holding it in place. The dress covered her entire form, which I imagined made it difficult for her to walk with. She had to have been very uncomfortable with just the dress, but she even had on some black horseshoes to go with it. Vinyl only laughed more as she saw my reaction. However she just nudged my shoulder instead of sitting there picking on me over it. "Go get her, lover boy." I nodded and turned to my mother bowing my head a bit. "Mom, there's something I need to..." She shook her head and waved for me to leave. "Go see your marefriend, Flare." With a grin I raced over to her. She turned around the moment she sensed my presence. I paused as I stuttered trying to say something. My mouth hung open but all that came out was more stuttering noises. Rainbow just stood there patiently with that same innocent look on her face, waiting for me to finally get it out. After a few more seconds of struggling, I got some words to escape my mouth. "You look... Amazing..." A blush crossed her cheeks as she offered her hoof to me which I took and kissed. She only responded with a giggle. "You look pretty nice yourself. You clean up great." She complimented. "Oh so I look bad any other time?" I added a sarcastic tone, and she caught the joke as I saw her laughing. She leaned in and placed her front hooves around my neck. "You look fantastic any other time." --- The night was spent with dinner, dancing and a little bit of wine. There were going to be so many photos tomorrow, no doubt. I'd probably be embarrassed by some and have a story to tell for others, but all and all it didn't go as I had imagined it... It went far better. To be fair though after seeing the love of my life in that dress, the rest of the night could have been a disaster and I would have been alright with that. The big surprise had come though. Dash and I were outside on the balcony overlooking the city. The view from there was amazing to be honest. It sat up on the hill, you could see quite an amazing vista from where we stood. The whole city lit up and ready for its night life to begin. It was true what they said: cities never sleep. "It's pretty cool to see the city at night, huh?" Rainbow spoke as she gazed at the sight. I nodded and placed a hoof around her backside as we let ourselves sit down. "It's spectacular." We sat in silence for another brief moment before I looked over to her biting my lip. Noticing me, she turned with a "hm?" Expression. "Close your eyes." I instructed. To my surprise she did so without arguing. Her magenta eyes vanished behind her eyelids. I reached into my pocket and retrieved the box that I had kept secret up to this point. Retrieving the necklace from it, I began to place it around her neck and fasten it. I struggled a bit, but was able to get it on without embarrassing myself. I took a moment to observe it before giving her the okay to open her eyes. Her eyes came open slowly as she looked down. She gasped as she saw all the diamonds sparkle in the moonlight. "Flare..." She couldn't even finish that sentence she was in so much shock. I pressed my hoof to her lips. "Shhhhh." I hushed. When I had removed my hoof, she nearly leapt at me wrapping her hooves around me as she forcefully pushed her lips against mine. It was a very powerful kiss, but when she finally released me, she grinned as she took my hoof in hers'. "Let's get out of here." She spoke rather seductively. "Wha- I thought you wanted to wait until everypony left?" I blinked in surprise. Tugging at my hoof, she grinned and giggled. "I'm ready now." She didn't have to tell me twice. "Yes, ma'am." I obediently responded. She guided us out through the back way where nopony would see us leave, giggling and nearly skipping as she did so. It didn't take her long for us to get back to her apartment where she quickly closed the door behind us and grabbed me for another fierce kiss. I was even less prepared for this one. "I love you, Flare..." She spoke between lips smacking. "I love you too." I managed to get out. "Let's hurry before this moment ends..." She nearly growled as she pushed me onto the couch with her quickly landing on top of me. "We have plenty of time." I reminded. "Not as much as you'd think..." She said as she brought her lips to my neck. Achievement: Mood Killer - Reached the end of Chapter 19.
Mist	1148	21	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-08-31T02:38:52+00:00	2017-02-26T20:06:22+00:00	422	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Twenty (Knights Saga) I felt exhausted as I started stirring. My head was pounding something fierce, and my hooves were dangling over the ground as I moved. Something was moving me against my will while I was out. Trying to protest I grunted and hoped words would come out. Of course, it just came out as incoherent mumbles. Once my eyes had started to adjust, I saw the familiar black dirt of the ruins, and a white coat I was laying on top of. It became obvious what was carrying me. "Ugh..." I let out. "Morning, sleeping beauty." Vinyl's voice came back to me. "Wha- What happened?" I groaned. "Beats me, I found you passed out. You've been out cold for nearly two days. I thought you died on me." She shrugged. "I think I can walk..." I replied. Taking that statement a bit too seriously, she dumped me onto the ground without warning then added. "Good, I'm tired of carrying your sorry ass." With a grunt, I hit the ground. "Thanks... " I rubbed my side as I got onto my hooves. “I had an odd dream… You all were there… It felt so… Real… Hell you weren’t a total cunt!” I informed. “That’s how you know it was a dream” She slyly remarked. I decided to change the subject before it got too awkward. "What happened to the thief?" I inquired. Her face contorted to the shape of annoyance as she responded. "Got away... I tried to stop her, but she was fast... Really fast. Hell she was faster than Rainbow Dash and up to this point I didn't think that was even possible." Faster than Dash? Part of me had a hard time believing it too, had I not seen her for myself, that girl moved fast enough to not even be seen. "Her abilities... Was she using..." Vinyl cut me off to finish my sentence. "Magic? Yes. No doubt about it, that was magic. U.M.S.A.s can't do that, they're only meant to simulate magic for everyday life uses such as telekinesis. That pegasus had the full package... And what is more troubling is that was not some weak magic... I could sense it... It was... Tremendous strength." Vinyl actually looked concerned about this ordeal, which was an accomplishment to make her concerned. "A pegasus that can use magic... Is that even possible?" I trotted faster to get right next to her. Vinyl grew quiet and hesitated before answering. "Twilight once spoke of this ancient legend... Earth ponies and pegasi that could harness magic... It wasn't the same that you and I know though... No this was real magic. They could rip apart existence if they wanted. Their abilities can touch upon the stream of existence itself... They were close to god-like status with their powers..." "Sounds dangerous..." I commented, uncertain of what I could add. "They are only a legend though... Nopony has actually seen one." She halted in her tracks and turned to face me. I stopped and waited for her. "Let's not tell Twilight about this, alright?" My brow rose. "She's the leader of the Equestrian military. Don't you think this might be important information to her?" "Probably, but you're not going to tell her. If you care about what's good for Equestria that is." She had a very threatening tone. Now she was starting to sound like she was speaking in riddles. "I don't follow..." Vinyl sighed and placed a hoof on my shoulder. My eyes fell onto that hoof before returning to her face. Her sunglasses seemed almost opaque. Even at this close, it was impossible to see her eyes through them. "Flare, Twilight is a knowledge fiend. She will get obsessed with trying to find this ability to use against the darkness. She will ignore everything to pursue it. Twilight only thinks in probability and statistics. She will see every sacrifice as worth it to get to this power." I suppose Vinyl and Twilight's history was extensive. Still, was Twilight really like that? If so, then it was no wonder that Vinyl didn't like her that much. Vinyl got closer and placed her other hoof on my shoulder. "Listen to me: we can not allow her to become enthralled in such a mad quest. The casualties from it would be devastating. For now we must keep this a secret between the two of us. Promise me that you won't utter a single word of this to anypony, especially Twilight." She was nearly shaking me as she gripped me. "I..." She grew serious and cut me off. "What is it going to take to keep your mouth shut? I can get you a place to stay in Canterlot where you'll live quite handsomely, hell I could get you into the Rainbow Raiders even..." She was throwing offers at me before I could even respond. "No, I..." She cut me off again. "What then? Sex? Pick any mare you want, I'll bring them to you. Hell if you want, I'll turn around for you right now." She was machine gunning out more and more offers. My face turned a bit red at that suggestion. "No, if you'd let me finish..." She paused and loosened her grip. "I was going to say all of that is unnecessary. I won't say anything, promise. If I break that promise you can kill me." Vinyl released my shoulders and let her hooves fall back onto the ground with an awkward expression. "You are not a very good deal maker, you know that?" "Bargaining is not within my small list of abilities..." I admitted sheepishly. She nodded and offered her hoof. "Shake on it then." Of course I took the hoof and gripped it in my own. I had no reason to break that promise. Vinyl was right, we couldn't let Twilight get wrapped up in that if we wanted Equestria to survive. With a shake she grinned. "Heh, good thing you stopped me there, I was about to drop my belt off and let you take me." She laughed it off so casually. "I... Err..." I just looked away trying to avoid eye contact (despite her eyes always being hidden.) She laughed as she released my hoof. "I bet you wouldn't even know what to do with it if you ever got it anyways." I shrugged ignoring the fact she went from bargaining with me right to insulting me. I guess it meant she took my word for it because she was quite confident that I wouldn't go back on my words. "You may be right there..." She sighed and placed a hoof around me as we walked. "Flare, when we get back drinks are on me, and maybe we can make a stallion out of you." I smiled. "Alright, but mom says I have to be home before it gets dark." I joked. She let out a hearty laugh. "I don't think I've ever seen you try and have a sense of humor. It's much more appealing than that always serious personality of yours." "You must be rubbing off on me." That was a scary thought. --- Our return was met with some shock, except from Twilight who more or less greeted us with a bit of concern. She looked us over and shook her head at Vinyl. "Not even Cloudsdale was enough to kill you, huh?" She sighed. It was hard to tell if she was being serious or not, even with Vinyl laughing at it, considering Vinyl was known for laughing at death itself. Twilight and her may just share an odd sense of humor, or she really was hoping Vinyl would die. "We got your archives." Vinyl tossed the block with the data on it over to the general. Twilight caught it in a light magenta aura. "Thank you, lieutenant." She smiled as she brought the object close to herself. "This could prove quite valuable." She seemed a bit too excited over it. Something told me that Twilight knew more than she let on. "It'll take some time to go through it, but I'll have our research team working on it night and day. What of the element though?" I was about to speak when Vinyl interrupted. "Gone. Wasn't there." Twilight sighed and nodded. "Very well... As promised though, Flare you may join the Knights of Celestia. You've come at an opportune time, however we won't have time to properly train you. Besides I have a better way of doing that available now." Her face lit up with a grin. It was very creepy to see that eye of hers combined with a smile on her face. I imagine that thing gave some ponies nightmares. "And what would that be?" I questioned. "Me." Dash's voice rung from behind me. She trotted to the front and took a seat next to Twilight. The general nodded quite happily. "Yes, you will be side by side with Rainbow Dash, as by her request. She said she would rather be the one to watch over you." My eyes scrunched as I tried to think. "But I thought you quit the military, Dash...?" She nodded. "Yes, however there is business left to take care of. I made a promise to Trixie that I would be the one to get her, and it's seven years late, but I intend to keep that promise. We'll get Trixie, then we're out of here. I want nothing else to do with this war." Rainbow explained. She really hated Trixie that much, enough to go back to the military. "And the Rainbow Raiders?" I quizzed. "You're one of them now. You answer to Vinyl from now on. I’m not actually in the Raiders anymore." Vinyl snickered as Rainbow said that and ruffled my mane a bit. "Looks like you're stuck with me, kid." She teased. That wasn't exactly the news I wanted to hear, however being in the Rainbow Raiders wasn't something I was expecting. I only dreamed of getting into the military, never had I imagined that I would be able to fight alongside Rainbow Dash. "From this moment on, you're Corporal Flare, and you're going to be my project looks like. Shouldn't be too big of a change considering I already have been taking care of you up to this point." Rainbow added. I gave a salute. "I won't let you down." "Don't promise things you can't do, Corporal. Let's just focus on getting Trixie and getting me home. After we get her, I already told Twilight that I am done here." She looked over at Twilight who nodded. "Although we would appreciate your services longer, after Trixie is apprehended the bulk of our work should be taken care of. Trixie is one of their main agents and without her we should see a significant decline in their strategic abilities. Not to mention we can get her to reveal information that would cripple the enemy." Twilight explained as she stood up. Something told me Trixie wouldn't just tell them for no reason. "After you catch her, how are you going to get her to squeal?" I questioned. Vinyl placed her hoof around my neck and pulled me closer. "We'll shove a cattle prod up her snatch." She chimed in. Elegant as always she was. "You mean... Torture her?" Twilight looked a bit to the side, obviously not liking the motion stated out loud, but not able to deny it either. "If it comes to that..." She had a very quiet tone. Obviously ashamed, but not turning back. "You would... Do that...?" I was a little in shock, but I knew I shouldn't be very surprised at this point. Twilight could be quite ruthless, and after all Trixie has done, it was obvious that nopony would show any kind of remorse to her. Twilight lifted her head proudly as she spoke. "We would do what was ever necessary for Equestria. I do not like the idea myself, but if she refuses to cooperate, then we must force her to. Her punishment thereafter will be determined by how well she cooperates." "I didn't think you were like that... I thought you wanted to do what was right..." I couldn't believe I was actually debating this with her. She scoffed and grunted as she turned away. "Spend some time on the battlefield, my friend. You'll soon find what seems right to you will change." Before I could even reply she was taking her leave and Dash began to escort me out. "Twilight is throwing a ball for you. She was impressed that a little Skyvale colt was able to brave Cloudsdale. It's happening tonight in the lower castle." She informed as we approached the door. I wanted to ask her more about the conversation I just had with Twilight, but she had already changed the subject; no doubt on purpose. I guessed it would have to wait for another day. "A ball, huh?" She nodded. "Yeah kind of like in highschool when you go to the prom, but fancier." I bowed my head. "I never went... I was up in Skyvale that whole time..." She frowned but pat my shoulder. "Well, then this will be an exciting new experience for you." I bit my lip afraid to ask what I was going to ask next. Gathering up some courage I let it out as casually as I could, though it still came off awkward. "Would you be my date then?" She paused and blinked. I guessed I surprised her with that one. It was clear Dash wasn't the romantic type, so date offers probably always struck her as random and bizarre. "I..." She paused again and looked at me. Her eyes studied mine for a moment before her face grew a smile. "I'd love to, Flare." --- "How do I look?" I glanced to Pinkamena from the mirror as I adjusted my suit. I had never worn one before in my entire life, so I was still uncertain if I was even wearing it right. Adjusting her earrings, the Gothic dressed mare sighed and trotted over to fix my tie. With a grunt as she tightened it, I tried not to look directly at her. "You know it's just a celebration romeo. I've been to many in my life, and you're more nervous than any stallion I've ever seen." Part of me had forgotten she used to throw parties for a living, probably because I tried to not let my thoughts focus on Dr. Pie too often. "I am just trying to look decent. I mean Dash is a very important pony, and she is going with a nopony like me. I at least want to look like I am not some kid..." I sighed. Pinkamena shook her head. "You are a kid though. Need I remind you that Dash is several years your senior?" "It's not like that... It's just... She's my hero..." I blushed admitting it. Pinkamena had no response. She instead continued to adjust my suit in silence. I was a bit surprised she had nothing to say to that. "Pinkamena? Did you hear me?" I asked. She nodded. "I heard you, I just chose not to comment. I don't really want to be the bearer of bad news today." Part of me was interested in what she meant, but another part of me just wanted to pretend I didn't hear her in the first place. The latter won that fight. I knew better than to entertain my curiosity when Pinkamena was involved. There were things about her that one would rather not know. "We have to make a stop on the way there, alright?" She informed as she finished. I merely nodded to answer her. Shooting back a smile she added another comment. "Better be careful, all the girls are going to be after you tonight, Mr. Hero." I found that hard to believe. --- The building we had stopped at looked like some kind of bakery. My thoughts turned right to the old story she had told me some days ago. I prayed these were not the same bakers as before. My prayers were not answered. Knocking on the door, we were met with an orange stallion. His pupils expanded as he took in the pink mare at his doorstep. He took a step back and reached behind the door, supposedly getting his weapon. Once he had strapped it on, he pointed it directly at her head. Pinkamena just blew a strand of her mane out of her face. Calm as always I guess. "I thought we said you weren't welcome here." He threatened. Pinkamena took a step forward and allowed the barrel to touch her forehead. "Then shoot me." She grinned as he twitched. "However you'd be violating royal decree. Twilight has ordered I be preserved for my technical knowledge. So if you are prepared to explain it to her, then go ahead." Damn was she confident. "We don't want any trouble. What do you want?" The stallion held his weapon firm, trying to not show any fear. Such a thing was pointless with Pinkamena, she could smell fear from a mile away. "Just to reminisce in old memories and see the family." Her tone was very sincere, however the moment he started quivering a bit, she laughed and retracted the statement. "Nah, I'm kidding. I didn't come for you, I left something here that I need to pick up. Something you have carried for me without even knowing about it." He looked puzzled. "We moved though... This isn't Sugar Cube Corner anymore, how are you certain we still have this thing?" "Oh, I am positive you took it with you. I hid it in a place where you'd never think to look." She smirked as she pushed him out of the way to let herself in. Entering, we were greeted by what I assumed to be Mrs. Cake whom had her children huddled close to her as she held another firearm. "Oh please, don't try to intimidate me with empty threats, Mrs. Cake. I know you're not going to shoot me, so why not just put that thing down? I will be out of your mane in a bit anyways. I am just going to pick up what I came for, and I'll be out." Pinkamena trotted into the backrooms, with me following. Mr. And Mrs. Cake stayed close by but kept enough distance for safety as they stood at the door frame. Pinkamena was hunched over a rather large alligator resting in a pet bed that was clearly too small for him. She smiled as she reached down and pet his skull. "Hey old friend. It's been a long time hasn't it?" The creature certainly recognized his master. He rubbed his head against her hoof. "I knew you'd keep this safe for me." She reached around his neck and detached the collar and checked the dangling emblem with a grin. "Perfect... Its still here." "What is it?" I questioned, getting not to get too close to the swamp monster. "A backup of all my research. Now I can continue where I left off." She smiled and looked down at the alligator. "Sorry, Gummy. You belong to Mr. And Mrs. Cake now. They'll take good care of you. Mommy has to go away, and I doubt she'll be coming back." She gave him another pet. This reminded me of the night in the factory. Pinkamena was capable of being motherly, and it was clear that behind her tough exterior, there was still a pony in there. I looked back at the Cakes who were only looking with disgust and an expression that suggested they wanted her out quickly. I could not stay silent any longer. "You ponies make me sick..." I growled. The family gave me a confused expression. "This girl was family to you at one point! And you just abandoned her!" I shouted. "That girl terrorized us..." Mr. Cake defended. "Boo hoo! She was mentally unsound, what did you do to help?! Nothing! A girl who spent her whole life being told her way is wrong, and instead of trying to guide her to the right path, you just abandon her..." The group remained silent now, uncertain of how to respond. Taking a short approach, I brought my face to Mr. Cake's. "When she needed you most, you ran away. You're too scared to help, so you just run like the cowards you are." Mr. Cake tried to take a step back, but I advanced so we were back at the same position as before. "You see a monster? Well then good, because it's a monster you helped create. This girl was abandoned by everypony that saw who she really was. After going through that..." I turned to see Pinkamena just watching quietly. "Well, its no wonder she turned out this way. So take a good look, because that is your creation." Pinkamena took my hoof and jerked her head to the door. "It's best we go now..." She hinted. I decided to do exactly that before I ripped them apart more. "Yes... I think that would be best." Making our leave, I gave them a deathly glare as we exited. As expected, Pinkamena had nothing to say about what just happened. I'd come to expect that from her at this point. --- "How do I look?" I questioned a rather formal Twilight sitting at the bar. This was the first time I had ever seen her out of her military fittings. The glasses were a nice touch. Rainbow was right; she did look like an egghead. "Well, someone sure is nervous. I take it you've never been on a date before?" She teased as she stirred her drink, probably non-alcoholic. Twilight didn't strike me as one who turned to the bottle to solve her problems, not like Dash anyways. 'More like I am going to be dancing with the greatest hero Equestria has ever seen, but no I haven't." I replied. She pointed. "Looks like your dream mare is here." She certainly was enjoying the teasing. I approached through the crowd to come face to face with an elegant mare. Her multicolored dress matched her mane so well. Atop of her head was a ribbon tied on both sides of her mane. It was brushed and cleaned, and she was even wearing some eyeliner I could see. She attempted to cover up the scar on her face with some blue makeup, though it was still noticeable. "I... I..." I was stuttering already. She smiled and offered her hoof. "You cleaned up nice." She complimented as I took her hoof in my own. We allowed our back hooves to hold us as we slowly moved into a gentle dance. "Your eyes..." I commented as one of my hooves touched under them. "Years of insomnia." She admitted looking down a bit. "Hard to cover that up with just make up." My hoof moved to her cheek. My voice grew to a near whisper. "Are you in pain?" Her gaze came back to me and her hoof rested atop of my own as we stepped together. "Not right now." She cracked a small smile. It was so nice to see her smiling. --- A rather well dressed Vinyl trotted over to the bar, not quite at a stagger yet because she didn't have much drink in her just yet. She aimed to correct that problem. Free alcohol was never passed up by a mare like her. Back home they would drink at the young age of sixteen, so she was naturally conditioned to have a high tolerance. When Vinyl was drunk, she was really drunk. Plopping down into the stool next to her superior she quickly ushered for the bartender to pass her two shots of vodka. He did so without much thought before returning to his other customers. Vinyl downed both with ease and looked over to Twilight sitting next to her. The purple unicorn was busy going through data on her PDA, and didn't seem to have much interest in this party, despite putting it on herself. Vinyl frowned and sighed before gesturing for the bartender to come back. He did so curiously and leaned in to hear her better. "Hey, how about a drink for the nice lady next to me? She looks like she could use it." Twilight realizing what was happening spoke up. "Huh, oh no thank you. I don't drink." "Well, that's half your problem right there, One-eye. You're too tense, you should relax a little, it's a party after all." Vinyl took the new drink and passed it to her. Twilight shook her head. "First of all, I have told you many times that I detest that name. Second of all, you have no idea what kind of burden I am under being the leader. It's not as easy as you think it is. It's constant pressure, and it's a twenty-four hour job." She spoke in a very matter-of-a-fact tone. "Fine, but why not just forget all of that for one night? Stop being the big important general for a few hours and start being Twilight..." She emphasized her name. Twilight bit her lip but nodded and took the drink. "What do you call this anyways?" "Well that looks like it's just a shot of whiskey. Here' I'll do one with you." She ushers for another. "Well... I suppose just one wouldn't hurt..." Getting hers, Vinyl raised her glass. "That's the spirit. Back where I come from, this is the weak stuff. I used to drink this when I was fifteen." Twilight tapped her glass to Vinyl's. "Sounds like a very... Interesting place..." "Bottoms up." Vinyl said as she poured her drink down her throat, Twilight doing so seconds after, followed by coughing and Vinyl laughing. "Bleck... It tastes like... I don't know... But it's awful!" She wretched. Vinyl smirked and laughed. "Oh come on you lightweight. I used to take a glass of wine with my dinner when I was seven." Twilight hacked and coughed again before rubbing her eyes. "No offense, but perhaps you had a screwed up childhood?" Vinyl shrugged. "Beats me. My mother was a good mare though. She worked two jobs to keep food on the table, never raised a hoof to me either. Hell, I remember her going to the school a lot to fight them about the crap that went on there. The lady was a saint." Twilight blinked and sat up straight. "She certainly sounds like a wonderful woman." "She was." Vinyl smiled. An hour later, the two had put at least three more drinks in them, and had spent the night talking. "So, being general, what's that like?" Vinyl asked with a look of genuine interest. Twilight frowned as she took another drink. “Stressful.” “Well you have to put up with me, so that’s no surprise.” Vinyl chuckled as she downed her entire glass. She could put away enough alcohol to be a keg. “There are a lot more stressful things that I have to deal with besides you. You’re not so bad anyways.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m flattered. I mean you’re wrong in me not being so bad, but I’m flattered nonetheless.” She grins as she leaned in. Twilight felt a small blush across her cheeks. Vinyl scooted her seat closer and let her voice get rather low. “Hey… What’s the royal quarters look like?” The purple unicorn’s face started to glow brighter with a blush. A bit nervously, she gave an answer. “Why not come see it for yourself?” Vinyl smirked as she offered her hoof to be guided. Twilight took it and guided the two up and out of the ballroom. Making their way down the halls of the castle, Vinyl observed the scenery; she had only seen the areas that the soldiers and civilians were permitted to enter, that and Twilight’s office. She had never seen the living quarters of the castle, or even the servants’ area. Just outside of a room marked “Twilight” on the door, the general turned to her lieutenant with a serious expression. Vinyl blinked at the sudden action. “Hm?” She tilted her head in confusion. To this, Twilight pressed her against the wall and planted a kiss upon her lips. Taken by surprise, Vinyl took a second or two to react. Giving in, she allowed a hoof to dig into Twilight’s tidy mane. Breaking the kiss, Twilight stroked the former DJ’s cheek affectionately. “Vinyl… Can I ask you something?” “Hm?” Said Vinyl, whom was still a bit dazed from the sudden kiss. “Can you take off those stupid glasses?” Twilight smiled as she continued to pet her cheek. Vinyl nodded and levitated her signature sunglasses off of her face and into her pocket on her jacket. “Better?” She smiled revealing her bright red eyes to the mare. Twilight was a bit stunned as she found herself staring. “Y-your eyes… They’re… They’re…” “Red, I know.” Vinyl answered. “Beautiful…” Twilight corrected. Vinyl certainly had never heard that compliment before, however she was going to roll with it regardless. “Why do you hide them with those glasses?” Twilight found herself leaning closer to stare into them better. “Two reasons, the first being I have very sensitive eyes.” Vinyl smiled as she let the mare do whatever she desired. “And the second?” Vinyl grew a familiar perverted grin. “If I walked around like this all the time, mares like you would have to walk around with their hind legs pressed together.” Twilight’s blush only grew as she pulled the mare in for another kiss. --- That next morning, Twilight awoke with a large yawn and somewhat of a headache. She didn’t recall much of anything from last night. It all seemed like a big blur to her; however the only thought on her mind right now was getting some aspirin for her headache. Letting her eyes adjust, she noticed a second lump under the covers of her bed. Curiously, she lifted them up to see a white unicorn curled up under them. Her wild blue mane was a mess, though her coat was not much better. Twilight’s mind snapped to reality when she saw the double quaver on the mare’s flank. Once that happened she screamed and pushed her out of the bed entirely. Hitting the floor with a thud, Vinyl groaned and grunted as she got herself up and looked for her glasses. Locating them, she placed them right back on her face as she rubbed where she hit the floor. “Well good morning to you too, princess...” “You didn’t… WE DIDN’T!?” Twilight was still trying to grasp what was happening. “You know, most ponies don’t kick me out of the bed after I make them squeal like that…” Vinyl yawned. “WHAT!? NO! WE DIDN’T… Did we…?” Twilight pulled the covers over her muzzle a bit embarrassed. “No need to be so embarrassed. You weren’t bad for a virgin. Hell, I didn’t think you could eat ca-“ Vinyl was cut off by Twilight throwing a pillow at her. “NO NO NO NO! GET OUT NOW!” She screamed. Vinyl rolled her eyes as she lit a cigarette. “Oh come on, last night you were all over me, now suddenly I’m disgusting again?” “I was saving myself for marriage…” Twilight admitted as she was almost in tears. “Yeeaaaah… That’s not happening now.” Vinyl laughed a bit. “GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM, VINYL! OR SO HELP ME, I WILL HAVE YOU COURT MARTIALED FASTER THAN YOU CAN BLINK! GET THE FUCK OUT!” Twilight screamed at full volume. Vinyl rubbed her ear and nodded. “Sheesh, no need to yell.” She shrugged and took her leave, closing the door behind her as she had her clothes from the other night in hoof. She took another puff of her cigarette and turned to Rainbow Dash who was standing next to the door waiting for her. “I didn’t think you’d be able to pull it off…” Dash admitted. Vinyl laughed and began to walk with the multi-colored mare. “Get a few drinks in anypony and their standards lower significantly.” Rainbow nodded. “I think that should keep Twilight freaked out for a while. My little ‘present’ for dragging me back into this war… That and her attitude with me as of late.” The DJ grinned as she finished her cigarette. “Yup. Like I said, anytime you want to get back at Twilight, I am all for that.” “Only thing I want to know… Did you actually…?” Dash rose a brow in question. Vinyl smirked. “What do you think?” Rolling her eyes, Dash started walking a bit faster, Vinyl picking up the pace to keep up. “You’re sick.” Dash commented. “How am I sick?” Vinyl questioned. “You’re a sex addicted pig.” Dash looked away from the mare. The two continued bickering back and forth as they wandered off back to their quarters. Achievement: They Call Me Lt. Booty - Vinyl really "wowed" the general.
Mist	1148	22	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-09-07T22:13:55+00:00	2017-02-26T20:14:48+00:00	464	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Twenty-One (Knights Saga) Rainbow had bolted through the entire bar and snagged a rather confused Pinkamena so quickly that her glasses fell right off of the good doctor's face. Unintimidated, but confused, Dr. Pie gave a very odd expression in return to Dash's gesture. Unamused, and quite unphased, she gave a calm response. "What's the trouble, Rainbow?" She spoke so nonchalantly. Part of me was asking the same question, but I already guessed that was going to be answered momentarily. "Don't play stupid with me, or are you going to deny what you did at Cloudsdale?" Rainbow hissed right in her face as she pressed her blade to Pinkamena's neck. She nodded in understanding. "Ah yes, the genetic modifications I did. There's no need to deny that. I did it to keep ponies from being controlled by the darkness. It prevents their minds from being taken by it, you should be thanking me." Vinyl stepped forward and got next to Dash as she placed a hoof to the wall next to Pinkamena's skull. "Only one problem... It just made it so the darkness ate their bodies instead. It eventually drove them to insanity. They live up there as abominations of nature now." Vinyl spoke in an equally threatening manner. The doctor merely shrugged. "Not like anypony could have predicted that." Dash's blade was pressed closer now. "You conducted experiments on them against their will... Even on the princess herself..." Dash was speaking through her teeth at this point, which were being put on full display now. "I wished to give her an edge over the darkness. Clearly however more testing was needed to be done. If I had not had to conduct my experiments in secret, perhaps I would have achieved better results." Pinkamena explained. Her tone was very snobbish, and no doubt intended to annoy Dash. "I should kill you just for that, but I want to know Applejack's involvement first." Dash hissed and nearly spit in the pink mare's face. Pinkamena wiped her glasses off. "She was a delivery girl, nothing more. To move supplies about, I used several lackeys who were unknowing of what they were carrying. However if you're concerned about her state; no, I did not use her as a test subject." "Watch your tongue." Rainbow threatened. Pinkamena grew a serious expression for the first time. Something told me, she was no longer amused by this all. "Or else what? You'll kill me?" She gave off a mocking laugh. "You won't kill me. You know deep down that killing me won't change anything." Dash growled in response. "What about you, Dash? You look at me like a monster, but how are you innocent? You joined the military for revenge. You wanted to make Trixie pay for the blood of your sister, and in doing so, you killed thousands. Your arrogance cost you Rarity; its your fault she's dead. You abandoned your squad to pursue your own selfish needs. If you had stayed with them and followed orders, Rarity would still be here." Pinkamena was playing a dangerous game in accusing Dash. To our surprise, Rainbow remained silent. Pinkamena used this silence to continue. "That's why you cut your wing off, shame. You left the military out of shame too. Now you spend every waking moment in shame of what you've done. You can't escape it and that's why you drink. You have to, or you couldn't take the pain, the pain of knowing that your arrogance and selfishness blinded you, and now its too late to undo what is done." Dash kept still, holding her tightly. "So you can go ahead and kill me, it won't change you. I'm not the one who has to atone for what I've done, and I'm not the one who needs to run away and drink myself stupid just so I can deal with what a piece of shit I am. That's why you can't stand being called a hero, because you're not, or am I wrong?" She gave a smirk as she delivered that last line. The anticipation of how Dash was going to respond was unbearable. I am certain every creature in that room was sitting on the edge of their seat. Pinkamena had just made the boldest accusation that any of us had ever seen. It was astounding that Rainbow didn't hack her in half mid-sentence. Hooves loosening their grip, Dash allowed the mare in her grasp to drop to the floor. Composing herself, Pinkamena stood back up and brushed herself off. "That's what I thought." She added. "Dash..." I approached only to have her swat my hoof away. "Don't, she's right... I did abandon my squad, and I did only care about what I wanted. If I had listened and did what I was supposed to, then things would have been different... Rarity would still be here..." She paused as she faced the wall. I could hear her sniffling a bit. "All the bodies I had to step over just to get as far as I did..." Vinyl took this chance to grab the pink pony that was previously held and slam her back up against the wall. Pinkamena grunted and gave an annoyed response. "I wish you ponies would stop being so rough." "Shut up." Vinyl growled. "I am going to do what I should have done a loooooong time ago..." The unicorn grinned. I could see the same maniacal grin that she bore when we were back at Cloudsdale. The same crazed look, the same tone of voice. Everything. "You don't scare me." Pinkamena commented. Vinyl laughed a bit as she brought her face closer to Pinkamena's. "It wouldn't be as fun if I didn't get to break your confidence first." Dr. Pie reached her hooves up and placed them on Vinyl's face. With a quick motion she pulled her sunglasses off and tossed them across the room. The whole room fell silent. From where I stood, I couldn't get a look at her face, but I could feel the intensity of her gaze on Pinkamena., whom just stared with an unchanged expression. She grinned as she commented. "Like I said, I'm not afraid of you. I live with myself, there is nothing you could do that could intimidate me." Vinyl's blade extended as she readied it. Only seconds before she was about to stab, Rainbow's voice halted everything. "Stop!" She called out. Vinyl froze. "Put her down, Vinyl." Dash commanded. Vinyl hesitated. "That's an order, Vinyl." She repeated, her patience clearly being tested. Obeying, the mare levitated her glasses back to her face as she dropped Pinkamena. "You're lucky, shitface..." She spat in the doctor's direction. Vinyl turned and made her exit with Dash who was already waiting at the door. As the two left the old bar, I turned to Pinkamena who just smiled at me as she returned to what she was doing before the two brutish mares had interrupted. There were a lot of stories that floated around in Equestria, some true, some probably fairy tales. However one thing was certain today: Pinkamena saw Vinyl's eyes, and she lived to talk about it. Her lack of fear only made me fear her more. She might have been the most dangerous mare in Equestria. --- It had been a few weeks since my training with the Knights had begun. Unfortunately, given the circumstances though I was forced to get the "quick version" of everything. With Trixie now on red alert, Twilight was certain she would be striking fast and viciously to prevent us from ever getting a chance to use Dash to her full potential. It was obvious that Trixie had a certain fear of the mare that had grown over the years. Twilight had called for my assistance on a very special mission. Something I had not expected to happen at all, let alone so soon after my arrival. It was hard to believe it was only a few short months since I had abandoned SkyVale. Her chosen team consisted of myself, Dr. Fluttershy as her medical expert, two of her royal body guards, and another individual whom she had introduced as her brother; Shining Armor. Shining had not said much about his story other than the war was the reason he lost the one he loved. Other than that he was a loyal guardian of the general, and that's all he wished to share. A stallion of a few words I suppose. Twilight approached with Luna at her side, faithful as always. Sitting down, she places her front hooves on the war room table. Every pony there must have been eagerly awaiting this "classified" information which was no doubt the reason we were all here. I was more ecstatic about the fact I was in the war room at all. I had never dreamed to set hoof in this place. Twilight sighed and pulled out a series of scrolls that she set on the counter. "I'm sure you all are wondering why I brought you all here." She began. Instead of a response, we all adjusted in our seats prepared to take in a long story. "Thirteen hours ago, we observed a very powerful energy spike from the outlands. Our concern is that Trixie is developing some new kind of weapon out there. Something that clearly possesses a great deal of power; too great to ignore." The unicorn continued as she peered around the room to get a good look at all of us, taking note of our reactions. "I have decided that a large scale attack is too risky. She may try and utilize this weapon, so the plan is very simple; we go in silently and destroy it before she has a chance to unleash it." She nods as she glances over a few scrolls. Fluttershy was the first to speak. "How are you sure we can walk right in and destroy it? I mean... Won't it be guarded?" She posed a legitimate question, one that I was even asking, however Twilight was at the ready with an explanation. "I'm glad you asked that question." The unicorn smiled as she unrolled a map, placing her hoof on a spot. "The establishment is here, far off of Trixie's main stronghold, and difficult for her to gather a lot of troops around. Essentially it's clear she wanted this research to be done somewhere where she knew it wouldn't be suspected. However she underestimated our ability to read energies. Since it's such a secret operation though, no doubt it'll be far less guarded. With a team of specialists we'll be able to swoop in and destroy it." She spoke of her plan very proudly. "And what does Rainbow Dash think of this plan?" I daringly asked what I was sure was on the minds of many in this room. Twilight leaned forward and removed her glasses as she locked eyes with me. That yellow eye of hers creeping me out as she did so. "Rainbow does not run this military, I do. Her opinion is of little concern." Part of me wanted to rebuttal about how she has trusted Dash's opinion before, however the look on her face suggested to me that she wasn't going to bend on this subject, so I decided to let old dogs rest and just nodded in response to her. "This mission is also top secret. Only the ponies in this room and a few of my trusted advisors are aware of these details I have just told you. The last thing I want is Trixie becoming aware of our actions and setting up a trap. This is being put on a need to know basis." Twilight explained very curtly. We all merely nodded. Twilight leaned back in her chair. "Excellent, now if there is a way for us to acquire this weapon and repurpose it for ourselves..." "You're kidding, right?" Fluttershy chimed in again. Twilight shook her head. "Absolutely not. If this thing is some kind of weapon that we could use, I want it." Fluttershy seemed very opposed to this idea. "You just said its power could be astronomical. The destructive force of such a weapon could have severe consequences. Hasn't anypony seen enough death here?" She looked around the room hoping for support. One of Twilight's guards raised a hoof to be called upon. Twilight gestured for him to speak. He nodded and stood up keeping his eyes on the general as he answered for her. "Ma'am, any advantage we could gain over our enemies is top priority." Twilight nodded and gestured again for him to sit down. He did just that. Speaking for herself this time, she sighed and turned in her chair. "The truth of the matter is, we can not afford to ignore this opportunity. We are limited on resources, and if there is a weapon that might give us an edge, then I want that weapon. We are already at a huge disadvantage, and I intend to get us every winning edge possible." "But ma'am..." Fluttershy tried to impose again only to have Twilight silence her. "Soldier, you have your orders. If it is possible to capture this weapon, we will do so. Otherwise we'll destroy it and I expect no disturbances from you during this process. If you stand in our way, I'll have you court martialed faster than you can take a piss." Her voice was very cold Fluttershy just shook her head and sat down. Twilight really was cold, cold as ice even. The merciless mare. --- "Alright ponies, stay together, and umm...." Twilight paused as she turned to face the rest of us with her blade drawn. "Try not to get killed." Quite a reassuring message from our supportive leader. Keeping my weapon at the ready, I studied the familiar diamond edges. Hopefully the little training I did have from the military would prove enough to make me formidable against these "hardened soldiers". This would be my first time actually seeing one myself. Twilight signaled for us all to be quiet as she placed a hoof on the door, the other hoof planting a charge onto it. Taking a step back from the old abandoned warehouse, she detonated it. "Move in!" She yelled as it went off. The group made haste to get inside and pushed in with weapons drawn, even little Fluttershy who was so against this operation in the first place had her firearm ready to attack. I suppose her loyalty to Twilight always won out over her own personal morals; that or her fear of what would happen to her should she resist. Once the smoke settled, we all glanced around to find a very empty warehouse. "There's nopony here..." Commented one of Twilight's guards. "No... There's something here..." She insisted. We all fell silent and waited for her to signal we could do otherwise. We all stood perfectly still in anticipation. The suspense was overwhelming. Finally she sighed and sat down on an old crate. "Something isn't right here..." She began to check over a scanner on her weapon with a confused expression. "I knew it would be lightly guarded, but not completely unguarded... It has to be somewhere in this place..." She grunted as she stood back up. "Search every crate in here. Wherever she is hiding it, will become known to us soon." We all obeyed and started cracking open boxes. Most of them contained old food that had rotted eons ago, presumably from when this factory was still operational. "Heh, maybe Trixie unknowingly handed this thing over to us." The other guard laughed. "Doing count in it, never underestimate the enemy. Trixie is far craftier than she lets on." Twilight scolded. At that exact moment, a fireball whizzed past her ear and hit the floor in a blaze. Twilight remained insanely calm as she stood with her back to the direction where it came from. None of us even realized what was happening until we heard a deep voice behind her. "Calculating, calculating, calculating. You haven't changed a bit, Twilight." Everypony in the room shy of Twilight pivoted and aimed our weapons in that direction. Twilight however gave a simple hoof wave telling us to lower our weapons. Hesitantly, we did so. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?" She spoke with her back to him still. A hint of annoyance on his voice was present. "Yes... Almost 9 years now." Twilight smirked. "And in all that time it looks like you're still a child." A growl erupted from the creature in the shadow as it grabbed an odd looking firearm from its belt and aimed it directly at her. "Why don't you face me?" "You don't deserve my full attention." She smirked a second time. This incited more anger from him. His weapon fired and landed a round only an inch from her left back hoof. Twilight merely looked down casually then finally turned to face him. "I see you're as impulsive as always. However you should know that I am difficult to threaten when I know the odds are in my favor." She lectured. The creature stepped forward to reveal itself. He stood a few heads taller than Twilight, and if you counted the spines on the top of his head then he was about ten inches taller. His left claw clutched around a strange weapon small enough to be held in just the one claw. His right claw had a large metal shielding over it, and if you looked close enough you could see a gemstone in his palm. The contraption was gold with a leather glove under it going up his forearm. On his waist was a belt with many different tools and packs attached to it, I presumed this was where he carried ammunition and other items for combat. It was clear from observation that this creature was a dragon. I had never actually seen one in real life before, so it was difficult to tell. "I've been waiting for you..." He grins as he readies his metal claw. Twilight gives a movement to tell us all to stand back. It was clear she wanted to go solo on this fight. "Spike... Trixie has blinded you. She has manipulated you..." She begins to walk slowly in a circle with him, keeping her weapon lowered. "You're wrong. Trixie showed me my potential. She saw me as an equal..." He cuts himself off to take a swing at the mare, whom teleports a few inches away from the blow. "Really, because you seem as sloppy as ever." She tormented. The purple dragon grunted and took another slash with his sharp claw, Twilight once again teleporting out of the way. "Why don't you fight me instead of dodging?" He growled. "Spike, you don't want to fight me, you and I both know you can't win." Twilight shook her head. Spike aimed his gun directly at her forehead. "Try me." He smirked. Twilight locked her eye (she had been keeping her yellow eye closed this whole fight) with his. "Don't make me raise my sword to you, Spike. I am asking you to lay down your weapon and come with us, we can help you. Don't force me to hurt you..." Spike pushed the weapon against her forehead. "I suggest you raise that blade then. I am much stronger than I was ten years ago." Twilight sighed. "Very well, it looks like I'll have to show you how weak you really are the old fashioned way." She took a step back and raised her left hoof gesturing for him to take his best shot. He laughed and rose a brow. "No sword?" "I won't need it to defeat you." She grinned as she quickly thrust her hoof forward sending a rock in his direction that lifted from the ground. Spike laughed and punched right through it with his metal claw. He continued to chuckle as he replied, "You'll need to do better than that." Twilight teleported to his side and launched a fireball in his direction which he caught in his claw. The device whirred and sucked the attack right into the gemstone center. The gemstone now had acquired a glow to it. "Ah, yes... Magic. It's your signature fighting technique; overwhelm your foe with magic. Arrogantly you try it on me knowing that my body is very resistant to magical attack." "Resistant does not mean invincible!" She hissed as she through another fireball which he caught much in the same fashion. "You're right, that is why I got this new toy. It's called the magic gauntlet; very advanced prototype." He smirked as he opened his claw to show the burning stone in the center. Twilight laughs. "You expect a glove to turn the tide of this battle?" "Not just a glove." He grins as the stone begins to glow brighter. Pointing it directly at her with his claw open, he grows a sinister expression. "It takes your magic..." He pauses before launching a fireball at least ten times the amount of the previous ones shot at him in Twilight's direction. Twilight narrowly moves out of the way, dodging any kind of damage. "And sends it back stronger." He finishes, smoke coming from his claw. "Twilight, let us help you!" I called out. "Negative, stand down, corporal. This is my fight. Besides..." She gets up from the floor and grins. "He isn't as tough as he thinks." She began talking directly to Spike. "He just has a new toy that Trixie is letting him play with. Say, did Trixie dig that up and rip it off one of her other reject, proteges?" Spike grunted in annoyance. "No, it was created specifically for me... For the sole purpose of fighting you." He took another slash at her, only to have her block his claw with her sword. "I'm flattered that Trixie went through such lengths to avoid her henchmen inevitably falling at my hooves." Twilight mocked as their weapons held against each other. Closing the gauntlet around Twilight's sword, he squeezed. "I'm more than a henchman. I am Trixie's personal knight. I am her defender and protector, a role you would never let me have." Having no choice, the mare held still as he clenched her blade in his gauntlet. "I could never trust you with such a position, Spike... You fight with so much anger, how can I? You're obsessed with strength and power." She had reduced her tone to be less mocking and more concerned sounding. "How can I protect if I am weak?" He growls. "With your attitude, you'll always be weak. In all of our time in Ponyville, you've learned nothing. You have no idea what real power is." Twilight looked down in shame. Spike's gaze narrowed as he stared down his opponent. "I'll show you what real power is..." Squeezing her blade again, we all could hear a shattering sound as the blade snapped in two. Small shards flew as he tossed the blade onto the ground. Twilight sighed and jumped back unleashing a volley of bullets in his direction. However Spike merely held out his gauntlet and attracted them towards it, taking no damage. "Heh... I know you can do better than that. Stop going easy on me, this is exactly how you were when training me. You always went easy and refused to let me advance." Spike spoke. Twilight's closed eye twitched, as if she was tempted to open it. "You don't want to see my full potential, Spike. Not even you know what I am capable of. True power comes with understanding; the understanding of your own limitations, and the responsibility that comes with that power. You have yet to understand that. You want all the power with none of the responsibility. You're still a child, thus I did not let you advance." She scolded. "Stop calling me a child!" He hissed as he took another swing at her, only to narrowly miss again. Twilight appeared behind him and shook her head. "I'll stop calling you one, when you cease acting like a child." Spike growled as he started lobbing fireball after fireball at her. "Stop mocking me!" Twilight was far too cunning to be taken by a few simple attacks. She managed to escape the entire onslaught without so much as a scratch. "Spike, surrender." She insisted. Before he could even answer, he noticed a small light blinking on his weapon. With a sigh, he shakes his head. "Fucking savages always getting in the way..." He mutters. He looked up to Twilight and pointed in her direction. "We'll have to finish this later. See ya later." Before Twilight had a chance to interject, her pulled a tablet from his pocket and threw it on the ground, cracking it in half. Before we knew what was happening, Spike had vanished. "What was that?" I spoke, stepping forward. "A recall tablet. It more or less was a clay tablet with a spell imbued in it. It recalled him to Trixie's location I imagine..." Twilight explained as she examined where he stood. "This was clearly a trap..." She added, changing the subject a bit. Fluttershy sighed and took Twilight's hoof. "Come on, we should get back." She smiled at the unicorn. Pausing for a moment, Twilight gave in and nodded. "Yes... Fall back. Let's go home." There was something more to what happened here, I knew it. Something told me that I was going to get to the bottom of it too, whether I wanted to or not. Achievement: Nice Kid - The group met Spike.
Mist	1148	23	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-09-10T19:47:42+00:00	2017-02-26T20:21:01+00:00	361	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Twenty-Two (Knights Saga) "Come on, you can do better than that. I want to see some real push ups, shit-for-brains." Vinyl scolded as she held her hoof on my back. "Kiss the fucking dirt when you go down." She added. With a grunt I rolled my eyes as I attempted a few more push ups which were only met with the same disapproval. Vinyl pushed me down further. "Did I stutter? I want your face in that dirt when you go down. I want you to roll with the rest of the shit." "Ma'am, yes ma'am!" I responded as I tried to adjust to what she was instructing. "Good, good. When I'm done with you, you'll be a war machine. You'll eat, breathe and sleep murder. You'll be the United Nations of ass whooping, and your number one export will be corpses. How does that sound to you corporal?" She grinned as she brought her face down to my level. "Ma'am, it sounds wonderful ma'am!" I responded, though a bit strained from the exercise. Vinyl quickly caught wind of this minor weakness. "Are you getting soft on me, boy? Am I being too tough on you?" She asked, obviously rhetorically. "Ma'am, no ma'am!" I replied quickly. I struggled to keep doing the push-ups she wanted, my front legs were starting to feel hot and exhausted. Getting up each time started to become harder and harder. "Enough, maybe you can do more push ups when your balls drop." Vinyl sighed and gave me the signal to stop. At her signal, I dropped to the ground and panted. "You've improved quite a bit... Hell, I might even consider letting you cover me out there sometime." She grinned. "The pleasure is mine..." I grunted. Before Vinyl had a chance to say anything else, she was approached by a familiar guard. He was the same from the mission we held a few days ago. He and Vinyl spoke for a few seconds before she nodded and gave him a salute. He did the same and trotted off. Vinyl sighed and turned back to me. "Well, you best get your ass up to the castle, General One-Eye has requested an audience with you. I guess you shouldn't keep the old bird waiting." "You're sure it's me they are looking for?" I rose my brow in disbelief. Surely General Twilight Sparkle had far more important ponies to meet with than myself. She nodded. "I'm as surprised as you are, but that is what I was just told. I asked again to confirm, and apparently I am not mistaken. Twilight wants to see you in her office ASAP." I shrugged, unsure of what else to say and decided it was best to just comply. --- The castle was as lively as ever, however there was a certain level of strangeness in the air. I had been listening in on conversations as I made my way up to the higher levels so I could reach Twilight. Apparently there was word going around that the old general had become far more stern and to the point over the past few days. I hadn't seen her since the incident with Spike a few days ago to confirm. Fluttershy had warned me before I was dumb enough to ask, that I shouldn't ask questions about such a touchy subject. Naturally, I obeyed. I had overheard two guards rambling about how they didn't like how Twilight was working them harder. I supposed that when Twilight was angry, she made everyone reflect her own mood. That didn't exactly set me in a very "thrilled" mind set going in to speak with her. Nonetheless I bit the bullet and knocked on her office door, expecting the worst. "Come in." The general's voice called out. I almost didn't want to for a second. I hesitated, but ultimately slowly pushed the door open and set a hoof inside while peeking my head. "Ma'am? You wanted to see me?" Twilight looked up from her paperwork and tilted her glasses to get a better look at me. "Ah, yes. Come in, Corporal, and shut the door behind you." I didn't like how she wanted the door closed, but complied. I was half expecting her to scream at me the moment it was shut. "Let's have a chat." She smiled. --- Rainbow Dash had spent most of the day at the bar. She recalled that before the war bars didn't even open until later in the afternoon. However with the harsher living conditions, it was clear that alcohol in the morning might be a necessary thing to most in Equestria now. She had only downed about four or five before calling it quits. Her high tolerance meant she only left feeling slightly buzzed. So far it was a usual day. Her mind kept falling back onto Twilight's request to rejoin the military. It disgusted her that Twilight could even offer such a thing knowing all that she had endured the last time she was in the service. Twilight knew better than anypony that the military life changed Dash forever, and to think she would even suggest going right back into it just infuriated the prism warrior. She knew in her heart that she couldn't go back for good. Over and over in her head she repeated herself: get Trixie and get out. She owed that much to Colors. However her mind swam back to Flare for another instance. What would he think? Then again, why should she care? No, she couldn't just switch off her feelings, despite how much she wanted to. The fact remains that should would bear the guilt if she let Flare down. He had come from such a faraway place in hopes that he'd see the great Rainbow Dash. However she couldn't just go back on her word either. Another dilemma, though this one easier to solve than others. Flare may have respected her as a warrior, but she would have to make him respect her as a pony too. It was settled then, the next chance she got, she would sit down with him and explain that she is not going back to the military no matter what Twilight says or does. Then she'd explain how her time fighting was over. Colors wouldn't wanted to have seen her like this, and the moment Trixie was dead, she would hang up her sword for good. Maybe head back to Ponyville and wait for the world to end for real. As much as she wanted Colors’ world to be made, she knew that the end of the world was more likely than a place of complete peace. At this point though, she'd welcome either or. Looking in the mirror behind the drinks in the bar cabinet, she took a good long look at herself. She spoke her thoughts out loud, but quiet enough to where nopony else heard her. Almost as if whispering a secret. "Look at you... Look what this war has done to you..." She sighed. Taking another swig of her vile drink, she let out another sigh. "You haven't gotten a good night's sleep in years. You look like you've aged thirty years in less than a decade." She shook her head and downed her drink. "Time has not been friendly to you, old friend." Noticing a mare talking to herself, another face in that bar approached and tapped the pegasus' cloaked shoulder. Rainbow turned her head to see who was trying to acquire her attention. "Rainbow Dash... I didn't think it was really you. I had heard the stories floating around town, but now seeing you in person... I can't believe you've returned." The silver stallion smiled gleefully. Rainbow Dash couldn't recall where she knew this stallion from. She tried to remember, however all she could recall is that she was certain she had met him once before. Finally she decided to inquire. "Who the fuck are you?" The pony blinked, a bit surprised at her reaction, but shrugged off her rudeness, figuring she was under a lot of stress. "It's me, Bass. Remember? Applejack's old fiance?" He hoped that would jog her memory. His plan worked, but he probably regretted that instantly. Rainbow's eyes narrowed. Her ears drowned out everything but his voice. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She fell into a trance as she spoke very quietly. "Y-you lived..." She stuttered. Bass chuckled. "Yeah, I stayed in Canterlot, so when the cataclysm happened, I was already behind the barrier." He explained. "You lived... And she..." Rainbow couldn't even finish her sentences as she looked to the floor trying to grasp the cruel irony. His head lowered a bit. "Ah, yeah... I heard about what happened to AJ... A shame really. I'm sorry that you had to see her like that." Dash's ears perked up. Her shock quickly turned into pure anger. "Sorry? Sorry!? SORRY!?" She found her volume increasing. He nodded, a bit confused as to why she was getting so worked up. Dash finally leapt out of her chair and pinned him to the floor with her blade ready to pierce his neck. Of course her actions caught the attention of the entire bar whom had turned to face her. She didn't care at this exact moment however. "You're sorry? You don't even know the meaning of sorry. I should kill you right now just for having the audacity to come to me with that horseshit." She hissed in his face. He trembled a bit under her. "W-wha? Why?" Dash brought her face closer to his. "I know what you did, Bass. I held my tongue for AJ's sake. I know about how you kept her in line though. In public you would be an angel, but once my back was turned..." She paused and got close to his ear. "Well, let's just say I've seen the bruises." His breathing grew faster as he was uncertain of what she was going to do. He didn't dare respond to her accusations, clearly knowing that denial would only land him in worse trouble. "However, AJ didn't want me to hurt you... So its your lucky day." Dash smirked as she lifted her blade and stepped off of him. "You're insane..." He rubbed his neck as he crawls out from under her. "Maybe you're right. I should have stepped in years ago and pushed you out of the picture, but I was young and naive then. The last thing I ever said to my dear friend was that she needed to grow up and decide when she was ready to be an adult..." She paused and kept her eyes on him. "I've had to live with that for almost ten years now... Maybe I am a little crazy from that. But one thing I know is one hundred percent true and that is that you never deserved her." She pointed her blade at him. He said nothing. He had no defense, and no chance of denying it, clearly Dash knew. "Get out of my sight. I don't ever want to see you again. If you cross me a second time then things won't be so pretty. I won't be as merciful next time, because seeing you disgusts me so much that I can hardly contain my anger. So if you know what's good for you, then you'll avoid me until I leave Canterlot." She instructed. He nodded and finally picked himself up. "Yeah, sure. I'm going." He begins stepping backwards. Dash turned her back to him and returned to her drink. She gave a scowl to a group staring at her, which abruptly ended their staring. "You certainly aren't like how ponies described." The bartender spoke as he handed her another drink. Gulping down a quarter of it, she wiped her lips. "War changes ponies." She said plainly. --- "Corporal, you've been a part of our fine military for almost a month now, correct?" Twilight was scanning over some documents as she spoke to me, not even making eye contact. I nodded as I stood still, trying to remain respectful. "Ma'am, yes ma'am." She rolled her eyes. "At ease, soldier. I needn't this meeting be too formal. There is much to discuss, and I'd rather we do so like two regular ponies." I nodded and relaxes my shoulders a bit. "Alright... So what's up?" Twilight exhaled and leaned back in her chair. "Rainbow refuses to return to the military indefinitely. I was hoping I could convince her. On top of this, she only wishes to be a mercenary on missions where apprehending Trixie is involved. Effectively she refuses to do anything unless it leads to Trixie." I could understand her frustration, but I figured there was more to it. "Okay, but surely you expected that...?" Twilight nodded. "I did, however I was hoping some time in Canterlot would make her see all that Trixie has done. I was hoping that would change her mind, however her will is stronger than I imagined. Her time away from us has hardened her and encased her heart in ice. I can see why though... She's afraid of hurting another pony close to her, but right now I need her here in this military more than anything." I blinked, a bit surprised to see Twilight so concerned. "She's really that important, huh?" The unicorn leaned in from her chair. "Without Dash, we may not win. She's our greatest asset, and her blade may be the edge we need. Can you convince her to return to us?" I shook my head, already knowing that was impossible. I knew Dash well enough to know that she detested war so much that convincing her to walk right back into hell was a wasted effort. "Dash would never listen to me on that. Her mind is made up, and nothing I say will change it. You're better off just giving up on that." Twilight sighed again. "I was hoping you'd say yes... But given the circumstances, I am promoting you to field commander and head of the Rainbow Raiders." My ears must not have registered what she said correctly. I had to ask for clarity. "W-what? Me? Field commander?" "And head of the Rainbow Raiders, I didn't stutter, Corporal." She gave an annoyed expression. "Ma'am, with all due respect, I am not fit to be a leader. I've had little time on the battlefield, and surely one of the more experienced soldiers deserves this honor before myself." I replied. "Oh no doubt they do." She returned to filling out paperwork as she conversed with me, only really giving me half of her attention. "Then why not appoint them?" I questioned. She didn't even lower her quill as she replied. "Maybe if Dash sees you going in as a commander she'll have a change of heart to prevent you from the guilt of being a poor leader. No doubt you'd have your squad dead in the first battle." Sadly she was probably right. I knew nothing about being a leader, all my life all I did was follow. "What if it doesn't work? What if she allows me to actually march to battle?" I was hoping Twilight would see the flaws in her plan. "If she needs to see a couple dead before she decides to wise up, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I know Dash very well; her emotions won't let her run away from this." Twilight answered. It was amazing how nonchalantly she could speak of all this. At the same time though, it disgusted me. "You would use her emotions against her like that?" I gave a stern expression. Twilight still didn't look up at me. "If it's the only effective strategy, then it shall be the one I utilize." "And if it requires deaths to get her to see it your way?" She shrugged. "I won't be risking anything too important. The payoff exceeds the expense." This was where I couldn't contain myself anymore. "Expense? They're your friends! How can you just...?" I cut myself off when I realized I was yelling at my superior. I lowered my head in shame. Twilight banged her hoof on the table and ripped her glasses off of her face. I could actually see legitimate anger in her expression. She glared me down with that yellow eye of hers'. "Don't you dare question me on this. Every one of my soldiers knows that they are expendable if need be. That's what you signed up for, and it's what they did as well." I shook my head. "That's not how I see it." Twilight calmed her anger and stood up. Trotting over to the window she turned her back to me and glanced down at Canterlot. "I know what they say about me, Flare." She grew quiet as if not wanting to admit it out loud. "Ma'am?" I tried to fake confusion out of politeness. "That I'm a cold hearted mare who only thinks with statistics. I'm certain that Rainbow Dash has mentioned it a time or two..." She responded. I lowered my head. "She may have said something like that." Twilight nodded, still with her back to me. "They all think I just sit up here and send ponies’ loved ones to die for me." I didn't respond to that. The sentence itself was obviously too volatile to try and give a response to. No doubt it could spark her anger again in a split second if the wrong thing was said. "You all think it's so easy... Just sitting here and barking orders... To be as heartless as me..." She spoke carefully, clearly trying to choose her words correctly. "Ma'am..." I tried to speak, but she just continued. "There's something about being a leader you don't understand. The leader is the scapegoat. The leader must bear the blame for both folly and victory. If you think you feel bad watching them die, imagine how I feel sending them to death? Knowing in my heart that if I don't then I will only be ensuring them more death. If we fight we die, if we don't fight we die..." She kept her gaze out the window and placed a hoof on it. "I guess I never thought of it like that..." I admitted. She finally turned to me. "Nopony does. I have to live with that guilt every day. If they all hate me for what I do, then so be it. It's the price I pay to keep them alive a little longer. I have emotions too, Flare. However I need to do what is best for Equestria regardless of how I feel. I have the hardest job here... Turning my emotions off. Ignoring how I feel and doing what is right." I nodded, not much to add. "And now..." She paused. "Trixie has finally bested me... She put Spike against me..." She approached me as she spoke. "M-ma'am?" I grew nervous as she got closer. She fell to her haunches and buried her face into my chest in a light sob. I could feel her tears soaking my coat. "He's my son, Flare... My own son... And Trixie has turned him against me..." I gave a gentle pat on the back of her neck, unsure of how to comfort her. "She's turned him into a weapon..." She sniffed. "I raised him from just an egg. I watched him grow up, and I mentored him... Now... Now I must see him like this..." She was trying everything she could to not just break into hysterics. Finally, I allowed myself to give her a proper embrace, clearly she needed it. Now I understood what was bothering her. After a minute or two she sniffed again and composed herself. Releasing me, she adjusted her glasses as she wiped her eye. "Trixie has taken everything from me, however I can not simply give into reckless abandon. I still have Equestria to think about." "And what if Spike really does return?" I asked. Twilight gave me a solemn look, but returned to the window with her back to me before answering. "If he stands in my way again, then I will kill him." "Y-you will...?" I was a bit shocked at her stern answer. She nodded. "If he stands in my way, then I'll have no choice... Equestria comes first, even before my own desires." "I now understand the burden of the leader..." I admitted with my ears going down. "Could you do it, Flare? Could you kill your own son... If duty called for it?" She leaned in to hear me better I presumed. I wanted to say something to make her feel better, but I knew that there was nothing that could be said to make it any easier on her. That and I knew that anything I said to tell her it wasn't that bad was a blatant lie; a lie that I was certain she would see through. "Well?" She clearly did not like my hesitation. "I am thankful that I do not have to make such a choice..." I spoke the words with shame. The truth was that if it were me and Torch, I couldn't do it. My selfishness would tell me to save her first. I guess I wasn't as strong as Twilight. She nodded and leaned back. "Somepony has to make these choices though. One thing is certain though..." "What's that?" The one-eyed mare leaned in and placed her hooves across the desk. In a very intimidating tone she grinned. "Trixie will be paying for what she's done. Even with a dragon she stands no chance. She is hoping to win based own emotions alone. It won't work though... I've long since set my emotions aside. I think she'll be surprised if she tries to pull that stunt a second time... Though I pray we will never have to know...' Achievement: Not Bad Kid - Flare had a personal chat with Twilight.
Mist	1148	24	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-09-14T13:05:08+00:00	2017-01-04T15:40:37+00:00	346	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Twenty-Three (Knights Saga) Rainbow Dash had been staring at her sword for hours now. Gazing upon the special blade, she contemplated how she would get out of using it again after her fight with Trixie. Originally she had told Twilight she would assist only to finish Trixie, but it wasn't enough for the general. Twilight kept pushing for more and more, knowing that Rainbow wanted out. Her hoof ran along the name engraved in the jewel sword. She examined the craftsmanship with a smile as she observed the name of her lost sister. This was not her blade, but Colors' blade. She understood the irony of her blade bearing her sister's name while her sister's wish was for a world of peace. This was not a scepter of peace, but a tool of war. Another device that caused more death. She couldn't even bear to look at it, knowing how much blood it spilled on her behalf. She could only imagine how Colors would feel seeing her now. That image in her head only made her feel more and more like a failure. She stepped over so many dead bodies with the help of this blade, and now she was paying the price. No matter how fast she was, she knew that eventually she would be too slow to avoid certain death. Too many wanted her head, and she was getting older. Eventually they would catch up to her. She had decided when she came back to Canterlot; she would slay Trixie and put this weapon to rest for good. She'd go back to Ponyville and try to live peacefully for the remainder of her days. It actually sounded a bit pleasant. Rainbow signed as she placed her hoof by her side and turned her attention to the ceiling. Her hotel room was very plain and empty, all that was there was a simple bed that she was laying on. "Colors... I'm sorry..." She thought out loud as she closed her eyes. --- "They made you what!?" Rainbow spit out her liquor upon hearing the news. Across the table from me, I ended up covered in some of it. I winced a bit and opened a single eye. "C-comander of the Rainbow Raiders..." I gave a sheepish grin. "No fucking way... Flare, you're not cut out for leadership like this. Is Twilight out of her mind!?" Dash placed a hoof upon my shoulder in concern. "Negative, Rainbow." The voice of Twilight rang through the bar as she stepped in. Dash's attention turned right to the unicorn with an annoyed expression. "I appointed him myself." She took a bit of pride in her decision, despite the both of us knowing what she was really trying to do. "Then you must have finally lost it. You can't put Flare in that kind of position, he's not ready." Rainbow protested. "You aren't stepping up to the position, so I am giving it to your friend here. He's been around you long enough to know how you do things." She gave Dash a glare. "If his team should survive and return to their former glory, it'll be because he lead them to it. If not, it'll be because he failed them..." She kept her eye on Dash as she said that last part. I certainly didn't like hearing it as much as Dash didn't, that was for sure. "You'd put that kind of pressure on the kid? He isn't ready to have a team's life in his hooves yet. You can't put him under that kind of pressure!" Dash growled. "I can, and I just did." Dash hissed and squeezed her drink. "Unless you want to take his place?" Twilight grinned. It was obvious that Dash saw right through this plan. "You'd use Flare to manipulate my emotions to get what you want? How dare you!? How dare you put lives in the balance to force my hoof!?" Twilight smirked, knowing she had Dash cornered. "Fuck you, Twilight. If you want to foolishly put him in charge to prove a point, then I can't wait to see your plan backfire. I only regret that you are throwing lives away to do it." She downed half of her drink and dumped the rest right over Twilight's head. "My answer is still no though." She grunted as she stormed out. It was silent for a moment followed by my own comment. "So what now?" Twilight sighed. "We call her bluff." "And if she's not bluffing?" I rose a brow. "That's a risk I'm willing to take." She said staring at where the pegasus exited. --- "Rainbow..." I entered Dash's hotel room very cautiously. The Pegasus had been doing pull ups on the window as I came in. She didn't even say hello, and instead continued as if I wasn't there. "Okay... You're upset, I understand... I'd be pretty mad too..." I admitted as I rubbed the back of my neck. The mare did a few more pull ups before dropping to the ground with a grunt. Still no response. "Rainbow, I had nothing to do with this. Twilight insisted and gave me no choice in the matter. You have to believe me..." I was practically begging. Finally Dash sighed as she sat down on her bed. "Yeah... I believe you Flare... I know you wouldn't do something like that. You're not the one at fault here... Twilight is. She's so obsessed with winning this war that she is willing to sacrifice anything for it... Even her own friends..." I shook my head. "Dash... There's something you should know... About Twilight that is..." She turned to face me, ears ready to hear what I had to say. I knew that I was supposed to keep that whole mission classified, but even the threat of being removed from the military was not enough to keep me from telling Dash. I would have felt like a traitor not telling her, and that was worse than anything the military could do to me. I told her the whole story, how Twilight was put against her own son, how she vowed she would kill him if he stood in the way of Equestria. Most importantly though; how Equestria always came first to her. Dash fell silent for a moment after I had finished. Collecting her thoughts she leaned in and nodded. "Twilight is so stubborn sometimes..." She said with a sigh. "I think she's serious though... We are being sent on another mission soon to secure an old library that supposedly has another element of harmony located in it. Twilight said if Spike is there when we arrive, she won't show any mercy this time." I frowned. Rainbow looked down, a bit ashamed. "She's not stubborn enough to kill Spike just to make a point though... I guess that deep down Twilight really does put Equestria before her own desires. All that talk about statistics and probability... A ruse to hide how hurt she is..." Dash looked away from me, "and here I am being selfish." I wasn't sure what she was implying. Scanning the room I noticed a rope hanging from a rafter. It was barely noticeable as it had been tucked away, but I could see a loop at the end. Once I had realized what it was, a chill ran up my spine. "R-Rainbow..." I tried to gather some words together to no avail. She shook her head, still looking away. "I have nothing, Flare... Nothing..." "This isn't the first time is it?" I placed my hoof on her back. She nods. "Once before when I got to Ponyville. I had the rope around my neck and everything, but..." She sniffed a moment before continuing. "I couldn't do it. I was too afraid of what awaited me to actually jump... Pathetic..." "Is that what stopped you this time?" I rubbed her back some more, no doubt getting dirt on my hoof from her dirty old cloak. She shook her head. "No. I have since made my peace with death. I am ready to die the moment it decides to come for me. What stopped me was you, I couldn't bear to think of what kind of world I'd be leaving you to. I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like I still have a little more to do for you." I scooted closer and wrapped that hoof on her back around her shoulder. "Its not stupid. I care about what happens to you too, Rainbow. You've changed my life, and I am forever in your debt." "Do you remember when you first came to Ponyville, and I told you to go back to SkyVale?" She leaned up and wiped her tears. I nodded. "Yeah, what about it?" "Why didn't you listen? I mean I could have gotten you back in the same way I got Dipper in." She looked at me this time she spoke. "Maybe I'm just a little crazy... Then again I think it was because I was actually able to meet you. It gave me enough hope to continue on out here." I smiled at the memories of her and I meeting. She nodded and I could even detect a hint of a blush on her cheeks. What distracted me however was her mention of Dipper. I was curious as to what she meant. "What do you mean about getting Dipper in? He got in by trading the city council for his entry." She laughed. "You actually believe that manure? No, what really happened is I hacked into the elevator console, brought us both up and threatened them to take him. Told them if they didn't I was going to come back and bring the city to the ground if they didn't take care of him, and that I'd be back to check on him." I was a little shocked by this news. If she was serious on her promise, then me taking Dipper in could have saved the city. "I came back once about three months later, and I was informed he was living with a young stallion and his sister. I just never thought I'd actually meet that stallion..." She laughed a bit more at the irony. "He spoke very highly of you." I said. She nodded. "Yeah, he was a lot like you. He looked up to me, so when he got the plague I fought to get him a place to spend the remainder of his time away from this hell hole. He deserved to die somewhere where he could sleep peacefully." She paused and looked at me. "Did he go peacefully?" I nodded as I leaned in to speak softer. "I was there by his side in his final hours. He left this world speaking of his amazing memories with you and his team. He even said he had no regrets in his life. He left in a pleasant slumber." She smiled at this news. "That's good, at least I did something right out here." "You've done plenty right by me, Dash." I reminded as I watched her stand up. Approaching the window again she sighed. "Thanks... I guess I can not allow myself to die just yet. There is still some things that need to be done before I can finally sleep for good. Father always said we are not allowed to die until we complete all that is required of us... At this point I am so far behind I'll live forever." She joked. "The world needs you still, Dash. Don't give up hope just yet. When the war is over, then you can see the peaceful world that you dream of. The anger and hatred of ponies passes, and eventually we will evolve past the need for violence. It just takes time." I explained to the mare. She nods as she turned to face me. "Wise words, young Flare. Let's hope you're right." --- The mission went fairly smoothly. We were able to secure the element we set out for without much of a hitch. Taking a good look at it before Twilight secured it, it bore an interesting purple gemstone in the center in the shape of a diamond. Twilight had mentioned something about it being the element of generosity, along with something about possessing three now. If I recalled correctly, the other two were loyalty, and magic. My vision turned to Vinyl Scratch, whom I was surprised was permitted to venture with us. Vinyl just shook her head at me, and I already knew what she was trying to say: don't tell Twilight. She of course was referring to the element of kindness that her and I lost. I was curious if Vinyl had some kind of plan for getting it back, before Twilight discovered how it was stolen. I sighed as Twilight grew a confident look. "Let's get out of here quickly..." She commented as she was already making for the exit. "Going so soon?" A familiar female voice echoed. The whole group (which comprised of myself, Vinyl, Shining Armor, Fluttershy, the two body guards and Twilight) glanced up to the balcony. There sat the infamous dark robed mare waiting for us. Something told me she was actually there the whole time. She was arrogant enough to let us get the element first so she could have the joy of stealing it. "Trixie..." Twilight began. A smirk grew on her face as she finished that sentence. "Why don't you let the grown ups handle this?" Trixie returned the snobbish grin as she replied. "That's cute coming from the mare who is playing soldier with some rusty old toys, and a few rag tag forces." Ignoring her insult, Twilight rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" Trixie tilted her head to signal something. That something was of course, Spike. The dragon leapt off of the balcony and onto the ground level with us. His gauntlet shining as he drew his firearm in his other claw. "I believe you've already met my knight." Trixie added. Twilight held still as she stared down her own. "What do you want, Spike?" The dragon kept is eyes locked on hers'. "The element. Trixie thinks she can find some great use for it." "You'll have to take it if you want it that badly." Twilight was stern and showing little emotion, her voice almost sounded calming. "Is that a challenge?" He asked. Twilight kept her attention forward. "You can't beat me, Spike. Back down now and I won't be forced to kill you. I don't want to, but if you push me to, then I'll end you." "To the death then..." He grinned as he aimed his weapon. We all became silent as we watched. Finally Twilight closed her golden eye and we knew that was the signal that she was going to fight him. Something that we all hoped we could avoid when coming here. "Still arrogant, I see. Why not fight me with both eyes open?" Spike hissed. Readying her blade she kept him in her halved vision. "I don't believe in overkill." She responded. "Have it your way then..." He growled as he thrust forward with his claw extended. Twilight blocking it with her sword. Spike merely laughed as he clutched it. "The same old tricks..." At that exact moment he got pushed down. We all blinked and noticed a second Twilight behind him. The first evaporated only seconds later. Spike turned around and flipped back to his feet. And quickly grabbed at her, however this time she swung at his gauntlet knocking it back. Spike looked down to her sword to see a magenta aura surrounding it. "Magic... Typical... You rely on magic for all your fighting, despite the fact that I can absorb your magic..." He grins as he sends a shock wave in her direction. "And send it right back!" Twilight jumped out of the way and landed on her hooves, blade still ready. "You forget, Spike; everything has its limitations, not just my magic." "What's your point?" He growled as the two locked weapons again. Twilight's sword glowed brighter at the impact. Her face just as serious as ever. You could feel the tension between the two even from the distance we sat. "My point is you should surrender before you surpass your limitations." His mother warned. He hissed and swung again, "I don't need you babying me!" Twilight was pushed back a bit by the impact, but virtually unharmed. "Don't make me do this, Spike..." She attempted to reason with the dragon again . "Do your worst..." He started unleashing a volley of bullets at her, which she quickly shielded herself from with a barrier. "Very well then... Just remember you asked for this..." Twilight rose her head and opened her yellow eye. "So you're ready to give me your all?" Spike grinned as he held his metal claw out, charging it with more and more magic. "I'm ready to do what I need to." She replied as her golden eye began to glow. I was a little surprised, though part of me suspected that eye was meant for something and she didn't have it put in just to have a second eye again. Spike needless to say was taken by surprise, but stared right into the glow. After only a few seconds he tried to make an advance to find his legs unable to move. Looking down he became aware of the fact that they were now encased in stone. "What the..." He didn't even finish that thought as he looked back to Twilight. "A cockatrice eye..." Shining Armor said as he leaned towards me. I suppose he already knew the question I was going to ask. Twilight placed all four hooves onto the ground and closed her eyes. "Its over, Spike. I wish you would have listened..." At the end of that sentence, her horn began to glow brighter than I had ever seen a unicorn's horn glow. Shortly after, her body followed suit and began to radiate with the same energy. Spike held his gauntlet out, ready to take what was thrown at him. Twilight began to growl as her body was starting to overflow with magic. Finally she released it in a line directly at Spike. The dragon caught the beam in his gauntlet and started absorbing it. "Ha, it's no use, I can absorb your magic!" He bragged. "Or have you forgotten?" Twilight continued unleashing energy. "You should have listened to what I said about limitations, because my ability exceeds your limitations." She replies as the beam grew larger. Spike held steady, but a few sparks from the gauntlet began to release. Sure enough a few seconds later it shattered from the energy being pumped into it. Spike quickly resorted to screaming in pain as the energy began to run through his body. The unicorn did not let up on her spell, she increased its power, probably knowing that as a dragon his body could withstand a large amount of magic. Her eyes were leaking with tears as she spoke. "If only you had listened... We could have avoided this..." After a few more seconds of listening to his scream, she finally stopped. And let him collapse. Twilight approached the young dragon and knelt down to his face. He coughed and smiled at her. "I... I guess... That is what you m-meant... About true power..." He struggled to speak. She nodded and sighed. "Don't be sad... It was... My fault..." He added. She shook her head. "No... It was mine. I was your mentor... Your caretaker... And your mother... I should have guided you better... I failed you..." Spike reached up and placed his claw on her hoof. "I forgive you... Mom..." He smiled as he said that last word. "I know..." She smiled as she planted a kiss on his forehead. "I... I need to rest now..." Spike struggled to speak as he closed his eyes. I think even Twilight knew that he would not be waking up from that rest. Her eyes leaking more and more tears as she stood up and let the young dragon be at peace. Trixie, seeing nothing as sacred quickly jumped off of the balcony with a grin on her face. She flicked her horn and allowed a magical aura to surround her. "Well, I have to admit, not even I predicted you'd actually kill, Spike." She smirked. "That's good, I was thinking of how I could spend him, but it looks like you took care of that." Twilight turned around with fire in her eyes. "What!? He was with you!" Trixie laughed. "Please... As if I'd actually trust one so close to you. No... He was just a pawn that played his role quite brilliantly." Twilight stamped a hoof on the ground in fury. Her anger was never witnessed before, but we were certain we were about to see a side of Twilight that we wouldn't like. "You... You over confident little shit stain..." She cursed. Trixie winked as she readied her weapon. "I saw what you did, Twilight. You exhausted a lot of magic fighting that dragon. You're spent and tired... Me on the other hand..." She cast a spell with a black aura that created another black aura around her blade. "I'm still fully charged." The purple unicorn stood perfectly still for a moment before finally breaking out into laughter. Had she lost her mind finally? "Trixie... You moron... You have no idea what you're up against..." She began as she cracked her neck erily. "I was trained in a method of magic you would have no knowledge of. The ancient form passed down by the royal family. Allow me to give you a biology lesson..." She took a step forward as her horn lit up. Trixie took a step back. "Magic manifests in the horn... However your body locks energy to that location because the rest of your energy is used by the rest of your body... But the royal family knows how to remove those locks... I can draw energy from my entire body..." She lectured. Trixie took another two steps back as she stuttered. "That m-means..." The general growled as her whole body lit up with a magenta glow. All her hairs stood on end as she charged up. "I still possess ten fold of your power." Trying to make a subtle retreat, Trixie took another two steps back, then when she was certain she could not run, she drew her blade ready to fight. With a quick thrust forward, Twilight punched her hoof right through the blade, shattering it with her bare hoof. Trixie jumped back, but Twilight's quick back kick got her and sent her crashing into the wall. Peeling herself off of the wall, Trixie had Twilight on top of her, smashing her hooves repeatedly into her face. Grabbing her by the neck, Twilight dragged her across the floor and threw her weak body onto a counter and slid her across it and smashed her head against everything on that counter. Finally she released her and allowed her to fall flat onto the floor. With a fierce growl, she jumped onto Trixie's back and grabbed her mane. Using it as a handle, she smashed the bloody equine's face into to hard floor repeatedly. After a few hits, she flipped the pony over and started punching her in the face again. After three or four hits, she dropped Trixie and drew her blade. "It's over, Trixie..." She hissed. Trixie could only tremble and spit up blood in response. Shining Armor had apparently seen enough as he jumped in now to break it up. He placed his hoof onto Twilight's blade. "That's enough, Twilight." The unicorn turned to him and growled. "Don't you want to make her pay, brother? For all she's done... What about Cadance? Or have you forgotten?" Shining Armor tugged on the sword, pulling Twilight to her hooves. His face became a bit more agitated. "I have not forgotten, but this is not you. If you kill her, you'll only be like her. You said yourself, everypony gets a fair trial." Twilight was protesting already. "She deserves punishment..." "And she will have it, but we must do it the right way. That is the way of Equestria. It's the way that Celestia wanted, and the way you fought for. Don't let everything we've worked for fall apart because of your anger." He explained. Twilight fell silent as she contemplated it. "Calm yourself, little sister..." He instructed. The purple unicorn finally sighed and allowed the magic around her to calm itself. With a nod she touches her forehead to her brother's. "Thank you, big brother... You saved me from a terrible mistake." Trixie was chuckling softly. Though she was doing so through a bloody lip, it was evident she was chuckling. "What's so funny?" Shining grunted. Trixie points as a griffon swoops in and grabs her. Before any of us could react, he brought her to the balcony she started on. "Fortunately... You stalled long enough for me to make my escape..." She bragged. The griffon turned to us with a scowl. I took note of the large scar going down his face and beak. Our attention on him however was broken when we heard another mare's voice. "Trixie!" We all turned, and sure enough, Rainbow Dash jolted into the room. She flipped and landed on her hooves weapon drawn. Next to Trixie, another cloaked pony stepped out from beside her. She removed her hood to reveal a bright orange mane, and a yellow coat. Her and Dash locked eyes as her attention left Trixie. "Rainbow Dash..." She finally spoke. Dash remained silent. "It's good to see you're still alive, however I suggest you stay out of our way." She turned and with Trixie and the griffon, they stepped into some kind of wormhole that they had made. After the last one went through, it closed. I approached Dash. "Who was that?" The rainbow maned pony lowered her head. "My mentor... The only pony that I've never been able to defeat... Spitfire..."
Mist	1148	25	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-09-21T18:37:47+00:00	2017-01-04T15:40:56+00:00	362	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Twenty-Four (Knights Saga) "So explain to me again, who is Spitfire?" I questioned a rather occupied Rainbow Dash who was doing a ridiculous amount of push ups. Ever since the run in a few days ago, she had been training non-stop to get stronger, faster and fiercer. I noticed in her sparring she was far more aggressive than any other time I'd seen her. Her sparring partners were starting to get harder and harder to find, as nopony wished to practice with her. Dash counted upwards as she continued, she was in the two hundreds as she answered with a bit of strain. "I told you... She was the former captain of the Wonderbolts, and my mentor. She taught me to fight before I was a commander. She is also the only pony that has ever bested me in a spar. I've never beaten her." A pony that scared Dash? I wondered if this pony really could be such a huge threat. I looked to the strained Dash with concern. "Why would she work for Trixie though? I mean what would drive her to be one of Trixie's allies?" With a shrug, Dash finished her push ups as she reached three hundred. "Beats the hell out of me, nor do I care. All that's important is she is working for Trixie and for that reason alone she has to die. Problem now is finding a way to kill her..." "You're Rainbow Leanne Dash, nopony can beat you." I pointed out. "Cockiness is the first step towards overconfidence, which is the first step to defeat. Never think yourself invincible. That's something I had to learn the hard way, I don't need you repeating my mistakes, Flare." She began doing some sit ups now. It was strange how she called me Flare instead of "kid", now. Perhaps she recognized my military status. "Right... Sorry..." I apologized. Pinkamena had decided to give us a visit at that moment, she gestured for me to come with her as she stood at the door. I looked to Rainbow who nodded in approval. Pinkamena gave Dash a gentle wave which Dash returned with a scowl. It was clear that she wasn't too thrilled about seeing her again and that their previous friendship was no more. I imagined it had something to do with her comments prior. Once we had exited the room, the doctor smiled as she lead me out into the lobby of the hotel. She spoke when we were far from Dash's ear. "So Twilight has you hunting down elements?" "How do you know about that? That information is classified." I rose a brow. She giggled a bit before playfully swatting at my cheek. "Flare, there are few secrets that can be kept from me." It still concerned me that she could acquire military secrets with little effort. The doctor reached into her bag and retrieved a golden necklace with a balloon emblem. My eyes widened as I realized what it was. "H-how...?" She rolled her eyes from behind her glasses. "I am the element of laughter after all. Though I want you to have this." I squinted in confusion. "Why?" "Laughter is more than just senseless giggling. It's hope. It's how we get over the bad things happening. And I already found my source of hope." She smiled as she placed the necklace in my bag. "Really... What's that?" I kept my eyes on my bag as she placed it in. "You. You're hope." I gave her a puzzled expression. "How am I hope?" Dr. Pie grinned and placed a hoof upon my cheek. "You left SkyVale for this place. You honestly believe that this world can be saved, something that many who live here don't believe. You're the embodiment of hope." I shrugged. "I wasn't doing much else in SkyVale." "Your reasons are irrelevant. Just keep that element close. It has great power, and it may save your life." She winked as she took her hoof off of my cheek and set it back on the ground. The two of us had started heading outside at that point. We had only made up a few blocks before we saw a cloaked pony start to follow us. "I think we got company..." I whispered trying not to bring too much attention to him. Pinkamena turned her head in a very unsubtle manner to view our follower. "Who are you?" She asked. I leaned in to whisper again. "I was being quiet to not bring attention to it..." She dismissed me and repeated herself. "I said, who are you? Show your face." The creature sniffed a few times before speaking. "Flour... You smell like flour..." "What's he talking about?" I looked to her to find she had frozen in her tracks. Dr. Pie fell completely silent as she finally took a step forward and placed her hoof on the hood of the creature in front of us. With a gentle movement she slid the hood off of his face. The hairless creature stared back at her with glowing blue eyes. His skin had not a patch of fur on it. I had only heard of these monsters before, but had never actually seen one. A changeling. "Dr. Pie..." His face contorted to a grin as he saw her. "Over seven years since I've seen you..." She reaches forward carefully and places a hoof on his cheek. The changeling held still and let her feel his face. Her hoof contoured his features carefully before he finally placed his own hole filled hoof atop of hers. "I thought..." "No," he interrupted. "I'm still alive. I've been here... Waiting. I've lived with my head down and in disguise all this time. I knew that you would find a way to escape your fate..." She nodded, "I got lucky. All the events that transpired happened at a convenient time. If Trixie had not fired that weapon at that exact moment, then the execution may have gone just as planned." She was obviously referring to the story Vinyl had told me on our way to Cloudsdale about her reasons for disliking Pinkamena. "I don't understand..." I was trying to make sense of what was happening. The bug-like pony smiled and offered a hoof to Pinkamena who took it in her own. "There's much you should know, stranger." --- Dr. Pie had just finished attending to her patients for the day when she trotted into the primary office of the hospital. She took note of the rather inattentive clerk behind the counter in the waiting room. She was as plain and uninterested as ever. Pinkamena brushed her mane out of her eye and approached the counter. The clerk looked up only half interested at the mare. "Yes, Doctor?" "I am finished with my duties for the day. I'm going to be in my office unless you have any patients out here who are in a hurry and need examination. I'll take one or two of them to reduce your line a bit." The pink pony spoke as she adjusted her glasses. The clerk chuckled a bit. "Why not take the bug?" She gestured to the corner of the room. Pinkamena scanned that corner to see a changeling sitting in the chair. Around him were several abandoned seats. It appeared as though everypony else in that waiting room purposely sat away from him. There were some even trying to stare at the wall just so they wouldn't have to look in his general direction. Her eyes stayed locked on him as she spoke to the clerk. "What's his story?" The clerk shrugged. "Came in saying his front hoof was bothering him, has no insurance or money. I told him he can wait here to see of any of the doctor's are feeling charitable today." "I take it none have?" The doctor questioned. With a laugh the clerk shook her head. "He's been sitting there for around four hours. Says he won't leave until he gets some kind of help. Too bad he doesn't realize nopony is going to examine a bug." Dr. Pie was only half listening when she responded. "Send him to my office. I'll examine him." She began stepping away and back towards her office after. "You can't be serious..." The clerk called out to her. She raised a hoof as she went through the door calling back. "I am, send him in." With a sigh, the mare behind the counter gestured for the changeling to get up. He pointed to himself, unsure if she was being serious. She nodded and he approached the desk, avoiding stepping on the pained hoof he had come for. "Follow this hallway and go to Dr. Pie's office. She's decided to be generous to you, though I'm not sure why. Seldom is Dr. Pinkamena Diane Pie known to express any kind of sympathy." The clerk informed. The changeling merely nodded and slowly made his way through the double doors to the doctor's office. After a short walk, he poked his head into the room. Pinkamena took notice and ushered him inside. Obeying he sat himself on the examination bed. The doctor sat in front of him and took his hoof in her own as she began to check it over. He quickly shot out an "I don't have any insurance" response. Pinkamena nodded as she examined. "So you speak Equestrian then." She replied. He nodded. "I learned a bit back in my home hive, and more when I came here." Pinkamena kept her eyes on his hoof as she conversed. "What would possess a changeling to leave his hive and live here?" The changeling smiled. "I was a nopony there. I was such a low caste, I had no chance of advancing. Here in Equestria though... I shape my own path." "If the racism here is considered less to deal with than living there then it must have been pretty bad..." She comments. He nods again and keeps his shining eyes on her. She rolled back and took some notes before grabbing a bottle out of her cabinet. "It looks like just a minor sore. Take these one a day for a week and you should be fine in a few days. Also try to stay off of it." "That's easy to say, but if I want to eat then that's not possible." He laughed as he took the bottle. "How so?" The doctor inquired. "I do a lot of odd jobs to cover my expenses. Nopony will hire a changeling officially, so making ends meet it pretty hard. I spend a lot of nights sleeping in the park." He explained. He's perfect... Pinkamena thought. "I'm not supposed to do this..." She paused before closing the door to her office entirely. "But I'll allow you to stay with me if you help me with some research." "You mean it!?" He seemed to agree almost instantly. "Yes, but keep it between us. You have to promise you won't utter a word of what goes on to another soul." She got really close as she spoke of this promise. He nodded eagerly. "Yes, of course!" She sat back in her chair and relaxed. "So what's your name?" "In the hive we all had changeling names. Your kind can not pronounce it..." "No name then... You won't be able to fit it without one..." She sighed. "We usually identify using scent anyways. For example you smell like flour." He grinned. She sat in thought for a minute. "Scent then... That'll be your name. From now on you answer to Scent, alright?" He nodded. "Very well, I'm Scent from now on." --- Weeks had passed since the changeling came to stay with the doctor. She had fed him, taken him in and allowed him to use her apartment freely while she was at work. Despite all that though, she didn't seem particularly "caring". She always had an uninterested look in her eye whenever doing anything. The changeling approached her with worry. "Dr. Pie... I have been here for a while, and not that I'm not grateful, but why exactly are you allowing me to stay here...?" Pinkamena set down the dish she was washing and turned around. "So, you want to know?" Scent nodded. She gestured for him to come with her. "I was just getting a bath ready, come join me in the bathroom and I'll fill you in." Hesitantly he walked with her. She led him to the bath where she submerged herself carefully and gestured for him to sit at the edge of the tub. Obeying, he plopped his rear on the ground and awaited instruction. "Wash my mane for me?" She offered a shampoo bottle. Taking it, Scent began to squirt it in her mane then work it into a lather. "Scent, you may be the key to an experiment I am conducting. The elimination of genetic defect, disease, illness of any kind and even plastic surgery... You may be the piece of the puzzle I have been lacking." She explained. "Doesn't sound like me." He shrugged. "Its your DNA, your genetics. Your ability to transform... It may be key to solving these problems." She informed. He frowned at that news. "But a change is in appearance only. It wouldn't write out anything like that." "Yet," Pinkamena smirks. It was the first time he had ever seen her smile. It was actually far better than he expected. He always knew that her gorgeous face would be made better with a smile. He'd be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive. Hell, he found himself crushing on her for some time now. "What do you say, Scent? Will you help me change medical science forever?" She turned around to bring her face inches from his. He bit his lip, a bit unsure. However once he locked eyes with her, he knew his answer. With a nod, he spoke quietly. "Yes..." --- I stood quietly as I waited for Pinkamena to finish her story. She looked back over to the changeling with a smile. "Medicine changed forever after that... You and I changed everything... And nopony even knows about it..." Scent nodded. "I've kept it to myself all this time. However there is another reason I am here today, Dr. Pie." Pinkamena tilted her head. "And what reason might that be?" The stallion took a step forward and took her hoof in his own. Getting closer he glanced into her eyes. "Dr. Pinkamena Diane Pie... I've waited a long time for this... You were the only pony that saw me as more than a bug..." He smiled a bit. "I waited all this time to see you again. I love you and I don't care if it's mutual, I just wanted to be able to say that and to tell you that although I don't have much to offer you, I'd do anything I can to give you the best life I can..." Pinkamena fell silent as he spoke. She waited for him to finish. "That's the only reason I'm still here in Canterlot. I hoped you'd return. I've faced constant discrimination but it was all worth it for a chance to see you." His grin grew larger. "So what do you say?" "I..." She began, but paused. He lit up more as he leaned in. "I've waited a long time, Pinkamena. Just give it to me straight." She nodded and sighed. "Scent..." His smile remained. "You should go find your own kind. There's no better life for you here..." "And what of you?" He replied. Pinkamena took her hoof back. "I'm sorry, but I just don't feel about it the way you do. We were lab partners and experiments, but that was a long time ago. I can't return your feelings, I'm sorry." To my surprise the changeling merely nodded before responding. "I understand. One can not force another to love. You are a very mysterious creature, Pinkamena. However I have no regrets in telling you." "What will you do now?" I joined in the conversation. He sighed and looked in my direction. "I think I'll take the Doctor's advice. Go see if there are any other changelings out there. Perhaps I can find a home with them." He turned back to Pinkamena with a smile, "you're always welcome to come visit." He added. She nodded with a blank expression. "Have a good life, Scent. For the both of us." He nodded and turned his back to us. "So long, Flour scented mare. I'll never forget what you've done for me." He winked as he started to trot away. After he had made enough distance to where I was certain he couldn't hear us, I turned to Pinkamena. "I don't get it... What was he to you?" She kept her vision on him in the distance. "Maybe the only pony I ever loved..." I blinked. "Go after him then!" She shook her head. "He'll be happier this way. A life with me would only lead to misery. He's better off with his own kind, as he'd only face worse treatment for being with me. This way he can be truly happy." A smile grew on her face. I sat on the ground and just watched with her as the changeling finally vanished from our sight. I suppose that I would never truly understand love. "Good bye, Scent." She whispered.
Mist	1148	26	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-09-30T04:49:33+00:00	2017-01-04T15:50:26+00:00	414	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Twenty-Five (Rainbow Dash Saga Part 2) A young Rainbow Dash took a sip from her drink as a she smiled at the mare across from her at this fine restaurant. She wasn't one for dressing formal, so she had worn her wonderbolts hoodie, despite everypony else wearing far less casual attire, even the farm girl across from her. Though to be fair that same farm girl had shed her familiar stetson and pony tail. In their place she donned a single gold hoop earring on her upper right ear. If you didn't hear her talk you would even be fooled into thinking she was another city girl. Her accent betrayed her disguise though. "So, y'all are a wonderbolt Ah' see. Ah've seen ya' on the TV from time to time. Part of me still can't believe that little filly's dream of bein' on the wonderbolts cams true, let alone become the captain." The farmer said, trying to make conversation. Rainbow nodded. She was a little excited about catching up with her old friend after so long. It had been over three years since they saw each other. "I told you I was going to do it. However I couldn't have done it without your encouragement. I mean you kept telling me to follow my dreams and I just listened." Applejack just gave a dismissive hoof. "Pony feathers. It was all you. Y'all didn't need ol' me to be great. Y'all were already great before Ah' showed up." "I was a great show off." Dash admitted. Applejack rolled her eyes as she sipped her drink. "Y'all sure have overcome that quality though. Ah' noticed y'all haven't bragged once about what you've been doing since we met back up the other day." Rainbow shrugged as she took a bite of her salad. She chewed and swallowed before answering. Applejack was surprised that she also developed table manners in her time away. "Yes, well... I kind of learned that nopony likes a show off..." She rubbed her neck a bit before giving a sheepish grin. "Plus its not professional." Applejack giggled at the thought and swallowed. "Y'all sure have a big exciting life, Dash." Rainbow shook her head. "Enough about me, that's all you've wanted to talk about all night. My life is all over TV, if you want to see it go watch the sports channel. I only get so many chances to hear about you. What's going on in your life, AJ? Why are you here in Canterlot?" AJ bit her lip, unsure of how to answer. "Just work really... Ah' got a normal job at a convenience store... Savin' up for mah' own place. Nothing to tell really... Just tryin' to get by." She shrugged hoping they'd drop the subject. Dash leaned in with genuine interest. "Why up here in the city?" "Little work in Ponyville." AJ lied. Fortunately, Dash's extensive time away from Ponyville made her knowledge of the job market there very poor, so she had no way of telling if AJ was giving her the truth or not. "I guess that makes sense... It is a very small town after all." Dash leaned back in her chair nodding. AJ exhaled in relief that Dash bought her lie and didn't press the matter. It was one of the last things she wished to discuss today. "So, wanna hang out at your place after we finish eating? I mean I'd love to see where you're staying," Dash changed the subject. "Ah'd much rather see your apartment. Mine is rather small and uninterestin', Ah'm sure your’s is far more interestin'." AJ replied. Dash rolled her eyes but nodded. She figured it wasn't out of the ordinary for a pony to be starstruck when seeing her, even if that pony was a long time friend. The excitement of her being famous probably made any in her vicinity very nervous. "Well, why don't we swing by now?" AJ bit her lip, but thought it over for a moment. Part of her said no, but the other part was screaming yes. How she wished she could just say yes at the top of her lungs, but she knew that was unwise. Trying to remain quiet about it, she leaned in. Dash taking note of her actions leaned in as well. "Ah'd love to." She said. Dash grinned as she placed a hoof on Applejack's hoof. "Then what are we waiting for?" --- They had hardly gotten in the door before the two of them could not contain themselves anymore. They had already locked their upper bodies in embrace as they both struggled for control. Lips forcefully pressing against each other, they rolled across the wall as they kept reversing who had whom pinned against it. Trying to get the other out of their attire as they did so. AJ tries to speak between lips smacking and unzipping Dash's hoodie. "Ah... Ah've been... Watchin' you... Since we met... Y'all were always so sexy..." She admitted, as her face turned bright red. Dash yelped a bit as Applejack took a bite at her exposed neck. "I've always been pretty fond of you too..." She replies between gasps. Applejack managed to guide the both of them into Rainbow's bedroom where she pushed the prism mare onto her own blue sheets. With a quick motion she leapt onto the bed with her and crawled on top of her. Wasting no time, she sunk her teeth back into the mare's neck. Dash of course responded with another yelp, but obviously enjoying it as she craned her neck to allow better access. "Ah've waited too long for this..." AJ growled between bites. "W-well there's.. N-no need to rush it though..." Dash gasped. "Right..." AJ blushed as she slowed down her biting. Dash giggled as she ran a hoof through AJ’s mane affectionately. Part of AJ knew this was wrong, she knew that Dash would find out the truth eventually, but she didn't care at that moment. She was only seconds away from her fantasies coming true, and she wasn't going to let prior obligation stand in her way. Temptation was too hard to resist. --- Rainbow, rushed to surprise her old friend with a visit. She had figured out her address from the other night by checking in her clothing after that lust filled night. She wanted to show up and perhaps show the mare another good time; provided she was okay with that. She was still tingling a bit from the other night. She took a deep breath as she approached the door carefully. With a gentle knock, she straightened herself out as she adjusted her suit. Her wonderbolts mask resting off of her head, and her goggles lifted. To her surprise an older stallion answered the door. She blinked for a moment and peeked around him. "Oh... I uh... I was looking for Applejack... I must have the wrong address..." He shook his head. "Nope, this is her address... Say... Aren't you... Rainbow Dash!? Captain of the wondeebolts!?" He had switched right into crazed fan mode in a second. She nodded as she offered her hoof, which he gladly shook. "What's your relation to Applejack?" He asked, not letting her hoof go. "She's a long time friend." Dash finally took her hoof back. He turned to talk to another pony inside. "You never told me that you were friends with Rainbow Dash!" Applejack stepped up to the door with a sheepish smile on her face. "Heh... Ah guess it never came up..." Dash was certain that since they had been hanging out for the past four days that it would have come up at some point. It was more evident that Applejack purposely did not bring it up. The stallion smiled as he petted the mare's mane. He turned back to Dash, "The name's Bass. I'm a big fan, and this little thing is my fiance." He winks at AJ as he says that last part. "Was there something you needed, Ms. Dash?" He added. Dash just stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what was going on. Trying to decide if she wants to know. However being put on the spot made her have to come up with a quick reply. "Uhhh... Yeah... I just wanted to take AJ to my show today. I'd invite you too, Mr. Bass, however I only have one guest pass." She lied. His ears droop a bit, but he nods. "Awwww, lucky. Well I hope you two have a great time! I actually have to get heading to work soon anyways." "Come on, AJ, I want to show you the stadium..." Dash gestured for her to follow. Knowing that awkward conversation awaited, she nodded and followed behind, though keeping a small distance and her head down. Dash actually took her all the way to the stadium without a word exchanged between the two. AJ was already waiting for the scolding that awaited her, and figured Dash brought her here so there would be nopony to interject, and sure enough the stadium was empty at this hour. "Rainbow... Ah..." She started, but Dash placed a hoof to her lips. A small smile crept onto her face as she spoke. "We only have about an hour or so before they come to set up the stadium, so we haven't got much time." AJ blinked, unsure of what was going on. Dash made it more apparent by pushing her onto one of the stands next to them and crawling over her. "D-Dash..." She blushed. "Hm?" Dash replied. She wanted to ask what was going on. She wanted to ask why Dash wasn't mad about the fact she hid a fiance from her, hell she wanted to ask a lot of things, but only one statement came to her lips at that moment. "Y'all look sexy as hell in that uniform..." Dash smirked. "I bet I'd look sexier with you wrapped around me." Applejack could feel her cheeks burning. "Y-yes ma'am..." She bit her lip as she allowed herself to become submissive to the strong mare in front of her. --- For the next week or so, that was the nature of their relationship. Meeting casually in front of Bass, acting as two old friends catching up, then the moment he was not looking, returning to desires for each other. It was the most complete that either of them felt. Neither seemed to want to acknowledge the fact that what they had was an affair. Dash never asked about Bass, and Applejack never spoke of him. She had determined it was best for the both of them if the subject of him never came up. Regardless though, it could not be ignored forever. Eventually he would catch wind of what was happening. Applejack stood there with her fiance while he checked for cereal. "Which do you like more?" The farm girl just shrugged. "Get whatever y'all want..." He sighed as gave her an annoyed expression. "I asked which one you like." "And Ah said Ah don't give a damn..." AJ rolled her eyes. He growled and swung his hoof at her. The impact made a loud slapping sound, only causing AJ to turn her head. No flinch, no scream, just acceptance of the pain. "Now go pick out something you want... I am sick of having this argument and I am sick of the sass. All you ever do is backsass me. I am tired of never getting a straight answer out of you..." He instructed. "Sure..." She sighed as she trotted off into the next isle muttering curses under her breath. She froze though the moment she came to that isle. There standing in the middle of the isle was none other than Rainbow Dash, and staring right at Applejack with angry eyes. Applejack stuttered, trying to figure out what to say. "D-Dash..." Rainbow raised a hoof and turned around making her exit. Hesitating for a second, AJ gave chase, following her out of the store. "Dash, listen..." Dash raised another hoof. "There is nothing you can say to me right now that will make me less pissed off." "Dash, he came into the picture first. Y'all waltzed off to the wonderbolts and expected mah' life not to advance until y'all decided to pop back in?" AJ protested. Dash pivoted around and met her face to face. "How long will it take before you decide you're tired of being treated like that?" She lowered her head. "Ah'm not as strong as you, Dash..." Dash nodded and wadded up her hoodie and tossed it to the mare. "Call me when you're ready to be a grown up. When you're ready to have a life and done being his slave." "Dash..." She tried to remedy the situation. "Save it." Dash flapped her mighty wings and took to the sky. --- I looked at the solemn Rainbow Dash as we sat there on two rocks out in the ruins waiting for Twilight to give us another order. We had been on a scouting mission to plan the best route of attack on Trixie's stronghold. However when she had given the order to hold tight while she researched a better route, we both sat down for hours waiting for her signal. During that time, we had shot a few savages, and had a drink or two. Then of course Dash told me the story of her and Applejack. "So what happened then?" I asked, taking another swig of the canteen. Taking it from my hooves, she sipped some down herself. "I never saw her again." "Did you ever move on?" I asked. She shrugged. "I had some relationships with a few stallions and a mare or two, but they all felt pretty empty. Usually ended the same way; me breaking it off because I felt so detached from it all. By the time my sister came into the picture, she became everything my life was about." "You really loved Applejack didn't you?" I got really quiet. She shrugged again. "I couldn't tell you. I don't even know what love is to be honest..." That statement sounded so familiar. "That's a cute story." Another voice spoke, followed by the sound of a blade being pulled. Dash and I both turned around weapons at the ready. Dash's expression dipped as she saw the mare standing there. The exact same yellow mare who stood next to Trixie a few weeks ago, her black cloak swaying slightly in the gentle wasteland air, and her tidy mane holding its shape quite well. "Spitfire..." Dash growled. "Rainbow Dash... Its been so long since we've spared hasn't it?" She smiled a bit as the two began to circle each other. "Tell me, are you just as weak as you were then?" Dash hissed her answer. "I have a reason to fight now..." Spitfire laughed a bit. "That's what you said last time. Why not just surrender, Dash... You know you can't beat me..." "Then what? Join you? Never." Spitfire readied, her sword, and Dash did the same. I stood back, knowing that I had no place in this fight, and if Spitfire was as good as Dash said she was, then all I'd do is get in the way. "If you go back to living in some hole in the ruins, then I won't be forced to hurt you..." Spitfire responded. "I am sick of your condescending talk. That's all you ever did, talk down to me." Dash started waving her sword a bit in intimidation. "Then perhaps we should do something about that... Let this be the final time our swords meet..." The yellow mare suggested. Dash lowered her body, ready to attack. "To the death then..." Spitfire nodded. "Let only one of us leave here today." Dash smirked. "I warn you now... The Rainbow Edge is invincible." "It'll take more than a fancy sword to slay me." Spitfire bragged. Quickly, Dash bolted forward with a lunge attack. Spitfire was just fast enough to block it. Dash then twirled and strikes again against her old mentor's blade. Then again, and again and again, moving so quickly she was trying all she could to keep Spitfire on the defensive, which unfortunately seemed to be something Spitfire was good at. "You fight with much more vigor than before. You're much faster." Spitfire praised as she continued to block. Dash jumped back and unleashed a few rounds on Spitfire. Thinking quickly, Spitfire sliced at the air a few time and watched as the bullets fell to the ground in halves. She looked up to Dash confidently, "You'll have to do better than that..." "With pleasure!" Dash yelled as she went right back to striking. Spitfire returned to defending, with no signs of even minor struggle in keeping Dash at bay. Dash was giving it her all, yet Spitfire was more or less shrugging it off. Finally Spitfire thrust he free hoof forward and jabbed Dash in the gut, pushing her back. With a cough and wheeze, the warrior shook her head and returned to her fighting stance within seconds. Spitfire merely grinned. "Is that all? You seemed to have gotten weaker... Maybe if I killed your friend, I'd actually get some fight out of you..." She looked to me with a grin. Dash stamped her hoof in the dirt. "Leave him out of this. This is between you and me... Let's do this..." "Very well..." Spitfire finally went on the offensive and began hacking at Dash with incredible agility. Dash moved quickly, but she was struggling to keep up and block every swing. "Come on, Dash, show me your full potential." Her attacker teased. Grunting from trying to hold her off, Dash was clearly getting annoyed. "Shut up." The confident Spitfire began to speed up her attacks. "Just as I thought. You're nothing more than a figurehead now. The valiant warrior you once were died with the death of your friend, Rarity whom you weren't good enough to save." Dash growled and hit her enemy’s sword back. "You shut up about that!" "What's wrong? Did I touch a nerve? The truth sucks doesn't it. You could never have saved her, you aren't strong enough and you have no reason to fight." Spitfire mocked. Dash stood back as I noticed a small glow in her eyes. "I fight for loyalty. I fight to protect my home, and my friends. You want to see power? You want to see what the power of loyalty can do?" Her entire body started to glow as she spoke. Spitfire merely watched. "I don't need anything else to defeat you, just the power of LOYALTY!" She yelled as her body emitted a large burst of energy, sending Spitfire back a few feet. When the dust settled, Dash stood there with a familiar necklace, this one with a lightning bolt on it. Her eyes glowed a fierce red, and her back had a pair of glowing wings made out of some kind of light sticking to it. Dash raised her glowing sword and beckoned for Spitfire to get closer. "Come get it..." Spitfire nodded and bolted forward, their swords locking again. The fight eventually took to the air, as the two allowed their wings to lift them while they clashed. They allowed their blades to tangle with each other repeatedly while they tried to bring the other down. I could see the determination in both of them, they truly were ready to fight to the death. They were ready to walk home with the other's head in hoof. "I see you learned a thing or two..." Spitfire complimented as she took another swing. Rainbow didn't respond, instead she sliced at the air, sending some kind of energy wave of prism colors, followed by another two before jumping forward. Spitfire hacked right through the waves and dispersed them just as quickly before leaving her with just enough time to block Dash's physical assault. Another mighty strike sent the both of them back to the ground and holding their blades ready for another attack. "It looks like we're evenly matched... I'm quite surprised..." The yellow Pegasus replied. "We will never be even. You're scum for joining that traitor." Dash reminded. "One part I don't get... Why?" Dash's voice sounded rather distorted as she spoke. Spitfire took a glance at a screen on her weapon and sighed. "It'll have to wait until later." She grinned as she lowered her blade. "Don't go dying before we have a chance to finish this, Dashie." Dash growled as she charged forward. Spitfire threw a cracked brick at the ground and vanished in a mist before Dash could strike her. Dash's glowing eyes settled, and her temporary wings vanished after a few seconds. "Damn it..." "Are you alright?" I ran to meet her. Dash nodded as she let her rear land on the ground. "Just really tired is all... To be honest, I thought not even the element of harmony would put me on par with her..." "Well, at least its over..." I reminded. Dash shook her head. "She'll be back..." I had already guessed as much, but didn't want to say it.
Mist	1148	27	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-10-02T22:01:30+00:00	2017-01-04T16:48:26+00:00	402	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Twenty-Six (The Rainbow Dash Saga Part 2) Twilight unrolled a scroll onto the table in the war room, addressing all of the important military leaders as she placed a map in the center. Unfortunately, Dash had declined to return to the Rainbow Raiders, leaving me in charge of them, so I was attending this meeting as well. Twilight was adamant on her plan of pressuring Dash back into the military for good. Rainbow Dash however was still present for this meeting, given her battle expertise. Though none of us were quite certain why we had been summoned. Twilight began making some marks on the large map before Vinyl finally interrupted (as expected). "What's going on? You dragged our asses out of bed without so much as a word of what kind of orders you're giving." The purple unicorn looked up and slapped Vinyl across the face. "Don't smart mouth with me. I am not in the mood right now. You will get your orders when I give them to you, do you understand soldier?" Vinyl adjusted her jaw and nodded with a smirk. "Yes, sir," she mocked. "Wipe that grin off your face, I have some important intel and I want everypony in this room to pay close attention." Twilight glanced around at the rest of us while removing her glasses. "What's going on, general?" I asked. Twilight's vision turned to me. Her cockatrice eye making me shake a little. "Recent intel has reported seeing Trixie mobilizing a large attack force..." "How large?" Her brother Shining Armor chimed in. Twilight's response was quick, "Over three million." The room fell silent for a moment. Nopony dared speak but Vinyl. "Sounds like her entire army." "At least eighty percent of it. They have been heading right this way for the past two days. They will arrive here by this time in three days." Twilight informed. "Why?" I rose a brow. Vinyl answered for Twilight, "Trixie is going to try and finish the job. She doesn't care about the anti-darkness barrier anymore. She's going to take her chances and hopes that overwhelming us with numbers will win her this fight..." Twilight nodded. "It appears that way..." Rainbow finally decided to add her input. "How many are within the city?" Twilight bit her lip, not wanting to answer, however knowing she had to, she responded. "100,000 lives, around 40,000 military; the rest civilian..." "Do we have extra weapon for the civilians in the event the barrier fails? To give these ponies a fighting chance?" Rainbow asked. Twilight gave a solemn look and set her hooves on the table. "Ms. Rainbow Dash, I have run this military for a long time. I have watched my statistics carefully, and I am here to tell you its not a matter of "if" its a matter of when." Twilight sighed before sitting in her chair. "The barrier will fall, it can not take the force of three million soldiers attacking it. It will fall, and Canterlot will be no more." "You say it as if you've already given up..." Her brother spoke. "I have not given up, I have accepted reality. Canterlot will fall in three days, and all 100,000 ponies within it will perish or fall to the darkness." Twilight scolded. "Could we evacuate?" Another stallion suggested. "Where would we go?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "We have no choice... We have to make a stand. We fight with all we have..." Vinyl nodded and grinned. "We give them hell. If they take this city, let's not just hand it over to them. We'll defend it until every last one of us is dead!" "Any other bright ideas?" Twilight sighed. Luna finally spoke up. "Actually, Vinyl's idea sounds appealing..." Quickly turning to Luna, Twilight's brow rose. "You can't be serious... Its suicide..." "Running away is also suicide. Vinyl's plan could at least get us Trixie before its over. Remember the intel showed her marching right with them. We may be able to lure her out. If we go down we can at least get Trixie first." Luna explained. Twilight, and the rest of us all looked to Dash. She thought for a moment and nodded. "I like it..." "Then that's what we'll do. Maybe we might even get lucky, and getting Trixie will give us an edge." Twilight nodded. It was a long shot, but at that point we were desperate. "Alright, ponies... Go get prepared... Soon... We go to war." Twilight instructed. --- Rainbow Dash stood in her quarters preparing her war fittings. Fresh new armor, and enough ammunition to stop a tank, Twilight wanted to make sure she was fitted with the best that the military had to offer. Dash was performing a few practice strikes at a training dummy she kept in her room. Each strike more aggressive than the last. With a quick glance over to the mirror, she flexed one of her hooves. What was once thin and emaciated was now full and muscular. She had all the cuts and trims of a proper warrior again. It had been a long time since she had seen herself like this. As she admired herself in the mirror, the voice of Twilight interrupted. "So you're okay with this plan?" Rainbow just looked at Twilight through the mirror as she continued to check her body out. "I already know why you're here, Twilight." Twilight rose a brow. "And why do you think that is?" Dash grunted, "You're here to tell me not to kill Trixie. To tell me that we're better than that and we need to capture her, due process and all that shit." Twilight shook her head and took a step forward, placing a hoof on Dash's shoulder. Dash turned to see the hoof. "Actually, I was going to tell you to give her a stab for me..." Rainbow blinked, a bit uncertain of if she was hearing correctly. "You want me to..." "Kill her, Rainbow. That is the only justice now... Making her atone for her crimes..." Twilight was very quiet, clearly not wanting to admit it. "Why me?" Dash asked. "You're the only one who can. You've had your sights sent on her head for so long... If any pony is determined enough to kill her, its you. Hell, if anypony is deserving enough to kill her, its you." Twilight explained. Dash nodded and tightened the strap on her blade. "Trixie's reckoning comes tomorrow. I ask that you let my team all fight, even Vinyl..." Twilight smirked. Dash turned to her with a puzzled expression. "What?" "They didn't tell you?" She grinned wider. "Vinyl is one of the first ponies coming out of the gate, and I've given her the new chaingun attachments to her blades." Rainbow laughed. "You've either given the enemy hell... Or just gave powerful toys to a monster." "I'll take my chances. Right now, the benefits outweigh the risks." Rainbow nodded as she turned back to the mirror. "Let us hope that we do not run out of time." --- I stood on the balcony with the leaders of the Equestrian military. I was in complete disbelief that I was not only here, but I was about to lead into battle in perhaps the most historic fight that would ever take place in Equestria. Twilight was calling it "The Last Stand". Twilight ushered for the crowd below us to settle down. Once the noise had died down, she had called for Rainbow Dash to come forward and speak. Hesitantly she approached and tapped the microphone. She paused before finally speaking up. "I'm going to keep this short..." She began. After she looked around the room for a minute she nodded. "Give 'em hell." The crowd roared with excitement at her simple words. That was all she had to say on the matter, as she stepped down and allowed Vinyl to come forward. Right then and there I knew that this would be a speech to be remembered for ages. "Citizens of Equestria..." She started. The room fell silent. "Today... We march into battle..." She paused. "Many of you... Will not return. However Trixie thinks she can kill Equestria. She may be able to kill us, but the idea of Equestria will never die..." The crowd started to chatter. "She thinks we are weak... But we are not weak, we are 100,000!" Every single pony in the room screamed with glee at her words. Vinyl certainly was proving she was in fact the voice of Equestria. "Let us go down fighting... Let death be our rest!" The crowd roared again. "Let us not stop until every stallion, mare and foal can not fight any longer! Let us paint the ground with blood! Let us retrieve Trixie's head as a trophy for all of Equestria! Let us fight for our fallen brothers and sisters! Let's do this for Equestria!" The noise in the room was relentless. Vinyl had them eating out of her hoof. "Today we march into battle, let us bring swift death to the traitors if Equestria!" She paused and rose a hoof in the air. "Long live the empire!" In unison, every single pony in the room, and perhaps all of Canterlot raised a hoof like Vinyl. Even young foals seen through the windows of the castle could be seen with hooves raised. Ready to pledge their lives to the cause. Every citizen had been armed with whatever weapons we could spare, war was truly everywhere. Twilight's last stand assumed damage would be high, and knowing Twilight, she wasn't about to ignore that probability. While Vinyl stood there, Twilight adjusted a monitor and turned it on. A large overhead monitor displayed Trixie's face to the crowd as Twilight conversed with her. "Ah... Miss Sparkle... Have you decided to surrender then?" Trixie's voice echoed through the room. Twilight shook her head. "I wanted to show you something." With that she turned the camera to face the crowd. Trixie's expression dipped as she saw thousands of ponies loyally raising their hooves in a mark of war. She had clearly seen this gesture before. I assumed that this was sort of a signature move by Vinyl. "B-but... You stand no chance..." She assured. "Then you have no choice but to kill us." Twilight grinned. Trixie growled at their confidence, but Twilight interrupted by turning the camera to Rainbow Dash. Trixie's expression grew more horrified as she saw Dash's hoof in the air like Vinyl's. "Trixie... The time has finally come... I will find you..." Trixie grunted. "You'll have to get through my army first, Rainbow Dash." "No army can stop me now. I have made my peace with death, so I do not care what happens to me after this fight. I suggest you do the same, because I am coming to kill you." Rainbow spoke confidently. "It ends today." She added. Trixie smirked. "We shall see about that, Rainbow Dash." Dash didn't seem remotely moved by the threat. It was obvious that she meant what she said, and it would take more than an army to stop her. --- I stepped onto the balcony overhanging the city as I sat down with Rainbow Dash. She was clearly in deep thought as she sat there watching over the city. I sat down next to her and looked at the ponies below with her. "Every pony in the whole city... Getting close to their loved ones... Burying old grudges, and confessing secrets they've held onto for their whole lives... All in the same day..." She commented. I kept my eyes on the ones below. "Why though?" "Isn't it obvious?" She kept a blank expression. "They know, Flare..." "Know what?" She sighed, "That today will be their last chance to do so." I blinked and looked at her. "They aren't stupid, Flare. They know that by this time tomorrow, Canterlot will be gone and all of them either dead or mindless drones to the darkness. They know this is the end of ponykind... The true armageddon..." She spoke softly. I finally spoke what was on my mind. "Can't you stop it from happening?" Dash didn't even look at me. "It would take more than a tired old mare, to destroy such a threat. These old bones will be lucky just to survive this battle..." "Don't talk like that... You're far from old, and you have plenty of fight left in you." I smiled. She turned to me and placed a hoof on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Flare..." "What for?" She sighed, "For luring you out here. For making you come to fix Equestria only to watch it burn in front of you..." I shook my head. "I wouldn't have changed what happened for anything. I grew stronger, I got smarter, and I got to meet the greatest pony I ever knew..." She smiled and patted my shoulder. "These past few months have been truly amazing, Flare... You're quite a friend." I returned the smile and extended my hooves to her. She took the invitation and pulled me close to her in a tight embrace. "You've shown more loyalty than this old mare deserves..." She commented. "You saved my life more times than I can count, Rainbow... I owe you more than I can even give." I said as I rubbed her back. She pulled back to get a look at me. "You've grown up so much in these few months... Its hard to imagine we'll be marching into battle together..." "Let's give 'em hell." I winked. Rainbow nodded in response. "Yes, let's." --- Doomsday had finally arrived. Trixie's army came as expected, in full form. We stood at the gates to Canterlot with weapons drawn as we saw them enter over the horizon. Millions of possessed bodies, controlled by a black mist, tainting their skin. They had a black smoke radiating from their bodies and fierce glowing red eyes. Vinyl stood in front of the group of us with her hoof raised to tell us when to assault. Behind me, Twilight poked my shoulder. I turned to face her. "Yeah?" I nearly whispered. "I want you to head near Luna at point three. You're on my team, I'll explain more when the fight begins." She instructed as she began to trot away. "Wait!" I called back. However it was pointless as she had already made a run for point three. She had split the battlefield up into four points, but insisted that point three only be monitored by a small task force for some reason. I figured I would know why when I arrived. Vinyl's hoof finally set onto the ground, followed by her call. "Attack!!" The roar of thousands of soldiers filled the air as they began firing, picking off as many as they could from a safe distance. Gunfire was the only sound that filled the air, and bodies were the only things about to decorate the dirt today. Vinyl in the lead began firing her normal firearms, clearly reserving her new toy until absolutely necessary. She screamed in delight as she mowed them down with ease. Soon enough they were close enough to return fire. However they seemed to favor close combat; perhaps an order by Trixie to show her arrogance. I kept an eye on Vinyl as I fended a few off. Vinyl was simply slicing and dicing them like cubed cheese, laughing as she did so. "Come get me, you dogs!" She mocked. Keeping my blade alert, I chopped through a few more, hoping to clear a path to point three where I was instructed to go. Still no sign of Rainbow Dash, I prayed she was alright. Vinyl halted in her tracks as she touched a spot on her face. Red liquid leaked from the grazing of a bullet. Vinyl had actually been injured. The wind of the bullet was even enough to crack her glasses. Reaching to her face she grabbed the sunglasses and threw them aside, shattering them. Her red eyes were bloodshot and crazed. "So... That's how it's going to be?" She chuckled and allowed her horn to glow. Within a few seconds her entire body had magic emanating from it as she pulled out her new weapon and open fired. Once she started mowing down the enemies, they started focusing fire on her. Their efforts however we're pointless, as the mare began to laugh while bullets bounced off of her. "Hahahahaha! I am bulletproof! Suck it, you assholes!" She screamed. All around me, I could finally see what Twilight meant about about war. Everywhere, lifeless bodies collapsing, screaming, and swords clashing. Blood flying in every direction; it was true: war is hell. An enemy soldier came forward and attempted to slash at me, however I thrusted my blade forward, ripping his guts with my special weapon before kicking him off my sword and bolting towards the point I was instructed to reach. It only took me a little longer, but once I had cleared a path, I had arrived at the destination without much resistance. Twilight ushered for me to duck beneath the rocks where she hid. Quickly, I bolted over there and got low. "What's going on?" I whispered. She silenced me and gestured to peek forward. Doing so, I noticed Luna standing in the open with her blade drawn. I was a little puzzled. "What's Luna doing there?" Twilight grinned as she stayed low. "You'll see." We had only sat still for about five minutes before something started happening. Out of nowhere, a dark cloaked figure jumped towards Luna with her blade drawn. With the flick of her head, the hood flew off revealing Trixie. She was quite clean and well dressed for a mare out in a battlefield. Not a drop of blood on her. From the other side of Luna, an armored warrior, donning the traditional armor of Trixie's army jumped to Luna's other side. Trixie grinned as Luna looked to both sides. "Gotcha..." She smirked. "Kill her," she instructed the soldier. The armored knight drew her weapon and fired a few rounds at Trixie's feet. Luna took advantage of the confusion to flee. Once she had gotten far enough away, Twilight popped her head up, and cast a spell, placing a force field around the two. Trixie peered around her and then narrowed her eyes at Twilight. "A trap...? You used your own princess as bait!?" She exclaimed. Twilight snickered as Luna came to her side. "It was a risk I was willing to take. You're not the only one who can use trickery to win." Trixie growled. "Slave, break this barrier!" She commanded the armored knight. The creature just stood there silently. "I said break this barrier, slave!" She spoke louder. Lifting their helmet, the dark warrior revealed their face. Slowly tearing off the armor, a familiar cloak began to be exposed and sway in the wind. The same tattered old cloak I had come to admire. Removing the last piece of armor, a determined Rainbow Dash stood in front of the trembling Trixie. This was Twilight's plan; lure Trixie out with Luna as bait, then leave her to Rainbow. Possibly the most clever plan I had ever witnessed. "R-R-rainbow Dash..." Trixie stuttered. Dash drew her blade. "I'm done talking... You die... Now." Trixie took a step back and tried to once again charm her way out of the situation. "Dash... You don't want to kill me... I can help you... The darkness could make you stronger..." Dash took a step forward. "Save it." She growled. Shaking off her fear, Trixie grunted. "Fine... No matter. Even if you are Rainbow Dash, you're no match against the darkness..." She grinned as a black fog began to surround her. "I'll show you what you're missing out on..." She started to laugh as she was completely covered by the same fog. Dash merely stood back, blade still drawn as Trixie began to grow in size and change shape. Her body taking a tall black form of some kind of bipedal giant. Its arms like thick tongues with slimy mucus hanging off of them, similar to its jaw which hung open with thick black slime dripping from it. All adorned with shining red eyes. It lowered itself to Dash's level and screeched something fierce in her face. The monster's mouth was large enough to chew the pegasus up with a single tooth. As spit and slime flung from its mouth, Dash wiped some off of her face, blade still drawn. "Alright... But I warned your other agent before..." She took her battle stance. "Rainbow Edge is invincible." With the swing of its tendrils, it smashed into the ground, sending a shockwave powerful enough to push Twilight and me back. Dash merely jumped over it and landed on top of the tentacle. Once she latched on, the creature swung its other tentacle at her. Thinking quickly, Dash leapt into the air and grabbed onto that one. This time however she pierced it with her blade. When it felt the pain, it shook her violently, trying to get her off of it, to no avail. Dash clinged onto the monster for dear life. Once it had given up on trying to shake her off, she began to climb the appendage. The giant roared as it grabbed Dash in its mouth, clamping it shut. Twilight and I gasped for a second as we saw it swallow the warrior whole. Twilight held a hoof out. "Wait for it..." A second later, Dash's blade jutted out of the roof of the creature's mouth, followed by a hoof smashing right through its mighty fangs, shattering them in an instant. As it roared, it hurled her into the sky. Coming back down, Dash grabbed onto the skull of the monster and stabbed her blade as deep as it would go. The damage she administered was too much for the foul beast. With a roar of pure anguish, it started to fall. With a little more dexterity, Dash jumped off, and landed back on her hooves, blade still drawn. Hitting the ground, the creature dissolved into nothing but black sludge, leaving only Trixie standing in its place. "So... You're a lot stronger than I imagined..." Trixie drew her blade. "No matter, I guess we'll do this the old fashioned way..." "You're dead." Dash replied. Twilight quickly bolted past Dash, a loud slice was heard as she appeared behind her. Blood dripped from Trixie's blade as she stood with a familiar smirk. Dash knelt in pain with a scream as she gripped her side. "Heh... I still know a thing or two about anatomy... A pegasus' wings are the most sensitive spot on their body..." Trixie lectured. Dash gripped the injured wing and looked back at Trixie, whom was already gloating like she had won. Oh how she was mistaken. Rainbow took the wing only hanging on by a thread and gripped it in her teeth. Bracing herself, she gave a quick yank, ripping it clean off. Blood leaking from the place where it stood, she threw the severed wing aside as she turned around to face Trixie. Trixie was needless to say, in shock. "I-impossible..." "I said it before... You're dead..." Dash charged and locked swords with Trixie. "You can't stop me now, Trixie..." Trixie grunted as she jumped back away from Dash's attacks. Rainbow was utilizing the speed she was famous for as she began to strike with all the force in her body against Trixie, who was only able to just barely stop the assaults. It was clear that Trixie wasn't a fighter. Twilight was watching so eagerly that she didn't even notice the call she was getting over her headset. I tapped her shoulder, which made her snap back to reality. Answering she kept it quick. "Yes?" I could hear Vinyl's voice over my headset as well. "We got a fuck ton over here! Where the hell are you? I am a one mare army over here!" Twilight growled and nodded. "Flare, I am going to back her up. Stay here and cover Dash if need be. Make sure nopony interferes with their fight." I didn't even get a chance to answer before she rushed off. Dash was hacking at Trixie, full throttle. Trixie was doing everything she could to get away. "Fight back, you coward!" Dash commanded. Trixie ignored her order and just stayed on the defensive. Dash paused and grinned. "You've never killed any pony before, have you Trixie?" Trixie took a step back. "You always have your goons do your dirty work... Even my sister... You have never killed before..." "Too bad for you, I have!" She bolted forward and attacked again. Trixie rolled out of the way. "And if you kill me, what then? You're still a wingless pegasus. A washed up hero. Killing me won't change anything." Trixie taunted. Dash growled as her body began to glow. "I'll show you what real power is..." Her eyes began to emit the same glow that they did during her fight with Spitfire. Sure enough her "wings" reappeared as the necklace appeared around her neck. Trixie held her sword in a blocking manner as Dash sliced at her, however, when she opened her eyes the blade was cut right in half. Trixie began to cast a spell, however with a swift cut, Dash took her horn clean off her skull as well. --- Back in the heat of battle, Vinyl Scratch hacked away as Twilight made her arrival. It was strange to see her so nonchalant about the entire situation. Vinyl was needless to say, suspicious. As the white unicorn hacked off another head, she gave Twilight a puzzled expression. "Why so calm?" Twilight smirked as she pointed. "I brought the big guns." Vinyl turned to see a pink earth pony trotting onto the battlefield carelessly. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Pinkamena, permitted on the battlefield? She turned to Twilight with a growl. "Why did you let that bitch out here?" Twilight's grin remained. "You're about to find out." Pinkamena removed her glasses carefully and placed them in her saddlebag. With her blade extended she leapt into the air at a Pegasus heading her way. She stabbed it repeatedly before using its body to land safely on the ground. When she lifted her head, Vinyl took note of her mane, which just became like a big ball of cotton candy. Her eyes were bloodshot accompanied by an insane grin as she turned to the rest of the enemies around her. "It's party time..." She giggled. All at once, they all tag teamed on her. Her skills with a blade however were too much for them. She began to slice them up with ease. Not a single pony was able to touch her as she decimated them. One darted at her through the sky, but the pink ball of chaos jumped and grabbed his neck in her teeth. With a tug, she ripped a large chunk of his flesh off and spit it out. Another stallion tried to lunge at her, but she ducked with her blade upright, slicing his stomach open. Vinyl watched carefully. "She's a monster..." Twilight shook her head. "She's Pinkie Pie." Pinkie giggled and laughed while she continued to fight. Before long she had nearly a hundred dead bodies piled around her. "She's a freak of nature..." Vinyl commented. --- Trixie grunted as Dash pinned her right to the ground, her blade against her neck. The energy of the element had worn off, and Trixie was looking the real Rainbow Dash right in the eyes. I approached to get a better view. "Dash... Please... You have no idea what the darkness is capable of..." Trixie pleaded. Rainbow growled as she pressed her sword closer. "Even in death, you're a coward." "Rainbow Dash, please... The darkness can do things worse than death... What would you have done?" Trixie coughed. Up close I could see the blood trickling from where her horn once was. "I would have died..." Dash hissed. "I would have killed myself before I got a chance to become like you." Trixie whimpered as tears began to well up in her eyes. She was even reciting a small prayer as she laid there at Dash's mercy. Rainbow lifted her sword and stood up. "However... I'm not going to kill you..." Trixie blinked and looked up at the merciful Dash. "Wha-wha? Why!?" "Killing you would only make me like you... That's not what Colors wanted... She wanted a world without violence..." She sighed, but grinned. "Besides... I have a better idea..." Trixie gulped. "You fear death... You run from it. And now... You're no use to the darkness. Without your magic, you're worthless as an agent, and you won't allow yourself to become a mindless drone. And you sure as hell can't join the Equestrian military..." Dash's grin widened. "You're trapped on the middle of a war with no side. I can think of no better punishment than making you run away. Forced to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder." Dash's tone was ominous. Trixie trembled from under the "former" Pegasus. Once Dash stepped back, Trixie crawled out from under her quickly. "Now start running... Before I change my mind..." Dash instructed with her blade still ready. Not waiting to be told twice, Trixie tapped on a screen on her weapon and spoke. "Retreat." A voice began to yell back at her, but she cut them off before they got a chance to get two words in. "I said retreat! That is an order!" She turned quickly and began to make a run for it. I trotted out of the safety behind the rocks and sat next to Dash, whom was shuffling through the dirt around me. "Aren't you going to go after her?" I asked. Dash shook her head and picked up an object front the ground. "No. She deserves to live, death would be freeing her of her torment." I shrugged and decided that she would know better than me. The mare held her hoof out and offered me the severed horn. Not sure why, I took the bloody stub in my hoof. "Take that to Twilight, tell her that Trixie will not be bothering her any longer." She sighed as she sat down on a rock, panting a bit. I nodded and placed the horn into my bag. Looking back at her, I tilted my head. "What about you?" Dash spat and cracked her neck. "I told you, I'm done with this war now. I got some stuff to take care of out here though." She looked back at me and smiled. "Plus, I'm a little tired... I just defeated the greatest enemy of Equestria." She winked. I smiled and nodded as I ran off to go deliver her prize to Twilight. --- "General Sparkle." I panted as I halted in front of her. "I... I..." I paused, trying to catch my breath. The general gave me a confused expression as Vinyl stepped forward. She still was missing her sunglasses, I guessed she didn't have another pair. I took note of all the bodies around them. Looking around I rose a brow and stood up. "What happened here?" Vinyl rolled her eyes and pointed off in the distance, to a blood covered Pinkamena who was placing her glasses back on her face. "That happened." "Pinkie Pie, I assume?" I replied. Twilight cut the conversation short. "That's not important right now. I am hoping you've brought good news, soldier..." I nodded as I started digging through my bag. Grasping the horn, I put it on display for Twilight. Her jaw hung open and her eyes lit up. "Is that...?" I nodded. "A present from Rainbow Dash." Taking it in her hooves, Twilight smiled as she examined it. "I knew she could do it... Where is she though?" Sighing, I shrugged. "She said she is done with this war now. Went on about having stuff to take care of before she leaves though." Twilight placed her hoof to her earpiece. "Looks like the loss of Trixie was too much for them..." She grins. Vinyl cocked a puzzled expression. "Why's that?" Twilight grinned. "They're retreating." Vinyl leapt forward and grabbed me in an embrace, running her hoof violently through my mane. I groaned in discomfort, but it didn't seem to stop her. "You are lucky kid, you got to see a real hero out there. Rainbow just bought us another day to live. Hell I think I owe her a big sloppy kiss." She joked. I composed myself as she stopped giving me a noogie. However the mare whom was still in the best of excitement grabbed my cheeks and planted a kiss on my forehead. I blushed as she released me. She winked, "I'd give you more than that, but I figured you are going to be getting plenty of action when we get back to Canterlot. All the mares are going to be all over a war hero." I rolled my eyes. "I think this calls for a celebration." Twilight smiled. She then radioed the thing I was waiting to hear since I arrived. "Fall back, we won."
Mist	1148	28	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-10-03T14:32:52+00:00	2017-01-04T16:49:25+00:00	386	A New Equestria By Mist Act 1: Chapter Twenty-Seven (The Rainbow Dash Saga Part 2) Nearly a week had passed since what was now being called Trixie's folly. Canterlot was ablaze with celebration. The city had not stopped roaring for days. Every night, Vinyl took me out drinking, and Twilight praised me for bringing Dash back to them. She then would ramble about how I have a bright future with the military. There was still fighting left to do, but Trixie's fall was a powerful victory, and ended over seven years of doubt in the military. Every single pony in Canterlot now realized the kind of power that their military held. And of course at the center of it was Rainbow Dash, the mare who made miracles happen. Hell they must had had twenty toasts to her a night. However after almost a week of not seeing my friend, I knew that I had to pursue her. That was why I traveled out to Ponyville on foot. I disabled my communication system so that none would follow me. No doubt Dash still preferred to be left alone. With a little combat experience and training under my belt, I actually found the walk to Ponyville quite easy. None stood in my way. When I arrived at the library, I noticed it was quite empty. Still signs of being inhabited existed there, so I knew she wouldn't be too far. After a moment I thought of one other place she'd be. With that, I hastily made my way to the other side of the ruins of the town. Ponyville was abandoned as ever, and now it didn't even have Pinkamena, just an old Rainbow Dash who lingered to hang onto memories. It was the loneliest place I had seen in Equestria. Coming to the remains of an old cloud house that now rested on the ground, I saw a familiar prism mare standing in what I assumed what was the remnants of the garden on the ground. There in front of her was an old headstone. I didn't even need to ask whom it belonged to. Dash didn't even turn to see me. "You shouldn't have come here." I stepped forward and stood next to her at the mourning site. "I had to see you again... You never came back." She turned to look away from me. "I didn't want to come back. I wanted you to stay in Canterlot and leave me be. I said I was done with this war, and I meant it." I approached and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Can I not change your mind? Equestria needs you..." She brushed my hoof off and took a step away. "Nopony needs me anymore." "That's not true! Why are you acting like this?" I was starting to get annoyed by her attitude. "Just go back to Canterlot... Never come back here. I don't need you here anymore. I delivered my part of the bargain; I got you into the knights, Now you have to leave me alone..." She started hobbling away. I took notice of the limp in her step. "What's wrong?" She tried to fake that she wasn't in pain. "N-nothing... I'm fine... Go back to Canterlot..." Her hooves gave out, and brought her side down into the dirt at that exact moment. I rushed over to her aid quicker than she could ask for my help. "What's wrong with you?" I rose my brow. The mare sighed and rested her head in my hold. She allowed her muscles to relax as I cradled her. "Flare... Get this cloak off of me, please?" Her voice had grown soft, and it was less commanding than I was used to. Nonetheless I obeyed and slid the hoof off of her head and disrobed her. This was the first time I had actually seen her exposed body. When I examined her however I took note of the black spots going down her spine. I recognized them right away. "B-but... This is..." "The plague... Yeah..." She nodded confirming my worry. "How long have you had this?" I rose my brow. She groaned in pain as she tried to move. "Since before we met... Over 6 years now..." I blinked as I leaned in to hear her better. "That's not possible..." In pain, she moved as I lifted her off the ground and let her rest on my back, trying to carry her back to the library. "Heh... Tell that to Fluttershy. She marked me off for dead six years ago... I'm too stubborn to die, I think..." I threw my military jacket over her as I walked. "Try not to speak..." I instructed. Instead of fighting, she nodded and allowed her muscles to relax while she dangled off my side. I walked a bit faster than I normally would so I could get her to her bed as quickly as I could. I didn't want to run though, so I didn't risk dropping her. We made it back to the library hastily. Getting inside, I quickly set her down on the bed where I crawled in next to her and sat down, letting her rest her head on my hoof. I grabbed the comforter and wrapped it around the both of us. Dash just smiled as she watched me. "Nopony has ever taken care of me before..." She admitted. "You need to get better quickly... Maybe we should call Fluttershy down here..." I pointed out. She shook her head. "No... My body has finally reached its limits... It can't take anymore... Trixie won in the end..." "That's why you left the military six years ago?" I questioned. She nodded and coughed. A small amount of blood came up with her cough. I wiped her mouth. "I figured if they never saw me die, they would think I was still alive and they'd continue to fight with the same determination... If they witnessed 'The Miracle' die, they would be discouraged... They needed a symbol, I became the scapegoat for that..." She explained. "You're a real hero, Dash..." I pet her cheek. Her hoof landed atop of my own as she locked eyes with me. "I'm no hero... Just a mare trying to atone for her mistakes. You're the real hero." I laughed at the prospect before changing the subject. "Why didn't you tell me...?" She kept her magenta eyes on me. "How could I?" "What do you mean?" I gave a confused expression. She coughed again before answering. "You came all the way from SkyVale... You believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. You said I was your hero. I had a lot of heroes... They all let me down..." Her face became serious. "You tell me how I was supposed to tell you that you came all this way for nothing. You tell me how I was supposed to crush your spirits?" I nodded in understanding. It did make sense, however I felt guilty for making her feel obligated to push herself. Her hoof rose and landed on my cheek. "Even after all that has happened... I wouldn't change it for the world. I got to meet you, and it has made the last few months of my life the best I've had in a long time. I had forgotten what it meant to be alive... You helped me remember..." Tears started rolling down her face as she spoke. "You've saved my life in a way you never would have imagined... You're my hero, Flare." I allowed her hoof to stroke my cheek as she spoke. I said nothing, unsure of how to answer. "I am glad I met you... You remind me of somepony I once loved..." She smiled. I placed my hoof on top of hers. "Get some rest." She nodded and snuggled up in the blanket. "I... I don't want to have anymore nightmares..." She admitted. I pulled her closer. "I'm right here for you." She smiled and nodded again as she buried her head into my chest. "Thank you..." She muttered. "I'll take care of you for the rest of your time... I promise I won't leave your side until the very end..." I stroked her mane as I promised. Her smile remained as she nodded lightly. "Thank you... Flare..." Her voice was weak. "Now get some rest, I'll get you some medicine here tomorrow." I pet her cheek as I spoke. Her eyes closed as she breathed lightly. I leaned back against the wall with her in my lap. Allowing my eyes to close, I too fell into a pleasant slumber. --- When I came back to the waking world, I right away realized plenty of time had passed. I must have slept for a full eight hours, as I actually felt well rested. Probably the most peaceful rest I had gotten since I came to the ruins of Equestria. Noticing the sleeping rainbow maned pony in front of me, I shook her lightly. "Rainbow..." I smiled as I tried to get her stirring. I pushed on her a little harder. "Rainbow...?" No response. "Rainbow, its time to wake up," I tapped her face a bit. Still nothing. "Oh sweet Luna..." I instantly fell into disbelief. "Rainbow, wake up!" It was useless, she just laid there lifeless. "Rainbow Dash! Wake up!" I shook her a bit more violently. She disobeyed. "Come on! On your hooves soldier! That's an order!" I screamed, hoping that the encouragement she was used to in the military might have some effect. Obviously, I was wrong. "No..." I quivered as I stared at her face. "No... You can't die..." Or maybe she can. "Please wake up, Rainbow... Please..." I pulled her body close to mine and held her tightly in an embrace. There frozen on her face, a smile. It was the last expression she had made. --- Placing the shovel I was using in the dirt, I erected a simple wooden marker. It wasn't much, but it was all I had to work with at the time. No name, no date of birth, just a message was etched into it. A message from me to her about this gift of a grave marker. To a hero. I sat down and examined the blade I had removed from her on my left hoof. I had never attended a funeral before, so I had no idea what the customs were. Finally I spoke. "I have decided to go back to Canterlot... I want to try and end this war like you wanted... I want to make the world you wanted a reality. I know there will be more fighting, but once that is done... We can build a world without fighting." I looked to her grave with a sigh. "There were so many things I never got to say.. So much I wanted to know, so much I wanted to share with you... You are my hero, Rainbow... and you still are..." I found myself sniffling. "You taught me the meaning of sacrifice... I only wished I had known so I could have made more of our time together..." Tears began to run down my face. I couldn't remember the last time I had cried. "I love you, Rainbow Dash. You're family to me." "You didn't die in vain... Everypony in Canterlot is now talking about you... Rainbow Dash the Great. Guess they have a habit of giving you nicknames." I sniffled as I wiped my nose. A voice from behind me interrupted my mourning. "Death often leaves one with many unfinished tasks, doesn't it?" I pivoted around to see a strange light brown pony with long jet black mane. On on side of his mane he had a thin braid that hung down and was longer than the rest of his hair. His mane was long and straight, with a silky texture to it. He had a very majestic look about him. The stallion's eyes shined in the low light. Their sky blue color really came out in this darkness outside. I couldn't recall what real light looked like anymore though. On his neck a strange necklace adorned with at least a dozen old keys. I even noticed a set of earrings that had small keys upon them as well. His cutie mark, of course was a key. I drew my sword. "Who are you?" He ignored my blade. I took notice of the fact that he had no weapon at all, nor a bag to carrying any. "You should make haste back to Canterlot. Deliver her blade, for its power may be enough..." He glanced at the Rainbow Edge on my other hoof. "I... I can't get it to work for me... The blade won't even respond to my U.M.S.A." I admitted. He nodded. "This is to be expected. That is no ordinary sword. It has not allowed you to use it." I blinked. "What...? The sword doesn't want me to use it...?" The stallion nodded a second time. "Rainbow Edge has a connection with the stream of existence. It chooses its master." He began to trot away slowly before I stopped him. "Wait!" He paused for a moment. "You said the blade's power may be enough... Enough for what?" I tilted my head confused. Turning his head, he nearly whispered. "To save our kind..." With that he made his exit. I had many more questions, but I knew that they would remain unanswered. --- The trek back to Canterlot was quiet and lonely. I was expecting to make this quest with a familiar prism mare at my side. I wanted to tell her that she had a home with me, and that this place was nowhere to waste away in. She deserved better than this. I couldn't help but feel rotten that I was forced to bury her out in this hell. I wanted to take her back to Canterlot to get the funeral that a hero deserves, but I knew that she would have wanted her death to remain between her, me and Twilight. I had no choice but to tell Twilight what had become of "The Miracle", for she would need Dash's sword if she hoped to end the war. If what that stranger said was true, then her blade may be more powerful than we had anticipated. I must have been at least an hour's walk from Canterlot when I ran into a familiar pony. Standing at the tallest rock nearby, a cloaked young mare with a bandana over her muzzle jumped down and lowered her bandana and removed her hood. I got a better look at her face this time. Magenta eyes, and a shining silver coat. A mane as black as midnight. The same mare who had stolen the element of kindness from us back in Cloudsdale. My blade was at the ready. She wasn't about to take me without a fight. "Back again, I see?" I grinned. The mare glanced at the blade on my left hoof. "That's an interesting blade you have..." She stood on her back hooves and drew her twin swords. "I wonder how easy it'll be to take it from you..." I growled as I took a battle stance. "You'll have to kill me to get this sword!" She smiled and flicked her mane out of her vision. "You've come to the right place." Quickly she bolted forward. I was able to block a few attacks, but it was clear she fought with extreme experience. Her blows were powerful and tactful. Her speed unmatched. I could hardly see her move. The battle was short as I felt a blade pierce my chest. Gasping, I looked down at my attacker. She moved within the blink of an eye, too fast for me to stop. "In death you hold nothing..." She began a strange chant as she twisted her sword in my chest. I groaned in pain as a response. I had never felt anything quite so painful; my whole body had gone cold and numb. I could feel my innards screaming in agony. "Death is your salvation..." She continued. I coughed slightly, and watched blood drip from my lips. Words could not escape. "May you go in peace..." With those words she pushed me off of her blade. I fell to the ground hacking as I gripped the puncture trying to keep as much blood in as I could. "The void holds nothing worse for you." She finished as she leaned down and began to unfasten the Rainbow Edge from my hoof. I struggled and tried to jerk it away from her. It was pointless to resist though, she merely punched me in the face and continued to steal it. Once she had it, she grinned as she placed it on her belt attached to her cloak. "Farewell, Flare of SkyVale. The void awaits you, friend." She smiled as she patted my cheek. Standing up, she darted off with the blade. The pain was tremendous. Through it though, I reached my blood covered hoof up to my U.M.S.A. just able to hit the distress signal mechanism. A small light began to blink as I rested my head in the dirt. "There... Come and find me... Twilight..." I smiled as I clenched my chest. At that moment though I saw something. It looked like... Rainbow Dash... In the distance, but a young and healthy Dash. She was racing to my direction. I could feel my body become more able. I pulled myself up and extended my hooves to grab her in an embrace. When we made contact, I twirled her around and squeezed her. She looked up to my eyes and smiled warmly. Her beauty was not touched by death. Her eyes still shined with the sparkle I would see in her when she was actually happy; during those moments where hell decided to throw her a bone. I never wanted to wake up. It was the most blissful dream I had ever had, it seemed so real. I could almost feel it happening. It carried on as I closed my eyes to rest. End of Act 1
Mist	1148	29	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-11-16T00:05:48+00:00	2017-01-04T16:49:59+00:00	340	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: A Sister's Duty Act 2: Chapter Twenty-Eight (The Arena Saga) War certainly changes a lot of things. It changes a lot of ponies too. I had only been exposed to its indirect effects for a few days and I was already feeling changes within myself from that short time. The face of Equestria seems to have shifted entirely to a more sinister one. A face of danger, but excitement as well. I could already tell that this fair country had many stories to tell, and I was certain to hear many as I transversed it. There was no doubt that the history of this once beautiful place would become known to me. This entire experience was a bit of a culture shock to me. Almost half of my life was spent in SkyVale with my elder brother. I had little memories of life before the city, as I was still a little girl at the time. It's been over 8 years since we first came to the city, but for the first time in 8 years I was walking on the dirt of Equestria again. My name is Torch Fires. I left SkyVale on a mission. Many months ago, my brother Flare left the city and went to pursue a dream of helping the Knights of Celestia, along with Rainbow Dash. I was forbidden to leave because of my age. I would have just broken out, but I was holding a secret of my own; I was with child. It was true, I was pregnant at the time, though in early stages. I was a young 16 at the time, and I couldn't let a child be raised in this hell, but part of me knew my destiny. So the moment that child was born, I gave him a name and left him with my most trusted friend. She will be able to give him a better life than I could, because from the day that Flare left, I knew my destiny was to follow him and become the greatest knight that Equestria has ever known. I spent every day while I was able training and practicing to become the knight I knew I would become. I wanted to fight along side my brother and that meant I had to get stronger. I focused all my magical talents on combat, and learned the way of the sword. I practiced sparring non-stop, because I knew that I was going to have to be the toughest fighter that the ruins had ever seen if I hoped to survive. My destination; The Canterlot stronghold where I was sure my brother resided now. I had gathered information of where the stronghold was located from a would-be couple of cannibals. Unfortunately for them, I can do quite a bit with just a rock and some ordinary spells. I squeezed the information out of them, and they ran off just shortly after. The wasteland certainly had many surprises for any travelers like myself. One of which was waiting for me only a few days after my venture started. Trotting over the dead soil, I felt something strange hit my back hoof. Reaching for it, I suddenly felt dizzy and exhausted. It must have been some kind of tranquilizer. It was too late to remove it as well, because by the time I had reached for it, I collapsed. --- Stirring about I finally woke up probably some hours later. I could hear other ponies making a ruckus, and metal being rattled. Once my eyes adjusted I could see iron bars in front of me. I also took note of the fact that my saddle bag and cloak were still on me. Looking through the bars I could see a bunch of other ponies also in cages. One of them was panicking and shaking the bars, desperately trying to get free. An older mare next to me called out to him. "Calm down, wasting your energy isn't going to do any good. You're not going to just break those bars, so you may as well relax." He growled and called back. "How can you be so calm, whoever did this is going to kill us!" I finally spoke up. "Unlikely." He looked over to me. "And what makes you so sure of that?" I removed my hood. "They left us with our belongings. I have food and supplies in my bag. If they were trying to kill us, then they wouldn't have left us with anything we could use to prolong our lives. Not to mention, it looks like that guy still has a weapon." I gestured to another stallion across from me who was brandishing a blade. "If somepony was trying to kill us, they wouldn't have left us with weapons. They want us alive for whatever reason." The mare in the cell next to me reached a hoof through the bar and offered me a flask. Seeing her orange hoof, I took it from her. "Thank you." I said. She poked her muzzle between the bars, but I still couldn't get a good look at her. "You're pretty smart, kid. The name's Tangerine, what about you?" I took a sip of the drink and coughed, realizing it was alcohol, and very strong alcohol at that. Offering it back, I tried to stop coughing long enough to answer. "Torch. My name is Torch." She took the flask back. "Well, listen we should stick together. Arguing and spatting with each other isn't going to get us out of here any faster. So let's try and work together here." I nodded, despite her not being able to see me. "I agree. We'll live longer if we work together." A door could be heard opening. The entire room fell silent as a strange mare in an old tattered tuxedo started trotting into the room with two Neanderthals. One of which was missing half if his ear. Needless to say, they clearly weren't the brains of the operation. The teal mare inspected every cage carefully before arriving at mine. She paused and looked at me quite puzzled. Adjusting her cuffs, she stepped closer to the cage. "You don't look like one of the savages... Too clean. Hell, you look like one of those Canterlot settlers, not a scratch on you." She commented. "I'm from SkyVale actually." I responded. She nodded in interest. "Ahhhhh, yes... The locked city... We don't get visitors from SkyVale too often here in the ruins... It seems my henchmen mistook you for a savage. No need to worry though, they shall be fired imediantly." She smiled and rose her hoof to one of the two goons with her. A contraption on her arm let out a bang and blasted a hole in his skull. She then did the same to the other. The others in the cages began to panic and make noises of fear. The mare shot another round into the air. "Silence, I'm trying to talk to my friend from SkyVale here!" They all obeyed. She turned back to me with a smile. "So sorry about this mix up, friend." I shrugged. "Its no problem... So can I go?" She frowned and shook her head. "Sorry, dear I'm afraid I can't do that now. Rules are rules after all. Don't worry though, you'll get a chance to get out of here. I'm actually very interested in seeing how you perform." She winked and trotted to the center of the room. "Alright, listen up everypony!" She yelled with enthusiasm. "Welcome to the arena! My name is Lyra Heartstrings, and I will be both your ring master and audience." "What the hell are you planning with us?" One of the stallions in a cage growled. She pointed to him with a smile. "I'm glad you asked, good sir. You all are going to put on a little show for me. Right now there are over seventy of you, however... Only one of you will be leaving this place... You will all be facing each other... In the arena!" The group started chattering. "You all will be fighting each other. The winner gets freedom and a special gift from me. The loser..." She pauses for dramatic effect. "Gets death." The chatter in the group grew, but was silenced by another shot from Lyra's weapon. "I am still talking here. I seriously do hate it when you ponies interrupt me." She composed herself and continued. "During your time here, you may roam the building if you survive your first fight. However you all may notice the collar on your necks." She gestured to her neck. I put a hoof on my own and felt some kind of strange contraption. I hadn't noticed it until now. "If you should leave the arena... It'll explode. The only pony that knows how to disarm it is me. And unless I punch in a code on this device every two hours, they will all explode anyways." She held out a remote as she spoke. "So if anypony has any bright ideas about escaping, I would strongly reconsider." That certainly brought the chatter in the room back. "Good luck, combatants." Lyra started trotting away and stopped near my cage. "I am expecting great things from you, SkyVale girl. I have never seen a SkyVale resident make it down here in the ruins, let alone in the arena, I'm interested in how you'll perform." "And if I win, then I am free?" I rose a brow. She nodded. "I have confidence in you." With those words she began to trot away, leaving the two fresh dead bodies on the floor. Tangerine called me from the cell next door. "Hey, Torch." I came to the edge of the cage so I could hear her better. "Yeah?" "Let's work together alright? Help each other in any way we can, it’s our best chance of getting out of here." She instructed. I nodded despite the fact she couldn't see me. "Alright, sounds good." --- Several hours had passed and there we sat in our prison cells, waiting for when we were told to create bloodshed. We passed the time mostly be sitting and thinking, but I was preparing. I didn't know what kind of opponent I was going to be up against, and I wanted to be ready. I was doing pushups, and sit ups when I got too tired to do those. I was working on a thousand sit ups when I heard the scratching on the wall next to me stop. Tangerine must have been carving something on her wall and decided now was a time to quit. She spoke up, "Hey Torch, you curious about Heartstrings?" I stopped my sit ups and shrugged. "Not particularly, but I wouldn't mind knowing." She laughed. "You mean you don't care the slightest about the mare who is holding you hostage?" "Not if it doesn't get me out of this cage faster." I replied. "Well, I'll tell you anyways." She said. "I'm listening." I replied as I returned to my sit ups. "Well, I've heard stories about her through the ruins. They say she's insane, Crazy Lyra they call her. Supposedly she has run this arena for over four years now. Tons of ponies come in, few come out." Tangerine explained. Through strained breaths I replied. "Why doesn't anypony find this place?" "Can't. Its underground somewhere I guess. Lyra converted some old underground facility into this hell hole we're in now. Thus nopony escapes, plus the collars." She answered. I imagined the exit to this place was probably well hidden to keep the captives from running far. Lyra clearly planned this out, or she wouldn't have been this confident. "Guess I'll just have to win then." I said plainly. Tangerine laughed. "You're quite determined, Torch. I haven't even seen your face yet and I'm willing to bet you look like a hardened badass." She was far from the truth. I was quite a small girl, with a delicate figure, but the exercise I had gotten over the past few months had given me the figure of an athlete. I could run and I could jump, but combat wise I had only gotten in a few actual fights with some savages on the way here. Other than that all my experience was training. Despite that though, I felt ready. If Lyra wanted a show, I'd give her one hell of a show. --- Tangerine and I had grown somewhat close, or rather as close as two ponies could get speaking through cages and never able to see the other's face. She told me about fighting techniques she knew and how speed is better than brute strength. I had the advantage of magic, which put me a step above her in terms of abilities. She had flight though. In terms of combat, flight is an extreme advantage. It gives an opponent the ability to move the battlefield to where you can't travel. "I can't wait to get into that ring..." Tangerine spoke. It was almost as if she was glad we were here. "I thought you were interested in getting out?" I questioned. "I have my own reasons for wanting to fight. This is nothing more than a challenge to me. A challenge I intend to overcome..." She replied. I stood up and stretched as I finished some more sit ups. "So long as you're prepared to kill your opponents." I could hear her laugh. "I've been ready... I've been killing ponies for years now out in the ruins, this is no different. These guys are twigs compared to the brutes I've faced. I'll crush them like bugs." One of the others in a cage across from me growled as he overheard her. "You cocky little bitch!" He shouted. Tangerine giggled happily. "I hope I get to face you first... I want to see the look on your face before I rip it off." The stallion took a step back in his cell and quieted down. He could see Tangerine's face, so I imagine she looked intimidating if he backed down so quickly. "I hope you don't have to face Torch either." She commented. I tilted my head and came to the edge to talk to her better. "Why's that?" "I've been listening to you. You've been training in there, trying to get in top physical form. I can already tell that you're determined to win this, you're not going to let a few weaklings stand in your way to freedom. You're ready to push your body beyond its limits, I can sense it on you. You have a reason to get out of here, and that is driving you to get stronger." She explained. I was very quiet for a moment, but then replied. "That's quite a lot to determine in a short few hours..." She laughed. "I'm a lot more than just muscle. I'm a lot smarter than I let on." "I'll have to remember that." I said. "You're the same way." She remarked. "I beg your pardon?" She grunted before answering. "You're playing your cards close to your chest. You don't seem to trust even yourself. You don't seem to be the type to let anypony know everything you know. Smart, but not arrogant... You're a double threat, I can already tell. There must be quite a beast inside you.. I'd hate to see what your bad side looks like." I rolled my eyes. "That's something not many see." I smirked. "Then I may be in for a treat when I get to see you fight." She laughed. "We'll see..." I sat down on my simple bed.
Mist	1148	30	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-11-24T01:50:03+00:00	2017-01-04T16:50:19+00:00	412	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Twenty-Nine (The Arena Saga) Over twenty-four hours had passed since we all awoke in the holding cells of the arena. I waited patiently for when we would be put into combat, though Tangerine was far more inpatient. The rest of the group more or less were nervous about the endeavor, with a few pumped up to get into the fight. After an hour of meditation, I took note of a door opening and all the cells unlocking at the same time. The doors slid open and all of us stepped out of the cells almost instinctually. I took a quick look around the room and noticed only one door that we could go through. Behind me a rather large mare stepped beside me and placed a hoof on my shoulder. She was at least five times my size, and had muscles to match. She was a behemoth of a pegasus. "So we meet face to face at last, Torch." The voice of Tangerine left this monster. I nodded and lowered my hood. She grinned. "You look just like I expected, a bit smaller though..." She commented. I was very small for my age, but that did not subtract from the fact that she had a girth that would put 90% of the ponies in this room to shame. Her size was massive, and her muscle build impressive. "How does such a large mare get a name like Tangerine?" I asked with a raised brow. She laughed and ignored my rude question. "I was a cute little kid once. War changes ponies. Makes us stronger." "War has changed me as well..." I looked down to the ground. She smiled and patted my shoulder. "Its changed all of us, come on though, let's not keep Crazy Lyra waiting." Looking back up I nodded and brought my hood back up. "Yes, let's see this arena." The group slowly funneled through the only exit to find a long narrow hallway with many locked doors, but one at the very end with a light. A few of the ones in front stopped to try and open some of the locked doors, with no success. Part of me figured that we wouldn't be going anywhere until Lyra said we could. Finally making it out of the hallway, we all covered our eyes as high powered fluorescent lights lit up the room. Once we adjusted to the light we all looked around to see a huge coliseum here underground, grandstands and all. At the very top was a throne made of junk and old metal scraps which Lyra rested upon with a megaphone. Her voice filled the air. "Welcome, welcome combatants! Welcome to the arena! As it stands now there are seventy of you, however we will be cutting that number almost in half right away. Now allow me to explain why you're all here." She sat up and looked down at us all. "You're here to amuse me. You're here to prove your worth." The group chattered but they quickly silenced as Lyra spoke again. "Allow me to explain the rules. First off, there is no loser's bracket here. You lose, you die. Fights are to the death, and I will not tolerate mercy here. If you forfeit, you will be killed." This got a lot more talking in the group. "Fighting is only permitted in the arena. Anypony caught violating this rule will have their hoof broken for their next fight, effectively starting you at a disadvantage." Tangerine laughed. "Looks like Lyra is keeping things interesting.” "Now, obviously only 64 of you will be fighting tournament style, but the other six you shall be reserved for an all out brawl round which may give you the opportunity to take the lead if you're lucky." You could see a twinkle in her eyes as she spoke. "The winner gets to live and a special prize from me." "Sounds like Lyra just loves surprises." I spoke to Tangerine who nodded. "Your first fights will start right now, check the board on the back wall to see who you'll be fighting." Lyra gestured to the board behind us near the entrance. We all turned around and looked to the board. I pushed my way to the front as I checked which fight I was in. Sure enough, I was fight number two against a pony named "Smasher". That name alone already implied to me he wasn't a pushover. Tangerine was in the first fight, so I wouldn't be able to see her fight until next round because Lyra had stated before we wouldn't be allowed to roam about until we won our first fight. "Alright, looks like I get to break some bones first." Tangerine smirked as she readied her hooves. --- There in my cell I was doing pull ups, trying to ready for my fight. If Smasher wanted to defeat me, he would have to overcome my endurance and speed first. My determination was stronger than his, I wasn't fighting just to live, I was fighting for a cause, a cause more just than his. A stallion in a collar came to my cell and tapped on it to get my attention as he fiddled with some keys as he unlocked it. "Alright, you are up. Your opponent is in the arena, and I was instructed to get you next. Lyra and the winner of the first round will be watching you along with the other six not in the tournament brackets. Please follow me to the arena." He gestured for me to follow as he slid the door open. With a nod I took a step out of my cell and began to follow behind him. He remained silent and so did I. I was ready to face this pony and show no mercy. I had to win, nothing was going to stop me. With my guide stepping aside in front of the door to the arena he bowed his head as I trotted past him into the battlefield. I could hear whistling from the grandstands. Looking up, I noticed Tangerine, she had won her round, as expected. Now she was going to witness me winning mine. "Ladies and Gentlecolts! We have a special treat tonight!" Lyra's voice boomed. "All the way from the locked city of SkyVale; Torch Fires!" I could see Tangerine clapping as she sat there watching with a grin on her face. "And her opponent... A stallion who needs little introduction... He has eaten many larger than Torch for breakfast, quite literally... A true killing machine..." Lyra kept building him up for dramatic effect. "Smasher!" She shouted as the stallion burst through an old wooden wall. Standing upright, he had a good two to three feet on me, one of his hooves were larger than my whole skull. Ugly and fierce, he growled as he bore his chipped teeth. He had the crazed look that I had come to identify with cannibals. "And his weapon of choice, his own teeth!" Lyra added. He stepped into the ring only a few feet away from me as he waited for Lyra's signal. I lowered my hood to increase my vision, hoping it would aid me in this fight. "Any last words before I devour you?" Smasher smirked. "I'm impressed." I replied. His stupid grin only grew. "Never seen a stallion so mighty?" I shook my head. "No, I'm impressed you even know how to speak." He hissed in anger as he readied himself. "Why you little shit!" Lyra picked her megaphone back up to speak. "Alright, you know the rules. Two enter, one leaves. First one to die loses. You can not leave the arena until you kill your opponent. Winner gets to sit up here with me." She winked as she said that last part. "Alright, ready?" I sighed and took a fighting stance to match his, except with a bit more steadiness. "Its a shame I have to kill you now... Such a pretty little thing... Maybe if I'm lucky, Lyra will let me rape you before I kill you." Smasher chuckled. "Tell you what... If you can pin me down, I'll let you." I replied. He laughed. "Confident aren't you? Alright, let's do this then!" I smiled. "You've already lost. You're overconfident." Lyra then called out to us both. "To the death! Fight!" Smasher wasted no time going on the attack. He lunged forward hooves ready to smash. As I expected though, he was slow and sluggish. His body was too heavy for him to move at a reasonable speed. His focus was on pure strength. "Heh, just as I thought, you're a snail..." I mocked. He took another swing which I dodged. "Speed in meaningless in combat. It doesn't matter how fast you run, eventually you tire out if you have no strength and endurance." He took a bite in my direction, only for me to get out of the way. "There is more to speed than running, its forming tactics and superior plans and techniques. Only weaklings are overcome by a barbarian like you." I lectured. He growled and swung at me again, only to meet failure. "You should conserve your energy. Consuming so much on tactless attacks will only leave you vulnerable." I spoke. He ignored my advice and bit at me again, and of course missed. "Have it your way then." I grinned as I levitated an item from my bag and threw it in his direction. He groaned as it made contact. He looked to the object to find a large needle sticking out of his shoulder. Grabbing it in his teeth he yanked it out and tossed it aside. His expression more annoyed. "I have two hundred more of them by the way." I grinned. "You rely on weapons to win? How pathetic..." Smasher said. "No, I rely on tact. That was just a warning shot." I answered. He tilted his head and I used the confusion to quickly bolt past him and throw a few more when I got behind him. A set piercing the backs of his hind legs, bringing him down to a kneel in pain. "Ahhhh!" He roared. "You're careless. You think power is all that determines a victor. You think there's no way a small mare can beat a big tough stallion. You only think in terms of physical girth." I explained as I trotted to the front of him. "You forget so many other factors..." He growled as he tried to move again, but the needles had him taken down to where he wasn't getting back up. "Speed, ability, and of course... Determination." I leaned in to bring my face a few inches from his as I said that last part. "It was a pleasure fighting you, Smasher. I wish my lessons would be able to aid you, but you will not live long enough to utilize them." I sighed as I levitated another needle. "You fucking bitch... You will die... I swear it..." Smasher hissed, still trying to inch forward to me, despite his hind hooves being taken out. "Good bye." I replied as I thrust the final needle through his left eye, going all the way into his skull, and vanishing from sight as it entered his brain. He stopped moving and his body fell to the ground, limp. "Sorry, nothing personal..." I replied. Sitting down to rest, I magicked all my needles back to my bag and listened to the sounds of a few claps and a cheer or two from the small group watching. Lyra spoke up again with much enthusiasm. "Well it looks like little Torch smashed Smasher. The underdog clearly was underestimated, as promised get that flank up here little lady." She winked as she finished that sentence. Obeying, I nodded and pulled my hood back up and jumped into the grandstands and began to ascend to the top. When I made it to her small throne, she gestured for me to sit. Shrugging, I did exactly that. With a smile, she turned back to the stadium and shouted. "Bring in the next two combatants!" --- Watching the next fight, I looked up to Lyra whom caught me out of the corner of her eye and smirked. "See something you like?" I blinked and shook my head. "I was merely trying to figure out your angle..." She tilted her head. "My angle?" I nodded. "Yes, I am certain you pitted me against that brute for a reason. I am quite confident that there is something you hope to gain from these fights..." She smiled and turned to face me. "Truth is, kid... I am placing my bets on you. I am very interested in what a pony like you is capable of. If your first fight is any kind of indicator, then my curiosity is in the right place." So that was it, Lyra was testing me. I only hoped I could continue to pass her tests so I could get out of the arena and back on track to where I was going. "Why does it matter to you? What reason do you have to concern yourself over my abilities?" I asked. Lyra turned back to the fight with a smile. We sat in silence for a moment, however I decided rather than ask again, I give her a minute to think of a proper answer, as it may be the only one I was going to get. "I guess you could say... I'm bored." She said. Bored? Was she really doing all of this out of nothing but boredom? "Bored?" She nodded. "Boredom does kill you know?" In her world, it literally did. "Why do they call you Crazy Lyra?" I decided while I had the chance to talk to her, I'd ask all I could. She laughed and pet my mane. "You are full of questions little Torch. Don't worry though, in due time everything will become known to you... Provided you live long enough." "Well when you put a pony here against her will, naturally she will have many questions." I replied. She giggled and kept her eyes on the fight. "Naturally, however you must be patient if you want answers." I supposed that was the best I was going to get out of here, and the only justification I was given up to this point was boredom.
Mist	1148	31	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-11-30T15:27:21+00:00	2017-01-04T16:50:36+00:00	319	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty (The Arena Saga) I sat in my cell to sleep that night. Now that the first round was over, our doors were unlocked and we were free to do as we wanted. Lyra apparently was a mare of her word, which was relaxing because it meant she would keep her promise of letting us go if we won her tournament; or at least we could hope. I figured I would reserve my energy for the fights because it would ensure I would be in top form while my opponents were poorly rested. Being that I was smaller than most of the ponies here, and lacked actual combat experience, I needed to get every edge I could on them. Tangerine may have been able to rely on her intimidating size, but I would need to rely on superior speed and strategy. With my eyes closed I began to think about what I would do once I got out of this place. It certainly was going to set me back a few days. "Hey, Torch." Tangerine called. I peaked an eye open. "Hm?" She walked into the room and sat down on the floor near the wall opposite to me. "That was a hell of a fight today. Not a scratch on you." I re-closed my eye and shrugged. "He was a moron." Tangerine laughed. "You're pretty confident for such a young mare. I mean you're up against some hardened killers here, and if I recall you're just a little girl from SkyVale. What makes you so confident?" I shrugged, unsure of how to answer. "Alright, fair enough but I have another question..." She leaned in. I opened my eyes and sat up a bit. "What is it?" "Why'd you leave?" She grew a serious expression. "I mean it was paradise there. I heard many stories of ponies wasting away to get into the locked city. You were sheltered there and yet you chose to leave." Adjusting on my bed, I yawned as I brought myself into a proper sitting position. Once I was comfortable I looked to her. "Some things are more important than being safe. Equestria needs heroes right now, I intend to answer that call." She laughed. "So that's it? Childish notions of being a hero?" I shook my head. "No... This great land must rebuild." She sighed. "Another believer of that garbage then, huh?" I tilted my head. "Do you not wish to fix this world?" She frowned and shook her head as she grew a more somber expression. "I don't believe in that nonsense. The world is fucked up, and the world we knew is long gone. Yet some things never change..." "Like what?" I closed my eyes and laid back down. She leaned forward again. "Like the strong overpowering the weak. Ever after Equestria has fallen, that remains true. The strong will always topple over the weak. If you're not strong enough to defend what you have, then you won't be able to keep it for very long. Strength is necessary to keep an empire going, and Equestria just wasn't strong enough..." She sounded like she had explained this before. Not even opening an eye, I just yawned. "You're free to think of it that way." I responded. She seemed a bit annoyed by my attitude. "And what makes you so sure that you can fix this world? What makes you so confident that your way will change anything?" She growled My response was simple, quiet and plain. "I have help." "So you think that because a couple of ponies agree with you, that will change anything?" She seemed to hate this subject quite a bit. "Not just some ponies, probably the best pony for the job..." I could see my brother's face as I said those words. I knew he was still out there, and I was going to find him. This was all just a minor setback to me. "Sounds like those old war stories I heard about that Rainbow Dash. Valiant warrior, quite a powerhouse... But when Equestria needed her the most, she vanished." Tangerine stood up. "What's your point?" I yawned, growing tired of this conversation. She stepped towards the cell door and stopped for a moment with her answer. "It means that even the greatest of heroes have their limits. They can do a lot of great things, but they can't do the impossible." I grinned as I pulled my sheet over my body. "I'm not convinced it's impossible yet." "Wait a while then. You'll soon realize it." She remarked before exiting. --- The next round of this tournament had arrived, and I was ready to meet the challenge. I had survived the first round, but that only meant that my opponent next round would be harder. Since Lyra randomized the order of the fighters every round, there was no way to even study which pony my opponent could be. They could be any of the thugs I saw win the other day. I had spent my time prior to my second fight exploring the facility. After much wandering and a bit of lock picking I came across Lyra's quarters. It was fairly well hidden, but I hoped there was something there that could assist me in my fight. Perhaps some plans written down, or maybe a profile of all the combatants that I could study. Cheating wasn't something I normally did, but right now playing by the rules didn't seem important to me. I was more concerned about getting out of this place. Lyra's room was needless to say very odd. The girl kept a lot of instruments scattered across the walls, along with other random items. A skeleton actually sat in a chair that she had placed a top hat upon. There were also several paintings of cannibals devouring ponies hung around her walls. This must have been what Lyra defined as "cozy". Checking her desk I shuffled a bunch of papers aside and looked for anything of value. Nothing. Could she have just chosen us all at random without the slightest clue as to what any of us were capable of? Was I ready to submit to the idea that she literally just did all of this to have a game, and not any kind of higher purpose? I mean the evidence certainly pointed to her being insane enough. Finally I sat down in the chair with a sigh. Looking back to the desk I noticed an old photo album just resting there. Curiously, I levitated it to myself and cracked it open. I was looking at an old photograph of a younger Lyra giving a noogie to another young mare with a cream colored coat, and interesting purple and pink curly mane. There were many of the two of them together. Perhaps the whole album was just pictures of these two. The door closed and I turned quickly to see who was there. I felt the blood leave my face as I saw Lyra Heartstrings herself standing there. Her expression looked quite neutral. I remained silent. The mare looked down to the album in my hooves and smiled as she stepped closer. "She was beautiful wasn't she?" She commented. I looked back to the photographs. "Who is she?" "The most gorgeous girl in the world." Lyra commented as she pulled up a chair next to me. She didn't seem to mind that I intruded in her room in the slightest. "She is a very nice looking girl." I smiled, trying to comfort her. Lyra reached over and turned a page and pointed to another picture. "Oh man, I was so nervous then. She probably had the nicest dress I've ever seen, and I felt like my tux was nothing in comparison..." I glanced over the picture clearly seeing it was a wedding of some kind. Lyra taking a more masculine role with a tuxedo. It was obvious who this pony was to her. "What was her name?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the photo. "Bon Bon." She answered as her hoof strokes the photo. I set the book down and looked over to the somber Lyra. "What happened to her?" Her expression remained a smile, despite the contents of her story. Perhaps all the pain had just been drained out of her at this point. "Well, we both lived out here in the ruins for a while. We kept to this place right here where nopony would bother us." I leaned back in my chair. "So what happened?" She sighed. "Well, the ruins aren't a very peaceful place. Eventually we were out scavenging, and a group of savages surrounded us. Bon Bon suggested we split into two directions to get back home. It'd be harder for them to follow both of us." She closed the photo album. "Sure enough, they all bolted after her and let me go. I was in better shape, so she was the easier catch... I lost her that day..." I remained silent, just looking at her. She stood up and stretched, still not an ounce of sadness on her breath. "And since there's no getting her back, all I have to do now is toy with would-be wasteland idiots. It brings me amusement." I grinned. "And that amusement fills the void?" She shook her head. "Oh no, Miss Fires. Nothing can fill that void, this is merely a form of entertainment." She trotted behind my chair and placed her hooves upon my shoulders. "While I do enjoy the company, I am going to have to ask you to stay out of my private quarters from now on. Next time if I catch you in here, I'll kill you. I hope we understand each other." She grinned as I saw her face in the mirror in front of us. I nodded in response. "I'm looking forward to your next fight. I'd hate to see such a pretty thing like you ripped apart, so try not to die on me?" She grinned. "That will not be an issue." I stood up and headed for the door. "What makes you so determined?" She called out. I paused only a foot from the door. "Let's just say I understand how you feel about Bon Bon, because I too have some pony important that I fight for." She nodded. "This is by far the most interesting tournament I have held. Better than last week's for sure." Last week? She was holding these every week? "How often do you hold these tournaments?" I questioned. "Hmmm..." She leaned back in thought. "Well this is about the two hundredth one... So around 4 years since I started I'd wager." Two hundred tournaments? That was a new one almost every week. If she had the same amount of combatants every time that meant she had killed thousands in these competitions. "You're pretty small for a pony who thinks she's going to win..." Lyra changed the subject. I grinned as I placed a hoof on the doorframe. "Dynamite can come in any sized box." "Then I look forward to watching you explode." She winked. "Don't tempt me." I replied. --- Round two was here at long last. I had skipped out of observing other fights in favor of more training. I was going to win today, and while my opponent was sure to rely on brute force, I would use speed and agility to overcome. Superior tactics was sure to grant me the victory. Entering the arena, I looked around as the crowd was filled with all the other combatants, ready to scope out what I could do. I tried to look for which one was missing, but that would become apparent to me in a moment anyways. Lyra's voice roared over her megaphone. "Once again, the little flower from SkyVale enters the arena! Originally thought to be the underdog, she returns to this arena after an amazing fight with Smasher, where she didn't even get a scratch on her!" The crowd started chattering as not many had actually seen that fight. "So let's make things interesting..." Lyra smirked. The gates began to open for my opponent. I readied my stance. "Introducing... Fang Tooth the invincible!" Lyra yelled. A fierce looking stallion jumped out of the gate covered in some kind of body armor. His mane was tattered and destroyed, matching his grey lifeless coat. His most prominent feature however were his teeth, which appropriately named were fangs. I took note of his wings; they resembled those of a bat. This creature was a noctril; I had heard of them before. Supposedly ponies from the north whom came to Equestria pledging loyalty to Princess Luna many centuries ago, though they often remained unseen by most. Creatures of isolation. "Pretty arrogant giving yourself a title like 'The Invincible' don't you think?" I levitated a needle as I spoke. He grinned as he readied himself. I supposed he wasn't much of a talker. "Ready... Fight!" Lyra screamed. The moment Lyra called out the command, Fang tossed something onto the ground, and all the lights began to flicker. Within the next few seconds, they all went dark, and we were all sitting in pitch black. Quickly I casted a light spell to emit some light from my horn. Fang was nowhere to be seen. Clever, he would keep this fight in the dark so all my magic would be focused on seeing what was going on. No doubt that those strange eyes of his allowed him to see in the dark too. I felt wind whiz by me as I just narrowly escaped an attack of his. "So, you understand tactics win a fight and not just strength?" I asked. No response, as expected. With my magic focused on keeping around me illuminated, that meant combat was going to be close quarters. A disadvantage to me, as it was clear he had a bit of size over me. However his mistake was assuming that I could not defend myself in close combat. "What a turn of events!" Lyra spoke out. "It looks like Fang is using the old technique of darkness. Will it be enough to take down little Torch though?" She was clearly enjoying this all too much. I grinned as I already thought of a plan. I turned out my light and closed my eyes. No doubt he could see me standing and thought I was a sitting duck. My ears kept me on alert. I listened for the direction he was coming from, and once I heard him bolt forward, I opened my eyes and allowed a wall of fire to rise in front of myself which halted him, only burning his hoof. He grunted and held the burned hoof. "It looks like Torch is getting creative on how she illuminates the battlefield, clever girl." Lyra called out. I got a good look at his face. He was a murderer, there wasn't a bit of regret in his eyes, I could already tell he could kill and feel nothing at all. To him, this was just another regular challenge. It was a typical day on his part. With the fire lighting my way and my magic free again, I levitated a few more pins and quickly knotted a few pieces of cloth to them, and added a little bit of alcohol (courtesy of Tangerine) as Fang darted back into the darkness to prepare for another attack. Once I heard him coming, I quickly got on the other side of the wall of fire and hurled the pins through it. They caught fire, and two of them were direct hits, getting him in the shoulders. However their goal was not to immobilize him, but to put a homing beacon on him. With the flaming needles attached to him, I bolted towards him with another needle in hoof. The light from the fire on him, made it so when he went into the darkness again, he was still visible to me. He didn't catch onto this fast enough as I had already caught up to him and dived towards him. Taking him by surprise I drove a needle into his neck with my hoof. He struggled but carefully I levitated another one. I hovered in over his head for a moment and positioned it to his ear. "Sorry." I said as I drove the needle into his ear. He gasped for a moment but fell still. The needle pierced his brain, no doubt and ended him quickly. I stood up over the corpse and tapped it with my hoof to make sure he wasn't going to get back up. No response. He was dead. With the flick of my horn, I light up the arena by lighting a bunch of old torches surrounding it. Lyra grinned and leaned in with excitement. "What a turn of events! The SkyVale mistress conquers again. What a very pleasing performance too." I turned away and slowly made my way out of the arena, not interested in seeing anymore fights. With Fang Tooth dead, that meant I was in the final eight, along with a one in eight chance of being in the battle royale round. It wouldn't make a slight bit of difference though, because I was going to win.
Mist	1148	32	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-12-07T02:09:15+00:00	2017-01-04T16:50:52+00:00	355	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-One (The Arena Saga) Walking with Lyra I explored the facility at her side. She had decided to accompany me while I fed my curiosity about this place between fights. I had won my third round and thus came into the final four in the semi-finals, so I was one of ten who remained alive after almost three days of this place. By the end of today though, there would be only two left. "How did you and Bon Bon find this place?" I questioned as Lyra kicked an old soda machine, getting a decade old can to fall out. "Bon Bob's dad used to work for the government. It used to be a center they used before the cataclysm. It was more or less abandoned for a few years by the time we got here, but we figured with its location we wouldn't get many visitors." She gripped the can and used her magic to pop it open. She offered me a sip, which I declined. Shrugging, she took a swig herself and grimaced a little. "Eh, lost a lot of carbonation over the years..." I changed the subject. "Hey, would you happen to know about the Knights of Celestia?" She blinked and lowered her drink. "What do you want to know about that for?" "I intend on joining them when I get out of here." I explained. She laughed. "So sure about your victory then? Shouldn't you be focusing on the fight?" I shook my head. "I can beat any of those idiots, I'm not too worried about it. My brother is waiting for me, and I plan on getting to him as fast as I can. I haven't seen him in almost a year, so if you have anything that can get me to the knights faster, I would appreciate it." She looked me over and then nodded. "Yeah, okay." She said before sitting down on a nearby bench. I did the same. "They're supposedly west of here. Probably a three day walk, but if you take the old minecart system just in the caves outside of here, you can make it in a day. It should still have power." I smiled at this news. "Really? That's great!" She giggled at my reply. "Your brother sounds like quite the guy if you're willing to do all this to get to him." "My brother is a hero." I grinned. "Heroes are overrated." Lyra winked. "I know that Flare is out there doing great things right now. He may be a little nerve-racked half the time, but Flare never backs down when he sets his mind to something. Mostly because it doesn't happen often. A lot of the time, he avoids committing to anything because he has no drive for it." I smiled as I thought of my elder brother. "But when he said he was coming down here to Equestria, he had a look of determination that I had never seen on his face before. He was more adamant about coming to this place than I have ever seen him. That's how I know he's changing the world right now." I bragged. Lyra grinned a little and nodded. "I'm not really concerned about that kind of crap really. For all I care we could just keep living like we are now and I'll be content. I'm not one for politics, and Equestria can stay fallen for all I care." She certainly was cynical about the situation. "You don't ever wish for more?" I asked. "Don't you ever want more out of this life than you're currently getting? Surely there is more to Lyra Heartstrings than this arena." She stood up and winked. "Or maybe not. Maybe Lyra Heartstrings is a simple girl, with simple pleasures." "Sounds depressing." I replied. "No, your way sounds depressing. My expectations will always be met, and thus I'll always be happy. You however ask for the impossible and I am certain you'll be filled with discontent when you don't get it." She flicked her tail and tapped my cheek with it. "You expect too much out of the world." I shook my head as I brushed my cheek where her tail hit. "I don't expect anything, I make things happen." "Some may call that arrogance." She responded. "And I would tell them that I don't care." I replied. "You really love him don't you?" Lyra paused. I blinked and shook my head. "To be honest, I don't even know what love is." --- "So Torch, you told me before about how you had a son, right?" Tangerine questioned as she watched me do sit ups. I grunted before I replied. "Yeah, what of it?" "Where is he?" She was quiet about her question, as if she already knew it was a sensitive subject. I sat up and stopped my exercise as I turned to her direction. "Back in SkyVale, why?" "Are you going to get him back ever?" Tangerine kept her eyes locked on me. I shook my head as I returned back to my sit ups, speaking between strained breaths. "Can't. SkyVale doesn't let any who leave back into the city; besides, he has a mother now. I can't just show up later and expect him to recognize me as his mother after somepony else raises him." Her brow rose. "You gave him up? Just like that?" I sat up again and gave her a serious expression. "I gave him up because she could give him a better life than me. I'm still a kid, and I know nothing about parenting. My mother and father were outside the city when the war happened. They were only gone for a few hours, but they probably died in the cataclysm. Flare and me raised ourselves from then on. I've been taking care of myself since I was a little girl. The stallion who is supposed to be his father left the city when he found out I was pregnant. What could I possibly teach my son about love? He is better off not knowing who his real mother is, maybe then he can grow up with love in his life." I sighed as I explained. "That's still not a very solid reason." Tangerine commented. I nodded. "There was another reason too." The mare leaned in. "And that is?" "Equestria needs me. It needs ponies who want to fix it. There are ponies out here suffering, and begging for somepony to save them. Begging for somepony to bring light to this dark world. I had to answer that call, my son would understand when he gets older. I had to make the choice to use my life to help as many ponies as possible." I said. Tangerine smiled. "That's pretty noble, foolish, but noble. I'm sure he'd be proud though. Hell if my mom was half the woman you are, then maybe I'd have turned out differently." "I'm hardly his mom, just an egg donor." I remarked with a smirk. "Virginity is overrated anyways." Tangerine winked. "Its not a concern to me. I relinquished everything that didn't matter when I left SkyVale. I only care now about accomplishing my goal. I didn't care what happens to me or what I have to do to reach my goal. If I must step over dead bodies in the arena, then so be it. I'll crush any who stand in my way. Nothing will prevent me from getting to Flare." I gave her a look of determination. "Heh... You certainly are ruthless." Tangerine laughed. I trotted to the sink and splashed some water on my face. "If they stand in my way, yes." I replied. --- The next round was starting soon, and I was ready to take down any they threw at me. Trotting into the arena I grinned as I saw Lyra watching my every step. It was obvious she expected an excellent performance out of me. "Well, we are here at the semi-finals with Torch Fires..." She paused as she lowered her megaphone and grinned. "And it’s time for the battle royale round! Seven ponies, one victor who gets to enter the finals!" I blinked as I listened. Was she reserving this round for me purposely? Bursting through the other gates, the other six combatants jumped into the arena, each more fierce than the last. All male, and all giant in comparison to myself. Each had a blood thirsty expression as they all circled me chuckling. "Hey, Brick." One of them said as he kept his eyes locked on me during their circling. "What do you want, Tack?" Another brute responded. "I know this is a battle royale, but what do you say to taking a few turns with the girl?" He grow a devious grin as he licked his lips. Another chimed in. "Amen to that. If we're going to die, let's get some action in before that. If we all hold her down, we can take turns with her before we kill her." I rolled my eyes. "Can you ogres think with anything besides your cocks?" "Feisty, I like that... Pretty little thing too..." A fourth one who had been silent up to this point said. I could already see the folly of their plan, they were going to focus on catching me to the point where they'd be clumsy. I could already tell I had speed and intelligence over them. Lyra's voice echoed as she gave the orders. "Ready!" The group all took a battle stance; I however just lowered my hood. "Fight!" The group lunged forward, to which I rose a wall of fire around myself, making them all back off. Fire was my greatest asset, and I intended to use it to my full advantage. One of them laughed. "You can't hide in there forever!" He pointed out. Sure enough I flung a needle in the direction his voice came from. I could hear a grunt as it made contact. "You little bitch!" He growled as he pulled the needle out. "So she has some fight in her..." That time it was Tack's voice. I hurled another in the direction of his voice, and sure enough another hit. He hissed as I heard him remove the needle and toss it to the ground. "Keep quiet, she is using sound to attack us. Just keep still until her energy drops so she has to come out of her barrier." Tack instructed. Shortly after, all their movement stopped. It indeed was impossible to tell where to attack next, but I was far from out of tricks. I pushed the walls of fire outward sending it in every direction, burning all of them and pushing them back. Lyra was getting excited from watching. "Just look at little Torch holding her own against all those boys! What talent! Perhaps her cutie mark should have to do with ass kicking?" I rolled my eyes at the praise. It was good to see that Lyra still thought of this all as a game. Unfortunately, my attack was far from enough to end any of them, but it certainly angered them. "You little fucker... I'll cut your horn off before I fuck you!" One of them called out. "Come get me, boys." I winked as I leapt into the air and spun, hurling needles in every direction I could. They all backed up, but sustained a few hits as they tried to dodge the assault. Coming down gracefully, I flicked my cloak out of the way as I threw another needle with my hoof through the skull of one of the other nameless savages. The others looked in shock as he fell and watched as the blood sprayed out of the new opening on his head. "One down, five more to go." I grinned as I brandished another needle in my hoof. The others all took a step back and looked to each other. Clearly it was starting to connect that their plan of going all out on me was not going to be successful. It also became evident that they also realized they would need to slay each other to get out of here, and their short alliance was breaking. One of them drew a blade on his hoof and growled as he darted towards me. Quickly, I teleported out of the way, and his blade instead met another stallion in the ring who growled in agony. "Why you-!" The wounded stallion took a punch at his accidental attacker, and the two soon broke out into a brawl. Before we knew it, two of the other three began to lock hooves in a struggle. The last one I grinned at and gestured for him to approach me. "Looks like its you and me, ugly." I said. He growled as he readied himself, taking a powerful stance. "I'm sorry that I have to kill you." I added. With a snarl he bolted to the left, hoping to surprise me, however I tossed a needle that way and got him right in the neck. "Gah! Son of a-" He gripped his neck in pain as he felt blood trickle down his torso. Not wasting a great opportunity, I tossed another through his ear. No doubt it pierced his brain. I had studied pony anatomy before I left SkyVale. I tried my best to learn the body's weak points so I knew how to exploit them in combat. Watching the other three fight (one apparently had been killed during the struggle while I was occupied with my own fight) I sighed and shook my head. They foolishly had forgotten I was there while they brawled. I levitated a few needles and lined up my shots. I would need to hit them perfectly if I hoped to take them down quickly. Their massive size meant that skull penetration would be difficult. Waiting for the right moment, I saw one of them turn just enough to where I could see his eyes. Taking my chance, I tossed one directly at him. It was the perfect shot, right through the eye. The penetration was perfect as well, because he collapsed without so much as a scream. The pony whom had been taking a punch from him turned to look towards me, and sure enough, he received the second needle through the opposite eye. Once again, I watched as the station fell. The final stallion looked to me with a scowl. He was the last obstacle, but fortunately he looked significantly weaker than the other two. "Just you and me then?" He grinned as he took a step forward. Before he had a chance to speak again, I teleported behind him and hurled a needle into the back of his hind leg. The blow brought him down as I bolted in front of him and tossed another through his face. It happened too quickly for him to even wince in pain. As he fell in front of my hooves, I stepped over his body and stood at the center of the arena on full display as I looked around to make sure none of them got back up. Not to much surprise, but they all laid there in the dirt. Lyra rose up from her chair and clapped before raising her megaphone. "Little Torch has conquered once again! Looks like she'll be making it to the finals! I must say, I'm impressed." My attention however was not on Lyra, instead it was on the orange mare sitting in the grandstands below her. Tangerine and I stared each other down, now fully accepting something that I knew the both of us had neglected to even think about when we first met a few days ago. That being, we would need to face each other to get out of here, and only one of us would be leaving. There was no doubt that Tangerine was not going to let her emotions stop her, and I certainly could not let mine stand in my way either. The truth of it was that only one of us could win this fight, and it had to be me. I had to come out victorious, or I'd never make it to Flare. It wasn't going to be easy either, as no doubt Tangerine had been watching all my fights, and studied how I do battle. She probably thought she knew an opening or flaw in my strategies at this point. There was one thing she didn't know though; I had not exhausted every move in my arsenal yet. I had a feeling she was counting on seeing all I was capable of, thus why I purposely reserved some attacks to use specifically on her. Lyra interrupted both of our thought as she yelled again. "I suggest you both get some rest; tomorrow you both enter the final round, and decide who will be leaving the arena a champion, and who will be leaving in a body bag." I was hardly even listening to what the mare was saying as I kept my eyes locked on Tangerine, who returned the glare with her powerful eyes. There was no doubt; this was going to be probably the hardest fight I had endured since I came to the ruins, and maybe my entire life up to this point. No doubt that Tangerine would not fall for the same tricks and traps that my previous enemies did. She was a lot smarter, and a lot stronger. No doubt that she could take a few hits before she went down. "Torch..." She spoke loud enough so I could hear her in the grandstand. I stood still and said nothing. "Give me your best fight." She nodded as she began to trot away back to her sleeping area, I assumed. My eyes stayed locked on her until she was out of sight. I nodded in return as I began to gather up my needles. I intended to do exactly that; give her one hell of a fight.
Mist	1148	33	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-12-08T23:43:32+00:00	2017-01-04T16:51:10+00:00	410	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-Two (The Arena Saga) The final day in the arena approached. It was the quietest day this building had seen since I arrived. With only three living ponies left in the entire facility, it was no wonder though. Part of me questioned what was done with the corpses that were collected over the events of the tournament. I never saw any pony come in and dispose of them, nor did I see them anywhere else after the fights; just some old blood stains on the walls. I imagined that their collars were recycled for the next set of unlucky victims. The fight was placed at the end of the day, so Tangerine and myself were permitted to enjoy our final day in this arena (and alive for one of us) as we pleased. Naturally, we avoided each other, as we had silently agreed not to meet anywhere but in the ring. Part of me suspected that this was all part of Lyra's game; that she purposely placed Tangerine and myself in the brackets we were in so we'd be forced to fight each other in the end. Considering she saw me as some kind of strange test up to this point, it was not an unfair assessment. Lyra clearly saw amusement in seeing how I react to situations she creates. I spent the start of my day wandering the building with Lyra herself. Lyra seemed to be in an exceptionally giddy mood today as well. Her step had a bit more bounce in it, and she seemed to sway happily as she walked. "Somepony seems excitable..." I commented. Lyra was almost in a sing song when she answered. "I'm always in a good mood when I know a good show is going to be put on." I rolled my eyes. "I just can't wait to get out of here." Lyra grinned. "Still confident that you can beat her?" I nodded. "Tangerine may be strong, but I know I can bring her down. As much as I don't wish to harm the only pony who has been a friend to me since I got here..." Lyra blinked and stopped in her tracks. "You would kill her just like that?" I looked to the teal mare with a look of seriousness. "If she stands in my way of getting to Flare, then I have no choice. Nothing is going to stop me, not her, not you, not Celestia herself. I've come too far to fail now." She smiled. "Say, why do you wear that cloak?" It was an odd subject change. "I could ask you the same about that tuxedo." I smirked She laughed. "The ring master has to look presentable, right?" It was disturbing to think that she thought of this all like it was the circus. "I wear this cloak to conceal myself. I want my saddle case hidden so that nopony knows what I'm carrying. The element of surprise is key. It also hides my vibrant colors a bit more." I explained. Lyra nodded again and grinned. "You're quite the strategist then. How did such a cute young lady become such a survival expert?" "Necessity is the mother of all invention." I shrugged. She laughed. "No, seriously, why are you this way?" I sat down and lowered my hood, letting my mane fall in front of my eye. Brushing it aside, I sighed. "I had decided when Flare left that I'd chase after him. From then on, my life became nothing but training to prepare for this journey. I put everything else aside... Even my own son..." Lyra leaned in. "You're a bit too young to have a child don't you think?" I nodded. "Before I realized my destiny, I was a foolish filly thinking she knew what love was. Now I realize that love has no place in my life." "A mare of destiny then." Lyra teased. "And what about you? What kind of things do you think await you in your future?" I looked to her as I brought the subject onto her. She shrugged. "Half the fun is not knowing." "Uncertainty always makes me uneasy..." I admitted. Lyra laughed. "Yet you made a trip down into Hell to chase a boy. For all you know he could have been picked off by a savage in his first few hours." "Flare may be cautious, but he wouldn't be done in that easily. He's out there right now, and he needs my help. He doesn't want me in danger because I'm his little sister, but I'm not a filly anymore. I'm ready to do what it takes to stand by him and fight for Equestria." I spoke. Lyra levitated an instrument out of her bag and began to practice with it. "Quite the Pipedream." She said as she strummed a few strings on the instrument that shared her name. "You're the second one to tell me that." I replied. She strummed a few more times. "Then why not turn back and listen? Spare your own life, and save yourself the disappointment." I grinned. "Because you're wrong. I will conquer this arena, and I will march to Canterlot, slaying any who stand in my way. Then I shall find my brother and the knights, and together we'll fix this broken world." Lyra just rolled her eyes. "Wait a while, you'll soon see that the world down here isn't as magical as you think it is. You were locked up in that floating steel ball for so long that there is no way you can comprehend how cruel this ruined world is. There is a reason we call them the ruins, you know?" I shrugged. "You're free to give up, but I won't." Lyra chuckled. "I already have a plan to get away from this hell hole. I just need time is all." My attention turned to her. "What do you mean?" She grinned and winked. "It's a secret." I rolled my eyes and turned back to the wall. "Figures... You're always full of mysteries..." She grew quiet for a moment and brushed her long mane out of her face. "They say there are other worlds out there. Places where the darkness has never touched, places where the creatures are very different from you and I." She sounded like she had thought about this before. "Sounds like a pipedream." I mocked. "I'll find that world one day... I'll leave this place behind and live a better life there... Ever since Bon Bon died..." She paused and looked down. "Well, there's nothing waiting for me here. I have no desire to return Equestria, because even if I did, there would be nothing there waiting for me..." "Take a girl's love, and you've left her with nothing to lose..." I commented. "Either way, I'll leave this place someday..." She looked up as she trailed on and strummed at her instrument some more. "Escape to another world... It sounds so simple... So wonderful... I'll climb out of this hell and when I set my hoof upon the surface I'll be born again. Such a beautiful idea..." I nodded and stood up. "Well, I'll work on the world we already have before I go looking for another one." She nodded. "You hold sentiment to this old rock. That'll change eventually. Once you see how cruel the world can be, you'll realize it isn't looking out for you, like you are for it." "We shall see." I replied. --- The time of the fight finally came. The last battle that I would see in the arena was here, and I was one of the two final participants. The other, the only mare who had befriended me in this forgotten patch of dirt that ponies once called Equestria. I couldn't say I was looking forward to this event, but I knew I could not avoid it. "Alright, ponies. You know the rules, first one to kick the bucket is the loser. The winner gets to leave here and take a very special gift from me with them. I want to see your best fight, so be sure to amuse me." Lyra called out. I stared Tangerine down, our eyes locked in a powerful stand off. I had already decided I was going to keep my cloak and hood up to conceal my weapon handling. Some may see it as disrespectful to my friend, but I could not let anything stop me, not even her. I would need every advantage I could get. "Torch... I am sorry that I have to kill you now... It's just... My little brother... He's out there without me... He needs me or he won't survive." Tangerine spoke slowly, as if afraid to say too much. "You never told me about that before..." I rose a brow. She nodded. "The truth is, that I was brought here when I was on a hunt to bring back food to our shelter... He's probably at home, afraid right now... He's in danger. Any savages could come and kill him while I'm not there to protect him..." I shrugged as I readied myself to fight. "Everypony has to learn to fend for themselves sooner or later." I replied. She nodded. "True, but I have a soft spot for him. I'd never forgive myself if I let something happen to him... That's why I'm going to kill you today." The large mare got in her stance. I sighed and shook my head. "You're overconfident. Let me explain something to you... I have come a long way to reach Flare, and I won't let anypony stop me... Not you, or Celestia, the savages of the wasteland, anypony! I will make it to him, and any who stand in my way will meet death; you're no exception to that. I don't want to fight you, but if you are an obstacle to getting to Flare..." I lowered my head ready to attack. "Then I'll show no mercy." "Then let's see what you're made of little mare..." Tangerine grinned as she bolted forward. Dodging her was simple. It was just as I predicted, she was sluggish and her muscles made moving difficult. Sure she could fly, but it wasn't about to do her much good if I could dodge anything she threw at me. "Hold still and I'll kill you quickly!" She growled as she skidded to a halt. I raised a hoof and gestured for her to come to me. Obeying, she jumped towards me, only for me to leap into the air and land behind her. Frantically, she peeked around trying to find me. "What the...?" "Over here." I replied. My call got her attention as she hissed. "Now just stay there!" She took a swing with her mighty hoof, only for me to take a step back, just narrowly dodging it. With another advance she took a swing, but was met by a barrier I had placed in front of her made of fire. Trotting backwards she tried to get around it to find another wall go up. "You can't fight me directly can you? Have to rely on cheap tricks to get me, huh?" She grinned as she jumped right through the wall of fire, and landed on the other side unscathed. She approached slowly as she kept her eyes locked on me. "You're just going to stay on the defensive aren't you? You can never win if you don't attack, you know that? You'll be a-" She was cut off by a quick hoof swing by me, hurling a needle directly into her skull. The throw was strong enough to penetrate her thick head, and go right between her eyes. I watched carefully, but as expected, her large body fell limp and lifeless to the ground as blood trickled from the new opening. I took myself out of my battle stance and whispered. "Sorry..." I could hear a slow clap in the stands. I looked up to see Lyra applauding as she watched me. "It's just as I expected... You truly are one hell of a warrior. An example of what determination can truly do." I didn't respond, instead I just kept my eyes on her. --- Lyra had lead me to the exit of the facility only moments after the fight, as it was my first request. I was not interested in staying in this place even a minute longer. There was nothing else here that I cared about, not after being forced to kill Tangerine. Even if I knew it was coming, it still hit me fairly hard. Despite that though, I needed to move forward. Lyra paused in front of an old metal door. Reaching into her bag she offered a scrap of paper. "Here, this is an old map of the ruins I nabbed off of a savage a while ago. It'll guide you to Canterlot a lot faster." She dangled a small silver object as well. "Also this compass may help, provided you know how to navigate." I took both of them and placed them in my saddle case with a confused expression. "You're actually letting me go...?" She nodded. "I'm a mare of my word. You won fair and square. However part of me is sad to see you go, I felt like I actually connected with you. If you're ever nearby, be sure to stop in." She winked. I rolled my eyes. "No offense, but I doubt I'll be stopping here ever again." She laughed. "Yeah, that's understandable." I smiled briefly. "I should thank you though, you allowed me to test my determination. Now I'm certain nothing will stop me." Lyra stepped forward and placed her hooves on my neck. "Here, I'll take this off of you..." She fiddled with the collar and seconds later it fell to the floor. "Thanks, I suppose this is goodbye then?" I bowed a bit. "Not quite, I have your prize." She grinned. I had completely forgotten about the prize she promised. More than likely because I wasn't interested in it. However I figured I would hear her out since I was already here and a few seconds wasn't going to stall me anymore. "I'm not one for gifts..." She laughed. "You'll like this one." Reaching into her bag, she retrieved an interesting device with two straps on it. It appears to have some kind of barrel and a retracting blade. She gestured for me to hold out my hoof, which I did. With her magic, she fastened it to my left hoof and grinned. "I noticed you were a lefty when I saw you hold the needles. This should prove far more effective than them." I held the device up and examined the white blade. It was some kind of shining metal I had never seen before. "What is it?" "A proper weapon. We call them gunblades down here, but this isn't any ordinary run-of-the-mill gunblade." She grinned. "What's so special about it?" My eyes continued to examine the fine craftsmanship. "This blade is enchanted with magic, it can cut fast enough to create sonic booms if used correctly. Be very careful with it." She boasted. I liked the sound of this. "What's a gun though?" I asked. "It fires metal projectiles from far away at amazing speeds. Kills enemies fast. You really were cooped up in SkyVale for a long time. Normally the military operates them using U.M.S.A.s, but since you're a unicorn that won't be necessary." She explained. I wasn't sure what a U.M.S.A. was, but I just nodded in understanding to get out of this place faster. "So if I keep heading this way, then I'll reach Canterlot?" I changed the subject. She nodded. "And I'm sure that a bad ass like you will fit right in. I hear stories in the ruins about how mighty their warriors are. Occasionally a few savages will run into them on their recon missions, and well... Let's just say they regretted bumping into the Knights. However after seeing what you can do, they may need to be afraid of you. I've never seen them fight though." "Why are you helping me so much?" I rose a brow. She shrugged. "You're trying to find somepony dear to you, I guess I kind of sympathize with that. You better run to him quick, after all, every second counts out here." I took a step towards the door, but paused, turning my head to see Lyra again. "Come with me." I smiled. Lyra blinked. "I beg your pardon?" "There's nothing out here. Come with me to Canterlot. I can bring you to a better life, anything is better than here, right?" I offered. The teal mare just laughed and shook her head. "Sorry, my place is here. There's even less waiting for me in Canterlot. Don't worry, I'll find my escape eventually." "Do you really think there is another world out there?" I gave her a serious look. She nodded. "There has to be, how else do you explain the fact that we can not explain where we came from? Everything had to start somewhere and since life is continuous, we must have come from somewhere, right?" I supposed she had a point. "Good bye, Lyra Heartstrings... It was... interesting..." I gave a weak smile. "May your travels be safe, Ms. Fires. If we never meet again, I will say that I shall not be forgetting you anytime soon." Lyra responded. "Very well then. Good bye." I nodded as I placed my hoof on the door. Listening to it unlock, I pushed it open and stepped through it onto the staircase behind it. Once I had all four hooves on the other side, the door shut and locked behind me. I only caught a brief glimpse of Lyra before that happened. Deciding it was best to keep moving I ascended up the stairs, moving quickly to get out of this place. It must have taken five straight minutes of running to get to the very top, but once I had made it I burst through the final doors to see dirt on the ground. Coming closer I realized I was outside again. Lyra had kept her word. I had never thought I'd be so happy to see the ruined world again. I had done it, I had climbed over the bodies and out of the arena unharmed. Looking at the map and compass that Lyra had given me, I realized that now was the time to make haste to Canterlot. I had already wasted enough time. Once I knew which direction I was heading, I rolled up my map and cased my compass before bolting in that direction. Nothing was going to stop me now, and if any savages stood in my way, I had a new toy to test out on them. "Here comes Torch Fires!" I grinned as I ran towards the last stronghold of Equestria.
Mist	1148	34	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-12-09T14:09:03+00:00	2017-01-04T16:51:30+00:00	465	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-Three (The Soldier Saga) At full force and top speed I finally managed to get my hooves to take me all the way to Canterlot. It was around a two day run with only four hours of sleep between running. Unfortunately the minecart system that Lyra suggested was out of order, but after all that hard work, I finally had arrived at the gate to the city. I had never seen Canterlot in person before, but I recall pictures of it from before the war. It was a majestic and colorful city. Now looking at it, it was very bland and run down. I could see in the distance that one of the towers to the castle had fallen long ago, and never got cleaned up. Encasing the whole city was a barrier that was clearly designed to keep any would be trespassers out. More than likely any hostiles. Standing at the entrance a guard looked to me and held his firearm in my direction from the top of a tower. Next to him another prepared his weapon. "Please provide your citizen ID." He demanded. I took a step forward and lowered my hood. "I am not a citizen here." I replied. He was gruff and to the point with his reply. "Then state your business or leave. Canterlot does not entertain tourism, and by protocol I am required to ask you to leave if you have no business. If you should resist, I am authorized to use deadly force. So what do you want?" I rolled my eyes. "Sheesh, you're friendly." I commented. My comment only made him adjust his weapon ready to fire. "Who runs this place?" I asked. "The city is controlled by Princess Luna and General Twilight Sparkle." He was very quick with his answers. I nodded. "Alright, I request an audience with them." He laughed. "And who do you think you are asking for an audience with the leaders of Canterlot like that?" "My name is Torch Fires," I answered. "I don't give a damn what your name is." He growled. "I came all the way from SkyVale to get here." I added. He paused and looked to his friend, whispering something. "Are you any relation to Flare of SkyVale?" I nodded again. "He's my brother." He paused a second time and then chatted with his friend again. "One moment." He called down as he got on some kind of radio. I stood patiently for five minutes or so, and before I knew it the gates were opening. A different guard greeted me and lead me inside where the gate closed behind me. "General Sparkle has accepted your invitation for an audience and requests you go directly to the castle. You'll be guided right to her office. From this point forward you will have an armed officer with you at all times, if you engage in any suspicious behavior, we are authorized to neutralize you. Do you understand?" I nodded. "You boys certainly know how to make a girl feel welcome." He nudged my side with his weapon, and instead of continually trying to make small talk with him, I decided it was best to adhere to what he said. It looked like they weren't taking any chances on me. The fact that they knew Flare though had me excited. He was here in Canterlot, I knew he made it all the way. The streets of the city were quite dirty, but substantially better than the ruins outside. It looked like Canterlot had only been partially hit by the effects of this cataclysm I had heard about. The castle however was kept in relatively good shape on the inside. It must have been cleaned regularly. The security team didn't ease up for a second, and as expected I was escorted all the way to Twilight's office. Once outside the door, the two guards stood next to it, one opening the door. "The general wishes to speak with you alone. We will wait to escort you when she is finished. Please keep your conversations brief as she is a busy mare." I shrugged. "I'll see what I can do. I'm not much of a chatterbox though, so I'm sure you'll have little to worry about." Stepping inside, the door was closed behind me. Sitting at a desk with a mountain of papers in front of her was a purple unicorn with some reading glasses on her nose. Looking up at me, I could see one of her eyes had a scar going through the lids, and that same eye was yellow in color, unlike her other eye which was purple. The yellow one looked terribly unnatural. "Torch Fires, is it?" She spoke up. For a general she had quite a friendly voice. I nodded. "Yes ma'am." She took her glasses off and examined me. "You look a lot like him... Flare's sister, huh?" "That's right." I responded. "Well, I had to see it to believe it. Why have you come here to Canterlot though?" She rose a brow. "Ma'am, I've come looking for my brother. Anywhere he goes, I go. We're family, and if this is where he wants to be, I'll be here with him. Please take me to him, I want to see my brother again." I demanded. She sighed and nodded. "Very well, please follow me." --- She had taken me to the Canterlot garden accompanied by one of her trusted soldiers; a Ms. Vinyl Scratch. She wasn't nearly as friendly as the general and her sense of humor was very childish and rude. I ignored her rudeness as we reached the center of the garden. "There he is." Twilight gestured to a statue. I approached and placed my hoof on the marble carving of my brother. The details were phenomenal. "We found him about a month ago. He had gone out to Ponyville on his own and issued a distress signal on his way back. We tried to get to him with our best doctor, but he was dead for hours before we even made it there." Twilight explained. "Your brother was a hero, Torch." She added. A month, that meant that even without the setback of the arena I still would not have made it on time. That meant that I was too late by the time I even left SkyVale. "Sorry you came all this way for nothing..." Vinyl commented. I kept my hoof on the statue as my expression turned more serious. Flare was dead, and buried here, but I came anyways. There was only one choice from here. Nodding I turned back around to face Twilight. "I wish to join the Knights." I spoke. She blinked. "Errrr, what? Just like that?" I nodded. "I wish to follow in my brother's hoofsteps. If he was passionate enough to die for the Knights, I am too. I didn't come here for nothing, I came to help Flare, and if this is what he died doing, then its what I want to die doing as well. Where do I sign up?" Twilight looked as though she was in disbelief. "We normally don't allow many outsiders to join the Knights; Flare was a unique exception... But if you're related to him... I could let you in to honor him." I grinned. "That would be great." "Just so you know though, you still have to go through training. Its pretty rough, are you sure you want to do this?" Twilight asked. I nodded. "I'll start right away." She sighed. "Very well, we'll issue you to the next training group tomorrow. We'll have a guard assign you a bunk where you can sleep tonight while you wait for your orders. You'll get the chance to join, but you have to survive training first." "Very well then, I'll hear from you in the morning." I answered. --- Standing in the lineup, I readied myself. Twilight had warned me that I was going to be trained as a special operative, and because of that she would be sending her most hardened soldier to teach me. The training program was eight week long, and no doubt was going to put every one of my abilities to the test. I was ready though, there wasn't anything they could throw at me now that could stop me. Standing there with the rest of the grunts, I inhaled and exhaled. There was no telling what was coming next, but I would have to face it regardless. As we all stood there in the open, from the building next to us a white unicorn trotted out. Donning a military jacket and hat she walked right to the line up with a cigarette in her maw. I recognized her right away. "Alright, shitbags. My name is Lieutenant Vinyl Jennifer Scratch. I'll be helping you all get your balls to drop for the next eight weeks." She started as she stared down the first recruit in line. After she was done sizing him up she took another few slow steps. "I am telling you now, I am not your friend. I have high expectations and I will not tolerate any useless cocksuckers slowing down my lovely little unit here. My job is to weed out the weak and turn the strong into weapons of mass destruction." She paused and stopped to look up and down another stallion. "If you follow my lead, you may actually live." I kept very still. "Right now you are all worthless. You're nothing more than meat in a bag of flesh. Only if you survive my training will you be able to be a weapon. For the next eight weeks your pathetic worthless souls belong to me. I am Goddess to you all right now, and you will be faithful." Vinyl continued. The mare eventually stopped in front of me. A grin grew on her face as her red eyes locked with my eyes. "Well I'll be damned. Twilight stuck you in my unit? How unfortunate..." "Ma'am, I am honored to be trained by such a master, ma'am!" I responded with a salute. She laughed. "You'll regret saying that, however I meant unfortunate for you. As for me, I am going to take great pleasure in watching you squirm." She turned to the others and shouted. "We got ourselves a hero, here ladies. This here is the sister of Flare Fires, come to follow in her brother's hoofsteps." Her statement got a lot of chatter going. She turned to me and smiled. "What's your name again, maggot?" "Ma'am, recruit Torch Fires, ma'am!" I quickly answered. She laughed. "Your new name is Cuntface. I hope you like that name." I nodded. "Ma'am, yes ma'am!" She leaned in closer. "Let me make something clear to you Cuntface, your position means nothing to me. I will be riding your ass twice as hard anypony else here because I don't play favorites. I suggest you pray to whatever you worship because it'll take a miracle for you to survive my training." I saluted again. “Ma'am I look forward to it, ma'am!" She gave a strange expression. "Cocky little shit, huh? Well, we'll see how well you do with our first exercises, I am going to break you, Cuntface. You're going to love me, I'm sure." She winked with that last part. Her eyes were powerful, she had the stare of a demon about her. I was certain many have trembled looking into her eyes. There was no doubt that if one were to dig through the history of Vinyl Scratch they would find nothing but great horrors. Vinyl nodded and grinned before stepping away from me. "Okay ladies, I suggest you all get plenty of rest tonight. Come tomorrow, I will be twisting your balls off." The group stood silent. "Alright, at ease and go to your barracks. I don't want to see you pukes until four hundred hours tomorrow." One grunt raised a hoof, to which Vinyl responded by approaching and standing in front of him. "What is it, maggot?" "Ma'am, the protocol for special ops training is always six hundred hours. With the time allotted, it is impossible for the recruits to get enough sleep to perform adequately, ma'am." He rattled off. Vinyl slapped him across the face and when he turned from the strike, she thrusted. Hoof under him into the crotch region. He groaned in pain as he fell over gripping the spot. "What's wrong? Mommy needs to tuck you in? I am calling the shots here, and we will follow my protocol. You will be up and about two hours before the other recruits because I train harder. Out there, the darkness does not wait for you to get your beauty sleep and neither will I. You're going to be worked harder than any other unit, because this is my unit, and if my name is on it I want to have the greatest killing machines produced from it possible. So you do not get nap time under my watch." She had leaned down to speak to him on the ground. "Now anymore insightful input?" She added with a grin. He shook his head. "Good, now to the barracks, ladies!" She commanded. On the way inside, I took notice of the fact that her eyes locked on me at the end of the line. I could already tell that Vinyl was serious about her comment about working me harder than the other recruits. Things just kept getting more and more interesting it seemed.
Mist	1148	35	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-12-27T02:34:54+00:00	2017-01-04T16:51:44+00:00	290	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-Four (The Soldier Saga) The first day of training started with being told to get right out of bed and run five miles around the city. Vinyl woke us all up with an airhorn in the early hours of the morning, and a good thirty minutes before she said we would be awoken. No doubt because she was trying to get us used to the whole "the enemy doesn't follow the rules" mentality she clearly was trying to promote. "Come on, my mother runs faster than that you shit stains!" Vinyl screeched at the group whom were struggling to make the whole run. I however was making great time, and managed to finish a lap before the rest of the group. Vinyl checked her time and gave an annoyed expression. "Cuntface! You run fast, you planning on going AWOL the moment the action happens?" I shook my head. "Ma'am, no ma'am." "Then explain to me why you are lapping your fellow maggots? Why are they eating your shit sandwich?" She rose a brow. "Ma'am, you told me to run fast and take no breaks, ma'am!" I saluted as I started to gain my energy back. "You think I'm impressed, Cuntface? Well I am not! Any worthless fucker can run with their tail between their legs, now drop and give me one hundred push ups and I want to see you kiss the dirt, Cuntface!" She hissed. Once again I saluted before dropping to perform the exercise. Vinyl nodded, annoyed she trotted over to talk to Twilight whom had come by to oversee the training. The two saluted each other before conversing. My sensitive hearing allowed me to overhear what was being discussed. "I want your analysis by the end of the week. Tell me what we're dealing with here. Maybe we'll actually get lucky." Twilight said. "Maybe... But it not like we can just craft another Rainbow Dash. Without her... We may not be able to stop the darkness... We defeated Trixie, but all we may have really done is buy ourselves some more time before we are wasted for real." Vinyl replied. Twilight sighed and patted the mare's shoulder. "Just get me that analysis and don't leave out any details. I want a full report..." Vinyl nodded. "You got it, One-Eye." Twilight scoffed before taking her leave. --- Vinyl and Twilight watched a very energetic Torch taking a fitness test behind a one way mirror. Twilight had just approached as Vinyl had been watching the whole time diligently. Her red eyes had not left Torch since she entered the room. Twilight turned to Vinyl. "So, do you have my report?" Vinyl nodded with a grin, still watching Torch. "Oh, I've got one. You're going to love this too." The mare levitated a folder to Twilight who began checking the contents over. "She's fast, and agile. She not only surpassed the tests, she got the highest scores I've ever seen. Her fitness results are excellent, her combat abilities are outstanding for a mare of such little experience, and her drive is unrelenting. It seems as though nothing stops her." Vinyl smirked. Twilight looked at a few of the papers inside the folder. "Incredible... But how?" Vinyl smiled again. "I've seen that look in her eyes before. I've seen it on myself. She is driven to go all the way. She doesn't care about what happens to herself, and that's what makes her so strong. She welcomes death, and she has determination that can't be shaken. There is a monster inside of her." "Do you think she'll be enough... I mean enough to change the tide of the battle...?" Twilight bit her lip, a bit in disbelief. Vinyl rolled her eyes. "You seem to bet your battles on one soldier quite often." Twilight gave a scowl. "I bet on what has the highest probability of success. Unfortunately when I am only given a choice between five percent and ten percent I am forced to place my bet on one soldier. Its not much, but I'll take every single advantage I can get my hooves on." Vinyl grew quiet as she looked back through the glass at Torch. Memories of her time in Cloudsdale resurfaced. "Sometimes that's not always wise..." She commented. Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to take her leave. "I didn't ask for your opinion. Now get that mare finished with training for today and tomorrow bring her to the royal guardian hall." Vinyl turned in shock. "You mean...?" The purple unicorn nodded in response. "Yes, now see to it she makes it on time." Vinyl watched carefully as Twilight left. Her thoughts still fell back on the mysterious cloaked pony she had encountered in Cloudsdale. She knew that the same pony was the one responsible for Flare's death. She recognized the puncture wound. Small and thin, just like that mare's blade. Nopony else would use such a small weapon unless they were an assassin. What were the odds though that another assassin was roaming the ruins? It had to be the same one. The part that bothered her the most though is why she took nothing. Instead, Flare's body was left completely unlooted and Rainbow's sword was delivered to Canterlot anonymously. Could they have delivered it for Flare? Why though? Did somepony take it from them then deliver it? No, who could possibly have taken it from such a pony? All still a mystery to Vinyl, one she intended to solve. Taking another look at Torch she placed her hoof on the glass. "You move like she did... Maybe you might be enough... We'll find out soon enough..." --- I had been training for some time now and Vinyl had instructed me to meet in her private training area. I suspected this was either good news, or really bad news. None the less, I showed up with weapon at the ready as instructed. I hadn't gotten the chance to properly test Lyra's Song, but I doubted I would be seeing the blade's true power any time soon. Upon my arrival, Vinyl stepped out of her quarters and stopped only three feet in front of me. "You've shown me what your abilities can do..." She began. I remained still. "Now, let's see what you can truly do..." Vinyl took stance and readied two of her blades. I took a step back and drew my sword. "W-what...?" "I won't be holding back... If you die, then it'll be because of your own insolence. We won't be shooting with blanks this round, and I aim to win. If you can't beat me, then you don't deserve the honor of serving in the military." She explained. Was she insane? She was proposing a death match. There was no way that Twilight knew about this arrangement. "And if I beat you?" I asked. She cracked her neck. "Don't worry, you won't." Without warning, she bolted forward and began striking with both blades repeatedly. Trying to keep up, I kept blocking every strike. She was fast, and powerful to boot. Every strike felt like it increased in strength. I couldn't help but get pushed back a little by her blows. I didn't hesitate to return the hits, as I unleashed a flurry of strikes of my own. Not to much surprise she dodges and blocked with much finesse. Her fighting technique reminded me of dancing in a way. Her body moved with so much elegance when she fought. I was distracted by her moves to the point where I didn't notice she fired off a few rounds at me. I was able to just barely get out of the way. Touching a hoof to my shoulder, I felt a trickle of blood. One of the bullets had grazed me while I dodged. The injury was not significant, but it was obvious she didn't miss on purpose. "If you don't start giving your best, you won't live long enough to stand with the Knights." She grinned. She was confident, that was for sure. However instead of a response, I unleashed a volley of bullets in her direction. Blinking I noticed they were direct hits. Every single one made contact, but instead of piercing the skin, they fell to the floor in front of her. She smirked. "Didn't I mention that I'm bulletproof?" "That's not possible..." I blinked. She grinned again as she took another slash, which I just barely dodged. "Didn't you hear what they call me?" She sliced again. "Vinyl the invincible!" I returned the strikes only to be dodged. "I heard ponies call you DJ-Pon3." I remarked. It was clear she had some kind of spell that protected her from bullets. Our swords locked and Vinyl grunted. "That part of my life is over. I don't need music anymore, I found something better." Breaking the lock, I stepped back. "And what's that?" Vinyl licked her blade as she prepared to attack again. "Killing. I'm the greatest killer that Equestria has ever known. Didn't they tell you that?" She took a few angry swings, but Lyra's Song proved effective in blocking. "I must not have gotten the memo." I replied. Vinyl paused and began trotting clockwise around me. "I even brought an infected Celestia to her knees... Your brother was there to witness it. He knew first hoof what my abilities could do..." "You think that scares me? I came a long way to get to this, and nothing is going to stop me, not even you. If I have to kill you to get what I want, then so be it." I answered. "Noble... But..." She smiled. "Foolish." With that word she bolted forward and knocked me over. I tried to block her while I was on the ground, but she knocked my sword right out of the way. Before I knew it, she had the barrel of her firearm pointed directly between my eyes. I sighed and just closed my eyes peacefully. "Oh well, I guess." She pushed the barrel closer. "You don't fear death..." I nodded, eyes still closed. "If I fail, then I deserve nothing short of it." She lowered her weapon and grinned. "Get up." Opening my eyes, I gave a look of confusion. "But... I lost... I thought..." "You have guts, kid. Hell you have loyalty even. You're willing to die for your brother's wishes. That may be enough to prove you're worthy... Maybe... It's a long shot, but Twilight thinks you may be the hero Equestria has been waiting for." She explained as she retracted her swords. "Really?" I brushed myself off. She nodded. "However you're still young. Your abilities need to be cultivated first. You still require much training, but I can sense that natural drive in you. The desire to be the strongest, to be the best. That's the same drive that she had... It may be enough to take you all the way..." I wasn't sure who this "she" was, but this was good news nonetheless, at least I hoped. Vinyl turned around. "Get some rest, Twilight will be meeting with you tomorrow morning. It’s important." I nodded and made my exit, still wondering what this was all about, however I would probably know tomorrow morning. --- Two weeks before the one known as Torch would arrive on their doorstep, Twilight and Vinyl had entered a struggle that they needed to overcome. Without Dash, her blade was left without a wielder, but only one truly strong could utilize her weapon. Vinyl was the obvious next choice. Day in and day out she trained herself for the month and a half that the blade was in their possession. Vinyl knew she was the only one to keep on par with Rainbow Dash. She knew she was the only one that rivaled her in fighting ability. She had the drive to constantly get stronger. The white unicorn was determined to go all the way. She knew that Equestria needed somepony to wield the blade, and that somepony had to be her. The only one with enough strength to properly utilize the power of the sword was her. Everyday she would push her body past its limits repeatedly, working herself to exhaustion. Every time however the results were the same: it wasn't enough. Her hard work would not get the sword to answer to her. So every time she would return to the training arena and work more, pushing herself again and again, hoping to eventually be accepted as the weapon's master. Today she would try again, and she was ready. There was not a blademaster alive that could best her, and she was a force to be feared. More lives were ended by Vinyl's cuts than any other warrior in Equestria, she was the thing spoken of in urban legends. Twilight fastened the blade to Vinyl's front left hoof with a sigh, already guessing this would be a waste of time. Vinyl however had a smile of delight as she prepared to test her new toy. "Alright, stand back!" Vinyl grinned as took a battle stance. Twilight simply shrugged and stepped back with a yawn. It was early and she had gotten out of bed much earlier than usual to appease Vinyl's impatient behavior. Jumping through the air, Vinyl yelled as she tried to use her magic to command the sword to extend. When she hit the ground however, the blade remained in its retracted state. Twilight sighed and shook her head. "Better luck next time Vinyl..." She patted the mare on the shoulder before making an exit. She knew how frustrated Vinyl got when she did not succeed and she didn't want to be around for that. The moment Twilight was outside of the room however, Vinyl cursed loud enough for the heavens to hear. "FUCK!" She punched the wall, leaving a noticeable dent. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" She began to smash every object in the room she could find. "What am I doing wrong!?" She growled as she kicked a support beam. "I am the strongest there is!" She hissed. "Why won't you obey me!?" She snarled as she smashed the sword against the same support beam. Panting she stared at the damage she caused in anger. The mare heard another voice across the room. She quickly turned to that direction knowing that there was no way another pony got into her private training area. There stood a strange pony with a braid in his mane, and odd keys hanging off of himself. He had a necklace, earrings and hoof bands all decorated with keys. "You want to know why the Rainbow Edge doesn't obey you?" He spoke. "Who are you?" She sneered. "It doesn't answer you because it doesn't accept you as its master." He ignored her question. Vinyl blinked and looked at the sword. "But I am strong enough... Stronger than anypony here. I'm the only one who can handle its power..." "That blade did not choose Dash based on strength alone. When you put on the blade, it can see into your soul. Your heart, mind and spirit become known to it. It can see why you fight, it can see what is in your heart. It chose Dash because she was a hero." He explained. "I'm a hero too, I've defended Equestria plenty of times." She protested. The stallion shook his head. "You're no hero. You did those things for your own selfish reasons. You can't fool the blade. You only protect the world out of necessity, not good will. You fight for selfish reasons, and that is why the blade does not obey you." "Dash had selfish reasons too..." She reminded. "Yes, but the blade knew she would see the light. It knew she would realize her errors." He said. Vinyl took a step forward. "And why does it not feel that way about me?" The mysterious stallion narrowed his gaze. "You have evil in your heart. Even I can see it. There is evil inside you that was created out of your anger. Your anger consumes you, and because of that, your heart is filled with evil. One day your evil will come out, and you will see why it does not choose you. If the blade gives itself to you, it may as well give itself to darkness." "I fight the darkness, not help it!" She growled. "The evil in you is so great that it wouldn't take much to turn your eyes around. Your anger controls you, and because of that, you are weak. You're a slave to your own anger, and that is why that sword will not obey you, because you think power is only about running faster, jumping higher and fighting harder. All of that is meaningless if you fight for the wrong reasons." He grinned and looked her over. Vinyl took another fierce step forward and growled again. "What do you know!?" The stranger approached and gently brushed a lock of mane out of her face. "You're such an angry creature. Nothing like your mother..." Vinyl froze for a moment at his touch. "You knew my mother?" He smiled as he brushed her cheek with his hoof. "I know more about you than you can comprehend. Control your anger Vinyl Scratch, if you don't then it will devour your soul." "My anger is just fine... I have good reason to be angry." Vinyl replied, not stopping his hoof. His hoof eventually ran down to her chin and tilted her head up. "You're such fascinating specimens. I wish I could study you closer..." She grinned and placed her hoof onto his. "Well, maybe you can examine me closer... If you know what I mean?" She smirked pervertedly. He chuckled and let her hoof down. "I have surpassed the need for such pointless pleasures. You seem to not have evolved that far yet though." She blinked and rolled her eyes as she turned away and then looked at her blade. "Well aren't you perfect?" She sarcastically commented. Looking back up she noticed the stranger was gone. "Sneaky too... Not bad..." --- I woke up on time and made my way to Twilight's office for whatever it was she wanted from me today. I had a feeling this wasn't going to be an ordinary meeting, and when I arrived, I could tell by Vinyl's expression that there was something big going down. She had that look of annoyance and frustration about her, however she remained silent. The one eyed general swiveled in her chair and took a stand as she came around the desk and threw a file onto it, leaving many sheets to fall out of it. "Torch Fires, we've been tracking your progress here for a few days now, and well..." She bit her lip. "Your scores are outstanding. We have never seen scores quite as impressive as yours. I mean you have the fitness level that surpasses some of our most hardened soldiers. You scored nearly perfect on the target practice tests, and the combat simulations you aced with no mistakes." I shrugged. "So you brought me here to inflate my ego?" She shook her head and placed her hoof on a box on her desk. "Negative... I brought here to test something..." I nodded. "Go on." She stroked the case carefully. "Before you came here, we had a hero... Rainbow Dash..." "I heard her name a few times in the ruins." I replied. Twilight smiled. "Yes, she was quite well known. A warrior of great skill, but when she died, she left behind a powerful blade. One that is not like any other sword. It's a weapon that chooses its master... A sword that can only be used by the most skilled..." "What does this have to do with me?" I rose a brow. "We think that you may be its destined wielder." Twilight was quick to answer. That certainly wasn't news I was expecting. "Why me?" "Your abilities seem fitting. You're the only pony we've seen that performs as well as you do with so little training, and your determination is greater than we've seen before." Twilight explained. I looked to Vinyl whom just looked away from me. "And if I can use this sword...?" I asked. Twilight looked to Vinyl who rolled her eyes, then back to me. "Then you may be the next leader of the Rainbow Raiders." "Being able to use a sword qualifies me to lead a special forces team?" I laughed. "This is no ordinary sword. It is connected to the stream of existence. Meaning it will not allow itself to be used by any who are unworthy. If the sword accepts you, then it knows you're something special." Twilight said. I nodded. "Fine, let's see it." Opening the case, the general removed a blade with a golden hilt with a multi-colored trimming around the actual blade. The craftsmanship was astounding. Whomever made this blade was an expert blacksmith. I rose my hoof and allowed Twilight to fasten the nice leather straps. Once it was secure, I took a battle stance and looked up to the general. Twilight nodded in approval, giving me the okay to try out the sword. My eyes closed as I focused. Lyra's Song on my right hoof, and this sword on my left. It'd be difficult to get used to using both, but I'd worry about that later. I flicked my hoof with a magical command from my horn to the sword, telling it to extend. Sure enough the sound of a blade unsheathing rang through the air. Opening my eyes, I saw there on my hoof, the extended sword. Twilight's mouth partially hung open as she stared. "Rainbow Edge... Has chosen you as its master." I blinked and noticed Vinyl taking her leave without saying anything. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked Twilight. The general shook her head and placed a hoof on my shoulder. "She is just frustrated because she couldn't get the sword to obey her. She has too much anger in her, and thus she's not fit to lead." "Well, maybe that's a good thing. Wouldn't want someone like that in a position of power, right?" I replied. Twilight laughed. "I wouldn't say that, commander." It was strange to hear my new title. "Why's that?" A grin sprouted on her face. "That's your new second in command."
Mist	1148	36	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2013-12-30T02:48:24+00:00	2017-01-04T16:51:58+00:00	263	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-Five (The Soldier Saga) "Alright, listen up. I am not going to be repeating myself again, so I am expecting you all to pay close attention." Twilight ordered as she glanced around the room. Princess Luna and her had issued this secret meeting with myself and a few other individuals. She made sure to tell us all that we could back out if we wanted in her invitation. That only made me think it was even more important. At that table sat myself, a couple of strong looking stallions, and a strange unicorn with a black aura where her mane should be, and off of her right front hoof the same mystical aura radiated. Her eyes glowed red as she sat there. Something about her made me uneasy. "Luna, you have the table." Twilight bowed. Nodding, the princess of night stepped forward and raised a remote. With a click, a projector came on, and a picture of an azure unicorn came on screen. I took note of her black cloak. "As many of you know, little is known about the darkness. However we do understand that it creates agents to issue its orders for whatever reason. Trixie being one the most notorious of these agents." Luna explained. Clicking again another slide came up with what appeared to be some kind building. "However, what we have just recently discovered is how the darkness protects its investments. They possess a facility with entire DNA samples of every one of their agents." The unicorn with the black aura raised a hoof. "Why is this important?" She asked. Luna frowned. "It's a cloning facility... Meaning our work defeating Trixie might be completely wasted because the darkness can clone any of their agents and bring them back. Before we know it, they will grow a new Trixie, and we will be back where we were a few months ago." "So, they could simply make copies of their agents...?" I asked with a brow raised. Luna nodded. "That is why we have selected you few. This mission is top secret, and you all were chosen because we believe your abilities will be sufficient to neutralize the facility." Twilight interrupted. I quickly chimed in. "If this is a top secret cloning facility, how are the four of us going to waltz in and destroy it? I mean, wouldn't they be guarding in closer or something?" Twilight gave a nod to Luna who clicked on her remote again, putting up another slide with a map. "The facility is located in the ruins about fifteen miles from their Manehatten stronghold. Its kept very lightly guarded so as to not raise suspicion on our part. If they had a large task force protecting it, we would become aware of its operations." One of the two stallion rose his hoof and unlike the strange looking pony and I, he waited to be called upon before speaking. "Ma'am, why isn't the facility located inside the stronghold?" Twilight shrugged and shook her head. "I suppose the darkness does not fully trust its own agents. To our knowledge its agents are completely unaware of this structure. However with their stolen blueprints from Dr. Pie's cloning chambers, they can replicate an entire pony within three short months. Meaning that within a few more weeks they could already have another Trixie ready to unleash upon us." "Bastards... Does their power have no limit?" Growled the other stallion. "We're going to place a dual set of explosives inside after destroying any clone tanks that have any specimens inside. You will then remote detonate the facility and make sure that it is completely destroyed. You will be given grenade rounds to destroy anything left. I can not stress this enough; you must destroy the entire facility." Twilight detailed the mission for us. "So stroll in, kill any personal, blow the place up and lob grenades at the remains then?" I grinned. "Precisely." The unicorn smiled. "Seems easy enough..." The bigger of the two stallions replied. "We'll get the job done." I spoke. "See to it that you do, commander." The general replied. "Now, move out. We expect you to arrive at 0600 tomorrow. You will be leaving this base within the hour and dropped off about five miles from the location." Twilight clapped her hooves together to signal the urgency. --- It was a cold day that day. We all had jackets to bear the October weather. There was no sunlight in Equestria, but unfortunately the winter and fall seasons still existed. It was cold in the summer, and freezing in the winter from what I heard. Thus why many savages do not make it past November in the ruins unless they stuck together to get shelter. Food became even scarcer, and supposedly by the middle of December all of the ruins would be a constant blizzard that did not let up until late February. In SkyVale it was always a constant seventy three degrees. The temperature was regulated by a powerful magic spell cast over the city. Naturally I was poorly adapted to the cold, but I made due. "Alright, team. Twilight put me in charge of this operation, here's what we're going to do; Link, you and Gold are going to enter through the back side, neutralize any workers and plant the explosives. I then want you to meet Jewel and me at the entrance to the front side." I spoke to the two brutish stallions who just nodded as they took off to make their way to the backside. I had come to discover this white mare with the strange aura went by “Jewel”. Part of me suspected that Twilight put me in charge to test me, to see if I could handle leadership. Regardless though, I purposely put Jewel on my team so that I could keep an eye on her. I didn't trust her, and something told me she was going to pull something. The darkness on her body could not be ignored. Jewel smiled warmly at me as she raised her astral hoof, ready to fight our way in. "Ready?" She smirked. I placed a charge on the door and stood to the side of it. "Try not to get killed." I replied. "Likewise, commander." She winked. Setting off the charge, her and I bolted inside quickly after. Jewel didn't fight with weapons, instead she used the darkness on her hoof as her weapon. It seemed as though the energy could form solid objects, such as blades and piercing weapons. She could extend it like a whip and pierce her foe's skull then retract it back to her hoof. When bullets rained in our direction from the guards, I simply sliced with the Rainbow Edge. Its cut were was fast enough to stop rounds. It looked like Jewel could use her dark aura as a shield as well. The mare flipped next to one of the guards and touched her hoof gently to his cheek. "Hey, sweetheart. Looking for some fun?" She winked before grabbing his neck and flipping again with it in hoof, effectively snapping it. A larger group came out of the back hallway towards us. I looked to Lyra's Song on my right hoof. Now was as good a time as any to use it. I took a step back and focused the blade. After a second of concentration, I sliced at the air to hear everything fall silent, followed by a sudden boom and shockwave that went to the direction of our would-be attackers. The shockwave sliced them all in half with ease. I blinked in astonishment as I stood back up. My attention turned back to the sword. Jewel stepped forward. "Interesting... That blade can break the sound barrier. It caused some kind of sonic boom. I can detect great magical energy coming from the weapon." "You can detect energy?" I rose a brow. She nodded. "Yes, it was why I was trusted with this mission. My ability to read energy levels means I am good at finding powerful being for hunting them down and destroying them. I can actually detect some strong energy readings in the next room." I blinked. "Then let's waste no time." I ran ahead with Jewel following at a casual pace. The next room was filled with giant test tubes, some empty, others with what appeared to be organic tissue floating in them. Then right on the far end, exactly what Twilight predicted; a whole new Trixie being formed. She still looked like she was developing, but from the pictures we were given, there was no mistaking it. It was Trixie. Next to her a purple dragon being formed as well. "This is astounding..." Jewel blinked as she touched the glass. "What is?" I asked. "This creature... Its energy readings are far superior to the original Trixie. I am detecting that even in this state it possesses twice her magical prowess. It seems as though they are capable of increasing the power threshold of the clones by sacrificing life." She explained. "What do you mean?" I tapped the glass. "They boosted the clones' metabolism to increase their development rate and power. However by doing so they have cut their life spans in half. These were clearly designed to be expendable. It only takes them three months to get these clones where they can get over forty years of use out of them. By the time they die naturally, they will have served their purpose. If they increase the metabolism to ten times the normal rate, they could soon be pumping out clones ten times the strength of the originals." She began unpacking equipment out of her saddle bag. "Wait, you mean they could produce clones stronger than Luna herself?" I asked in disbelief. There was no way that clones could be that much superior to the originals. The unicorn nodded. "Correct, though the clone would only survive for about eight or nine years. But in theory they could make a clone at max about one hundred times as powerful as the originall, but the same clone would be dead in about a year." "Quite an ingenious plan..." I admitted as I pulled out a poison syringe and injected it into the feeding tube. "How do they make them?" She began injecting her syringe into the tank with the dragon next to Trixie. "I'm not too familiar with how cloning works to be honest. That's a question better suited for Dr. Pie, after all she designed the process, though I'm sure this wasn't in her blueprints." I nodded. "Either way, I'll be much more comfortable when we blow this place up." The mare remained silent as she finished planting our bomb in the center of the room. After she stood up, I nodded and started leading to the center of the facility. It looked like the others had made light work of the other workers, so our walk was rather uneventful. We met with the two in a room lined with aluminum cases lining every wall. Each case had a name on it, and I recognized Trixie's on one. Me and the two stallions peered around the room in awe. "So, these must be the DNA kits..." One of them said. An impaling sound was heard and before he knew what was going on, Gold had fallen to the floor and clenched his neck where blood was now spurting out. Link pivoted around only to be decapitated by a familiar black aura. I however jumped back before turning around with my weapon readied. "What are you doing, Jewel!?" I growled. Levitating one of the cases into her bag she smiled. "I owe a favor to an old friend. It’s no concern of yours." "You're a traitor..." I snarled. She shook her head. "No, I still do not serve the darkness, however I needed those two dead so they don't tell Twilight what I am doing here today. Trust me, I want this case for my own reasons, so you have nothing to worry about." "How can I trust you?" "You don't have a choice. I am sparing you because killing those two won't raise suspicion, we can mark them off as casualties. You however, are more important, you're a commander and the new leader of the Rainbow Raiders... Killing you would spark an investigation, though I could find a way out, it would make things complicated for me; I’d rather avoid that if I can. With those two, they will just assume they are killed in the line of duty, especially if you confirm it." The unicorn explained. "And why would I do that?" I rose my brow. She grinned. "I don't want to kill you, but if try and stop me, I will simply just do so and not return to Canterlot. Why not make this easier on the both of us and let me take this case without you saying anything?" I rolled my eyes and stepped forward quite confidently and kept my weapons down. "Keep your case, I don't really care to be perfectly honest. If you decide to become a problem though, I'll have Twilight and the others come down on you. So keep your case and let's finish this job, shall we?" The mare began laughing and nodded. "I think I like you that much more... Not a worry at all about any of this?" "So long as you don't harm our cause, you're no concern of mine. I don't know why you want that thing, but I don't care so long as its no threat to Equestria." I responded. "They weren't kidding about you... You only care about your goals and nothing more... I can sense a great power in you... A power that I am sure if awoken could cause destruction never before seen..." She stated. "Then pray you'll never force me to use it." I responded, still not sure what she was talking about, but going along with it regardless. She nodded and began fastening a weapon to her hoof. I noticed her weapon didn't look a thing like either of mine. It had a black finish to the metal, and I saw no spot for rounds to be loaded. This weapon clearly used something else as ammunition, my wager was energy. The two of us made our way outside where I levitated the detonator out of my bag. With it brought to my hoof I looked to the building, my gaze not leaving it. "What are you?" The mare raised her weapon, ready to fire on my comment. "I'm living proof that this world will burn eventually, that this will all just come to an end." "How do you figure?" I spoke as I pressed the button. The entire building blew into nothing more than debris and remains. The two of us wasting no time began to open fire, launching every explosive round at our disposal towards the remains. We lobbed every single grenade at the place, demolishing anything that was left. Twilight's orders were very clear; leave nothing left. Lowering her weapon, she observed the damage. "I was a weapon created to end pony life. My whole purpose for existing was to eliminate life that refused to give into the darkness. I am a weapon of mass destruction and if ponies ever want to have any peace they should destroy weapons like me before its too late..." She finally answered. "You would end your own existence to prove a point?" I asked. She laughed. "I could say the same for you." I rolled my eyes. "So weapons need to be destroyed then?" "Peace can not come from violence. All violence does is create more violence. When ponies build weapons, it only drives them to make bigger, more destructive weapons. Before they know it, they will make weapons that end them." She responded. I looked around us to see the wasteland around us. Nothing, but dirt and dead plants, there was some validity to what she said. "Can we ever know peace again?" I asked. "It is difficult to say. When the seeds of violence are planted they spread quickly. It is in ponies' nature to destroy, it is how they rose to power. An empire is always built upon something, even the skulls of their enemies. If you do not change soon... No, I can't say that peace is in your future..." She sighed. I nodded and lowered my weapon. "Then I will find a way to make it so we don't need to fight anymore..."
Mist	1148	37	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2014-01-05T20:46:22+00:00	2017-01-04T16:52:11+00:00	286	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-Six (The Darkness Saga) Winter was here, and it didn't slow war down in the slightest. Battle would rage in the blizzards, and blood would stain the snow. It was the start of December, and the ice was a second enemy. We would lose many soldiers just from the weather, while the darkness' soldiers just withstood the temperature with ease. With Trixie gone, the darkness appointed two new agents to carry out her duties; a former wonderbolt named Spitfire, and a griffon named Hawk. Spitfire was very blunt in her tactics, but Hawk was clearly the brains of the operations. Powerful and quiet, he didn't let anything go and took no chances to gloat that were offered. It frustrated the general because he wouldn't give away a part of his plans to her. Often, Hawk's abilities in tactician surpassed even Twilight's. He knew how to make use of every soldier, and saw nothing as expendable. Every one of his soldiers could kill four of our's and that wasn't good when we had less than a tenth of his military strength. In a panic, Twilight had dumped all of our resources into military technology. Every little advance was necessary and she saw no price as too high to get it. With a little luck and time, Jewel was able to invent some kind of vest that could stop bullets. It was made out of Kevlar, and we often just referred to it as a bulletproof vest. We started packing our special operatives with them. Unfortunately, they were too resource heavy and time consuming to make to give to every soldier, so instead we focused on giving them to the most important. Another interesting add on, was the mounted flashlight, making illuminating the dark far easier, and thus made it easier for our warriors to cut through the dark much more efficiently. With these new additions we were seeing significant improvements, but not enough to change the tide of the war. It was a start though. The world seemed to always throw us curve balls though, as today we would be seeing something we thought we'd never see. I was with Twilight in the war room at the time with Vinyl Scratch and a few others. Bursting through the door, a guard was panting heavily as he tried to compose himself. "Ma'am!" He wheezed. "Private, you know entry into the war room is forbidden, so I hope this is important." She scolded as she adjusted her glasses. He stood at attention. "Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am! I knew you'd want to hear this yourself though. I could hardly believe it if I had not seen it with my own eyes..." Twilight stood up straighter and gave him a gesture to suggest he hurry up with his story. "Spit it out then." "Ma'am, Trixie is at the city gate, requesting an audience with you." He replied. We all fell silent, even Twilight. That certainly wasn't news she was expecting to hear. "You're sure it's her?" She said after the shock wore off. He nodded. "Positive ma'am, I would never forget that face." Twilight turned around in thought. "But Dash killed her... How...?" "We already scanned her, she is unarmed and her horn has been removed." The guard added. "Damn it... Dash spared her... But why...?" Twilight was almost ignoring the stallion's input entirely. "Ma'am, what should we do about her request for an audience?" He asked. Twilight looked around the room and smiled. "This room contains the greatest warriors Equestria has to offer. If Trixie is up to something, she wouldn't be wise to pull it here." I noticed Vinyl grinned at that comment. "Bring her up, but keep ten guards on her at all times. I also want sharpshooters with a shot on her every second until she gets to this room. Keep her face concealed so the citizens don't panic." Twilight instructed. He nodded. "Yes ma'am!" He quickly scurried off to deliver her order. "You're actually going to bring her here so we can execute her then?" Vinyl grinned. "Negative, Vinyl." Twilight sat back down in her chair. "Let's hear what she has to say..." Vinyl growled. "Ugh, why bother? Kill her while we have the chance! She is practically delivering herself to us!" "Exactly. She isn't this confident unless she knows she's safe, so something tells me she has something she knows we want if she is willing to risk her safety so greatly. Do you honestly think she would face all of us and arrogantly think she can win?" Twilight explained. Vinyl shrugged. "Maybe the wasteland air has fucked her brain up. I mean you're right in that she stands no chance, but I still say humoring her is a waste of time. I could be home rubbing one out right now and that would be a more productive use of my time." That was a lovely thought. "Thanks for sharing..." I commented. Vinyl grinned. "Hey, sometimes you get a little tension built up... You should try it Torch, you look like you haven't been laid longer than I haven't." She chuckled. "That's enough." I silenced her. She just rolled her eyes in annoyance. It was always difficult controlling her. Sitting in silence, we all drew our arms and aimed them towards the door as it opened and a cloaked mare trotted in in front of a bunch of guards. Twilight gestured for the security to back off. "We should be fine from here. We're more than a match for her." Twilight said. The team nodded as they left us with the hooded pony. Trixie stood in silence waiting to be addressed. Twilight merely stared her down for a few moments, none of us lowering our weapons. "Remove your hood." Twilight commanded. Obeying, Trixie lowered her hood and brushed her mane out of her face. Twilight sighed and shook her head. "How are you still alive?" "Rainbow Dash took my horn off as I attempted to escape with a dark spell. In the final moments, however she decided not to kill me. She said that killing me would only make her like me, so instead she spared me and forced me to live a life on the run. I wasn't welcome back with the darkness after my horn was lost, as my usefulness as an agent was significantly reduced. Not to mention, I had failed and our masters didn't take failure so lightly..." She explained. Twilight shook her head again. "Dash had a change of heart after all... I suppose she really was sick of all the violence... Nonetheless, now that you are foolish enough to deliver yourself to us, I think your punishment for your crimes is in order." "Actually, I came here to make a deal..." Trixie's expression remained stern. The group laughed. "And what is it you want?" Twilight asked with a smirk. "Total amnesty for my crimes. Complete forgiveness and citizenship here in Equestria." Trixie replied. Vinyl was quick to chime in. "No fucking way!" She spit. "Vinyl!" Twilight barked. The white unicorn kept her teeth bared and her eyes on Trixie as she sat back down. "And why would you think you're in any position to make a deal with us? Why would you think that we would even humor such a ridiculous request?" Trixie remained serious. "You don't have much of a choice. In eleven days it won't matter what you decide. So if you don't believe me, then you may as well kill me because we'll both be dead by then anyways. If I have choose to die by you or the darkness, I'll choose you every time." "Let me do it, Twilight!" Vinyl drooled. "One right between the eyes! I'll make it quick!" "Silence, Vinyl or I'll put you outside." Twilight ordered. Vinyl grumbled, but kept relatively quiet. "Very well, granted. Complete amnesty for your crimes. Don't make me regret that decision." Twilight said. Vinyl couldn't stay silent to that. "No fucking way! I won't let you let her off the hook like that! Have you forgotten how many she's had killed!? She’s laid waste to Equestria with no remorse! You're going to let her off, and live here among the citizens she terrorized!?" "Vinyl, I said silence. I know Trixie well, she isn't this confident to put her own safety at risk unless she truly knew something. She is not one to gamble on a bluff, as she knows I will see through any bluff she could make." Twilight adjusted her glasses. "Now tell me what you know." Trixie nodded and approached the table. "For months I was studying who our masters were. See, we received orders and commands from transmissions from an unknown source. None of the agents were permitted to know where our orders came from." She grinned. "Naturally, that answer wasn't good enough for me. I did some digging and I discovered that they come from some kind of beacon near the back of the Manehatten stronghold." "Skip to the point, Trixie." Twilight rolled her eyes, clearly only interested in the bit that concerned her and not the semantics of it. "Well, after I discovered that, I finally figured out where the orders came from, and where the darkness came from." She said. "Where?" I asked for Twilight. The azure hornless unicorn pointed up. "The sky?" Twilight rose a brow in confusion. "More specifically, this." Trixie threw some photographs onto the table from her saddlebag. "I had these taken with a high powered telescope." She added. We all leaned in to get a good look. There was some kind of metal vessel floating in the vast emptiness of space. I squinted trying to make out what it was. "It's huge..." I commented. Trixie nodded. "Its bigger than Canterlot even." "Wait... You mean... They're in space?" Twilight blinked trying to take this all in. "Correct, they orbited over this planet for millions of years. Their ship’s technology cloaks them from ordinary telescopes, thus why we never noticed them before. However with a spell I was able to see them. They sent down darkness spawns to infect our planet and control it millions of years ago." Trixie explained. "So they have been watching us for all this time... Why?" I asked. Trixie smiled. "We're cattle to them. They wanted us to get stronger so when they finally did destroy us, the energy they got would be massive. They intend to keep us around for slave labor as they scrape up this planet for resources and then they will use our husks under their control to conquer other planets. We are being bred into super soldiers for them." "So they have been gently guiding us all this time...? We're essentially their creations?" Twilight blinked. "Correct. Their powers are vast. They more or less forced our evolution, and they were going to enjoy the rewards." Trixie answered. "Why did you say they 'were' going to enjoy the rewards?" I asked. Trixie sighed. "After how much we have resisted them, they are done wasting time with our kind. The weapon they fired almost seven years ago... That was a prototype. They have been working on the finished version for years now and within eleven days... It will be ready to fire." "If that was just a prototype... What kind of damage are we looking at?" Twilight kept her eyes locked on Trixie. Trixie paused and looked to the floor. She mumbled, but no one in the room heard what she said. "Trixie!" Twilight barked. Trixie looked up. "Total..." Her voice was very soft. "Nothing will survive... Flora or fauna. It will leave the surface of this planet smoldering rock." "So they are cutting their losses and trying to get what little they can out of their investment then?" I asked. She nodded. "Yes, once we are all gone, they will send a mining team to scrape up the resources left from this planet and move onto the next one." "How can we stop them? If you knew that this would happen in eleven days yet you came here, you must have figured that we could do something about it." Twilight inferred. Trixie reached into her bag and retrieved more documents. They appeared to be some kind of maps of the Manehatten stronghold. "The beacon we received orders from is located in the heart of the stronghold. I can give you codes to bypass some of the security. You could sneak a small task force in, and I am certain there is a way to reverse the signal from the beacon to send you up to their ship. However that'll take the greatest mind in Equestria." Trixie gave a smile to Twilight as she said that last part. "How will we overpower an entire ship?" Twilight asked. Trixie grinned. "Up to this point, they have had their minions do their work for them. I am willing to wager they don't have a very powerful military on board. Probably just engineers and scientists. They won't even anticipate you getting on board." Twilight grinned. "I like it." "How do we know this isn't a trap? Trixie could be luring us into the darkness stronghold so we walk into their hooves." Shining Armor pointed out, whom had remained silent this entire time. "Because Trixie will be the one putting in those security codes." Twilight smirked. Trixie obviously was not expecting that. "Huh? No way! I came here for protection, not to be put right back into danger!" She protested. "Then I suggest you stay close to us and cooperate. If you do anything to harm this mission, you will be shot in the head. If you wish for us to trust you, you'll need to prove you can be trusted. You have much to atone for." Twilight lectured. Vinyl sat up a bit. "So let me get this straight..." She began. "This whole time, they have been using us to destroy ourselves? And they were just chilling on their ship not a care in the world?" Trixie nodded. "That sounds about right." "In-genus bastards..." Vinyl commented. "Alright, I am declaring a task force for the job now. Torch, you're in obviously; I want the Rainbow Edge on this mission. Shining Armor, you're also in and as much as I will regret it later, you are too Vinyl. I don't know what will be waiting for us, so I could use your battle expertise. I will be coming along myself as well, and we will have sargent Applebloom and medical officer Fluttershy." Twilight explained. I got the impression this was not negotiable. "I am coming too." Luna chimed in. We all blinked in unison, a bit shocked to hear that news. Twilight was the first to object. "Princess, you're too valuable to risk on this mission. If something should happen to you-" Luna cut her off. "The same could be said for any pony in this room. You're all equally valuable. I may not understand much, and my experience may inhibit me from being helpful, but I will not stand aside any longer while my people suffer. I refuse to sit up in my chamber while you all risk your lives. It's time I put my life on the line like you all have bravely done for me and Equestria." Luna drew her blade and held it up. "I will offer my sword as well. This darkness has taken more from me than anypony here. It took my kingdom, my people, and my dear sister..." She grew quiet as she reminded us all of that fact. Apparently, my own brother and Vinyl Scratch slayed a mutant Celestia themselves. I could only imagine what that fight must have looked like. The room fell silent followed by me speaking up. "I would be honored to have your sword, Princess Luna." She smiled, but Twilight kept her look of anguish. "Luna..." She began. "It is not negotiable." Luna halted Twilight. "I will be fighting alongside you all." Vinyl smirked as her bloodshot eyes seemed to pop out of her head. "Well, as much as I don't like the idea of Trixie coming with us, my blade hungers for the darkness. Imagine how surprised they will be when we show up!" Twilight sighed and nodded. "Very well, Luna shall accompany us then." "Also..." She added. "Keep Torch alive at all costs. She takes precedent over everypony here, do you all understand?" I leaned in. "Huh? Why?" Twilight turned to me with a serious expression. "That sword is powerful. It may be the weapon that decides Equestria's fate. However the sword is useless without a master. We can not risk losing you now. It will take too much to find a new wielder, and time is not something we have a lot of." I shrugged. "So I am an important piece in this game of chess?" She nodded. "A piece too valuable to risk. You will be suited with combat armor, protection spells and our armor piercing rounds. Same with Luna. Everypony else... I will only say this once; don't get yourself killed." The group all nodded in acknowledgement. "We will need to leave about three days before the completion of the weapon. That beacon remains off until they send out signals. It will take about three days to get there, and we will need to arrive while the beacon is active, which should be about two or three hours before they plan on firing it." Trixie explained. Twilight nodded. "Alright, then I want everypony to be in their top physical form by then. Spend the next few days training. This is going to be hell, and the future of Equestria may depend on your abilities." "No pressure then." Vinyl laughed.
Mist	1148	38	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2014-01-08T06:18:48+00:00	2017-01-04T16:52:25+00:00	303	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-Seven (The Trixie Saga) Getting Trixie in physical form was my duty for this mission. As much as none of us were concerned for her safety, Trixie was the only one who knew the access codes to the manehatten stronghold, and she was the most experienced with the enemy. Her intel was too valuable to lose, so if she was going to be useful to us, we would need her alive. Naturally, Twilight knew that Vinyl would not agree to helping the azure mare, so I was the next logical choice. It was odd being on the other end of a training program. Trixie strained to do some sit ups as I stood next to her. She was having a hard time just doing twenty of them. There was no doubt she was out of shape. "Sweet Luna, what did you do when you worked with the darkness? Sit on your flank all day?" Trixie groaned as she completed another sit up. "I was an agent, I never had to be in active combat." I shook my head. "The leader should be ready to throw their blade into the battle too. The enemy should fear the general the most." Trixie grinned. "Clearly you haven't met Spitfire and Hawk yet..." I squinted as I listened. "Who?" Trixie did a few more sit ups as she spoke. "Spitfire is the only mare who ever bested Rainbow Dash in combat. She even managed to hold her off when she had her element of harmony active. Not even the power of loyalty was enough to take her down. Far stronger than me." I sat on a bench nearby as I watched her continue the instructed exercise. "And Hawk..." She groaned again and fell back to the floor. "We were never sure of his story, but he is a force to be reckoned with. He does not fear death, and we always wondered how he got the scars on his face..." "Sounds friendly." I joked. "Far from it. Hawk never said much, but I've seen him fight. He's a lot stronger than Spitfire, and if Spitfire is stronger than Dash... Well you'll need a lot more than that sword to beat him. He's a griffon, a born fighter. He's an unstoppable force, I would rather fight two Rainbow Dashes than him." Trixie explained. Could he really be as strong as she said he is? Could there actually exist a griffon that Rainbow Edge even would not be enough to slay? "How'd he end up working for the darkness? It sounds like he never needed any assistance in being strong." I asked. She shrugged. "Dunno, but I can say that Hawk isn't truly on the darkness' side, and that is more frightening than if he were. He is the only creature I know who willfully sides against Equestria, and the darkness." "Why does he help it then?" I rose a brow. "I couldn't tell you. I've never asked him, and I don't think anypony dared ask either. He isn't really a very approachable guy..." She said. The thought fascinated me, nonetheless though he would still die if he stood in our way. --- "So why are we coming out here?" Trixie groaned as she followed behind me. The two of us had been trudging out into the ruins for a scheduled meeting. What was planned was too rowdy to do inside the city. I had set up a training exercise for her. "Well, we need to get you some fighting experience, lucky for you I found a mare who volunteered. Though, she warns me she won't be pulling any punches." I explained. "Sounds lovely..." Trixie retorted. "That's the nicest compliment I've received in years." Another voice spoke as we watched a pink earth pony come out from behind an old rock. Her silky pink mane flowed gently in the wind, and her glasses looked rather ineffective with her mane always blowing in the way. I'll never forget that scar right across her forehead. I had heard stories that she survived being shot in the head. Though her mental state was questionable. "This is Dr. Pie." I introduced. Trixie nodded and stepped forward. "Ah yes, the mad scientist. Your reputation is quite known in Equestria. I've already heard horror stories about you." The good doctor laughed as she adjusted her glasses. "I'm flattered, though I'm far more dangerous than those stories tell. Seeing me in action is an entirely different experience, I assure you." "Dr. Pie has agreed to be a sparring partner for you. I've been told she's very good in combat. I would suggest not holding back if you wish to survive this training. Over the next few days you'll be sparring with her." I explained. Trixie sized up the pink pony and gave a look of uncertainty. It was clear she was skeptical of this creature's abilities. "Shall we begin?" Pinkamena smiled as she drew her blade. Trixie sighed and took a battle stance with her blade at the ready. "Alright... Let's see what you can do, doctor..." Pinkamena grinned and bolted forward at amazing speeds. She began striking with fierce vigor. Trixie was just barely halting her attacks. Pinkamena's strength was incredible, certainly more than I had expected. "Is that all? I'm not even trying yet!" The doctor teased. Trixie grunted as she tried to strike back, however she was having difficulty finding an opening. Pinkamena moved with too much experience for the former unicorn to hit her. Showing a little sympathy, Pinkamena lowered her sword. "I'll give you a free one. Hit me as hard as you can, just try not to kill me." Trixie blinked and shook her head. "That would be dangerous..." "And you need to get used to that danger. You're a weakling because you fear killing. You have to break that fear and not be afraid to strike." Pinkamena lectured. "I thought this was just training..." Trixie reminded. "It is, now strike me!" Pinkamena puffed out her chest. “I am training you to kill!” She reminded. Letting ambition go, Trixie struck her blade right to Pinkamena's skull. I gasped thinking she may have actually killed the mare, but what amazed me more was what happened when the sword made contact. The metal blade shattered as it hit Pinkamena's skull. I couldn't believe it, she broke Trixie's sword with just her skull. Trixie was trembling from what just happened in front of her. "H-how...?" Pinkamena grinned. "Oops... I didn't mean to show my true power..." True power? "You can't win a fight only defending, Trixie." Pinkamena winked. "Be thankful you're only fighting me; Pinkie Pie is far worse." She added. "So I've heard..." Trixie looked at her broken sword, still confused. We would have to hold this conversation for later, because at that moment we realized that out of the surroundings, several savages made their way to us. There must have been at least twenty of them. "Shit, this is a fantastic time to have a broken sword..." Trixie groaned as she stepped back towards Pinkamena. I drew my blade, but even I wasn't arrogant enough to take on twenty by myself. Trixie was useless in a fight and had a broken sword to boot, so I was only hoping that Pinkamena was skilled enough to stand ten at once, that way we could cut the workload in half. "I have to admit, this doesn't look good..." I replied. "No ammo either, so all direct combat." Pinkamena reminded. We didn't think we'd be needing ammunition for this exercise, but we never suspected so many savages would be close to the Canterlot region. They usually roamed much further away than this. They probably saw we were out here and came towards us. "Can you handle ten of them?" I asked as the three of us backed ourselves against a giant boulder. At least we had our backsides covered. Pinkamena grinned as she removed her glasses and handed them to Trixie. "Nope, I can handle all of them." She said. Trixie blinked as she took the eyewear. All of them? Pinkamena took a confident stance and smiled to all the cannibals around us. She looked them all over and then returned her gaze to the center of the group. "Can you all understand Equestrian?" They all chuckled at her question. "Good, then you will understand my warning." She drew a line in the dirt with her hoof. "Don't dare try to cross that line if you want to live." She warned. They all started laughing and took a few inches towards her. "Your advance means you wish to fight me then?" She asked with a cocked eye. One in the middle of the group chuckled as he responded. "Bring it on, meat..." She nodded. "Very well then, but you'll regret that choice." Pinkamena took a strained stance and looked to the ground. Groaning in pain, she began to emit a growl from her throat. Something was happening to her body, it was starting to crackle and slowly change shape. Her hooves sprouted claws, and her tail became solid and scaly. Her size began to grow as her body swelled. Teeth became fangs,and the growl was slowly becoming more fierce. "What in the name of Celestia...?" Trixie gasped. When the growl ended, there before us stood a full sized dragon. The savages began to step backwards. With a swipe of her claw, she tore one of their heads off and roared. Gripping another in her mighty claw, she squeezed the life out of him before tossing his body into the crowd, knocking several to the ground. One was foolish enough to challenge her and stand his ground. The dragon opened its mouth and roared loud enough for the heavens to hear. Then a split second later, chomped the pony in half and spit him out. The rest began to make their exit, but it was already too late for them. This foul beast wasn't about to let them walk away from this fight. With another roar. It breathed fire in their direction and toasted half of them. The remainders were all scooped up in a claw and squashed. With their broken bones in her grasp, she hurled their lifeless corpses as far as she could, sending them miles in the opposite direction. One of them fumbled and collided into a rock, splattering as he did. Once the dragon had finished its rampage, it lowered its head and emitted a low growl as it began to shrink in size, making the same crackling noise we had heard minutes before when the creature appeared before us. Only a few seconds later, Pinkamena stood where the monster stood. Trixie held out her shattered blade in a threatening manner. "What the hell are you?" Pinkamena placed her hoof on the remnants of the blade. With a smirk, she pulled and snapped the remains in half. "Put that away before you hurt yourself." Trixie took another step back. "You didn't answer me... What are you?" Pinkamena looked at me and smiled. "Something greater than you could possibly imagine... I am evolution... I am the beginning of a new age. Something your tiny brain could never comprehend..." "Now I see why ponies fear you... You're a never ending source of surprises aren't you?" I replied calmly. The doctor winked as she retrieved her glasses from Trixie. Placing them back upon her face she looked back to me. "I always felt like glasses made me look smarter. So even after I no longer needed them, I kept them." She said. Finally answering my question she locked eyes with me. "And yes, I am." --- "Don't you get it Scent? We are the answer that the world has been waiting for!" Pinkamena grabbed the young changeling's face with glee. "The only issue is we have not come at a time where they are prepared for such an answer... They are still too naive to comprehend..." She releases him and sat in thought for a moment. "However, we can keep it to ourselves until we perfect the process!" She grinned. Scent was just trying to keep up with the eccentric mare. Often she confused him, either from his lack of education, or just general social awkwardness she had. Even as a changeling he understood that Dr. Pie was very atypical for a pony. There was so much about her that was "not right." "I don't quite follow... How is my blood the answer to the world's problems?" Scent asked with a cocked eye. She pranced over to him and placed a hoof around his neck. "Your ability to change. That could be key to solving medical problems." "What kind of medical problems?" He asked. "Every medical problem." She grinned. "But the transformation is cosmetic only. It doesn't change anything but appearance..." He pointed out. The young doctor released him and smiled. "Yes, however with some minor modification... This gene that allows for this transformation..." She paused as she locked eyes with him. With his sky blue eyes, he watched her. "We can modify our very DNA at will..." He blinked. "Huh?" She trotted over to the precision lasers and started fiddling with a few controls. "Imagine, we could make our bodies immune to any disease, any ailment, medical science would be unnecessary. Everypony would be equal in appearance, strength and vitality. We could achieve true equality..." "And what about us? We're the test subjects for this crazy new gene?" He responded. She shook her head and approached slowly. "Oh no... We'll be much more than that. We can not trust this gene with the current world, they're not fit for this power..." "What then?" She grinned as she placed a hoof upon his cheek. "You and I will create a new world. You and I will be the Adam and Eve of this new world. In just a few generations we shall ensure that our kind will become the dominate species of this planet." Scent looked to her hoof, but remained silent. "And when it is done..." She strokes his cheek lightly. "We shall rule over this new world... As king and queen. What say you to that?" Scent paused and sat in thought. It didn't take him long however to look up to her with a smile. "Lead away my queen..." She returned the grin. "Then we'll build a new world." --- Trotting alongside Pinkamena, we kept close as we made our way back to Canterlot. "This is absolutely ludicrous, so according to your story, you fused your DNA with some odd changeling, and now you can shape shift into anything you want?" The good doctor shook her head. "False. I have modified my DNA to be breakable. Changeling transformation is merely aesthetic, while mine is a genetic change." Trixie placed a hoof on the mare. "What does that mean?" Pinkamena stopped and looked at her. "It means I can rewrite my biology whenever I like. Meaning when I transform into you, I become you. Scans will indicate that I am you, and I can adopt all of your physical traits, right down to your birthmarks." "Impossible, if I had marks you've never seen, how could you replicate them?" She asked. "Right now, I can see your genetic code. All I need to do is look at a pony and I can see their genetic make up, its part of the trait." Pinkamena explained. I finally chimed in. "Can you die?" She turned to me and adjusted her glasses. "My cells replicate faster than they die. It is an isolated gene I added, so my offspring won't inherit it. Essentially, I can not die of age, or disease and it would take a significant amount of damage to destroy me. So the short answer is no." "Then we'll have no choice but to trust you." I grinned. She returned the grin and nodded. "I suppose you will."
Mist	1148	39	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2014-04-12T15:20:39+00:00	2017-01-04T16:52:49+00:00	345	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-Eight (The Manehatten Saga) Twilight had a plan, a way for us to get where we needed to go with a higher chance of success; it didn't come without its risks though. "Alright, I am going to explain this once, so pay attention." Twilight spoke as her task force sat in the war room with her. Our group had been codenamed "New Dawn" after our goal. Twilight had hoped that after our success we would see the sun again and we'd be looking at a new age. Wishful thinking, but we'd be fortunate if we survived this mission. Twilight adjusted her glasses and pointed to a diagram on the wall. "We will infiltrate here. With a little luck we can slip past security and use a service area to get to the homing beacon." "They aren't going to just let us slip in you know. They have an army waiting for us." Trixie pointed out. "That's why we're going to distract them. A full scale attack, every soldier we have. A battle that large would lure enough of them out to get in." Twilight explained. "A battle that big would lose many lives, especially without us there to command them..." Luna spoke up. "If we don't stop this thing, we will lose everything. The risk is necessary at this point. Anypony not willing to throw their life down for Equestria will die anyways." Vinyl whom had been sitting with her powerful eyes closed this entire time spoke up. I got the impression she wanted to skip right to the part that concerned her. Twilight nodded. "Exactly. If we are unsuccessful, we will all perish. We may as well throw everything we have at this now." "Boy howdy, sounds like a hell of a fight." Applebloom said. Twilight nodded again. "Now, we may run into Spitfire and Hawk, they won't be easy to get past, but if possible try and avoid them." Vinyl grunted. "Run like a couple of cowards..." Twilight shook her head. "You won't want to face them if anything Trixie says is true." "Well, I personally don't give a damn what Trixie says, she's a liar for all I care." Vinyl grinned. Trixie leaned forward and placed her hooves on the table. "Miss Vinyl, I assure you that Hawk and Spitfire are not to be taken lightly. Don't forget, Spitfire bested Rainbow Dash. And Hawk is the only one ever to beat Spitfire in a fight. If they put Hawk on a job, it means they are serious about it." "What do we know about Hawk?" Twilight chimed in. Trixie sat up and pressed a button on the table to turn on the projector, displaying several images of Hawk. Getting up, she trotted to Twilight's side. "Hawk was raised in Dragon Scar." She began. "Impossible! Ain't nopony out there!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "There are several out there actually, but few survive. Hawk was born into slavery until he was old enough to escape. When he reached seventeen, he was trained as a mercenary." Trixie replied. "And here's the kicker, his primary job was hunting down runaway slaves." "Even though he was a slave himself?" I asked. Trixie nodded. "Hawk feels no sympathy. He grew up with nothing, so he can not be reasoned with. He spent his entire life fighting, getting stronger. He is no ordinary griffon." Twilight grinned and placed a hoof on Trixie's shoulder. "Not bad, you're quite brilliant." She winked. "Second to you." "I thought you said we knew almost nothing about Hawk?" I reminded. She frowned as she answered. "I didn't want to break your spirits. The truth is that Hawk is a hardened warrior and I'm not sure any of us could best him..." Trixie admitted. "I fear no agent of the darkness." Vinyl bragged. Trixie laughed. "You're good, Vinyl, however many have said those words and faced Hawk. They were their last. Don't let your arrogance get the better of you. Hawk is far stronger than he lets on." "Let us hope we never have to find out then." I spoke. Twilight nodded. "Agreed." --- It was about eight months into the great war. It was being called the War of Existence because pony kind felt its very existence at stake. Cadance had been unsure of when it would end, and if the great war would eventually come to the Crystal Empire. Her subjects were restless, living in fear that the darkness would one day visit them as well. With Shining Armor gone to Canterlot to assist in the war effort, Cadance was left as the sole protector of this beautiful place. How she feared one day seeing it coated with blood. Today though, she would be facing something far worse than the darkness. Something she never expected to return. The princess had been resting from a headache as a messenger came to her. She groaned in anguish as she was awoken. "What is it? This better be good..." She grumbled. "Your highness... It's..." He bit his lip. "Yes? Out with it." She commanded. "Changelings your highness..." She blinked and stepped out of her room to the balcony. Looking down on the city, she saw many cloaked changelings laying waste to innocent civilians. There was something different though! They were out to kill, not feed. It didn't make sense, where did they get weapons from? And why were they here destroying the city? Something didn't add up. "Alert the guards, we shall push them out of the Crystal Empire." Cadance spoke as she fastened her sword to her hoof. "Your majesty... There are thousands of them..." He replied. "Then we shall fight a thousand times harder." Cadance grunted as she exited the room. With her blade at the ready, Cadance sliced at two changelings closing in on her proximity. Her cuts were powerful enough to take them down with ease. Approaching one of her royal guards she stopped in front of him to get a report. "Status report, officer?" She asked. He bowed his head before speaking. "Ma'am, we have changelings entering every side of the city. They're not like the ones in Canterlot years ago though... These ones are fast, combat ready and armed. Its almost as if they were trained to fight..." Cadance nodded in understanding. "So... She has returned..." Cadance looked to the center of the city. "She'll be heading for the crystal heart... I'll meet her there." "Ma'am, wait!" Her guard objected. "Stand down, soldier. I am going to do my duty to my kingdom. It is my job to protect these ponies, and I intend to do just that." Cadance explained. Before he had another chance to object, she took her leave and headed to the location of the crystal heart, knowing her old nemesis would soon arrive to attempt to steal it. Upon arrival, Cadance drew her weapon, and sure enough, in a puff of smoke a tall figure appeared before her. When the smoke cleared, Cadance could see glowing lime eyes, leathery skin, and fangs as sharp as daggers. She looked exactly as Cadance recalled, but now with a new cloak to conceal her form. "Ah yes, princess of the Crystal Empire..." The creature spoke in her broken voice. Cadance kept her blade ready. "I thought we squashed you and your bugs?" She mocked. "We changelings don't die that easily. We're very resilient creatures." The figure responded. "Fitting for pests. What do you hope to accomplish, Chrysalis?" Cadance asked. Chyrsalis began to gently circle around the mare. "To claim this kingdom for my kind. Revenge is so sweet, I'll kill you and snatch your kingdom from you." "I'm not surprised that you fell to the darkness. Your heart has always been as black as night so its only appropriate that you be filled with the darkness itself..." Cadance mocked. The queen of the changelings laughed heartily. "I do not serve such a pathetic body. No, I am for a much greater cause." She smirked. Another cause? What could she mean? Cadance wondered. "Whomever your master, this kingdom belongs to the crystal ponies, and to take it, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hooves." Cadance responded. Chrysalis let out another laugh. "You read my mind." With those words, the two locked blades and began their fight. Cadance imediantly noticed Chrysalis' strength was much greater than the last time they had fought. Her swings were mighty, and fierce. She couldn't tell if it was determination that gave her this newfound power, or if the queen had been preparing for this battle. Being pushed back, Cadance landed on her hooves, blade in front of her. "You've been practicing, I see. Unfortunately for you, I have been trained in the royal sword." Chrysalis cast a spell and threw a bunch of fireballs in the crystal empire's princess' way. Cadance just narrowly dodged them, only burning a feather. "Your techniques are useless here. I have been trained in an art that you have never seen before. A mastery exceeding your own." Chrysalis bolted forward and swung her blade, slicing the crystal princess' blade clean in half. "And I brought a present for you." With those words she pierced her blade into the mare. Digging it deep into her heart. "They call you the princess of hearts, fitting that you should die this way." Chrysalis mocked. Choking and gasping for breath, Cadance gripped the blade in her chest, as blood began to trickle out. Chrysalis saw her suffering and just twisted her sword. "Revenge feels beautiful..." Cadance grinned. "You're an idiot..." "Says the one on the verge of death." The queen said. "W-where do you think... The power of the Princess of Hearts is kept...?" Cadance grinned through coughs. "Hm?" Chrysalis rose a brow. A bright light began to emit from the wound in Cadance's chest. Chrysalis took a step back and allowed the mare to fall to the ground gripping her chest. "You lose, Chrysalis..." Cadance smirked. "If I were you... I'd get far away from this place... Because you're about to see what my full power can do..." She groaned as a small wave of energy pushed Chrysalis back. "Damn it!" The changeling growled. From behind her, a gray pegasus appeared and gripped Chrysalis' front right hoof. "It seems you've failed us, Chrysalis..." The pegasus spoke. "No! She's bluffing!" The changeling defended. "We can already sense it, an energy burst strong enough to destroy the entire city is about to be unleashed. We must retreat. I was sent to retrieve you, because despite your failure, you are still useful to us." The pony said gripping her hoof tighter. "But... My children!" Chrysalis protested. The mare grew impatient with her. "We can always spawn more. Now come before I am forced to bring you back by force." Chrysalis turned to the young Pegasus with a tear in her eye. "You're just a child... Not even full grown yet... Why must I take orders from you?" The pegasus gave her a stern look as she locked her magenta eyes on the changeling queen. Her hoof squeezed the queen's fiercely as she held her. "Don't test me unless you wish to return to the void much sooner than you anticipated... I have been given authority over you. You have failed us, and you shall be punished for that. Now let's go." The mare looked to Cadance and smiled. "Well played, princess. You return to the void with honor." After those words, her and Chrysalis vanished into thin air. Cadance,unable to hold in her power any longer pushed out her entire life force in one mighty blast. When the dust settled, all that remained was a crystal statue of the entire empire. Everything, pony and structure alike, turned to crystal. Frozen there in stone, the former glorious crystal empire. --- Twilight removed my hoof from the orb and looked me in the eyes. I blinked as I finally came back to reality. "What was that...?" I asked. "A memory saved to that orb. Cadance's final memory was preserved on a memory orb she had been carrying with her before death. She must have activated it, knowing she was going to die." Twilight explained. "How many have seen this?" I asked. "Only you." She responded as she began to put the orb back into her desk and return to her work. "Why though?" Placing her glasses back on her face she began to return to her paperwork. "I wanted you to see what we are up against. I saw you had protest to my strategy of keeping you alive. I wanted to show you that there is more than just the darkness to worry about. We need every advantage we can get." "Why not show the others this?" I asked. She shook her head. "They can barely handle the current situation... Imagine how they would be if they discovered that the darkness wasn't their only foe? Shining Armor can never know the truth about his wife's death... He would become obsessed with hunting Chrysalis... He'd lose focus on the war and want nothing but to avenge his wife." She sighed and bowed her head in defeat. "He's just like me... A stubborn old mule..." "What was Rainbow Dash like?" I changed the subject. The thought crossed my head many times when I looked at her blade. Twilight rose her head and tilted it. "Rainbow Dash?" I nodded. "I keep hearing this talk that I'm the next Rainbow Dash... What does that mean? Why is Rainbow Dash so important to you?" Twilight sighed and peered out her window, facing away from me. "You know this all can't last much longer. Equestria I mean..." She had a bit of disappointment in her tone. Almost as if she had given up. "It'll all end soon enough. These ponies won't even see it coming... I have seen what the darkness can do and it won't stop. We can give pause to it, but it'll keep coming..." She sighed. "Eventually we will be too old and tired from fighting to stop it..." "Ma'am?" I stepped forward, a bit concerned about her demeanor. "Rainbow Dash knew that... When I saw her only six years after she left here... At the young age of 29 when she retuned... She had aged almost thirty years... She was an old woman, tired and aged from fighting... She knew that nothing is forever and eventually you'll fall..." Twilight rambled. "How is that even possible?" I asked. "War; war had run her down. War is hell." Twilight replied. "Then we walk to the gates of the underworld with swords drawn." I said. My comment must have taken her by surprise, as she turned to me with a confused look. I approached her desk. "This city exists because those ponies refuse to die. They cling to precious life and adapt to even the harsh conditions of this ruined world. You underestimate the will to live." Twilight sat in her chair intrigued. "Why are you so confident...?" "I have learned one thing in my time... Life is great. Life is the greatest gift in the universe... Although violence ends life, it is not a crime to fight to protect that life. Thus why as long as I draw breath..." I placed my hoof upon my heart. "I will protect that life. I will fight until my body can not withstand the fighting anymore. I will gladly sacrifice my body to make these ponies' hope not misplaced." "Even if you fight, we will still eventually lose." Twilight pointed out. "If we give up, we will certainly lose. I'd rather fight for every second we can get over relinquishing the remainder of our time to those who threaten us." I responded. Twilight blinked. "You're a lot like Dash before she left the military." I bowed. "Thank you ma'am." "Wait a while. Soon you'll become just like she was after she left. Give it time and that fire of yours will burn out. When your faith fails you, you'll start to dream of more practical things." Twilight said as she returned to paperwork on her desk, levitating a pair of glasses to her face. "Aren't you supposed to stopping these ponies from dying?" I grunted. "On paper, yes. However paper does not take into account how impossible it's request is. So in reality, all I can do is make them more comfortable in their final hours and tell them that dawn will soon come. I would rather they all lay to rest believing a blissful lie, than the harsh truth." The unicorn spoke through writing. Her quill moved quite quickly, she must have been a skilled writer. "Sounds like a world of ignorance." I rolled my eyes at the thought. "It's a world we can realistically accomplish." She barked. "Life's a bitch, doesn't mean you get to be one." I replied. She looked up a bit confused. I placed my hooves on the desk and leaned in as I spoke softer. "They deserve more confidence because the will to live can accomplish far more than you think it can. Life is such a precious thing, and ponies will do anything to protect it. You just haven't seen what its capable of yet... You will though." I leaned back out with a smile. "Good luck, general." I winked as I trotted for the door.
Mist	1148	40	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2014-06-05T03:39:35+00:00	2017-01-04T16:53:02+00:00	308	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Thirty-Nine (The Manehatten Saga) Twilight stood in front of the force we were now referring to as "The Final Knights", mostly out of lack of hope for our own success. I could see why they were so skeptical that a band of mismatched soldiers could stop an entity that has been controlling the entire planet for millions of years; even if those soldiers were Equestria's finest. With our winter jackets and new emblems plastered all over us, we stood out in the freezing ruins. Twilight had gone out of her way to have metal symbols donning the fallen Princess Celestia on them made. We had them sewed onto our jackets and added to our dog tags. She went on about how if we survived they would be a symbol of our accomplishment, a reminder to those around us that we served in one of the greatest missions this military knew. "Alright, listen up." Twilight began. Looking about to make sure everypony was paying attention she nodded. "The battle is already starting. The longer this takes, the more casualties we will suffer. So I want to make this as quick and efficient as possible. There is a high chance many of us will not survive this mission, and because of that I want to remind you all that you're doing your duty for the empire." "For the empire!" We all shouted in unison. "Now, let's give them a surprise they never expected to see." The general grinned happily as she brandished her sword. "Let's show them how strong we really are." She added. "This one is for Flare..." I said as I stroked the front of my blade. "I'll make sure his death was not for nothing..." I thought out loud. Apple Bloom shrugged as she loaded her scattershot. "Eh... I didn't want to die alone anyhoo." "I don't care if I live or die. I just want a chance to sink my teeth into them. I want them to remember Vinyl Jennifer Scratch." Vinyl spoke up. "I think we're all having a hard time forgetting about her." Shining Armor whispered into my ear as he rolled his eyes. "As of this point forward, our top priority is completing the mission; our second priority is the preservation of Torch and Luna. The lowest priority..." She paused. "Try not to get killed..." She certainly didn't seem hopeful. "Alright team, let's move out. And for the love of Celestia, keep your heads down, these vests do not stop any and all damage, and they're difficult to make, so try and keep them in tact." Twilight lectured. "Top priority, preservation of important ponies, second priority, preservation of military equipment, third priority, personal safety." Vinyl grinned as she nudged my shoulder while she mocked Twilight. "Sounds about right..." I rolled my eyes. "Equestrian military, nothing expendable, except us." Vinyl laughed. "I hope we can "expend" you so we won't have to listen to you the entire time..." Shining rolled his eyes, clearly getting fed up with her. Vinyl winked in his direction, her red eyes appearing quite bloodshot. "I think everypony better hope for that. I tend to get a little... Dicey when excited..." "Can it, you two. We're moving out." Twilight instructed. --- Coming to the back entrance to the stronghold, Twilight's prediction had been accurate, it was lightly guarded, but not completely unguarded. We had met with a few would-be soldiers, which we neutralized before they could call for any kind of back up. Unfortunately for them, we were traveling with the best warriors that Equestria had; they never stood a chance. Trixie had lead us in through a sewer access that would take us right into the headquarters. It was an old escape route that most of them had forgotten about. So there was a high chance they forgot that Trixie had the code to open the access door to it. "Alright, Trixie, let's hope that we didn't come all this way just to kill you." Twilight gestured to the door that prevented us from advancing. Trixie stepped forward and began tapping keys. I could see a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead. Twilight had made it very clear that if she couldn't get us in, she'd kill her there and then. After a beep, the door unlocked. "Yes! I knew they'd have forgotten about this exit! And the best part is that it leads to the security office, so we can shut down the security system and we'll have a straight shot to the beacon room. We'll have to move quickly though, because no doubt that Eagle and Spitfire will become aware of our presence." Twilight nodded as she readied her blade. I took notice that Luna did the same. "Let's move in." Luna said. Pushing the door open, we gestured for Vinyl and Shining to enter. The two kept low and crept in through the storage area. Quickly bursting the door to the security office open, the two dove into action, grappling the two guards who were keeping watch and covering their mouths before slitting their throats. Once they were certain they were dead, they released their bodies and gave us the okay to enter. Despite their bickering, they made a pretty interesting team. Pinkamena advanced and checked the security consoles. "Alright, it looks like the beacon room is virtually unguarded... Looking at the beacon itself... It looks fairly advanced, but a reverse charge should work still. I can see the energy readings on a monitor in that room, it works much like our own beacons. So if we can get in there, I can turn it into a return beacon." Twilight blinked and looked around as Vinyl lit a cigarette. "Sweet Celestia... This might actually work..." "Don't count yer' chickens before they hatch. We still gotta get to that beacon in one piece. We gotta go through the agent command center first to do that according to this monitor." Apple Bloom spoke up as she pointed to another monitor. Vinyl grinned. "Maybe we'll get a stab at old Spitfire after all..." "For our own sake, I hope you're wrong." Twilight said, taking the cigarette out of Vinyl's mouth and extinguishing it. "Where's the fun in that?" Vinyl giggled. Trixie leaned in and grabbed the fur under Vinyl's neck and brought her face close to her own. "Listen here; I have taken a lot of risks just getting us here. I didn't do all that so you could gamble our chances of living for your own amusement. Stop fuckcing around, this isn't a game." Vinyl's smile quickly turned to a look of anger and disgust. "How dare you touch me, filth..." Trixie pushed the mare back. "I'm not afraid of you, you're no Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash had spirit, you're nothing more than a mindless killing machine. So stop acting like you fucking know something when you don't. I sacrificed too much and risked too much for you to fuck that all up. So help me, Celestia, if you continue to get in the way, I'll kill you myself!" Vinyl responded to the push by stepping forward, blade drawn. "You just made the wrong choice..." Trixie took another step and shoved the mare harder this time, sending her back a few steps. "Oh, what? You don't like that?" Vinyl's eye twitched. I could now see what the others saw; a demon inside her, just waiting to tear its way out. She could barely contain her anger, and I could see her veins starting to bulge. "Push me again... I dare you..." Vinyl challenged. "That's enough!" I growled as I pushed Trixie back away from the fuming Vinyl. Grabbing Vinyl's dog tag, I pulled her face down to meet mine. "Knock it off, Vinyl. Have you forgotten why we're here? You kill her, we all die, do you understand that?" Vinyl couldn't take her eyes off of Trixie, I could see her pupils bugging out as she stared with that death glare of her's. "Vinyl! Are you listening to me?" I slapped her across the face. Her eyes stayed on Trixie as she muttered. "Oh lord who hath delivered me from temptation... Grant me strength in this hour to overcome..." Releasing her tag, I patted her neck. "Why don't you and Shining go up ahead and clear a path for us, okay?" The soldier merely turned and walked away muttering the same little prayer. Shining stepped through the door with her as we all stood there waiting for them to vanish. "Never struck me for a religious type, that one..." I smiled. "When you have sinned as much as her, you have to start thinking about making your peace with the goddess at some point. She knows she'll face her crimes eventually." Twilight explained, eyes fixated on the door. "Forgive her, Trixie.." I turned to the azure mre with a warm smile. "Her anger is volatile, and she can't control it." Trixie was very quiet in response. "How can you stand up for her...?" "Anger is learned, not inherited. She's no exception, something tells me that there's a reason she's like this. Ponies are not born thirsting for blood." My eyes fell on the door she just left through. "What could have possibly driven her to this...?" Trixie asked. Twilight shrugged as she took a sip from her canteen. "Nopony knows. She's been like that since before the war, but the war magnified it. Her anger grew, and her hatred grew." "Now isn't a good time to tell a story." I reminded. With a nod, Twilight readied her blade. "That is true." Over the radio, I could hear Vinyl's voice. "Good news, chief. We killed them all. Nothing standing in the way now. Follow the hallway and go through the agent command center. We'll meet you there. No sign of Spitfire or the griffon." "You heard her, let's move." I commanded. The team darted ahead with stealth, Twilight however paused to place a hoof upon my shoulder. "You're not like Flare... You're a leader. I can tell by looking at you, by the way you act... You're a lot stronger than your brother was..." I slapped her hoof away as I trotted behind the group. "My brother didn’t get to live long enough to see how strong he was." I replied. She left the conversation there. Just as promised we arrived in the agent command center to find Vinyl and Shining Armor sharing a cigarette. Vinyl had not seen us come in and we caught the end of their conversation. "Smoke up, life's short my friend." She said as she held a lighter out for him. A cigarette in her own mouth already a quarter finished. Shining took a drag and coughed before the two saw us. We assumed they must have found a common ground. "Glad you made it. Shall we make the final stretch?" Vinyl grinned. "I'm afraid that won't be happening." A deeper feminine voice echoed through the room. We all glanced to see an orange mare with a short manecut, and a scar across her face. I recognized her from the mission briefing, this was Spitfire. The mare whom even Twilight was afraid of running into. Her expression looked emotionless, and her face frozen in what I thought was an indefinite scowl. She looked around and saw the blade on my hoof. Her eyes locked on it. "Ah, so this is the new Rainbow Dash?" Sizing me up she shook her head. "What happened to the original one? She finally run away and not come back? Smart on her part really..." With everypony pulling their weapons out to fight her, she just shook her head again. She had an aura of overconfidence. "Do you truly wish to fight me? Even combined you all stand no chance..." Vinyl leapt forward with her two front hoof swords ready to go. "Leave her to me! I have been waiting to rip her apart for a while now..." With a grin, Vinyl locked her bloodshot eyes onto Spitfire. "I want her all to myself..." "Vinyl, you're no match for her!" Twilight protested. "Shut up, Twilight. I don't want any to interfere. This is my fight... I know I can win... If any of you get involved, I can't promise your safety..." Vinyl retorted, not taking her eyes off of Spitfire. "You should listen to the unicorn... You may live longer if you run." Spitfire had not even readied her sword yet. "Let me see how strong you actually are... I have pushed to get stronger every single day; to be the strongest. I dream of fighting, and I exist now to kill those who are enemies to freedom. Why do you exist beyond being a puppet?" Vinyl said. "I have a reason far greater than yours. I'll break you first and show you what it means to be truly strong..." Finally getting her blade out she took a step forward and took the proper stance. "Then I shall kill you." "Looking forward to it." Vinyl smirked. Wasting no time, Spitfire bolted in and punched Vinyl's face and jump kicked her in the torso while she was recovering for the blow. After she was knocked back, Spitfire charged forward and started dealing blows right to Vinyl's skull, still not utilizing her blade. Trying to fight back, Vinyl took a swing of her own, only to have her hoof caught in Spitfire's, who twisted it, causing Vinyl to groan in pain. "Weak, fueled by anger and hatred, just as I suspected..." Spitfire mocked. "Fuck you!" Vinyl hissed as she took a swing with her good hoof. Spitfire merely caught that one too and jumped in the air cracking her back hoof to Vinyl's chin. Twilight got her sword ready only for Vinyl to yell to her. "No! I told you... She's mine..." Vinyl growled as she helped herself up. "Vinyl, that's enough, you're no match for her. Stop being stubborn." Twilight protested. "Shut up! I am strong enough! I will prove it! I will prove that I am the strongest there is!" Vinyl proudly exclaimed. Twilight sighed and shook her head as she turned away. "She just doesn't get it... The reason the sword didn't choose her..." Twilight spoke to herself. "Let her fight." I said. Twilight blinked and looked to me confused. "What? Why?" I kept my eyes on the fight where Vinyl helplessly tried to land a blow on Spitfire only to have each attack turned back on her. "She must learn this lesson the hard way. I can tell by looking at her, she won't learn by you telling her... It must be experienced..." Grabbing Vinyl's mane in her hoof, Spitfire pulled her forward and smashed her face into the wall. Vinyl coughed and grunted as she picked herself up, feeling her forehead she looked to her hoof to see that it was stained with blood. Red liquid leaked down her forehead, bloodying her white coat. "Surrender, Vinyl. I won't have to kill you if you just accept joining the darkness." Spitfire offered. Vinyl spit some blood out of her mouth and took her fighting pose yet again. "So I can be like you? A puppet and a traitor? Sorry, but I choose death!" "Even Rainbow Dash knew her limits. She feared fighting me because she knew she could not defeat me. You think you're strong because you are not afraid to die, but you're weak. You're weak because you don't know your limitations. You don't know when to stop, when to give in." Spitfire bolted forward and knocked Vinyl over and proceeded to deliver a few kicks to her chest as she laid helpless on the ground. "Why not surrender so you'll at least live long enough to learn from your mistakes?" "F-fuck... Y-y-you..." Vinyl winced as she tried to get herself up. "What makes you so foolish? Where does your pride come from?" Spitfire asked. "I think you've gotta all you'll get out of her, Spitfire..." We all turned to the griffon that had entered the room casually. Trotting over to Spitfire he placed a claw on her shoulder. "Any secrets she has, she wishes to take to the grave with her. Respect that." "Lovely..." Twilight growled as she aimed her weapon. "I was hoping to avoid this, now we've got both of them to worry about!" "Wait!" Trixie interrupted. We all turned to face her. "Listen to me. We're not enemies here! We all want the same thing!" "Its the traitor." Spitfire spoke plainly to Hawk. "Listen to me! If you kill us, you'll only be damning yourselves too. That canon will be fired soon, and if we don't stop it, then you can kiss your asses goodbye. The darkness has no further use for you two after that." Trixie explained. "Why should we take the words of a traitor?" Spitfire pointed out. "You're the traitors! You turned on Equestria for your own well being! I am just done being a coward like you two! I finally thought it over, and I would rather choose death." Trixie growled. Spitfire rolled her eyes. "What do you think, Hawk?" She looked to the griffon, whom had been keeping quite calm and quiet. "I think we should listen to her..." He revealed. "What? Why?" Spitfire grew a confused look. Hawk looked to her and shook his head. "Spitfire, you and I both know that canon will fire. We also know that when it does our lives will be over as well." "But... Soarin..." She bit her lip. "Listen, Spitfire... I meant to tell you this before, but I know you joined to keep him safe after the darkness took over him. However, Soarin is already dead. His body still moves, sure, but he's not in there anymore. He's been gone for a long time, and its time to accept that. He isn't coming back." Hawk lectured. "How can you be so sure that this is the right way?" Spitfire questioned. "I've seen a lot of hell in my life, Spitfire. You don't even know a fraction of my story. I know what the gateway to hell looks like." He stood up and came face to face with her. "I don't understand how you can be like this... After all you've been through, how can you even be the slightest bit compassionate? I've never once seen you show an ounce of empathy..." Spitfire looked up into his eyes as she spoke. "I became what I needed to become. However it might be nice to finally kill for the right reasons for once. What do you say? Let's help them get to where they're going?" He offered his claw to her. "One last mission?" Looking down at his claw she paused as she thought it over. Finally she placed her hoof in it. "You've been the most loyal companion I've ever had. You stuck by me this whole time, and I know so little bout you... I'll follow you one more time though. If we are heading towards oblivion... I want to arrive right behind you." "We'll certainly be going there today." He grinned as he turned to Vinyl and offered a claw. Swatting his claw away, the mare got up on her own, though clearly struggling. "I don't need your help... Nor do I want it... You morons can trust these two to help, but I'm not going to trust them farther than I can throw them." With a slight limp in her step, she struggled to get back over to the group. Fluttershy attempted to begin treatment, only for Vinyl to dismiss her. "I don't want your help! Just don't touch me!" She hissed as she pushed Fluttershy away. Ordinarily, Twilight probably would have stepped in, however after that ordeal she clearly just wanted this all to be over faster. "Looks like somepony tripped the alarm... They'll be coming soon..." Hawk spoke as he looked around the room after noticing a monitor on his weapon. Checking the monitor again he looked to Spitfire. "Looks like hundreds of them..." "Elites too..." Spitfire pointed out as she glanced at her own. "Look, if you want to attempt your plan, you best go now. If you wait until they arrive, you'll never make it." Hawk spoke drawing his blade. "What about you two?" Twilight asked. Hawk grinned and looked at Spitfire. "We'll hold them off. Should slow them down quite a bit..." Twilight nodded as she got us all ready to leave. "Good luck, and thank you... " Hawk gestured for her to go. "Don't thank us yet." Twilight smirked and bolted out. I followed behind, but slow enough to catch Hawk's last words to Spitfire. "Guess we're not going to get overtime today?" I caught a glimpse of Spitfire's smile. "We'll be with Soarin soon." That was the last time we ever saw them. I don't know exactly what happened, but I can imagine that the two of them made that room their resting place. I'd like to think it was one hell of a show before they went down. They redefined the term "give them hell." Running along, we noticed a beaten Vinyl trip and collapse. Twilight halted and came to her aid. "Come on, Vinyl let me help you..." Twilight offered a hoof. Vinyl swatted it away. "Leave me!" She growled. "Vinyl, stop being stubborn, let me help you up." Twilight had a hint of annoyance on her breath. "I'm weak... I deserve to die... Leave me here!" Vinyl commanded. A side of Twilight came out that I think we all knew was only there for the sole purpose of dealing with Vinyl. "On your hooves, soldier!" Vinyl ignored her and placed her face against the ground, letting it become stained in her blood. "Just go..." Twilight kicked Vinyl's side, causing her to grunt. "Listen to me, shit head! If you continue to lay there, you're going to be in a world of shit, and do you know why?" Vinyl coughed. "W-why?" She spoke weakly. Twilight reached down and picked up Vinyl's neck, bringing their faces inches apart. "Because you don't have my permission to die, yet. Now get up." She dropped the mare back onto the hard floor. With a struggle, Vinyl groaned in agony as she began to lift herself. Her body was in rough shape, but somehow she found the strength to get back up. "Yes... Ma'am... Permission to die... Ma'am?" She got herself to a full stand. "Denied, now get your ass moving before I kick it the whole way there." Twilight commanded. Vinyl gave a halfhearted salute before trotting along, limping with every step. Rolling her eyes, Twilight gestured to me. "Help her. If she dies on me, it'll be your ass." Twilight instructed. I nodded. "Yes ma'am." Coming to Vinyl's aid, she gave an annoyed look. "You should have left me..." She complained. "I'll leave you behind when you're dead. You know the code; no knight left behind. As long as we draw breath, we fight." I reminded. "I'm weak... I don't deserve to be a knight... I don't even deserve to live..." Vinyl rambled as she struggled to step with me. I took it slow for her to keep up with me. Her injuries were severe, but not fatal. "You're too hard on yourself." I smiled. "Dash... She told me about Spitfire... Her power... Her skill..." Vinyl coughed up some blood before she continued speaking. "She said... If she fought Spitfire, she'd die..." "Perhaps that should have been a warning to you?" I remarked. Vinyl panted as she was exhausting herself walking. "The sword... It chose you... Despite being a weakling... A pampered SkyVale girl... Yet it chose you..." "I can't explain that unfortunately. The weapon has a mind of its own, clearly." I replied. I offered to let her rest for a second, but she resisted. Insisting on pushing herself, she demanded we keep up with the others. Shrugging, I decided to give her what she wanted and just press forward. "I need to get stronger..." The unicorn rambled. "Why are you so obsessed with being strong, Vinyl? Your body is at its limit, yet you keep pushing yourself. Why?" I asked. "I won't go back... I won't going back to being weak... I'd rather die than go back..." Vinyl mumbled. I wasn't sure what she was rambling about, but I let out a sigh and shook my head. "Strength comes from many places Vinyl, but you shouldn't fear being weak..." "I'm not afraid... I'm angry..." She corrected. I should have expected as much. That statement could probably sum up Vinyl's entire life. "You'll get a chance to blow off some steam." I grinned as I picked up the pace to get us caught up with the group. "I lost... To Spitfire... I'm weak..." She repeated. With a grunt, I managed to get her to the end of the hallway. "Yeah, but even Rainbow Dash couldn't beat her from what I hear." "Rainbow Dash was weak... That's why she's gone. She wasn't strong enough... A great fighter, but she let her emotions weaken her..." Vinyl spoke. Quite bold of her to accuse Rainbow Dash of being weak. We arrived at the beacon only minutes after everypony else. Pinkamena was already checking over the console. "Alright, I can do it, but I need complete concentration. Its a delicate procedure, and I can't be interrupted. No doubt they'll be coming this way, but you'll all have to hold them off while I work. If I am interrupted even once, there goes our only chance, so keep me covered." She explained. Twilight nodded. "Fluttershy, get Vinyl patched up. I don't want any sass from you either, Vinyl. You're no use to me if I have to have somepony carry you the entire way. Get her back into fighting condition and keep Fluttershy guarded while she works. The rest of you; you better not let any of them through that door." I helped Vinyl off to the other side of the room so Fluttershy could work away from the gunfire. "Can you help her?" I asked. Checking over Vinyl's wounds she nodded. "I can give her a few steroid injections to get her strength back, and cover her wounds. If I give her a healing potion, she'll recover much faster. It'll take me about five minutes, but I can get her in a condition where she can fight at least." Vinyl groaned in agony, protesting the idea. "Just kill me... I failed..." Fluttershy sighed and began cleaning up her wounds. "Nonsense. Everypony fails now and then. That's no reason to give up." "I broke my promise... I don't deserve to live..." Vinyl rambled. Fluttershy silenced her. "Shhhh, just relax for a bit." Getting up, I joined Twilight with my weapon pointed at the door. "I'll be honest with you..." Twilight began. "Hm?" I replied. Taking cover with her weapon drawn, she smiled. "I never had 100% faith in this plan from the start... The chances of us actually being able to pull this off I'd say are slim to none..." "I suppose that's what will make our victory that much more sweet." I grinned. Twilight never get a chance to answer, as right then the enemy burst through the door. Weapons drawn, they came in shooting. We however were ready for them. We unloaded everything we had upon them, dropping them like flies as they poured in. I can never forget their blank emotionless faces. They simply lined up to die without a care in the world. Twilight was right; they were the perfect enemy. Luna ducked down next to me trying to jam another clip in her weapon. "Cover me, I'm reloading." She instructed. Popping my head back up, I fires off a few rounds, dropping another row. They began to return fire. I was able to duck again, but their aim was impecible. "They weren't kidding, those are elites... We can't hold them off, forever, how's that console going, Dr. Pie?" I asked as I popped off a few more shots. "Just a little longer... Keep them back just a bit longer, I need to secure a way for us to get back too, mind you..." She said as she tapped away at the buttons on the console. Vinyl raised a hoof and began firing at a few coming through the door. Even in her condition, she could still muster enough energy to ward off our enemies. She growled as she tried to keep her hoof up to fire, while Fluttershy injected her with steroids. "This is our world, assholes..." She muttered. "What the hell is that...?" Twilight asked as she eyed a feral looking creature behind the invading elites. It snarled and spit as it moved violently. It twitched and growled as it made sporadic movements. Dripping from its mouth was a black ooze, and its body seemed much bulkier than that of a normal pony. "Shit! It's a mauler! Don't let it get any closer! Shoot the shit out of it!" Trixie yelled as she directed her fire to it. We all began to concentrate fire on it. "Shit its fast!" I hollered as it dodged our rounds. Apple Bloom got tackled by it and held its jaw back while it viciously tried to rip her throat out. It certainly had a lot of energy. "Get this fuckin' thing offa' me!" She yelled. Twilight and I administered two direct hits to its head. Apple Bloom blasted it in the stomach as she pushed it off and got herself up. "What the hell are those things!?" "Genetically enhanced soldiers... It looks like they are unleashing everything to stop us. I guess Hawk and Spitfire didn't last too long..." Trixie explained. "I think we have a new problem..." Shining Armor pointed. Rushing through the crowd of soldiers, a massive beast knocked a hoofful of them out of the way as it roared. It was at least ten times any of our size, and had a girth that could rival and ox. "What the fuck is that!?" Twilight exclaimed. "Uhhh, we just started calling that a tank..." Trixie gulped as she backed up a few steps. "Shoot the tank then! Unload everything onto it!" Twilight commanded. We all started emptying entire clips onto it, but it didn't seem to stop it in the slightest. "Fuck! It's like a damn meat shield!" Apple Bloom cried as she blasted a few scattershots on it. "Why do you think we call it a tank!?" Trixie hollered as she kept firing at it. The beast rushed through us and grabbed Twilight by the throat, smashing her against the ground. She struggled and started stabbing it repeatedly in the claw. Once it loosened its grip, she opened her infamous yellow eye and locked gaze with the monster. It became petrified and solid rock quite rapidly. Breaking free, Twilight jumped back and cast a fireball spell on it, breaking it to pieces. "Damn it, Pinkamena, speed it up, we can't hold them off forever!" Twilight hissed. "I'm trying, this isn't exactly a simple process! I am used to working with far less advanced equipment than this!" Pinkamena responded. "Here come some more maulers!" Trixie exclaimed as she lobbed a grenade in that direction. Jumping through the door, half a dozen more of those vicious creatures poured out, to be met with the explosion of Trixie's grenade. The beasts were resilient however and the blast did not take them all down. Two of them leapt forward and came inches from me. Their shrill sounds were irritating up close. They pierced one's eardrums with a noise that could best be described as vicious and maniacal. It opened its mouth and growled directly in my face, spit flying out of it. With a quick thrust of the Rainbow Edge, I jammed the blade into its mouth and pushed through its throat. "How's that taste?" I mocked as I jumped and kicked the monster off my sword. The sound of a gunshot brought my attention to the second beast that was felled right behind me. Looking to the origins of the shot, I saw a patched up Vinyl holding her weapon shakily as she wiped blood off of her lip. Not even being beaten within an inch of her life was enough to push the fight out of her. "It's ready! Quickly, everypony onto the beacon now! It will only remain charged for a short time!" Pinkamena shouted as she bolted away from the control panel and to the portal. Nodding, Twilight gestured for the rest of us to follow. Shining Armor, Luna, Trixie, and Apple Bloom all jumped onto the portal that had opened up on the beacon, Vinyl, myself and Twilight trailing behind, keeping gunfire on the door. Vinyl was limping as Twilight tried to assist her. "Leave me..." Vinyl groaned. Twilight slapped her face and growled. "I told you before, you don't have permission to die yet. So you better move your ass!" I gave the two of them a shove through the portal as I kept my front facing the door as I saw a few more tanks start to thrash their way in. With a smile, I turned and hopped through the rift as well. This was it, our big chance to finish this nightmare, we were finally about to meet the darkness face to face. This was going to be our finest hour, our success would determine the shape of the whole world.
Mist	1148	41	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2017-01-04T18:19:54+00:00	2017-01-04T18:19:54+00:00	120	A New Equestria By Mist Act 2: Chapter Forty (The Manehatten Saga) A sensation of being pulled quite violently took over me, and possibly the rest of the group. This feeling of something grabbing you in the air and yanking you with full force into the heavens and then quickly dropping you was all I could think about. However instead of a splat, you landed safely and were uncertain of how you did so. It was this feeling of relief mixed with the feeling of falling. However in the end, all I could remember was Twilight’s extended awe. She gazed around the entirely metal craft we stood in and her mouth hung open. The mare had believed Trixie at face value, but to actually witness such a wonder up close was another story for her. She broke the silence. “I… I can’t believe it… It’s really here… Some kind of… Space craft… Floating above our world… Millions of years without our knowledge… Just sitting there… Why…? How?” She must have been quite out of it, as she wasn’t even really speaking in complete sentences anymore. Trying to finally get Fluttershy to leave her alone, Vinyl shoved her way through the group to approach Twilight. “Because, we’re their pet project.” She interjected. Confused, our purple leader turned with a look of complete puzzlement. Vinyl answered with a bandaged hoof gesture to some kind of giant test tubes down the hall. The halls of the ship were narrow and hard to see around, but sure enough with a few steps forward we all could see it, a group of ponies floating in some kind of tubes with all kind of screens and dials around them. Foreign technology far beyond our simplistic comprehension filled that entire room. We drew closer, but even up close it was impossible to decipher what any of the objects in that room did. Vinyl tapped on the glass of one, and unsurprisingly, there was no response from the inhabitants. She laughed a bit and magicked a cigarette to her swollen lip, making a somewhat quick recovery of the pride she had lost earlier. “It all makes sense…” She added. “What makes sense?” Luna chimed in; trying to follow what was going on. “I think I know what Vinyl is getting at…” Twilight answered for her, her eyes locked on the ponies in the tubes. “Then could someone please explain it to me, because I’m lost…” Luna looked up, trying to figure out what it was that Twilight and Vinyl saw. Vinyl took a big drag and exhaled the foul smoke before answered, “She’s figured it out too, and no doubt cunt face has got it, yeah?” She gestured to Pinkamena with that remark, though I am certain we all could have guessed who she was referring to. “Quite.” Was all that the good doctor had to add. “Will someone please tell those of us who are still clueless what the hell is going on?” Trixie complained. “They’re experimenting…” Twilight finally solved the riddle to the crowd. “Guess that rules out our theory of them just wanting to scrap up the planet for resources then, huh?” Vinyl took another long exhale right before she spoke. Twilight’s brow rose, captivated by the mystery of what Vinyl just said. “What do you mean?” “Well, if they just wanted the planet for resources why are they experimenting on us? We’re just primitive beasts to them. Clearly there is more to it than we originally thought.” The white unicorn explained. “Well I’ll be damned; you’re actually capable of making a scientific inference…” Pinkamena snidely remarked. Vinyl just spit at the comment and tossed her smoke aside. As usual, Pinkamena remained unprovoked. “What else could they possibly want then?” I asked. Twilight nodded at me, “That is a good question… Let’s see if we can find out…” Our thoughts would have to hold though, as we became aware of the fact that we soon would no longer be alone. The sound of what we assumed to be a door opening came from the back of the room which we had inferred to be a scientific lab of some kind. Sluggishly entering was some kind of black and green tinted abomination. It walked on two clawed legs, and its body was mostly covered in some kind of armor made from a thin looking metal. It certainly didn’t sacrifice dexterity for its protection. Two long arms hung from the hunched creature, so long that they dragged their sharp hands across the floor when they moved. Its arms were almost the length of its entire body. I examined it for as long as I could and took note of the hundreds of small dark green spines going up its arms. It was hideous. Before any of us got a chance to ask what the creature could possibly be, a gunshot was heard. We all turned our heads first to the left to see Vinyl with a smoking gun, then to the right to see the monster had been decapitated and laid on the floor with a vile black liquid leaking out of what I assumed used to be his head. “I figured we could ask questions after I killed it…” Vinyl shrugged. Twilight was so fascinated with the creature she even forgot to scold Vinyl for her recklessness before going to examine the fiend up close. “What is it…?” She pondered aloud as she tapped it with her hoof to ensure it was dead. “Well, we know it doesn’t survive without a head.” Vinyl smirked as she and the rest of us joined Twilight. “This must be one of the ships inhabitants… I never really imagined what the darkness would look like in its physical form, so I must admit I’m rather surprised…” Luna spoke, poking the creature with the tip of her sword. She had a point. All of us didn’t really know what to expect when we got this far. For all we knew, the darkness could have been fluffy bunnies. However appropriately, they were instead these hulking, disgusting monsters. The creature must have stood over six feet tall when it wasn’t hunched over and had piercing green eyes that glowed even after death. Vinyl grunted and gestured for us to keep moving. “Who gives a shit what they are? We’re here to kill them.” Twilight sighed and came to a stand nodding. “Unfortunately, she is correct. Come on, we have to make our way to the whoever leads this ship and we can put an end to this once and for all.” --- Much to Twilight’s dismay, stopping to study the creatures was not an option for the entire trip. We would kill one or two, but have to quickly retreat somewhere to hide to avoid alerting the entire ship. Despite it being poorly defended, we were still outmatched and had the disadvantage when it came to understanding the layout of the ship. With a bit of knowledge, luck and reverse engineering though, Twilight was able to steal a map of the ship and get the general idea of where everything on the map was located. With her intellect, she deduced a room where a lot of the electrical equipment ran to had to be the control room, and thus the epicenter of the ship and where we should look. Chances are it would be the same location as the bridge, and where we would find the creature controlling this entire ship. Coming around a hallway just a few down from the bridge, Twilight gestured for us all to push ourselves up against the wall. Doing as instructed, we all stood with held breath, even the normally loud mouthed Vinyl Scratch whom had remained dead silent. Near the front of the pack was Twilight with Fluttershy. Twilight jerked her head to the direction of the corner, suggesting non-verbally for Fluttershy to peak around it. Doing as instructed, Fluttershy poked her head out for only a brief second before a loud bang was heard. The rest of us nearly jumped as we looked at what had happened. Before any of the group had a chance to process the events, Twilight leapt out into the open and let off a few shots. We couldn’t get a good look at what she was shooting at, but sure enough after about five or six shots she lowered her weapon and lifted Fluttershy from the floor. Twilight’s eyes grew and became moist as she stared at the now limp pegasus whom had stopped moving. Touching her forehead, there was a hole going directly through to the other side, blood leaking onto the floor. Twilight hugged the corpse with tears starting to leak from her eyelids. “Those bastards!” She growled. “Holy fuck…” Vinyl commented in shock. “They had guards around the corner… She just happened to see them when they were looking her way…” Twilight explained as she held Fluttershy’s body. Pinkamena seemed relatively unchanged by these events, which was no surprise; however she was starting to grow a grin upon her face that was making me uneasy. In a matter of seconds however it would become clear that my uneasiness was well warranted as Fluttershy’s eyes opened back up and mechanical noises could be heard exiting her mouth before her lips began to move reciting what sounded like rehearsed lines. “Initializing backup mode…” Twilight threw the body back onto the ground with a yelp. “What the hell!?” Pinkamena stepped forward with her chest puffed out in pride. Placing a gentle hoof upon the bloody face of Fluttershy, she smiled before speaking. “Isn’t it marvelous? The latest break through! I have really outdone myself.” Twilight and Vinyl both seemed to have the same reaction as they bolted forward and pinned Pinkamena to the wall, both with blades drawn to her throat. “WHAT DID YOU DO!?” Twilight demanded. “Want me to end this bitch?” Vinyl questioned, clearly hungering for more bloodshed today. Twilight ignored her request and instead kept her eyes locked on Pinkamena’s, staring at her harshly. “Talk”, Twilight demanded. “It’s nothing really… I simply installed a backup system in Fluttershy’s brain stem…” She coughed and spoke through strained breathes caused by Twilight and Vinyl’s grip on her. “That system was designed to kick in if all life signals in her body ceased and it would take her memories, skills and such and replicate them. It’s actually quite an ingenious idea don’t you think?” “You’ve gone too far, Pinkamena. How do we shut it down?” Twilight demanded. She smirked and played coy. “Why would you want to do a thing like that?” Vinyl growled and pressed her grip on Pinkamena harder. “I thought you of all ponies would appreciate this, Twilight… I’ve found a way to preserve Fluttershy’s useful skills and knowledge in medical science. It’s not like doctors are going to fall from the sky these days, so making the most of the few you have is essential. You should be thanking me! I’ve simply taken recycling to a new level, made resource conservation far more interesting as well. In this form she won’t require food, water, anything.” Pinkamena bragged about her achievement. Sneering, Twilight pressed her blade closer to Pinkamena’s neck. “Tell me how to shut her down. That’s an order.” “And who do you think you are, ordering me around?” Pinkamena questioned. “Continue to piss me off and see what happens. I’ll give you one final chance, tell me how to shut her down.” Twilight threatened. Looking her in the eye it was clear that threats of death were nothing to Pinkamena. Her life had clearly been threatened enough times to not be affected by such a thing. Then again, most of Equestria in this day and age were used to danger and having their life threatened. With a sigh, Pinkamena nodded and gestured with her head to the now fully standing Fluttershy. “The chip that controls the body is in the brain stem. Just below the neck. Hit that and the entire thing shuts down…” Twilight gestured for Vinyl to take care of that, clearly unwilling to take her sword to her old friend, Fluttershy even if it was for the best. Vinyl obeyed and released Pinkamena to trot over to Fluttershy’s back side and began to run a hoof down her neck until she felt a spot that I assumed felt out of place. Once she was certain she had the location of this supposed chip, she readied her blade and gave a strike to the back of Fluttershy’s head. The blow caused Fluttershy to once again fall to the ground lifeless with closed eyes, blood still draining from her skull. Twilight only looked for a second before looking away, not wanting to see it any longer. “Happy?” Pinkamena asked, clearly trying to antagonize further. Furious, Twilight kept her pinned to the wall as she squeezed her neck, causing Pinkamena to slowly lose air. “If I didn’t need you alive, I’d kill you right here. Listen carefully to me, because we won’t have this conversation a second time.” Pinkamena coughed as Twilight strangled her. “That girl is not just some memories and skills to be replicated and replaced like a broken machine. She was a pony like you and I and deserves the respect to be left to die with dignity. You have no fucking right to do that to her! I’d rather her skills and memories die with her than for us to become cold and unfeeling like her. You think you and I are so similar, but we are drastically different Dr. Pie… There is a line I’m never willing to cross…” Pinkamena struggled and tried to get Twilight to release her only for Twilight to hold her tighter. “I suggest you never cross it again while I’m around. Next time… You’ll regret it…” Twilight added finally releasing the mare. Pinkamena fell to the ground and dropped her glasses. Grabbing them from the floor and coughing she placed them back upon her face with a scoff. “You’re so simple minded… Short sighted, you can’t see the big picture…” “Save it. Your orders are to serve as a medical expert and scientist when called upon, nothing more, nothing less. I don’t know what happened to you Pinkie, but there is something severely broken in your brain…” Twilight scolded. Coming to a stand, Pinkamena met her with fiery eyes. “Or maybe it’s all of you with broken brains.” “One more instance like that and I’ll let Vinyl have her way with you. The only reason I am letting you live right now is because of our past together. If it weren’t for that, you’d be dead already.” Twilight said before turning towards the hallway. “Come on, we have to go.” She instructed. “What about…” I finally interjected pointing to Fluttershy’s corpse. Twilight sighed and shook her head. “There’s nothing else we can do for her. I wish we could take her with us, but she would slow us down. Leave a brave soldier to rest; she’s earned that at the very least.” --- Standing outside of the bridge, we had finally made it, the door that blocked what was supposedly the leader of these creatures and the true face of our enemy. We were only one door away from being able to finally end this war once and for all. Only a simple entranceway from ensuring our future was without the darkness, and conveniently it was locked. Twilight, and Luna began to work magic upon the lock, focusing their efforts on trying to solve the strange advanced locking mechanism with all their talent and ability. It was easy to see that these creatures were far more advanced with technology than our own kind, and perhaps there was much we could learn after this was over by reverse engineering their technology. The thought that some good could even come from all of this was strange, but somehow comforting to know that everything that had transpired would not be completely in vain. “This is some advanced stuff… Vinyl give us a hoof.” Twilight instructed. Nodding, Vinyl stepped forward and began casting upon the lock as well. “Shit… This thing is tough… Really resistant to magic…” She commented. After a few minutes of focusing, the lock finally turned green and opened. “Damn, we actually did it!” Vinyl sounded almost genuinely impressed at their feat. “Let’s end this!” Twilight insisted as she drew her blade. With a group nod, we all trotted onto the bridge through the freshly unlocked doorway only to find it mostly empty. A large vista of our planet was visible through a giant window on the ship, and a control deck was easy to see, but there was no crew in this room. Instead a large black blob of what appeared to be some kind of thick smoke that somehow also resembled sludge at the same time stood in the center of the room. It’s form morphed and moved in an unnatural and eerie shape. “What the hell…?” Luna asked as she lowered her sword. A long thin tendril reached behind the creature and retrieved a body that it lifted up into the air by the neck. We all instantly recognized it, it was Fluttershy. It tightened its grip upon the corpse and Fluttershy’s mouth opened letting out a strange screeching sound followed by strained speech. Through squinted eyes it was possible to see that the tendril that held her was a physical appendage of a creature that was inside of that blob of blackness. We could start to see green eyes begin to glow from behind it. “You… Worthless creatures…” It said. Twilight stepped forward and kept her sword lowered as she addressed the creature. “What are you?” She asked. The creature held Fluttershy’s body out to speak for it. “We are all that is, all that ever shall be.” “So you’re gods?” Twilight raised a brow. “Your species language lacks a word for what we are. Gods are a concept of lesser constitutions. We have surpassed such a state. We are beginning and end.” It replied through its puppet. “Where did you come from?” I asked for Twilight. It paused before answering. “We do not understand your inquiry. We have always been.” “What planet did you originate from?” Twilight decided to try rephrasing the question. “We have always been. The species you see before you are merely our current slaves, used for carrying out our divine duty…” It said. That meant that these aliens, or whatever they were were actually slaves to this thing? So they were just as unfortunate as we were? “What is your divine duty?” Vinyl Scratch decided to get in on the conversation, clearly getting a bit antsy from all this talking. It fell silent for a few seconds before Fluttershy’s head contorted awkwardly as it spoke through her mouth. “Consume. Eliminate imperfections such as your species.” “So I’m guessing peace is not an option.” Twilight questioned. “Peace is a concept only your kind understands. Your kind are unable to understand our divine logic. You must be purged from existence; your imperfections must be wiped from the universe.” It responded. “I think I’ve heard enough…” Vinyl growled as she made her blade extrude. With a nod, Twilight and Luna joined her along with me. The Rainbow Edge felt somehow strangely stronger and almost like it was pulling me, like it yearned to slave this creature. With a screech it tosses Fluttershy’s corpse aside and began hurling black spikes from its body underneath the smog at us. Twilight dodged one and Vinyl deflected another with her blade. The creature quickly followed up the attack by pulling several more tendrils out from the smog and whipping them around trying to hit me. Fortunately I was quick enough to duck under them and avoid damage, however they managed to whip Vinyl and Twilight out of the way and threw them into a nearby wall. With a jump, I leapt over a second swipe and took the chance to slice one of them off. The creature growled and shot off another spike that I was not as lucky to be able to dodge. The black spine struck me directly in the side of my rib cage causing me to tumble to the ground, gripping the spot. Luna took advantage of my suffering by leaping into the fight, slashing at the creature’s tendrils. Her distraction proved effective as it drew the monster away from me and also gave Twilight and Vinyl a chance to recover. Looking to the sword upon my hoof, I could see it glowing. The blade was begging for the slaughtering of this monster and I intended to deliver. While the others distracted it, I pulled myself to a stand, staggering a bit as blood dripped down the fresh opening that the spike had made. Gritting my teeth, I took a few pained steps before finally forcing myself to move through the pain. Adrenaline took over and forced me into a leap slashing at the creature from behind while the others fought it. A bright light shined from the blade as it sliced right through the darkness surrounding the beast and green blood splashed out of its body. It was a direct hit. The black smog released the creature and seemed to dissolve into nothing, leaving a disfigured beast to collapse to the floor. Twilight and the others blinked in shock, not expecting that plan to work. Before we knew it however, the entire ship began to let off an ear piercing siren, and all the lights began to flash red. “Shit! What’s happening!?” Vinyl asked, covering her ears. Pinkamena stepped towards the body of the creature and examined some cables attached to it that lead to a control panel. “My guess is the ship was attached to his vitals. It’s designed to self destruct if his vitals drop to zero, probably to prevent any from stealing their technology.” “Damn it!” Twilight growled. “We could have learned a lot from all of this…” Looking over at a terminal, Pinkamena retrieved an orb from her bag. “This doesn’t look too advanced, I can probably grab all the non-protected stuff and transfer it to a magic storage orb to review later.” Pinkamena suggested. Twilight nodded. “Please do; also if possible locate the nearest exit portal.” Pinkamena began to work on the terminal while I staggered to stay standing. Blood was dripping from my side at an alarming rate. Twilight took notice of my condition and quickly approached. “Shit, Pinkamena hurry, Torch is bleeding!” I found myself so dizzy, I couldn’t stay awake. Falling to the floor, I tried to keep my eyes open as long as I could, knowing that if I passed out now it would be the end of me. Twilight’s voice was reverbing in my head as she spoke to me. “Come on, Torch stay with us!” It was too late though, my eyes closed and her voice was drowned out by a silence that made me smile. I could swear that I saw my brother’s face if I focused hard enough. End of Act 2
Mist	1148	42	Main 6,Original Character,Other,Rainbow Dash,Trixie,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	A New Equestria	War in Equestria has left everything in ruins, but what happens now? An Epic details the beginning of a new era. War, mysteries, and drama await.	cancelled	81	15	<p>Seven years ago The Knights of Celestia marched into battle. Under direct order from Celestia, and commanded by Twilight Sparkle, they ran into battle against their unknown enemy. That was seven years ago, and now all that is left are the bodies and remains of a once majestic land. What happened to Equestria? More importantly, what will happen now?</p><p>An Epic of proportions unheard of.</p>	mature	2017-03-22T00:26:23+00:00	2017-03-22T00:26:23+00:00	180	A New Equestria By Mist Act 3: The Past in the Shadows Chapter Forty-One (The Nightfoal Saga) With twin blades drawn and graceful sword work, a dark grey pegasus made waste of a few would-be attackers. Her off-white partner watched in awe as her form fitting cloak danced with her movements as she skillfully destroyed mobs of monstrous creatures that at one point were probably the citizens of this fair city of Cloudsdale. In a blink, the sword dancer vanished and appeared directly behind the final creature and decapitated it with a single slice. Retracting her blades, she threw her hood back over her black dyed mane and looked to her partner with a nod. The two began to speak a familiar chant as they stood over the fresh corpses. “In death you hold nothing. Death is your salvation, the void holds nothing worse for you; may you go in peace.” They spoke in unison. Finishing their chant, the skilled sword-mare smiled to her partner and gave a wink. “I swear, this is a child’s job. Who would have thought retrieving the element would be so simple? They may as well have sent a rookie to do this job… I can’t believe they almost considered sending a Void Watcher.” She spoke in a raspy voice. Her partner shook her head and her far softer effeminate voice sang to the other. “Don’t get too cocky; remember pride in the family, not in one’s self.” The sword-mare laughed heartily. “I’m surprised at you, Kin. You’ve actually been doing your homework for a change?” The mare placed her hoof upon Kin’s shoulder. “You are right though, I apologize. It is unfitting of me as a sister to behave in such a manner, forgive me.” Kin blushed and shook her head, not wanting to make her companion feel remorse. “No, it’s fine. You were just expressing yourself, that’s all, no need to apologize Night Sky…” Night Sky smirked and disagreed. “Ah, but I do. As my duty as your sister it is my responsibility to make sure you do not fall into the traps of the unworthy. We stand together, we build together and we conquer together, that is the purpose of sisterhood, is it not?” Looking to the ground hoping that answers would come to her, Kin shrugged before finally meeting Night Sky’s eyes with her own. “Yes… Of course. I’m sorry for being so emotional about it…” As she surveyed the area, looking down from a building that the two were atop of, Night Sky observed a group of three fighting their way through the city down below. A white unicorn, a griffon and an earth pony that looked of no consequence were slaying up the monsters that they had cleansed many of upon entering Cloudsdale. Night Sky’s memories of this place began to come back to her before she shook them out of her head and turned her attention back to Kin. “Yes… I have noticed you’ve been more emotional lately. Is something troubling you, Kin?” She bit her lip, but decided to fess up. “It’s just… Our mission… I’m unsure about it…” Night Sky placed both of her front hooves upon Kin and made her sit down as she held her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. Kin’s green eyes met with the light purple of Night Sky’s. Night Sky observed her companion’s white coat and curly gray mane before speaking. “Remember that faith needs to be unfaltering. We are children of the greater kind now, blessed to inherit the world. The time of the prophecy is so close; we can’t have our faith shaken now, not when we’re this close. Do not fall off the path, sister.” Kin grimaced. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to do, but she knew it would make the situation go from bad to worse. So instead she shrugged it off and nodded to her “sister” and decided to let it all slide into the recesses of her loud mind. “Yes… Of course… We will retrieve the element and then we’ll be one step closer to the prophecy.” “When all six of the elements are ours’, only then will we be able to restore balance before our rise.” Night Sky reminded. “Yes, yes I haven’t forgotten…” Kin brushed her off, not wanting to hear this lecture again. Night Sky released her and began to observe the three down below once more. She smirked as she watched them. “Looks like our friends might lead us right to it. If we follow them, we should find what we’re looking for.” “Do you think they will make it?” Kin asked. Her sister shrugged. “Who cares? It’s not a concern to us. What happens to them has nothing to do with us. We’re forbidden from assisting them anyways. Come, we should move, stay up on the roof tops so they don’t see us.” Kin could only nod as her pegasus friend leapt from the roof top to another rooftop. Being a unicorn, she couldn’t fly like her companion, but Kin’s agility proved more than enough to make the leap and land upon the other side with ease. Night Sky smiled back at her and commented. “Come on, you better be able to keep up!” Rolling her eyes, Kin groaned at the rehashing of an old joke. “You know that’s not fair on your part!” Night Sky nodded in agreement as she snickered and made her way forward with her faithful sister behind her, keeping tabs on the travelers from the Canterlot stronghold who were making their way through Cloudsdale. The two groups had eyes on the same prize; however Night Sky knew that they would be no match to keep her and Kin from acquiring it, even if they didn’t get to it first. It was going to be like taking candy from a baby, or rather taking an element of harmony from a group of ragtag misfits. Her mind slowly crept back onto the words of the prophecy she had been preached for many years now, realizing that it drew closer and would come during her lifetime. She wondered what would happen next, what she would be asked to do for the family. Whatever it was though, she knew she would perform her duties in pure faith, unwavering, unfaltering and fully committed with Kin at her side. She looked back at Kin for a brief moment whom appeared lost in thought herself. For that brief second, Night Sky was thankful to have even one semblance of her past with her, even if it wasn’t the same as before all of this. With Kin near her, she knew she was strong enough to do whatever would be asked of her. Her faith only emboldened by the loyalty of her sworn sister. --- Kin found herself playing catch up with Night Sky for a good ten minutes as her sister has traveled far ahead of her. Finally reaching her as she sat in an on looking window of what appeared to be some kind of coliseum; Night Sky had her head down looking like she was observing something intently. Kin knew that her sister was more familiar with this place than she, but it annoyed her that Kin seldom told her what she was doing or where she was heading before running off ahead. Catching her breath, Kin spoke up to her friend only to be silenced. “You know, you could slow down for a-“ “Shhh!” Night Sky hushed. With a hoof extended she pointed into the coliseum. Kin lowered her head and looked in to see the three travelers from before. One of them stood in the center with a firearm smoking, it was the unicorn, now a little bit less white as she was covered with blood and various black tar from a fresh kill. The griffon was coming down from the grand stands and the earth pony with them was now covered in various guts. The trio gathered around a large corpse of what appeared to be once a rather large and impressive pegasus or possibly even an alicorn. The distance and battle damage made it difficult to tell which. After briefly talking it appeared as though they had decided to part ways with the griffon whom left the stadium through the way they must have entered while the other two proceeded to the other side. Night smirked as she watched them leave. “Not bad. Though, far from too impressive.” “Shall we go down and get a closer look at that creature?” Kin asked with a raised brow. With another smile, Night nodded. “It’s as if you read my mind sometimes, Kin. Let’s see what this beast was.” Without hesitation, Night Sky leapt out the window to a nearby ledge and eventually scaled down to the bottom of the stadium. Kin followed as quickly as she could, and while her agility and dexterity were not nearly as impressive they were leaps and bounds above even a very well trained unicorn. Examining the body up close, Kin noticed a black ooze dripping out of it. With a squint she could see a mark of a sun on the creature’s flank. Her eyes widened as she noticed Night Sky noticed exactly what she just noticed. “It’s… Celestia…” She commented. Night Sky could only nod in response as she stared in awe. The two remained silent for a good minute before they saw creature leak more black ooze, causing the two to step back. The ooze reached out and touched the other parts of its body that had been disconnected and began to pull itself together, trying to form a full creature again. After a few seconds it lifted itself off the ground and groaned violently. Kin drew her blade and took her stance. Night Sky leaned back onto two back hooves and drew two swords, ready for battle. “Looks like she doesn’t know when to stay dead…” Kin commented. Bracing herself, Night Sky smirked deviously. “That’s okay. I grew bored of killing the little ones anyways.” “Just remember not to use too much Ker upon her.” Kin reminded. “I can take her down and have plenty left over.” Night Sky bragged. The creature had come to a full stand now and hissed violently at Kin, spewing spit and black sludge at her. Night Sky laughed as she leapt into battle both blades at the ready. Kin moved quickly to dodge the first strike with its mighty hoof by the former princess and began forming a magic rope with her horn and twirled around the back side of the creature, dancing skillfully around its attempts at attacking her to loop around to its front side again. A few more circles around it and she would have it tied in a magical rope to restrain it. It growled in anger as it tried to break free of its new confines. With Night Sky jumping head on with both swords it opened its mouth and spewed black sludge in her direction. Thinking quickly though, Night Sky vanished and appeared behind it impaling its spine with her blades. The monster growled and moved violently trying to shake her off. Night Sky leapt off and landed upon its neck to stab the back of its skull repeatedly. Once she had created an opening she jabbed her hoof into the creature’s rotting brain matter and smiled. “I’ll show you what real power can do…” With those words she cast a spell from her hoof that cause the entire creature to burst into blood and sludge. Kin quickly casted a barrier around the two to protect them from the guts and entrails covering them. Once the monster was dead and Night Sky landed back onto the ground, Kin released her barrier and took her sister’s hoof as the two recited their familiar chant. “In death you hold nothing. Death is your salvation, the void holds nothing worse for you; may you go in peace.” They spoke in unison. “Poor thing…” Kin commented as she looked at the remains of the creature. “She was corrupted. However in death she is forgiven for her sins, you know this already, Kin…” Night reminded, tapping her friend on the shoulder. “Still… Couldn’t her death have been avoided?” Kin frowned. “It was decided by the void, it is not our place to question it…” Night Sky rolled her eyes, already having this conversation with her many times before. “Yes… You’re right… Sorry. We should catch up to them, right?” Kin asked. Night nodded. “Yes, let’s hurry.” --- Night Sky and Kin had caught up with the no-longer trio and paid close watch as they exited a vault. Keeping their eyes on them, Night Sky instantly noticed the necklace in the unicorn’s hoof. There was no mistaking it, it was an element of harmony. She had seen it once before adorning the neck of a young gentle pegasus. It had been years, and for a brief moment she was lost in memory, only to have Kin snap her back to reality by tapping her. “What’s the plan?” Kin asked curiously. Night Sky readied herself and watched the two carefully. Keeping her eyes on her prey, she gave instructions to Kin. “Go wait for me outside the beacon to enter this place. I shall take it and meet you there. If either of them show up, stop them from pursuit by any means necessary.” Deciding not to question her plan, Kin nodded and bolted off to get into position. Night Sky quickly teleported past the unicorn holding the element and appeared above her upon a balcony with the element in her own hoof. Quickly she tossed it into her bag and prepared for the retaliation by that which she robbed. The white unicorn looked up to her and drew twin blades, ready for a battle. “That was pretty sneaky, it’s too bad you won’t live long enough to tell anyone about it.” She called out to Night Sky. Ignoring her empty threat, Night jumped to the ground from the balcony she had landed on and drew her own blades in response to the unicorn’s threat. Her challenger laughed with overconfidence. “Good, I like them with a little fight in them.” Without warning, the unicorn sliced at her with tremendous speed, however Night Sky was already prepared. With a quick use of her abilities she appeared behind her which only seemed to annoy her more. “Fast, huh? How about this then?” She called out before attempting a flurry of slices all of which Night Sky dodged using a little bit of power. To the unicorn it would appear as though the blades simply passed right through her like a phantom. Eventually Night Sky realized their fight was a waste of time and she made a beeline for the town hall to make her escape. With years of training, Night Sky was in excellent shape; however it would appear as though her pursuer was as well. Keeping up, she managed to slip into the beacon that Night Sky planned to use to escape. Teleporting outside of the city from the beacon, the unicorn was still following from behind. Night decided to lure her out farther away before finally stopping and turning to face her, removing her hood. “You’re quick for a mere unicorn…” Night Sky spoke. “Glad you noticed.” The unicorn smirked. “Name’s Vinyl.” She added. “I do not make a point in remembering the names of insignificant creatures.” Night Sky responded with blades drawn. “We’ll see about that…” Vinyl growled. --- From the distance, Kin watched as her sister fought the unicorn with ease. While this “Vinyl’s” skills were considerable for an unenlightened one, Kin knew that Night Sky was far more formidable, and this pony posed no true threat to her. Still she kept watch, following her duty as a scout. She took note of the earth pony whom had just come out of the beacon behind all of them watching the fight. Examining him closer she could see he was a weakling, a pony of no real combat prowess whatsoever. The way he carried himself, his demeanor, and his inaction, it all pointed to a stallion whom had no real idea what he was doing. Part of her felt sorry for him, knowing that if he attempted to intervene in Night Sky’s fight that he would certainly be killed quickly. Deciding to show some mercy upon him, she sat back upon her haunches and began to fill the air with an enchanting tune with her elegant voice. With the old tune of her kind humming through the air, the stallion was lured towards her. In a trance, he approached her slowly as she opened her hooves to offer him embrace. When he accepted she sang in his ear, letting him fall into a slumber. When she was certain he was lost in a dream she had weaved with his thoughts and memories she let him rest on the ground gently. With him dealt with, she signaled for Night Sky as she teleported into the distance. Night Sky caught her gesture and nodded before ending her fight with Vinyl and teleporting far away from the fight, leaving Vinyl looking around in confusion. The two had made a relatively easy escape. --- With the element they had acquired in hoof, Night Sky patted her sister’s shoulder as they began their journey back to their home. “We did it. We were able to retrieve an element of harmony!” “Yes, but what happens now?” Kin asked. “That is for the elders to decide.” Night Sky explained. Kin frowned, not quite enjoying that answer, but she knew it was all she would get from her sister. Night Sky’s faith in the elders was unwavering, and while she knew she should also have stronger faith, she found it hard to trust completely when the elders always kept secrets. Many secrets that even Night Sky knew about were kept from Kin. That was life as a scout though, they were followers, not leaders. She sighed and nodded as she smiled at Night Sky. “Well, hopefully we pleased them today.” “I am sure we have.” Night Sky stood with pride. Achievement: Candy From a Baby – Night Sky managed to steal the element.
Lunafan1k	1149	1	Apple Bloom,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Luna,Spike,Crossover,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	My Little Hellsing	Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna.	cancelled	36	3	<p>Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna. After discovering the remains of the vampire Alucard, Twilight is the new leader of an old organization called Hellsing, originally established during the great war by Luna before she became Nightmare Moon. Now Twilight, the Elements of Harmony, and Alucard must face and defeat those who want the lives of the Princesses.</p>	teen	2011-10-03T13:14:03+00:00	2011-10-03T13:14:03+00:00	3,994	Prologue ‘RUN!’ Twilight screamed to herself as she fled through the dungeons of Canterlot, around corners, lunging headfirst into the darkness. She could hear the sound of many hooves beating against the stone, echoing off the damp dungeon walls, the sounds getting louder she redoubled her efforts. Her muscles ached, her mouth covered in foam, her eyes bloodshot from effort, making her look like a rabid beast. “We know where you are, little Twilight,” The voices called as they closed in, “Celestia’s prized student. Her most faithful, perfect, talented unicorn.” As Twilight ran her mind flashed to one of her first encounters with the princess in her chambers. “Now Twilight,” She had said, “There were a lot of ponies hoping for the position you have just been granted, and at such a young age.” Twilight looked up into her eyes with the curiosity only a filly could muster, “Many of the ponies who try out to become a personal student of mine spend many years perfecting their talents just to get a chance to meet me.” Celestia moved toward the majestic ceiling high window, overlooking all of Equestria, “Ponies are known to be jealous from time to time, but I believe that in their hearts they are all good inside. But alas, dearest Twilight,” She turned to look at the filly, “I am not all knowing. But should you find yourself in danger, with enemies closing in behind you, I want you to remember this: go to the deepest level, the farthest cell in the dungeon beneath the castle. It is there that you will find your salvation.” Mind flashing back to reality, Twilight stood before a large, thick, ageless steel enforced wooden door with a barred window. Glancing back behind her, she began to make out figures in the darkness. In a panic, Twilight used her remaining strength to throw open the door and lunge in for safety. She quickly took in her surroundings, in hopes of the salvation the princess had promised her. When she turned around in a circle her hoof kicked something. She focused on the darkness, then leaped back with a horrified gasp. There in the dungeon with her was a dry, shriveled carcass of a long dead pony. “Well well, look who we got here.” Twilight quickly spun back around to face her attackers, “We spent a lot of bits to get close to Celestia, then you had to show up and win the position that is rightfully ours!” The pony yelled, his companion grabbing a long dagger in his mouth. “Wait!” Twilight pleaded, words becoming difficult to pass through her dried throat, “Why me? Its not my fault I’m more talented! That's just who I am, really good at magic!” Twilight felt the tears beginning to form on the edges of her eyes. She was going to die here, to be left to rot along side a nameless corpse, to be forgotten altogether. To Twilight’s dismay her words only sparked a bout of laughter from her attackers. “You really think we’re mad that you posses more magic? HA!” The pony with the dagger suddenly lunged at Twilight, taking her by surprise. The dagger sank deep into her left shoulder, then sliced a deep gash along the first three ribs as she tried to spin away. Her blood was thrown onto the cell’s walls and ceiling, even the corpse was hit. Twilight lay on the floor, writhing and screaming in pain, her tears of fear, anger, sadness and pain flowed freely down her muzzle to mix in with the slowly growing pool of blood. “You see, you silly little foul, we belong to an organization, and we want the Princess dead.” He walked over to Twilight. “The easiest way to get close enough to strike the final blow was to earn her sacred trust, but we can’t have you in place of one of our order.” He placed a hoof on her neck and began to apply his weight, slowly choking her. “So the easiest thing to do is kill you, so she will have no choice but to recruit another student, one of ours.” He began to laugh, slowly at first, but soon escalated to that of a mad pony. Twilight tried to speak but was too weak to force anything past her collapsing throat. ‘This is it.’ She thought. ‘This is how it all ends.’ Slllliiiicccckkk The ponies suddenly stopped laughing, trying to locate the source of the strange sound. Slllliiiicccckkk Slllliiiicccckkk “AAAAAHHHhhhhhhhhhh.............” It sounded like a light breeze, but it was unmistakably a voice. “No... The corpse!” Gasped the pony in horror, stepping off Twilight. Turning her head, Twilight watched as the corpse was slowly licking the blood off the floor of the dungeon, then opened its eyes. They glowed a deep red, boring into twilight as thought from the pits of hell themselves. Black mist seeped from and surrounded the corpse as it slowly got to its hooves. Its fur was pale, its main and tail were of the pitch-est black, casting shadows of darkness in the darkness as it floated freely of gravity. It’s cutie mark was a blood red star, enclosed in a circle of ruins. With a feral roar it opened its jaws, revealing rows of jagged, sharp teeth, that it sank into the petrified ponies, ripping their heads off with a clean bite. Twilight sat with her back against the wall, watching as the monster drank the blood and consumed the flesh of her attackers, waiting for the monster to eat her next. As the monster pony finished its meal, it turned to Twilight. It stood above her, looking down his muzzle at her. Then to Twilight's surprise, it bowed low and deep to Twilight, as a subject would to the Princess. “W-W-Who a-are you...?” Twilight managed to ask. “My master... Your princess of the night called me... Alucard.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Twilight felt the soft support of her bed and pillow. Without opening her eyes she allowed herself to sink into her wonderful comfort. Soon she realized she couldn’t hear Spike’s light snoring. She quickly sat upright in bed, realizing that she was not in her tree house, but the medical wing of Canterlot Castle. Looking around it appeared as though she was alone, but her shoulder was wrapped in bandages. She let out a long, drawn out sigh as the memories of the previous night came back to her. The last thing she could remember was the monster announcing itself as Alucard. As if on cue a pair of blood red eyes entered her field of vision. “Ah, you're awake at last, my master.” Alucard said as he sat next to her, gazing into her soul. Her scream reverberated throughout the castle. Just as quickly the two princesses burst through the door, followed by twilights friends. “Wut in tarnation ‘s go’n on in here?” Demanded Applejack, taking a threatening stance. “Yeah, who did this to Twilight?” Echoed Rainbow Dash as she circled around the room looking for a fight. Seeing none, she went to Twilight, who was looking for the pony Alucard, whom had mysteriously vanished as the guests arrived. “What’s going on Twi? Who did this to you? Why are you way out here in Canterlot?” “Yes, please elaborate for us, my faithful student. How was it you managed to be bedridden all day?” Princess Celestia asked. Twilight turned to face the window, it was indeed late in the evening, the moon just coming over the horizon. Twilight looked at all her friends around her bed, then took a deep breath as she retold the last nights events. “Last night I was in my library, deep in the study of long lost alchemical occult magics.” “Al-wut now?” Interrupted AJ, the others had looks of confusion on their faces as well. Twilight facehooved. “Magic that’s not supposed to be used under any circumstance, due to its strange effects. I was researching what it was because I came across a vague passage that mentioned it, however, the books in my library held no information on the subject. I left a note for Spike then took my balloon to the castle. When I arrived I headed straight for the Royal Library. I didn’t wish to disturb you princess.” Princess Celestia nodded in understanding, late night studies were common with her student. “It was when I was in the library that I began hearing hushed voices. At first I just thought it was other ponies also doing late night studying, but as I moved to leave they blocked my exit, and one of them had a large dagger in his mouth.” This earned a collective gasp from her friends, while Princess Celestia and Luna exchanged glances. “Ooo this is getting good." Pinkie Pie said as she began to devour the bowl of popcorn she had acquired from seemingly nowhere. Rolling her eyes, Twilight continued. “I blasted the pony in front of me with magic, but it seemed as though he had a ward around him, like they planned the attack. The magic had no effect but the light was blinding in the darkness, making him shut his eyes for a moment. I took that opening and ran past him.” Pinkie, finished with the popcorn, was noisily drinking a large bottle of sarsparilla. She stopped mid slurp when she noticed everypony eyeing her. “Oops,” she giggled, “Sorry.” “Anyway,” Twilight began again, “As I was fleeing the library, others began blocking off corridors, forcing me into the dungeons. Thats when I remembered what you said, Princess.” Twilight looked at Princess Celestia, “About my salvation being in the farthest cell of the deepest part of the dungeon.” At this Luna turned to her sister with wide eyes and jaw agape. “Really??” She asked her sister. “Luna, I will explain everything once Twilight finishes.” “I managed to lose my pursuers and gain some time in the dungeon’s darkness, but I could still hear them behind me. It wasn’t long before I found the specific cell. I managed to open it and jump inside, but there was only a corpse of a long dead pony.” Twilight shuddered at the memory. “I thought the dreadful dungeon wasn’t used anymore.” Rarity asked. “It was used quite often during the Great War, and again when my sister was possessed by Nightmare.” Celestia replied. “But you're right, it hasn’t been used in over a thousand years. I don’t doubt that remains of ponies are still shackled to the walls in the deeper parts.” Fluttershy let out a terrified “EEP!” as she leapt beneath Twilight’s bed. Celestia called one of the guards from the hall, “Capitan, gather a team and head for the dungeons, make sure to clear every level of any remains of long forgotten ponies. If you find anything bring them to the morgue to be identified.” The capitan saluted then trotted out into the hall. “Twilight, please continue.” “My pursuers soon caught up to me, saying that the position I had was rightfully theirs. I told them it wasn’t my fault I was more magical than them. They laughed and the one with the dagger stabbed me in the shoulder.” Twilight tried to bite back her tears as the painful memory returned. “Princess, I was so scarred! My blood was everywhere!” Pinkie and Rarity embraced Twilight in a gentle hug, carful not to touch her injury. “And then they began to tell me things about how I wasn’t supposed to be your student, because they wanted you dead and had planned to get one of their own in my position. They thought that if they could kill me then you would have no option but to take a new student, one of theirs. Then they started choking me, but just then we heard movement, the corpse was alive and was drinking my blood that spilled on the floor.” “Twilight, are you sure you weren’t just seeing things?” Rainbow Dash asked, “There’s no way a corpse can do that.” “It’s true, Dash.” Twilight said. “It saved my life. It stood up and ate my attackers, like a wild beast.” Luna approached Twilight, “Tell me, what did the creature do when it finished eating? This is important.” “Um, well, it turned to me and bowed down. It called me master, and said you called it Alucard.” “He’s back?!” Luna cantered with glee, “I can’t belive it! We had such adventure back in the day!” “Princess, what are you talking about?” Rarity asked. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Said Luna, “Back before the kingdom knew such peace, monsters roamed the land. Enemies and their armies waged war across the planet. I established an organization to fight such monsters, the Hellsing organization. We used alchemical occult magic to combat our enemies, as normal means proved useless. We also accepted the assistance of another monster, one called Alucard. He was a vampire, more powerful than any other, the best. We single handedly drove our enemies back across our boarders, then my sister established treaties to hold the peace.” Celestia moved forward, “Once my sister became Nightmare Moon, I sealed Alucard within the cell of the dungeon, as he was bound to Luna, so he woulden’t join her and destroy my kingdom after I banished her to the moon.” Celestia lowered her gaze with Twilight. “But now, it seems, he is bound to you. The blood of a virgin unicorn is very powerful, and you are now and forever his master.” Twilight blushed a deep red as news of her virginity was made public. “Master, a virgin is one of the best traits a pony has. It saved your life, and brought me back. Also, don’t worry, I can’t turn you. A vampire must drink the blood of a virgin of the opposite sex to make a new vampire, but it was your blood that brought me back.” Alucard’s voice came seemingly from nowhere. Everypony was was looking around for the source, then stood terrified as Alucard slowly walked through the wall next to Twilight. His appearance had changed, he still had very white fur, while his mane and tail were black as ever. He was wearing a red jacket over a black suit, a red hat with an overly large brim, and sunglasses that glowed a blood red from his eyes, giving him a very evil look. “Luna, it’s so good to see you again this wonderful evening. And Celestia, tell your men to take care while handling my coffin. Should they damage it in any way they will find their lives forfeit. That coffin is where I was born and where I will die.” Princess Celestia’s eyes widened in horror at the thought that she just sent a team to their deaths. “Yes, of course Alucard.” She then exited to handle Alucard’s coffin herself, knowing exactly the amount of care required. At Princess Celestia’s departure Pinkie rounded on Alucard, “How old are you? Have you been in Equestria your whole life? How come nopony has ever heard of you? GAAASSSSSP! We need to throw you a party! Do you like cake? Do -” “SILENCE! Imbisile! You annoying, sniveling dog!” Alucard roared, Pinkie seemed to deflate in front of them. Twilight raised a hoof, silencing Alucard. “Pinkie, im sorry. He’s not used to your approach, or your hyper randomness. But you're right, he does need a party.” Pinkie immediately resumed her perky self, “Well why didn’t you say so! I’m going to need streamers!” Then she was out the door in a flash. “Master?” Alucard questioned. “I’m sorry, just bear with it this once, okay?” Twilight asked. “As you wish, my master.” Twilight turned to Luna, "Princess, there's one thing i still don't understand, what happened to the other attackers, and how did I get here?" "Master," Alucard said, walking around the bed to stand next to Luna, "You fainted from the blood loss, and i moved you to the main level, where a sentry notified the medical ponies. As for the attackers, they appeared to have fled." Luna cleared her throat, “Now we need to discuss the matter of the attack. They said they wanted us dead, why? To what end? What is the name of their organization?” Luna began to pace back and forth, “I will establish a network of spies to find out just who these people are. Once we do, Twilight, it will be your responsibility to deal with them immediately. Take Alucard with you at all times, you will devise any plans of attack and he will carry them out. Understood?” Twilight gave a hesitant nod. Luna approached and placed a hoof on Twilight’s uninjured shoulder, “Then I hereby re-establish the Hellsing Organization, to be led by Twilight Sparkle, and her team the Elements of Harmony. Twilight, you will operate out from the library in Ponyville. Take Alucard there, he will know what to do.” “Yes, Princess.” Twilight bowed. Just then a guard burst through the door, panting from a long run, followed by Pinkie, throwing confetti to announce his arrival. “Your Highness! Emergency!” He practically yelled at Luna. “Our scouts have reported a large number of unidentified ponies marching across our eastern boarder, they will reach Ponyville in two hours! Unconfirmed reports state that its an army of ghouls!” “Twilight,” AJ said, tears forming in her eyes, “Sweet Apple Acres is east of Ponyville! They’ll get ta mah farm soon!” “This requires immediate action.” Luna said, raising to her full height, “I will use my magic to teleport you all to Ponyville. Once there issue immediate evacuation to the west while Twilight and Alucard face the enemy to the east.” A deep, evil laugh echoed off the walls. “A battle, and so soon! I can hardly wait! Its been so long since my last feast! Haahuh..huhuhaHAHAHA!!” Using her magic, Luna healed Twilight's shoulder. “That should do. When you arrive don’t waste any time, now go!” A bright flash of blinding white light from Luna’s horn filled the room, and when it faded everypony saw they were back in Ponyville, in the town square. “Rarity, Fluttershy, head north and start spreading the word and get everypony evacuating! Tell them to leave everything behind, their lives are more important!” Twilight ordered, at once Rarity and Fluttershy sped northward. Twilight turned to the others, “Rainbow Dash, get everyone to the south then help Pinkie get everyone to the west. AJ you and me are headed east with Alucard. You get your family to safety while Alucard and I hold them off! Lets GO!” With that Rainbow Dash gave a salute then flew off to the south. Pinkie dropped her box of party material and hopped along to the west, singing ‘Giggle at the Ghostie’ as she went. Twilight, AJ, and Alucard sped off to the east, towards Sweet Apple Acres. “Oh, I hope mah family are ok.” Stated a worried Applejack. “I’m sure their fine AJ,” Twilight reassured, “Their probably just sleeping after a long day on the farm.” “I sure do hope you're right, Twi.” Applejack said. They soon approached the house on the farm. Applejack helped herself inside while Twilight and Alucard went around to the other side to face the Everfree Forest. It wasn’t long before Twilight saw Applejack and Big Macintosh come bounding around the corner lost in panic. “AJ! Big Mac! What’s wrong?” “It’s Applebloom, she’s not inside!” This got Twilight worried, just then a scream broke out from the edge of the forest, followed by two scared little fillies. “Sweetie Bell! Scootaloo! What are you girls doing?!?” Twilight scolded. “W-w-we were trying to get our cutie marks!” Whimpered Scootaloo, “When these monsters came out and grabbed Applebloom!” “WHAT!?!?” Screamed AJ. “And you just up 'n left her!?!” “N-no, we were told to run! A mean pony is holding her hostage!” “That’s it! Imma buck him so hard his baby pictures will bruise!” AJ roared, about to run into the forest. Twilight used her magic to hold AJ in place. “Let me go Twi! I have to save mah sister!” “AJ calm down! You know what were up against, and I can’t knowingly put you in danger! Big Mac, take the girls and evacuate to the west. Alucard, lets go.” Twilight ordered, heading towards the forest as Big Mac led the two fillies around to the front of the house. “At once, my master.” Together they approached the edge of the woods, then stopped when they heard a crazed laughter. “Master, go back to your friend, keep her there. I will take care of this scum.” Twilight wanted to object, but at the same time would rather not face the owner of the mad laughter. She quickly ran back to AJ and stood next to her, watching Alucard wait for the monsters to exit the woods. They didn’t have to wait long, as numerous ghouls burst forth from the woods, forming a semi-circle around Alucard. Each wielded a crude spear, leveled at Alucard. The ghouls stepped aside as another figure entered from the forest. “Who the hell are you?” The enemy vampire demanded. He had a light tan coat, a white main and tail. His cutie mark hidden by the overly long black jacket he was wearing. “Your death.” Responded Alucard. “My death? Oh really, my god. This is pathetic.” The vampire chucked, raising his right hoof. “Kill him.” He ordered, quickly bringing his hoof to the ground. All the ghouls quickly lunged at Alucard, who took the full brunt of the attack without flinching. Again and again Alucard was speared through every part of his body. Soon he collapsed onto the ground, a pile of flesh, blood, and bone. Twilight burst into tears, knowing that their only defense went down without a fight, dooming Ponyville to the oncoming slaughter. “Is that the best you’ve got?” Laughed the crazed vampire in victory. Twilight watched the body with teary eyes, but soon blinked them away as she noticed Alucard’s eyes light up like a blood moon. Alucard began his evil laugh, quietly at first, then quickly drowning out the other vampire. Thousands of bats flew into the sky from the forest, quickly swooping down and surrounding Alucard as a black cloud of mist. The mist became Alucard, standing in the center of a tornado of the same mist. All that Twilight could make out were his glowing eyes, shiny teeth, and a rough outline of his pony body. Soon Alucard solidified, once again whole and new. Suddenly his mane and cloak floated in the air around him, and began hurling energy at the ghouls, when hit, blew apart in bloody pieces. “NO! How can he be killing them?” Demanded the enemy vampire, watching in horror as his small army was being destroyed. “What is that magic?!” Alucard stood victoriously over the bodies of the fallen zombies. “This magic penetrates everything, at the same time disabling any magical connection between ghouls and their master vampire. Nothing I hit ever gets back up again.” “But why? Tell me! Why fight to save these pathetic fouls?” Suddenly, he vanished into thin air, to appear from behind a bush, this time with Applebloom being used as a living shield. “Don’t take another step.” AJ screamed for the vampire to let her sister go, but her words fell on deaf ears. “This filly is but a child, don’t you want to save her? Be reasonable, I’m not asking for much,” The vampire pleaded Alucard, “I just want a bit of help. You can look the other way!” Alucard smiled a wicked smile, “You are a virgin, aren’t you my dear little filly?” AJ grew wide eyed, “O’ ‘course she is you sick freak! Jus’ ‘cause we’r farmers don’t mean we aint decent!” She yelled at Alucard. “What are you doing?” Demanded the vampire. “I’m asking if you're a virgin.” Alucard stated to the filly flatly. “But..Ah..” Applebloom stuttered. “You bastard!” Yelled the vampire. “ANSWER ME!” Demanded Alucard. “Y-yes! Ah am!” Cried Applebloom. Suddenly another wave of energy shot through the air, piercing through both Applebloom and the vampire. They both threw up blood as they fell to the ground. AJ and Twilight screamed as they saw Applebloom fall to the ground, mortally wounded. In a flash Alucard was in front of the vampire, he spun around and bucked the vampire, his hooves piercing through its body. “You..You..” the vampire chocked on its own blood, then Alucard twisted his hooves slightly, the vampire dissolved into nothing as Alucard grinned ear to ear. “Applebloom! Applebloom!” AJ kept yelling as she watched her little sister bleed out onto the grass, barely able to breath. Alucard walked over and stood above her. Looking at her down his muzzle, he said, “I had to shoot through you to pierce his heart. I’m sorry, but you're dieing and there is no time left. The choice is yours, what do you want to do?” Mustering the last of her strength, she lifted a hoof toward Alucard. She began to cry as the memories of her parents’ murder flashed through her mind. She never told anyone what really happened, how her parents were murdered before her eyes. Everyone thinks they just disappeared into the forest. But now she was going to die, without finding out who killed her mother and father. She suddenly wanted vengeance, and justice to those who wronged her and her family. She wanted to join the Royal Guard, to help fight crime and prevent similar situations from happening. She forced the last ounce of her breath, “H-help...me...” And she let her hoof fall, only to be caught by Alucard. He knelt next to her, once more grinning ear to ear, revealing his rows of razor sharp teeth. “Little filly, tonight is truly, a beautiful night.”
Lunafan1k	1149	2	Apple Bloom,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Luna,Spike,Crossover,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	My Little Hellsing	Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna.	cancelled	36	3	<p>Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna. After discovering the remains of the vampire Alucard, Twilight is the new leader of an old organization called Hellsing, originally established during the great war by Luna before she became Nightmare Moon. Now Twilight, the Elements of Harmony, and Alucard must face and defeat those who want the lives of the Princesses.</p>	teen	2011-10-03T13:11:35+00:00	2011-10-03T13:11:35+00:00	3,334	Chapter 2 Applebloom slowly opened her eyes, staring at a blank ceiling. Sitting up she looked around the room, clearly one she's never been in before. Her bed was much older and more grand than the one she slept in on the farm. The headboard was hoof carved, various carvings of leaves and vines tangled around the surface. Getting out of the bed she walked around the room, observing a dresser, stand up mirror, a writing desk, and several old paintings of various landscapes hanging on cold stone walls. She approached the dresser and opened the drawers, curious of any items within. To her surprise one of the drawers held an outfit, with a note attached. Ignoring the note she unfolded the outfit and laid it out in front of her for a better look. It was a slightly darker yellow than her fur, matching her eyes. The stitching was red to match her mane and tail, and on the flanks there was patch in the shape of a shield with the writing “Hellsing: We are an a mission from the Goddess” over a crescent moon. She picked up the note and read it, “Please wear this uniform at all times, lest you be seen as an enemy.” She didn’t recognize the hoof writing. She slipped it on, a perfect fit suggested that it was Rarity’s make. She walked over to the mirror to see how it looked on her. As she stood in front of the mirror she thought she was looking at the wall behind it, but the outfit floating in midair told a different story. With a playful giggle she walked around to the back of the mirror, she didn’t know what she was looking for but did it anyway. Finding nothing of interest she assumed the mirror was enchanted to not reflect ponies as a joke, having a little fun watching the clothing dance around in the air. There was a knock at the door, interrupting the filly’s antics. Wondering who it could be, she opened the door, revealing Twilight Sparkle and Applejack. “Applejack! Twilight!” Applebloom pranced in a circle, happy as can be before stopping and cocking her head to one side, “Now that ah think of it, what ahm ah do’n here?” She asked, beginning to become unsettled as the reality of the strange place came crashing down. “That’s why were here, Applebloom. Please, sit down. We need to talk.” Twilight said, placing a hoof on Applebloom’s shoulder, leading her to the bed. Applejack followed behind, closing the door as she did. Applebloom went through the entire range of emotions as Twilight retold her story about her experience in the dungeon, meeting Alucard, evacuating Ponyville, and the battle with the vampire. When they told Applebloom she was now a vampire, she stared blankly at the wall for several long moments. Applejack was about to say something when she spoke. “So.... Ahm a vampire...” She stated flatly, still staring at the wall. “Yes, Applebloom.” Said Applejack. “And that mirror, it’s not enchanted is it...” “No, its not.” Twilight said, not sure where to go from here. Suddenly Applebloom perked up and began stripping off the clothing. “Ah bet ah got ma cutie mark! Being a vampire is permanent, so this is it!” Once she was undressed enough, she twisted around to look at her blank flank. “But ah don’t understand,” She said dejectedly, “Why don’t ah have ma cutie mark?” “Because you are not yet truly a full vampire, little filly.” Alucard said, phasing through the wall. “Only once you drink blood for the first time will you become a real creature of the night.” “But, ah don’t wahn’t ta drink anypony’s blood.” Applebloom said. “Don’t worry, you will in time.” Alucard said as he departed through the wall again. “He’s a strange one, ah’ll give you that ‘un Twi.” Said Applejack. “Com’on Applebloom. Got some ponies upstairs that want ta see ya.” She said as she made her way to the door. The trio walked through several old torch lit passages, passing room after empty room. They continued walking up several flights of stairs, and out into a dusty room with books littering the floor. It looked as though an entire massive bookshelf was ripped off the wall, throwing the books in every direction haphazardly. “Whut happened here? Ahm sure we didn’t do any crusadin' tuh make this mess.” Said Applebloom. “Oh, well, Princess Luna said to bring Alucard to the library, where he tore apart my basement for this door.” Twilight said, obviously still enraged over the destruction of her precious book, motioning towards the entrance they just came from. “Turns out this was the original Hellsing HQ during the war, disguised as a tree to elude enemies. The Princess is pretty clever to come up with this.” They turned and walked up the stairs into the pitch darkness of the main library. “Now where is that light switch?” Asked Twilight to the darkness. “SURPRISE!!!” A hundred voices screamed out as blinding lights flashed on, confetti, streamers, balloons and candy rained from the ceiling. Applebloom backed into the wall from the sensory overload as Pinkie Pie flashed up the the group. “OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS! This is the bestest most superly wonderful fantastical party ever! It’s a Welcome to Ponyville Alucard party and a Hellsing is Back party and a We Saved Ponyville party and an Applebloom is a Vampire party! We’ve got cake and pie and presents and sarsaparilla and sugar cubes and candy canes and pin the tail on the pony!!” Pinkie Pie rattled off at a thousand words a minute as she bluntly broke the laws of physics, obviously in a much larger sugar high than normal. “Applebloom!” A pair of voices called out as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle forced their way through the crowd of ponies. “It’s so good to see you guys!” Applebloom said, embracing her fellow crusaders in a big hug. “We heard you were a vampire, a creature of the night! How awesome is that?” Scootaloo said. “Wow it is true, look at her teeth Scoot!” Sweetie Belle said, forcing Applebloom’s mouth open for Scootaloo to see. “Wow you're right! I know! You could make us vampires, and we could be the Cutie Mark Creatures!” Cried Scootaloo, hoof pumping the air as she visualized how awesome of a vampire she could be. “I don’t think Cutie Mark Creatures is a good name.” Said Sweetie Belle. “Should you allow Applebloom to bite you, you will become the Cutie Mark Corpses, wandering Equestria to Applebloom’s will as nothing more than ghouls.” Alucard said from behind the Crusaders. The thought of death quickly put to rest any thoughts of being vampires in the fillies. “Come on guys,” said Applebloom, “Master is right. Lets have some cake!” “Why do you call him master?” Asked Sweetie Belle. “Well, he turned me, so ahm like his student.” Said Applebloom. “Oh. That makes sense. I wonder what he teaches?” Asked Sweetie Belle. “Well, so far he wants me ta drink blood.” Said Applebloom. “Drink blood? Ewww!” Said Scootaloo as they disappeared into the party. Pinkie Pie slowly approached Alucard. “So. We meet again at last, big mean meanie pants. How do you like the party? The one I made, because YOU came along? Huh?” She narrowed her eyes and began to circle around Alucard. “You should try the PUNCH!” Pinkie began breathing heavily through clenched teeth, glaring daggers at Alucard. “Pinkie? Are you ok?” Twilight witnessed the incident and approached from the snack bar. “This big, fat, mean meanie pants doesn’t like my parties! EVERYPONY likes my parties!” She seethed, rounding on Twilight. Thinking quickly, Twilight said, “Pinkie, please understand. There weren’t any parties a thousand years ago, just war and chaos. He doesn’t know what a party is, that’s why he needs a friend to show him what a party is all about,” Twilight locked eyes with Alucard who was standing behind Pinkie, “Right?” Alucard sighed, getting the message. Pinkie continued to stare deeply into Twilight’s soul for a moment, before bouncing around and giggling once again. “Oh well why didn’t you say so sooner Twilight? I have the privilege, no, the responsibility to teach Alucard how to party!” She turned to face Alucard, “So, what’s your favorite drink? Oh wait, you're a vampire. Silly me, I’m sorry but I don’t have any blood for you. Oh! I know! We can play pin the tail on the pony!” Alucard allowed himself to be blindfolded and spun in a circle by Pinkie. Holding the tail in his mouth he walked up the the wall and pinned it perfectly in place. He couldn’t help but smile at the sound of a collective gasp as he continued on to other party games, remaining blindfolded. “How are you doing that?” Asked Rainbow Dash from the spot she was hovering from above the snack bar. “I don’t need to see with pony eyes, my mind’s eye allows me to see everything with perfect detail at any distance.” He walked through the crowd to Applebloom, who could hear everything he said with perfect clarity. “Now I want you to try, little filly.” He said, removing his blind fold and placing it around Applebloom’s eyes. “Now focus. Don’t look with pony eyes, use your third eye.” “Oh wow! Vampire training! I have got to see this!” Said Scootaloo. “Shh! She needs to concentrate!” Chided Sweetie Belle. All Applebloom could see was darkness. Taking a deep breath she looked deep inside herself, sure she’ll know when she finds her new vampire abilities. She stood there for a minute, she was about to give up when she felt something, so she went after it. At first it eluded her, but her will to become better and make her master proud allowed her to delve further. When she reached it, her entire mind, body, and soul were flooded with an alien presence, but at the same time it was warm and welcoming, as it was a part of her, yet not. She felt a part of her open up, then suddenly she could see. She saw everything, every fiber of hair and fur, every bit of dust floating in the air, every imperfection in the wooden floor. Delving deeper she began to hear, no longer the jumble of voices she was used to hearing at parties, but she heard and understood every word with perfect clarity. Applebloom was lost in everything for several minutes as she slowly grew accustomed to the sights and sounds. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she realized she could smell everything as well. She could smell the sweat of the ponies on the dance floor, the sweet smell of the candy, the smell of the blood running through the veins of the ponies. Her mouth began to water, she began to taste the air, imagining the taste of blood flowing down her throat, she reached out, throat and body begging to be fed the sweet nectar. “A-Applebloom? Y-you're scaring me.” Snapping back to reality, someone had removed her blindfold, allowing to see herself embracing Lyra in a tight hug, steadily licking the nape of her neck. Applebloom immediately backed away in shock, then burst into tears and fled out into the night. Applebloom ran, tears streaming down her muzzle. She didn’t want to be found, she didn’t want to be seen like this. Without slowing she fled into the Everfree Forest, deeper and deeper she ran into the darkness. After what felt like an eternity of running she came upon a clearing in the woods. She curled up in the center and cried herself into a restless slumber. She awoke to the sound of heavy breathing. Opening an eye she saw a giant manticore smelling her body. At once she tried to get away, but the manticore pinned her down with a giant claw and roared fiercely at her head. The manticore continued to press its massive weight on the filly, slowly squeezing the life from her. ‘No! Ahm not goen out like this!’ Applebloom thought. She shut her eyes, focusing inward as she did before, this time she knew where to look, and quickly harnessed her vampire power. Using her new found strength, she forced the manticore off of her. She leaped to her hooves and dodged to the side, avoiding a massive swipe that would have easily cleaved her in two. The manticore roared in fury and frustration, then swung its stinger at Applebloom with speed and dexterity that even Rainbow Dash failed to evade. Applebloom saw this as an opening and rushed toward the manticore, its tail burying itself in the ground, where it stuck fast. Applebloom jumped up into the chest of the manticore, punching a hoof upward. She felt her hoof connect with the manticore, then felt the manticore’s flesh give, then break as she followed through, cleaving the manticore’s right arm as she ripped the torso nearly in half. The manticore collapsed, bleeding heavily from the mortal wound. It let out a pained moan, then lay still. Applebloom stood over her first kill, her first bout of blood drawn. She did this. She had killed the feared manticore. She was a monster that sent other monsters running, and she liked it. Looking at the body, her blood lust had returned, eyes glowing bright crimson. She sat back on her haunches, slowly raising a bloody hoof to her mouth, tongue stretching out, begging for a taste. “Yes, drink your first spill, little one.” Alucard said, emerging from the edge of the trees. He had followed her as she fled, in order to stop her in case she decide to feed on one of her friends. Applebloom began panting heavily as the moment drew closer, when she felt the sharp pain of a silver dagger pierce her neck, followed by more immense pain as multiple daggers stabbed through her entire body, missing her heart, not from poor aim, but to make her suffer. “WHAT?” Roared Alucard, “Blessed daggers?” He observed. There was a flurry of paper that pinned themselves to every tree and bush around the clearing. “A barrier?” He asked, spinning around to find the culprit. He turned to the sound of hoof steps and rustling bushes and watched as an unknown pony stepped into the clearing. He was off white in color, with a short cut gold mane and tail. He wore blue tinted glasses and a white overcoat, his cutie mark was a gold colored guillotine. He swung a hoof and another dagger was reloaded into the machine on his arm. “We are the servants of Nightmare, the messengers of her justice.” He swung the other hoof, another dagger at the ready. “We are the instruments of her divine wrath on Equestria.” A third dagger, wielded in his mouth. “We are called upon to cleanse this kingdom, bringing ash of the flesh of thine enemies.” He widened his stance, preparing to attack. “Praise to our Queen!” He walked up to Alucard, “Beautiful moon tonight, don’t you think?” The stranger asked, smiling ear to ear as Applebloom whimpered in pain. “Your voice sounds so very lovely when you're whimpering in agony, little foul. Don’t worry though, you're not dieing yet. I haven’t pierced your heart. It’s been a while since I had a good hunt. I plan on enjoying this.” “You are of the Iscariot occult.” Stated Alucard. “It’s been a while.” “Right you are, you pathetic Hellsing dogs. I am Alexander Anderson of the Iscariot,” Alexander began walking towards Alucard. “You must be Alucard, the house broken vampire, the monster who hunts his own kind, the famous Hellsing pet.” Alucard walked towards Alexander, grinning with blood lust at the upcoming battle. Applebloom lay there as she watched them approach each other, both out for blood. They both walked a step past the other, then in a flash they attacked. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Back at the party in the library, Twilight felt a wave of unease and an urge toward the Everfree Forest. Looking around quickly, she confirmed the absence of Alucard and Applebloom. She saw Applebloom almost bite Lyra and run out the library, but she thought Alucard had went to bring her back. The fact that both of them are out unsupervised sent shivers down her spine. “Pinkie!” She called to the crowd, then as expected Pinkie appeared in front of her. “Where are Alucard and Applebloom?” “Oh silly, Applebloom is dieing and Alucard and Alexander are about to kill each other!” She giggled. “Wait, why did I say that?” She asked, brining a hoof to her chin as she went deep in thought. “Pinkie, get the others and meet me in the Everfree forest, I’m going ahead.” Ordered Twilight. “Okie dokie lokie!” Responded Pinkie as Twilight bolted out the door. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Back in the forest, Alexander landed the first blow, stabbing Alucard twice in the chest. Then just as quickly, Alucard shot a blast of magic, blowing a hole in Alexander’s head as he was thrown into a tree. Alucard stood triumphant and pulled one of the daggers from his chest. “You attacked a vampire head on in the middle of the night, you didn’t even try to catch me by surprise.” Alucard said, pulling the other dagger from his chest. “You’re a brave pony, Anderson, but you're also a fool.” “Ma-master..” Applebloom forced out. “Don’t talk,” Alucard turned and approached Applebloom, “You’ve been stabbed with a blessed dagger. Now, just-” Alucard sensed movement behind him and spun around, face to face with Alexander, grinning and laughing into the clear, moon lit night as he lunged at Alucard, stabbing him through the torso again. “What?” Alucard said in confusion. Alexander removed the daggers for another strike, but Alucard jumped away before he could stab him again. He flipped around in midair and shot several magic shots at Alexander, who used the daggers to deflect a few of the shots, taking two in the chest and throwing him back. He quickly leapt back to his hooves and ran full gallop at Alucard. Alucard stood his ground and fired several more magical shots at Alexander. Shots deflected, Alexander lunged and slashed at Alucard. Alucard glided just beyond Alexander’s reach, continuing to fire volley after volley as he got behind Alexander. Alexander stomped his hooves on the ground, then spun around, hurling a multitude of daggers at Alucard. Alucard couldn’t help but smile as he shot each one out of the air. Distracted with the spears, he failed to see Alexander run up to him from the shadows, hitting Alucard with a mighty tackle into a tree, whereupon Alexander stabbed him through the torso, pinning Alucard to the tree. Applebloom watched in horror as the holes in Alexander’s body healed before her eyes, leaving his body perfectly healthy. “Long live Queen Nightmare Moon!” Declared Alexander. “A regenerater?” Said Alucard. “Correct! A living weapon engineered by Queen Nightmare herself to defeat her enemies, the kingdom of Equestria!” Alexander summoned more daggers and stabbed them through every part of Alucard’s body, his blood draining and pooling into a puddle at the base of the tree. With a sadistic grin, Alexander pulled out another, then in one clean slice removed Alucard’s head from his shoulders. “Praise the Queen!” He yelled in triumph. Applebloom watched Alucard’s head hit the ground and roll near her. “MASTER!” She screamed, scared and afraid, not knowing what to do as the crazed Alexander Anderson barked his mad laughter into the night sky. “That’s it? This thing was Hellsing’s ultimate weapon? The great domesticated vampire, what a disappointment. He’s a joke. Equestria can’t do anything right.” He turned around to finish off Applebloom, however, she and Alucard’s head were gone. “Well,” He said, “After all that she’s still able to crawl away. It seems I underestimated the little foal.” He readied another pair of daggers and began to follow the trail of blood. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Applebloom was was doing her best to stay on her hooves, going from tree to tree for support, holding her master’s head in her mouth by his mane. She was losing a lot of blood, but she managed to remove the daggers, the pain more bearable without the blessed silver burning through her body, the wounds slowly healing. Soon she collapsed, her masters head landing upright in front of her, looking at her with its dead eyes. “Master...” She whimpered, “Please, ah can’t do this. Ah can’t do this alone....” From the darkness behind her a dagger shot out and impaled Alucard’s head. “Where do you think you're going, foul? There’s no place to run." Alexander made his way through the forest. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” He said as he neared her. “We are nothing more than dust, and to the dust we shall return. Long live Queen Nightmare.” Applebloom was in sheer panic, frozen in place by pain, blood loss, and fear. She frantically searched the woods, hoping someone would find her, someone would save her. She was going to die, alone, in the Everfree Forest. Her body left to be eaten my the creatures of the forest. ‘This is no time to lose your head, little filly.’ The voice of Alucard floated through her mind. Applebloom turned to look at Alucard’s head, still impaled by a silver dagger. As she watched, Alucard’s head melted into a pool of blood and gore. The pool of blood began to flow in all directions, soon spelling out a set of instructions. ‘Drink my blood, little filly, drink, and you shall never again be treated like a foul. Drink, and you shall truly become one of us! You will drink blood of your own choosing, wandering the night, powerful and singular. Become eternal and complete! Drink my blood, little filly. No, Applebloom of the Apple Clan!’ Applebloom stood, her master’s voice in her head as she reads his message, unable to decide what to do. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Alexander lunge for the killing blow, only to be blasted with a powerful surge of magic, shattering his weapons and hurling him through the air. Applebloom looking in the direction of the bast of magic. There, just beyond the first set of trees, stood Twilight Sparkle, horn still glowing from the powerful magic she just released. “Applebloom! Are you ok?” Twilight asked, seeing that Applebloom will live, she directed her attention to Alexander. “Who are you? What do you want with Applebloom?” Demanded Twilight. “Ah, Twilight Sparkle, prized student of Celestia herself, and now new head of the Hellsing Organization, we meet at last.” Said Alexander. “I demand to know who you are!” Yelled Twilight. “Well well, the mighty Hellsing is blind after all." He Laughed. "I am Alexander Anderson of the Iscariot Occult, dedicated to her majesty Queen Nightmare Moon, we will crush this pitiful kingdom of Equestria and have the heads of Celestia and Luna on pikes in front of our doors. Long live Queen Nightmare!” Cried Alexander. “We, the Hellsing Organization with the Elements of Harmony, will stop you!” Said Twilight, trying to sound intimidating despite her fear. Alexander laughed directly in her face. “The Hellsing Organization is nothing! You just missed the decapitation of your pet vampire!” Alexander said, driving the point home by swinging his hoof through the air. “You cut off his head? Is that all?” Asked Twilight coldly. “What?” Alexander said, backing away slightly. “Get away from Twilight!” Cried Applebloom, placing herself in front of Alexander, who laughed at the scene playing out in front of him. “It’s not looking good for you,” Said Twilight, trying to refrain from grabbing Applebloom and running, certain that the moment her eyes leave Alexander she’s as good as dead. “If I were you, I’d leave while I was still able.” “Have you gone insane, you pathetic foul?” Sneered Alexander, “I’m about to dye the forest with your blood.” “Then you better make it quick,” Said Twilight, hoping he doesn’t take her advice. She needed to stall for more time, keep him talking. “That vampire you decapitated will be coming back to life any second now!” “He what?” Said Alexander, turning around to look for the vampire. Thousands of bats flew into the night sky from the clearing, a stray approaching Applebloom. “Why didn’t you just drink the blood, you idiot?” Said the bat. Applebloom gasped in realization that the bat was her master, Alucard. The swarm of bats descended from the sky, surrounding Alexander in a flurry of wings. “Cut off his head? Pierced his heart?” Twilight said as she tried to recall the details Luna had sent her. “He is nothing like any vampire you have ever known! Your tricks won’t kill him, you might be the best your little occult has to offer, but over a thousand years of the Hellsing Organization produced this, Equestria’s crowned glory, the vampire Alucard!” When she finished her victory speech, Alucard stood amidst the whirlwind of bats, main and tail unusually long, floating through the air as he howled his laughter from the pits of pony hell. “Master!” Applebloom clapped excitedly. Soon Alucard was back to his normal appearance, where he exchanged several blows with Alexander, resulting in Alucard having his front legs cut off. Alexander turned back and grinned at his successful attack, and roared in anger as the limbs grew back in an instant, first the bones, then muscles, followed by the skin and fur. Even the coat repaired itself. “I think you're beginning to understand. What will you do now, Alexander Anderson of the Iscariot Occult?” Twilight asked, she knew better than to poke a monster in the side, but she couldn't stop herself, some twisted part of her was enjoying all the bloodshed. “I’ll need further preparation to kill this one.” Alexander said as he pulled a book from inside his jacket and placed it on the ground in front of him. The cover opened and the pages began to flip through on their own. “We’ll meet again, Hellsing! Next time, I’ll put you in the ground.” The pages in the book tore free and whirled around Alexander, soon the pages flew into the sky and disappeared, along with Alexander. “It’s over...” Gasped an exhausted Applebloom, collapsing into Twilight’s hooves. “It’s ok, your safe now.” Comforted Twilight. “Are you alright, Alucard?” “Yes, it’s been a while since my head was cut off. And now we know who we’re fighting, and why.” Said Alucard. “We need to warn the Princess, now that we know where to look I’m sure we can find more information to arm ourselves with.” Said Twilight, thinking back the the Royal Archives in Canterlot. “Then what are my orders, master? Shall I destroy them? Wipe them from Equestria? Grind them to dust? Just give the word, my master, the Prized Student, Twilight Sparkle.” Alucard asked, clearly desiring more bloodshed. Twilight thought for a moment, “When the time comes, I will.” “Really?” Grinned Alucard, “I can’t wait! It’ll be a pleasure, a truly great pleasure.” He turned around and stood over Applebloom. “You.” She turned to look him in the eye. “Why didn’t you drink the blood?” She turned away, “Why not drink?” “Um...Ahm not sure..” She said, “But.... It felt like.. Felt like if ah drank the blood, it would mean the end of something important inside me.” “You are an idiot.” Alucard said, then turned away. “But perhaps you have a point. Perhaps it is time for a vampire that does not walk alone through the night.” Applebloom smiled. As Alucard walked past Twilight, a thought occurred to her, “Why in Celestia’s name did you turn her into a vampire? She’s just a filly!” Alucard smiled, “Why indeed. For fun? For sport? Maybe it was just a whim. Maybe, but that doesn’t sound like me. Perhaps after years spent with ponies you’ve finally rubbed off on me. I might be developing a sense of whimsy. Let’s go little filly, don’t dawdle!” “Yes, my master!” Said Applebloom, recovered enough to walk at a decent pace. “But sir, my name is not little filly, it’s Applebloom.” “Enough, you coward.” Alucard said, turning to face Applebloom. “You are a little filly, little filly will do.” “But!” Gasped Applebloom, “Aw whut? You're mean!” She sped to catch up with Alucard. Twilight brought up the rear, smiling to herself over the exchange. During the walk back they met the others, and together they walked back to the library. The night is done, the battle, won. However they all still had a lot of work to do in order to stop the threat, but for now they allowed themselves to rest.
Lunafan1k	1149	3	Apple Bloom,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Luna,Spike,Crossover,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	My Little Hellsing	Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna.	cancelled	36	3	<p>Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna. After discovering the remains of the vampire Alucard, Twilight is the new leader of an old organization called Hellsing, originally established during the great war by Luna before she became Nightmare Moon. Now Twilight, the Elements of Harmony, and Alucard must face and defeat those who want the lives of the Princesses.</p>	teen	2011-10-03T13:07:56+00:00	2011-10-03T13:07:56+00:00	2,578	Twilight let herself into her library home, the party-goers long since gone. She held the door open for her friends as they entered the darkness. Once inside, she lit several candles around the room, casting eerie flickering shadows onto the walls. “Now Twilight, ah think it’s high time you told us why ya had all us run out ta the forest in the middle of a party.” Said Applejack. “Yea! Telling people to go home when there was so much more partying to do is no fun!” Said Pinkie Pie. “Okay everypony calm down!” Twilight said, not wanting a small riot on her hooves. “Did you really think I would call you all to the forest for no reason? There was an attack, Alucard was killed and Applebloom nearly lost her life!” “What? But he’s right there!” Observed Rainbow Dash, prodding Alucard with a hoof to make sure he was real. Twilight forced her way between Dash and Alucard before somepony got hurt, and she wasn’t worried about Alucard. “Dash, he’s immortal, but it takes time to rebuild his body after having it cut to ribbons.” “Ribbons? Alucard? He’s a vampire not a party decoration! Or is he...?” Pondered Pinkie Pie. Rarity ignored Pinkie, “Darling!” Rarity demanded Applebloom, observing the poor condition of the suit she made for her. “This simply won’t do. I’ll have it repaired by tomorrow night.” She said, removing the suit from Applebloom. Once removed she held it up to the candle light for a better assessment of the damage. “Twilight,” She said slowly, “why is Applebloom’s suit covered in blood?” “Whut?! Lemme see that!” Demanded a worried Applejack. She used a hoof to scrape some of the dried blood off. “Yep. Just like Big Mac's bandages when he gets injured. Applebloom, whut exactly happened in the forest?” She said sternly, using a weaker version of Fluttershy’s stare she had perfected as an older sister. Applebloom had long ago become immune to her sister’s Stare, but gave in because it was important her sister and that the others knew the truth. “Okay, fine.” She said, then retold the events of the night. Once she was finished retelling the story, silence fell upon the library. Nopony moved or said anything, save for Fluttershy, weeping in the corner. Rainbow dash was sitting on her haunches, staring into a far corner of the library, concentrating on not showing emotion. The others placed a supportive hoof on Applejack, hanging their heads low. Applejack was the first to move, slowly and carefully examining every part of Applebloom’s body, folding the fur back and examining the skin, shaking her head every time she saw a slowly healing scratch, knowing that was the place she was run through with a dagger. “Twilight,” Applejack said as she finished her examination, “Ah don’t want Applebloom working with this here Hellsing anymore. It’s too dangerous.” “But Applejack,” Twilight said, “We need her. She’s going to help the save Princess.” “Ah don’t care!” Applejack raised her voice, “Ah will not put Applebloom’s life in danger ever again an that’s final!” She turned to Applebloom, “Comon Applebloom, were leavin.” “No...” Applebloom said in a tiny voice. Applejack quickly spun around, pressing her forehead against Applebloom’s, staring daggers into her eyes. “Whut. Did. You. Say?” Applejack said slowly, pressing her weight onto Applebloom. “Girls? Please, don’t fight...” Twilight said, failing to be heard. “Ah. Said. No.” Said Applebloom, fighting back against her big sister, easily overpowering the strong workhorse. With a quick shove, Applebloom threw her older sister off her hooves, crashing noisily into a bookshelf. Applejack quickly jumped back up, a bead of blood trickling down her left cheek. “Well fine then.” She said darkly, “Ah don’t ever want to see you on ma farm again. Ah don’t want anything ta do with you, vampires, or Hellsing. Ah don’t care what the Princess says, ah don’t want nut’in ta do with it.” As she turned to leave, a single tear dropped to the floor as she slammed the door behind her. Stunned silence befell the library. Rainbow Dash made to go after her, but Fluttershy stood in her way. “Leave her.” She said, “She needs to sort this out for herself. Its getting late, we should all get some sleep.” Fluttershy opened the front door, “If you want to, you don’t have to.... I mean...well...” She trailed off. “Fluttershy is right,” Said Rarity, “This has been an exciting night.” “Yes, you all get some rest.” Twilight said with a yawn. “In the morning I’m going to send a letter to the Princess explaining what happened tonight.” After everypony left for the night, Twilight turned to Applebloom. “Come on, I’ll take you back to the room you stayed in last time.” She led Applebloom to the basement, and through the twists and turns of the halls far below the tree. “Here we are.” She said, “Now, we had to make a few changes regarding your strength.” Twilight opened the door, allowing the filly to enter first. “WHUT THE HEY IS THIS!?!” Screamed Applebloom. Twilight allowed herself a slight chuckle. “What ever do you mean, Applebloom?” Twilight smiled, enjoying Applebloom’s reaction to the coffin. “Where. Is. Mah. Bed??” Demanded Applebloom through gritted teeth. “This is your new bed.” Twilight said. “Whut do ya mean?” Applebloom said, stomping her hoof in frustration. “Well, I told Princess Luna about you not drinking blood like a proper vampire.” Twilight said. “She said you will slowly become weaker, so her instructions were to make a coffin lined with the soil from the farm, your birthplace. This smallest of concessions is the only way to keep up your strength.” Applebloom said nothing, looking at the coffin with a frown. She was a little upset, but it did look comfortable. “You're an idiot.” Alucard said as he entered the room. “You chose the night, once you’ve turned your back on the light of day all that sunlight should ever mean to you is smoldering pain and a slow death.” Alucard said with a smile. “Now get some rest, we continue your training in the evening, little filly.” “Yes, my master.” Said Applebloom. As Alucard and Twilight left, she turned to the coffin, her new bed. It was greatly detailed, an image of the crescent moon adorned the lid, and the finish gave the wood an unusual shine. She opened the it and was surprised at the decorations. It was obvious her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had put the inner lining together, their CMC logo was stitched into the dark red fabric. Also included were several pictures of the three of them together, one was when they tried to zip line, resulting in being covered in tree sap. Another photo was of their talent show performance, it was such a disaster it was rated as a comedy, and being the only comedy act they won the Best Comedy Act award by default. She was going to miss crusading with them like they used to, perhaps they could play for a little bit before they have to go to sleep in the evening. She lay down in the coffin, the pictures of the friends next to her as she closed the lid and let the darkness envelope her. She was amazed at the level of comfort as she lay down, her soreness seemed to simply melt away as she drifted off to sleep, memories of her friends and family floating through her mind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Applebloom woke to the sound of a light knocking on her coffin. Still mostly asleep, she used a hoof to open the lid. She sat up and looked sleepily at Twilight, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Evening, sleepy head.” Said Twilight. “Sleep well?” Applebloom nodded, suppressing a yawn, “Now that ah think about it, this is much better than the hay mattress at the farm.” “The grimoire Luna sent me says that a coffin lined with the soil of your birthplace fully rejuvenates the mind and body of a vampire as it sleeps through the day.” Twilight said in a matter of fact. “Now come on, Rarity dropped off your uniform, good as new. Get dressed, the Princess is holding a meeting with the mayors of all the cities and towns in Equestria, and she wants Hellsing and the Elements of Harmony their as well. The Princess sent two chariots for all of us and the mayor, so hurry up we don’t want to be late.” Twilight closed the door behind her as she left Applebloom to get ready for the night ahead. She could hardly believe how much her life has changed in just two days. She thought back to how she used to just wake up whenever the sun got too bright to sleep through, usually about ten in the morning. Spike would have the mess from her late night studies already cleaned up and breakfast, more like brunch, already on the table waiting for her. Then she would take a walk around Ponyville, spend time with her friends. She smiled at the thought of Rainbow Dash and Applejack either in a heated argument or in a fit of giggles about something, they didn’t know the rest of them either knew or had their suspicions about the two. Twilight would usually end her day back in the library, studying some random subject she stumbled upon late into the night, to be repeated the next day. Now she finds herself up all night baby sitting vampires and chasing ghouls till dawn, by then she’s too tired to do anything but sleep practically all day, sunlight be damned! Twilight let out a long, drawn out sigh as she entered the basement of her library, where she was greeted by the Mayor of Ponyville. “Oh! Hi Mayor, I didn’t think you would be here already.” “Well of course, Twilight,” Said the Mayor, who’s name oddly enough was Mayor Mare. “I’ve heard rumors about a real vampire in our midst, and I want to see it first hoof.” "Well, Mayor, I don't want the wrong kind of publicity for them..." Twilight said in a vain attempt to deter the Mayor and her conquest. "Them?" The Mayor asked with a raised eyebrow. Twilight chided herself for giving away such information. "Ma'am," She said, "With all due respect, I just don't think you're ready for that kind of exposure. A vampire is not to be taken lightly and as their master it is my responsibility should they cause any undo stress to the community." "Do you take me for a foul, Miss Sparkle?" She stomped a hoof in anger, "As the Mayor, it is MY responsibility to assess any possible threat to the citizens on MY town, regardless of the caretaker!" Just then Applebloom entered from the labyrinth beneath the library, “Evening Twilight. Uh, whats the Mayor doing here?” “Oh, you're just in time Applebloom,” Said Twilight, pushing Applebloom nervously toward the mayor. “You wanted to see the Ponyville vampire, well here she is!” The Mayor gave Applebloom a once over, “Applebloom was it? Little sister to Applejack?” Applebloom just nodded. “Twilight, I wanted to see the vampire, not some little school filly in a costume.” “Applebloom, I think you should do something to prove you're a real vampire.” Suggested Twilight, the Mayor getting under her skin. Applebloom thought for a moment, closing her eyes, she focused on her vampire abilities like she had done the night before. She opened her bright crimson eyes, and locked with the Mayor’s in a death stare more powerful than Fluttershy could ever hope to accomplish. The effects were instantaneous, the Mayor paled as though all the blood had been drained from her body. She broke contact and threw up on the floor, her body shaking uncontrollably. “M-m-monster!” The Mayor screamed, flailing around in the puddle of sick. Twilight couldn't help but grin, feeling that the Mayor got her just reward. “You're damn right she’s a monster.” Said Alucard, making his signature appearance through the wall, earning him a scream from the Mayor, much to Twilight's delight. “The little filly may be the lowest of the low, but a vampire is still a vampire.” Alucard looked at the Mayor, now covered in her own vomit, attempting to flee but held in place by fear. “What a pathetic coward. Do you really think she is fit to lead Ponyville as the mayor?” He asked Twilight. “I have full confidence in her ability to lead, Alucard.” Said Twilight, preserving her status as a proper caretaker of the vampires. She cast a quick spell, removing the vomit from the mayor and the floor. “She’s just not used to you two.” “We shall see about that.” Said Alucard as he departed for the main library. Twilight turned to the Mayor, her expression all concern, but inside she was hopping around with glee, “Are you okay? What happened?” The Mayor said nothing, she just sat staring at the wall, muttering and panting heavily. Twilight turned to Applebloom, “What did you do?” She asked, it was just the most powerful pony in Ponyville having a mental break down in her library, and she couldn't be more proud. “Ahm sorry Twi, ah coulden’t fully control it.” Said Applebloom. “Ah accidentally shown her her own death over and over. Ah jus meant to look scary, not torture her mind like that.” “Well you better hope she gets better by the time we get to the castle, or I will have Alucard deal with you.” Threatened Twilight, not letting her own lust for blood and vengeance show through. 'I'm going to have to have a talk with Princess Luna about this sudden increase in blood lust.' Thought Twilight. 'I hope this is just a side effect of working so closely to vampires, I'm sure she'll have some answers!' Applebloom gulped in fear at angering her master, then followed as Twilight led the Mayor upstairs and outside, where there seemed to be a small gathering of ponies to see them off. Most of them ooo-ed and ahh-ed at Alucard as he simply stood there with a sinister grin. Applebloom scanned the crowed, and upon spotting her friends she went to say her farewell. Her path was suddenly blocked by a pale green mare with a white and light blue mane and tail. "Oh, Lyra," Said Applebloom, "Ahm glad ah ran into you." Lyra's eyes widened when she saw Applebloom, she wanted to run but she was curious as to what the little vampire was going to say after the incident at the party. Lyra nodded her head for Applebloom to continue. "Ah jus wanted tah say that ahm sorry for what happened. Ah didn't mean to scare you." Said Applebloom. Lyra let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "Oh, it's ok. You looked more scared than I felt to be honest." Lyra said with a smile, "Now go say goodby to your little friends!" Lyra smiled to herself as Applebloom joined her friends, disaster averted. “You're lucky, Applebloom, going to meet the Princess personally.” Sweetie Belle said, a slight longing in her voice. “I’m just mad I won’t be able to hang out with Rainbow Dash till she comes back.” Said Scootaloo. “Aw, come on, were not going to be that long. We’ll all be back by the morning.” Applebloom said. “And that’s another thing!” Scootaloo said. “We can’t do any crusading with you sleeping all day. Without you we're just the Cutie Mark Couple.” “Scootaloo, I thought I told you we’re not a couple.” Said Sweetie Belle, slightly embarrassed at the thought. “Whats wrong with couple? Two is a pair, but couple is two, and it starts with a C so we can keep our logo!” Said Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle facehooved at her logic. “What happened to the Mayor?” Sweetie Belle asked as she saw the Mayor standing stiff as a board, “Looks like she just saw a ghost.” “That was my fault.” Said Applebloom, feeling bad for what she did. “Ah didn’t mean to.” “WOW! What did you do?” Asked an over excited Scootaloo. “Well, you know Fluttershy’s Stare?” The fillies nodded, having seen it in action first hoof. “Well, turns out ah can sorta do it too. But its a stare of death, making you die over and over again.” Applebloom concluded. “Oh....” Said a depressed Scootaloo. “That sounds kinda...” “Horrible...” Sweetie Belle finished. Everypony began looking up to the clouds as the chariots came down and landed in front of the library. “Well, ah have to go now.” Said Applebloom, her friends too distracted by the thought of their own horrible demise to notice her trot to one of the chariots. The Mayor, looked after by Fluttershy, and Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash loaded into the first chariot, leaving behind an irritated Applejack. “Dang nab it Rainbow! Ah know you are just going ta fly next ta it anyway!” Yelled an irate Applejack. “AJ? I thought you weren’t coming?” Asked Twilight. Applejack sighed, “Ah know. But ya’ll are ma friends. Ah can’t jus leave ya.” “AJ, whats wrong?” Asked Twilight. “There was the argument last night and now today you're avoiding Applebloom.” “Aint nuthen wrong!” Applejack yelled as she stomped toward the other chariot carrying Alucard, Applebloom, and Spike. She jumped on board, not making eye contact with Applebloom. Twilight sighed again before boarding as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ They were in the air for about 20 minutes before Alucard broke the silence, “Little filly, I think there is something you're hiding from your family. Don’t deny it, I saw your entire life when i turned you.” Applejack spun around, “Whut’s he talken ‘bout Twi?” She demanded. “I-I don’t know.” Twilight said, at a loss for words. “Applebloom?” Applebloom looked from Alucard, to Twilight, Spike, then finally her sister. “Okay, ah guess now would be as good a time as any...” She trailed off, tears welling in her eyes. “Applebloom?” Applejack said, looking at her sister for the first time since the argument. “What is it? You can tell me.” “Do you remember when our parents disappeared?” Applebloom said slowly. Applejack nodded her head, Twilight had wondered about their parents before, but she just assumed they were away. “Ah was with them, mom and dad, they were tending to the trees nearest the forest. Ah was playen nearby when ah heard mom scream. Ah ran as fast as ah could, and when ah got there, dad was dead. He had an axe buried in the side of his head. Mom grabbed me and shoved me in a bush nearby, told me to be quiet. She tried to fight them off, but they got her too. They laughed at our parents’ bodies, then they did THINGS to them, AJ. They did THINGS to their bodies!!” Applebloom broke out into open sobs, nopony moved to comfort her as she forced herself to continue. “They dragged our parents into the forest, that's when ah ran home. You know the rest.” Applejack could do nothing but sit there as this new bought of information slowly sank in, tears running freely down her muzzle as the truth became known. Twilight had to look away as she, too, was crying for their loss. Applebloom and Applejack embraced each other in a tight hug. “Ah thought if ah just ignored it and pretended ah didn’t see nuthen everything would go back to normal.” Applebloom said, burying her face in Applejack’s mane. “It’s okay, Applebloom.” Applejack comforted, “It’s okay.” “That’s why ah chose to be a vampire, sis.” Sobbed Applebloom, “Ah don’t want nuthen like that to happen ta anypony else.” They sat there embracing each other for the remainder of the flight. Twilight let her own tears flow, the thought of witnessing the brutal murder of her own parents just too much to bear. As they approached the castle, they dried their tears and treated each other to a hearty smile to give one another the strength for what lay ahead.
Lunafan1k	1149	4	Apple Bloom,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Luna,Spike,Crossover,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	My Little Hellsing	Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna.	cancelled	36	3	<p>Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna. After discovering the remains of the vampire Alucard, Twilight is the new leader of an old organization called Hellsing, originally established during the great war by Luna before she became Nightmare Moon. Now Twilight, the Elements of Harmony, and Alucard must face and defeat those who want the lives of the Princesses.</p>	teen	2011-10-05T04:46:24+00:00	2011-10-05T04:46:24+00:00	3,002	Chapter 4 The chariots touched down in Canterlot just as the moon was peaking the horizon. From the first, a terrified yellow pegasus leaped to the ground, terrified of the great height, hugging and kissing a stone pillar in relief. Next was Rainbow Dash, cocky as ever, doing several loops to stretch the taunt muscles in her wings. She had flown some of the distance, but the terrified Fluttershy had demanded her attention. Rarity helped sooth the Mayor until they landed on the Canterlot grounds, she could barely contain her excitement as she daintily stepped off, eying the golden halls and glamorous decor. This was not her first time in Canterlot, though in her previous visits she only saw the ball room at the Gala, and recently the medical wing due to Twilight's injury. She was glad to have packed her most glamorous dress for the meeting, she had planned to show them what true fashion really was. With a burst of confetti, streamers, and party balloons, Pinkie Pie hopped out of the chariot wearing a colorfully wrapped box and was adorned with many strange bells, whistles and other odd assortments attached to various parts of her body. Last to leave the chariot was the Mayor, having fully recovered from her ordeal. She made the mental note to not cross Twilight on such matters. The fact alone that she could control such a monstrosity made her all the more powerful and fearsome, but the Mayor doubted Twilight would let it go to her head, She hasn't been flaunting her royal connections to get her way, so the Mayor felt rest assured that nothing terrible would befall the citizens of Ponyville, much less the rest of Equestria. Once all the ponies had departed the chariot, the four pegasai attached to the front pulled it out of the way to be stored next to the others, allowing the second chariot to land in its stead. Alucard was the first to step off, an aura of darkness and foreboding emanating from him. He turned and gazed at the full moon, brilliant and radiant as ever, he allowed himself a moment to bask in its glow. Yet something was amiss, something was eluding his senses. He smiled a dark smile, nothing can elude him, but what did, he had a way to find out. He fazed slightly out of sync with the world, allowing himself to pass through the thick stone toward the lower depths of the castle. This game of hide and seek was going to amuse him, more than being in a room of stuffy politicians. “Where the hay is he going?” Asked Twilight with a raised eyebrow. “Eh, who knows?” Spike said with a shrug from his place on Twilight’s back. “He probably wants to see the castle graveyard and command the dead.” “Spike, that’s not funny.” Twilight chided. ‘He wouldn’t do that, would he?’ She wondered, ‘I’ve only known him for about 2 days, er-nights, I guess you could say.’ She corrected herself. ‘I might mention that to Princess Luna, about my control over him, as well as this....mean streak I’m having. I shouldn’t be this way.’ ‘I’ll say, grumpy Twilight is no fun! What you need is a PARTY!’ Twilight’s head snapped to attention, her inner monologue interrupted by the shrill voice in her head, and she spun to face Pinkie. “Wha-how did you do that?!” She demanded. “Do what silly?” Pinkie giggles as she hopped past Twilight into the castle. Twilight stared after her, dumbfounded, as she rounded a corner, and watched as more confetti flew through the air from around the corner, followed by a terrified shriek and mad giggles. Twilight just shook her head and followed after. Applebloom and Applejack were the last to step off of the chariot, having dried their tears they looked about in awe and fascination. “This’ll be mah first time here! Ah cain't wait ta make Scootaloo jealous!” Applebloom said as she cantered around excitedly, her wide eyes taking in every detail to be re-lived through memory. “Well, it is a mighty fancy place, aint it?” Said Applejack, smiling at her sister. “Ah told you the story about when ah wus here during the Gala, din’t ah?” Applebloom giggled, “Ah remember how mad you was when they said ya was sellen’ ‘commoner food.’ ” Applebloom did her best impersonation of a stuck up pony, a hoof on her chest and her nose straight up into the air, forcing a laugh out of Applejack. “Yer darn toot’n! Them ponies woulden’t know real food if it forced itself down their throats!” Applejack said as they began to follow the other ponies inside. Applebloom gasped in amazement at how grand and majestic the entire hall seemed to be, stopping every few feet to observe a statue, a painting, a stained glass window, a bug. She assumed the last to be a beetle of some sort. It seemed out of place to be the only bug in the castle, so she decided it was the prince beetle, out for a stroll through his kingdom. “Applebloom hurry up, yer fallen behind!” yelled Applejack. Shaken from her musings, Applebloom ran to catch up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Two pairs of glowing red eyes watched as the group of ponies entered the castle, hidden behind the empty chariots. They looked at each other, that was the last group to arrive. Soon, very soon, all they had to do was wait for the order. They flexed their talons and unfurled their wings, the two griffons, camouflaged in the darkness, floated silently down to the lower city below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Twilight and the others entered the grand throne room, where they bowed down to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. “My little ponies, I’m so glad you could make it.” Princess Celestia said, being as regal as ever. “Unfortunately the meeting is not to occur for another hour, so please feel free to explore the castle. Mayor Mare? If you would follow me, the other guests await your arrival.” Princess Celestia led Mayor Mare into a side room, closing the door behind her. Luna then approached the group, “Alright, the meeting will begin in one hour. We will be discussing the recent uprising in vampire attacks, as well as new magics controlling the ghouls, but you all are not needed until we begin discussing how to combat the recent vampire attacks.” She looked around at the group of ponies, noticing Alucard’s absence. “At this point in time we have confirmed reports of entire pony towns being completely destroyed, and all the residents, even little fillies and colts, obviously virgins, being turned to ghouls. Whats more, ghouls have been surviving the death of their master vampire.” Everypony was shocked at the news, but it was Twilight to ask the question, “Princess, how come we haven’t heard of this yet? How can entire towns be devastated in such a way and not cause alarm?” “Just Luna, if you will.” She said with a curt nod. “So far all the attacks have happened beyond our boarders. My spies have not had any success in identifying their leader, but we expect an attack, and soon. That’s the second reason you are all called here today. Should an attack occur we would be the first to know, and we have chariots on standby to be dispatched to the battle immediately.” Luna looked over the silent ponies, slightly paled from their expectations of a wonderful evening. “But until such an incident occurs you are free to go about as you please. Rarity, Down the hall to the left, third door on the right, is the Royal Dressing Room. You may observe some of the finest gowns in the world, most are gifts from foreign nations.” Rarity let out a squeal of delight and wasted no time as she bolted out the door to the right. “I said to the left!” Called Luna, smiling as they saw a white and purple blur fly past the open doorway. Luna then focused her attention to Rainbow Dash, “I hear some ponies are expecting to meet you tonight, they said something about no being able to talk much at the Gala. Anyway, From the balcony you can see a light across the training field, that's the barracks of the Wonderbolts.” “OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!!!” Blurted Rainbow Dash as she sped off into the night sky to finally spend time with her childhood heroes. “Fluttershy,” Said Luna, “I heard the animals in the garden didn’t take to you very well. But Philomena is here, I’m sure she would be happy to see you.” Luna’s horn glowed and another side door opened to reveal a study. Fluttershy squeaked, then hurried along to meet the phoenix, a big smile plastered on her face. “I’m going to go visit my favorite doughnut shop then.” Said Spike. “See you all in a bit!” “Bye, have fun. Don’t eat too much!” Twilight waved him off. Luna cleared her throat and continued. “Pinkie Pie-” Luna cut off as the pink mare was nowhere to be found. “Where did she go?” Twilight smiled nervously, “I’m sorry Prin-er, Luna. She does that.” Luna pondered this for a moment before sighing deeply. She looked between Twilight, Applejack, and Applebloom. “Now, I have something you all need to hear. Twilight," said Luna, bringing a thick tomb from the bookshelf nearby. "This tomb was hidden away deep within our private collection. Nopony has lain eyes on it in over a thousand years." She moved the old book in front of Twilight, who took it gingerly in her magic. "This book contains all the knowledge of alchemy and ancient magic no longer used today. Use this knowledge, as it is your only weapon to combat this new threat." "But Luna, what about the Elements? Surly they are more than powerful enough to stop the vampires?" Asked Twilight. "The Elements purify the soul and cleanse it of evil and its influence. The ghouls have no souls to purify, and the evil they are cannot be cleansed with the kindness of the elements as it is the instinct of the creatures that drives them, making them immune. The vampires themselves can only be sealed, and doing so requires a tremendous amount of magic. The only type that truly affects a vampire is in that tomb, and that is the type of magic vampires use themselves." “Ah can use magic?!” Exclaimed Applebloom. “Yes, little one,” laughed Luna, “but the effects vary from pony to pony and vampire to vampire. You might be able to punch through solid diamonds, engulf yourself in fel fire and melt the world, or, since you were turned by Alucard’s magic, blast ranged magic like he does, perhaps more powerful, perhaps at a faster rate, or have your target burst into flames. Even all at once, one can never tell.” Applebloom zipped up next to Twilight, trying to look through the book herself, but Twilight held it away from her reach, knowing the amount of damage an excited filly could cause. “So wait, if the Elements are as useless against em as you say, then why’d yall put us in charge of fight'n em?” Asked Applejack, moving the conversation back on track. “You’re right. It’s not the Elements I want, but the teamwork between you and your friends. Together, you can overcome anything, each looking out for the others weakness’s.” Luna took the moment of silence to look them over. Applebloom looked rather board now, and was examining the finish on the floor. Applejack was hopelessly confused, and Twilight was staring wide-eyed at the tomb she held before her, mouth slack and beginning to drool. “Now,” Said Luna, jerking everyone back to reality. “Any questions for me?” “Whell, ah jus plain don understand a lick of this.” Said Applejack, rubbing her sore head, her brain refusing to think so hard. Twilight put a comforting hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, “It’s ok, I’ll explain everything when we're done here.” Applejack nodded. Twilight turned to Luna, “I wanted to ask you something, about Alucard.” Luna nodded in understanding, “Your asking about certain feelings your getting, feelings normally completely alien to you?” Twilight nodded. “Please, tell me what your feeling.” Twilight took in a deep breath to gather her thoughts, “Well, the other day when we were attacked in the forest, I felt a rush of pleasure and glee at the sight of Alucard and Alexander killing each other. Then today before we left Ponyville the Mayor was demanding me to parade Alucard around for her own selfishness. I wanted her to leave me in peace but she just kept asking and demanding. Then when Applebloom accidentally forced the Mayor to have a mental breakdown I was glad, and felt she got her just reward.” Luna sat in silence for several moments, continuing to gaze at Twilight before she said, “Did you know the Alucard is one of the most powerful beings in the world? Did you know that during our alliance he single hoofedly destroyed and consumed entire nations? The Great War is taught as our greatest moment in history, when we overthrew opposing tyrannical nations. The reality is that the Great War was much more dark and sinister.” The ponies sat on several pillows as they listened to Luna tell her tale of times long since past. “My sister and I came here from the farthest reaches of space, to start our own kingdom. Unfortunately the mighty races that dwelled here followed a ‘the strong will lead’ dictatorship, and did not take to pony kind well, as they were seen as weak without tooth and claw. Everyday more and more ponies were hunted down and slaughtered, for food and sport. But there was one pony who stood against the tyranny, a Count by the name of Dracula. He trained and honed his skills, quickly becoming a mighty warrior worthy of legend. He led countless battles, defeated numerous enemies. But for all his might, one enemy he could never defeat sought after him: time. “One day he payed a visit to me during my night, he was old, worn down, no longer fit for battle. He begged to be young again so as to continue the war effort and earn ponies everywhere their freedoms. At first I denied his request, but once I saw that without a mighty warrior to lead them, our armies would fall. I asked my sister for advice in this matter, she felt we would be abusing our powers in a way that would come back to haunt us, and she was right. “I went against my sister's will, quickly using my most powerful, most potent spells and alchemy to create a device that would grant immortality for the one to hold it. But something went wrong, to this day I still cannot explain it. When I presented the artifact to the warrior, he did take it. His flesh melted and bound to it, his warrior’s armor was forged from thin air, his fur paled to a ghastly white while his mane and tail turned the darkest black. He turned to me, with glowing red eyes. Immediately I knew, the warrior was dead, and in his place was the monster Alucard. However, Alucard bowed down and swore fealty to me, and together we led the battles, raining blood upon the land, and forged the Equestria we know today. “However, the war changed me. I grew jealous and resentful of my sister, because ponies would be happy and play in her day, then shun and sleep through my beautiful night. The night I slaughtered thousands upon thousands to make sure it was safe for ponies, to have them no longer fear the darkness. I was soon overtaken by Nightmare Moon, and my sister used the elements to restrain and subdue Alucard, for he alone could destroy the kingdom we built, then with the remaining magic, too weak to properly rid me of nightmare, she banished me to the moon for a thousand years. “Alucard is immensely powerful. His presence alone can affect ponies in any number of ways. For you, Twilight, it seems as though his darker urges and blood thirst are bleeding through between the two of you. This also accounts for his more subdued and laid back attitude. The Alucard I know would sooner wipe Ponyville from Equestria and into the history books than put up with the quaintness.” Luna and the others stood once more. “Just take notice of the way his powers are sealed. Twilight, as his master, only on your orders can he reach full power. He has the discretion to release the other seals should the situation handle it." Luna turned to leave, "I need to return to my sister, but Twilight, before you leave here, let Applebloom read the book. Then should they wish to do so, allow the others to read it as well. The writing itself holds the power to grant the power to anyone, unicorn, vampire or not. Only myself, Celestia, and Alucard truly know what it says, because we wrote it. Should the book fall into the wrong hands, set it aflame with a simple fire spell and its knowledge will do no further harm.” Luna then turned and left to join her sister. Twilight looked over the book's cover carefully, but didn’t see any writing or images detailing what it could possibly be hiding to make the Princesses lock it away for a thousand years. “Comon Twilight, Let meh read it!” Said an excited filly. Twilight couldn’t see the harm of reading a dusty old book, there was no magic in the world that could do the things Luna described. She set it on the ground in front of the grinning filly. Applebloom nosed open the cover, and was suddenly washed over with a brilliant golden light. Her pupils contracted to tiny pinpricks as the world seemed to fall away from her, engulfed in the golden radiance. The pages in the book began to flip through at an insane pace, before stopping as the opposite cover slammed closed. As soon as the book closed, the blinding light faded into nothing, revealing Applebloom in a semi-conscious state with her legs sprawled, her eyes spinning in their sockets. “Applebloom?” Asked Applejack and Twilight at the same time before rushing to her side. “Whut the hay was that Twi?” Applejack said, too worried to be angry at Twilight. “I don’t know AJ, I’ve never heard of this sort of thing.” Said Twilight, a worried look in her eye. Applebloom began to moan and bring a hoof to her head. “Oohhh...Feels like ah wus at the Thinkin' Olympics....”Applebloom said dizzily. “What happened?” Asked Twilight. “Well, it felt like ah was be’en force learned stuff. Some of it was skipped, like it knew what ah needed to know, and other stuff was jammed into mah head.” Said Applebloom, feeling better as time elapsed. “Ok, so what can ya do now?” Applejack asked skeptically. “Well, ah have even more strength for hoof ta hoof fightn', and ah can cast magic like my master, its slower ta cast, but powerful enough with each blast ta easily destroy anythin'. Ah can make it go through things or explode when it hits stuff.” Applebloom said, the pride in her voice swelling to Rainbow Dash proportions. “Whell, ah’ll be.” Said a flabbergasted Applejack, “Let me have a go at that there book.” “No, AJ.” Said Twilight, putting the book in her saddlebags. “I need to study this before we do something we might regret. I only let Applebloom read it because Luna said so. Once I determine if it’s safe for us to use, I will let each of our friends read it should they want to.” Applejack blushed at being so selfish to not think about the others and their safety. Either way she looked at it, Twilight was right. Better safe than sorry. Suddenly a loud bell echoed throughout the castle, marking the hour at half past. One by one, Twilight's friends made their way back to the throne room, a little depressed from being separated from their wonderful time. “Well, duty calls.” Said Twilight as Luna returned to guide them to the conference hall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A pair of gryphons walked through the streets of Canterlot side by side, on the right a young gryphoness, to her left, her older brother, more mature and subdue to outweigh the overly loud and obnoxious female. “So this earth pony’s friend, he’s like a real doctor but he does the cosmetic shit on the side, right?” She ranted as they made their way through the streets. “So this crazy fucking earth pony with the horn on his head comes up to the doctor and now he wants a fucking plexiglass plate for his skull, and the doctor fucking does it! He makes a window! You can see the fuckers brain and shit! The pony’s got a big monster horn and his head meat on display! That pony’s a freak! I mean, what the fuck!” She exclaims, laughing at the image. “Shut up,” the elder brother said, annoyed with his sister. “This stream of dribble pours from your beak before every job. Can we just this once try quiet, focused and cool?” “Yeah, yeah. I got it. Same old shit, I know! Fucking A bro!” “Failure is not an option.” “Oh please,” the sister spat, “I can pull this job in my Celestia damned sleep.” The gryphons approached the front gate to the castle, where upon a pair of pegasus guards barred the way with their wings. “Halt!” “Who goes there?” They said. The two gryphons smiled at each other. “Oh, excuse us,” said the older brother, silver tongue at work, “We are the emissaries from the gryphon clans, the Princess requested our presence immediately for today’s meeting.” “All of the Princesses guests have arrived and are accounted for. You are to leave at once!” Demanded one of the guards. The elder brother smirked, “I might be losing my touch.” He swiped with his razor sharp talons with uncanny speed, beheading the guard in front of him. The other guard gasped in horror as he was splashed with blood, and tripped over himself in his hurry to flee for safety. “Yo, dude, you ok?” asked the sister, “I think you might need a nap!” She said as talon ripped pony flesh. The guards dealt with, she gave a sharp whistle. From the alleys and dark streets marched hundreds of ghoul ponies, eyes glowing a bright purple, dressed in plain grey armor, the words BOO DOO PON IES MUR DER PON IES written over the chest plate. As one they marched into formation, standing at attention before the two gryphons. The brother and sister wasted no time, quickly donning blades onto the front edges of their wings, aided by their powerful muscles their wings would be able to cleave stone. “Alright, listen up you maggots!” commanded the sister, “You know the plan! You make the kill, you drink the spill! And if you run into Celestia or the Luna biatch, don’t you quit until their dead, dead, DEAD!” She commanded, leading the march into the castle.
Lunafan1k	1149	5	Apple Bloom,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Luna,Spike,Crossover,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	My Little Hellsing	Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna.	cancelled	36	3	<p>Twilight's life is in danger as a secret organization aims to take the life of Celestia and Luna. After discovering the remains of the vampire Alucard, Twilight is the new leader of an old organization called Hellsing, originally established during the great war by Luna before she became Nightmare Moon. Now Twilight, the Elements of Harmony, and Alucard must face and defeat those who want the lives of the Princesses.</p>	teen	2011-10-11T03:45:57+00:00	2011-10-11T03:45:57+00:00	2,845	Chapter 5 Luna led Twilight and her friends into a large office, dominated by a massive round wooden table. Nearest the door sat Princess Celestia herself, and to her left and right sitting evenly around the table were the various mayors and leaders from all over Equestria. Princess Celestia had just finished her report on vampires, their recent activity, and the strange magics at work when she motioned toward Twilight and her friends. "These ponies, fillies and gentle colts," She announced, "Represent the new Hellsing Organization, and will be the spearhead of our offensive forces against the monsters that plague our lands." The ponies sitting around the table began to stop their hooves in applause, earning bright smiles in acceptance from Twilight and her friends. The entire castle shook as a huge explosion rocked the foundation, the candles flickered and went out, the windows smashed, statues crumbled as the Prince Beetle scurried for cover. Guards ran about as total chaos ensued. “What is going on out there?!” Demanded Princess Celestia, using her magic to broadcast her voice to all the guards on duty. “We’re under attack, it’s an unknown enemy!” Came the reply from one of the battle mages. “We are currently holding them off at the front entrance!” “Hold the line! Buy as much time as you can!” Princess Celestia turned to the Elements of Harmony, “Rainbow Dash, you are the fastest, try to find the Element of Laughter and bring her here,” Rainbow Dash gave a sharp salute then sped out the doorway, a rainbow afterimage hung in the air in her wake. “Twilight, you and the rest will remain here with myself and Luna. Captain!” She yelled, turning to the approaching guard, “Evacuate our guests, get them to the chariots at once!” Another explosion ripped through the castle, followed by the screams of mutilated ponies. “What was that?” Princess Celestia called out. A guard burst through the door, “Your Highness! The chariots have all been destroyed, explosives have collapsed the exits, we’re trapped in the castle!” “What?! Who is it?! Who are we fighting?!” Celestia called over her guards again. “Ghouls! The enemy are ghouls!” Came the reply, Everypony in the room gasped in horror, none had foreseen this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rainbow Dash blazed through the halls of the castle, desperately searching for her pink friend. She followed the sound of battle, and as she rounded the corner she stopped dead in her tracks. The guards were punching and kicking with spiked horseshoes, the pegasai using bladed wings to strike down their enemy, and the unicorns were using their most powerful offensive spells. For all the guard fought with, nothing seemed to slow down the ghoul ponies. One pegasus managed to decapitate a ghoul, where upon he cheered in victory. He was quickly silenced by the decapitated ghoul, a hoof smashing through the guard’s head. The guards were quickly overrun and ripped to bits by the hundreds of ghoul ponies. As one, the ghouls split off down different halls, ordered by a young female gryphon. Rainbow Dash flew out from behind the corner, if she could take out the leader the ghouls would have nobody to command them. The gryphon turned to the sound of wings, and when she saw the pegasus, she smiled and said, “Hello Dash.” Rainbow stopped in a heartbeat, “Gilda?” “Yea, sup bitch.” Gilda said as she approached the old friend. “Long time no see. I knew you’d come running back.” “Gilda? What are you talking about? Why are you with the ghouls?” Asked Dash, ears laid back as she backed away from the approaching gryphon. “Well, I was going to offer you a place in our ranks during my visit to Ponyville, but you went and fucked that up yourself. My orders are to kill everyone, and that includes you. But seeing as you are an old acquaintance, you’ve got a five second head start.” “Gilda, why?” “One...” “Gilda, please!” “Two...” “You don’t have to do this!” “Three, time is short Dash.” Tears streaming down her eyes from the betrayal, she flew as fast as she could back to her friends, hoping Pinkie was clear of any danger. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The elder brother casually strolled through the majestic halls, stopping here and there to admire the decor. His sister was currently in charge of all the ghouls, but his target was in the lower depths. He could sense it, a presence like none other, luring him in. An ancient painting caught his eye, it was of the Princess Celestia, sitting upon her throne. It was simple, but the artistry was simply superb. It’s a true talent to take something so plain, and turn it into such a masterpiece The brother leaped back, vampiric reflexes allowing him to dodge the spears shooting out from the wall behind the painting and burying themselves in the opposite wall. Several guards cautiously stepped out from around the far corner and quickly surrounded the spears stuck in the wall. A feeling of dread washed over them as they saw their trap held no bounty, a feeling quickly rewarded as each guard was ripped in half, blood and entrails staining the walls. The gryphon smiled coldly, then continued on his way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rainbow Dash burst back into the conference room, panting heavily, eyes red and bloodshot from crying. She stood in the doorway, heaving as the tears refused to stop. “Rainbow!” Applejack said, running to her friend. “What’s wrong?! Ya have ta tell us!” “It’s Gilda!” She wailed, “Gilda is killing everypony!” “Gilda? That big mean grumpy mean meanie pants?” “Yea.” Sniffed Dash, then her head shot up. “Pinkie?! Your okay! Where did you go, I thought you were caught in the fighting!” She exclaimed, embracing her pink friend in a big hug, burying her face in Pinkie’s mane. “Oh silly, I was with Alucard but he was bor-ing. All he wanted to do was sit in the dark and ‘wait for someone worthy’ whatever that means. I mean really, he wouldn’t let me put up a banner to welcome his guest or anything!” Luna smiled, “So, this entire time, he felt something was coming. This is just like him.” Princess Celestia turned to Twilight and Applebloom, “Do not let the leave the grounds alive. Luna, I’m sorry, but you know what must be done.” Luna smiled a cold, knowing smile, an aura of power radiated from her, blowing over Twilight and her friends. “Heh. Put the veteran and the rookie together, and we might as well have one decent soldier. I, Selenic, the embodiment of Mǣnōn, walk this world once again.” A strange, new power flowed from the feathers of her wings, surrounding her in nearly invisible threads of magic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The elder gryphon stood before a massive door at the bottom of an incredibly long staircase. With a wicked grin and a swipe of claw, he reduced the door to splinters. He sauntered into the darkness, his target was here. “I know your in here,” he called, “Even when your hiding I can feel your presence.” “Why in Equestria would I hide?” Said Alucard through the darkness, sitting on a plush cushion, a glass of wine on the table to his left. “Don’t dare mistake my patience for cowardice. Honestly, I was beginning to get board waiting for you.” The gryphon’s eyes slowly adjusted to the sudden darkness, revealing a single large room with bare stone walls. The only source of light were several small candles around the room. The gryphon grinned as he approached the other vampire, stopping mere feet from where he sat. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Alucard.” Said the gryphon with a slight bow, “My name is Luke Valentine, I’m a really big fan of your work. Our mission was to kill the ponies at the meeting, I had no idea you had come along. Just as well, I get to kill you as a bonus.” Luke cackled. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Little Princess chick-ie...” Gilda called as she climbed the stairs leading to the throne room. “We’re coming to find you! Come out and play little Princess!” She called, passing the first pair of doors on the landing, “You’re welcome to come out and join us with the Princess too, Dashie! I promise it’s going to be a lot of fun! We just want to torture you, kill you, maybe skull fuck your corpse a couple of times, make you into cupcakes, burn the castle down then go home and get laid, okay?” A door near the center of the hall slowly opened with a creek, out from the doorway stepped Luna. She looked at Gilda with an icy stare, sending shivers down the vampire’s spine. With a slight twitch of one of the feathers on her left wing, a near invisible strand of ancient magic sailed through the hall with blinding speed and dexterity, slicing several feathers from Gilda’s head, and shredding several ghouls behind her to shreds. “Oh my, did I miss?” Luna said coolly, slowly approaching Gilda like a manticore would approach a grounded bird, preying on the weak and helpless. More strands of magic filled the width of the hall, the reflection of the candlelight making them visible for just a moment. “Seems I’m not as spry as I used to be, a millennium on the moon can have that effect.” Gilda started backing away in horror, she had no idea the princess had such power. “My name is Princess Luna, the living god of Mǣnōn, one of the moon. Former leader of the Hellsing Organization, and former master vampire hunter!” She yelled as she charged towards the vampire Gilda and her ghouls. “Kill her!” Gilda ordered, the ghouls charging ahead to rip and tear the princess to nothing but a pile of flesh. Luna, however, with her speed and agility was able to run clean through the hoard of ghouls and position herself behind Gilda. “Bit on the low side aren’t they? After all, a ghoul is just a ghoul.” She said, spreading her wings to pull the magic strands taunt. “In theory, threatening, and certainly tenacious. But honestly they're quite a distance from indestructible or invincible.” With a flap of her wings, Luna killed over half of the remaining ghouls. “I suggest pissing yourself, followed by begging for the pitiful existence you call a life.” “Now that’s fucking great!” Gilda laughed, “Because I gotta tell you, plowing through your sorry ass guards was really starting to bore the fuck out of me!” She snapped her talons, and more ghouls came from seemingly nowhere to replace the fallen. They formed up around Gilda as she ordered them to advance on the alicorn. “Oh my.” Said Luna in mockery, stepping to the side while calling behind her, “Applebloom, if you would do the honors.” Down at the far end of the hall, standing before the giant doors leading to the throne room, was a little yellow filly. Her stance was wide, her blood red eyes squeezed shut in concentration. A bright yellow aura enveloped her body, then moved to float in front of her forehead, the energy condensing and compacting itself until it appeared almost solid. With a final effort, the filly released it upon its path of destruction. There was a massive shock wave as it hurled through the hall. Paintings tore from their frames, statues shuddered and turned to rubble, the many windows that were still whole finally shattered. The ball of light pierced through the entire army of ghouls, the shock wave alone reducing the middle rank was nothing more than bloody stains on the wall. The filly’s mouth nearly hit the floor at the damage that single attack had done. “Fire an incendiary version through the center ranks again!” Luna ordered, “Fire kills large groups like this more effectively!” Applebloom nodded and began to gather energy again, this time a green aura of fel energy surrounding her. “Oh fuck you!” Cried Gilda, too late as the green ball of condensed magic surged toward her. She quickly opened her wings and took flight, narrowly avoiding the fel ball of death. The ghouls, however, were quickly washed over with green fel fire, turning them to ash and melting the bone, but leaving the castle unharmed as though the fire was alive in a way. As her legion was being destroyed by the little runt, Gilda charged after Luna, who had taken cover in a side room. Gilda clawed through the door, then reached out for Luna, who swiftly dodged out into the hall, now clear of ghouls. “You like that? You fuck!” Gilda sneered, turning around to attack again before stopping short. A single strand of magic was attached to her right eyelid. Luna slowly moved back her wing, ripping the eyelid off Gilda’s skull. “OWW!!! DIE!!!” She screeched, blood flowing down the side of her head as she madly rushed the younger princess. Her progress was quickly halted as a rope bound her legs mid leap, planting her beak into the floor. Applejack quickly bound and held the gryphon in place, while a furious Rainbow Dash and her friends walked out to the gryphon. “Ah got er, Princess, you ohkay?” Called Applejack. “I think I’m a bit out of practice.” Luna said as she approached the gryphon. “That’s an impressive knot you did. Where did you learn that?” “Use it ahll the time to help haul apples everywhere, also keeps a certain pegasus from cheat’n.” “Let me fucking go, you fucking apple whore! Is this the best Canterlot’s got? No wonder you all went down like a bunch of pussies!” Gilda laughed. “I’ll be asking the questions.” Said Luna, standing over the gryphon. “Whats the objective of this attack? Who are you taking orders from?” “Who, me?” Said Gilda, “I’m just a tourist, I was passing by totally minding my own business and thought I’d have a look, so we cool, dude?” Rainbow stepped around Luna, and planted a hoof on Gilda’s talon, breaking some of the bones. Dash stared coldly into her old friends eyes, rage at her betrayal, not only to her, but to Equestria and the Princesses themselves, burned inside her. No punishment great enough existed to make Gilda suffer for her act of treason. “Gilda, the left one is next.” Said Dash. “We were following orders, alright?” Gilda grunted as Dash ground her broken talon under her hoof. “We were told to attack the castle and kill everyone we found inside, we’re supposed to confirm the deaths of the officials in the meeting, the Princesses, and your pet vampire.” “Hold on, you’re not the only one in charge here.” Said Twilight, looking up from the notes she was taking, “Who else?” Gilda smiled and laughed. “Wow, you’re quick! Right now, big brother Luke is downstairs beating Alucard into a carpet stain!” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Your name gets thrown around quite a lot, Alucard. The things people say... In my homeland, they tell stories that were passed down from generation to generation. Stories about your amazing strength, how you glided through oceans of blood. They called you Night Walker, beyond pony kind. A monster who’s powers radiate with a darkness that casts a shadow on darkness itself. Finally, I get to know once and for all if the stories have any truth to them. “When I was a mere mortal I feared you, the stories anyway. And when I gave up my mortality, when I became this, I began to admire you. You, the first great pioneer of immortality. No matter what the rest of us do, really we’re all just chasing your shadow.” “That’s ridiculous. You foal, there’s no such thing as an immortal.” Said Alucard, black shadows from his body lifting the wineglass to his mouth. “Yes, I know. Once I have your head on a stick, everyone else will know it too.” Luke grinned. “So now I get to kill you, and make my wildest dreams come true.” Faster than can be seen, Luke lunged forward, sharp talon shredding Alucard’s neck just as Alucard shot a blast of magic through Luke’s head. They both fell to the floor, blood flowing freely as they both grinned and laughed deeply. Luke was back on all four legs in an instant, clawing and biting Alucard as he lay there grinning. Alucard, head twisted at an odd angle, raised a single hoof, shadows of darkness and evil surrounding his leg. Luke leaped back and began to dodge the blasts of magic, seeming to disappear and reappear at random, getting close enough to slash or claw Alucard before retreating back again. “You’ve never seen anything like me before,” Luke said, moving in a zig-zag pattern, “I was designed to surpass you in every way.” Alucard was accurate, but the at a distance Luke had just enough time to dodge to the side, taking little to no damage, a feather here, a tuff of fur there. “I was born to be your death!” Luke called as he lunged at the opening, his victory close at hand. He grasped Alucard’s head, “Check!” he said, as though they were playing a simple game of chess. But before he could rip off Alucard’s head, a glowing hoof was pressed to his chest. Luke jumped off just in time to avoid a blast to his heart. Luke was back to helplessly dodging the seemingly endless barrage to magic aimed at him. He sidestepped another blast, and an explosion sounded behind him. Taking the risk, he quickly looked back to see the bottom of the stairs had been reduced to rubble. “That little bit of magic did that? Fuck...” Luck said, astonished. “Your reflexes are amazing!” Said Alucard, standing for the first time to face Luke. “I told you I’m completely different from any creature you’ve ever faced before!” Luke said as he prepared to fight once again, sharp wings at the ready. “I have the sum total of your vampiric power at my disposal, all of it, and more!” Alucard let out a whistle of mock impression. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Me and my brother, when we were turned, we were designed for the sole intention of killing you fucks! Your all so fucking dead and you don’t even know it!” Rainbow smashed her hoof down on Gilda’s broken talon to shut her up. “Your in no position to make threats.” Dash said coldly, earning a bark of laughter from Gilda. From behind them a low growling rose up the stairs, the distraction was enough for Gilda to slam her head against Rainbow’s, and her vampiric strength was more than enough to snap the rope. As the ponies recovered, they turned to see Gilda standing before another hoard of ghouls, these dressed in completely different attire. “And now,” Gila announced to her audience, “For my next trick, check out door number three!” She said as she motioned to the stairs as the ghouls stepping into the hall. Everypony’s eyes widened in horror, the Royal Guard have become ghouls themselves, and were advancing in their direction. “What have you done?!” Demanded Luna, anger and hate burning inside her. Applebloom stood stock still as the newly formed ghouls came towards her. “Heh. Time to get this party started!” Gilda said with a flap of her wings, flying over the ponies’ heads, making for the throne room. Twilight and her friends gave chase as Luna used her magic to halt her progress, but only succeeded in ripping off Gilda’s wings, who laughed off the pain as she charged through the door to the throne room. She was greeted by a very angry Princess Celestia, wings spread wide and eyes glowing brightly with magic. “You made it,” Celestia said, her voice deep and overcome with divine powers, rattling the castle with each word, “Congratulations.” “Oh fuck me!" Gilda screamed as Celestia released her magic, spears of light, hot as the sun itself, burst from the floor stabbing Gilda through every part of her body, leaving the heart intact. Just as quickly the spears disappeared and let the body fall to the ground, allowing the Princess to see the chaos in the hall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ‘He’s not even trying to dodge my attacks, does he think he’s indestructible?’ Luke thought as he continued to dance around Alucard, viciously slicing him with wing and talon. ‘Everything has a breaking point, he may act like he’s not injured, but he’s taking far more damage than I am.’ Luke saw Alucard stumble slightly, ‘I can beat him!’ Luke thought, preparing to re-double his efforts. “Yes... Excellent..!” Alucard laughed devilishly. “I haven’t had this much fun in ages! What did you say your name was?” He looked up into Luke’s eyes, gazing into his soul, measuring its worth. “It’s Luke... Luke Valentine.” He said, sweat glistening off his feathers, not that he was tired, but of fear. Fear of the look in Alucard’s eyes. “Luke Valentine... It’s obvious that your powers are beyond the highest category of vampire.” The room’s temperature suddenly dropped to freezing temperatures as a dark cloud surrounded Alucard. His cutie mark began to glow with a hellish red as he balanced on his hind legs, holding his hooves out in front of him in an odd manner. “Releasing control art restriction systems three, two, one. Approval of situation A recognized, commencing the Cromwell Invocation, ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent.” Alucard moved his hooves to the sides of his right eye as his body disappeared into the darkness engulfing him, leaving just the eye suspended in the cloud. Luke could only watch in horror as eye after blood red eye opened from within the darkness, staring into his very being as they spread out along the walls, surrounding Luke from all sides. There was a wet sloppy sound, and Luke saw that Alucard’s pony body was ripped limb from limb and lay motionless on the floor. “Now, Luke Valentine,” Alucard said from everywhere and nowhere, “It’s time to educate you on how a real vampire does battle!” The mist formed giant heads, wolfish in shape, with sharp, gnashing teeth that lunged out toward Luke. Luke cried out in terror as he jumped back from the many jaws of death. With a final terrified scream of terror he turned and fled toward the staircase. He made it as far as the doorway before a magic shot cleared him of the burden of having a right hind leg. When Luke stumbled from the loss of an appendage, a pair of jaws found their home on his back, ripping off his wings as they quickly devoured them. Luke continued in desperation towards the staircase as another burst of magic severed the remaining hind leg as he reached the rubble that used to be the first few stairs. Luke looked up the long staircase in desperation, a tiny point of light that marked the top, impossibly too far away for him to escape to. With a quiet whimper Luke turned to face his death, dragging his body along the ground. “What are you? What in the hell are you?!” Luke demanded, screaming at the quickly approaching darkness. “Come on! Get up! Attack me!” The darkness said, its amoebic form shifting and turning as it spoke, “You’ve only suffered the loss of your legs and wings!” It said, floating said limbs in the air in front of Luke as a form of mockery. “Summon up your familiars, transform you body, heal your severed limbs and stand! The evening is still so young, come on! Hurry, hurry, HURRY!” It said, squeezing the wings and legs with such strength they were reduced to mush. “Pull yourself together!” The head and front legs of Alucard’s pony shape appeared in the mist, mouth impossibly huge compared to his head, mane floating around in the air, his glowing blood red eyes staring into Luke. “The fun has just begun! Come on, HURRY!!” “MONSTER!!!” Luke screamed at Alucard. Alucard’s bloodthirsty grin was quickly replaced with a disappointed scowl. “So...” Alucard said, the darkness pooling around his hooves on the floor. “I see you for what you really are. You’re pathetic! Nothing but a useless sniveling lump of meat!” “Shut up!” Luke said, “Your nothing but the Hellsing Organization’s toy! A dog for Luna not even fit to call himself a vampire, a pa-” “SILENCE!” Roared Alucard. “I’m a dog?” The darkness reformed, dozens of eyes opened as a large toothy grin appeared. “Then you’re dog food.” Alucard disappeared once more into the darkness as it surged toward Luke, who screamed his last scream as he was completely devoured. “Was that really all you had?” Said Alucard, once more in his normal pony state as he stood in a large pool of blood. “Such a shame, I overestimated you. As a vampire you were just a pathetic piece of shit, now your nothing but dog shit.” The pool of blood was absorbed into Alucard’s body through his hooves, leaving not a single drop behind. “The one upstairs didn’t seem like much, but they’re having more trouble with her than I would have expected.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Applebloom was able to snap herself out of her state of shock, only to be surrounded by the ghouls, the former Royal Guard. “My guards...” Celestia said, horrified as she helplessly watched them surround Applebloom. “They turned all my guards to ghouls.” Applebloom was beginning to panic, her friends wanting to jump in to help her, but they were held back by Luna. Overcome with fear, something inside Applebloom woke up and seized control of her body, the vampiric need for self preservation fueling her as she punched and bucked the ghouls around her, tearing apart each one with absolute ease. All the ponies were shocked at the spectacle as blood and pony parts flew through the air. “Applebloom!” Applejack called out to her sister, who was grinning at the amount of blood and carnage strewn about by her hooves. Applejack raced out to her sister, who was going about and smashing all the larger body parts to smaller pieces. AJ grabbed Applebloom and embraced her in a tight hug. “You can stop this, Applebloom, you got them all!” AJ said, crying into her sister’s mane. “Please, stop!” At this, Applebloom became in control once again, and was shocked at the amount of blood she was covered in, as well as the remains of the guard she had destroyed. Gilda, still barely alive, was thrown against the wall by Twilight’s magic, and Rainbow Dash began interrogations. “It’s all over.” She said. “Nice. Come on and kill me then, bitch!” “I’m not going to kill you, Gilda, that would be far too kind of me.” Rainbow Dash said, fury in her voice once more. “You’re going to tell me who told you to do this, and why you accepted, then im going to have Celestia banish you to the center of the sun for all eternity.” “You serious? You fucking bitch.” Rainbow Dash stepped aside as Twilight blasted Gilda with a bolt of lightning. “Owww....” Said a now smoldering Gilda. “I’m sick of your harassment Gilda, I’m pissed off.” Said Rainbow. “Who sent you? What did you hope to accomplish? Why did you attack my friends? Start talking!” Gilda laughed, “Come on bitch, you know. The one’s that weaved this spell into my body, turning me into a vampire. It’s sending them information, letting them know we fucked up. They can hear us talking! Every last fucking word! If they know I’m laying here all fucked up and dieing about to tell you everything, you think they’re going to let me fucking live?” Blue flames engulfed Gilda’s body, slowly turning her to ash. “See?! I so fucking told you!” She laughed as everypony backed up a step. “Well, since I’m fucked, why don’t I piss a little wisdom on you dipshits!” She laughed again, “You can take this clue, and shove it up your ass bitch! Beware... The... Millennium...” She forced out as the flames consumed her entirely, leaving a pile of smoldering ash on the floor. All was silent for a few moments, the mayors and various leaders, as well as the maids and butlers, coming out from hiding to see the gore quickly went back inside, trying not to vomit. “Come, Luna,” Celestia said to her sister, “Let us gather the dead. Twilight? You and your friends go out to the garden and prepare a massive fire. That will be the funeral, as well as the form of curing the ghouls, we don’t need anypony to get infected. We will discuss this change of events in the morning.” With that, everypony silently went about their tasks. Celestia and Luna hovered the body parts onto a large makeshift wagon, Alucard was soon to join them, consuming the blood left behind. Twilight and her friends made their way to the garden, Twilight used her magic to dig a giant pit in the ground, using the dirt for form a protective wall to keep the fire from spreading. She was about to summon fire at the bottom of the pit when she was stopped by Applebloom. “No, let me Twi. Mah fire can destroy anything, an that’s whut we need right now.” Twilight silently stepped aside as Applebloom closed her eyes in concentration once again. She compressed the green aura into a ball then lowered it gently into the center of the pit. Green fel fire spread out from the center and up the sides, making a bowl of flame. They sat there and watched the fire burn coldly, leaving the ground unharmed. After some time, they were joined by the Princesses, as well as an overloaded chariot and wagon. The chariot contained the immediate family members of the guards, while the wagon was stacked high with the bodies. The families formed around the bowl of fire, saying nothing, the looks on their faces all but woe. Celestia cleared her throat. “We gather here tonight, to honor the passing of many great ponies. Each one gave their lives in defense of us, in defense of their families, in defense of Equestria. These acts will not go unnoticed, and a memorial will be created on this spot, to commemorate their courage and self sacrifice throughout time.” With that, Luna levitated several bits of a pony off the wagon, most of the body having been consumed by innumerable ghouls. The crowd gasped and cried out in pain at the sight as Celestia read out the name and rank from memory of the remains of each guard as Luna ceremoniously lowered the remains into the pit of fel fire.
Keyframe	1150	1	Original Character,Other,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shadow Of Dreams	An inventive pony wants to fly like a pegasus but us faced with challenges other than limitations.	hiatus	41	1	<p>Summer Sparks is a very inventive pony. For an Earth pony she is very good with her hooves and doesn't rely on magic for technology. But with all her success she still dreams of flying highwith the graceful speed of a Pegasus pony. With her newest creation, Gigatrot, she goes to Ponyville. And compared to flying, how hard could making friends be?</p>	everyone	2011-11-04T07:17:59+00:00	2011-11-04T07:17:59+00:00	3,256	Shadow of Dreams By Keyframe ([email protected]) The night was rank with the smell of sweat and grease in the streets of Canterlot. Sounds rang with constant clanks and buzzes of saws and other mechanical wonders grinding away on steel. The flames licked the air as they hummed and cracked, while the smoke ascended to the starlit heavens above. Everything that came from the shop would be considered noise to some ponies. To Summer Sparks, it was a glorious mechanical symphony. Summer was a cream colored Earth pony. She had a short strawberry mane with a matching tail-- the length was more of a safety precaution than fashion statement. Her tool belt, tightly harnessed around her shorts, was ornamented with ratchets and wrenches; the shorts she wore had many pockets. “Summer, are you almost done over dere?” called a deep voice from across the yard. A solid black colt trotted across the open lot of the ‘shop’ looking at Summer. His hair was messy, unkempt, and in clumps-- ‘dreadlocks’ he called them; and so everypony called him Natty Dread. “You need to get some sleep. You can finish your project tomorrow after your trip to Ponyville.” “It’s not just a project!” protested Summer. She put down the boots used to hold up the welding torch. “He’s my new friend and assistant. Once he’s up and running, we’ll make more parts than we’ll know what to do with! Some ‘project’... pshh.” “Summer, I don’t know whatchu’ see in dis’ robot. It’s just going to be like all da rest-- dey take two steps den’ dey’ fall over and leak oil.” Natty kicked the nearly finished robot in the leg to make a point; he winced and immediately regretted his actions. The robot didn’t topple over but Summer knew what he meant to do. “That’s not going to happen. Not this time,” Summer said pulling off her yellow laced goggles. “Dey’ never do what you want dem’ to do. They’re all useless.” “Useless? Just because something doesn’t do what I planned it to do in the first place doesn’t make it useless.” “Den’ what do you call dem?” Natty asked. “Works-in-progress,” snapped Summer. “Did you just come here to make fun of me?” “Not at first,” Natty admitted, “Just promise me you’ll get some sleep. You’ve made over a tousand’ robots and each time you failed.” Natty turned and left the shop, departing into the streets of Canterlot without a single glance back. Summer was left to herself and the robot she had been working on. The light from the furnace filled the spot where Natty was standing. Summer scowled at the now vacant spot. “I haven’t failed. I just found a thousand ways not to make a robot...” Her scowl disappeared as she surveyed the mechanical pony. It was as large as Natty, but opposite color. Inside, a mainframe of gears, chips, and circuit boards intertwined like nopony had ever seen. It was going to work-- it had to. Setting up the coding for the system to work was troubling. It was so new that anything could happen. Nopony had ever done it before; at least not without magic. Even then, an understanding of the mechanism was essential. The robots that fell over were a result of bad coding, the ones that exploded were a result of an electrical issue. Natty hated the ones that exploded, and for a good, logical reason. She chuckled remembering the very first test run with Natty. “Uh, you sure about dis?" asked Natty, adjusting his worn out goggles. They were both behind a large pile of sand bags. A prototype robot stood 40 feet away, cord laid out between them. "Nope," grinned Summer. "Bonzai!" And she throwing the switch. Natty ducked under the bags, shaking like a leaf. Nothing happened. Summer scowled at the failure. Natty perked his head up slowly and took a good look at the robot. He removed his goggles at the worst time; the robot exploded in a huge ball of fire. Both Natty and Summer barely escaped the burst of heat. Summer was covered in black ash and Natty lost his eyebrows. She couldn't help but laugh every time she saw him like that. That was the last time Natty participated in testing. For her the only way to see if it worked was for an all or nothing test. Of course, Natty always made sure she was safe. She could always count on Natty for that. Summer stared long and hard at the robot. Checking and double checking to see for mistakes in her work. Her eyes traveled down to its flank, the same solid white as the rest... “Oh, I almost forgot!” Summer snapped her goggles back over her eyes and inserted her hooves into her gloves. The torch ignited and she began drawing on the flank of the robot. Summer drew a check mark with two empty circles, one on either side of the longer stroke of the mark. She smiled at her work, putting down the torch for good this time. Her goggles fell around her neck but she didn’t care. Her eyes swelled as she stared at the forged cutie mark. “Well Gigatrot. You're a true pony now.” Summer said, weakly, her eyes starting to swell. “My father had that cutie mark." She tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn’t help herself. Small water droplets ran down her face and dripped onto the floor. She sniffed regaining her composure and wiping her eyes and cheeks. “Guess I better start you up.” With her nose she flipped a switch inside his left ear. Its eyes spiraled, glowed yellow and flashed slowly. It stood motionless. “So far, so good. I’ll check up on you in the morning.” She closed up shop and headed home. She must have been more tired than she realized. The stepping stones beneath her hooves moved by themselves, and before she knew it, she bumped her head on the door to her house. “Ouch…” Summer whined as she rubbed her forehead. Opening the door, she made no hesitation to go straight to bed. Summer tip toed around the gadgets and tools that littered the that made the place seem more like a junkyard than any living environment. The would have to clean the place up one of these days. The lights weren’t on but the glow of the moon reflected off of every metal piece on the ground. Kicking the knickknacks off the bed, Summer let gravity pull her as she flopped onto the soft feathered mattress. Summer closed her eyes for a moment, hugging the pillow she was resting on. She opened her eyes. Next to her bed was a night stand with an unlit candle and a picture frame. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness again she saw a brown colt much, much older than she was. Summer smiled at the picture, her eyes half open. “Good night Dad…” She yawned and drifted off to sleep. * Summer dreamed she was in the clouds-- one of millions in a white stadium. Every pony’s eyes all traced the circled smoke in the sky above. Summer was just a little filly. She sat next to her father, comparing height and trying to sit as tall as he did. Both of them were in the nosebleed section of the stadium high above the other pegasi and ponies. The other pegasi were faceless and blurry and the day was bright and sunny. A lightning whip cracked across the stadium as The Wonderbolts zoomed overhead. The faceless crowd cheered, her father smiling at the wonder in Summer’s eyes. “Dad! Dad! Did you see that?! They were all like whoosh and swish!” Summer exclaimed, acting out the performance. The show may have been over but it was engraved in her brain. “I did, I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He said, nudging her along to keep moving. “I still can’t believe you took me to see The Wonderbolts!” she was bouncing now. Her father laughed. “I pulled some strings-- not every Earth pony can walk on clouds.” He said scooping her up onto his neck. “So how can we walk on the clouds?” “Magic, Summer” he said. “Remember Ivory? The white unicorn?” “The one with the smiley cutie mark? Yeah! She was really nice!” “She used a magic spell to let us walk on the clouds.” “Does that mean I could fly too?” Her father stopped, and looked back at her. He was surprised Summer would ask that. His face wasn’t angry. Instead, he smiled her. “Yes, I suppose you could.” He turned his head forward. They were crossing the archway now. The white sun disappeared for a moment before returning again in a blinding haze. “That’s what I want to do. I want to fly. Fly really, really high! Just like The Wonderbolts! I could get my cutie mark!” “I would love to see that. You could be the first Earth pony to fly with The Wonderbolts.” “You really think so?” asked Summer, her eyes glowing. “Anything is possible. Just remember your old Dad when you’re big and famous.” He smiled, bucking her softly up and down. They both entered the taxi basket to descend back down to Equestria. Summer hugged her father about the neck tightly. “I won’t forget you, I promise.” * Chapter 1 Summer awoke the next morning with the biggest smile on her face. She opened her eyes and blinked quickly multiple times. The picture frame of her father reflected the light from the sun just barely from behind the mountains. It wasn’t white like her dream. Only, it wasn’t a dream, it really happened. Her father brought her to Cloudsdale for The Wonderbolts air show, it was her first time seeing pegasus ponies fly around, performing daring stunts and amazing feats. Summer wanted to go to more shows, but money was tight and her father would always say “Some other time.” Mechanics and engineers didn’t make as much then. Her father owned the store she worked at, and instead of buying new toys he would create fantastic ones for her there. The best gift he gave her was a pair of goggles that looked just like the ones The Wonderbolts wore. She wore them everywhere. She would run around in front of the shop lot pretending to fly; there were times she really thought she was a member of The Wonderbolts. But over time, the toys would stop being made and that dream of becoming a Wonderbolt was met with reality. She was an Earth pony, and Earth ponies can’t fly. When she was old enough she worked in the shop with him and made her own gadgets and learned everything she could from her father. Then he passed away a few years later, and left the workshop to her in his will. The loss of her greatest role model nearly destroyed her. It was Natty that helped Summer rebuild her life after her father’s death. She reopened the shop and took over the business. Summer renamed the shop from The Big Nail to The Little Nail. Business didn’t catch on very quickly until Summer fixed a chariot for Lord Solaris during the last Summer Sun Celebration in the streets of Canterlot. Meeting with Lord Solaris was something Summer would never forget. “Thank you, Summer.” Lord Solaris said. “Without your help these supplies would never have made it to Ponyville this year.” Summer blushed-- she didn’t know what to say. “Y-you’re welcome, milord. I did what anypony would do.” Summer looked at the ground, almost terrified to look up. “Of course, but thanks to you we will be on time for the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration. Will you be attending?” “What? Um… no, I have a lot of work to do.” Summer worried she said that too quickly. Lord Solaris didn’t respond for what seemed like an eternity. “I understand.” He spoke finally, “Thank you again, Summer.” Of course, that was the day Nocturnus Mane returned to bring night time eternal and was defeated by the Elements of Harmony soon after. Not very many ponies, outside of Ponyville knew what had happened until it was all over. A few days later, an article in the Equestria Daily newspaper mentioned her shop, along with a royal recommendation. Business boomed and The Little Nail was known throughout Canterlot, not only as a machine shop, but as a repair shop for almost anything. It would have made her father proud to know how well the shop was doing. Summer got up from her bed and maneuvered through the debris field that was her home to the front door. Natty was already at the shop when she arrived, but he was standing a good distance from the entrance. “What’s going on?” She asked as she approached the black colt, he didn’t say anything. “Natty? Hello-o-o-o.” Natty motioned inside with his hoof. Hesitantly she glanced over to the shop. A white flash whizzed by one of the machines; Summer jumped prompting another flash. A small squeal of fear escaped from her lips that made Natty jump. “Sorry… What was that?” “I was hoping you could tell me!” He said, looking very surprised. “Isn’t dat your robot?” Summer honestly didn’t know. The white flashes did look like a pony, but nopony could move that fast-- not even The Wonderbolts. Summer was scared. She wanted to run away but in that brief instant her legs had a mind of their own and were walking towards the shop. “Hello?” Summer said softly. There was no response. “Is… anyone there?” The white flash burst itself directly in front of her. It was her robot. The white metallic colt turned his head like some bird and inched towards her. Summer’s eyes frantically looked around, unsure what would happen next. “Voice recognition required.” It spoke to her, its mouth not moving but only flashing a light. “Uh….” Summer said dumbfounded. “Uh….” echoed the robot, replaying the audio. It kicked his head back. Summer could hear the data crunching in its head. “Voice key recognized: Summer Sparks. Greetings, creator.” It was then Natty appeared behind her. Summer shot him a dirty look. It was so nice of him to appear when everything was safe. The robot’s mechanical eye never moved away from Summer. “So it is your robot. I’m eatin' my words Summer; it didn’t fall over.” “Yea…” said Summer to Natty, lost for words. “This One has no identity.” “Your name is Gigatrot...” said Summer. The robot’s eyes flashed at Summer’s words. “Gigatrot.” The robot repeated. “Dat name fits,” agreed Natty. “You see da way he was runnin'?” Summer looked back to Natty. He was more impressed than she was, it seemed. “Gigatrot accepted.” “So, what does it do?” asked Natty. “I- I don’t know.” admitted Summer, looking from Gigatrot to the black stallion. “Didn’t you build it?” “Of course I did! But you know what coding is like!” “Not ta mention you had trouble readin' your father’s notes.” joked Natty. “Right.” “Hey, it’s not goin' to explode is it?” Natty asked, ducking quickly behind Summer. She pushed him away. “It shouldn’t,” said Summer. “But can,” Natty added. Summer gave Natty a very nasty glare. “But it probably won’t! My look at da time, you should be on the road to Ponyville.” said Natty pushing her away from the shop. “What? I just got here. And Gigatrot-“ “-will go witchu'.” interrupted Natty, “I’ll watch The Little Nail. You go to Ponyville. You’re going to Carousel Boutique-- can’t miss it.” Natty pushed Summer out to the street until she finally gave up struggling against the bigger colt. Gigatrot didn’t do anything except follow and stare wordlessly. Summer waited outside the store for Natty to bring the wagon out to the front. He also brought her toolbox and anything else she may have needed. When Natty came back with the wagon, Summer helped him load the tools. “Who's the client?” asked Summer as she put the last of her things on the wagon. "His name is Elusive." "You don't think he's going to be a problem?" Summer asked, nodding at Gigatrot. Natty shook his head. Gigatrot stood motionless, watching Summer and Natty's conversation from a distance. “So, you going to help?” she asked Gigatrot uncomfortably. She didn't know what Gigatrot could do, but something would be better than nothing. “If it is required. Is it required?” Gigatrot approached the wagon. He looked at the harness and the contents of the wagon. There was a sequence of pinging noises coming from his head. “Will you be pulling the wagon?” “If it is required...” mocked Summer. She looked at Gigatrot, half-expecting a response but she received none. Summer finished securing the last of her tools and trotted to the front of the wagon. To her surprise Gigatrot, was already harnessed in and waiting for her to appear. Summer didn't say anything; she just looked at him. Gigatrot had just recently been activated. She didn't know the limits he had, she trotted up beside him. “This One will haul the wagon.” offered Gigatrot. Summer looked at Natty; he turned away to avoid eye contact. “You are welcome,” said Gigatrot, getting Summer's attention. The kindness he offered oddly annoyed her. If she wasn't doing something, she felt useless, almost like a broken tool. Instead of sitting in the wagon, she grabbed the harness around Gigatrot and adjusted it for two ponies. The wooden harness doubled over itself like a sandwich. The top half of the sandwich had a groove for a pony’s shoulders facing the sky, and when folded over side by side, it created two harnesses. It was a simple device Summer invented when Natty was having trouble switching from a single to a double harness. She fastened herself in easily enough, Summer looked at Gigatrot who was standing as still as ever, watching her. Summer caught a glimpse of Natty shaking his head; Summer ignored him and faced Southwest. “Let's go.” Summer said, pushing against the wood on her chest. It was a slow start, but she was a strong filly. Once Gigatrot began pulling it was almost weightless; it didn't even look like he was trying. The walk to Ponyville would be hours but at least the sun was shining. The birds were already flying around the town in the shadow of Canterlot’s giant towers. Canterlot was still busy even for an early morning, industry never sleeps. The shop owners all came out, ringing their morning bells to start the day. Summer would, on occasion, chat with the fruit stall owners when shopping. The owner of one stall was a red mare with blonde hair and her cutie mark was a brown jug with three X’s. She would call Summer over once she had a new product to sell. The last time Summer saw her she claimed she had the ‘best thing since sliced bread’. “What’s this?” Asked Summer while pointing at a bottle with the same three X’s on it. “Hard apple cider.” Summer examined the contents of the bottle carefully. “Is it safe? What’s so hard about it?” “It’s just got a kick to it and if it ain’t safe than my name ain’t Apple Cider!” She gave Summer a toothy grin. “Can I try it?” “Of course!” Apple Cider turned around and went behind her cart. She must have had a fountain back there. The sounds of a frothy liquid filled a small mug, some splashed on the ground. Soon after Apple Cider returned with a mug handle in her mouth and propped it on the table. “Drink it slowly.” she advised. Summer nodded and pinched the rim of the mug with teeth and slowly raised it up and took a sip. The cider was ‘harder’ than she thought and immediately coughed on the drink, dropping the mug. Apple Cider laughed “Yup, that’s usually the first response.” Summer blushed and later chuckled as well. Eventually, Apple Cider’s ‘hard’ apple cider became very popular in Canterlot and she hadn’t seen her since. Summer was happy that she was doing so well, although she didn’t see Apple Cider at the market when she and Gigatrot were leaving for Ponyville. They continued hauling the wagon through the market and down to the lower city. Children trotted past them to their morning classes, some groggy and stumbling over their hooves. They didn’t pay Gigatrot any mind. It was either too early or they didn’t see him. Summer didn’t spend much time with children but would often sit and chat with the teachers. They shared funny stories of the little ones. The stories of the children were very heartwarming to her. Some were about them getting their cutie marks or others eating the glitter and paint. One story was about a group of friends that made a ‘secret society’. “They call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” said an orange pony, adjusting her glasses. “Three colts from Ponyville started the group when they realized how the other ponies had already gotten their cutie marks.” “How adorable.” smiled a blue pony standing next to Summer. “And these are Cherry Lee’s students?” “Did they get their cutie marks yet?” asked Summer, interjecting before the orange pony could respond. “Um, I don't think so. Cherry Lee hasn't mentioned anything about it yet, but the idea is getting very popular amongst students in Canterlot.” Summer smiled but didn't say anything else to the teachers. They continued to talk about the Cutie Mark Crusader movement and the funny sayings that the children made. The teachers would always mingle at The Tossed Salad restaurant for lunch. Summer occasionally ate lunch there on her breaks. Summer would be social and friendly, but she hadn't seen them anywhere else in Canterlot. She really hoped that those boys got their cutie marks. I think she said they were from Ponyville, Summer thought, maybe if I get the chance I'll ask somepony about them. Almost tripping over a stone brought Summer back to the task at hoof. She didn't realize it yet, but she wasn't keeping pace with Gigatrot. Gigatrot hadn’t said anything or make any noise that would suggest thinking. Summer looked at the sun; it had already been three hours since they left. She looked around, trying to remember where she was. The surrounding mountains loomed over the hills, rivers, and ,of course, the dirt road with a wooden fence. The trees lined the road giving Summer the impression that they were close to Ponyville. She didn't even remember leaving the gates of Canterlot. She was so lost in her thoughts reminiscing about Canterlot’s market and the teachers at the preschool. Summer finally noticed her hoof steps became irregular to the rhythmic clop shht clop shht, her breath became deeper and heavier with each hoofstep, and much slower than the hoofsteps of the mechanical horse next to her. “Are you well?” asked Gigatrot, almost with a tone of concern? “Don't you worry about me. I'm just fine.” groaned Summer. She gave a heavy push, showing she was still fit to keep going. “Do you normally exert yourself like this?” “I'm not exerting anything... I'm fine.” “I do not detect any difference from me when we started.” he persisted, “but your heart rate and breathing have increased significantly over time.” “You're not like other ponies. One: you're a machine; you don't have lungs. Two: you're connected to a battery that's solar powered. And thirdly: why are you so concerned about me?” Summer was having trouble talking to him while pulling the wagon, but talking almost kept her mind off of the weight. Almost. It was heavier than usual. Whoever was at Carousel Boutique clearly didn't know what was broken and what wasn't; Summer had to bring all the tools just to make sure they could adequately complete the job. The letter they received was written so elegantly neither Natty nor Summer could read it. They did get the address figured out, but they still didn’t know what needed to be fixed, so they brought everything. The harness abruptly stopped. Summer was walking in place, and the wagon wasn’t moving an inch. Eyes closed and her hooves digging into the earth. Gigatrot wasn't moving, his mechanical eyes stared at something that wasn't there. “Concern. Is that something one feels for another? Do I have these feelings?” Summer stopped pushing and opened her eyes to look at the broken ground. “I... don't know. Maybe.... I mean... uh.. can we talk about this later? We really should be going.” Gigatrot blinked, or at least his eyes shuttered like a camera. “Yes, of course.” He pressed against the harness with ease catching Summer by surprise when she was pulled along. “Apologies.” Neither of them said anything to each other for the awhile. That awkward silence lingered longer than it should. How could she say that he was just a thing? Summer had spent so much time talking to him in the shop, but that was when he couldn't talk back. To her, Gigatrot was something that listened and didn't judge. Now he was operating and anything could happen, he might even become someone that looked down upon her like most people for her crazy ideas. “Is that Ponyville?” asked Gigatrot, breaking the silence. Summer looked up from her hooves. “That's it, all right.” Off in the distance was the small town Ponyville. The whole place was welcoming: birds flew over head, the noise of busy ponies coming from the center of town and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She had never been to Ponyville, but she instantly realized she wouldn't mind living here. The air was refreshing; it was as if it said, “Welcome to Ponyville!” to any passerby fortunate enough to inhale it. But Summer lived in Canterlot, and she didn’t think about it moving to Ponyville. It didn't take long for them to reach the town limits of Ponyville. The dirt road became stone under their hooves. Summer was hardly pulling the wagon anymore and by the time they came to a bridge to cross the river that flowed through town, she was out of breath. And there it was, Carousel Boutique, located close to the center of town. It was very well decorated with red ribbons and dazzling sparkles. The building itself truly looked like a Carousel; the only thing missing was a clockwise rotation! The mannequins in the window were adorned with gorgeous outfits for colts, fillies, mares, and stallions. The pair stopped in front of the stoop and Summer unfastened herself from the harness. “Gigatrot, I'll meet you around back. I'll go have a talk with the owner.” “Acknowledged.” Effortlessly he pulled the wagon around to the side of the building. Summer didn't think too much about it and rang the doorbell. Summer could hear erratic movement beyond the door. A was cat hissing followed by a scream of fear. “Opalite! No! It's just the doorbell! “ Summer listened, getting uncomfortable. “Is... Everything OK in there?” “Yes! Be right there! Ow! Opalite, Ow!” There was a large crash followed by the sound of a vase shattering on the floor, Summer cringed. “Okay, everything is not alright but the door is open!” Summer immediately pulled down the door lever and swung the door open. Summer followed the noise of chaos around the circular white building until she saw a white unicorn with short lavender curls. His tail longer than his mane, but curled all the same. Three diamonds adorned his flank. This was one groomed pony, Summer thought. Everything was on the floor: Fabrics, threads, ribbons, a broken vase, all scattered from the ruckus. The unicorn stood very still. On his back was a short haired white cat digging its claws into his withers. “Darling, so good of you to – drop by,” he cringed, forcing a smile. “Are you alright?” Summer asked inching closer. “Quite. Are you the mechanic?” “That would be me, Summer Sparks,” smiled Summer reassuringly. “I have a friend out back with my supplies. Can you show me to the backdoor?” The unicorn cringed as the claws of his cat dug deeper into him. “Yes of course, but if you'd be so kind as to remove Opalite from my back?” “Right, sorry.” Summer approached the unicorn cautiously. The white cat was staring at her intently. “Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” Opalite hissed. Summer frowned at the sound. “Now listen here!” she started, “You should treat this unicorn-” “Elusive,” prompted the unicorn. “Uh, right. Elusive more kindly. He's given you a home, food, and I'm pretty sure he treats you like family. Why do you act like this?” “Oh, h-he's just naturally vicious,” said Elusive, wincing. “You're not helping. Opalite, I think both of you can live here without bothering each other. Is that too much to ask?” Summer and the cat stared at each other. Elusive cringed again by reflex, expecting the claws to dig deeper, they did. “Ah!” gasped Elusive. Summer leapt forward and swatted the air in front of Opalite. The cat hissed and swatted back with more ferocity, Summer retreated back into a shelf closing her eyes. That cat really was viscous. The shelf she stumbled into slowly shook and spilled its contents, strings, plastic boxes of needles and a yellow ball of yarn, onto the floor. The yarn bounced along and caught Opalite’s attention. Leaping off of Elusive he chased the yellow ball out of the room. Summer opened her eyes after the last object fell to the ground. Elusive was in the same spot, except this time without a white cat attached to his back. “Oh, thank you so much for helping darling,” he said, smiling. “Usually I would have had Butterscotch come over and talk some sense into that cat.” Elusive glared at the doorway where Opalite left, he glanced back at Summer who was looking at the mess on the floor. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to,” apologized Summer, picking up a ribbon and placing it on the shelf. “Don’t you worry dear; no harm done.” Elusive said, he closed his eyes and his horn started to glow. All the pieces on the floor shined in the same color as all the items lifted into the air and onto the shelf. “Thank you again for helping me with Opalite.” “But I didn’t do anything.” said Summer, confused. “Of course you did! You tried your best and it paid off.” “How? I made a mess of your shop.” “True, but the cats gone for now and the mess is cleaned.” Elusive smiled at Summer. “I guess you’re right.” Summer agreed, smiling back at Elusive. “Of course darling. Now what did you need?” “The backdoor, my friend is waiting outside.” “Ah, of course. Right this way madam.” Bowing, Elusive pointed a hoof towards the back. *** The sun had finally broken through near midday. Although, most of that time was spent calming Elusive down about Gigatrot. “So he’s a robot?” asked Elusive. “Yes,” said Summer. “And you built him... without magic?” “That’s right. Gigatrot is going to help me today.” Summer smiled at Elusive, who could only return with a frail smile, “if that’s alright with you.” Elusive nodded at Gigatrot in contrast to the initial scream when Elusive first saw him, of which Summer had to promise never to speak again. Mainly it was because of how he screamed: High pitched, and very humorous. Elusive lead them both downstairs into his basement. The windows let small rays of sunlight into the room. The fabrics lay upright against walls and wooden racks organized by color and material. “So what are we fixing?” “This sewing machine right here,” Elusive said while pointing at a very large sewing machine with a wooden cover. Summer looked at him quizzically. “You know I’m not a carpenter right?” “Yes, but the problem is inside the framework.” “Alright, let me see,” said Summer trotting close to the sewing machine, “Gigatrot can you hand me my toolbox?” Gigatrot gave a small nod, bringing forth the red metal toolbox, placing it on the table. “I don’t use it often, only for custom work.” “It’s really old,” said Summer, while she carefully removed the framework of the machine with her hooves. “My great grandfather gave it to me,” said Elusive, “so... can you fix it?” “Of course I can,” boasted Summer, “you hired the best there is.” Gigatrot released a sound that resembled a snort at Summer’s boast. Summer glanced angrily at him but ignored the gesture. “We’ll have it fixed, don’t you worry.” “Fabulous darling, I’ll leave you two to your own devices... and mine.” Elusive laughed at his comment until he was interrupted by a loud thud coming from upstairs. “Sweeney, is that you?” Elusive quickly trotted up the stairs with a look of concern. Of course, fixing an old sewing machine is easier said than done without magic. You still had to know what was wrong. Gigatrot mostly watched, which was probably for the best since he didn’t know anything about the inner mechanical works. It was good that he asked a question every now and then; when Summer changed to a new tool he would ask what it was called and what it was used for. “That’s a ratchet,” said Summer, “something for Earth ponies to easily place, loosen, and tighten bolts.” “This is used by Earth ponies?” “Yea, since Earth ponies can’t use magic to get a grip, they can swivel to adjust.” The two would talk back and forth, he would ask, she would answer; he would watch, she would explain. The old sewing machine wasn’t nearly as wrecked as Elusive had thought. The timing belt was off and the gears were loose; it didn’t take much time to finish. Summer replaced the frame, wiped her sweaty brow with a hoof, and smiled at Gigatrot. Summer pressed down on the hoof pedal and the machine ran smoothly. “All done,” she announced, “let’s go tell Elusive the good news.” Summer rushed up the stairs, a small spring in her step when she pushed the door open. “Elusive?” No response, “Elusive? We’re finished-- it’s fixed.” She looked around the white boutique. He was nowhere to be seen. Opalite was sitting on a mannequin, sleeping. Summer looked at Gigatrot; as usual, he was simply staring into space. “C’mon, we’ll look outside.” She nibbled on Gigatrot’s ear pulling him towards the door. The sun was well past its peak and the citizens of Ponyville were more active than before. Gigatrot was free from Summer’s bite and pulled away to look around Ponyville. They searched around back where the wagon was and that’s where they found Elusive. “Sweeney, Scooter Lou, Apple Buck! The contents of this wagon do not belong to me.” “Elusive what’s going on?” asked Summer, looking into the wagon. She saw three young colts in the wagon, each one with a hammer in their mouth. “Summer, I thank goodness you’re here. My brother and his friends are… how should I put it?” “We’re trying to get our cutie marks!” shouted a young pegasus the color of a Tuscany sun with a purple crest slicked back like he was caught in a wind tunnel. Another pony spat a hammer out of his mouth. His coat was a buff color with a red wine mane and a lighter colored bandanna. “Anything yet?” he said with a thin country accent, trying to get a good look at his flank. “Nothing yet,” said the pegasus, “how about me?” “No.” “Sweeney, these tools belong to Summer,” interjected Elusive. “Now I know you’re doing this for your cutie marks but couldn’t you find something safer?” Sweeney, the white unicorn, looked Summer then to his friends. “C’mon, Cutie Mark Crusaders,” he said, jumping off the wagon. Summer snapped back to reality by the name he mentioned. “Cutie Mark Crusaders?” asked Summer, almost forgetting where she heard the name from. “We’re on a quest to get our cutie marks!” the little colts yelled. The sudden increase in volume made Summer and Elusive cringe. Gigatrot lowered his head at the little ones, cocking his head at each one. “Whoa.” They said in unison. “What is it?” asked Scooter. “I am an artificial equine,” answered Gigatrot, moving his head to look at Scooter. “And you built him?” asked Apple Buck, glancing back at Summer. “Sure did.” "Without magic?" asked Sweeney. Summer noticed a pattern when introducing Gigatrot to ponies. "Sure did." She said. “Wow! Your cutie mark must be amazing if you built this without magic!” jumped Sweeney. Summer backed away slowly looking at her shorts. “Can we see it?” “No!” Snapped Summer. Elusive and the little ponies jumped at the sudden outburst. Even Gigatrot lifted his head quickly. “I mean… we should go. Right, Gigatrot?” “We have no-“ “-time to stay!” said Summer quickly silencing the robot. She pinched the metal ear and pulled him to the front of the wagon. “We’re going back to Canterlot.” “What of the restitution?” “I’ll send them a bill in the mail,” replied Summer while lifting the harness to a single, “you pull.” Gigatrot complied and began moving the wagon forward. Summer cantered behind the wagon to the other ponies. “I’m so sorry, Elusive, but we really have to go. Crusaders, I’ll have to take a rain check on my cutie mark story.” “Promise?” asked Sweeney Belle. “Promise.” “Bubble Berry promise?” “What?” “He’s a friend of ours. He’s very colorful and spontaneous,” said Elusive. “It’s no trouble dear. I’m sure you’re very busy.” Summer smiled, kindly excusing herself and catching up with Gigatrot. She walked beside him as they left for Canterlot. “May I ask you something?” asked Gigatrot when they were out of ear shot from the other ponies. “Does it involve my cutie mark?” asked Summer suspiciously. She already knew the answer. The way she left in a hurry, lying about an appointment they were late for. “Yes.” “Then the answer is no,” said Summer quickly. Gigatrot continued effortlessly pulling the cart. “Why did you give me a cutie mark?” asked Gigatrot, “Is it not something one finds on their own?” “How could you find it on your own?” asked Summer, “you’re a robot.” “But you gave me one.” Gigatrot looked at the welded metal circle with the check mark and two circles of a percentage on his flank. “Do you not like it?” asked Summer, a sad tone in her voice. “It is sufficient." Said Gigatrot. “How do you plan on getting your cutie mark?” Summer stopped dead in her tracks. Gigatrot pulled the cart to a halt as well. “Gigatrot, h-h-how did you…?” stuttered Summer, “I haven’t told anyone about…” “I didn’t,” he said, “I calculated that you would confirm my suspicion.” Summer dropped her jaw. She had just been played by her own robot. Summer shook her head still not believing what just happened. “You can’t tell anypony!” Summer said. “Not a soul!” “Who can I tell?” shrugged Gigatrot. Summer eyed him suspiciously. “… Good.” she said slowly. What is he planning? Summer thought. “I request one thing,” said Gigatrot. “Stay in Ponyville.” “What?” blurted Summer, “I can’t just-“ “You can, and you will.” Said Gigatrot, holding a hoof up to Summer. “But-“ “I have calculated a desirable outcome for you.” “What makes you say that?” “Call it a feeling if you must.” “You don’t have any feelings.” Said Summer coldly. Gigatrot tilted his head at her. She had the impression that he was smiling. Even though he didn’t have any nodes to distort his mouth. “Perhaps,” he said, “I wish to stay.” “And you’re blackmailing me to do that?” “Only you can maintain and repair me,” Gigatrot reminded her. Summer stared at Gigatrot long and hard, being blackmailed by her own creation never crossed her mind. “Also, I will help you with whatever you need to earn your cutie mark.” “Now you’re being nice?” “I am Gigatrot,” he said, “I am what you made me to be.” Summer couldn’t think of anything to say to him, or anything to get her out of his grasp. She would have to send a letter to Natty explaining her absence from Canterlot and what would that say? Hey Natty, I’m writing to tell you that my robot has taken me hostage and I won’t be coming back to Canterlot for awhile until I figure out how to permanently shut him off. -Your friend, Summer Sparks. “Fine,” she said, “what do you want to do?” “I saw a library when we arrived,” said Gigatrot, “I would like to go there.” “There’s a library in Canterlot!” “We are in Ponyville. Canterlot’s library does little good right now.” Summer grunted. “Lead the way…” Gigatrot marched forward. He veered off the path to Canterlot and took the road that lead further into Ponyville.
Keyframe	1150	2	Original Character,Other,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shadow Of Dreams	An inventive pony wants to fly like a pegasus but us faced with challenges other than limitations.	hiatus	41	1	<p>Summer Sparks is a very inventive pony. For an Earth pony she is very good with her hooves and doesn't rely on magic for technology. But with all her success she still dreams of flying highwith the graceful speed of a Pegasus pony. With her newest creation, Gigatrot, she goes to Ponyville. And compared to flying, how hard could making friends be?</p>	everyone	2012-02-12T09:16:45+00:00	2012-02-12T09:16:45+00:00	5,178	Chapter 2 The last few weeks for Summer were nothing but stress. She had been blackmailed into staying at Ponyville by her own creation. Summer rarely got any sleep and finding the library was a worse matter. Her robot never seemed to leave her alone. He always kept a watchful eye on her and never let her out out of his sight. One night, she woke up to see Gigatrot directly over her head just to tell her what time it was. Her scream must have scared the neighbors because the next morning the police knocked on her front door and asked if they could look around. They didn’t find anything. There were other times that Gigatrot was trouble for her. The first thing he mentioned to her was that he wanted to go to the Ponyville library. Summer later found out that Gigatrot didn’t see a library, he saw somepony’s home. Gigatrot suggested knocking but Summer didn’t want to bother them. They would both walk around Ponyville for hours trying to find the library, until Summer suggested to Gigatrot they ask somepony where it was. “We don’t need directions.” He said. Summer couldn’t help but laugh, typical male response, robot or not. Instead,Summer got the attention of the first pony that came by. She was a light blue unicorn with a safety pin cutie mark and flowing white hair with a silver blue streak. “Excuse me, do you know where the library is?” asked Summer, being polite as she possibly could. The blue pony turned around slowly with her eyes closed and started giving directions, until she saw Gigatrot. The look on her face was a mixture of fear and confusion. The pony started to backtrack slowly then galloped off in the other direction. “Wait!” Summer shouted after her. “She was frightened.” Stated Gigatrot, tilting his head looking down the street after the pony. “Really? I didn’t notice.” Said Summer sarcastically. “C’mon let’s try again.” She trotted up to a minty green unicorn. “Excuse me, sir?” “Yes?” He responded kindly. “I’m looking for the library. Do you know where it is?” “I sure do it-” His eyes shifted to Gigatrot, who was twisting his head around following a bird. He gave a short scream, trotting in place and then dashing off. Summer turned around to see Gigatrot’s head spinning like a top. “Gigatrot!” Yelled Summer, Gigatrot’s head stopped spinning. “Yes?” “You’re the one scaring everypony!” Scorned Summer. “Try being... less weird.” “How should I do that?” Asked Gigatrot, spinning his head in the opposite direction. “Never mind.” Every time Summer and Gigatrot tried to talk to somepony they would instantly run away. It was odd: when they first arrived into town no pony gave them a second glance or at least that’s what she thought. Summer didn’t notice the ponies on her first walk through Ponyville. She was more concerned with her job, but now she couldn’t help but notice. They’ll come around eventually, Summer thought, besides I have other things to worry about. Namely Gigatrot. He wanted to see the library, so he wouldn’t say anything about Summer’s non-existent cutie mark, not to mention he also said he would help her get her cutie mark. “Gigatrot, I think I should try this by myself.” Pings and grinding gears buzzed in his head; he was thinking again. His head twitched. “Agreed. You will receive better results without me. I will meet you back at your house with your findings. I will try to not to create anymore problems.”The robot trotted off and disappeared behind an alleyway to avoid being seen. It didn’t take long for Summer to finally turn around and head back home. It was getting late and finding a pony outside was scarce. When she returned home the movers from Canterlot were still unloading boxes from the van. At least they would be if they weren’t hiding inside it. “Belle, Rims, Sander, Ace, this is Gigatrot. He’s with me. He’s a robot I built him, he’s not here to hurt you.” Summer said, after she had been introduced to the movers. “You built him?” Asked Belle. “Yes, without magic.” “Why not use magic?” Questioned Ace. “Because I can’t use magic. Look it’s been a long day how about me and Gigatrot help you guys move everything into the house?” The ponies gave each other nervous looks but accepted the offer. With Gigatrot’s help they were finished in no time at all. They each thanked Gigatrot, apologized for the delay and headed back off to Canterlot. It was good that ponies were getting used to Gigatrot. It just takes time is all. Thought Summer. They were finally ready to unpack. “Take a good look, Gigatrot.” Said Summer, staring at all the boxes neatly sorted around the living room. “This is probably as clean as it’s going to get when we’re here.” “Are you planning on making a mess?” “Well I gotta unpack, don’t I?” She smiled. “You’re going to help right? You’re the reason I’m still here.” “I anticipated that.” Gigatrot nodded in his slow birdlike manner, “I will assist you in unpacking.” “Good. That will give me more time to find that library.” They left most of the contents in the boxes but moved them to different rooms where the contents would be needed. Kitchen utensils in the kitchen, Summer’s stuff in her room, etc… It didn’t take long to finish, Gigatrot moved and lifted the heavier boxes with ease and Summer tried to move the heavier packages but when one almost crushed her she decided to picked up what she could. It was a quarter after six, there was just enough time to go out for another search, this time without Gigatrot. The streets of Ponyville were mostly empty and the sun was beginning to set. Clouds began to form above the rooftops to keep the night warm. Summer had been walking for five minutes and realized she was taking a stroll and not really looking for anything; she couldn’t help but notice all the wonders Ponyville had to offer. The large fountain in the center of town, the clock tower, Town Hall, even Carousal Boutique was an impressive sight at this hour. “Maybe staying here won’t be so bad.” Summer said to herself, passing a flower bed. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply taking in that welcoming air into her lungs like she was breathing for the first time. A loud crack screamed through the sky startling Summer, an instant later she would find herself on her back with the wind knocked out of her. Her vision was blurred, only seeing shapes and colors, she groaned. “Oops.” Said a voice, chuckling, “are you alright?” Summer looked at the source of voice, a fuzzy blue circle, with a clash of every other color on top. “I’m… fine,” she said. “W-what happened?” “I kind of crashed into you.” “Kind of crashed? What were you doing?” she was getting her vision back and was thinking clearer. She shook her head violently focusing to get a better look at this fuzzy ball. Only, it wasn’t a fuzzy ball. It was a Pegasus, as blue as the sky with short hair made of rainbows. “New trick, I’m still working out the kinks.” Replied the pegasus. “Like not crashing into anypony?” Summer asked sarcastically. “Yea, that would be one of them.” The pegasus took a closer look at Summer, eyeing her suspiciously. “Hey, you’re new around here aren’t you? I’m Rainbow Blitz, nice ta’ meet’cha!” Rainbow Blitz extended a hoof to Summer, she hesitated at first but eventually met his with her own. “Rainbow Blitz? As in, the Rainbow Blitz?” asked Summer. She had heard of a pegasus that could travel so fast he could break the sound and light barrier, performing the legendary Sonic Rainboom. The last time it was mentioned was after the Best Young Flyer Competition, the winner was Rainbow Blitz. He saved his friend and few members of The Wonderbolts. “Yup that’s me! The one and only, Rainbow Blitz!” Summer got up from the ground with the help of Rainbow Blitz, even though she wasn't completely comfortable with the gesture. “So, what’s your name?” “Summer.” She said, trying to hold back her enthusiasm, she was going to ask more questions about him but he spoke before her. “Hey! Elusive told me about you!” Summer’s ears perked up, “You’re the one who made that robot everypony’s talking about.” Not exactly the response she was looking for, but it was better than having Equestria’s Best Young Flier fly off in fear. “Yea, that would be me.” Smiled Summer. “Can I see it?” He said quickly, Summer staggered back. “W-what?” “The robot, can I see it?” "Uh... Sure." “Great!” He latched onto Summer and led her the way she came. Rainbow Blitz didn’t know where she lived but continued on down the road all the same. “Hey! Wait a minute!” Protested Summer. “Wait!” Rainbow Blitz screeched to a halt, releasing Summer from his grasp. Inertia made Summer continue and almost fall over. Regaining her balance she turned to the pegasus, her face flushing. “What’s up?” Asked Rainbow Blitz. “What’s up?” Echoed Summer, “I don’t know if you noticed but I was a little busy looking before you decided to sweep me off my hooves just to go see my robot!” “What were you doing?” Summer lifted her head, trying to regain her composure. “I was trying to find the library.” “What? Is that all?” he said, rolling his eyes. “You know where it is?” Summer asked with a tone of excitement. “Yea, a buddy of mine lives there.” “Oh?” Her tone of excitement dropping. Somepony did live there. “Of course, we can visit after we see your robot.” Said Rainbow Blitz while trotting down the road. Summer followed, reluctantly. It wasn’t far of a walk, Summer didn’t get very far before Rainbow Blitz crashed into her. Rainbow Blitz lead the way floating above the ground. “I live just on the river bank. Next to the watermill.” Summer directed. “Wow you weren’t that far from Dusk’s place.” “You mean the library?” “Yeah, that too.” Summer trotted up ahead of Blitz to the doorstep. She stopped in front of him, putting up a hoof. “OK first things first. Yes, I did build him, and no I didn’t use magic.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s just see it.” Said Blitz, bouncing weightlessly off the ground. The door swung open. Inside all the boxes that were recently full were now folded and neatly in the corner opposite them. All of Summer’s possessions on the desks and cabinets. It was much more organized than she was used to. However, Gigatrot was nowhere to be seen. Rainbow was the first to enter and look around, zipping and buzzing around looking for the robot. “So where is it?” “I- don’t know.” Admitted Summer, while walking inside. “Gigatrot? Somepony’s here to meet you.” “Yea, no reason to be afraid.” I’m sure that’s not the reason. Thought Summer. They heard a shuffle in the next room that caught their attention. Summer and Rainbow Blitz briefly looked at each other and ventured into the room. Sure enough Gigatrot was standing still in the corner. His yellow eyes flared as Rainbow Blitz quickly approached for a close inspection. “Whoa...” He said astonished. “You built him?” “Yes I did. We’ve been over this.” Summer said annoyed. “I know but just... Whoa. This thing is awesome. How fast can it go?” “Excuse me?” “You know, how fast can it run?” “I have no recorded running speed to date.” Gigatrot answered. In an instant Rainbow Blitz shot straight up. “We should race! Pony vs. Machine!” “You don’t mean right now do you?” Asked Summer. Almost sure of what the answer was. She looked outside the window, the sun had already set, the night looked darker than usual with the cloud cover... “Yeah! This’ll be the race of a lifetime!” He was buzzing around the room. Summer and Gigatrot’s eyes trailed the pegasus as he came to a soft landing. “It’s too late to race now.” Said Summer. “Why? Fraid’ he’ll lose?” “You’re not racing!” Protested Summer. “You won’t be able to see anything and I don’t want you to crash into another pony.” Gritting her teeth, Summer glared at Rainbow Blitz who landed next to Gigatrot. Everything about him irked her. He was arrogant, obnoxious, impatient, and hot headed. Rainbow Blitz tried to play it cool and avoided her deadly glare. “Well, we can race tomorrow... After I take you to the library.” “W-what?” Stuttered Summer. “Yeah that was the deal right? You show me the robot and I take you to see Dusk Shine and the library.” “You mean you just doing what you wanted.” “Lighten up Summer.” Chuckled Rainbow Blitz. “You didn’t honestly think I’d leave you hanging.” “No, but-” “Summer.” Interrupted Gigatrot. He had been so quiet she forgot he was there. Paying attention to Rainbow was the only thing that concerned her. “What?” She asked trying to calm down. “I see no reason not to have a race. He appears very eager.” He said looking at Rainbow Blitz. “Eager to win.” “Correction: He is very eager.” He turned back to Summer. “With your permission I would like to race.” “Why do you need my permission?” asked Summer. The pings and whizzes turned in Gigatrot’s head. He was thinking again, something Summer was beginning to recognize easily. Rainbow Blitz wasn’t quite so quick. “What’s he doing?” “Thinking” She said quickly. Looking at Rainbow Blitz she could see the confusion on his face. “I think.” “I don’t know.” Gigatrot said at last. The look of confusion returned to Rainbow Blitz’s face. “Hey, aren’t robots supposed to be smart?” Asked Rainbow Blitz, looking to Summer. “My knowledge is based on observation.” Said Gigatrot. “And my observations have been brief.” “So that’s why you want to go to the library? To learn?” Asked Summer. “Correct.” No one spoke for a moment. The only sounds that could be heard was the wind scraping against the windows and rattling the framework. Suddenly a loud crack of thunder shook the house. Summer let out a short scream as she ducked closed to the floor. Rainbow Blitz grounded himself with eyes as big as plates. Even Gigatrot flinched. “Oh that’s right,” said Rainbow Blitz, putting a hoof over his face. “There was supposed to be a rainstorm tonight.” “That sounded pretty nasty.” Said Summer. “Tell me about it. I wouldn’t want to be out there tonight.” Rainbow was looking outside the window. Large water droplets stopped short right in front of his face as they hit the window. From across the room Summer glanced at the same window. “You should go.” he offered. Immediately regretting the action. “Are you crazy? I’m not going out in this storm. Can I stay here?” “No...” Said Summer to herself. The thought of Rainbow staying the night was out of the question.. “It’s no trouble at all. Plus, thunderstorms can be pretty dangerous. But you would know that, being a pegasus and all.” “Right.” Everything about this made Summer feel uneasy, and the polite conversation just made it worse. Gigatrot left, announcing that he was going to shut off for the night. That was as good as time as any to leave as well. “I think I’ll turn in too. Big day tomorrow.” She said, forcing a yawn and stretching. “Good idea.” Agreed Rainbow Blitz. Summer trotted up the stairs. Halfway up she stopped and turned around. Rainbow Blitz was following her upstairs. “Um... What are you doing?” “Isn’t it obvious? Going to the guest room.” “I don’t have one. It’s just my room up here.” “Then where am I supposed to sleep?” “The couch.” She said, pointing back downstairs. His rosy colored eyes followed where Summer was pointing. “Right... The couch. I knew that.” “Of course you did.” She turned her back on him and went to her room. She and Gigatrot spent that day unpacking but the boxes were still lying around. The sound of thunder cracked through the walls again. Summer jumped onto her bed and held her pillow tight. There was nothing worse than a thunderstorm. She stared at the window being pelted by water clenching the pillow harder. Next to the window was the picture of her father, the older stallion with his kind eyes calmed her. She yawned and then smiled at the picture like she always did. “Good night Dad.” She said, closing her eyes softly and drifting to sleep. * Sunlight shined brightly through the window the next morning. For the first time in a week Summer didn’t see Gigatrot when she opened her eyes. Instead, the smiling face of her father in the photograph. “Yaaa!” Screamed a voice from downstairs. Summer jumped at the sound. “Sounds like Rainbow’s awake.” Giggled Summer while heading downstairs for breakfast. As she expected Rainbow Blitz was wide awake and hovering in a corner starring at Gigatrot. “Summer...” He started. “That’s how he says ‘good morning’.” Said Summer with a small laugh. “I Apologize, Rainbow Blitz,” said Gigatrot. “It’s fine. I wasn’t really scared.” “Of course. Breakfast?” Summer offered. “Sure! What did you have in mind?” asked Rainbow Blitz. “Toast and orange juice.” Said Summer coolly. “Is that alright?” “Sounds good to me." They both went into the kitchen. Rainbow Blitz sat down at the table while Summer prepared their meal. “So, what brings you to Ponyville?” asked Rainbow once his patience left him. “Work at first. Your friend Elusive sent for me from Canterlot.” The toast sprang out of the toaster into the air. With two plates ready Summer caught each piece of toast and set them at the table. “And you decided to stay?” He asked reaching for his plate. Summer glanced down at the shorts she was wearing then to the living room where Gigatrot was. She didn’t want to tell him about her problems and she would have to lie to somepony about why she was here. “Yea, I needed a vacation.” she said quickly. She took a bit of her toast. Rainbow’s plate was already empty. “Vacation huh? How long did you plan on staying?” “So your friend Dusk Sparkle?” She asked, trying to change the subject “Shine.” “Right, Shine. He lives in the library?” “Yeah, he’s a student of Lord Solaris.” Answered Rainbow, “He studies magic and sends a letter to him about what he learned about friendship.” “Friendship?” Asked Summer, completely puzzled. “Yeah, we send him letters too. Dusk tells me there’s some magic behind friendship.” “I’ll bet.” Summer said, taking a sip of orange juice. Studying friendship. That’s funny, thought Summer. Or there is a certain type of magic behind friendship... doubt it. At least he’s still learning real magic. Summer finished her meal at last and put the dishes in the sink. “Ready to go?” She asked Rainbow Blitz. “You know it!” He cheered. Gigatrot was waiting for them in the living room. “I’m looking forward to our race, Gigatrot.” “Agreed, Rainbow Blitz.” Summer opened the front door. Rainbow swooped out the doorway and Gigatrot slowly followed behind then Summer. “OK so it’s just down the road here.” he said circling overhead. “It’s not far?” Asked Gigatrot. “Not at all.” Rainbow landed right in front of Summer and Gigatrot. “Hey, why don’t we race there?” “Because we don’t know the way.” Summer said quickly. “Let me finish. I could tell you where to go and whoever gets there first, wins.” “OK.” Said Summer. She looked to Gigatrot. “You’re racing not me.” “No objections.” Gigatrot said. His head twitched again. “Proceed.” “Right.” Smiled Rainbow. He began drawing in the dirt, an overhead view of Ponyville. “We’re right here.” He said pointing at a dot in the ground with his hoof. “And this,” he pointed a few inches away, “is where Dusk Shine lives.” “I didn’t expect it to be a couple of inches away.” Summer joked. “Summer, this is crude drawing of Ponyville. I doubt it is to scale.” Said Gigatrot, turning his head to Summer. Blitz smiled at Summer. “Yup, he’s a robot.” He said. “Ready?” “Yes.” Answered Gigatrot. Blitz took to Gigatrot’s side. “Will you be racing as well?” Gigatrot asked Summer. “I don’t think so.” “Think you’ll keep up then?” Asked Rainbow Blitz, egging her on. Summer narrowed her eyes. “What makes you think I won’t?” She asked suspiciously. “Because you’re not racing.” “Fine! I’ll race.” “Great!” Rainbow Blitz took a spot next to Gigatrot and drew a straight line in the dirt. “First one to Dusk’s place wins. Ready? One.... Two.... Three... Go!” And just like that Rainbow Blitz and Gigatrot bolted from the starting point catching Summer by surprise. She knew Gigatrot was fast but she didn’t know about Blitz. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me!” She groaned, sprinting to catch up. Up ahead Gigatrot turned a corner just before Rainbow. Turning at the same corner, Summer looked ahead and couldn’t see them anymore. At least she still knew where she was going now. It was already apparent that she lost. “I can’t believe he talked me into this!” Said Summer, talking to herself. She slowed down some turning at another corner, the library was within her sights. Rainbow and Gigatrot waiting for her to arrive. “Who won?” Asked Summer, trotting up to them and breathing irregularly. “Rainbow Blitz.” Said Gigatrot. “Really?” She asked Rainbow, shocked. “Was there really any doubt? Your robot’s pretty fast, Summer. If I didn’t fly on the last stretch I might have actually lost.” Boasted Blitz, circling above them. “You flew? How is that fair?” “I saw no problem.” Said Gigatrot, “it was a race to see who got here the quickest, and Rainbow got here the quickest.” “But you can’t fly!” Argued Summer. “And neither can I. It’s just an unfair advantage...” “He flies and I don’t tire easily. We both have advantages.” Stated Gigatrot, tilting his head to Blitz. The pegasus nodded in agreement. “Than what was I for? Clearly this was between you two.” “Fun.” Answered Rainbow Blitz before Gigatrot. Rolling her eyes Summer looked at the tree. “This is the library?” Asked Summer, changing the subject. “Yup.” Said Rainbow Blitz, “Dusk Shine lives here too, with Barbara too.” “Summer, I also noticed something about this tree.” Said Gigatrot. “I know, Gigatrot.” Said Summer, holding up a hoof. Ignoring Gigatrot’s gaze Summer walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute!” shouted a small voice from inside. The pitter patter of small feet scrambled across the floor, getting louder and louder as they got closer. The door opened revealing a small purple and green scaled dragon. “Dragon!” Gasped Summer, hiding behind Gigatrot. “Robot!” Screamed the dragon, hiding behind a pile of books. “I knew this day would come. It was only a matter of time before robots took over Equestria! Robotic overlord show mercy!” “Why don’t you call me Robot Overlord?” Asked Gigatrot, reaching his head over to look at Summer. “Because I know better.” Said Summer, poking her head from behind Gigatrot to look at him. “Barb, it’s OK.” Chuckled Rainbow Blitz looking through the door. “The robot isn’t our new overlord.” The dragon popped her head out from the behind the books. “You sure?” “Yes.” Said Blitz as he casually walked to Barbara’s side. “Barbara, this is Summer and her robot Gigatrot.” “Whoa. That’s so cool!” She said emerging from the pile of literature. She circled around the robot, examining it, then she saw Summer. “Hi! I’m Barbara.” She exclaimed, extending her claw. “Summer.” She replied slowly, examining the claw. “I’ve never seen a dragon before. Are you all this nice?” “Hmm. Not the ones I’ve met. I’m nice though,” said Barbara. “So does it talk? The robot I mean.” “Yes.” Answered Gigatrot, turning his head to Barbara. “Co-ol!” She said in amazement. “Hey Barb, is Dusk here?” Interrupted Rainbow Blitz. “Sure is. He’s talking to Applejack in the basement.” “Can we come in?” Asked Summer. “Oh right! Yes, yes of course!” She moved out of the way and gestured inside. Books upon books neatly stacked in rows and tightly organized on the shelves. As expected, everything was made from the tree. The shelves looked like it was carved into the wall and the tables, while not directly connected to the ground, were cut from the same tree. Barbara scuttled across the floor to a door in the back. Opening the door showed the stairs that lead to the basement. “Hey Dusk! Rainbow’s here with a friend! And a robot!” “What?” Yelled a voice from the basement. “A robot?” “Ain’t robots... Uh.. Science fictiony?” Said another voice. The accent was more Southern than the other. The voices became louder, accompanied by clops of hooves hitting the wooden stairs. “Of course they are. Even with magic, constructing a working robot is almost-” His train of thought stopped in his tracks when he saw Gigatrot. Jaw dropped, he stood motionless. His eyes fixed on Gigatrot. Dusk Shine, a lavender unicorn with a dark indigo mane with two streaks in his hair. One a hue of pink and the other purple. His train of thought stopped in his tracks when he saw Gigatrot. Jaw dropped, he stood motionless. His eyes fixed on Gigatrot. Another pony approached his side and smiled at Dusk Shine. He wore a brown cowboy hat under his blond mane. He was very... large. He almost towered over the lavender pony. “Heh, look at him.” He chuckled, nudging Dusk Shine. “The lights are on but nopony’s home. Well don’t just be a stick in the mud Dusk. I’m Applejack.” Stepping forward he extended a hoof to Summer. “Summer.” She said, shaking his hoof. “This is Gigatrot.” She tilted her head to point at Gigatrot. He didn’t seem all to interested about what was going on and had already removed a book from the shelf and began reading. After Dusk Shine shook himself off he came up next to introduce himself. He didn’t seem to mind that Gigatrot was reading. “That’s a really impressive piece of machinery.” Complimented Dusk Shine. “Isn’t it awesome?” Agreed Rainbow Blitz. “Yes it is. How did you build it?” “With a lot of help. My friend Natty helped me in certain areas. It was my father’s design. I just wanted to see it complete.” She stared at the robot reading a book. Her eyes instinctively focused on the cutie mark she had welded onto Gigatrot’s flank. “What’s he doin?” Asked Applejack, bringing Summer’s attention back to the other ponies. “Huh? Oh, right. He’s reading. He wanted to come here to read the books. We didn’t know the way and that’s when I ran- Rainbow ran into me.” Said Summer, shooting Rainbow a disapproving look. “You’re not going to let that go are you?” Complained Rainbow. “I don’t think so.” “It was an accident and not to mention it was-” “OK that’s enough you two. Summer I don’t see any problems with him reading the books here.” Interrupted Dusk Shine. Gigatrot took another book off the shelf, he was already on his seventh book. “I don’t think it will take long anyway.” “Can he stay here?” Asked Summer. “Until he finishes reading?” Dusk Shine contemplated for a moment. Barbara anxiously looked over to Gigatrot then back to Dusk Shine. “Sure, that’s fine with me. You OK with it, Barb?” “Yeah, as long as he doesn’t take over the world or anything.” Dusk shine started laughing, before everypony joined in. “Gigatrot you going to be able to find your way back once you’re done?” Asked Summer, looking over Gigatrot’s shoulder. With a quick glance she saw a picture of a pegasus flying. “Yes.” Answered Gigatrot, without turning to look at her. She stood there awkwardly as he was reading. Without anything else to say she turned back to Dusk Shine. “Are you sure it isn’t a problem?” “It’s no trouble, Summer.” Assured Dusk Shine. “Are you stayin’ in Ponyville?” Asked Applejack. Summer thought for a moment. Gigatrot wanted her to stay in Ponyville to see the library and to help her get her cutie mark. No reason she could go back to Canterlot once he was done reading. “For a little while. I don’t expect to stay long.” “Well that was a lot of stuff you had at your place for a short visit.” Commented Rainbow. “It’s a girl thing.” She said quickly. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means ‘it’s none of your business’!” “Whoa! Am I gunna have to separate the two of you?” Joked Applejack, moving between Rainbow Blitz and Summer. It took awhile for Summer’s eyes to trail away from Rainbow to Applejack. “No.” She said, “Dusk Shine thank you again for letting Gigatrot stay. I need to go and do some errands.” Crossing Applejack, and approaching Rainbow Blitz. He reared his head, anticipating another argument. “Thank you for taking us to the library.” She didn’t wait for a response from him, she continued walking by to the door. Opened it, and left the library without another word. “She seems nice.” Said Dusk Shine. “That’s one spicy redhead.” Applejack joked, nudging at Rainbow Blitz. The pegasus gave a stern look back at him, Dusk Shine could only laugh. Gigatrot picked up another book. She slammed the door behind her with a loud grunt. “I cannot believe him!” She roared to the empty house. “‘That’s an awful lotta stuff you have for a short visit.’!” She said in a low mimicking voice, crossing her eyes and put her forelegs up on her back to make chicken wings. Stomping to the couch she immediately flipped onto the cushion and stared at the ceiling. She forced herself to get comfortable on the couch by grabbing the pillow next to her and turning to her side to face the empty fireplace. She looked at all the row of flat, folded boxes in the corner. It was a lot of stuff. Rainbow was right, it was just how he said it. She turned on her back again, trying to ignore the boxes and Rainbow Blitz. “I have time for myself now... No blackmailing robots, no obnoxious, big headed, pegasi... Just me and my-” She took a whiff of the pillow she was holding. It smelled vaguely familiar, for some reason Summer held it closer and closed her eyes. The musk from the pillow was a smell she had almost forgotten. One that never really went away but still lingered from the past. Then she realized Rainbow Blitz slept here last night. She threw the pillow away as quickly as she could, and pretended she never had it. A bell started ringing from outsider Summer’s door. “Who is it?” Replied Summer out of instinct. She poked her head over the headrest of the couch. “Mail call!” Summer pulled herself from the couch and rushed to the door. A grey pegasus stood in the doorway. A large bag filled to the brim with letters. “I have mail?” Asked Summer, confused. “Sure do! Your mail’s been forwarded from Canterlot to here! And you’re new to the neighborhood, so I thought I’d deliver it personally and say hello!” He said with a genuine smile, as his eyes drifted apart. Summer stepped back in shock. The pegasus didn’t seem to mind. Reaching into his mailbag he grabbed a bundle of letters held together by rubber band. “Thank you.” She said after taking the letters. “You’re quite welcome.” He paused, “It’s the eyes isn’t it?” Summer blushed. “No! Not at all!” She hadn’t realized it but she must have been staring. “I didn’t mean to-” “It’s alright. I’ve accepted who I am. Also it’s a great trick at parties.” He laughed and tilted his head back and forth. His eyes swirled about and he made a funny scrunched up face. Summer laughed until it quickly melted to a small smile. “Something wrong?” “No, I just have a lot on my mind.” She admitted while adjusting her shorts. “You sure? Maybe I could help.” He said. Summer looked at him with some skepticism. “Try me.” Summer took a deep breath. “I created a robot in Canterlot and he came with me on a job to Ponyville to fix a sewing machine now he wants me to stay here in Ponyville but I wanted to go back to Canterlot then he wanted to go to the library but we didn’t know the way so we got help from a local pony Rainbow Blitz and I can’t stand him so now Gigatrot is over at the library and now I’m here staring at the ceiling.” As soon as she finished she immediately recovered the air that she lost. The mailpony stared in wonder, his left eye trailing off again. “You built a robot?” He said finally. Summer rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point.” “Sounds to me like you’re bored.” “Bored? How can I be bored? I just explained what was going.” “And now nothing’s going on. Summer, you like being active and doing things right? Just because you’re not in Canterlot doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a good time while you’re here in Ponyville.” Now it was Summer’s turn to stare in wonder at the pegasus. “Who are you...?” “Just your friendly neighborhood mailpony! But you can call me Dopey.” He said with a cross-eyed smile. “Have a good day ma’am!” And with that he vaulted into the sky and down the road. Summer watched the figure of Dopey fly off down the street. He dropped a parcel and when he went to pick it up another one fell out. Summer grabbed the mail she had set down beside her and walked inside, closing the door behind her, and took a seat on the couch and sorted through the mail. It was mostly just spam and bills for her house in Canterlot, she could look at those later. One piece of mail was a flier with big bold letters: “Apple Cider’s Harder Apple Cider!” with a picture of Apple Cider holding her own mug. The largest envelope was from Natty. Summer didn’t hear from Natty ever since she told him she was staying in Ponyville. But why such a big envelope? Thought Summer, opening the yellow package. She poured it into her hoof. It was a big clump of papers, some looked older than others. Then one with Natty’s writing. Summer, I hope you’re enjoying yourself in Ponyville. You deserve a vacation. Take as long as you need. I’ll watch the store. I did some cleaning up and I found this design in your father’s office. Since you’re finished building that robot I thought you could use another hobby. I can’t understand a word it says but maybe you can figure it out. Also, I think you’re over thinking this ‘no cutie mark thing.’ I know you. And no pony is going to look at you differently just because you don’t have your cutie mark. You’re successful, smart, and a little stubborn at times and not having a cutie mark doesn’t change that. Keep me in the loop on what’s going on.Natty P.S. There’s a letter from your father in his plans. Be sure to read it.Summer took a look at the big pile of papers and grabbed the first one. Her father’s scribble was instantly recognizable. At first glance it looked like blueprints with his writing in random places. At the bottom one, one section of writing caught her eye. She tried to make out what those two words are. She tilted her head from side to side, rotated the paper, even squinting until it looked like normal writing. ‘For Summer’ it read. She dropped the paper and froze for a moment. “He didn’t have any other projects.” She said reassuringly to herself and picking up the small piece of paper. With all her heart she wanted to read what was on that note, but she was hesitant. She and Natty already looked through his office, even at home to find anything else that belonged to her father. She opened it slowly and began to read. The letters slowly formed words. He never was a good writer, but with each word she read she could hear him talking to her. It felt like he was there, in the living room with her. For Summer, I’ve watched you grow into a remarkable young lady. A lady with ambition, courage, and wisdom. You’ve helped me so much, with little time for yourself. I solely take the blame for that. In my old age you came to help me in the shop and as you got older it became your life. While you may have grown, I still see the little filly that dreamed of flying with The Wonderbolts. Just don’t forget me when you’re famous OK? Summer finished reading with tears dropping onto her father’s signature, the parchment shaking in her hoof. She held it close to her chest and cradled it like a child. It didn’t matter what was on those blueprints. Nothing else mattered. To her the note was the last thing her father had written and he felt remorse. Every time she pressed the note against her, she was saying ‘I’m sorry’ back to him. He had left so quickly, and she didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. That evening was spent alone with the thoughts of her father. Summer had relocated herself to her own bedroom to look at the family portrait of her and her father. Normally, Summer seemed like a tough shell to crack. Not really, her shell was already cracked. She didn’t hide her feelings about her father. Nopony expected her to. He was the only family she had. Her grandparents and other relatives didn’t approve of him marrying a low town Canterlot pony. They weren’t much better off themselves, but he said ‘it was for love, not wealth’ and communications ceased. However, her mother left when Summer was very young. He never told her why. Instead he would pat her on the head and say: “She still loves you.” And left it at that, but Summer never really believed that. How could you love somepony and then run away? She loved her father too, and she ran away. Summer smiled back at the family portrait and clenching her father’s note. The thoughts of memories long passed warmed and saddened her heart. Tomorrow she would have to write back to Natty to thank him. * Birds chirped outside Summer’s window to signal the new day. Although, Summer refused to open her eyes. She squinted at the rays of sunlight and rolled away from the window. Now she couldn’t get comfortable. Twisting in the sheets she pushed the pillow aside and reluctantly opened her eyes to see Gigatrot staring at her. “Ahh!” She screamed, flailing her legs about and falling off the bed. “Summer, it’s 10 A.M. You overslept.” Gigatrot said. “Gigatrot! I thought you were at the library!” She yelled, trying to make herself look presentable for some reason. “I was. Now I am here.” “I can see that, but why?” Questioned Summer, “What about all those books?” “I finished reading them. Dusk Shine was very hospitable. He even escorted me here. Along with Rainbow Blitz.” If Summer wasn’t awake then she was now. “Rainbow Blitz is here?” “No. He’s downstairs.” She shot Gigatrot a dirty look. Summer rose quickly, pressing against the wooden floor with her hooves . She checked to make sure she was still wearing her shorts. “Good.” She muttered to herself, walking past Gigatrot and opening her bedroom door. Gigatrot followed after her. The clops of her hooves hitting the stairs announced her presence to the ponies downstairs. Dusk Shine was standing in a corner surveying some papers. Rainbow Blitz was buzzing around the room, impatient as always and refusing to sit still. “Summer!” Greeted Dusk Shine. “I hope you don’t mind. Gigatrot let us in.” “No, of course I don’t mind. He wasn’t too much trouble was he?” Asked Summer. “Not at all. He read all my books in a single night! That’s very remarkable.” Said Dusk Shine, smiling as Gigatrot appeared from behind Summer. “So what brings you here?” “Well, you kind of stormed off yesterday.” Said Rainbow. “Sorry about that...” Apologized Summer, scuffing at the ground with her hoof. “I was kind of out of line.” “Kind of?” Pressed Rainbow. “Rainbow!” Interrupted Dusk Shine. “What? She was.” He said, coming to a soft land next to Dusk Shine. “That’s not the point.” “He’s right though. I was a pain, especially to you Rainbow. So... I’m sorry.” Said Summer with enough courage to face Rainbow Blitz. He ruffled his wings in a smug manner. Dusk Shine and Summer exchanged looks but didn’t say anything. “Summer, Dusk Shine was inquiring about some papers you left out on the table.” Said Gigatrot, interrupting the silence. “Something Natty sent. I haven’t had a chance to look at them yet.” “I took a glance at it Summer. If that’s alright.” Said Dusk Shine. “To me it looks like a plan for a flying device.” “Flying?” Echoed Rainbow Blitz and Summer together. “You can read my father’s writing?” Asked Summer. “Well not at first, but if I squint really really hard.” Dusk Shine said while squinting at Summer. “Do you plan on building this?” “I- I...” Stuttered Summer. “Come on Summer! If you can build Gigatrot, a flying machine will be no trouble at all!” “Have you looked at the plans Gigatrot?” Asked Summer, turning her head to him. “I have.” "And can it work?" She asked. “No.” Gigatrot said quickly. Summer’s ears dropped for an instant. She thought about it for only a second. The answer came easily to her. “I’ll do it.” “You will need a different source of power to maintain flight. His calculations are incorrect.” “Then we’ll just have to correct them. I’m not about to pass up this.” Said Summer determined to prove herself to Gigatrot. “As for power... We’ll think of something.” “Understood.” Nodded Gigatrot. “How long will it take?” Asked Rainbow Blitz. Summer shrugged, Gigatrot took a long time to build. Something like this would take just as long, if not longer. “One year.” Announced Gigatrot. “One year?!” Gasped the ponies. Although the tones were different for each pony. Summer couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Rainbow Blitz sounded disgruntled, and Dusk Shine was fascinated. “It- it can’t take a whole year... Can it?” Asked Summer, skeptical. “With both of us working. Yes.” “That sounds wonderful! If you need any help you can use some of the equipment in the basement at my place.” Offered Dusk Shine. “Thank you.” Smiled Summer, trotting up to Dusk Shine. She stacked the designs on top of each other and scooped them up into a yellow folder. “Best get started right away.” She said as she reached for the folder with her teeth, trotting to the door. “Where are you going?” Asked Rainbow Blitz. “To make a list of supplies.” Answered Summer through her teeth. The folder glowed and sparkled in Summer’s mouth. Surprised, Summer released the folder. It didn’t fall to the floor, instead it floated in midair. Dusk Shine used his unicorn magic to grab hold of it. He danced to Summer’s side. “I’m good at making lists! Lemme go get my pen and quill.” “I also need to send a letter to Natty. He’s in Canterlot.” “Hey! Wait for me!” Yelled Rainbow Blitz, exiting the house to catch up.
Keyframe	1150	3	Original Character,Other,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shadow Of Dreams	An inventive pony wants to fly like a pegasus but us faced with challenges other than limitations.	hiatus	41	1	<p>Summer Sparks is a very inventive pony. For an Earth pony she is very good with her hooves and doesn't rely on magic for technology. But with all her success she still dreams of flying highwith the graceful speed of a Pegasus pony. With her newest creation, Gigatrot, she goes to Ponyville. And compared to flying, how hard could making friends be?</p>	everyone	2012-09-24T06:36:52+00:00	2012-09-24T06:36:52+00:00	1,133	Chapter 3 “Summer, I’ve been flapping my wings for months!” whined Rainbow Blitz, lifting his wings and remaining grounded. Wires were attached to his wings and he wore a helmet that blinked with many different colored lights. They were conducting experiments on wing pattern movements. Summer had asked Rainbow Blitz for help gathering data. They were underground, the roots from a large tree protruding from the soil and looming overhead. Despite being in a hole, the basement to Dusk Shine’s library was well furbished, clean, and organized. At first it was anyway, since Summer began working in his basement, it became less and less organized over the months. “And you’ll keep doing it if you don’t sit still!” Summer persisted, removing her blue Wonderbolt goggles to get a better look at Rainbow Blitz. She was under a control panel fiddling with wires and sparks. “Now, just keep flapping your wings I almost got this working. What’s your hurry anyway?” “Applejack is going to be showing Elusive some rodeo tricks on the farm. I don’t want to miss it—Ow!” Rainbow yelped from another shocked. “Sorry,” apologized Summer, removing her hoof from a wire. That was a half lie. She smiled every time she pressed that fickle little wire against the metal box. “Just hold still. Hey, isn’t Elusive all prim and proper? Why would he want to learn how to do rodeo tricks?” “AJ dared him to enter. At first it was just going to be Elusive, but Elusive wanted Applejack to perform in it as well.” “When did they decide this?” “During a thunderstorm, they hung out here at Dusk Shine’s for the night and they were playing Truth or Dare.” “I see. Still, that doesn’t sound like something he’d particularly be into,” thought Summer aloud as she put on her goggles to look back at the wires. “You know how he is. ‘The word of a gentlecolt is as good as his bond and sometimes better’.” Summer caught a glimpse of Rainbow with his chest buffed out and head held up high. He also wasn’t flapping his wings. With a sinister grin, she grounded the same wire she’d been pressing with her hoof and gave Rainbow Blitz another shock. “Ow! I’m starting to think you’re doing that on purpose!” said Rainbow. “What? Me? No,” Summer said with big eyes and batting her eyes, looking as innocent as she possibly could. She pressed the wire to the metal box again sending a shock to Rainbow Blitz. He yelped and jumped from the tiny shock. Trying to keep a straight face, Summer tried to look innocent again, and batted her eyes making them look bigger. Rainbow Blitz narrowed his eyes at her. She grinned and chuckled softly knowing she was in trouble. “I have to go. I hear Elusive is going to be in the rodeo!” “Oh no you don’t!” protested Rainbow Blitz, now smiling as well, removing the wires and helmet in a hurry. Summer already began prancing up the stairs when she looked back to see him reaching the bottom of the steps.. She stuck her tongue out at him and dashed out of the basement. Rainbow Blitz followed close behind. “C’mon Gigatrot, we’re taking a break!” shouted Summer through the house. She bolted across the floor and through the front door. “We’ll see you at Applejack’s!” Rainbow emerged from the basement. Gigatrot came to the entryway at the right moment. “You coming?” asked Rainbow, smiling as the Gigatrot approached him. “Is it required? I understand there is still more work to be done.” “Oh take a break, Gigatrot. You’ve earned it. Come on! We’ve given Summer a pretty good head start. Let’s go.” Rainbow Blitz took off flying through the front door, closing from the sudden breeze. The whirls and pings of Gigatrot’s head echoed in the vacant room. He opened the door and galloped to Sweet Apple Acres. * Apple trees spread across the viridian fields. Hundreds could be seen for miles. It didn’t seem like it could end, and on the far side was Sweet Apple Acres. Summer had never been up close to Sweet Apple Acres, but she had seen it from a distance. The owner was a hard working stallion; he was a bit stubborn at times, but who wasn’t in this town? Summer ran along the dirt road, passing the brown wooden fences surrounding the building and into the driveway. The hoof steps on the gravel slowed as she approached the barn. “Applejack!” she called, looking around the building. There was no reply; maybe he was around the back. Rainbow flew over the trees, Gigatrot directly under him. It didn’t take them long to catch up. They drew nearer to the large red barn. In an explosion of dust, Rainbow Blitz landed next to Gigatrot. Once the dust had settled both of them looked around. Summer was nowere to be seen. “Where’d she go?” asked Rainbow, trotting to one side of the barn. “Current location is unknown. If you would like I can recite where she is not,” said Gigatrot, coming up to Rainbow’s side. “No thanks, Captain Obvious,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I am no military officer.” Rainbow put a hoof to his face. Honks and screams came from the other side of the barn. “I hear something.” “Yea, I hear it too. It’s coming from over here.” He pointed as he floated to the backyard. Before Rainbow Blitz could get to the corner of the barn, Summer appeared and crashed into him. “Rainbow Blitz, I found Summer,” declared Gigatrot. Summer quickly got up and brushed her red hair out of her face, then hid behind Rainbow Blitz. “What’s wrong?” “There’s a mad goose on the other side of the fence,” shuddered Summer, crouching lower to the ground. “A goose?” chuckled Rainbow, “you ran from a goose?” Summer punched his back leg. “Hey!” “If you’re so brave then why don’t you go first?” pressured Summer, pushing Rainbow forward. “Alright, I will,” he said, bracing himself. He hesitated for a moment and glanced back at Summer and Gigatrot. Summer smiled at him, “Go on then.” Rainbow turned back to the post, avoiding her gaze, he marched forward to the fence. In an instant, he returned with a goose at his heels. Both he and Summer were screaming. The goose followed Rainbow back to their hiding spot, honking and flapping it’s massive wings at the intruders. Summer galloped off and Rainbow flew up into the air. Gigatrot stood still watching the chaos in front of him, until the goose approached Gigatrot. Its chest was puffed out and wings extended to make it look bigger. Its head floated to its peak like a snake coming out of a basket, staring at the mechanical wonder. “Honk! Honk!” it went, taking a quick jab at Gigatrot with its beak. Gigatrot lowered his head to be level with the goose. Pausing, his yellow eyes locking on to the goose. “Honk!” mimicked Gigatrot. His yell was amplified and exactly like the goose’s. His yell also caused a few feathers to be blown away. Breathless, the goose raised his wing to his head, and saluted Gigatrot, then waddled away. Rainbow, who had been hiding on the roof, floated down to Gigatrot. Summer emerged from the bushes with some difficulty. Her shorts were caught on some thorns. “That was awesome!” cheered Rainbow, patting Gigatrot on the back. “Hey, you okay?” “Yeah, I’m fine," said Summer, brushing off some foliage. The thorn bushes were a hassle to get out of.. “Did that goose salute you?” “Yes,” Gigatrot noted, “maybe I am a captain.” “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” laughed Summer. “We still have to find Applejack.” “And if that goose comes along, Gigatrot can just honk at it,” Rainbow Blitz said. “You don’t think he’ll come back, do you?” “I don’t think so,” said Summer, skipping along the gravel past the fence. Around the next hill was a large corral. Elusive and Applejack were running around four barrels that made a diamond. Applebud was hanging from the top fence post, cheering the two colts on. “C’mon Elusive! The point is ta run around the barrels!” “Applebud, what’s going on?” asked Summer trotting up to the fence, Gigatrot and Rainbow at her heels. “Hey, Summer. Applejack’s teachin’ Elusive some rodeo tricks.” “How’s he doing?” questioned Rainbow Blitz. “Ah’ve seen worse,” he confessed and turned back to the corral. “Elusive, pick up the rope! It ain’t gonna bite!” “It’s covered in mud!” Elusive protested, inching away from the rope. It floated up with magic. “No magic, Elusive. This is a contest of skill,” yelled Applejack, galloping up and stepping on the rope. “Magic is a skill.” “Ah mean physical skill. Go take another try at barrel racing.” Elusive trotted off with an exasperated grunt. Applebud started egging Elusive on while Summer and Rainbow cheered for him. “Well, I’ll be. Finally decided to come out of Dusk Shine’s basement?” “I thought I’d join the living for a change,” joked Summer. “You’ve been down there for weeks. Any progress?” “Making strides. Would be bigger strides if Rainbow stayed focused.” “Well if you didn’t shock me every three seconds!” argued Rainbow. Summer laughed the thought of Rainbow getting shocked. The look on his face was priceless. “You shocked him?” asked Applejack. “Just a little pinch,” smiled Summer. “Nothing too serious.” “If you say so. What are you making down there anyway?” inquired Applejack. He turned his head slightly to catch a glimpse of Elusive tangling himself up in some rope then slowly falling into the dirt. “A flying machine,” answered Gigatrot. “Ah remember Berry had somethin’ like that.” “Summer says this one is supposed to go really fast,” said Rainbow Blitz. “If we can power it,” added Summer. “Well that shouldn’t be a problem. We can just use magic to power it.” “No!” snapped Summer, stomping her hoof on the ground. “No magic!” Everypony stepped back in shock. Applejack exchanged looks of concern with Rainbow Blitz. Summer didn't look up from the ground in the silence. Applebud jumped off the fence; Gigatrot didn’t move as usual. Even Elusive stopped what he was doing to pay attention. “I’m sorry, but… I just don’t want to use magic.” Summer said to the ground, embarrassed from her outburst. “That’s fine, Red. No one is making you use magic on your flying contraption.” “Well, how do you keep Gigatrot powered up?” asked Applebud. “He runs on a battery, and that gets powered from sunlight.” “So if it’s dark, he’ll shut off?” “No. When he’s in the sunlight the battery stores the energy, but that’s not enough to keep a pony flying. We need something stronger.” “Do you have something in mind?” asked Elusive, setting the lasso down. He must have walked over when she hadn’t been looking. “I’ve had some thoughts, but shouldn’t you be practicing for the rodeo?” asked Summer as she raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s quite enough for one day,” said Elusive, hanging the rope on the fence. “If you will excuse me, I need to go wash up. Summer, do let me know what your plan is for your machine.” “Sure,” said Summer as she nodded. With his head held high, Elusive cantered off. Once he was out of earshot, Applebud turned to the rest of the ponies. “He’s doomed, ain’t he?” “I’ll say,” affirmed Rainbow Blitz. Applejack was about to say something in Elusive’s defense, but the goose Gigatrot stood up to honked again, this time at Elusive. “I’m leaving! I’m leaving! Ah!” screamed Elusive off in the distance. “I don’t like that goose,” grumbled Summer, listening to the honks muffled by Elusive’s screams. “Ah, don’t pay Sgt. Gander any mind,” said Applejack. “He’s just protectin’ the apples.” Gigatrot instantly spun his head. “He’s a seargent?” “Ah don’t think so,” shrugged Applejack. “I like to think of him as our ‘Guardian Goose’!” shouted Applebud. “We always know if someone is comin’ up to the farm.” “I can imagine that’d be pretty useful.” “So what brings ya’ll down here anyway?” asked Applejack. “We came to see Elusive practice for the rodeo,” answered Rainbow. “But it looks like you guys finished early,” added Summer. “I should be getting back to work.” “Now hold on just a minute, Red,” said Applejack. “Ya’ll came all this way, how about some apple juice?” Applejack jumped over the wooden fence and paused before he gave Gigatrot a confused look. “And whatever you drink.” “This unit does not require anything,” said Gigatrot. “And after that you can tell me how ya got your cutie mark!” blurted Applebud. “My what?” breathed Summer. She didn’t think he’d remember that. “Yer cutie mark. Remember?” “Uh… Yeah,” said Summer dimly. “Maybe something to eat too. I’m starving,” spoke Rainbow Blitz, holding his stomach. “Well, come on then. Let’s go eat some grub.” Applejack lead the way to the house on their property. It almost looked the same as the barn they saw when they arrived, but it was browner. An old green pony sat on a rocking chair on the porch. He swayed back and forth in the chair with the soft breeze, he was asleep. “Who’s that?” asked Summer in a hushed voice. “That’s Grampy Smith,”Applebud said without hushing his voice. “Don’t worry. He never wakes up from his naps.” He ran up to the old pony in the rocking chair. “Hey, Grampa! We got guests!” he yelled at the top of his little lungs. Summer flinched, expecting some big uproar from the older pony, but he just sat there, yawning and snoring in his chair. “See?” “C’mon, let him sleep, Applebud. Now, about that apple juice. Ya’ll can wait out here while I get it,” said Applejack. “I’ll come with you,” offered Summer quickly. “You’ll need help carrying all those glasses.” Applejack didn’t object. “Well thank you kindly, Summer.” “Me too! I can help!” added Applebud. “Rainbow, Gigatrot, care to help out too?” asked Applejack. “Nah, I’m good,” shrugged Rainbow Blitz. Gigatrot didn’t respond. The gears in his head were turning; he was thinking again. “Yes,” he said with a jerk of his head. “Try not to get too bored out here by yourself,” joked Summer. “We’ll get that apple juice lickity split,” assured Applejack. The inside of the Apple family house was just as expected. It was old, and smelled like it too. The old, country house itself must have been owned by Grampa Smith. It was cozy, and it reminded Summer a lot of her grandparent’s house. Applejack and Applebud were already in the kitchen. Both of them were working as a team, arranging glasses and sliding small kegs across the floor. “Wow,” gaped Summer. “What? This?” asked Applebud, holding a glass as Applejack poured apple juice. “This is nothing. You should have seen us in the Brotherhooves Bash.” “Do you normally do things together?” asked Gigatrot. “Any chance we get,” grinned Applejack. “You two accomplish a lot don't you?” “There’s also Mac,” said Applebud. “Mac?” Summer asked, tilting her head. “Our sister.” “Named Mac," Summer noted, unconvinced. “That’s just a nickname, Red,” smiled Applejack, setting down the pitcher. “Her name’s Macareina. You’ll know her when you see her. She’s as tall as me.” There was a pause. Summer couldn’t think of anything to say to that, or maybe she was just thinking about how tall Mac was. Applejack was already a tall pony; it was hard to imagine anyone else that tall. “So, about yer cutie mark...” prompted Applebud. He slid a cup of apple juice to Summer. His eyes got big and his mouth started to gape in anticipation. Summer didn’t respond. The only noise came from Gigatrot and his turning gears. “Well… You see I don’t--” started Summer, until a metal bolt whizzed past her head. She looked at Gigatrot, who was shaking violently. “What in tarnation?” Clang! Chzzzzt-clank! “Get down!” yelled Summer, leaping at Applebud and Applejack, pushing them behind the table for cover. Gigatrot’s head started spinning, releasing a loud whistle like a boiling tea kettle. He started jumping up and down with the grace of a connonball, knocking over the mugs of apple juice and breaking the wooden floor. Summer shut her eyes and put her hooves over her ears. O Solaris! Please don’t explode! she pleaded to herself. A second later, Gigatrot stopped dead in his tracks. The whistle died off and he stood still just like he always did. “Ah think he stopped,” spoke Applejack, poking his head out from the table. “What happened?” Applebud asked as he tapped . Summer's withers. She opened her eyes and put her hooves down to stand up, but her legs were jelly. “I- don’t know," replied Summer. “Maybe he blew a fuse.” “That doesn’t sound good,” Applejack said, taking a closer look at Gigatrot. “It could have been much worse.” Summer pushed herself up this time and joined Applejack to look at Gigatrot. “How much worse?” “Ever been in ten places at once?” asked Summer sarcastically. “Mhmm,” thought Applejack. “Once, during Applebuck Season.” “I mean exploding,” whispered Summer. She didn’t want Applebud to hear. “Ah, in that case I reckon’ I haven’t.” “I need to bring him back to my place,” she said quickly, changing the subject. “Why not Dusk Shine’s?” “My place first. The sooner the better.” “Gotcha.” “What’s going on?” yelled Rainbow Blitz, bursting through the door. Everypony jumped, thinking Gigatrot had finally exploded. “I heard a noise.” “It’s Gigatrot,” answered Summer. “Well he… broke. I have to get him home.” Summer braced herself against him and pushed as hard as she could, but to no avail; he didn’t budge. Summer tried another push. “Go help her,” Applejack whispered to Rainbow Blitz. “Last time I helped, she swatted me with a wrench,” Rainbow whispered back. “You see the face she’s making? That’s her stubborn face.” “I’m right here, you know?” grunted Summer, pushing Gigatrot again and finally making progress. “Sorry, Red. Lemme help,” offered Applejack. “That’d be great," said Summer through clenched teeth. She caught a glimpse of Applejack giving a smug smile to Rainbow. He might have called him an ‘idjit’, but she wasn’t sure. With two ponies pushing, Gigatrot was finally moving. Applebud rushed ahead to open the door, Rainbow floating above him. “You can borrow our cart to get him home,” huffed Applejack as they gave Gigatrot one final push outside. “Thanks. That should help out a lot," breathed Summer with an exhausted smile. She wiped the sweat off her brow and took a seat. “You won’t be needing anything else?” asked Applebud. “No. Pulling him in a cart won’t be that bad. Sorry about the scare.” “Jus’ glad everypony’s safe,” reassured Applejack. “Applebud, can you go get the cart?” “Sure can!” he said, happily trotting off. “When’s the rodeo?” asked Summer once Applebud was gone. “This weekend, right here on Sweet Apple Acres. Reckon you can make it?” “I’ll make it.” “How about you, Blitz?” “And miss Elusive muddying up his hooves? Doubt it!” snickered Rainbow. Applebud came around the corner with the cart going as fast as his little hooves could go. “Here ya go,” he said, smiling at his accomplishment. Summer and Applejack hoisted Gigatrot on to the cart. The sudden change in weight caused the cart to bounce and nearly roll away with Applebud still attached. Summer quickly switched places with him. “I’ll see you all this weekend then,” she said. “Sorry, Applebud. I’ll have to tell you my cutie mark story some other time.” “B-but,” stuttered Applebud. “Don’t sweat it, Red," said Applejack, resting a hoof on his brother’s withers. “This crusader won’t give up so easily. He’ll just have to wait until this weekend.” “Uh… Yeah, of course,” agreed Summer. She hauled the cart off, slowly at first, and left Sweet Apple Acres. * “I cannot believe you broke down!” shouted Summer, throwing a wrench across the room at Gigatrot. The wrench bounced off with a clang, not even making a dent on the metallic exterior. “I’ve looked at every piece of you and nothing is wrong! Grr!” Summer threw her hooves up into the air and lied down on her back. “Finishing the flying machine is going to take longer because I have to fix you!” She scanned the room, possibly looking for something she missed. It was still a mess; in one corner was all the equipment for the flying machine, and in the other was her bed and random junk. “What am I going to do?” she asked the piles of scrap. She fiddled with her Wonderbolt goggles, rotating them in her hooves. Summer rolled over to look at Gigatrot. “I’ll deal with you later.” she sighed, standing up and walking to her bedroom window. Working on Gigatrot was frustrating enough, and she didn’t want to start working on her flying machine until Gigatrot was fixed. She also told Applejack she would go to the rodeo today. Summer pressed against the glass and watched the pegasi flying towards Sweet Apple Acres. When she did pull herself from the window, she made her way to the door, but not without giving Gigatrot a swift kick in the leg. * “Ladies and Gentlecolts! Welcome to the 74th Annual Equestrian Rodeo! Today is a great day for these ponies to show us what they got! Ain’t that right, Ticker?” said the announcer, his voice booming over the entire stadium. “Sure is, Boomer. We got a lot of new contestants today along with returning champions like Applejack from Ponyville and High Tide from Phillydelphia,” agreed Ticker. “What a treat, folks! I’m sure those ponies will not disappoint!” “I don’t think that’s even possible. Remember everypony, we couldn’t have this big event here without the help of Sweet Apple Acres. Growing the best apples in Equestria! Be sure to support them by buying some of their de-licious apples! Get them while they last! I know me and Boomer already have some. And let’s see... for our first event…” The announcements fell short over the rustling crowd. Sweet Apple Acres didn’t look the same it did a couple of days ago. Millions of stalls selling food, toys, and even accessories like sunglasses and hats. There was a dragon ride in the back where a pony could get on the saddle and be bucked off onto a mat. So many things were happening all at once. It reminded Summer of the ponies in Canterlot, hustling and bustling through the large city. “Howdy, Summer!” shouted a pink stallion above the crowd. Summer recognized Bubble Berry immediately in the crowd, bouncing up and down with his cotton candy hair. When she reached him, she was greeted by the rest of her friends, all wearing appropriate attire for a rodeo. “Where’s Applejack and Elusive?” asked Summer. “They’re in the stadium getting ready for their events,” answered Dusk Shine. “How many events are they in?” “Applejack is in most of them. Elusive is just doing barrel racing.” “Hey! Where’s your robot?” asked Bubble Berry, interrupting Dusk Shine. “Couldn’t make it. He’s still not fixed yet.” “That’s a shame. Butterscotch was looking forward to meeting him!” smiled Bubble Berry. “Not really,” muttered a yellow pegasus, who hiding behind his light pink hair. “Barbara says he’s going to take over the world.” “And I told you that wasn’t true," Rainbow Blitz said, rolling his eyes. “With animals I know what to expect, but with something… not alive? I just don’t know,” shrugged Butterscotch in his hushed tone. “He’s not so bad," shrugged Summer reassuringly. “He’s really nice.” Summer believed half of what she was saying. Gigatrot was quiet nearly all the time, and when he did speak, it was blunt, inquisitive or blackmail. “We should get to our seats," said Dusk Shine. “It’s almost about to start.” Since they knew the owner of Sweet Apple Acres, they got front row seats, close enough to even hear what the rodeo coaches were saying to the broncos. The first event was barrel racing; Elusive’s event. Rodeo clowns rolled the barrels out onto the dirt stage one by one and set them up in a diamond pattern. Elusive wasn’t the first pony to run. It was an ocean blue pony with white hair. “Ladies and Gentlecolts, we’re ready to begin our first event! Barrel racing! First up, we have High Tide from Phillydelphia! Oh, Boomer, this is the one I’ve been telling you about! He’s not one to disappoint.” “Oh, will you hush up and watch, Ticker?” As the bell’s ringing shot through the stadium, High Tide broke out into a full gallop in a blaze of dust. The crowd roared in excitement; unlike anything Summer had ever heard before. Everypony around them stood up, waving their hooves in the air. The uproar surprised everypony. “Look at him go! He’s already past the 3rd barrel- now the fourth! Holy guacamole, Boomer! Nineteen seconds! Not a world record, but still very impressive for the distance ran. That’ll be hard to beat. High Tide has set the bar and he’s set it high!” “If this was a limbo competition, it would be easy,” Boomer blurted into the microphone. “But thankfully it’s not. Our next competitor is Elusive from Ponyville!” It was their turn to surprise everypony in the stadium. Everyone of them got up, stomped their hooves on the floor and screamed their heads off. “Go, Elusive! You got this in the bag! You’ll do great!” everypony in the crowd cheered. Elusive approached the starting line as gracefully as always. The bell burst, and Elusive trotted off, slowly gaining speed until he approached the first barrel. Daintily, he circled it then making a run for the next one. “Well, jeez wiz Ticker. Do you think this pony knows the rules?” “At least he’s running… I think. He hasn’t knocked over a barrel just yet—Whoops spoke too soon. That tipped barrel will cost him some time.” "And he's done! Elusive finished in 23 seconds, but with a tipped barrel his total time is... 28 seconds!" "Boomer, I'm told this is his first time competing in a rodeo." "Fantastic! We hope you had fun, Elusive. I'm sure you'll do better next year!" "He couldn't do much worse." "Tinker!" shouted Boomer. Both microphones cut off, but not before the announcers managed to say some choice words to each other. Elusive, down below, left the stadium with his head held high, walking like he was trying to stay as far away from the ground as possible. Clowns entered from the opposite tunnel, cartwheeling and jumping all over the place. One was even being rolled out in a barrel, all while funny organ music played. They entertained the crowd and set up the barrels again for the next contestant. "Don't you just love clowns?" asked Bubble Berry, snorting in laughter as a clown shoved a pie into another's oversized pants. "It looks like a lot of fun." "You won't catch me doing that," scoffed Rainbow Blitz. "Sure you could, Rainbow. You just need silly pants. You already got the wig." teased Summer as she poofed up his mane. Bubble Berry and everypony else laughed along. Rainbow's face flustered as he quickly fixed his mane. "I think Applejack is next," said Dusk Shine, pointing at the scoreboard. The clowns left the stadium single file, cartwheeling just as they’d entered. “Um… Sorry, folks," said Ticker over the speakers. “Technical difficulties.” “You cheat,” snorted Boomer, spitting something out of his mouth. “I do not. Our next contestant is Applejack. Caretaker of Sweet Apple Acres, show him some love!” Everypony within the stadium erupted in cheers, whistles, and hollars. It wasn’t long before the bell sounded off again, at which point Applejack shot off like a rocket. The cheers and hoofstomps never stopped, not even after Applejack had stopped running. For such a large pony, Applejack was an orange blur. “13 seconds!” shouted both of the announcers; impossibly it was followed by an even louder hoopla. “That has to be some kind of record!” shouted Rainbow Blitz, trying to be heard under the roars of the pony’s around them. “What?” everypony shouted back. “I said I think that has to be a record!” “Amazing! 13 seconds! That’s a new record!” “Hey, Rainbow! He broke the last record!” shouted Summer with the biggest smile on her face. Rainbow Blitz put his hoof to his face. “Whoa, hang on a minute folks! One of the barrels got tipped!” Everypony started murmuring in disbelief. Summer could catch a few conversations from those around her but they all were close to the same thing. “What does he mean a barrel’s been tipped?” “It means he going to get 5 seconds added onto his time," murmered Butterscotch, “but I didn’t see him hit a barrel.” “The ref’s are reviewing the run.” The wait was unbearable. Everypony knew Applejack didn’t even touch a barrel. A pony in a black and white shirt strutted onto the field. “After close exaimination, we have determined that a barrel has been tapped," announced the pony into a microphone. He was drowned out by the sea of disapproving fans, Summer and her friends amongst them. “Five seconds will be added to his time.” Up above a yellow pegasus swapped the numbered sheets to Applejack’s time, making it 18 seconds. Berry started smiling, confusing the rest of them. He turned to Summer and Blitz “We should go congratulate Elusive and Applejack!” “What about the other ponies competing?” asked Summer, turning her head to the stadium to see the referee being hit by some red beverage. “I’m sure they’ll be fine!” said Rainbow. “It does sound like a good idea!” admitted Dusk Shine. The cheers started to settle as Applejack took one last wave at the crazy fans. Summer and the other five ponies stood up from their seats and awkwardly stepped to the stairs dividing sections. * “You were robbed, Applejack!” shouted an angry rodeo pony. “It’s not so bad. I still had a good run.” There was one pony who was not feeling very sympathetic towards Applejack. High Tide stood in the corner glowering at the orange cowpony. “Applejack!” shouted Berry. “That was an amazing run, I’ve never seen you run so fast!” “You must have practiced really hard for it,” added Dusk Shine. “Of course, but I had a great pardner,” admitted Applejack, putting a hoof on Elusive’s withers. He said it in the most modest tone he could. “That’s kind of you, Applejack, but you did a splendid job without me.” “Sorry, about the tipped barrel," said Summer. “T’ain’t yer fault. I’ll just have ta do better next year.” “We know you will," smiled Dusk Shine. “Elusive, we’re going to go back to our seats. Care to join us?” “Of course," said Elusive, trotting up to Dusk Shine and the rest as they left. Summer and Rainbow Blitz stayed behind. “For what it’s worth, we don’t think you tipped that barrel," said Summer, at a lost for words. “But he did,” spoke up the blue cowpony in the corner. “And you still beat me.” “Well shucks, High Tide,” shrugged Applejack. “We did our best; it’s not a matter of who did what better.” “Says the pony that beats me in everything,” sneered High Tide. “Not only that, but you keep very pleasurable company.” He gave a look to Summer and winked. Rainbow Blitz leaned over and whispered to Summer. “He’s talking about me,” he boasted, smiling with pride. “Of course he did,” agreed Summer, sarcastically. “I guess you can add barrel racing to things you’re better at than me,” he paused, thinking. “But can you do this?” He jeered his head back and opened his eyes and mouth wide open. The noise that came from his mouth was best described as an inward wail, scratchy and forced. Summer and Rainbow stepped back in shock. “I don’t think so, pardner," said Applejack. “ High Tide frowned. “Then you win again, because I have strained my throat.” Rainbow Blitz and Summer both started laughing until they were shoved aside by a green unicorn. “High Tide, that’s enough," interrupted the unicorn, stepping to his side. “You have to get ready for the next event.” She pointed to one of the stalls down the hallway. “I assume you do too, Applejack.” “I do… Miss?” “Green Grass,” she said, sneering. “Good luck, Applejack. Don’t tap anymore barrels.” With that, she led High Tide away with a flick of her tail. “What’s eating her?” asked Summer. “Dunno, but High Tide has always been real competitive. Maybe she’s just an onry’ fan.” They heard another ring from the bell signaling another pony running around barrels. “I should be goin’," said Applejack. “We’ll get going too,” added Dusk Shine. “We saved you a seat, Elusive.” “Thank you very much, Dusk Shine.” Everypony headed back to the stadium, but Summer bit Rainbow by the tail to make him stop. “Hey, what gives?” he asked, yanking his tail away. “Stay here with me. I don’t trust that unicorn.” “Lighten up, Summer," said Rainbow Blitz. “You heard it yourself. She’s just a crazy fan.” “I think there’s something else going on.” “… Like?” asked Rainbow as he floated above the ground, folding his hooves. “I don’t know! But something is and you’re going to help me find out what,” pressed Summer, grounding the blue pegasus. "Are you like this when you meet most girls?" Summer choked on the air she was breathing and stopped in her tracks. "What? No!" she paused for a second. "Only when they're prettier than me.” “No contest there," said Rainbow. Summer punched him in the gut. “Ow!” “Don’t agree with me. She's up to something and you're helping, end of story." She opened a door that read ‘Backstage’. It lead to where the participants waited for their time to shine on stage. She held the door waiting for Rainbow. “Fine, what did you have in mind?” he agreed reluctantly flying through the doorway. “Well, first we have to--” “What are you two doing back here?” shouted a large pony wearing a black shirt with white lettering labeling ‘Security’. “Run!” she yelled at Rainbow, galloping away. Rainbow was a little slow to the punch but it wasn’t long before he caught up with her. With some strange luck, the two outran the pony. Summer was a slow runner, but he was slower. They ended up taking shelter in one of the trailers for some of the performers. “That was close,” Summer said, wiping her brow. “Unnecessarily close,” grumbled Blitz. “Now what’s your plan?” “Well…” thought Summer aloud. She took a glance around the room. Hangers held up the most disturbing garbs, mannequin heads on shelves wearing multicolored wigs and a mirror in the back with makeup next to a pile of goofy looking props. She smiled wickedly, pointing behind Rainbow. He turned around, terrified to see what was behind him. When he saw the rodeo clown outfits, he turned pale and quickly turned around. “No, no, no, no. No… NO!” he protested. In the end Rainbow Blitz agreed to put on the disguise. Honestly, Summer wondered how he agreed to look so… stupid. He didn’t need a wig like she thought; just goofy pants and a red nose. She couldn’t hold back a laugh even if she tried. “Yeah, yeah. What are you going to wear?” “Simple,” Summer replied. She dabbed white makeup over her face followed by red blush. She pulled the closest dress off the rack and put the dress over her head, leaving her shorts on underneath Next, she twirled her short hair in braids. Summer looked like the dolls she wanted as a little filly. “C’mon, let’s go Fezzy Wig.” Rainbow brushed his hair uncomfortably, but followed all the same. Summer took the front, opening the door to the dressing room. She looked both ways down the hallway. “Coast’s clear,” she said, motioning him to follow, “no one should bother us now.” “Right, because nothing is more suspicious than two clowns,” Rainbow said, rolling his eyes. “Look there she is!” Summer pointed. Green Grass was surveying ropes, most likely used for the wrangling events. Summer crouched low to the ground, hiding behind a corner and dragging Rainbow Blitz with her. “What’s she doing?” asked Rainbow, squinting his eyes to get a better look. Green Grass’s horn shined softly on the lassos and all the knots started to loosen. “That no good--” cursed Summer, standing up abruptly. Rainbow hushed her and pulled her back into hiding. “She’s cheating!” growled Summer, trying to stand back up again. “She’s loosening the knots!” “Now what?” Rainbow asked again. He looked between Summer and Green Grass. His rainbow fro wiggled when he stopped. “Uh…” Summer thought with a blank stare. “I haven’t thought this far ahead. I honestly thought you wouldn’t even dress up like a clown.” “What?” “Yeah... didn’t think you’d go for that... just wanted to see if I could get you to do it.” Summer smiled weakly. “What?!” repeated Rainbow Blitz with increased volume. “What about you? You’re dressed up too!” “Yeah, but I look cute,” she smiled victoriously. Rainbow put a hoof to his face, proceeded to flatten his mane. “What now?” he grumbled. “I know! We’ll catch her in the act!” Without a moment to spare, she leapt out from her hiding spot, yelling and screaming, “gotcha!” Her moment of victory was short lived. By the time they had stopped talking, Green Grass had already left. Rainbow Blitz calmly walked up next to her. “I was going to say something, but then I decided not to.” “Thanks,” she said coldly. “Welcome. What else did you have in mind?” Summer scuffed the ground with her hooves, embarrassed. She blushed behind her makeup. “Tell Applejack?” she said finally, unsure of her answer. “Lookin good there, RB,” spoke a familiar southern voice. “Applejack?!” spouted Rainbow Blitz as he turned his head. “What are you doing here?” “I’m competin’," reminded Applejack. “Remember? The rodeo?” “Of course I remember,” lied Rainbow Blitz. “Question is, what’er you two doin back here?” There was a pause. Summer and Rainbow both looked at each other for answers. “Spying,” admitted Summer. “Spyin’?” mused Applejack. “I don’t understand.” “We found someone cheating.” “What? Who? Why?” “Just an onery fan," said Rainbow Blitz, mimicking Applejack. Applejack took a moment to let this all sink in. “Yer sure?” “Positive," replied Summer. “You can check the lassos over there. The knots have been loosened.” Applejack trotted over to the piles of rope and inspected each one carefully. “See?” “I do, but what I don’t understand is why y’all would do this," said Applejack. “What?!” blurted Rainbow Blitz and Summer at the same time. “I know I didn’t get that record, but there's no reason to go and do this. I won’t say anything to the judges but I want you two to go back to yer seats and think about what y’all did.” Summer’s jaw dropped. “But we didn’t-” Rainbow Blitz said defensively, stopping when Applejack held up a hoof. “To yer seats,” he demanded. Rainbow took a glance at Summer. She was defeated as him. “Can I still keep the dress?” “No.” Rainbow Blitz and Summer didn’t say a word to each other as they made their way to the exit. Whether it was the fact that they found out somepony was cheating or that Applejack didn’t believe them it didn’t matter; the result still stung. Summer disrobed and tossed the dress aside and placed it on a random shelf next to Rainbow Blitz’s costume. It would get noticed eventually. She looked at it for a moment. “Why are we heading back?” she asked Rainbow Blitz. “Because Applejack told us to?” “I know that but… why?” “I’m not following.” Rainbow raised his eyebrow as he approached her. “We came back here to see what she was up to. She was cheating, and we’re just going to leave?” “Well, what can we do?” shrugged Rainbow Blitz. “Applejack thinks we’re the ones that are cheating.” “And I want to prove him wrong," Summer replied, determined again. She started walking back head first and quickening her step. “Hey! Whoa hang on a minute!” said Rainbow Blitz, taken aback. He hovered into the air and with a few easy strokes of his blue wings he was right beside her. “How are you going to do that?” “By catching her in the act.” “And then what?” asked Rainbow Blitz, swinging himself in front of her. “And make sure Applejack is there,” she said, glowering at him and walking around. Rainbow soon followed. “What’s the next event?” “Hay toss.” Rainbow answered quickly. “Rainbow. You go find where they’re prepping all the hay and I’ll go get Applejack.” “Got it.” Rainbow Saluted and soared off down the hallway, angering a couple of ponies with a gust of wind as he flew by. The quickest way to find Applejack was to go back to the lassos by the clown trailer. At first, Summer started to trot then into a full gallop when she heard that the lassoing event was done. She wouldn’t find Applejack by the ropes; he would have just left the stage. Summer turned to the right towards the exit, she arrived just in time to see all the contestants leave the stage and enter the back hall. As they left, rodeo clowns entered giggling and honking their noses to bring smiles to all of the little ones in their seats. “Applejack!” Summer shouted above the distant cheers. She waved her hoof high in the air back and forth. It caught his attention along with other ponies, checking to see where the extra noise was coming from. “Summer? I thought I told you to go back to yer seat,” he frowned, slowly approaching her. “Oh I know,” smiled Summer innocently, “I just don’t listen to authority very well.” Applejack looked at her confused, like he had never heard of anything like that before. “Anyway… Thought you ought to know... got a lot of mischief to do.” She turned slowly, taunting him and letting her gaze linger on him. When she saw that he was approaching her she cantered off around the corner. That was the worst performance I’ve ever done, thought Summer. When she was little she used to pull that stuff off, but it’d been years since she’d been that age; she was horribly out of practice. Now, it felt like Applejack was her father and she was a little filly again. Applejack came around the corner faster than she thought he would. Summer galloped off, avoiding Applejack’s eyes. She had to find Rainbow Blitz, but she looked around, and realized that he was nowhere to be seen. The ponies she ran by stopped what they were doing and stared. “Summer, get back here!” shouted Applejack. He was catching up to her. She had forgotten how slow she was. “I don’t think I will!” giggled Summer, nearly out of breath. Up ahead, Rainbow Blitz appeared from around the corner, also looking for Summer. “Rainbow!” yelped Summer, getting his attention. He waved at her and vanished from sight. Summer turned at the corner with Applejack right at her heels. Rainbow was high above the crowd with Summer underneath. The hay stalks were just up ahead. Green Grass stood next to the hay carrying a large grey sack with magic. With her magic, she lifted up one of the hay cubes and inspected it. “Applejack, what’s that?” Summer asked as she came to an abrupt stop. “Hey Green Grass! Whatcha doing?” she shouted to get her attention. Applejack ran past Summer, unaware that she had stopped. He stumbled to a stop right in front of Green Grass, who shrieked and dropped the lump of hay. It fell to the floor with a thud and crackle as stones rolled out from inside it. Green Grass’ jaw dropped in horror as the stones rolled in front of Applejack. “What… What’s this?” mumbled Applejack. “Yer the one that’s been cheating?” “What? Me? No!” snapped Green Grass defensively. “Cat’s out of the bag now," said Rainbow Blitz. He took a bite out of the grey sack she had and lifted it into the air to reveal the contents inside. More rocks cascaded down onto the ground and spun in circles. “Oooh. Too bad," said Summer. “The nerve of some ponies, right Applejack?” He was speechless as he stared at the stones on the ground. The same security pony from before approached the scene. “What’s going on?” he asked. “She’s been sabotaging the games,” accused Summer. “Fine! Yes! I’ve been fixing the games,” admitted Green Grass. “There were a lot of bits running on these and… and…” “I’ve heard enough," said the security pony, leading her away. Summer got a glance of Green Grass before she walked around the corner and stuck her tongue out at her. She turned to Applejack. “Somepony owes two ponies an apology,” she said grinning. "I'm sorry," said Applejack slowly. After a second, he said it again, this time to Rainbow Blitz. "I really thought... But she... I should have believed you two." "Uh duh. I've always-" said Rainbow Blitz. He put a hoof up to his chest like he was posing for a statue. "We," corrected Summer. "Right, we always got your back,” assured Rainbow Blitz, giving the biggest grin he could possibly give. "Yer right. I'm sorry." "We forgive you. The good news is you can make it up to us by bringing home a big ol' trophy!" she encouraged. It seemed to snap Applejack out of his trance and Rainbow Blitz started to encourage him as well.. Applejack rose with new confidence and trotted off with his two cheering fans. * Applejack may not have brought home a shiny new trophy, but he did bring a lot of blue and red ribbons. He told Dusk Shine and everypony and even wrote a letter to Lord Solaris to trust in friends as much as they trust in you. From what Summer was told, only Dusk Shine wrote letters about the friendship of magic. She and Rainbow got a lot complementary apple pies, though Rainbow Blitz ate most of Summer's pies. "Do these kind of things normally happen?" asked Summer as Rainbow Blitz took another pie. "The pies?" he said with a full mouth. "No not that. I mean is there something always happening?" she asked, finally taking a bite. "Uh," he said, "sometimes, but you've been pretty busy too. What with the flying machine and Gigatrot being broken-" "Oh my gosh, Gigatrot!" She spat out the contents of her mouth all over Rainbow Blitz and stumbled to the door as fast as she could, leaving Rainbow covered in red apple pie. "Hope you ponies are ready for another round!" chimed Applebuck and Applejack, carrying in another platter of pies. They froze when Rainbow Blitz turned around covered in pie. "That good?" asked Applejack, chuckling a little with Applebud. * When Summer finally got home, she hesitated to open the door. She heard clanks and hums of mechanical gears. Normally, that would have been the calming symphany she grew up with, but no pony was home. Finally, she opened the door and slowly entered her dark living space, taking in every nick knack and checking to see if anything was misplaced. Her first thought was a burgler. Her mind began to race as she imagined all the horrible things that it could be and what could happen to her. She grabbed the closest blunt object she found. In this case, it was a can opener. Holding the rubber tongs in her mouth made her a little braver. She inched acrossed the room, making her way to her small work station. The clangs got louder and louder when she reached the doorway. She pressed herself up against the wall and peered into the next room. The dark figure was hunched over the work bench. Summer felt the courage she got when she grabbed the can opener. She leaped at the figure, teeth gritted, and swung with all her weight behind to bring this burglar to his knees! CLANK! The figure didn't drop. The mechanical whirls and hums didn't stop. He was still hunched over and but he also reared his head to look at her. Summer's fear left her. She was staring straight into the eyes of her maker. "Summer, why did you strike me?" spoke the figure. Suddenly, and all at once, the figure came into focus. "G-Gigatrot?" she stammered. "Yes." "B-but you were--" "Broken? No." "No?! What do you mean 'no'?! I carried you all the way from Sweet Apple Acres! I thought you were going to explode!" "I didn't. It was what you call a ruse." Gigatrot waited for Summer to respond. When she didn't, he spoke again. "A trick." "I know what it means!" she snapped. "Very well," said Gigatrot. "I said I would keep your cutie mark a secret. I decided to take this opportunity to continue working on the flying machine. It's almost ready." "What?" Summer was shocked. She took a step back. "You mean.. soon?" "No." Summer could have punched him right then and there, but that would have been pointless... and painful. "You really need to work on your delivery." "I don't understand," he cocked his head like a bird again. "Of course you don't," muttered Summer. "What else do we need?" "The power source. Once we have one, we'll be able to conduct proper experiments and simulated tests." "You all this in one day?" Summer pointed to the work bench. "And nights. You are a very heavy sleeper; you might want to see a neurologist." Summer's jaw twitched. "I'm going to bed." "Very well. We will speak in the morning." "I don't think so. I might sleep through it," sneered Summer. "Heavy sleeper." *** She said goodnight to her father and easily fell asleep. She dreamed of flying, much like she did when she was small. She would fly with the Wonderbolts, but flying along would be Rainbow Blitz right beside her. He winked at her. That’s when Summer woke up, trembling in her sheets. “Just a dream,” she comforted herself. “You have mail, Summer,” announced Gigatrot from behind the bed. Summer yelped and threw the closest thing at him. “You need to stop doing that!” “I took the liberty of opening the mail,” Gigatrot said, addressing the piles of open letters on the night stand. “You received ticket’s to Freelancer’s Tournament from Natty.” “Freelancers?” asked Summer, rubbing her eyes. “What’s that?” “You mean ‘who is that?’,” corrected Gigatrot. “A well renowned jousting champion. Natty thought you would be interested in going.” “Well, apparently he forgot what I like,” grumbled Summer, rolling off the bed. “Yes, that did occur to me, but he didn’t get you tickets for jousting. The Wonderbolts will be performing after the tournament, accompanied by a formal party.” “What?” She raced to the night stand and browsed through the letters to find the tickets. When she picked up the letter three tickets fell out. “Why are there three?” she asked. “You and I,” counted Gigatrot. “Natty also suggests taking that blue pegasus that drives you crazy. I think he believes you have a certain reverence for him.” Summer blushed. “I do not!” “Very well. I’ll leave you to get dressed. I’ll be at the library.” “For what?” asked Summer. “To see about an additional power source,” said Gigatrot. “You should continue working downstairs. I’ve left notes for you.” “Fine.” Gigatrot departed, leaving Summer alone in her room. She lingered by the window, her back warmed by the morning sun. The sunlight filled the room, but Summer only saw it pointing at the three blue tickets. She heard the front door close, signaling Gigatrot’s departure. “Morning, Dad,” she said awkwardly to the photo. “Isn’t it nice that your daughter is now working for your robot?” she laughed, but it died quickly. It was apparent that it was true. “Naw, just kidding,” she told her father. She paused, talking to a photo was just silly. Without looking at the photo she went downstairs and began reading Gigatrot’s notes. She could hardly read them. “At least I’m better at him than some things.” She made out what she could out of Gigatrot’s scribbles, then took a hammer in her mouth and started working.
Nox Drachen	1151	1	Main 6,Original Character,Trixie,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	(Cancelled) A Death Knight's Ramblings	A death knight ends up in Equestria with his brother, a paladin, and a mage. This is his journal.	cancelled	108	6	<p>"If he ever mentions what I just did to anyone, I'm going to murder him in such a brutal fashion that there will be nothing left but a giant mess looking worse than Kael after his latest setback."</p><p>An "experiment" gone wrong, a death knight finds himself, his brother and their guild scribe in Equestria, in the shape of the equine race known in this realm as ponies.</p><p>As the night approaches, they set up a make-shift camp. Having no need for sleep, the death knight naturally acts as the night watch. To pass time, he starts writing in his journal.</p><p>Little does he know what the future has in store for him and his fellow misfits. After all, the universe is an obnoxious bastard.</p><br/><br/><p>World of Warcraft crossover.<br/>WARNING: May contain large amounts of nonsense.</p><p>(Rewrite status: Not yet at 100k+ words. Cover art still not done.)</p>	teen	2012-05-19T13:29:14+00:00	2012-05-19T13:29:14+00:00	6,718	Day 8: Where are we and WHY AM I A PONY? I have slaughtered thousands. Hundreds of thousands. Only a mere hundred of them were done not out of my own will, but as a tool of the Lich King. Granted, it was the Scarlet Crusade who are more or less a waste of life. I have worked in the shadows to ensure my worlds future, even its past. I am an artist on the battlefield, my ability to drain my enemies of their vitality leaves me needing no rest, no sleep. No compassion. I have mastered the Runeblade, it is a natural part of me. My Arvenrarth. I am a Death Knight. And here I am writing with my mouth. Because I am now a small horse. My brother is an idiot. Yet I'm not certain which of us is the bigger one, considering I agreed to his little "experiment". "Come on, let's see what happens if you smack the immovable object with the unstoppable force!" he said, "It will be a good idea!" he said. WHY DID I AGREE TO THIS AGAIN? Anyway, so here I was in the mountains north of Orgrimmar, where Lorn suggested we try it out. Xia was there as well, apparently there were no records of the results of this. Just something about "never seen again" which I gave no further thought. Although looking at my current state, I feel kinda dumb now. Dumb Rorn. And no, you're not getting anything more detailed about what my real name is, you piece of mutilated tree corpse. Actually scratch that, I'd rather not have the entire Ancient population chasing me. Whoever decided to create walking trees clearly didn't think their plan through. So there we were, Lorn standing with his The Immovable Object shield, while I held a mace called The Unstoppable Force. Xia was going to count down, and seemed to enjoy this more than she should. Scribes and their lust for knowledge. On the count of three I smacked Lorn's shield as hard as I could, imagining it being made out of squirrels. I hate squirrels. Since that day all those years ago when I was a kid and one of them stole my chocolate covered hazelnut, when I swore vengeance upon all of its fellow squirrels in crime, I have killed any I could find. I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM, YOU DO. Right, back to the small event. Nothing happened. When I hit his shield, all it did was go "CLANK". We stood there for about a minute before I let it go, doing nothing to hide my disappointment. Then a black hole opened in the middle of us and dragged all three of us through, and we ended up in some gray void. Luckily Lorn grabbed hold of me and Xia, he has good reflexes I'll give him that. We might have been separated otherwise, ending up in completely different worlds. Before long another hole opened and we ended up in this forest. Trees. Why does it always have to be trees. So much... PLANT LIFE. At least you are dead you... book. Fine I can't come up with anything else, you try writing something better wait no you can't you're a TOME. I sure showed you. Actually now I feel bad, can you forgive me? If it's any consolation I'm not the one who chopped down the trees that were horribly mangled to create you oh no I did it again forget what I said. Wrote. Whatever. I don't recall much from while we were blacked out, obviously, but I do remember our reactions when we woke up. Somehow we had turned into small horses with rather large heads, with our gear transformed to fit our new forms. Needless to say, I remained completely calm while the other two freaked out. ... FINE! Actually Lorn was his usual calm self, Xia was fascinated and me? I was shouting profanities that would cause Tirion's body to swallow his head to hide it in shame. I'm no fan of paladins, and Tirion's speeches honestly bore me. All this jazz about "honor" and "by the Light!" he shouts everywhere, pointless if you ask me. All I need is a target, and a list of who should not die. Why muddy the issue with fancy ideals? While you're out there shouting about morale, I'm subtracting candidates from the "Employee of the month list". MATHEMATICS SOLVE EVERYTHING. Except squirrels, no matter how much you try you don't get rid of the bloody things. Soon. Soon you will be gone, by the power of math! It will be fancy! I SHALL SMITE THEE WITH MATH AND ALL SHALL- damnit I'm wasting ink again. They must not know of the plan. When I finally calmed down, we had a look at our current forms. Xia is a unicorn, horn and everything. Her skin is pale white like her undead self, her hair/mane and tail black with two stripes of grey running through. Eye sockets empty and black, with the yellow orbs of magic the Forsaken call their eyes. I'm grey and my mane/tail grayish blue as usual. I've yet to find a mirror or a reflection, but the others tell me my eyes are still the same, only... ponified, as Lorn called it. Venera is never going to let me live this down. At least my hair is still the way it should be. Quiet, I'm a blood elf, we're allowed to care for our hair. And my eyes glow blue, it's part of the whole death knight deal. No I didn't forget Lorn. Damn it, he managed to look fabulous and heroic at the same time even as a pony. His coat is yellow, his hair/tail black with a yellow tint. His battle armour has two holes, one on each side, allowing his wings free movement. Yes, he's a pegasus, lucky twit. His eyes are still green, pulsing with the demonic taint our race got after the whole deal with the Sunwell. How ironic it is that he's a paladin. ... No, I'm not a pegasus. Or a unicorn. Just a simple wingless and non-horned (that is a word!) pony. Buck me. ... Wait what? "Buck me"? Of course, Xia was quick to figure out what she can do with that horn of hers. She made our camp the first night, while Lorn was busy trying out flying. Much to my amusement, he spent it crashing into different trees. And I was trying to write on you. Turns out writing with your mouth is stupidly difficult until you get the hang of it. It took me seven nights to get it right, which is why I write this the eighth day. Eight days we've been here now, and we've met no wildlife. Might have something to do with my aura of death, I'll have to turn that down soon. According to Lorn we should be out of these woods tomorrow, seems he saw something resembling a small town outside the forest on one of his test flights. Hopefully its residents won't be too hostile. Unless they're squirrel people- STOP IT. Back to wildlife, yes we haven't met any but signs of shadows have been around us during our small trip. I'm certain I saw one resembling a wyvern, but this one seemed like its wings were detached from its arms. There's also some odd plantlife in here, just before this we passed a patch of odd blue coloured flowers. We didn't go near it, as Xia mentioned there being an odd magical aura surrounding the plants. I'm not the one to doubt her, most mages - wait, a few mages - no, very few mages know their way around magic, and she's one of them. Her having herbalism as a hobby also helped. Regardless, the sun should be coming back up soon. I think I'll spend some time looking at the sky, the clouds are less present this close to the end of the forest. The moon is especially beautiful today. Day 9: There is a lack of things to kill here. This place sucks. I like blood. Especially the act of liberating it from its owner. Depending on its former owner, it can taste like anything from sweet, delicious murder to bitter sweet despair. Family blood however, tastes absolutely horrible. Nine days without killing anything has done nothing good for my mental health, and I'm not sure which one of us is most disgusted. Lorn was always good at hiding his emotions. At least when he's not around his mate. I'll never understand how the two of them ended up together. And the way he calls her "kitten", I swear if I wasn't already dead I would've died of diabetes long ago. Urgh, people and their love, such a pointless emotion. I am so very alone. As for the whole blood topic, I had to drink some of Lorns blood to suppress my crave for death. Whichever moron decided that was a good idea to add to our abilities should be stabbed. Probably a San'layn, dumb vampires. This is the second time I've had to do that and I'd rather not do it again, WHY WON'T SOMETHING ATTACK ME?! At this moment I've suppressed my aura to stop discouraging creatures from approaching, I need to drain vitality, cause pain, inflict despair. And I have an odd craving for fruit. Which is odd because I don't eat plants. Plants are boring as food, can't even hear them scream if you decide to eat fresh. We set up camp at the edge of the forest and we'll be heading into town tomorrow, hopefully with no further delays. My little rage induced fight with Lorn earlier today left us both tired, him even more so. It's times like these where it sucks to be a death knight. Not many people know this, but we NEED to cause pain, drain life. It's what's keeping us, well, alive. Sane. There's a reason why we are all bloodthirsty to some degree. I still remember the first time I snapped. Back when I was still on the path of learning, I was captured by vrykul. A simple mission, get in, kindly detach Ingvars head from the rest of his rather unpleasant twice-the-size-of-a-human body, and out again. He didn't cooperate. Instead he threw a wagon on me. Fifteen days. That's how long I spend in a cage, my runeblade sealed next to me as an act of mockery. So close, yet so far... Then IT showed up. One of those accursed beasts, creatures of darkness, embodiment of fatality, a blasted SQUIRREL. Next thing I know I'm standing over Ingvars head, with other parts of his body scattered everywhere and a trail of blood behind me. And I was in the middle, quietly laughing. The fact that the body of the squirrel I had seen earlier was now going into one of Ingvars eye sockets and out the other one didn't help. Oh the despair, so delicious. Arvenrarth was nowhere to be found, so I went to look for her. Which proved easy as all I had to do was follow the crimson road. As for Ingvar, I couldn't care any less at that moment. A few days later I heard about some "brave group" who "liberated Howling Fjord from Ingvar the Plunderer". That's when I met Draic. A warlock. An undead warlock. A mage unsatisfied by the arcane arts to such a degree they tap into the raw, chaotic form of magic. Demonic energy. Lazy bastards using shortcuts. And each one of them claimed to be uncorrupted. Well let me tell you something, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A NON-CORRUPT WARLOCK. What's next, death knight pacifists? Innocent squirrels? MADNESS. Draic was horribly corrupt to begin with, so he didn't even care. He offered me a spot in a group he called "Judgement of Fire", which later turned out to be merely a cover for what we really are. We work in the dark, shrouded from the spotlight and the fame that so many others crave. Being a celebrity sounds like it sucks, with people judging you for ab-so-lu-te-ly ev-er-y-thing. Let me eat my burger in peace, it's no one you know! Honorable people my flank, Tauren are more like cow people hippies if you ask me. I still don't regret accepting the offer, so much uninterrupted death. Speaking of death, I have still not been attacked. This is boring, I think I'll stretch my legs. Day 10: Snakes. Why did it have to be chickens. I. HATE. COCKATRICES. Even been turned to stone? I have plenty of times, but those usually ran out after a few seconds. These snakechickens cheat. I'm just grateful Fluttershy convinced it to let me go. She's one of the locals, a light butter coloured pegasus with a ridiculously long pink mane and tail. I don't know how she did it, but she looked the cheating bastard right in the eyes and demanded it to release me. Although when I started shouting profanities at it she hid behind Lorn with what has to be the most graceful and quiet squeak I've ever heard. That's just precious. Then the impossible happened. As I charged towards Snake McChicken of Willnotfoolowrulesington she jumped between us and STOPPED ME. She stopped me from causing death. And her eyes stared into my soul. I know now that I have one. She then lectured me about how it was sorry and I should accept its apology. I yelled "Easy for you to say, you weren't turned into stone!" Actually no I didn't, all I could do was look at it while lowering my head in defeat, apologizing. YOU try disobeying her, she IS scary when she gets upset! I'm certain Xia's jaw almost detached, even Lorn was looking at me with surprise. Add that to the list of "Things Venera will remind me of. FOREVER". I have fought against some of the toughest opponents Azeroth has to offer, never backing out without a proper fight. And here I surrendered to a small pony without even throwing a punch, simply because she looked at me angrily. No one must know. As I write this Lorn and Xia are currently in her cottage, probably sleeping. She did actually tell me I could stay there as well if I liked, but then Lorn whispered something to her. She nodded, he whispered again and then told me it'd be best if I didn't come in. Something about my presence possibly being lethal to the injured animals she was taking care of, which was fair enough. I suspect there is something more I'm not being told, but I'm tired. Being made of rock isn't fun, no wonder dwarves broke off their earthen rock form and became flesh like some prehistoric rebellious teenagers. Yeah yeah, old gods and the curse of flesh and all that, my version is better. I have an idea. I had an idea. Apparently I cannot summon an army of undead, as there are no dead bodies buried in the nearby area. And here I was hoping I could advance my progress in creating zombie volleyball. I am bored. Luckily morning's here, we'll be heading into town next. This better be interesting. Day 11: Naked introductions are the best introductions. Today has been... interesting. And I'm more or less naked. I'm ok with this. Earlier today when the others finally decided to join me, they were wearing practically nothing. Turns out ponies don't usually wear clothes, so they decided to stuff their armour in their bags. Lorn's still wearing his shield and sword, while Xia's keeping her scythe a quick summon away. I want a scythe like hers, but SOMEONE decided we death knights are not allowed to use scythes. We're bringers of death, and we're not allowed to use scythes! Arthas was a moron. And so is Mograine. Actually all death knights are morons, except me. I'm an idiot. It's a family trait amongst twins, me and Lorn included. Xia did something terrible with her eyes. She put an illusion on them to look "normal", showing off her blue eye color from before the whole killed-and-raised-into-undeath incident in Lordaeron. At least that's the colour she said they were. Seems the knees were a tad difficult to hide, so she covered all four in bandages. Lorn was wearing his Lordaeron shield and some sword called Quel'Serrar or something, both nicely sheathed on his back. I AM NOT JEALOUS. Also Xia did the same thing for his eyes, and surprise, surprise, they are... GREEN! As we walked towards the nearby town, Lorn kept in front with Fluttershy leading the way, while I was stuck with Xia. She kept trying to convince me to hide my eyes as well. I think I made my point about how much against it I am quite clear. And by that I mean I said NO. I am a death knight and I shall look like one even if it kills me. Not to mention I look awesome. I did put away my armour though, but Arvenrarth is still holstered on my back. It still puzzles me how these small bags can hold so much stuff and weight next to nothing. "'Tis magic, I ain't gotta explain nothin'," Xia told me. Mages. And I'm pretty sure that's a double negative. Regardless, as we walked into town I was met with a "few" stares. One pink-purple pony pulled a similar looking child inside their house and slammed the door shut at the mere sight of me. I'm not THAT scary! Maybe I should've listened to Xia- NO I LOOK AWESOME AND THAT'S FINAL. I'm sure leaving my eyes like this will cause no problems whatsoever. One thing I noticed tho was that almost every pony apart from some of the small ones had a tattoo on their flank with different designs. I figured it was probably some sort of fashion statement, until I noticed the other three of my group had their own. Fluttershy had three butterflies, while Xia had what looked like a frozen book behind a quill. She must've noticed me looking, as she smacked me in the face with her tail with a lighthearted "No touchy" and a sly smile. WOMEN. Looking at my own, I figured out why most were staring. It was a picture of a humanoid skull, frozen and covered in cracks. Thin streams of red colour flowing from the eyes and between some of the teeth. It looked absolutely AWESOME. ... Lorn had some boring shield with two swords sheathed behind it in a cross. And yellow stuff everywhere, obviously representing "The Light". Mine's better, HAH! We arrived shortly at a tree. With a door. And windows. It looked like a the result of what would happen if a tree and a house got horribly drunk and woke up next to each other the day after. I was half expecting a night elf to greet us, but it was a purple unicorn that opened the door. Same skin colour, I was right! Partially. I'm sure she'd be one if we were in Azeroth! FINE I WAS WRONG YOU STUPID BOOK! Her name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is the library she lives in. I think my eye twitched at the "Twilight" part, which might have something to do with what the word is associated with back home. Stupid end-of-the-world cult, their combat skills are about as good as their plans are effective. "My life sucks, better end the world!" and "Join us, we offer free stuff!" Bleh, what a boring bunch of morons. Twilight however, is not a moron. In fact if I didn't know better, I'd say she and Xia were separated at birth. Both love books and both love magic. She must've noticed me staring at her tattoo, and seemed surprised that I didn't know what it was. Apparently they're called "Cutie Marks" (BLEURGH) and appear when somepony discovers their special talent. Her mark is a pink-purple star with six white stars surrounding it, symbolizing magic. She's a bloody mage. Elune damnit. I'm currently sitting in one of her rooms, as we wait for her assistant to return. He's out digging for gems with a friend of the two mares, and should return shortly. Wait, I can hear the voice of a young boy right now, that must be him. BUCK. BUCK ME. Alright, everything's alright, NO IT'S NOT ALRIGHT DAMMIT! Alright, I'm calm. I have learned a few things. One: Twilight's assistant is a baby dragon. Purple scales, green fins. Name's Spike. Two: He's afraid of zombie ponies. I am one, and my eyes kinda points that out. Three: His fire is green and sends letters to Twilight's mentor. Four: You are made of paper and can thus be sent, which is exactly what happened. Five: Twilight's mentor is their leader. She's the goddess of THE SUN. And she's quick to address issues where she's needed. Six: I ATTACKED THEIR LEADER So Spike came in, saw me, screamed "ZOMBIE PONY!" and blew green fire at me in panic. He ran, and I followed while being just a little bit angry. Which might've been amplified by the whole "I'm a death knight" thing, because Lorn stopped me. I was slightly roasted, and thought he had destroyed you. The book. I'LL ADDRESS YOU HOWEVER I WANT TO. I would've preferred if that was actually the case, but Twilight informed me that it was most likely sent to her mentor. Who happens to be one of the princesses, and the goddess of the sun. According to the others I froze with my mouth open when she told me that, and didn't move until a radiant light appeared in the middle of the library. It was her, Princess Celestia. Her coat is completely white, with a gravity defying mane coloured with the classical "cold" colours. I barely noticed Lorn bowing down before her, he probably sees her as an embodiment of The Light. All I know is she has an incredible life force. So I attacked her. I'm lucky Lorn was there to stop me, having a shield slammed in your face tends to knock you back to your senses. Then I dropped on my knees and asked her to forgive me. NO I DON'T KNOW WHY! Actually I do know why, but I won't tell you. HAH! I care little for the so called "leaders" of both the Horde and the Alliance, but Celestia is something... different. I stood before a living god. But I was not prepared for what followed. She forgave me. I directly assaulted not only a leader, but a god. And I'm let off just like that. Now I have this odd desire to live here. First thing I'm doing after this is sneaking out and returning to that forest, from Xia and Twilight's conversation earlier it seems they have a "manticore" problem. Lions with bat wings and scorpion tails sounds like the wyverns back home, and no stupid chicken snake will surprise me THIS TIME! I'm going to continue writing this, but I'm keeping you away from Spike. You're not even old enough to travel alone. And it's not like I have a whole lot of other things to do during the night. Yes, I know this is a library with books, but I don't read very often. Their fighting scenes are boring. The princess left shortly after giving my journal (you) back to me, and I'm certain she read it. I doubt she'd come out all the way here just to deliver someponys journal. Wherever she came from. I'll ask Twilight when I get back, the others are asleep now. Sneaky time, stay put. Wouldn't want you to blow my cover.
Nox Drachen	1151	2	Main 6,Original Character,Trixie,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	(Cancelled) A Death Knight's Ramblings	A death knight ends up in Equestria with his brother, a paladin, and a mage. This is his journal.	cancelled	108	6	<p>"If he ever mentions what I just did to anyone, I'm going to murder him in such a brutal fashion that there will be nothing left but a giant mess looking worse than Kael after his latest setback."</p><p>An "experiment" gone wrong, a death knight finds himself, his brother and their guild scribe in Equestria, in the shape of the equine race known in this realm as ponies.</p><p>As the night approaches, they set up a make-shift camp. Having no need for sleep, the death knight naturally acts as the night watch. To pass time, he starts writing in his journal.</p><p>Little does he know what the future has in store for him and his fellow misfits. After all, the universe is an obnoxious bastard.</p><br/><br/><p>World of Warcraft crossover.<br/>WARNING: May contain large amounts of nonsense.</p><p>(Rewrite status: Not yet at 100k+ words. Cover art still not done.)</p>	teen	2012-05-30T09:46:54+00:00	2012-05-30T09:46:54+00:00	5,014	Day 14: Vegetarians are sadists. I approve. Word. Sentence. Fizzleberg-the-professional-gnome-ball-says-what. IT WORKS! I'll save a fortune in ink! Not to mention holding the quills as long as I usually did left a terrible aftertaste. No wonder they remove the feathers before they eat birds. Magic can be useful, I suppose. Yes, I did thank the mages for making this for me while I was... hiking. Alright Xia will save a fortune in quills and ink, seeing as I was actually using hers. Don't judge me. Two weeks. We've been here for a whole two weeks, and still no sight of a way back. At first Xia thought that this world didn't have visible ley lines that could lead us home, as they are what mages use to "guide" their portals. So I had this incredible and awesome idea: What if the reason she can't see any, is because they're stupidly huge? Turns out this world is completely covered not in ley "lines", but a ley "blanket". Xia and Twilight are still nuts about each others magic, and oh dear she's learned Mirror Image I'm out of here WHY ARE THERE DOZENS OF TWILIGHTS? The spell is supposed to create only three copies, four on special occasions. SIXTY IS NOT THE SAME AS THREE. At least most of the clones appeared outside the tree. Luckily it's late and other ponies are inside, although the fact that Xia also cast it didn't help as another sixty clones appeared outside. Of course, she only started rambling on about theories involving magic and I don't really care I'm talking a walk. The spells have run out, so I can finally get out. Wow. I've always appreciated the beauty of the night, but this... this is simply breathtaking. Sorry Elune, you've been replaced. They have a goddess of the Night here, whose power is not only limited to the moon, but the entire night sky as well as the realm of dreams. Her name is Luna. I want to meet her someday, preferably without repeating what I did when I met her sister. It's not my fault I haven't killed anything! Actually, I don't quite understand what's going on. I haven't been able to kill anything here, not even the... "specimen" I met at the edge of the forest. Or the manticore I met after I chased it deep into the woods, which I didn't even hurt much. I'm not sure if it left me alone due to fear or confusion, but I was flabbergasted. Why is it that whenever I so much as think of killing another being here, it feels... wrong? What if Lorn didn't stop me from assaulting Celestia? Would I have stopped? Why do I not feel the same thing when thinking about killing either Lorn or Xia? Which, I must add, I would not do without a proper reason. The action would do me more harm than good in more ways than one, and such sheer STUPIDITY is stupid. It's... human. Technically it's not limited just to them, but since someone in the past decided to make humans the most important race in the history books, I will class it as such. I'm an elf, not a bucking humanoid. Oh wait I forgot, I'm currently a small quadruped. An equine. Fine, a small pony with a tattoo on my flank. And I look AWESOME. There is one more thing, which I haven't told the others yet. I don't really want to go back. Something about this place just feels... right. Like when you launch gnomes at a mountainside to promote the Feast of Winter Veil, only better. Could it be? Is the reason why I like it here, why I can't just kill anything, why I'm currently gazing at the stars as this book writes my thoughts, that this world contains something my old one does not? Is this world... innocent? My lungs hurt due to the absurdity of the previous statement. Not even our children are innocent in Azeroth, how could an entire world be that pure? What's next, selfless friendships? Selflessness does not exist, every action provides a benefit in the eyes of the actor. Like my crusade against the only true evil in Azeroth, which went smoothly until I ended up here and found one that wasn't like the ones back there. And while evil is mostly just another word for stupid, they are an exception. Controlling a world without its inhabitants even caring is simply diabolic. Diabolical. What a weird word. Wait, a noise. There's something here. Or rather, there is something that is not here. That makes no sense. Well it's gone now, better catch up on what happened the last three days. Whatever it was, it's probably nothing to worry about. So there I was, sneaking towards the forest like a rogue. Which proved quite hard, seeing as I can't actually call upon the Shadow like they do. "We can turn invisible and you can't, MYEEEEH." Bucking rogues. So I just walked like a normal pony instead. And then I reached the edge of the forest. One of them were there. So obviously, I chased it. That was a bad idea. As we ran deeper into the forest, past trees that I actually put some effort into avoiding, I finally caught up with it. The first one of them I've seen here, which might explain why Lorn told me to stay out of Fluttershy's house. She cares for animals, she was bound to have some of those in there! It was a squirrel. As I held it down with one of my hooves, I drew Arvenrarth. I could hear her wail, calling out for blood. Then I swung her. They never connected. I simply couldn't do it. For the first time in my unlife, I shed a tear. I've never let any of these creatures escape me before, even going as far as infiltrating the headquarters of the Feat Recognition Society to add them to the Pest Control feat. Venera was incredibly helpful, even though her reasons were different from mine. I'll give her that, linking the School of Hard Knocks feat to a meta feat was absolutely brilliant. It still wasn't fixed before the three of us ended up in this weird world. As annoying as she can be, we've had a lot of fun practicing genocide in the past in every squirrel nest we've stumbled upon. And now I couldn't kill this one, for reasons I did not know. So I let it go. And I must have gotten a whole lot of somethings in my eyes, because I could feel more tears flowing. A Death Knight, trapped in a world with creatures he does not want to kill, seemingly crying like a child in the middle of a forest. Because of all the stuff in his eyes. Venera would never have let me forget it, but I didn't care. I must've had a lot of stuff in my eyes, because it just wouldn't stop. And it certainly was not because I was sick of being tired, trapped and suffering from life force withdrawal. I had lots of stuff in my eyes. Let's go with that. FINE. I actually cried, but I'm not sure why. HAPPY NOW? And then the manticore showed up. Manticores are not wyverns. Their tails are more flexible, their front legs separate from their wings and quite powerful, and their wings are ridiculously small. At least pegasus wings are of a decent size, manticore wings looks like what the lovechild of a gnome and a bat would have. Wait, a gnome ball with wings... if the ball can fly, the sport could be done in the air on flying mounts. Perhaps some rather small ones which are easy to produce, like the flying brooms from the Hallow's End celebrations. Add a few rabid versions of the ball that must be hit with maces, preferably by assigned players who knock them into the opposite team. Maybe even a midget version of the normal ball shrunken by voodoo magic that causes the game to end when caught! Wait, this sounds like a mage sport. Screw that. Right, manticore. As it roared at me, I decided I've had enough. So I roared back. Then it had the audacity to hit me in the face with a paw. YOU DO NOT HIT THE FACE OF A SIN'DOREI. So I stabbed him. With my face. I'm such a hypocrite. Hey, at least it worked! Partly. It just looked at me with its face painted by confusion, and walked away. Rather than ponder on what had just happened, I simply disappeared in a different direction instead. Time simply flew by and I made no effort to count it. Counting time is boring and only makes it pass slower. No wonder Nozdormu will one day snap, being the warden of time itself must suck. Then earlier today, they found me somewhere. Somewhere with lots of trees, this being a forest and all that. I'm so observant. Both Xia and Lorn were there, followed by Twilight and two other ponies I had not seen yet. One orange coated with blond hair, wearing a oddly suitable hat. Name's Applejack, she's an apple farmer. The other pony is light blue, with... seriously, how is it even possible for her hair to be the six clearest colours of a rainbow? That makes about as much sense as- actually, nevermind. MAGIC. Her mane/tail are naturally coloured in such a fashion it resembles a rainbow. And she's a pegasus obsessed with speed, named Rainbow Dash. Talk about creative parents. Applejack's an earth pony, which means no wings or horn. Like me. I learned a few hours after this that earth ponies actually have magic, but it's focused around their bond with the earth and nature itself. How fitting that I am one. From the looks on their faces, they were prepared to fight me if need be. I guess they were told of my... condition. But I doubt they were prepared for what actually happened, because I certainly wasn't. Applejack was carrying two saddlebags, which caught my interest. There was something inside them, something that caused me to walk slowly towards her. I don't even know what they said next, all I know is that something was emitting tremendous life force from within those bags. Then she drew two of the items they contained and bucked them at me. I caught both easily, instantly swallowing both in one bite.That was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. No, not tasted. Felt. More fulfilling than killing ignorant minions, more delicious than despair from all those I have slaughtered over years. I love Applejack. Apples. Her apples. I can't erase this can I. Apples. Azerothian apples are simple plants, but these... just one contains more life than a dozen cultists, and it's SO DELICIOUS. Eating one of these apples is like chewing down several screaming souls at once, slowly grinding their essence down as the very fabric of their being is being torn apart in a glorious volcano of pain. Even Arvenrarth can absorb these, thus eliminating the "Thirst for Death" problem I've had here. AJ even offered me another batch if I helped her on the farm with some work tomorrow, which I agreed to. I just hope it isn’t “collect ten of this”, those quests are boring. I'm still not sure why AJ trusts me, maybe she knows something I don't. Dash does not trust me just yet, and considering how I kind of attempted regicide a few days ago I think she has a good reason. Still, she didn't have to kick me. WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE FACE? I was only trying to give AJ a hu- I mean, a thank you! Certainly not a hug. Maybe. Actually yes I honestly did. I was high on apples, don't hold me responsible for things that I may or may not have wanted to do. I've only given two hugs in my life, one I will not tell you about and one for the Lich King's remains. Best. Revenge. Ever. All the other hugs do not count, as they were given to me without my approval. The last thing I remember was that before I could even respond to being kicked, something very hard hit me on the head. A certain somepony's shield to be precise. I'm starting to see a pattern here. Didn't wake up until later, back in the library. Xia told me how they had carried me back, unsure of what to do next. At least I wasn't made of stone this time, and my face seemed to be in good shape. Better yet, my colours were strong again. In fact I was in better shape than the day we arrived here. Lorn must've hit me harder than usual, because the sun was already setting. Another pattern. Maybe I'll start wearing a helm again. all these blackouts are getting on my nerves. Speaking of helmets, why isn't there any out there that'll let my ears stay free? It's as if they were all created for humans and then simply changed in size to fit all the other races, and I'm NOT shortening my eyebrows just so I can wear a Night damn helmet! Wait... I just tried my helmet. IT HAS HOLES FOR MY EARS. I LOVE THIS WORLD. And my eyebrows are short. I love this world less. AJ came in shortly, probably to check up on Twilight. I remained calm, mostly, gave her a sincere apology for my behavior and complimented her apples. Withdrawal or not, I'm still responsible for my actions. I KNOW WHAT I SAID EARLIER, SHUT UP. Like my colours, my mind is also back in good shape. Mostly. Which is why I asked her exactly what she wanted me to do in exchange for more of her absolutely amazing apples. So I'm supposed to meet her at her farm tomorrow... wait, when did the morning arrive? Today then. Guess I better get going, supposedly they're early birds. Just like Lorn who just now tried sneaking up on me. It didn’t work. Day 15: Bashing nature with the power of math! First thing I noticed was his hair. It was as if Lorn had just taken a dip in an ocean, collided with ALL the wildlife, forgotten to dry it afterwards and then been hit by a thunderstorm. Instead of the split in front falling to each side like my own, it was now merged with the rest of the mane leaving only the spikes pointing backwards. It looked absolutely terrible. ... It suits him and I might want to try it too. However, seems he got it by free falling which complicates things. See, I don't have wings. And I've fallen to my death enough times to know how unpleasant it is. Even been to Dalaran? Almost two years ago flying under the floating city was a death hazard, with different races falling off all the time. What kind of a moron makes a flying city without fences? Taller fences. Fine, walls. MORE WALLS! It's not like most of these morons that fall off don't come back to life later, and before you ask: I fell off once. ONCE. That's all you'll ever know. Spirit Healers must get paid a fortune for dealing with the kind of customers they get daily. With death being so easily avoided it's no wonder every moron and their brain dead dog never stay dead for long. And they don't even question it when an actual death happens and the dead can't be resurrected by any means. Just look at Cairne, why didn't anyone notice how he should've been resurrected yet didn't? I know why. Because of the ones really in charge of what goes on in Azeroth. And I swear, the Empire will fall one day. It will be glorious and covered in onions. They’ll never expect an onion invasion. Seems Lorn just wanted to talk, mostly about some meetup we were supposed to have later today. The farm wasn't too far away, so I wouldn't have to listen to that much. It's called Sweet Apple Acres, which is... nice. I know this because I do actually listen to what others say. Most of the time. When it's not boring. Or about magic. Two themes which are not mutually exclusive. Mainly mage magic. And while I was out in the woods, both he and Xia have gotten themselves a place to stay. Xia's staying over at the library, while Lorn's staying with this "Rarity" pony I haven't met yet. By the sound of it she's fascinated by his jewelcrafting and the fact that he can stand still. There's supposedly a sixth pony that will attend this meeting, but the only information I got on her was "expect the unexpected." Really, is she going to be normal? Before he left he gave me an advice I didn't really need. "Mind your wording." That incident during Children's Week only happened once and it didn't scar the children that much! How was I supposed to know that my description of how to make a salad would cause so much vomiting? No I'm not telling you, the last thing I need is another book that retches. Why someone would even make create such a useless thing is beyond me. Yes, I was on the receiving end of the first dose. The mage who made it didn't find it funny once I showed it down his throat. We shall never mention this again. While working, I tried to converse by asking a bit about the farm in general. This place is HUGE, with several hundred apple trees as far as the eye can see. And they're usually only two or three doing the work, which is absurd. Just two ponies taking care of several hundred apple trees alone is impressive, especially considering the lack of thumbs. But it's not just apples, I can see corn acres as well. They must have immense amounts of stamina to be able to pull this off. So I asked her if she was a tank. SMOOTH. Then I explained what it meant, and the topic of what I do came up. Buck. One thing lead to another and suddenly I have two ponies staring at me like I just came out of a squirrel nest, which usually means I'm completely red. Telling them about how death works in Azeroth these days didn't really help. They still stared. AJ was the first to break the ice, seemingly unsure of how to deal with it. I swore on my grave that I would not cause her or any she cared about harm, which might have made things worse. Me and my big mouth. Her brother frowned at me. I don't like frowning, it gives off the impression they consider me a thre- oh. Smart fellow. That's also when I learned that his vocabulary contains more than just the words “eeyup” and “nope”.He was rather large, red coat with an orange mane. Large green apple flank mark, compared to AJ's mark consisting of three smaller red ones. And I can't recall ever having heard their accent anywhere else, I wonder where it's based? It's certainly... exotic. ... I like her apples, that's all. And how she moves with ease, showing off a well disciplined mind and body. Not to forget- NO NO NO STOP YOU ARE A SIN'DOREI BAD THOUGHTS! Both showed way better reactions than I thought they would, then again not much can top being chased by an angry mob with torches and pitchforks. Unless the mob are the torches and dual wield pitchforks. I wonder how long my zombie army can last while on fire. Not much were said after that, other than the occasional instructions on how to do the things I shall not mention. At the end she gave me a bag containing about twenty apples, one which I ate immediately. These are so very good, I'll have to ask her later about how she grows them. Probably a family secret, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Often. Sometimes. Actually usually the act of asking ends up with me being either chased out or covered in blood, or both. Mostly covered. And chased. So both. As we were about to leave AJ stayed behind to reassure Big Macintosh before heading off. I guess I can expect similar reactions from the others. This is going to be "fun." AJ didn't say much on the way to the library, seemingly deep in thought. Good, less questions for me to accidentally answer. The silence is good though, now I can prepare for what comes next. I'll have to say, this self-writing spell is pretty neat. I might not know much about magic due to a lack of interest, but it does what Xia said quite well. But where does the ink come from? The explanation will probably be something boring. And I swear it looks like it contains more pages than it should. ... I guess I'll ask.
Nox Drachen	1151	3	Main 6,Original Character,Trixie,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	(Cancelled) A Death Knight's Ramblings	A death knight ends up in Equestria with his brother, a paladin, and a mage. This is his journal.	cancelled	108	6	<p>"If he ever mentions what I just did to anyone, I'm going to murder him in such a brutal fashion that there will be nothing left but a giant mess looking worse than Kael after his latest setback."</p><p>An "experiment" gone wrong, a death knight finds himself, his brother and their guild scribe in Equestria, in the shape of the equine race known in this realm as ponies.</p><p>As the night approaches, they set up a make-shift camp. Having no need for sleep, the death knight naturally acts as the night watch. To pass time, he starts writing in his journal.</p><p>Little does he know what the future has in store for him and his fellow misfits. After all, the universe is an obnoxious bastard.</p><br/><br/><p>World of Warcraft crossover.<br/>WARNING: May contain large amounts of nonsense.</p><p>(Rewrite status: Not yet at 100k+ words. Cover art still not done.)</p>	teen	2012-05-30T09:46:59+00:00	2012-05-30T09:46:59+00:00	4,787	Day 15, Afternoon: Confound the element of surprise, it drives me to pain. I did not expect this. And I don't think the library doorway expecting it either when I crashed the back of my head into it. At least it wasn't my face. I wasn't startled. Much. Maybe a little. Cut me some slack, I haven't been surprised by anything the last seven years, how was I supposed to be prepared for... THIS? The whole library was filled with several ponies I had not even seen yet, and unlike yesterday these were different ponies. Not mirror images. Which there should still have only been three of! Not to mention the pink ponification of a sugar rush that greeted us with a continuous flow of words. Where does she keep all that air, her mane? SO MANY WORDS. Maybe that’s why her mane is all poofy. She offered me a cupcake. Couldn't hurt to try so I took one covered in some red frosting. As I took the first bite, I noticed Lorn pulling his head out of a barrel of water, gasping for air. Turns out the frosting was actually hot sauce. That was delicious, and it explained why the barrel was conveniently placed next to the table. This probably happens a lot. I like her already. As for myself, there were two reasons why it didn't affect me. One should be obvious by now, and the other is that I might've drowned in lava a few times. One was on purpose (hey, I was curious at the time), the other times mostly due to my so called "team mates" "accidentally" knocking me into it. Never do something with stupid people you do not know, no matter how easy the task at hand is. If you knock a magic meteor in one direction, THAT'S THE DIRECTION IT WILL GO. Why did I team up with random people again? Oh yeah, boredom. Confound it. And it makes me appreciate my guild all the much more. The only thing better than continuous slaughter is continuous slaughter with fellow misfits, and that’s how the guild system was made. I miss my guild mates. But enough about them. The party actually went rather smooth, which means something terrible is going to happen in the future. I somehow managed to avoid mentally scarring anypony else, which is good. Apart from a few glances, everypony seemed more focused on enjoying the party which let me gather my thoughts. This world confuses me, I haven't had a single attempt on my life from these ponies. It's somehow... relaxing. But what was that beating sound? It kept getting faster, firmer, stronger. I knew it from somewhere, but couldn't quite put my hoof on it. Some of the activities were actually quite fun, especially the first one I tried. "Pin the tail on the pony" they called it. Precision while blindfolded isn't that much harder for me than normal, but that requires the target to be alive. Paper is dead, so I ended up putting it on the throat of the picture. Then the chest, the muzzle, and somehow one of the front hooves (how did that happen?) before finally hitting the right spot. It only took me like... twenty three tries. Twenty two of them were after the party was over. The trick is to remember where it is relative to the live factors, which means everything around it that's alive. I'm not obsessed. Much. Lorn challenged me to an armwrestling match. Or hoofwrestling, I suppose. Which I won, oddly enough. I didn't rub it in his face. Much. It went somewhere along the lines of “IN YOUR FACE!”, which is a perfectly normal reaction. Afterwards, he introduced me to Rarity. She had an overly stylized purple mane/tail and a trio of diamonds on her flank, and gave the impression of being a socialite. Seems odd of her to be in such "common" company, but perhaps there is something I don't know yet. I spent the rest of my time looking through you, and spotted a few things that I cannot edit out because you won't let me. Xia did this on purpose, didn't she. I wish I had found these apples sooner, it would've spared me that horrible incident with Lorn's blood. Paladin blood, oh how I hate thee. One of the few substances left in our world to contain a good amount of life force due to its purity, which is also why some claim they cannot become undead. Right, and Sir Zeliek is just a fragment of our imagination. You're immune to the Plague, not necromancy you self righteous bastards. Yes, I did ask Xia where the ink you use comes from. It’s my blood. AWESOME. And now I have to tell them what I am. Not so awesome. You try explaining to six ponies, who have probably never even seen a death, how your purpose in life is to cause death! Five if you count my slip up on the farm. I noticed Applejack looking at the others, possibly concerned with their reactions. Suddenly I knew how to deal with the situation. So of course I attempted to run out the door, only to crash into somepony who was already there. A white pegasus stallion wearing yellow armour. Who must have special training in being a wall, as he didn't even flinch when I crashed into him. Generic guard voice aswell, a bit rough. Seems Xia "forgot" to tell me we were actually going to explain this to the princess as well. Both of them. Which made sense, we were a foreign entity after all and a potential threat. At least the trip would give me some more time to handle the subject of my specialty. Maybe “world optimizer” would be the proper description. By the Night, how I have missed flying. The wind flowing through your hair and the sheer freedom from not being grounded, it's awesome. And it reminded me of the fact that I do not have wings, which is not awesome. Watching Lorn and Dash fly alongside the chariots didn't help. The other girls were split up between two other chariots, while I was stuck with Xia. Joy. And she wanted to talk. Double joy. She cast a bubble around us, which she explained was capable of suppressing sound. It wasn't an anti magic zone, or a power word: barrier. Which meant she must have picked it up here. As per usual she started going on about magical theories to which I very politely asked her to shut the buck up. Then I asked her if she’d asked them about dying yet. She hadn’t. Of course she hadn’t, she assumed they had spirit healers here aswell. Spirit healers are basically these blue human women wearing white cloth spiraling around their bodies that totally isn’t revealing at all. Except it is. She lost her tongue once I told her how this world was actually free of their influence. The bubble disappeared, Xia seemingly deep in thought. I didn't bother asking what the fuss was about, mainly because we arrived shortly after. Canterlot, it's so... bright. White things everywhere. And ridiculously tall spires, giving the impression somepony was overcompensating for something. Maybe one of the princes, if they had any. The castle itself had more white things inside. It all looked so... clean. No bloodstains, no dust, no nothing. It was like something out of a fairy tale. So I bit myself on the left front hoof. Nope, fully awake. And in pain. Luckily I had my saddlebags with me, filled with the remaining apples. Naturally I ate one. I'm running out of these too fast. SO DELICIOUS. Then the beating sound appeared again, what was up with that? I was going to ask Xia, but we arrived in a hall filled with stained glass windows, each showing a different picture. There were six ponies on several of them that looked like the six we came here with, fighting a dark alicorn in one and a... creature mishmash in another. The hay? It had a horse-like head, rather different from the ponies I had seen, with a deer antler on the right, a goat horn on the left, one long fang, yellow eye with a red iris, a snake tongue, and a goatee. It had the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, the left leg of a goat, a bat's right wing, a pegasus' left wing, and a snake's tail. It was like all the mentioned animals had fallen into a grinder and the remains had fused together to take revenge on the contraption. Xia interrupted my important line of thought, which is when I noticed Celestia and another grayish blue alicorn had arrived. Clearly alicorns can multiclass, as only rogues would be able to sneak up on me like that. Lorn doesn’t count, because he didn’t sneak up on me. I KNEW HE WAS THERE, SHUT UP. I bowed regardless, mainly because Xia pushed me. We introduced ourselves properly, one at a time. Xia’s full name is Exicia Esoce, she’s a mage who specializes in different schools of magic. Currently she’s focusing on arcane magic for reasons unknown, which is stupid. Why anyone would be a mage and then not specialize in fire magic is beyond me, as fire is awesome. She also takes care of our guild library, which contain all our books and tomes. Including the evil ones who want to eat me. As AJ pointed out, she and Twilight were very similar, except she didn’t write to any princesses. Mainly because the closest thing we have to a princess is the crazy banshee bitch in the Undercity. They thought I was talking about a fancy female dog, to which I explained how the gilnean royalty had that one covered. The people of Gilneas are a bunch of werewolves, thus their queen is a real bitch. Sylvanas is a crazy zombie woman and the leader of the Forsaken, which is just a fancy word for emo zombies. Xia and her family doesn’t count, they’re crazy. Crazy is awesome. Also, Syllie’s a former blood elf. And no, she’s not my type. Lorn’s full name is Ralorn Dawnrunner, and he’s a paladin. He claims to serve the holy cause of the Light, but he lies. There’s nothing holy about using the essence of a being of pure holy energy to perform paladin spells. I’m so proud of him. Apart from the lying part, he should be proud of being a blood knight! Lying is stupid, as telling the truth is so much easier not to mention it tend to lead to hilarious moments. The general population of Azeroth hate hearing the truth when it makes them look bad. He explained how we got here as a result of a small experiment with an urban myth involving the collision between two objects named after absolutes: The Immovable Object and The Unstoppable Force, and how we were "somewhere" before finally ending up deep within the nearby forest they call The Everfree Forest. Why somepony would call something "Everfree" is beyond me, aren't forests free anyway? Did that have something to do with how AJ mentioned being done before the "scheduled" winter? The idea was absurd, you cannot control weather on a grand scale. There it was again. What's up with all these feelings of déjà vu? And then it was my turn. There was a lot of information to be said, and many wrong ways of saying it. But then it struck me: Buck censorship. My name is Larorn Dawnrunner. Born on a monday, slain on a friday, raised on the same friday, freed on a thursday, revenge fulfilled on a saturday, mainly bored every other day. I’m a death knight, My specialty is beating things to death with themselves or anything else I can get my hands on. Hooves. Rarity asked me what I mean about “raised”, so I told her exactly what it meant. I’m a scary zombie pony, woohoohoohoo. Xia unwrapped her bandages, showing her bony joints. Rarity fainted dramatically, which turned out to be an act. Drama queens. Then I told them about Azeroth, how our world is slowly dying, becoming lifeless as the meaning of death diminish with the passing years. Death is no longer permanent in Azeroth, except in some very minor cases like age. And because of it, everything is at war with everything. It's been like this for seven years, and it shows. Can you guess what the main, or rather, ONLY strategy being used in these "wars" are? I’ll give you a hint: It involves throwing bodies at each other until one side gives up. If I weren’t as creative as I am I would’ve grown tired of genocide a long time ago. Imagine a catapult that fires catapults that fires bombs containing catapult firing catapults. And then get disappointed when you realize it doesn’t exist yet and no one wants to make one. The natives looked at eachother with concerned looks, almost as if they felt sorry for us. There was an odd sincerity in their eyes. They told how their kingdom had not been at war at all for almost a thousand years since some childish squabble between the two royal sisters a thousand and almost two years ago. Which meant the war ended some time after the two of them stopped. And that the two alicorns are more than a thousand years old. They look good for their age. The other princess was indeed Luna, the goddess of the night. I declare her to be the best princess ever. Going slightly off topic, I commended her night sky as the piece of art it was. Of course I enjoy other things than killing people, why limit yourself to just one hobby? Back on track, I told them about the spirit healers and everything else there was to say about my abilities as a death knight. Which mainly involves different ways to kill things and manipulation of the dead. I can create temporary ghouls, even small armies of the things if there’s enough death in the vicinity. Thinking about it, seeing as Xia made so many mirror images... I shall have the biggest volleyball team of all time. Buck the rules. And then I told them about Arvenrarth. My sword, my partner in death, and my first true friend. Technically. She did try to kill me after I runeforged her. That’s the sign of true friendship. Her name is a mix of the ancient elven words “arven” and “ferarth”, which means “despair” and “delicious”. Despair is Delicious, or Delicious Despair. I gave her that name when I first defeated Falric, a human death knight, in a duel during my death knight training. Man was obsessed with pears. I hate pears. That fruit is evil and conspires with bananas. Celestia asked us about our world, more specifically about the warring factions. There are two major factions, the Horde and the Alliance. One likes wearing red and beating things to death, and the other likes wearing blue and make excuses as to why they are beating things to death. Guess which one I prefer. There’s also a whole lot of other factions consisting of less interesting races, except the dragons. Dragons are awesome unless they’re stupid. Both the Horde and the Alliance are made up of six races each. The Horde has orcs, trolls, tauren, the Forsaken (undead humans), blood elves, and goblins, while the Alliance has humans, dwarves, gnomes, night elves, draenei and worgen, the last one being the gilnean werewolves who are basically humans with a wild side. Woof. All “twelve” races walk on two legs, more or less. Technically it’s just ten, but try saying that to any of the human races. They keep using the word race, but it doesn’t mean what they think it does. I’M RIGHT. Most of the human race are proud, honourable, and terribly BORING. Take a monkey, shave off all fur except the part on top of their head and make the part that should contain the brain larger and you have a human. Then you have the slightly shorter race of the dwarves, wearers of epic beards and unable to fight sober. Dwarves, unlike most humans, are awesome. One of them even has a gun that uses squirrels as ammunition. Their skin colour is usually a tone of peach, some cases browner. And then there’s the gnomes. Put a human in a box which you then press down to about a quarter of its original size and the result is a gnome, a race of angry midgets with a knack for technology and a desire to make everything else smaller. The Horde mainly use them as footballs in gnomeball, a sport involving two teams each trying to kick the gnome into the other team's goal. Like a reverse Warsong Gulch skirmish, only without the clever use of flags. Whose bright idea was it to decide victory based on whoever had the most flags? Which brings us to the night elves, who are humans with extremely long life span, long ears and a fair face. The latter being mainly the females, the males: not so much. They’re like my kind, the blood elves, only they worship the moon goddess Elune, and their genders have very different roles. The females fight with a ferocious grace while the males spend their time hugging trees. It’s gotten more equal the last few years but gender roles still linger. Males are still pansies. Their skin are usually a colour between blue and purple, with glowing eyes to match. The fifth Alliance race are the draenei, whose genders couldn’t possibly be more different. Where the females are graceful and beautiful, the males are muscular to the point of absurdity. How they mate is beyond me- DAMN YOU MENTAL IMAGES- and not important let’s talk about something else. Differences, yes. Much better. Males have thick tendrils for beards. Their beards are not awesome. Females have much thinner tendrils that reach their shoulders from behind their ears. Males have big boned foreheads while the females have horns, and both have a tail. The female one is ridiculously tiny, while the male one is the size of their arms. Which are fat. Blue glowing eyes and the same skin colours as the night elves, only more blue than purple. Also they’re related to Eredar, a race of demons, which is not important. Then there’s the worgen. Looks like every other human except they can turn into bipedal wolves and they speak with an accent THAT I DO NOT HAVE. I’m not gilnean damnit! If anything they’re copying me! Stupid dogs. The Horde races are a different breed altogether. They’re savages and proud of it. My kind of people, unless you’re talking about the “adventurers” and “heroes”, or Garrosh. Garrosh is an orc, a brown skinned crossbreed between a human and a gorilla with short tusks. Turns out orcs are alien to Azeroth as well, and guess who their old neighbors were. The draenei, which was obviously just a coincidence. They orcs were all part of shamanistic tribes, until some demon lord got bored enough to make them all bloodthirsty brutes which ended up turning their skin green, unless of course you were lucky enough to belong to one of the uncorrupted tribes. If you ask me the whole situation was something out of a bad book. Fast forward some human bloke makes a portal, they end up in Azeroth, it’s all orcs versus humans and shit happens. I didn’t fight in the second war either, mainly because I was busy with other things... which is none of your business. Then some years ago the draenei crash landed on Azeroth with their crystal ship because their pilots are terrible drivers. And they joined the Alliance because the Horde is led by orcs and they’re both racist. Something about the orcs almost committing genocide on their race. And they’re immortal and thus can live forever, which is a very long time to hold a grudge. Onwards. Tauren. A human once loved a cow a bit too much, and thus the tauren race was created. The end. Yes, they are really just cows walking on two legs with fingers and arms and everything. Trolls. Dat accent. Long tusks, males are always walk hunched because if they didn’t, they’d hit their heads every time they walk through doors. And that blue skin of theirs? It’s not skin. It’s fur. Get it right. The Forsaken. Consisting mostly of the undead population of the fallen kingdom of Lordaeron, they’re a bunch of life hating zombies. Mostly. Xia’s remaining family is among the few who don’t waste their time bitching about how unfair it is that everyone else is still alive and how the world hates them for existing. Which is actually true. Like we’re worth less because we don’t have a pulse. JEALOUS, ALL OF THEM. No, I’m not Forsaken. I’m a death knight, we’re a different type of undead. You’d have to ask Arthas how we work, all I know is I stab people and they die. And our swords have a mind of their own, in most cases one smarter than their owners. I’m an exception. Arthas is not, as he committed both patricide and regicide when he killed the king of Lordaeron and got the Forsaken into their current mess in the first place. No, I am a blood elf. We’re mostly looked upon as both beautiful and shallow, which is mostly true. I may look gorgeous, but at least I’m not rubbing it in people’s faces all the time. That’s what weapons are for. We’re like the opposite of night elves, worshipping the sun instead of the moon which I’m not a fan of as the sun is too bucking bright. You can’t look directly at the sun, not like the moon. The moon is several times better. FACT. Last there’s the goblins. Cross an orc with a gnome, add fifteen dozens silos of liquid greed and put explosives in every piece of technology they create and you end up with something resembling a goblin. They’ll blow up everything except their fortunes. Sometimes that too. I’m so glad I didn’t have to tell them all that, nor write it. Xia gave them the politically correct version, combined with actual pictures. As if my descriptions weren’t good enough. She always carries around an entire encyclopedia in her bags, which is awfully convenient, along with all the books she’s currently reading. She then questioned their reactions. Celestia assured them that we possessed no threat to them, and they seemed fine with that. What the hay is wrong with these ponies? They're about as carefree as me, only without my charming personality. So I asked how she could possibly know that, considering I just told her what I am. She told me why. I did not faint as a result of that. It was merely a setback. Fine. I fainted, which is the appropriate reaction to being told you’re under a pacification spell or something like it. I woke up to find myself still surrounded by ponies, so everything was normal... ish. So I’m pacified. This is just dandy. Apparently I cast it on myself when I arrived in this world, but she didn’t tell me anything else. And honestly I was okay with that, too much information not enough murder. I’m a soldier, not a leader. Point me in the direction of something and I kill it. End of story. I need an apple. And now Xia’s looking at me oddly. … My eyes do not glow. MY EYES DO NOT GLOW. WHAT MATTER OF SORCERY IS THIS? Xia blames the apples. Claims they’re making me alive... wait. My looks are more colourful, my mane livelier. And I recognize that beating sound, it’s a heart. My heart. I’m alive again. I’ve overdosed on life. NIGHT DAMN IT. Quickly brain, push all the buttons! No! Panic is not the right answer to this AHA LICHBORNE! I instantly turned back into what can only be described as myself on a very bad day. My coat was tattered and filled with rotten holes, giving way to the decayed bones underneath. The beating had stopped, and my eyes were glowing bright blue once again. I’m still immortal! My celebration fell short when Xia told me to drop it, mumbling something about magic theories and how my “shapeshift” had surpassed its usual ten second duration. I would’ve refused, but I was overwhelmed by a searing pain more powerful than any holy spell I’d ever been hit with. This does not make me less of a man. Stallion. Whatever. My heartbeat is still creeping me out. Xia said something about me being a battery, to which I suggested using “power cell” as a description instead. Dash agreed, so it was two to one. FRIENDSHIP. So according to her, my appearance reflects the amount of life force I contain. Seeing as our world is made of suck, I’ve never gotten enough to become this lifelike. That and I haven't really spent much since I got here seeing as my equestrian kill count is currently zero. At least it won’t kill me. Right? Letting the others depart, Celestia asked me some questions whose answers she didn't want to share with neither my group nor her subjects. Which was rather odd, as she asked me about my childhood, my age, and if I felt at home here. I'm a hundred and twenty six. I think. Don't really know as I'm an orphan. The "Dawnrunner" part of my name is from the family who adopted my brother and I. Barely even remember my childhood apart from a few incidents only I can remember. THEY HAPPENED. As for feeling at home... I do. I don't get it, I've never been here and this place feels more right than any part of Azeroth ever has. Then again, when you think about the state it's currently in I guess anywhere else would feel more like home in comparison. She also told me that just because I've been a horrible person, pony, whatever for as long as I can remember (which isn't much) I don't have to be. Do I sound like I need moral lessons? Then she let me go, calling me "her little pony". She is not my favourite princess, but she’s the weirdest monarch I’ve ever met. It’s like she has a brain but pretends she doesn’t, which the complete opposite of azerothian royalty. At last the whole gathering was now over, to which Pinkie suggested we have a "officially welcomed to Equestria by the princess" party. Twilight suggested a picnic instead. Did that shadow just move?
Nox Drachen	1151	4	Main 6,Original Character,Trixie,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	(Cancelled) A Death Knight's Ramblings	A death knight ends up in Equestria with his brother, a paladin, and a mage. This is his journal.	cancelled	108	6	<p>"If he ever mentions what I just did to anyone, I'm going to murder him in such a brutal fashion that there will be nothing left but a giant mess looking worse than Kael after his latest setback."</p><p>An "experiment" gone wrong, a death knight finds himself, his brother and their guild scribe in Equestria, in the shape of the equine race known in this realm as ponies.</p><p>As the night approaches, they set up a make-shift camp. Having no need for sleep, the death knight naturally acts as the night watch. To pass time, he starts writing in his journal.</p><p>Little does he know what the future has in store for him and his fellow misfits. After all, the universe is an obnoxious bastard.</p><br/><br/><p>World of Warcraft crossover.<br/>WARNING: May contain large amounts of nonsense.</p><p>(Rewrite status: Not yet at 100k+ words. Cover art still not done.)</p>	teen	2012-05-30T09:47:03+00:00	2012-05-30T09:47:03+00:00	3,803	This is a chapter title. It was made by SCIENCE. Buck. What a weird word. Something in my mentality is causing it to replace any notion of a similar word starting with an “f” instead of a “b”, which is rather odd. Not to mention it makes Applejacks job sound like something a night elf would have. And it sounds wrong in several sentences, like “go buck yourself”. Just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Need a different word. Maybe “plough”. That might actually work. DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I THINK?! This is the problem with having too little to keep your hooves busy, you start thinking about everything and soon you end up theorizing and pondering philosophy! PEACE MAKES BRAIN THINK, MURDER MAKES BRAIN STOP. Also, I’m on a train. I like trains. Not a fan of railroad tracks. The tracks exist only to confine the magnificent trains within their reach, hindering them from exploring the world. It’s a clever form of slavery, one nopony questions as trains are not known to be sentient. But what if they are? What if trains have been sentient all this time, and we just don’t understand their language? This puts a whole new perspective on what a railroad engineer really is. What the hay brain. Stop thinking. You might wonder why we were on a train instead of being flow back on chariots. Chariots are for important matters. I don’t mind, trains are cool. If they ever decide to rebel against their masters, I’ll happily lend a hoof. Unless it doesn’t benefit me, of course. Maybe lend them a catapult for their kamikaze squads. But what if they won? What if they weren’t any better than their captors, and decided it was our turn to become slaves? Can you imagine a world ruled by trains? Or pants for that matter, there’s a horrifying thought. So there we were, sitting on one of these trains. One that either didn’t have any plans to overthrow the equestrian monarchy or was just waiting for the right moment. We passed through a tunnel, confirming that I still possessed my ability to see in the dark. I was still miffed that my eyes didn’t glow, thinking how Xia’s and Lorn’s eyes did when we arrived here. So. Apples, or glowing blue eyes. Apples. Glowing eyes. Munch munch. Apples it is. With that out of the way, Xia said she wanted to test something during the picnic. Not like I really have anything better to do, which brought up the question of what I was supposed to do while Xia and Twilight searched for a way to get us home. While getting back to Azeroth wasn’t the most prominent thing on my mind, I honestly missed some of our guild mates. Especially one of them. It’s complicated. Maybe later. Xia wanted to test something alright. Had I known what I would’ve said no. No, it didn’t involve me dying, obviously. Or any incidents involving my head being chopped off. But if it did, it wouldn’t exactly be pleasant. I would know. What’s it like? Oh not that much different, except you’re a head shorter than everypony else. At least I make a pretty blood fountain. No, Xia was more interested in talking, which was worse. At least I had sandwiches. Dandelion sandwiches are delicious. Thinking about it, I may have eaten more the last week than I’ve done for more than a year. I’m going to need something to spend all this energy on. Maybe knitting. Actually no, how an earth pony would even knit is a mystery I’d rather not solve. Or pegasi for that matter, do they use their wings as hands? I bet they do, because I’m not one and the universe hates me. Well it can go plough itself for all I care. Why did you not make me a pegasus pony instead?! Earth ponies have a connection with nature, which kinda clashes with the whole “death” part of my class description. Hang on. No. Wings be damned, I’m not getting magic butterfly wings. Twilight knows a spell that can give me wings, but they’re fragile ones made of morning dew. And butterfly shaped. And time limited. Back to the talking. Xia was actually after simple chatting, which was okay. We exchanged stories, but there was one I paid more attention to than the others: The Appleoosian Battle, where the settlers of Appleoosa fought the local bisons over a plot of land. The settlers had planted trees over the bisons old stampeding grounds, which the latter did not approve of. So they had a small battle where apple pies were used as ammunition. I asked for a moment of silence for the brave souls who lost their lives during the war, and that their fruity existence would forever be remembered. After all, plants are alive and can feel pain just as we can. Whenever you eat something freshly plucked, you’re eating it while it’s still alive. Sometimes I like just watching a herd of herbivores grazing while imagining the grass’ screams. I’m such a horrible pony. There were other stories, we told some of ours as well. Mainly slice of life ones, like the time I tried engineering. Needless to say, I was banned from ever entering an engineering shop ever again. Ever. And all because I put a sock in a goblin bread heater to see what would happen. How was I supposed to know it would gain sentience and go on a washing machine killing spree? Which, I might add, was totally justified as goblin washing machines are a crime against science. Or maybe the sock was a victim of circumstances, and it was infact the toaster who was supposed to gain sentience. Toaster sounds like a better word than bread heater anyway. Me and Venera “might” have broken into a similar shop afterwards to try the same with a gnomish toaster, but that time it merely shrunk. The toaster, not the sock. It should have felt odd letting myself go around these ponies this early, but it didn’t. I was having fun. Simplistic, friendly and in-no-way-involving-dismemberment fun. Unless the sandwiches count, we left no survivors. I lay down in the grass, making out shapes in the clouds. One of them had this weird shape of something Pinkie called a “muffin”, which is some sort of baked goods. She yelled “Twitchy tail!” as I noticed a growing dot getting bigger and bigger until I could make out the face of a certain pegasus. In a flash I called my blade to me, dodging the incoming pony meteor who crashed into the ground on my right. An upside-down shaped hole in the ground appeared as the smoke cleared, revealing Lorn with his weapons drawn and prepared for combat. It turned out Xia wanted to test the extent of my pacification, which I was all too happy to comply. I’ve missed fighting. Even in our equine forms, we had no trouble wielding our weapons. Lorn wielded his sword and shield flawlessly, switching between using his mouth to hold the hilt and somehow holding it with his right hoof while standing on his rear legs. I just used my mouth to hold Arvenrarth due to how runeblades work, as it allows me more control. ‘The runeblade is an extension of your being, a death knight cannot battle without a runeblade,’ my old combat instructor used to say. Before he was killed by a small army of so called ‘heroes.’ Funny how robberies suddenly become heroic acts once you throw justification into the picture. A blood death knight can initiate the Dance of the Runeblade for a short period of time, allowing them to wield it with their mind. Which is also why most dancing runeblades flail about like hyperactive goblins that have stumbled upon a shipment of ‘DO NOT PUSH’ buttons. Only, one problem: all I could do was defend, as I couldn’t get myself to use any of my offensive death knight abilities. Which sucked as we made a “friendly” bet on who would win, where the loser would have to perform the dance of our people. I really hate our dance. We kept at it for minutes before Lorn finally fell down in exhaustion. Silly living and their limited energy. We agreed on a draw, mainly because I didn’t want to expose the locals to the atrocity that is the blood elven dance. It really is that terrible. I prefer the dance of death, much more artistic. Xia was taking notes, obviously creating hypotheses and overanalyzing as per usual. She asked me to try again, but without fighting to kill. Of course, how silly of me. Obviously I should’ve fought without trying to kill Lorn, there’s just one problem with that. In case you need a reminder, I’m a death knight, with “death” being the main word here. I DON’T DO NON-LETHAL. Onto other matters, I was running out our of apples and needed to get more. Problem was I had no local money, or “bits” as Lorn called them, and farm work is just not for me. I have a few five-digits of gold, but what use are they here? Money is stupid and is only worth something because people and ponies alike think it is. It’s oddly comfy to lie on though. Haven’t slept while lying on a bed of gold though, nor a normal bed for that matter, not since the day before I became a death knight. Ever heard the expression “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”? The dead do not sleep. Xia doesn’t sleep, she meditates to keep her own magic under control. Lorn had a proposition for me. He’s earned quite a hefty sum of bits with his profession, being a jewelcrafter and all. But he was interested in the prospecting results of this world’s ores, and required my mining expertise. Yes, I’m a miner. I find, mine and smelt ores that sometimes contain gems. And no, I do not build castles. I’m a destroyer, not a builder. If I ever built a castle, it would be so I could beat someone with it. Rarity had told him where she usually found hers, which was somewhere up in the mountains. So that’s where we’re going. Family trip! We were climbing up the mountainside, when Lorn decided it was time for a little brotherly talk. He always picked the best spots, like steep mountainsides and giant battles. Our main subject? Hair. Which is a very important subject, thank you very much! His hair is a disaster, end of story. He even had the audacity to claim the two tails on my forehead are hugely impractical, which is a downright LIE. I look spiffy, and it never slowed me down before. After all, I can sense where the living are if I’m low on energy so it’s not like I need eyes to fight. Not that I want to lose my eyes, especially now. Even the mountains view in this world is breathtaking, and considering I don’t really breathe that’s saying something. Wait. I’m actually breathing. This could be a problem. Lorn came up with a horrible comeback. He said spiffy is something squirrels are, so I punched him in the jaw. A few minutes later we reached a flat area where I started to sense nearby deposits. I found quite a lot of spots, there was only one problem. They were invisible. Honestly, who decided it was a good idea to make ore invisible? What’s wrong with ore deposits being easy to see, too manestream? This was a random occurrence in Azeroth that happened way too often, where visible ore deposits would suddenly disappear once you got near them. Except this time I never actually saw any of the ore deposits, which would mean... oh hay no! They aren’t invisible, they’re underground! I jumped on top of a nearby boulder and scanned the area, looking for cave entrances. Rocks as far as the eye could see, with wide paths of dirt spread across the ground. Bushes and trees here and there. But no caves. What was I supposed to do, dig for them? My gnomish army knife doesn’t even have a shovel. It has a pick axe, skinning knife, torture cables,flint and tinder and other useless things, but no shovel. Stupid gnomes. I drew a cross on the ground where a deposit was buried underneath, when I was hit by this ridiculous idea. “What if I actually dug for- ARGH PAIN LEAVE ME ALONE!” Stupid hooves, mimicking my ideas without me giving them authorization to do so and thus ending up with me striking something hard. Colourful gems, several of them in fact, just beneath the surface. I ran over to where I sensed another deposit and did the same there, apart from the whole painfully finding more gems. More gems, but no ore. I dug up several deposits, but they all seemed to lack ore. Looking at the ground around me being covered in the gems I had dug up reminded me of a certain island in Azeroth where the Exodar resided. All the mountainside needed now were some mutated animals and alien goats and it could be called Exodar-two, although it lacked the spaceship sized crystal. I was immediately hit by nostalgia as I remembered the draenei mount and its multiple uses, especially the elekk cannon. Made entirely of elekk bones, it couldn’t shoot anything but it was sharp enough to serve as an impromptu oversized stabbing tool. Told you I was creative. The mountain does not approve of my creativity, and it displayed this by causing the ground to give away underneath me, dropping me into a vertical tunnel. Clearly the mountain planned this for years, even conspiring with gravity. Everything conspires against me, nothing values artists these days! Shortly after it started going horizontal, becoming a makeshift slide. It was actually quite fun for a while, my eyes having no trouble seeing anything. Then there was a small ramp before the ground disappeared, showing a dark chasm below. Luckily, there was a hole in the wall on the other side, with another tunnel. Which is why I hit the wall right above it, flailing my legs as I briefly flew across the chasm. I hate earth elementals so much right now. Barely landing inside the other tunnel, I found myself rubbing my face as Lorn came sliding, made the jump perfectly (of course), crashed into me and sent us both sliding in a rolling mess. Then the ground disappeared again, and I landed on flat ground. Lorn landed on me. Of course he landed on me. On the plus side, I found the cave! Be patient my dear apples, I shall unite you with your doom soon- wait. That was odd. I just sneezed. Place isn’t that dusty. We weren’t lost. Lorn was clever enough to suggest we create marks to guide us back, so I made some crosses on the walls at regular intervals. Not like they were needed as my surroundings were filled with so many gems, it would cause the biggest bitch fest in the auction houses since the day it became known that smart people used stupid people to get rich. It was just basic economics, buying low and selling high but of course that was unfair. I wouldn’t touch any of those places with a polearm, not like I could due to someone being anti-polearm. Polearmist. But the most important thing was the ore. There were a few deposits of iron, silver and gold, but these deposits were simply... fascinating. Augmented iron ore, glowing with a shimmer of green as if infused with an emerald gem. Such a thing should not be possible, and yet here I found several rocks containing similar pieces that could be smelted and prepared just like any normal ore. Not only the emerald kind, but also several sapphire, ruby and topaz augmented ores. You could barely notice the gem fragments due to their size, and an idea appeared in my mind, followed by another sneeze. Ore infused by gems. Imagine finding a diamond one! Imagine the physical properties of diamonds and how they are formed. Now imagine finding it in a state in which it would be smelted and fitted into other shapes. Imagine a sharp edged diamond sword which can withstand pretty much anything that isn’t of a divine nature. The idea was so absurd, the concept so surreal, it would kill logic. Screw Azeroth, Equestria has diamond swords. Well, might have, but screw Azeroth anyway. I showed Lorn the copper ore I had just unearthed, its rubies giving it a crimson glow. He eagerly grabbed it, checking it out with his monocular, which is some sort of fancy jewelers loupe. The ore was of seventy eight percent purity and contained gem fragments with the potential to serve as magic foci. When Lorn tried prospecting it, it became a ruby giving off an orange shimmer. It was like the components switched places, hinting at the presence of natural transmutation. Short version: Blah blah blah magic rocks. More importantly, I am now fifty bits richer. Maybe I’ll try a different fruit once we’re done here, as long as it’s not pears. Tastes as bad as they are evil. I sneezed again. There’s not even that much dust here, not to mention the multiple tunnels look like they’ve been altered by someone, or something. Question is, who did and why hadn’t we seen anything to them yet? I spoke too soon. Rule number one when adventuring, never say things like “at least it can’t get any worse” or “where is the lava” out loud. The universe has a terrible sense of humour. Looking over to the source of the voice, I saw a pack of what looked like brown skinned dogs built like gorillas, most clad in iron armour on their torso and head. At the head of the pack, another one wearing a red vest was glaring at us with its light green eyes. He, or I guessed it was a he, said something I didn’t really register as my brain was currently focusing on the most important thing at the moment. They were dogs. Dogs. I DON’T LIKE DOGS. I grabbed hold of Lorn, lifting him above my head. “GET AWAY FROM ME! I have a paladin, and I’m not afraid to use him!” I shouted, swinging Lorn at the approaching dogs. You’d think that’d be enough to scare them away. Of course not. The vested one shouted orders to the rest, while Lorn who disapproved of my clearly brilliant plan caught flight, and addressing the hunchback fleabags. He was trying the diplomatic approach. I was too busy sneezing. In the small break I got between my sneezing fits, I managed to pull my helmet out and put it on, only to remember it didn’t cover the lower part of my face. I hadn’t used a helmet in ages, so the only one I had available was my old gray helmet with unnecessary spikes and two horns fashions like an ox’s. Stupid vrykuls and their viking ways, rumours had it these giant humans were the ancestors of today's humans. As if the fact that they already looked like humans, only bigger, didn’t make it obvious. Vrykul are also sort of related to dwarves, seeing as both their ancestors were actually stone creatures that became mortal as a result of “the curse of flesh”. It’s a long story. And I’m too busy wondering why on earth I have a goldfish bowl on my head. Doesn’t help that I sneezed just as it appeared on my head, leaving a big patch of snot splattered all over the inside of it. EWW. It looked worse than Draic’s last experiment, except it wasn’t on fire. Which was a relief, as I wasn’t in the mood to get singed. The gorilla-dog hybrids accused us of stealing their gems, which was totally unjustified. They was buried in the walls! Yet Lorn wanted to return them. He dumped all the gems I had gathered into what became a large heap on the floor. Amongst the muck on my bowl I noticed Vestie’s eyes growing large. I sneezed my bowl off in time to catch him being impressed by the sheer amount of gems we had collected. And now my eyes were starting to water. You see, I have a small problem when it comes to dogs. I’m allergic to dog hair. And these caves “belonged” to them, meaning this place was full of it. Buck my life. You see, I have a small problem when it comes to dogs. I’m allergic to dog hair. And these caves “belonged” to them, meaning this place was full of it. Buck my life. I just wanted to get out, but Vestie had other plans. We were going to dig gems for them. Before we had any chance to say anything else, we were both jumped by several of the primate canines. I stepped out of the way, causing my attackers to crash into each other. Lorn, however, found his wings and muzzle bound by ropes. Any time now. Any time. Lorn exploded.
Nox Drachen	1151	5	Main 6,Original Character,Trixie,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	(Cancelled) A Death Knight's Ramblings	A death knight ends up in Equestria with his brother, a paladin, and a mage. This is his journal.	cancelled	108	6	<p>"If he ever mentions what I just did to anyone, I'm going to murder him in such a brutal fashion that there will be nothing left but a giant mess looking worse than Kael after his latest setback."</p><p>An "experiment" gone wrong, a death knight finds himself, his brother and their guild scribe in Equestria, in the shape of the equine race known in this realm as ponies.</p><p>As the night approaches, they set up a make-shift camp. Having no need for sleep, the death knight naturally acts as the night watch. To pass time, he starts writing in his journal.</p><p>Little does he know what the future has in store for him and his fellow misfits. After all, the universe is an obnoxious bastard.</p><br/><br/><p>World of Warcraft crossover.<br/>WARNING: May contain large amounts of nonsense.</p><p>(Rewrite status: Not yet at 100k+ words. Cover art still not done.)</p>	teen	2012-05-30T09:47:12+00:00	2012-05-30T09:47:12+00:00	1,771	Someone challenged me to a duel once, claiming he was unbeatable. So I stabbed him with a fish. There are many things in this world and beyond that you should never do, and ticking off a paladin is one of them. Which is bad enough, as the self proclaimed “defenders of justice” are amongst the biggest fanatics in existence. Now take it one step further and you have the blood knights, the blood elves’ version of the divine soldiers. Lorn is a blood knight. It was a shame they stopped being sadistic bastards during the whole ordeal with the Sunwell being restored, or Vestie would not still be standing. Lorn was taking it slow, savoring the moment (honestly, I would too) and I... well. As I sneezed off the goldfish bowl I was wearing, I caught a look of Lorn. Surrounding him was a glowing yellow outline of a pony twice his size, enveloping his stature and making him seem more regal, his eyes glowing bright white. His sword was drawn, covered in the same glow with swirls of red dancing over it, his voice augmented by the sheer power he radiated. The power of showing off. Then he flung his shield, knocking out several dogs. Shields are overrated. Eww, that one’s gonna need a bath. I just sneezed on one of them, covering him from head to toe, claw, paw, whatchamacallit. I cast Lichborne, feeling the cold embrace of death once more as I turned fully undead. I was immediately hit with the sensation of pain. It turns out being undead near a paladin empowered by holy energy is still not a good idea, so I ran into one of the tunnels thinking Lorn could probably handle himself. Which was a shame, as I would miss the fight. Thinking about it, maybe Celestia is a paladin. That would explain why it hurt being Lichborne back at the castle. Paladin/rogue dual classes are overpowered. Odd that I didn’t feel anything like that the first time we met though, nor did Xia. Maybe she did it on purpose. Royalty. Well out of range I could feel something calling to me. I hesitated. This felt somewhat too familiar, like something I’d always known yet never known. Slowly walking forward, I sensed it was an ore deposit buried a few meters underground. Not stopping to think, I simply dug until hitting something hard, which I completely unearthed. It was a lump of dark red metal-laced stone, its shape resembling a crude heart twice the size of a normal heart. Something seemed off about it. So I just dumped it into my bag, of course. Not like dealing with weird metals ever hurt anyone, except the whole deal with the saronite metal, which later turned out to be the blood of a creature composed entirely of mouths and slowly drove those wearing it insane. Never affected me though. Okay, it never hurt anyone important. With the mysterious probably-not-dangerous metal safely secured, I found myself in a rather large hole too deep to simply jump out of. And my hooves started to itch, which meant that my undead state was fading. There’s a small problem with the Lichborne ability; it only lasts for a limited amount of time as it’s not a shapeshift, but a buff. A temporary (mostly) beneficial spell. And time was running short. My sneezing mortality would soon return. As I prepared myself for my future snot bath, I felt a heavy weight on my back, and something being pushed against my face blocking my view. I might have panicked, thinking one of the dogs were actually a rogue and attempted to throw it off. After much kicking and tumbling, I managed to throw whoever it was off. A cheerful voice could be heard, giving up a loud “Weeeee!” as its owner landed on something that gave a small yelp. I felt the bag on my head move, two blue eyes coming into view. It turned out I was wearing some sort of mask, which let me breathe without trouble. And I had somehow gotten out of the hole. Pinkie smiled and bounced over to Rover, which was what Vestie called himself. Know how she found us? Pinkie sense. Or more specifically, ear flop - twitchy tail - knee pinch - itchy nose. She even did the gestures as she named them, claiming it was a combo that told her someone was going to need a gas mask. Yeah, “what” was all I could think off too. Pinkie now occupies fourth place on my list of awesome, right above catapults. She’s just so... random. Something tells me that was a horribly cliche line of text. And if you must know, number three on my list is reserved. Not sure what to put there yet. Number two is truth. I’ve never quite understood the purpose of lying, the truth is so much more destructive not to mention funnier than a lie. Not to forget lying takes so much effort to keep up. And number one is V- actually that’s none of your business. Lorn was also here, free of any bonds, ropes and what have you. Guess they got the point. He was oddly clean though, last time he lost it he came out looking like me. Let’s just say blood knights don’t let “morals” stand in the way of “justice”. Whatever keeps their boat afloat. Rover, sporting a new black spot over his right eye, mumbled something along the lines of “stupid pony” as he begrudgingly led the way. Lorn wasn’t happy with how I, as he put it, “abandoned him to these animals”. Nevermind I would’ve caught fire if I didn’t! Being on fire and standing in fire is not the same thing, because it’s only the latter one that increases your damage output. The first one kills you. I managed to make him wait until we were outside before answering anything, as I’m currently itching more than anypony should ever have to itch. Ever. I could use a good stab massage right about now. Rover did not find my stories amusing. Bad dog. I was of course speaking of the time I visited Majordomo Executus whom I stabbed. With a rock. He was a flamewalker, a creature with a humanoid torso resting on a serpentine body, covered entirely in scales. I’m still not sure whether he was important or not, I forgot whatever else happened during that trip to the Molten Core, a cave system beneath a volcano known as the Blackrock Mountain. Supposedly there’s some history behind it. As we walked through the tunnels, Pinkie cheerfully bounced as she hummed a rather catchy melody. I had a very interesting conversation with Rover as we walked. “Hey Rover!” “What?” “Are we there yet?” “No.” “What about now? “No.” “And now?” “NO!” “Hey Rover!” “WHAT?!” “What’s your favourite colour?” “NO- uh, red.” “It is? Mine too! … are we there-” “YES!” “Really?” “NO!” I’m so good at making new friends. It had gotten dark outside during our little cave trip, and the sky was covered by a beautiful star pattern. If I didn’t look like a walking disaster I would probably have spent some time simply watching it, but I was also... tired. With the dogs out of sight, I took my mask off and started walking back towards town with the other two, finally back to walking on grass. A song rewrite was starting to form in my mind based on Pinkie’s earlier melody, a habit I had developed when I was still a child. Needless to say neither the matrons in the orphanage nor my adoptive family approved of the lyrics. All you have to do is take a bunch of morons Add them to the raid Everyone is after blood’n’glory The last they’ll get is laid Leading this group is such a pain And it’s full of pointless drama Add a little luck to this clusterfuck And the treashaa we will loot’ah! Raiding, this team is tragic Raiding, their deaths nostalgic Raiding, slaughter plunder RAIDING! Raiding, of course, is one of if not the most popular past time in Azeroth. Some important guy or gal is declared evil and thus we form “teams” or “raid groups” to go in, kill everything inside and steal their stuff. It’s like breaking and entering only you’re considered a hero because of it. Some of them even truly believe what they’re doing is right. The whole concept reeks of justification, as if you need a reason for it. And no, I didn’t sing this out loud. I wanted to, but I don’t think Pinkie would’ve enjoyed it as much as me. … what the hay is wrong with me?! Now, Lorn wanted to know what I did while we were separated. So I told him about the heart shaped metal I had found, and the familiarity I felt. He didn’t approve of me unearthing it, even less bringing it with me. When I took it out of my bag, he backed away from it. Pinkie looked at it with curiosity, and somehow we ended up talking cherry flavoured gems made of highly concentrated carbon kept under pressure for over a thousand years like diamonds. They better not have fruit swords here. Some weapons are too evil for their own good. I swear I just saw a shadow move. Again. Word of advice, never fight a shadow. Bastards are invincible. And invisible if there’s not enough light. Not like that flying horse. It’s complicated. Turns out Lorn didn’t like the heart metal rock thing because it looked wrong. How awfully shallow of him, as if it’s responsible for how it looks. He doesn’t even sense any evil from it, and the fact that he can’t actually sense evil at all due to having exhausted his holy magic reserves doesn’t make it any more evil! Rocks are people too! Kids these days are only interested in helping old ladies across streets, so of course it falls to me to help these poor unfortunate rocks achieve their lifelong dreams of displaying their superiority over anything I beat them with. I’m such a nice person. The earth elementals are just jealous because they are too lazy to do it themselves. So Lorn cannot feel the Sunwell, which might have something to do with the fact that it’s not actually here, and he exhausted his power supply with that small light show of his. That’s what you get for being dependant on a pool of magic to convert natural magic into holy magic for you. Otherwise he could’ve just used the magic Xia claims this world is covered in, but nooooo. Paladins have to be picky about their magic. That is why my method of beating things up with themselves is much better than theirs... maybe I’ll give that non-lethal thing a try. AH HAH HAH HAH HAH no. Not unless something catastrophic happens that make me change my view on this, which will never happen. BUBBLES. SO MANY BUBBLES. BUBBLES EVERYWHERE. I’m in a bathtub. Filled with water. And bubbles. And water warfare combat simulation equipment. It’s roleplaying time. Without any Goldshire influence whatsoever. That place is weird. Trust me, you don’t want to know. And I’m mentioning it so that you will wonder what it is and forever curse the day your curiosity got the better of you and you found out. Onward! The sky itself was shattered by the sound of the mighty roar of the mighty McQuackosaur, the yellow rubber scourge of the seas. Nothing could stand against this evil spawn of evilness, as the giant evil rubber duck evilly and mercilessly annihilated every ship it came across. Evilly. Oblivious to the fact that today would be its last, for the princess’ finest ship, the Lunar Pearl, had set sail to slay the mighty McQuackosaur and bring peace to the Equestrian waters. The ship approached the humongous beast, its skin a sickening yellow and its soulless eyes black as the darkness itself. The captain, a white stallion in a fabulous and overly large hat ordered his crew to fire upon the monster. But it had disappeared. One of the crew reported the presence of another ship, one belonging to the Kirin Tor Brigade. The captain came to the clear conclusion that they must have been behind this monstrosity, and ordered his crew to unleash the ravenous hats. Sadly it was Veteran Hat day, and everypony knows hats do not fight during their holidays. Just then, their boat started shaking. The captain shouted orders as he tied himself to the steering wheel with some conveniently placed rope as a humongous beast emerged from the depths below, giving a fear inducing roar. It was Rornzilla, the Death of the Seas. The terrifying and dashing monster had the no-longer-that-mighty McQuackosaur in its mouth, chewing as it broke the demon ducks neck- ... You know, there are probably weirder situations to walk in on than seeing me chewing furiously on a rubber duck. Like that one time Xia walked in on me waging war on the library books. I swear, every book is out to get me- I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. You’re NOT getting out of my bag and that’s final, Night knows what’ll happen if you do. Stupid bookforts and their hive mind, it’s worse than those infernal bees! Now that I think about it, I haven’t actually seen bees in over a... the squirrels kidnapped all the azerothian bees. It all makes sense now, they seek to rule the world by controlling all its resources! First the honey, then our lives, then... wait, what? So Lorn walked in on me chewing on a rubber duck. You should know there was a perfectly good explanation for this. Me chewing on the duck, not Lorn invading my bath tub fun time- combat training. Yes. Combat training. They should be glad they didn’t catch me singing, which when I brought it up Lorn gave me the most “NO” look in all of creation. That is a fact. Or a theory. Which is considered fact whenever it benefits whoever looks at it. Like my allergy management. Yeah, I was taking a bath. I used to hate bath time, the matrons kept trying to make me take my necklace off each time. I love this necklace. It looks like some sort of starfish with a red gem in the middle and it’s the only thing I have left from the time before the orphanage took me and Lorn in. I hated that place, filled with entitled brats and angsty role players. At least something good came out of Arthas’ destruction of the Sunwell, seeing as it stood right in his path. Apparently Rarity, who were visiting Twilight when we returned just a few moments ago, does not approve of dirt. Or messy manes. But even considering the state I was in when we arrived, being covered in, well, stuff, she still had no reason to overreact the way she did. Don’t believe me? “Your mane!” “My mane?” “Your hair!” “My hair!” “I cannot let such a crime against fabulousity go unpunished, you’re getting that washed right now young man!” “I’m older than you! Can’t we talk this over?” “NO!” “Don’t touch THE HAIR!” “Be quiet!” “I need an adult!” “I AM AN ADULT!” See, she overreacted. And no, I had no traces of my previous allergic adventures as I went Lichborne which caused any non existing proof to rot away. I know allergy doesn’t work that way, but mine does. I’M A SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE. You can’t prove anything otherwise, therefore I am considered right in your world. Wait, is the inside of a bag comfortable? Maybe I should see if I can put a sofa in it, weird how these soulbound bags work. They can contain a stupidly large volume of the same type of item, but only a limited amount of different items. Which means eight pieces of armour takes the same space as a hundred and sixty feasts each large enough to feed twenty five soldiers. Magic bags, why do you hate physics. So first Rarity throws a fit due to the state my mane is in, and then she has the audacity to attempt to style my hair. With scissors. Important note: Do not touch blood elven hair. EVER. Unless its owner trusts you to handle it right it better be an extreme emergency of fashionable proportions, or the only other alternative being the end of the world. Only barely if it’s the latter one. … maybe I’m overreacting too. Perhaps I should apologize and allow her- WHAT THE HAY BRAIN? This is getting out of hoof, I can’t do nice things. Last time I did I... Nevermind. This shampoo smells of strawberries. Or liquid pain. I have no idea how to use this. I figured out how to open the shampoo bottle, it was actually quite simple. Not that you need to know, books don’t shower. No, I’m not going to find out if you do. Some things are better left unexplained. Do books sing in the shower? And if so, what do they sing about? Now I’m faced with a different dilemma. How are earth ponies able to use towels and combs with their hooves? Dear Luna I haven’t felt so refreshed and tired at the same time in like forever. My mane is fantabulous. Of course I did it myself, you think I’d let Lorn or Rarity do it? Lorn showed me how hooves work. The pony bodies of this world have more joints than the azerothian ones, so they are able to somehow hold things in ways they shouldn’t. Clearly ponies are part magnets. So. Lorn and Rarity is gone, and I’m not allowed to go outside the library until tomorrow in case I disappear again. As if it’s something I do often. I wasn’t even planning on doing anything, honest! Besides, what would I even do? I’m missing my partner in antics, and she... she must be terribly bored. We’re going back into the woods tomorrow to look for some sort of portal “residue”, as Xia called it. Supposedly it could help Xia find a way to open a new portal. Or rather, Xia’s going into the woods with Lorn. She’ll be keeping herself at light as a feather while Lorn carries her, which makes more sense than walking all the way. We could’ve done this when we first arrived, but I refused. Lorn is not very trustworthy, not to mention his first flight ended in a tree. Mages have a spell called Slow Fall, which essentially makes whoever it’s cast on light as a feather. Not to be confused with the priest spell Levitate. Atra, our shadow priest, will melt your face off if you do. She’s not here now so you don’t need to worry about what else she can do. For now. And me? I have to stay behind. In a library. Filled with books. Some which I have to read. Which is still better than being carried by Lorn. I just yawned. Clearly that just confirms how boring tonight is going to be. Might aswell just get this over with. To think I used to love reading, losing myself within the adventurous worlds they created. Nowadays I do more impressive things on a daily basis, or did anyway. There are only so many times you can kill the same “big bad guy” over and over until it becomes more of a chore than entertainment. There it is again, what’s wrong with me? Normally I keep imagining new ways to “improve” ways of thwarting plans of world destruction, but lately the thought just makes me... bored. It must be this pacification spell, it’s not like I’d grow tired of doing the same thing every day over and over again- slaughter has become a chore in Azeroth. The Quirrel Empire will regret this! Good thing I’ve got my backup plans, I think I’ll stab their emperor with a boat. Another yawn. The book before me is of medium size and looks oddly comfortable. I’ll just lay my head down for a little while.
Nox Drachen	1151	6	Main 6,Original Character,Trixie,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore	(Cancelled) A Death Knight's Ramblings	A death knight ends up in Equestria with his brother, a paladin, and a mage. This is his journal.	cancelled	108	6	<p>"If he ever mentions what I just did to anyone, I'm going to murder him in such a brutal fashion that there will be nothing left but a giant mess looking worse than Kael after his latest setback."</p><p>An "experiment" gone wrong, a death knight finds himself, his brother and their guild scribe in Equestria, in the shape of the equine race known in this realm as ponies.</p><p>As the night approaches, they set up a make-shift camp. Having no need for sleep, the death knight naturally acts as the night watch. To pass time, he starts writing in his journal.</p><p>Little does he know what the future has in store for him and his fellow misfits. After all, the universe is an obnoxious bastard.</p><br/><br/><p>World of Warcraft crossover.<br/>WARNING: May contain large amounts of nonsense.</p><p>(Rewrite status: Not yet at 100k+ words. Cover art still not done.)</p>	teen	2012-06-10T19:51:27+00:00	2012-06-10T19:51:27+00:00	2,413	I was given three ultimatums once. I chose option five, as option four was too obvious and option six was not ready yet. Okay. Don’t panic. This is not a sign that I’m becoming mortal, just a side effect. A vision inducing side effect. From something I should not even be able to do. I woke up in the library's spare bed earlier today, and was told I slept. Which is a problem, as I haven’t slept in years due to me being, well, dead. Waking up while hugging a pillow was not on the list of things I was going to do some day or the other. When I spoke of my vision, Spike told me it was probably a dream. He’s a dragon of the non-evil kind, therefore he must be right. Only it wasn’t really a dream. Dreams are weird. This was more like a reenactment of a memory, the one where I... The one from when I watched Venera die, which led to me joining the Argent Dawn. Which is why I woke up screaming her name. And that may have caused Spike to be covered in a pile of books, a feeling I know way too well myself. Libraries are death traps I tell you! He asked me who Venera was. So I told him the short version. Imagine an awesomeness scale from one to ten, then throw that away because it doesn’t even come close. She’s clever, she’s funny, she gives the best dagger massage of all time, and her skills with the arts of stealth are legendary. And... that’s all you need to know. I know she’s technically human. What makes her different is that she doesn’t use her “humanity” as an excuse. “He’s only X” is amongst the worst excuses for anything, right next to “my mount ate my homework” and “I’m a paying customer”. The very few situations where those are actually proper reasons are drowned out by the myriads of improper uses used to throw responsibility onto someone else, just because they can’t handle it themselves. I never deny being responsible for my actions. Never. Not caring is not the same as denying. Xia and Lorn left me behind while they went to the forest, and I honestly don’t want to go back to that forest again. Too many trees, not to mention I can’t even kill anything inside it. This spell sucks, and Xia even told me she couldn’t detect any traces of it. Which might mean I’ve always had it, but that would be absurd. Next thing I know I become a herbalist or worse, an unholy death knight. Stupid flower pickers. Twilight wants to study my undead condition. Not like I have anything better to do since I’m not allowed to go outside. Maybe I’ll rebel. Wait, that what they expect me to do. I’ll stay inside, they’ll never expect that! WHY DO I KEEP DOING THESE THINGS? I’m stuck in some weird mechanical contraption in the library’s basement, with weird sticky dots on my front legs and a weird hat on my head with wires connecting them to some machine. This better not end up with me getting body swapped again, the transformation potions and items we have back on azeroth are bad enough. I never understood the whole deal with Noggenfogger, an elixir that either makes you smaller, into a skeleton, or light as a feather for a short period of time. And then there’s the savory deviate delight, a fish that turns you into either a pirate or a ninja. Only drawback is both are human forms, and somehow I always end up as a ninja while Lorn get the pirate one. Which may have something to do with him being a bloodsail admiral after he drank too much and obliterated Booty Bay. What happens in Booty Bay will follow you forever. Lorn ended up on a wanted poster next to Draic, who also ended up as an admiral of the bloodsail pirates after slaughtering a rather large amount of goblins. At least he wasn’t drunk, otherwise there wouldn’t be a Booty Bay. Man’s crazy. It was even worse than the time Lorn and me ended up smashed in Stromgarde, which is where Venera and I met, although that was a few years earlier before the third war when she was still alive. Blood elves were known as high elves back then, before the destruction of the Sunwell that forces most of them to leech magic from a different source. Which technically means I’m not exactly a blood elf, as I do not carry the demonic corruption they do. I’m still thalassian! Besides, my eyes are blue. Blue is forever better than green. Especially since the green colour comes from feeding on demon magic. No, I never feed on demonic magic. They can feed on it as much as they want, I’m not touching that stuff unless it involves killing it. It’s even worse than alcohol, and while I don’t regret my first and last time getting smashed I’m not touching another bottle of it. Or any other container for that matter. Maybe apple cider, do they have that here? They do. I just asked Twilight, and she says the Apple family makes them. Perhaps I’ll give it a try, although just small one. I’d rather not wake up next to a pony I don’t know, especially seeing as I’m dead- wait. If I have enough life in me then NO BAD THOUGHTS. That doesn’t even sound as wrong as it should! Last time that happened I almost died, as it was before these spirit healers unveiled themselves and removed death. You want to know about it don’t you. Very well. Let me tell you the story of how I met Venera. It was a cold and stormy- actually no it wasn’t. It was the day me and Lorn got smashed in Stromgarde, a human stronghold and harbour city. It might surprise you to hear this, but I was amongst the high elves who remained with the Alliance after the second war. Remember when I said I was a hundred and twenty eight years old? My memories are that old, I don’t recall anything that happened beforehand. I don’t actually know my real age, not that it really matters. I’ve got plenty of millenias ahead of me, it’s not like my age really matters. Then again, I’m not a woman. Never ask a woman their age. Yes, I was allied with the human race once. Back then I was naive enough to believe in them. They were a little too proud, especially the gilneans who walled themselves in to show off their independence, but not like they are now. And then the Scourge arrived. What a bloody mess that was. All the good humans died. Now the only good humans are the dead ones, which is why Quel’Thalas joined up with the Forsaken of Lordaeron a few years back, which is also why the blood elves joined the Horde, which is a weird decision considering we were at war with them before that whole mess. Politics are confusing, at least we don’t have any orcs in the guild. Just a troll. Darkspear trolls are cool. The others not so much. I was shocked, and I might have broken Twilight’s machine as a result. I blame Lorn who busted through the door upstairs. They’ve found Draic. I feel like I’m forgetting something. Probably nothing important. Well this is just dandy. They found Draic. That’s good news. He’s infected with the Plague. That’s bad news. That means either the Forsaken or the Scourge is here, which is also bad news. And there might be an open portal between the two worlds. That’s both good and bad news. Xia is coughing up smoke. That’s not news. We’re in a hospital. That’s new. Its interior is green. THAT’S BUCKING HORRIBLE. Draic is a pony, a dark purple coated one with a black mane. His flank mark is a green fireball with a vial and a wrench crossed behind it, like a fancy pirate flag. Of FIRE. Green fire, which is the right kind of green. Just like broccoli green. Broccoli are not evil, they are vegetables and sworn enemies of the pears, who have the inferior green colour. Juch like these hospital walls. I feel sick just by being here. A loud noise just came from outside, followed by a voice sounding like... Patchwerk? Well that was... interesting. The town was just invaded by Patchwerk, Anub’arak and a whole swarm of undead nerubians. I got to kill things again, and Celestia is the biggest kill stealer of all time. As it turns out, I was fully able to slaughter a number of nerubians before Celestia showed up and ruined my fun with her overpowered Holy Nova. This is why I dislike royalty. I could’ve dealt with these invaders myself! Although they were sort of overrunning the town, but she could’ve at least left a few of them for me! Stupid holy spells and their ability to incinerate the undead. … I guess I should be glad I’m still alive, considering the piles of ashes scattered around town could’ve been me if I was still fully undead. Still, that doesn’t explain why Xia didn’t combust being undead herself, unless she somehow became... oh. That would explain why she was coughing up more smoke than usual. It started with just Patchwerk. He’s a house sized abomination composed of several bodies stitched together, with enough strength to pulverize flesh and the brainpower of a long deceased roadkill, much looks your average inlaw. A disfigured face with differently sized eyes, terrible teeth, and stitches everywhere. Three arms, two thick ones in the “normal” places holding a overly large cleaver and a chain, with the third one being on his back holding a smaller cleaver. Fluid kept dripping out of the hole in his stomach that exposed his innards. He was defeated by the most awkwardly awesome pegasus I’ve ever seen. A blond, gray coated mare with unfocused eyes and bubbles on her flank. She defeated him by flying straight into his head several times, distracting him as Xia bombarded him with fire before finally causing him to blow up with a Living Bomb, one of the many stupidly powerful fire mage spells she’s able to cast. Why she insists on using anything but her fire spells is beyond me, usually when asked she mumbles something about “balance”. Oh, and this pegasus doesn’t look at explosions. Her foal has the best mother ever. As Patchwerk exploded, I noticed there was something moving underground. Time slowed down as the ground opened under an aquamarine coated unicorn mare, revealing an undead arachnid. Without thinking I used my Death Grip, dragging it out of the ground and away from the mare and onto my raised sword, impaling it. As it screeched, more popped up of the ground all over the square grabbing hold of every pony they could reach. Gripping another, I jumped and cleaved it mid flight before proceeding to kill them off one by one as more of them appeared, weaving their victims in cocoons. But more importantly, I could kill them! Yay for mindless slaughter! Their boss even showed up, a big beetle looking arachnid known as Anub’arak. Poor guy, he’s been declared properly dead three times now and still he keeps coming back. Which in this case was odd, as the Lich King had been replaced by Bolvar who swore to keep them under control. Just what was the Scourge doing here in Equestria anyway? Wait... these two have both been declared dead three times, Anub’arak once due to natural causes such as being murdered and twice after being raised, while Patch has been declared dead thrice now. Which makes them both overused, so... Oh hay no. If the one behind this is who I think it is, I’m going to punch someone with my face. Lorn’s got his power back. Seems getting hit by a holy nova made by a sun goddess recharged his holy energy supply, so he’s healing the very few wounded from the battle. The same nova is the spell responsible for turning every true undead invader into a pile of ash, which game Celestia way too many points at once. Let’s just hope this doesn’t go to her head. Oh, and the aquamarine unicorn I saved? She has a thing for hands, and demanded I “teach her my ways”. I... might have ended up hiding behind Celestia. THESE PONIES ARE CRAZY! Especially the mares, I swear they all have some sort of “I WILL END YOU” look they can pull out whenever the situation does not call for it. Xia “saved” me. And by “saved” I mean “dragged me away and sneezed fire in my face”. Hang on, Xia’s calling me and... Draic is awake. I believe you can fly. I believe if you fall you die. I think about it every now and then. Then it hurts my head again. I’m on a flying dragon. We’re heading towards an old castle in the middle of Everfree forest, where the six locals we have with us defeated Nightmare Moon in the past. Seems Luna was driven insane from jealousy of her sister’s day over a thousand years ago, which made Celestia banish her to the moon. I slapped Celestia when I heard that. IN MY MIND. I’d rather not be banished to the moon myself, imagine being stuck on a gray rock for a thousand years. Celestia is even less my favourite princess because of that. When Draic appeared somewhat healthier earlier, he told us it had not been an attack, but a diversion. He asked Celestia if she guarded anything, which was interrupted by Spike burping up a scroll. Two actually, one from Luna which said that some elements and “Discord” had disappeared, while the other one was a formal complaint. Pinkie even read it out loud,”The resident Lord of the Dead requests an explanation as to why there is a huge mentally disabled fleshbag playing tag with a bunch of giant spiders in his underworld.” Which was odd, seeing as the undead should’ve just respawned back on Azeroth. And who was this “Discord”? Draic simply asked for the short version and if anypony were able to fight, as he already knew where the nerubians had come from and how to deal with it. That’s the mark of a leader right there, which means I have to think less about why and more about how. Discord is the spirit of chaos and disharmony, and is currently a statue. He was sealed in it by the elements of harmony, artifacts of power the six mares we’ve talked to are the bearers of. The ten of us all ran out of town towards the forest, those of us from Azeroth donning our armour. Celestia went to deal with whatever else she had to deal with, fully confident we could handle the situation. It was not until we were quite a distance away that Draic stopped. As Dash asked why, he transformed into his dragon form, a sandstone drake. Which is basically a drake made of sandstone, with wings and everything. Yes, Draic is a drake. Sort of. Nopony expected that. Even though his name is just an old gilnean misspelling of the word “drake”, and is even pronounced the same way. He’s not good at coming up with names. As for his dragon form, some time ago a recipe of an ancient potion was unearthed in Uldum, one that was said to grant the imbiber the ability to transform into a sandstone drake. Of course, the materials needed for it are extremely expensive. Which is why we have an entire vault filled with them. Apart from being able to transform into a dragon made of sandstone, the Vial of the Sands has a few undocumented side effects. One being that the imbiber doesn’t just gain the ability to transform into a sandstone drake, but becomes part stone due to how alchemic transformation works, which is why neither Xia nor Draic became piles of ash from Celestia’s spell. One does not simply turn flesh into stone, the process is a bit more... permanent. It’s like the opposite version of the “curse of flesh” that turned stone constructs into mortals. Xia told us she chose to take it without really thinking it over, as she could’ve just let Lorn carry Draic from the forest. Actually, let me ask him why he was infected by the plague in the first place. … He accidentally broke a vial with a sample of the plague. WHAT. Back to the subject of sandstone drakes. You’d think more people would want to gain immortality by drinking this Vial, there’s just one small problem with it. Goldshire. That town is filled with so many people claiming to be the love children of Illidan and Deathwing that the idea of anyone becoming a dragon is considered taboo. What the actual fuck. “Buck” doesn’t cut it in this instance. Draic and Venera have been working on modifying it to change the appearance to one of the other dragon species, with Xia’s vial being a volcanic stone one. I want a frostwyrm one, frostwyrms are cool. They’re basically undead dragons, although when I think about it now... no, I still want wings. They hit a breakthrough some time ago from studying transmogrification, a special kind of magic that changes the appearance of armour and weapons. Which did wonders for the world of fashion, and is the main reason my armour is a perfect match. YES. My vial is ready, but it’s back at our headquarters. SOON. As of now Draic and Xia are carrying most of us, with Lorn and Dash flying next to us. There’s something small moving towards us- SKITTENS. Journal, say hello to Skittens, the fastest flying kitten in all of everywhere. He has yellowish brown fur, a brown mane and shining yellow eyes. This kitten is and forever will be the most awesome kitten. Of all time. FOREVER. If there was a rulebook for how the universe was supposed to work, there would be a giant section describing just how awesome this kitten will always be. In fact, the entire book would consist mostly of that section with a small page stuffed all the way at the end with the less important details like conditions needed for pears to exist and unholy death knights. He’s carrying a letter, signed with... It’s from Venera. The letter contained a single sentence: “Prisoners present”. Shortly after Venera appeared out of thin air, much to Dash’s shock. She’s a light blue pegasus with a straight black mane and yellow glowing eyes. Of course she had wings. She wore an odd contraption on each of her front hooves, each with a jagged dagger attached to them. Her flank mark is five knives formed like a fan. And she’s still looking as deadly as ever. I lept of Draic and hugged her in mid air. Which was a rather stupid idea, luckily Draic caught me with a claw as I let her go. Don’t judge me. Meet Venera, the occupant of the first place on my list of everything awesome and the only one who have stolen my heart. Literally. I spent a good afternoon chasing her down that day during the “Love is in the Air” festival, I have not lost as much blood in a single day since. We finished it off with a nest extermination followed by a trip to Southshore, which was a small human town in the Hillsbrad Foothills before the Forsaken bombed it with their version of the plague. Their military is not the most creative sort, seeing as that is their main strategy for every skirmish. Bombs are overrated. We’re not in love. Honest. It’s more like a perfect storm of bad decisions. One that started with us waking up next to each other in Stromgarde a few years back after my first and last time getting completely smashed, followed by several minutes of the two of us trying to kill each other causing more property damage than the innkeeper was comfortable with. One thing lead to another and... well... Back to the present, I apologized to her for taking the last slice of the chocolate cake. That was a lot easier than I thought it would be. But she wasn’t mad. She got over that when she set my favourite curtains on fire. Poor innocent victims of war, I even paid extra to have the sword pattern made extra detailed. And she burned them because I ate one small slice of cake. And for the record, cake is not considered food. It is way too delicious and can therefore be consumed in infinite amounts. She briefed Draic on the current situation, giving away the locations of the prisoners she had mentioned earlier in the letter. Without further ado we initiated plan B. What’s plan B? Plan B is “slaughterfest” and it’s the best plan. Plan A involves too much stealth for my taste, as fun as it is to watch your enemies slowly but surely panic as you take them out one by one. And no princess will steal my kills this time! It started with Lorn performing a Divine Bomb, which is an improvised technique involving flying into any structure and using Divine Shield just before hitting it. Paladins get eight seconds of damage immunity, which is completely fair. It’s not like they’re any good without it, obviously. EXCEPT THEY ARE. Regardless, Lorn knocked a sizeable hole in the side of the castle. So much for ancient irreplaceable architecture. Draic and Xia landed inside and changed back, dropping the rest of us on the rocky floor. I might have landed on my face. We were greeted by a band of fel elves. Fel elves are like blood elves, only they have red skin and a pair of very small black wings on their back that serve no purpose whatsoever. Venera dispatched all of them before I could even get back on my hooves, and started running down the stone corridor. Apart from the new window Lorn had generously installed, the castle corridors consisted mostly of torches lining walls of rock. Even the ceiling was made of rock. Castles are so bland. Rarity showed disapproval of the fact that Venera just killed the fel elves, but we kept moving. We passed several bodies of other fel elves, most of them with their heads still intact and an angry look on their faces. Within a few minutes we found Venera in a large room, standing by a large green crystal containing a pony shaped figure. The room contained several dozen similar crystals that had been broken, containing pools of... well, remains of... something. Whatever it was, is smelled terrible and frankly upset a few of the mares. It didn’t help when Draic touched one of the pools, studying the red goo. He claimed that by the looks of it, the goo had once been ponies. They were either too shocked or disgusted to react as Draic struck the remaining crystal with his front hooves, shattering it in a swirl of green magicy something. He caught the pony inside, an azure unicorn mare with a mane two slightly different hues of light blue. Before I could check out her flank mark, Twilight called her “Trixie”, hinting that she knew the mare from beforehand. Draic asked Twilight if she could feel the power emanating from the azure pony, and when she said no he told us that the mare radiated demonic energy and was likely the only one who survived an attempt to create fel ponies. And judging by the sheer number of crystals, this was likely what would’ve happened to the ponies of Ponyville if the nerubians hadn’t been stopped. Question was, which town did these come from and why had we not heard anything about it? And why do I care? The castle suddenly started shaking violently, causing cracks to appear on the stone walls, floor, ceiling, and everything else not yet mentioned. Rocks fell onto the floor as the ceiling collapsed, dropping the entire upper floor onto us. I was not pleased, just because it had been several weeks since last I was crushed flat didn't mean I missed the feeling! However gravity failed at doing its job, as a pink shield enveloped us. Twilight had enveloped all of us in a protective barrier, hinting that she wasn’t just a mage, but also a priest. She must have royal blood too, it would explain how she can multiclass. As the rocks settled down, we found the once ancient castle in rumbles and a large blue portal floating in the air above us. A laughter could be heard, as a weird mishmash of a creature resembling the one from the stained glass in the castle. Only this one didn’t have a goat head, but one made up of half squirrel half... blood elf. “Azeroth was merely a setback!” Buck this. I have a face to punch, monologue or no monologue. He's been blabbering long enough.
Fon Shaolin	1154	1	Main 6,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Forever is Forever	Applejack returns to Canterlot for the Summer Sun Celebration after 33 years away.	complete	103	12	<p>I debated on updating this or changing it or even not posting it, but a quick google search showed that a lot of people still remember this (bad) fan fiction of mine and wondered where it went. Therefore, I'm posting it here unaltered so you won't have to dig around for it anymore.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T01:00:42+00:00	2011-10-03T01:00:42+00:00	9,255	It was the first time in a hundred years that the Summer Sun Festival had taken place at Canterlot. The entire castle town was alive with activity; ponies were taking to the streets in droves, helping the official teams put up decorations. Streamers were hanging from every tower and the palace itself had been colored in rainbow paint. The rainbow castle was the first thing visitors coming off the zeppelin saw and many of them stood on the platform gaping at it in childish glee. It wasn’t every day that this many ponies were allowed to come to Canterlot – a literal trip of a lifetime. One of those ponies was a young filly that pushed her way through the crowds. “Look at all the balloons, Ma!” she shouted, zipping around the platform and getting under everypony’s hooves. Another, older pony stumbled out of the zeppelin after her daughter and managed to coral the filly before she knocked anyone over. “That’s nice Apple Pod, but you’re being a bother. Come on over here with your grandma.” The little pony struggled to get away from her mother. “No way! Granny didn’t even want to come!” Finally, after more squirming, the adult earth pony picked Apple Pod up by the scruff of her neck and carried her over to the side of the platform, out of the crowd. She set the filly down and bent down low. “Now you see here, Missy. Don’t let your Granny hear you being that disrespectful! We couldn’t leave her alone at the farm and if she really didn’t want to go we wouldn’t be standing here right now. You should be thankful to Granny for coming with us.” “I’m just fine stayin’ by myself, Apple Dash! You’re the one being disrespectful and in-sin-u-a-tun that I can’t take care of myself for a day!” It was always funny how Granny Jack could get the usually tough as nails Apple Dash simpering like a scolded rabbit. The blond pony flinched as her mother finally caught up. Sheepishly, she turned around to face the Apple matriarch. Applejack, her mane snow-white and hanging down to her hooves in a nice tight braid, clopped over to her family. She had that look in her eyes that just promised you were going to get argued at no matter what you did, so Apple Pod wisely ducked under her mother’s legs and only peeked out at her grandmother. “Now, Ma, I didn’t mean it like that—” “They hay you didn’t! I know when somepony is sayin’ I can’t do somethin’!” She raised her hoof to stamp it, but thought better and just scratched at the stone. Applejack turned walked past the mother/daughter pair and stubbornly looked out at the clouds hanging in the sky behind the zeppelin. “I wanted ta come. Nopony is going to tell me what to do.” Apple Dash sighed. “Is this about what the doctor said? You’re almost seventy! He might be right about your hip!” “Balderdash.” There was just no helping it when the old pony got like that. Arguing about taking it easy or not going out into the fields alone fell on deaf ears and Apple Dash was sick of all the yelling. Applejack would do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, and that was that. Even convincing her to get away from the farm for a few hours to come to the Summer Solstice Festival had been a miracle and Apple Dash had played dirty by saying Apple Pod wanted to go more than anything. Jack’s daughter moved up next to her and nudged the elder. “It won’t be that bad, will it? The farm can live for a day without anyone looking over it. All your friends are gonna be here, you know: Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity. Princess Twilight said that there will even be a special dinner for all of you!” A snort. Applejack just shifted around so she could look at the clouds better. “Maybe Aunt Dash won’t be there?” That got Applejack’s attention, but not the kind Apple Dash wanted. The old pony’s face twisted into a deep frown and she opened her mouth to say something, but closed it after nothing came out. She just glared at her daughter for a long beat and stomped past her, thankfully heading toward the castle. Apple Dash and Apple Pod shared a look and fell in step with their prickly leader. Pod ran off from time to time to get closer looks at the decorations or strange unicorn machines, but her mother would bring her back before Applejack could stop long enough to get more annoyed. The castle itself was open with an enormous welcome banner hanging over the lowered drawbridge; even the normally-stoic guards were smiling at the visitors and some were acting as tour guides. One of the groups was close enough that the pony’s opening bit could be overheard. He was explaining about the day Princesses Celestia and Luna had officially named their successors and taken the mantels of Queens. “You were here for the coronation, weren’t you? Oh, I bet it was everything all the other ponies say it was!” Apple Dash blathered on and on, either ignoring or not noticing Applejack’s plummeting mood. “I wonder if Princess D—” “Applejack!” The cry echoed off the walls of the palace and many ponies turned to look at the top of the main stairs as a brightly-colored pink pony cleared several steps in a single bound, catching the railing and sliding down the rest of the way on her hooves. She hadn’t changed at all since the last time Applejack saw her and was still the young, happy filly from Ponyville. Managing not to cringe when Pinkie Pie threw her arms around her neck, Applejack cracked a small smile. Princess Twilight’s Advisor of Festivals and Holidays had never quite grasped how old her friend was getting. “Heya, Pink,” Applejack said, slowly extracting herself from the hug. “The palace looks great. Twilight isn’t working you too hard, is she?” Pinkie Pie had already moved on to the youngest member of the Apple herd and was gleefully swinging Apple Pod around like one of her helicopters with the colt giggling the entire time. Pinkie had always gotten along better with Apple Dash and Pod when they were kids. When they grew up, they lost some of the magic. Of course, growing up wasn’t something Pinkie Pie would ever have to worry about now – she had chosen to be restored to the ripe young age of eighteen when Twilight had offered her a position as one of her immortal advisers. “No way! Twilight actually makes me take breaks! We’re always arguing about that; she says I’m going to catch on fire or something silly.” Pinkie let Apple Pod down so she could grab Apple Dash in a hug which the other pony enthusiastically returned. Pinkie Pie had been one of the first of Applejack’s friends to accept her daughter and they were still close. Even though she had fallen out with the majority of her friends, Applejack could never stay mad with Pinkie. None of this was really her fault anyway – she just took advantage of Twilight’s offer like any sane pony would. “She might have a point!” Apple Dash scolded. “If the princess thinks you’ll burn yourself out doing all of this,” she gestured at the lavish decorations in the castle foyer, “then you should take it easy.” “I was, but then we heard that Applejack was actually going to come this time; I couldn’t not have the biggest party in Celestia’s history after that!” Apple Pod hopped up and down. “You mean this whole thing is for Granny Jack?! That’s so cool!” She looked back at the old mare. Yeah, cool. Applejack’s eyes narrowed as Pinkie led them further into the castle, away from any chance of escaping. She was playing dirty by getting Apple Pod so excited about it. They eventually made it to the grand ballroom. It wasn’t quite finished yet and there were decoration materials still lying around. However, a unicorn and a pegasus were putting up banners with the new royal seal of the crown princesses. “Fluttershy, Darling, a bit to the left would make it much less gaudy, don’t you think?” Dutifully, the pegasus flapped her wings a little harder and pulled the banner tighter on her side. “A little more…a little more…a little – oh my, is that Applejack?” Rarity’s magic abruptly stopped holding up the banner and Fluttershy crashed into a pile of loose fabric. Rarity trotted up to the group. She, like Pinkie, hadn’t changed on the outside and still had her beautiful flowing mane and alabaster coat of pure white. Unlike Pinkie, Rarity had taken to wearing her jewel of harmony all the time and it looked perfectly normal sitting against her chest, glimmering in the low light. She stopped short with a small gasp. “Darling, whatever did you do to your skin? It looks like…like…” “Like I’m seventy? Imagine that.” Fifty years and that filly hadn’t changed a bit! If Applejack rolled her eyes harder they’d go walleyed like old Dinky’s. At least Rarity had the grace to look embarrassed and uncomfortable. “Silly me, I keep forgetting that.” She turned to Applejack’s family and asked, “How are things at your delightful little farm, Apple Dash?” While Rarity and Apple Dash caught up, Applejack shuffled over to one of the dining tables and pulled herself up into a chair to rest. Pinkie and Apple Pod had snuck off somewhere, probably to cause trouble, but it wasn’t Applejack’s place to track down her old friend anymore. Apple Dash would realize her kid had left in a few minutes, or an impending disaster would alert everyone anyway. Heck, all things considered she was the outsider now. “Applejack?” The timid call made the elder crane her head over the side of the table to look at Fluttershy. At her small nod, Fluttershy slowly climbed into the chair across from Applejack’s. “How are ya doing, Fluttershy? Rarity isn’t pushing you around, is she?” Fluttershy glanced away and demurely shook her head. “Oh no, I volunteered to help when…when I heard you were going to visit. It’s been a long time and I just—” A hoof lightly thumped against the table, making Fluttershy squeak. “It hasn’t been that long. I don’t see why everypony has to make a big deal about it.” “…it’s been thirty-eight years, Applejack.” Thirty-eight years since that night. Since the coronation. Since the announcement. “Yeah, well, we don’t have one of those tell-e-phones out on the farm and I can’t make the trips up here like Apple Dash can. I’m old, Fluttershy.” “You don’t have to be.” This was an argument Applejack just wasn’t going to have again. With great effort, she managed to turn her chair away from Fluttershy, trusting that the shy pony was too polite to press the issue. “Yee-haw! Ride ‘um, cowponies!” Everypony shuddered at the shriek and the crashing that came from a few halls down. That was most-certainly the voice of Apple Pod and Apple Dash finally realized her daughter was missing. “Stop horsing around in the trophy room!” “Come on, Auntie Dash! Faster!” “Princess, please! Stop this!” The door burst open a second later and a multicolored streak darted around the room, over everypony’s head, and stirred the air. A moment after that a sparkly cloud wafted through the door and started chasing the streak, finally catching it as it made a lap around the chandelier. A haggard unicorn charged through the open door, huffing something horrible. She held the door open with her back leg for the next figure to walk in: Princess Twilight. The young pony’s face was one of long suffering. “Dash, how many times have I begged you not to fly inside the castle?” She was more regal than Applejack remembered her from the coronation: a longer mane that had started to ‘flow’ a little bit like Celestia’s whipped about behind the princess and her tiara was slightly askew on her head, no doubt from the undignified run after the other princess. Rainbow Dash, Princess of Equestria – It almost still made Applejack laugh how she had looked getting her title from Celestia. The only thing that had really changed about the pony was the white horn set on her forehead and the tiara she was forced to wear. She looked like this was the most fun she’d had in a while, Applejack noted with a small amount of satisfaction. “Aww, but we’re having fun!” Apple Pod shouted from Rainbow Dash’s back. “We weren’t causin’ no trouble until Trixie tattled on us!” The Sun Princess floated down to the dining room floor despite her rider’s complaints. “Come on, kiddo, we don’t want to make Twilight upset right before the banquet.” She clasped a hoof behind her head and shook out her rainbow mane. “We were getting kinda hardcore there for a bit, weren’t we?” Dash asked as Twilight walked over to them. She lowered her head and let Twilight nuzzle her. Applejack coughed, no, hacked, loudly and made a faint gagging sound. It had Apple Dash running over to her and seeing what was the matter. “I heard you were going to come, but I never believed you would.” Rainbow Dash, ignoring a warning look from Twilight, plodded up to the table and kicked out a chair for herself. Her angry look morphed into a smirk when Applejack glowered at her. “Careful, you might give yourself wrinkles on top of the ones you already have.” Twilight pushed Rainbow Dash over and sat between her and Applejack. “Always so diplomatic, aren’t you?” she hissed. This time Dash just smiled and rolled her eyes, giving up and allowed the other princess to take control of the conversation. “I’m glad you could make it, Applejack.” The worst thing was, she actually sounded sincere. Applejack looked down at the tablecloth as her old friends found places at that dusty little table, all talking to her and asking how things were going on the farm. Apple Dash fielded most of the questions since she was the official owner these days and Applejack found herself just studying the faces of the ponies around her. They really didn’t look any different. After the coronation, most of them had moved into the castle with Twilight and Rainbow Dash as their advisers, forever allowed to keep their youth like the royal family. Celestia and Luna had chosen Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, respectively, to take up their positions as the de facto rulers of Equestria, adjusting the cosmos each day for the good of the kingdom. All of them, that is, except for Applejack; she had elected to remain on her little farm in Ponyville, steadfastly refusing to undergo the spell that would keep her youthful. Many hadn’t accepted her decision. Rarity had moved her boutique next to Sweet Apple Acres for months, trying to convince her friend to go to Canterlot with her. The rest would drop by as often as they could, subtly pushing the issue. It wasn’t until Applejack had begun to show that everyone had stopped, realizing that while she could live forever her children couldn’t. Daily visits became weekly visits to see how the expectant mother was, which drifted in to monthly letters and then holiday greeting cards. A gentle poke brought the mare back to the present and she looked up at the worried faces of her friends. “Ma, do you need some time to rest?” “I don’t need no rest! I’m perfectly fine, so stop askin’ me to take it easy!” Applejack snapped, shooting a nasty look at Apple Dash. Rainbow Dash’s tail snapped like a whip when she threw her hooves up onto the table to lean across Twilight. “Don’t talk to her like that! She’s just worried about you!” The other princess tried to put herself between the two former friends, but Dash nudged her out of the way. “No, somepony needs to say it!” Applejack felt herself starting to heat up and she chose to simply glare at the rainbow-colored royal rather. “She ain’t your daughter, so don’t tell me how to talk to her. I didn’t even want to come to this thing!” “Girls, c-can we not do this today? Please?” Fluttershy, poor Fluttershy, was trying to play mediator, but she had dove into the deep end of the pool. Rarity and Pinkie were smart enough simply slide back from the table and watch. They would be there to soothe the bruised feelings afterward. The two ponies tried to stare each other down and Twilight was still trying her best to pull Dash away from a confrontation. She was close to the princess, whispering softly and fervently in her ear. One of her hooves was resting on Dash’s thigh and it was stroking the fur there. Applejack’s chair clattered against the stone floor as she pushed away from the table. When Apple Dash moved to help, she rounded on the mare. “I. Don’t. Need. No. Help! Why don’t you just stay with auntie Dash and—” And suddenly the castle was gone. The tables, the half-finished banners, the cold stone walls – all of it replaced by the warm afternoon sun and flowering trees of every size and shape. She ran her nose through the flowers swaying in the light breeze as if to convince herself this was real. “Am I dead?” she wondered. “Oh no. We’re a little ways outside of Canterlot.” Twilight Sparkle plodded up beside her friend and hoofed at the ground, kicking up some flower petals that rode on the wind. “When you die, you get whatever you want and nothing bad ever happens forever and ever.” She glanced over at the earth pony. “I’m sure you really don’t want to be here right now, so you can’t be dead.” “…how would you know what I want?” “Because we’re friends, Applejack. Don’t you remember all the time we spent together? It wasn’t that long ago.” Twilight, in an act unbecoming of a princess, sat down in a heap next to Applejack. Reluctantly, the mare followed suit after a moment. She gently let her hip sag to the ground first before following it with the rest of her body. The bones creaked a few times, causing Twilight to wince with each one, but they were soon more or less both comfortable on the ground. There was a long silence before either pony spoke up. Twilight had called her a friend, but that was so long ago. Ponies changed as often as the seasons; how could a friendship last decades without any effort from both sides? “We are still friends, aren’t we?” Twilight murmured. How could you be friends with your monarch? She didn’t need friends anymore – she had advisers and retainers. In a few years Applejack knew she would just be a bad memory and she hadn’t done anything to change that in the last forty years, so why start now? Twilight let out a sigh at Applejack’s silence. “How did things get like this, Applejack? Was it something we all did? Something that Rainbow Dash did?” More silence. The princess turned back to the flowers and lowered her head down into them, resting on the ground. “You know, when she found out you named your daughter after her she was so happy that I was jealous. It was like she found the child we can’t have.” There was a harsh cough from Applejack that had Twilight bolting back upright. “Applejack, are you alright? That cough sounds pretty bad and—” “I want to go home, Twilight.” The words sounded weak and worn to the princess; alien coming from the workhorse. “Can you…can you just teleport me back to the farm?” “But what about Apple Dash and Apple Pod? They’ll worry about you!” “No they won’t! They’re a heck of a lot more comfortable around that castle than I am and I don’t want to be a wet blanket.” Apple Dash was probably already croup-deep in an argument about who the best Wonderbolt was with Rainbow Dash. She would just drag everyone down again. “Please, Twilight. I can make it one day by myself. Do you really want an old nag like me around?” She could tell the argument was starting to work so Applejack started laying it on thick: “I’ve had the sniffles the last few days, so I shouldn’t be runnin’ around anyway. The doctor told me plenty of bed rest, but Apple Dash wouldn’t go without me. I promise I’ll go right to sleep when I get home.” A pained, almost pleading expression flashed across Twilight’s face. “Why? Why can’t you get along with the others anymore, Applejack? Why won’t you let me just cast the stupid spell? Aren’t you tired of being so old? Don’t you ever want to go to a rodeo again, or buck apples? You don’t even have to stay at the castle if you don’t want to!” “Twilight, I’ve been through this about a dozen times already! I don’t want no spell!” The princess leapt to her feet and stomped around so her friend had to look at her. “Yes, you have, but you’ve never said why! Is it some warped sense of pride?! You don’t want my help? I could get Celestia to do it! Or Luna! Anyone you want, I’ll teach them how to do it! Just…please, Applejack…we all just want to know you’ll be out there, somewhere, in ten, twenty years.” She almost cracked. Looking up into those oh-so-earnest eyes, Applejack was reminded the first time Twilight had come to Ponyville. How she had worked so hard to improve everypony’s life, how she had brought loose acquaintances into a real friendship. However, Twilight had been the same the first time she asked Applejack to join her friends in immortality and something had stopped her from saying yes then. It was the same thing stopping her now. Applejack turned away. “I want to go home. Just home.” The princess backed away as if the old mare had struck her. She sensed the finality and glumly nodded. There wasn’t another argument she could use at this point. One flash of light later and the duo were standing in the shade of the massive apple trees of Sweet Apple Acres. Everything had a “wilder” look since Applejack grew too old to look after the farm on a daily basis, but the apples were still red and delicious. Twilight helped Applejack to her feet and watched the mare plod off towards her barn. She swayed a few times, uncertain about whether to follow or not. Applejack didn’t look back as she opened the door, so the princess did nothing but awkwardly stare after her friend. “I’m sorry things turned out like this, Applejack,” Twilight called out. Applejack pulled the door closed with her tail. “No yer not,” she muttered. Too emotionally drained to bother with getting her medicine for the night, and for once not being nagged to take it by Apple Dash, the mare slowly made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. She passed Big Macintosh’s room on the way and poked her head inside. It was just like she had left it, though dustier than ever. His collar was still sitting on the made bed. A picture of him, Apple Bloom, and Applejack sat on the bedside table. It had been taken years ago, back before even the coronation. Better times. The door to the master bedroom creaked open and the silence was only disturbed by a faint wheeze from its owner as she slipped under the covers of her four poster bed. Her body was really starting to ache – all the traveling and commotion had caught up with her. Apple Dash was probably going to drag her to that stubborn doctor when she got back. She hated the doctor; all he ever said was doom and gloom. Hadn’t she earned some good luck by now? He was full of hay. Her eyes started to droop and she rolled over onto her side so she could breathe easier. She never should have went to that stupid castle again – those ponies just…didn…’t…get…i…t… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Applejack’s eyes fluttered open; someone was calling her name. She lifted her head off the table and looked around. Pinkie Pie was sitting in the chair next to her. The only reason she could make the pony out in the low light was because her mane was so distinctive. “Silly, you fell asleep! If I hadn’t been here you’d have missed the announcement!” “What announce—” Several shushes came Applejack’s way all at once as the crowd of ponies eagerly looked up at the platform at the head of the dining room. Guards flanked it on either side and the figures of Princesses Celestia and Luna were standing in the middle. Somepony was still making adjustments to the microphone, but it was clear the event was about to start. Groggy as she was, Applejack made sure to listen real good. The technician said something to Celestia and went offstage. The ruler cleared her throat and smiled at the way her voice now carried throughout the large room. “I thank you all for coming tonight,” she began. “It has been over three thousand years since my sister and I took the mantle of rulership from our predecessors and tonight marks the official end of our stewardship over the lands of Equestria. It has been a long and fulfilling road for us both, though not without its tribulations…” Luna blushed and looked away from the crowd. She had worked hard to make up for her stint as Nightmare Moon, but it was still a sore spot. “…but we have both agreed that now is the time to usher in a new age with new rulers; ponies that can start anew and nurture new generations, leading Equestria into a golden age. It has taken many years, but we have found two ponies that represent the best of us all. Therefore, I present to you, princesses Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.” Everypony knew that this had been coming, but it still seemed so surreal that the immortal monarchs that were Celestia and Luna would step down after so long. Luna had chosen Twilight for her mastery of the academic and magical arts, while Celestia had done her best to foster Rainbow Dash’s dedication, pride, and loyalty into a pillar of statesmanship. Watching the rainbow-colored pony step forward in her flowing, gold-embroidered dress, Applejack knew that Celestia had succeeded. Before Celestia’s crown even touched her head Rainbow Dash looked like confident royalty. What had once been an untested pony eager to prove herself had grown into a pegasus that had confidence in spades who worked tirelessly to improve Equestria. Twilight Sparkle accepted Luna’s crown with tears pulling at the edge of her eyes. “Thank you, Princess,” Twilight whispered. With their crowns set atop their heads, the new monarchs presented themselves to the select subjects who were in attendance, everyone bowing before them. Their close friends, though, all wore proud smiles rather than looks of loyalty. The stuffy spell was broken by Rainbow Dash. She coughed and took the microphone from Celestia. “Okay, that’s just the formal stuff! Now it’s time to party! Woo-hoo!” Deliriously happy chaos descended on the castle as the celebrating began. Some ponies left with Celestia, Twilight, and Luna to hear about the trip the two former rulers had planned, but most stayed in the main room to revel in the music and dancing. Applejack didn’t dance much herself, but Pinkie carried on enough for both of them. Applejack smiled when a pair of legs flopped over her back and she let her eyes slide closed. “So, how was my speech?” “I think Pr-er-Queen Celestia finally realized you’re gonna be you no matter how much fancy-shmancy jewelry she sticks on yer head.” Rainbow Dash laughed and pulled Applejack in closer so she could nuzzle her neck. “So you’re not mad?” the new princess asked. Dash let out a loud sigh and let her head droop until it was resting between Applejack’s shoulder blades. Applejack craned an eye open. “What would I have to be mad about, Sugarcube?” “You know – I couldn’t tell everypony that we’re engaged.” “Dash, I’m technically just some poor farmer from the middle of nowhere. If you had said you were gonna marry me right after being crowned, it would have distracted everypony! I mean, the only way you could have done it is if you were marrying Twilight or something. I bet they’d love to pair up two royals like that. Celestia was right and you know it.” The pegasus didn’t relax. “But, I told you I’d make the announcement tonight. Come on, you’ve got to be mad at me! I mean, I—” Finally, tired of her fiancée’s mouth flapping too much, Applejack spun around and captured her lips. In the flashing strobe lights accompanying the music, it was hard for anypony to make out what they were doing. “Idiot,” Applejack whispered after pulling back, “I don’t need you right now when we have forever.” Fin~
Exiled Eagle	1155	1	Adventure,Dark,Tragedy	Runaway	Fleeing from a hateful country, a young alicorn travels to Equestria in search of answers.	hiatus	22	2	<p>Fleeing from a hateful country, a young alicorn travels to Equestria in search of answers. Will he be able to find peace in a new home? Or will he and his loved ones be destroyed by forces unknown to them? A force that can shake the foundations of Equstria itself.</p>	mature	null	2011-11-02T05:47:08+00:00	1,365	Mom, Dad, Caeli, Terra, Ignis: I guess you already know that I’m gone. Please don’t see this as me trying to protect you all. I just want answers from the ponies that live in Equestria. I need to find out if they know about Gallopolli, and if so, why haven’t they done anything about an alicorn living here like myself? Especially if they want to kill me and anypony involved with me and magic. Please, don’t try to follow me, I need to do this on my own. If you want to move, that’s fine, but I think you’re safe where you’re at now. I don’t think Nexus can find you here. If I make it to Equestria and the ponies there are welcoming....then I’ll try to start a new life there, because what I have here...I can’t live like this. I shouldn’t live like this. Hiding and being afraid....there’s nothing for me here. I’ll see you all again, I promise. Velux Velux’s horn stopped glowing as he set the quill down. The alicorn picked up his note with his mouth and set it down on the table by the door. Velux then levitated his saddlebags filled with supplies onto his back. He also sheathed his father’s dagger at his side, Velux hoped that he wouldn’t have to use it, but it was better to have some sort of defense. He took one last look at his family, all of them asleep, all of them earth ponies. Why? Velux was an alicorn, how could he be their son? Velux knew, deep down, that they weren’t his real family, not by blood. No, it shouldn’t matter if he wasn’t related to them. He had been raised by them since he had been born, and that made them his family. Nothing, not even learning about his real parents, would change that. Velux opened the door to their home silently and stepped outside. He looked towards the Everfree Forest, the only way to Equestria besides the guarded roads and the mountains, none of which were practical ways to get to Equestria as the guards on the roads would be looking for him and the mountains were too dangerous for Velux. He had never learned to fly, the most he could do was glide a few feet off the ground. Nopony had ever been through the Everfree Forest so it should be relatively unguarded. It was the supposed inhabitants of the forest that concerned Velux. Manticores, cockatrices, and who knows what else? Velux took a deep breath, determined to reach his destination and began to set off toward the forest, not wanting to look back at his home, his family. “Velux?” Velux’s stomach lurched, he froze on the spot before he could even get more than a few feet away from his home. Slowly, he turned around to see his sister, Terra, staring at him. Terra was nearly identical to her twin sister Caeli, her light tan coat matched Caeli’s; her emerald colored mane was usually held together by a single bow. Terra stared at Velux with her orange eyes, “What are you doing?” Velux sighed, and started to walk back towards Terra. “You didn’t see my note?” Velux asked. “I read it,” said Terra, pawing the ground with her hoof, “I don’t understand why you won’t take us with you.” Velux looked down to the ground. “Because... I need to know if it’s safe first. I need to do this alone.” Velux said, “Besides, it’s too dangerous to move all of us at the same time, we’d never make it to Equestria.” Terra’s tone shifted, she sounded more angry, more accusing. “So you’re just going to leave us here? You know that Nexus is still going to try to kill us, even if you’re gone! Just going away isn’t going to change that!” Velux’s ears dropped, he had always been close to Terra. To hear her be this angry at him was unsettling. “I know...” Velux admitted “But it’ll be easier for me to make it to Equestria if I’m on my own. I can be more discreet and I can find a safe passage. I’m sorry, really I am, but I just need to do this alone.” Terra sighed, “I guess I can’t change your mind, can I?” “No.” “Then go. Wherever you go, it can’t be much worse than here.” Velux stared at Terra, surprised at her willingness to let her brother go. Finally, Velux was able to speak. “You didn’t see me?” “No,” said Terra, smiling, “I didn’t.” Velux hugged Terra, and she hugged back. Now that Velux’s departure had been hindered, he almost didn’t want to go, to not have to say goodbye to Terra in person, to go back to bed and talk things over with everypony else in the morning. No, it was easier like this, Terra might be willing to let him go but the others might not. Especially his mother and Caeli. Finally, Velux and Terra broke apart. “Goodbye, Terra.” Velux said. “Goodbye,” Terra said, her lip trembling, “Stay safe.” “I will,” said Velux, finally turning away from Terra and walking slowly towards the Everfree Forest, towards Equestria. As Velux neared the bottom of the hill that his home sat upon, he thought he heard Terra start to sob; but when Velux looked back at his house, the door was closed. * Velux pulled his cloak from his saddlebags and put it on before approaching the Everfree Forest. His mother had made it for him so he could conceal himself whenever he needed to go to a public place. It covered his wings pretty well, but his horn was still barely visible. Still, from a distance, he would look like an ordinary traveler. That was what Velux wanted, distance from any of the soldier ponies Nexus might have sent to guard the Everfree Forest. Of course, the most preferable way to get into the forest was not to be seen at all. As Velux got closer he started to see movement. Whether they were Nexus ponies, or ponies at all, was still unclear. As Velux started to move farther away from the anomaly, though, he began to hear voices. “....don’t know why we’re stationed here. He’d never try to go through the forest, it’s too dangerous.” a stallion said, bored and frustrated. “If Liordani says that we have to guard this place, we have to guard it.” said another stallion, “The kid’s not stupid, he knows that we have the roads heavily guarded, and nopony would be crazy enough to try to scale those mountains.” Damn, Velux thought. He knew Liordani’s name; he was a big supporter of Nexus, and the only kind of authority Velux had heard of within the organization. His father used to serve with him in the guard shortly before Velux had been born. There was no time to think of that though; the voices were close. He was surprised he hadn’t been caught already. As Velux started to slowly walk away from the voices he stepped on a twig. The crack would’ve been loud enough to wake the whole forest. Velux stopped, nearly cursing at himself out loud. “What was that?” the first Nexus pony said. “Probably just an animal.” the second pony said in a stressed voice, as if his companion had done this many times before. “No, there’s somepony there. I know it!” the first pony said. “Hello? Is anypony there?” The soldier pony started walking towards the spot where Velux remained hidden behind a tree. For a moment Velux considered running as far away as he can from the Nexus ponies. But he realized that would lead to a chase that would set off alarms all over Gallopolli. Slowly Velux pulled his father’s dagger from it’s sheath with his mouth. He felt slightly queasy at the thought of what he was about to do, but he didn’t see any viable alternative. As the soldier neared his hiding spot, Velux held his breath. Fortunately, it was dark in the forest and the soldier could barely see in front of him. “Hell-” the soldier pony didn’t have time to finish his sentence, Velux leapt from his hiding spot, dagger in mouth, and drove it into soldier pony’s chest. Velux covered the pony’s mouth with his hoof to muffle his screams. “What was that, Bones? You catch that rabbit yet?” the second pony chuckled to himself, oblivious to the fact that his friend was now dying. Velux’s hoof stiffled a choke as the Nexus pony’s blood began to seep from the wound and trickled into Velux’s mouth. Velux pulled the dagger out, hoof still covering the pony’s mouth and stabbed him again where his heart was. His hoof stiffled another scream from the dying pony. Finally, after a few moments of struggling, the Nexus pony closed his eyes and lay still. Velux slowly removed his hoof from the pony’s mouth and let go of the the dagger still embedded in his chest. He dragged his body behind a fallen tree a short distance from the struggle, doing all he could to keep himself from gagging. Velux pulled his dagger from the pony’s chest, sheathed it and began to run deeper into the forest, keeping his hoof falls from being too loud. He finally stopped running when he had reached a clearing to catch his breath. Velux tasted blood; another pony’s blood. Velux retched as he took a quick drink from his canteen and spit out the vile substance. As Velux stared at the small puddle, he began to realize what had just occurred. He had just killed somepony! He had never done such a thing before! Even if he would’ve killed him if he had the chance, he couldn’t get the muffled screams out his head.....the image of his dead body stuffed out of sight behind the tree.... Velux retched again and doubled over, he nearly vomited, but held it down. The now dead Nexus pony’s companion would surely begin searching for him and discover the body... He had to keep moving. Taking a minute to compose himself, Velux stood up and began to head deeper into the forest. It only took a few minutes for Velux to realize that he was lost. He had been so shaken, so frightened of his murderous act that he completely forgot to follow the road that was said to lead to Equestria. Though nopony from Gallopolli had ever crossed the Everfree Forest and lived to tell the tale. Velux fought through the thick forest, sharp branches cutting through his coat. Everytime he had heard the slightest sound, Velux froze and stared blankly into the dark forest, waiting to hear the roar of some horrible monster coming to tear him to shreds, before moving on. After what seemed like hours of futile struggling, the branches became less thick, less menacing. Velux finally cleared the branches and found himself on a road. It was a worn and what seemed to be a less traveled road, but it was the only navigation Velux had. Checking to see that nothing had been lost in his struggle against the forest, Velux followed the road in the opposite direction from where he came from at a trot. It was only a short while before Velux found himself at the edge of a cliff, an old wooden bridge leading to a ruined castle. This was obviously not the way to Equestria, Velux thought that he should head back and try to see if he can connect to the main road, but something about the ruins made him curious. Velux tentatively crossed the bridge, looking down the whole way to make sure that he didn’t step on any loose boards. When he was free of the bridge, Velux set off toward the castle. * There wasn’t anything special about the hall he had entered, the ceiling had been collapsed and debris from the ceiling was scattered across the floor. Vines and branches from the forest had begun to creep through the shattered windows and wrap themselves around anything they could reach. Though something in the center of the hall did intrigue Velux, six stone outcroppings surrounding a large central one. The outcroppings looked as if there were supposed to be globes set on them, but they were gone. Velux deduced that whatever was supposed to be there had been taken when the castle was abandoned or destroyed. As Velux approached the stone outcroppings he noticed an inscription on the central part. The Elements of Harmony To be placed here in memory of Nightmare Moon’s banishment by Princess Celestia’s wielding of the Elements Velux barely had time to ponder what the inscription meant before something wrapped itself around his neck and pull him to the floor. Velux looked over his shoulder, half-choking, and saw that he had been lassoed. “Haha! You got him! Pull him in! Liordani will want to see this!” said the Nexus pony standing next to the pony who lassoed Velux. Velux fought and struggled but could not get his neck free of the rope. It was only constricting his breathing further, and it appeared that he had no choice but to go along with the unfortunate situation. As Velux was pulled in to the Nexus ponies, another set of ropes was tied around his hooves. A few of the Nexus ponies kicked him as he was pulled out of the castle ruins and back outside. Velux looked up again and saw a tall, muscular earth pony. He had a tan coat and his mane was shaved off, and on his face was a look of pure contempt for the alicorn laying before him. “Thought you could try to slip away in the night, didn’t you?” said the earth pony, who Velux assumed to be Liordani, “You haven’t done a very good job, your murder rang alarm bells all throughout Nexus. I think that will be enough for a hanging, in addition to being a filthy magic pony.” “Your men would’ve killed me anyway!” Velux retorted, “I had no choice!” “But who would believe you?” Liordani replied. Velux opened his mouth to respond, but said nothing. He was right. Who in Gallopolli, a land where magic ponies are considered to be criminals, would believe him? “Come on, let’s get him in the cage and back to Gallopolli.” Liordani ordered his troops. Velux received another kick and was then dragged across the bridge in a single file line. A large cage drawn by two Nexus ponies waited on the other side of the bridge. The rope around Velux’s midsection was taken off before he was thrown into the cage where it was slammed shut and locked. “Let’s go,” said Liordani, “and no talking to the prisoner.” The ponies drawing the cage started to trot down the road back towards Gallopolli. The cage bumped and shook on the rough road and Velux bounced around in the cage, unable to move with his bonds still secured tightly to his hooves. “Great job, Velux,” Velux thought to himself, “You leave a perfectly safe home, kill somepony, and get captured all within a few hours. Some alicorn you are.” Velux wanted nothing more than to be out of this cage and back home with his family. Then he wouldn’t be in this mess, trapped and being led to his death. As the cage bumped on a particularly large rock, Velux flipped over onto his back and his father’s knife fell out of his saddlebags and onto the floor of the cage. For a few moments, Velux simply stared at it, unable to believe his luck. Liordani and his colts forgot to remove his saddlebags, or they had simply thought that he had lost his knife or had no weapon at all. Looking outside the cage to make sure that nopony was looking, Velux managed to lift the knife with magic and into his mouth. Velux started to cut away at his bonds, his knife in his mouth. Every now and then, he would stop and make sure that nopony noticed that he was freeing himself. When the last of the rope was cut free, Velux remained in his submissive position. It would be a mistake to get up when he was supposed to be tied up. None of it mattered anyway, Velux was free of the ropes, but not of the cage. He was still as trapped as before, completely at the mercy of Nexus. Velux thought that he might as well make a run for it when they opened the cage next and hope for the best. It was his best, and only, plan at the moment. “Hold up, I think I heard something.” said Liordani suddenly, “You. Go check it out.” Curious, Velux looked outside his cage and watched as a soldier pony pass the cage and move into the forest. It was deathly quiet on the road, nopony made a single sound as they waited for the Nexus pony’s report. After a few minutes of silence, there was a rustling from the forest and the soldier pony stepped back out onto the road. “There’s nothing th-” A great roar seemed to shake the trees of the forest as a large creature came out of the forest and swiped the soldier pony into the air with it’s paw. The pony flew over Velux’s cage and landed a few feet away, dead. Another roar came from behind their procession, and a few of the Nexus ponies yelled and drew their swords to combat the threat. “Go! Get the prisoner out of here! We’ll catch up!” shouted Liordani to the ponies pulling Velux’s cage. The ponies did not need to be told twice. The cage lurched as they set off down the road, more roars came out from all around them. Whatever the creatures were, there was an entire pack of them. As they turned a corner onto the side of a small cliff, another roar came out from above them and the creature crashed on top of the cage. A claw ripped through the hole of the cage and started to swipe at the air, hoping to kill its prey. Velux picked up his knife and drove it into the paw, the creature gave another roar and the paw retreated. Then, another great crash hit the cage on its right side, sending them tumbling down the cliff. Velux flew around the cage, smashing into the walls and the cage rolled down the cliff at an alarming speed. The cage gave another great lurch, and Velux’s head banged into the bars, knocking him unconcious. Velux blinked blood out of his eyes as he woke. He hurt all over, every part of his body felt as if it had been beaten with a hammer. Velux slowly got up and felt his head, it was wet with blood, but it felt like only a small scratch. His luck still holding, Velux examined his surroundings. The door to his cage had burst open in the crash and Velux climbed out. The cage had been flipped over, and the creatures nowhere in sight. The two ponies who had drawn his cage were getting up on their hooves, heavily bruised with gashes all around their bodies. The Nexus ponies looked around and saw Velux standing outside of the cage. “You little bastard.” said one pony as they advanced on Velux. Velux desperately looked around for his knife and saw it lying a few feet away from the destroyed cage. He lunged for it, picked it up and turned to his attackers, ready to fight for his life. “When we get a hold of you...” the pony growled as they drew their swords in their mouths. Suddenly, a scorpion’s tail pierced the neck of the pony that was making threats. He stopped in his tracks, foam coming out of his mouth, the tail withdrew, and the pony fell to the ground. The creatures who had been attacking them had now revealed itself, it was not a scorpion, but a manticore. It’s lion’s body strong and large, with sinister wings at its side. The other soldier pony yelled and turned away from Velux toward the manticore. Velux finally saw his opportunity to escape and ran away from the wreckage, giving no thought to the pony now fighting the manticore alone. Velux heard the pony scream and his body flew over his head and landed in front of him, Velux leaped over the body and continued to ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He mentally kicked himself for never learning how to fly. The manticore had managed to catch up to Velux and swiped his side with its paw. Velux screamed as he fell off to the side, a gash in his torso. Velux was only starting to get up when the manticore lunged again at his head, Velux tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late. The paw struck him straight in his horn. A sharp pain lanced through it, more intense than he had felt the whole night, or any other, really. Velux saw a large piece of his horn fly off and land yards away from him. Velux raced to the broken piece of his horn and picked it up with his mouth. He didn’t know why he did it, maybe there would be a way to re-attach it. The manticore still pursuing him, Velux ran deeper into the forest, hoping to lose him in the thick trees. He saw a hollowed out tree that could accommodate his size and leaped inside. The manticore’s paw reached inside and clawed at him. Raising his knife again, Velux stabbed the paw. The manticore yelped then looked inside the tree, his large eye visible. Velux thrust the blade into the manticore’s eye, hoping that this would be the killing blow. The manticore did not die, but instead roared, clutching his bleeding eye and ran off into the forest. Cautiously, Velux came out of the tree and looked around. No more manticores, he was finally safe. A sharp, burning pain came from his side and Velux realized that he was wounded with a broken horn and once again lost in the Everfree Forest. Velux examined his wounds from the manticore and saw that in addition to his own blood, there was some sort of sickly green pus oozing as well. He knew not what it was, but he could only assume that there must have been some kind of toxin on the manticore’s claws. Still his head wound was not poisoned, and so Velux retrieved a bandage from his saddlebags and wrapped it around his head to stop the bleeding. He also did this to the poisoned wound, if only to stop the bleeding. Looking around, Velux could not see the cliff from which his cage had fallen nor the wreckage. He wouldn’t dare to try to climb back up, he was too hurt, and he was sure that Liordani and his followers would be searching the roads, if they managed to survive the manticore attack. It was nearing dawn, and Velux was stumbling through the forest, losing blood and consciousness. He’d escaped Nexus and the manticores, but if he did not recieve medical attention then he would bleed out in the middle of the forest or succumb to the effects of the manticore’s poison. He turned a corner and saw a small hut hidden away inside the trees, smoke flowing out of the chimney and odd chanting coming from inside. Velux, using the last of his strength and nearly crawling, started toward the hut. Whether they were friend or foe he didn’t know, nor did he much care. Velux managed to make it to the front door of the hut and raised his hoof with the intent of pushing the door open, but only succeeding in knocking lamely against the door a single time. The chanting stopped, and he heard hoofsteps approaching the door. Velux’s vision blurred, and everything went black as he fell onto his throbbing side.
Exiled Eagle	1155	2	Adventure,Dark,Tragedy	Runaway	Fleeing from a hateful country, a young alicorn travels to Equestria in search of answers.	hiatus	22	2	<p>Fleeing from a hateful country, a young alicorn travels to Equestria in search of answers. Will he be able to find peace in a new home? Or will he and his loved ones be destroyed by forces unknown to them? A force that can shake the foundations of Equstria itself.</p>	mature	null	2011-10-13T02:09:58+00:00	1,715	Velux’s eyes slowly opened as he woke up. His eyelids felt as if they weighed half a ton, and every fiber of his being ached from his ordeal. Still, he was alive at the very least. Velux looked around the hut in which he had arrived at. It was a small home with a single room and a small bed in which Velux lay. Velux tried to get up, but the pain was so severe it made him gasp out and lay back down. He wondered who lived here, and was reminded of how thankful he should be. Whoever lived here saw that he had been through some sort of calamity and had put a roof over his head in which to recover. There was nopony in the hut at the moment, Velux was just starting to wonder where they were when the door to the meager home opened. She was no pony, Velux could see that. Though she could’ve passed for one if it weren’t for the stripes along her body. She wore odd rings around her neck and her leg, with a large ring pierced around her ear. She was carrying an assortment of plants in a basket on her back. The strange pony looked at Velux and smiled. “Ah, the alicorn is awake I see. The one I found unconscious at the base of my tree..." Velux took in the pony’s odd appearance and could think of nothing else to say to her. “What are you?” Velux felt embarrassed asking the rude question, but the pony still smiled. “I am a zebra from a distant land, as you can see, I have saved you from Death’s hand.” Velux examined the fresh bandages across his head and his side. “Thank you.” Velux said. “Welcome, you most certainly are.” the zebra smiled. The zebra walked over to a cupboard by Velux’s sick bed and pulled out a large cauldron, she dragged it with her mouth over to a makeshift kettle, poured water inside the cauldron, and lit a fire beneath it. Velux watched the zebra as she tended to the cauldron, occasionally placing the plants from the basket inside, humming the entire time. Velux finally brought himself to ask more questions. “What’s your name?” “Zecora,” the zebra replied, “and what is your name, young alicorn? For it would be wise for me to know who this stranger is and where he was born.” “My name is Velux.” Velux answered, “I came from Gallopolli. Have you ever heard of it?” For the first time, Zecora frowned. “Indeed, I have been to that terrible place,” she said sadly, “it is unfortunate that you come from a land where the ponies there despise your race.” There was a moments silence as Zecora shifted her focus to the cauldron in front of her. Then, Velux spoke up again. “What about Equestria? Have you been there? Is it far from here?” “Yes, I have been there, it is not far from here.” Zecora said looking up from the cauldron. “Have you fled from those horrible Gallopollian earth ponies, the ones who despise magic? It is most tragic.” “Yeah... didn’t go so well, I guess.” Velux said, “I ran into some trouble on my way here.” “But you have escaped. Though I see, a part of your horn they have scraped.” Velux gave a small gasp, and clutched a hoof to his horn, reminded of the events of his escape from Nexus. “Do you have a mirror?” Velux asked Zecora. Zecora went over to her cupboard again and held up a small mirror for Velux to inspect the damage done to his horn. Nearly a half of it was now gone, the remaining part hidden away in Velux’s saddlebags. Velux wondered if his days of using magic were over, he never actually used magic much but the thought of never being able to do it again unnerved him. “Who did this to you?” Zecora asked. “A manticore.” said Velux, lying back down on the bed. “The one who poisoned you?” “Yeah... I don’t suppose you did anything about that either, huh?” “Yes,” Zecora replied, placing the mirror back in the cupboard and going back to her cauldron, “you were lucky that you arrived here so soon.” “So... am I gonna be alright?” Velux asked. “Feel better soon, you easily will. Easy you must take it, otherwise you’ll never make it. A herbal brew, I am making you, help you recover, you will discover.” Velux, now relieved, just realized how hungry he was. He hadn’t had a meal in however many days he had been left unconscious in Zecora’s care. He didn’t have to wait long, after a few minutes and some mumbling by Zecora, she brought him his soup, which Velux began to eat eagerly. It wasn’t the best tasting stuff, but Velux began to feel more alert and energized and most of the pain went away. “Jeez, that has some kick...” Velux complemented, “What is this stuff?” “My homeland it comes from, from generation to generation it has been passed on.” “Do you have a recipe or anything?” Velux said. “If I knew how to make it, it would be pretty useful.” “Perhaps one day, I may.” Zecora said. Velux slowly got up from the bed and stretched, his bones cracking. “How long was I out?” Velux asked. “The days I counted two, but I see you have come through.” Zecora answered. Velux’s stomach flipped, he suddenly felt more hungry than he had been before. He opened his saddlebags that lay by the bed, pulled out a sandwich and began to eat again. Zecora tended to the small home while Velux ate. When he had finished, Velux shouldered his saddlebags and walked over to Zecora, who had finished cleaning the cauldron and was placing it back inside the cupboard. “I need to get into Equestria. Can you take me there? You said it wasn’t far.” Zecora closed the cupboard and thought for a moment. “Ponyville is quite near, you could make it there, do not fear.” “Okay then,” Velux said, “when can we go?” “We can start, when you are ready to depart.” * * * The journey to the end of the Everfree Forest went by without incident. Though Velux constantly looked over his shoulder Zecora lead the way, expecting manticores or Nexus to come bursting through the trees. Velux had removed his bandages along the way, his wounds healed to minor scratches and bruises under Zecora’s care. His horn, however, was the only thing left unhealed. Velux was thinking of possible ways to repair his horn when Zecora threw out her hoof to stop him. “Beware! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!” Zecora said cryptically. Velux looked down and saw that he had almost walked into a field of small, blue stalks. “What is it?” asked Velux, leaning forward. “Poison joke.” answered Zecora, stopping Velux again, “It is much like poison oak, but it’s effects, are like a joke!” Velux inspected the plants again, trying not to touch them; he had never seen any plant like this in Gallopolli. It seemed almost magical. Had the earth ponies of Gallopolli wiped out every trace of magic? It seemed far-fetched and extreme, but Velux wouldn’t put it past them. “A year ago, ponies six, were affected by this plants enchants, but superstition was their mission, from Ponyville they kept me, the truth they could not see.” Zecora giggled. Though Velux didn’t know what was so amusing, Zecora seemed like a nice zebra, why would anypony try to keep her away? “You’re not welcome in Ponyville?” Velux asked, concerned. He didn’t want to have to do anymore sneaking. “Enter, I can.” Zecora said, “The ponies in Ponyville, because of fear they did not let me in, until those ponies six, I helped to fix and their trust I gained, entrance to Ponyville I obtained, gathering supplies has been much less of a pain.” Velux sighed out in relief, maybe the ponies of Equestria wouldn’t be so bad after all. If they were willing to accept a zebra, they should welcome an alicorn. It was only a few minutes before they had reached the edge of the forest, and Velux could finally see that it was dusk. Off in the distance, Velux could see a small town, with a path leading from it to where Velux and Zecora were standing. “This is where we part, brave alicorn.” Zecora said suddenly, “Down that roadway, leads to Ponyville, follow it, and reach it you will.” “I don’t think I should be considered as brave. . .” Velux said, surprised at Zecora’s compliment, despite having only met him for a few hours. “Bravery I see, it will come to thee.” said Zecora, using her cyptic tone again, “Good luck, Velux.” “Yeah. . . thank you. You know, for saving me.” Velux said, still stunned. Zecora turned and walked back into the Everfree Forest. Velux watcher her until she disappeared into the darkness, then turned towards Ponyville, casting his hood over his head. * * * The sun had set by the time Velux entered Ponyville. There was nopony out in the streets of the small, slightly idyllic town. The roofs of the buildings in the town were thatched with hay. The town square was where Velux went first, normally the ponies who lived in Ponyville would gather here to share news of the day, but there was nopony visible. Still, there were signs of life inside of the homes. There were the faint sounds of music, chatting, and laughter amongst the ponies inside. Velux didn’t want to just walk up to somepony’s home and ask to be invited inside. He knew that probably wouldn’t go well. Instead, he wandered around the town square and noticed an advertisement on the walls of the town square building. Come one, come all! To the annual Summer Sun Celebration, to be held in Town Square, Ponyville! Come and watch as our beloved Princess Celestia raises the sun on the longest day of the year in honor the Elements of Harmony, who defeated the evil Nightmare Moon one year ago! Velux re-read the notice a few times over, remembering the reference to the Elements of Harmony in the castle ruins just a few nights ago. Parts of what he read on the inscription inside and the notice didn’t add up. According to the inscription at the ruins, Nightmare Moon was defeated a thousand years ago. What puzzled Velux more, though, was the part about Princess Celestia and raising the sun. What did that mean? The clock on the town square building chimed, the music inside the houses stopped, and one by one, the doors to the separate homes around Ponyville opened. Velux saw earth ponies, pegasus ponies, and unicorns interacting in a friendly manner, something quite alien to the alicorn. All of them seemed to be excited for the Summer Sun Celebration and were just as chatty as they were inside their homes. Velux hid in the alleyway between the town hall and the neighboring home, but not before some ponies called out “Hey Zecora!” and “Come to see the sun rise, Zecora?” to him as they went by, unable to see the alicorn beneath the hood. When all of the ponies entered, and the the rest of Ponyville was quiet, Velux decided that it was time to join in on the festivities and reveal himself. When he entered the town hall, all of the ponies were still talking to one another. Some excited to see the sun rise firsthand, others speculating on what it would look like as this was their first time. Velux hung back behind the crowd and by the door, unable to comprehend why the sun rising would be so special. Yes, the sunrise was beautiful, Velux had always watched it when he found himself staying up all night, but that was a far as it went. Why would there be a celebration for the longest day of the year? Perhaps the sun had some sort of religious significance among the ponies of Equestria. . . Velux was so concentrated on his thoughts, that he had barely noticed a white-haired earth pony enter the stage at the back of the room with a fanfare accompanying her. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” the pony said, and all attention was diverted to her, “as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to once again announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” The pony crowd cheered and stomped their hooves. Velux remained silent, drinking in every word by the mayor. “Our town will once again receive the honor to witness the magic of the sunrise firsthand, and celebrate the longest day of the year!” the mayor continued, “and now, it is my great honor to introduce to you not only our most beloved ruler of the land, but the six brave ponies who wielded the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon and save us from eternal night one year ago to this day! The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria. . . Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony!” The fanfare erupted again, and the curtains on the balcony above the mayor drew back and revealed a tall, alicorn mare and two earth ponies, two unicorns, and two pegasi next to her. The crowd cheered and stamped their hooves again, and Velux could only stare. The princess was full grown, her mane and tail flowing. Her presence seemed to change the atmosphere of the room, demanding power and authority but also giving off a sense of kindness. Velux’s answer to the question of other alicorns was answered, he turned his attention to the wielders of the Elements of Harmony. Five of the six ponies wore golden necklaces around their necks, each detailing pictures of a gem, an apple, a lighting bolt, a flower, and a balloon. A white unicorn wore the necklace bearing the gem. She was very pretty, and some of the other stallions among the crowd seemed to agree. She looked positively thrilled to be the center of attention along with the princess and the ponies beside her. The orange earth pony wearing the necklace with the apple seemed the most out of place. Velux couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when he saw the cowboy hat resting on top of her head. She, too, looked happy to be there, but was more humble than the white unicorn beside her. Velux’s first impression of the pegasus pony wearing the lightning bolt necklace was that she was (and there was no other way to put it) cool. Even with her rainbow colored mane and tail, she still managed to look her part. Though she looked arrogant and overconfident. The yellow pegasus pony wearing the butterfly necklace smiled at first, but then shrunk and seemed to want nothing more than to sink into the ground, unnoticed. Still, she kept her small smile to show that she was proud to be with her friends and to be honored in such a way. The pink earth pony with the balloon necklace seemed to be more excited and happy than all of the other ponies in the room combined. She looked to unable to contain herself and was lightly bouncing up and down, the biggest smile Velux had ever seen on her face. Finally, sixth pony, a purple unicorn standing right beside the princess, looked to be proudest of them all. Unlike the other ponies, she wore a tiara with the image of a star on top of it. When they first appeared, the unicorn looked up at the princess with a look of utmost admiration, and gave her a wink, and to Velux’s surprise, the princess winked back. As the crowd cheered and hoof-stomped and gave their praises to the ones who had rid them of eternal night, Princess Celestia raised a single hoof to silence the crowd. The did so at once, and the princess spoke. “My little ponies, it is wonderful to see you all so happy and excited to welcome myself, and these six courageous ponies to once again welcome the longest day of the year!” The crowd applauded once again, and when they had stopped, the princess continued. “It was an unfortunate single year ago that my sister, Princess Luna, escaped from her lunar prison and returned as Nightmare Moon, set to bring eternal night to Equestria forever. Though many of you have resented the fact that I have allowed her to return home and resume her duties of raising the moon every night, I want you to know that it is within Princess Luna’s best interests to keep you all safe and happy, just as I have these past thousand years. So, as you can see, I have decided to once again bring the Summer Sun Celebration to Ponyville. To compensate you on your deprivement of harmony one year ago.” The pony spectators cheered again, and once again fell silent as the princess raised a hoof. “Though, your kindness and praise does not belong to me for the defeat of Nightmare Moon.” Princess Celestia continued, “It belongs to these six ponies, who, through their perseverance and friendship, discovered the Elements of Harmony and used them to defeat Nightmare Moon and return Princess Luna to us.” The six ponies beside the princess each gave small blushes as the citizens of Ponyville gave their praises and thankfulness. Then, everypony fell silent as the Princess used her powerful, full grown wings to fly into the air. Her horn glowed and the sun rose and shone through the windows of the town hall and illuminated the inside, and like many times before, the crowd cheered. Velux was dumbfounded. Did the princess just. . . no. She couldn’t have, it was impossible. It was coincidence. Pure coincidence. “Rest assured, my little ponies,” the princess announced as she landed on the balcony once more, “there will be nothing to fear from this new day!” This was it, Velux realized. It was now or never. If he did not make his presence known, then the princess would leave, no doubt surrounded by her guards, and his chance may be forever lost. Taking his cloak off, the brilliant sunrise shining fully into the town hall, Velux said, “I certainly hope not. There are some of us who would actually enjoy that.” The town hall fell silent, the stomping of hooves ceased, and every head turned toward him. Velux gulped once and stepped forward towards the center of the town hall, the crowd parting his way and every eye in the room upon him.
Exiled Eagle	1155	3	Adventure,Dark,Tragedy	Runaway	Fleeing from a hateful country, a young alicorn travels to Equestria in search of answers.	hiatus	22	2	<p>Fleeing from a hateful country, a young alicorn travels to Equestria in search of answers. Will he be able to find peace in a new home? Or will he and his loved ones be destroyed by forces unknown to them? A force that can shake the foundations of Equstria itself.</p>	mature	null	2011-12-09T02:09:11+00:00	1,204	Velux stood in the middle of the town square hall, frozen. Whisperings and murmurs broke out from the ponies surrounding him, asking questions to each other. “Where did he come from?” “I thought he was Zecora. . .” “What happened to his horn? It’s broken!” “Forget that! He’s an alicorn!” Velux ignored them, his eyes connecting with Princess Celestia. There was little emotion in her eyes, no anger or frustration. On the contrary, she looked curious. “Twilight,” the princess said, turning to the purple unicorn, “take your friends back behind the hall, you’ll meet our new arrival there.” Twilight nodded then, motioning to her friends, left the balcony. Each of the six ponies gave Velux one last look before disappearing from view, quizzical looks on their faces. Celestia then turned to Velux and motioned out the door. Velux took his queue to leave and turned away from the princess and out the door, stuffing his cloak in his saddlebags as he went. The brightness of the morning sun beat upon Velux’s eyes as the door swung shut behind him, Velux could hear the discussion about him amongst the ponies inside. He knew that Celestia wanted him to join the Elements of Harmony where she had sent them. Sitting down on the steps of town hall, he wondered how six ponies could be the Elements if they were supposedly honored in some castle ruins hundreds of years old. What puzzled Velux more was that here was Celestia, who, according to the inscription, used the Elements previously against Nightmare Moon. Though the mayor had said that Nightmare Moon was defeated a year ago, long after the inscription describing her defeat had been erected. In the fantasy stories Velux had read as a foal, alicorns were described as having longer lives than the average pony. Though he had never imagined that they could actually live over a thousand years. A sick feeling settled itself in the pit of Velux’s stomach, if alicorns lived up to a millennium, then it was logical to assume that the same would happen to Velux. If I don’t end up dead before that, Velux thought darkly. He had never imagined that he could live for so long; now that he really thought about it, he had never really thought of how long he would truly live. Renewed with more questions than before, Velux gave a long sigh and headed back around the town hall to be greeted by the six ponies waiting for him. Velux turned the corner around the building and saw the six ponies who had been ushered out by the princess moments ago. They were still wearing their jewelry and talking in hushed voices. When they had seen Velux, their chatter slowly died and they all gave him the same looks they had given him when he had revealed himself. The pink earth pony positively beamed at him, and Velux couldn’t help but smile back. The purple pony named Twilight opened her mouth to say something when Princess Celestia came through the back door, unescorted. “To the library, Twilight. I sent Spike a letter.” said the princess. Twilight gave another nod and began to lead the ponies through Ponyville. The ponies gathered in town hall began to file out of town hall and head towards the hills, a picnic area set upon the hill. The pink earth pony gave a small sigh, disappointed in not being able to join immediately in the festivities. The other ponies, including the princess, shot Velux looks over their shoulders, who had deliberately lagged behind the company. Velux wished that they would all stop doing that, giving him looks as if he were going to suddenly attack. No, Velux told himself, they’re right to be nervous. I’m an alicorn who just came out of nowhere, unannounced. I’ll make sure to let them know I mean no harm. Not a word was uttered as the eight ponies reached a large tree which had been carved out into a quaint little library and home, a telescope set on a balcony to study the stars at night. Velux was reminded briefly of Zecora’s home in the Everfree Forest; though, admittedly less creepy. Twilight opened the door to the tree-home and held it open for the other ponies to go inside, Celestia leading the way. Books upon books lined the shelves of the library, their bookcases nearly reaching the ceiling, a ladder leaned on the nearest bookshelf to reach the more difficult to reach tomes. Parchment and quills littered the desks around the library, some documents and letters left unfinished, or crumpled and neglected to be placed in the trash. As Twilight shut the door behind them, footsteps sounded down the steps leading up to the bedroom above. “Twilight! Is that you?”, a childlike voice said, “The princess said that you were gonna be coming here with...” The creature who had called for Twilight stopped at the foot of the steps. He was a shade of green and purple, and for a moment, Velux was unsure as to exactly what he was. Then, seeing the spiked tail, the spines running down his back, Velux realized that the creature was a dragon. A very young dragon, to be more exact, he bore no wings, and he certainly didn’t hold the intimidation and fear that a full grown dragon would posses. This must have been the “Spike” that the princess had mentioned earlier. Spike had stopped mid-sentence upon seeing Velux, who had placed himself near the front of the company of eight. Then, Spike did something Velux had never expected from anypony; he bowed. Twilight rolled her eyes. “There’s no need for that, Spike. He’s not royalty, at least. . .” Twilight said, turning to Celestia, “I don’t think he is.” “No, he isn’t.” the princess replied. Spike seemed to relax, and stood up straight again, flushing. “Perhaps we should start by having you introduce yourself.” Celestia continued, addressing Velux. Velux gave a slight pause and finally spoke up again. “Um. . .hey, my name is Velux.” Velux said, suddenly nervous. “That’s a funny name!” the pink earth pony exclaimed, talking so fast that Velux had trouble keeping up, “I’m Pinkie Pie! Oh, I’m gonna need you to write down your name, I need to put it on the banners for your welcoming party! Ooo Ooo, Twilight! Could you please please pretty please let me have the party here! Oh please, this place is perfect!” “My welcoming what?” Velux asked. “I think it’s a very elegant name.” the white unicorn put in, ignoring Pinkie’s pleas to throw a party in a library. The unicorn spoke with an air of nobility, “foreign, yes, but elegant in a way. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! How rude of me, I am Rarity.” “Howdy there, partner!”, said the orange earth pony, tipping her hat, “Name’s Applejack.” “And I’m Rainbow Dash!” exclaimed the rainbow pegasus, who had been unable to resist the urge to float a few feet off the ground, flipping her mane. “Nice to meet you all.” Velux responded politely, then he noticed that one pony did not introduce herself yet. The yellow pegasus pony had somehow managed to become nearly invisible amongst her friends; she had reduced herself to such a small size that she looked like a filly. “And you are. . .?” Velux asked softly, trying not to appear more intimidating than he might have been. “Um. . .” the pegasus paused, then said something that might’ve been her name, if not for the mumbling. She took a small step back towards Twilight. “What was that?” Velux asked again, once again feeling embarrassed. He felt as if he were intruding on something personal, something private. The pegasus mumbled again, further retreating to Twilight. “Oh for crying out loud. . .” Rainbow Dash muttered, “Fluttershy, her name is Fluttershy.” Fluttershy gave a small squeak and a nod, unable to say another word, mumbled or otherwise. Applejack shot Rainbow a dirty look. “Oh,” Velux said, glad that this small situation was over, “okay, pleased to meet you, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy squeaked and nodded again. “Now that we are all properly introduced,” Celestia said suddenly, “perhaps you can tell us where you’re from?” “Gallopolli.” answered Velux. All of the ponies, including Spike, looked quite oblivious, as if they had never heard of Gallopolli before in their lives. Except for Twilight and Celestia, who appeared to have heard of Velux’s homeland before. Twilight chuckled a bit, an act that confused Velux. “Gallopolli is completely uninhabitable.” she said, “Has been for hundreds of years, I read about it in a geography book, it was supposedly destroyed by an volcanic eruption. There’s nothing there except for ash and dust. How could you have possibly have lived there?” When Twilight had finished her small history lesson, she gave the princess an admiring look, hoping for her to confirm her story and divulge where Velux had really come from. Celestia giving Velux a small nod of understanding was not what she had expected. “Velux did come from Gallopolli, Twilight.” said Celestia, making Twilight’s ears droop and putting a look of confusion on her face, “Gallopolli is not uninhabitable, it never has been. Those books you read, they’re ancient and inconsistent. Nopony could figure out the whole truth, so they put together what they could and put them in the geography books. Nopony since has even bothered to go and confirm if the books were true. Though I believe that Velux can rectify those mistakes.” Everypony’s attention was once again diverted to Velux, eager to hear about this lost land shrouded in secrecy. Velux gave a deep breath and began to describe the atrocities that the citizens of Gallopolli had committed, their immense hatred and fear towards magical ponies and their relentless hunt to rid all traces of magic in their land. Velux recounted his life of pursuit from Nexus, his family sacrificing their peaceful lives so that they could protect him. He told them how his family were earth ponies, therefore the could not possibly be his family by blood. Velux ended his story with his capture and escape from Nexus in the Everfree forest, the damage to his horn, and his nursing to health by the zebra Zecora. Nopony said a word as Velux told his story, though he was sure they would have plenty of questions. Even the bouncy Pinkie Pie had settled down to listen to him, the bashful Fluttershy had sat up straighter, a curious look in her eyes. When Velux had finished, there was a moment of silence while everypony drank in what Velux had said. Finally, Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Wow. . . just. . . wow. . .” “Ya got that right partner,” Applejack said, “Why, I woulda never thought that there’d be a place like that. . .” “A country that hates and kills magic ponies?” Twilight said, her hoof had been covering her mouth throughout most of the story, “But. . . all ponies have some trace of magic in them, even earth ponies! Look at our cutie marks! They aren’t just there when we’re born!” “A what?” Velux snorted, “What’s a cutie mark?” The six ponies, including Spike, looked absolutely stunned, and each gave a small gasp. “You mean. . . you mean you don’t have one?” Applejack asked. “I don’t think I’d know what it is even if I had one.” Velux replied. “The markings on our flanks!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Velux then finally saw the overlooked detail on the ponies in Equestria. Everypony each had a symbol on their flanks, he had been so distracted with what had been going on that he didn’t pay any attention to them at first. Celestia’s cutie mark had been the sun, and the rest of the ponies had cutie marks that matched the jewelry they had been wearing. Velux looked back at his own flank and saw nothing, no symbol, no picture, nothing. “What are they for?” Velux asked. “A cutie mark only appears when a pony find that certain talent that makes them special.” Rarity recited, “everypony gets one eventually, it’s supposed to help you find out what you’re supposed to do for your life.” “But I’ve never seen anypony in Gallopolli having anything like that!” Velux, “were they so extremist as to wipe out cutie marks from future generations?” “I don’t think so.” Twilight said, “You’re obviously not related to any of the earth ponies there. So I don’t see how they somehow erased cutie marks from your generation. I guess you just haven’t found your special talent.” Velux wasn’t sure if Twilight’s words had alleviated his concerns, or made them worse. What, if anything, was he supposed to do? What would his cutie mark be if he ever recieved one? “Still,” Twilight began to add, “based on what you described, Gallopolli seems like an awful place.” “It isn’t all bad.” Velux retorted, “We have plenty of food and space to expand. It’s a very pretty country to stop and look at as well. Like the capital, Crystalmare, it’s-” “I think we can all hear about Crystalmare eventually.” Celestia interrupted, “For now, I should go to the feast, I suspect many ponies are wondering where we’ve gone. The rest of you should come as well.” Celestia stood to leave, as did everpony else. “Not you, Velux.” Celestia added quickly as Velux began to leave, “You need to stay here, I don’t want everypony to think that I’m too welcoming to strangers, especially an alicorn they have never heard of.” “What if I want to go to the feast?” Velux objected, “this whole Summer Sun Celebration sounds fascinating.” “Try to see this from their perspective,” Celestia said “This is one of the most important holidays of the year for Equestria, and this small town was looking forward to celebrating it without interuption. Your arrival here is going to be big news, and you’ll be getting a lot of attention. I’d prefer to keep you out of everything; it will give me time to quell any rumors that may pop up about you.” “I. . .fine.” Velux gave in, “but I don’t want to be cooped up here for days. I still have more questions for you.” “Don’t worry, Velux,” Celestia assured, opening the door to the library, “I’ll be in touch, but until then, stay here until I can sort things out.” Celestia then stepped over the threshold and disappeared off towards the feast. As the other ponies and Spike began to file out the door, Twilight paused. “That isn’t the only reason you wanted to go to the feast, was it Velux.” Velux glanced back at his saddlebags, sighed. Finally, slowly he answered. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten in. . . I don’t even know how long.” “Well all you had to do was say so,” Twilight said. “Applejack!” she called, back outside the door. Applejack came trotting back into the library. “What’s up?” she asked. “Could you bring some food back for Velux when you’re done?” Twilight requested. “I sure can,” Applejack answered, then turning to Velux she said, “Just give me a chance to talk to Applebloom and Big Mac and I’ll bring a little something back for you to sample.” “Alright.” Velux said, relieved. “Thank you very much.” * * * Velux had plenty of time to peruse the library’s contents while he waited for Applejack. He picked out books at random, opening them and scanning what information they held inside. Velux was never much of an avid reader, but he figured that he might as well learn what of Equestria he could while he was here. Books containing small stories for foals and fillies (Velux ignored these), textbooks detailing the history of Equestria and it’s settlements (Velux skimmed through these, they were so thick), down to dusty, nearly destroyed scrolls containing arcane secrets (would he ever use magic again?). Velux’s stomach was growling irritably when the library door opened and Applejack was finally back, pushing a small cart. Applejack bucked the cart once, and it popped open revealing the pies, cakes, and other assorted goods that were inside. Velux marked the place in the book (“Healing Arts for Nurses”) where he had been and trotted over to the cart, eager to see what Applejack had brought for him. “Sorry it took me so long.” Applejack apologized, “Applebloom wouldn’t stop asking me questions about you and I had to have Big Mac watch over her.” “That’s fine.” Velux said, “Who are Applebloom and Big Mac?” “Oh, Applebloom is my little sis and Big Mac is my brother.” Applejack smiled, “Applebloom is just a little filly, doesn’t even have her cutie mark yet, she’s always trying to find out what her special talent is, but she usually gets into trouble doing it. Now, Big Mac is a mite different, he’s more quiet, but he helps me out lots at apple bucking.” “You buck apples?” Velux asked, “That’s a tough job, is it just you and Big Mac?” “Yep,” Applejack said proudly, “the whole orchard, an’ we still get enough done for some leisure time, but once Applebloom is old enough, she can help us get the job done mighty fast.” “Still, it’s amazing that you two can handle an entire orchard.” Velux said. “Well, we don’t really think about it much.” Applejack said, “We just work till the sun goes down or till the entire orchard is bucked. Now, enough of that, what would ya like? Apple pie? Apple fritter? Apple tarts? Apple dumplings? Apple crisp. . .” The list went on, every item on Applejack’s cart were laden with just about every kind of food with apples as you can think of. There were even some things that Velux thought nopony that was sane would put apples in, but it all seemed so delicious, he didn’t know what to pick. . . “Ummm. . . how about an apple pie?” Velux picked at random as Applejack finished listing off all the apple assorted foods on the cart. “Sure thing!” Applejack said, setting down the pie for Velux, and grabbing an apple crisp for herself. It was some of the most delicious pie Velux had ever tasted. His father had made some pretty great pies, but nothing like this! He found that he couldn’t stop eating once he started, Applejack finished her apple crisp and looked on incredulously. “Golly,” Applejack said as Velux finally rose from the crumb filled plate, “I’ve never seen anypony eat an apple pie so fast!” “Sorry,” said Velux, wiping his mouth, “that was just. . .incredible. Did that come from your orchards?” “They sure did.” Applejack replied, “Nearly every apple in Ponyville comes from Sweet Apple Acres.” “Well, you must do some good work there to make all these.” Velux complimented. “Why, thank you kindly.” Applejack said. She paused before pursuing further. “You know I think you shoulda went to the feast. Princess shouldnta kept y’all couped up in here.” “You heard the princess,” Velux said, “I’m not supposed to be out in public now; everypony will get nervous.” “Funny, wasn’t anypony lookin’ scared at all last time I checked.” Applejack said, “They all just looked a fair bit curious, y’know?” “What did the princess do?” “She mostly pretended that nothing happened, I guess she didn’t wanna deal with everypony.” “Yeah, I guess. . .” Velux trailed off. “So, it’s really true?” Applejack asked suddenly, “There’s really a country that hates all the pony folk here?” “Why? You think it’s a story?” Velux said. “Sorry,” Applejack said quickly, “it’s just a mite much to take in.” “I can imagine.” “So. . .you’re family is all still there? Ya just left them there?” Applejack asked. “Had to.” Velux said firmly, not without remorse. “There was no way we were all going to make it at once. Besides, you heard what I said, Nexus nearly killed me back there. Imagine what might have happened if I did decide to bring them all with me.” “I can’t imagine doing that to my family.” Applejack said thoughtfully, a few moments of silence followed, then “What are they like? Your family, I mean.” “Well,” Velux started, “there’s six of us, including me. My father, Ixxus, was in the service. He taught me and my brother how to defend ourselves, something that came in pretty useful back there. He was rather paranoid, really, always moving us from place to place. Nopony ever came and found us, but it didn’t stop him. It was all for our safety, I suppose, so I guess I can’t complain much.” “Well that just sounds right awful,” Applejack said. “How was it? All that runnin’ around, I mean. Mighty lonesome, I’d reckon.” “Well, not entirely,” Velux explained. “Gallopolli may hate magical ponies, but you’d find some who were sympathetic to us... or at least, ones that weren’t quite genocidal. I do remember some giving me some nasty looks though, but they wouldn’t dare say anything in front of my dad.” “Anyway, that’s my dad. Now, my brother Ignis was really competitive. We always had some dumb little contest going; hoof-wrestling, eating contests, whatever we could fight each other on. Very playful, but he had a short fuse. He would get into fights with the villagers and nearly blow our cover. Thankfully he was smart as well, and managed to keep us out of too much trouble.” “My mother, Constance, well. . . she was always kind of stressed. She had trouble moving from place to place, always fearing for our lives; and she couldn’t work on what she wanted to do.” “What did she want to do?” Applejack asked. “My mom always wanted to be a playwright” Velux answered, “She had these wonderful ideas for plays, but she never wrote them down. She never blamed me for her problems, though, not once. She never gave any indication that she did, she treated me like I really was her son. I really appreciated that, it’s bad enough you got an entire country hating you.” “My sisters, Caeli and Terra, are twins. They’re completely different, though. Caeli was always the wild one, striving to be like one of the colts. Competing with Ignis and I, she’s actually pretty good. She’s beat us more than enough times to take take her seriously. She’s got a soft spot, though, I guess she gets it from Terra.” “What’s Terra like?” Applejack asked. “Terra’s more like me, I guess.” Velux continued, “She’s a bit more quiet, but she tries to be like Caeli. Personally, I think she’s fine the way she is, she always has Caeli to talk to about. . .well, anything really. But she also like to talk to me about personal things, one-on-one. I don’t know, we just sort of. . .bonded, but it’s nothing like her and Caeli. They do almost everything together, whatever Terra falls behind in, Caeli picks up the slack. They way they talk to each other, you’d think that they’re telepathic.” Velux paused, indicating that he was done with his description of his family. “Golly, Velux.” said an incredulous Applejack, “I’ve barely even talked about my folks, and you go on ahead and tell me all about them.” “Sorry,” Velux said, “I didn’t mean to go off like that.” “Do ya miss them?” “Yeah, I do. . .” Velux sighed. “ ‘Aint ya gonna go back for them?” “One day, I will.” Velux replied “I just need to. . .establish myself here. Does that make sense? I want them to have a home to come to, not just refugees moving from there to here. Hey. . .” Velux trailed off again, an idea manifesting itself in his head. Then the door to the library suddenly opened and Twilight Sparkle strode in, carrying a sleeping Spike on her back. “Feast’s over.” Twilight announced, “Spike ate himself to sleep. Can you believe that?” Both Applejack and Velux shook their heads, smiling at the comical sight of the baby dragon sucking his claws while he slept. “I’m gonna put him to bed real quick.” Twilight said, heading for the stairs to the bedroom above, “The others went home. And Applejack, Big Mac says that you should head back to the farm as soon as possible. I guess he didn’t want to handle Applebloom by himself anymore.” Twilight giggled then disappeared up the stairs, leaving Applejack and Velux alone again. “Well, I’d best be heading back now.” Applejack said, getting up off her haunches, “I reckon I’ll be seeing you around, Velux.” “Yeah, nice talking to you.” Velux said. Applejack raised a hoof in farewell and left the library. Suddenly remembering what Velux wanted to do, he quickly called after her. “Hey, Applejack!” Applejack turned around, having barely left the library. “Yeah?” “You said before that you and Big Mac could get things done at the farm faster with somepony else, right?” “Well, it couldn’t hurt to have an extra worker or two. . .” Applejack said thoughtfully. “Well, maybe I could help out,” Velux offered, “I’ve done my fair share of hard work, and I think I could really help out, give you guys less to work with. I’d also like to save up some bits, try to get a home somewhere to bring my family to.” Applejack tapped her hoof on her chin in thought, considering Velux’s offer. “Well. . . alright. But I gotta watch over you, make sure that you really can buck a hard day’s work.” “Trust me, I have a strong buck.” Velux said, remembering an instance where he nearly knocked Ignis’s teeth out from play-fighting. “Alright,” Applejack said, offering her hoof, “Deal.” “Deal.” Velux echoed, shaking her hoof. “I’ll send Big Mac along to come git ya tomorrow.” Applejack said, “See ya.” “Bye.” Velux said, turning back into the library. Inside he found Twilight, having put Spike into bed, reading a book. Twilight’s concentration broke when Velux shut the door. “Oh hi,” she said, looking up from the book, “I was just doing some research. I talked to the princess earlier, she said that you’re going to have to stay in the extra bedroom here for now.” Velux nodded and sat down on the nearest cushion. “What were you researching?” Velux asked. “Well, I’m trying to find a solution to your horn.” Twilight replied, her purple eyes darting side to side along the pages, “But I can’t find anything now.” “Something might turn up.” Velux said hopefully, he was never a big magic user, but the thought of never doing it again unsettled him, “I still have the broken piece.” “That might help later on,” Twilight said, “Velux, can I ask you for a favor?” “What is it?” “Could you try lifting this ink bottle with magic, please?” Twilight requested. Velux had not expected to be asked to use magic again in such a short time. He hesitated. “It’s all right, Velux.” Twilight said, “I’ve been studying magic since I was a filly, I’m one of Princess Celestia’s most trusted students. You’re in safe hooves, trust me.” “If you say so. . .” Velux said, turning his attention to the ink bottle sitting at Twilight’s desk. He reached for the magical presence he felt everytime he used magic, focusing all of his energy on lifting the ink bottle. He felt the magical presence begin to form around his horn then. . . nothing. Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain coursed it’s way through Velux’s crippled horn. He clutched both of his front hooves to his horn, falling to the floor, rolling and yelling in pain. The pain was white-hot, it was worse than when it had been cut by the manticore. He had never felt so much pain in his life. Velux could faintly hear Twilight cry out in shock and fear, and Velux desperately worked to let go of the magical presence now hurting him, killing him. . . As suddenly as it began, the pain stopped. Velux felt the magic retreat back into his body and all was well again. Groaning, Velux slowly stood up, his legs nearly buckling. He looked up into Twilight’s horrified face. “What happened?” Velux said slowly. “I. . . don’t know.” Twilight said. “I thought you said I was in safe hooves.” Velux said grumpily. “You were!” Twilight said quickly, “I had to force you to stop using magic using my own. It was out of control and you weren’t stopping and. . .” “Okay, I’m sorry.” Velux said. He looked at the ink bottle he was supposed to be moving and saw that it had been tipped over, it’s contents spilling onto empty rolls of parchment. Though it wasn’t just the ink bottle that had moved. Twilight’s chair, parchment, and some books had been knocked over as if a strong wind flew through the window. “Well,” Velux added, “at least I moved it. Amongst other things.” “Yes, but look at what it did. You sent everything flying, you were going crazy.” Twilight said, frightened. “Well, that settles it. No more magic.” Velux said. “But you can’t just stop!” Twilight exclaimed, “What’s an alicorn without magic?” “Well what do you expect me to do about it?” Velux snapped, “I just nearly died trying to do something I could have done a few days ago without breaking a sweat!” “I don’t know. . .” Twilight said, “There has to be some way. I’ll include this in my report to the princess, maybe she’ll know what to do.” “Yeah, the sooner I get some answers, the better.” Velux said, throwing himself back onto the cushion. The day went by without further incident, Velux helped Twilight clean up the mess he had made and soon Twilight pored herself over medical books, history books, anything that might indicate how to treat a broken horn. Velux occasionally attempted to assist her, but he soon discovered that it was best to leave the studious unicorn alone while she worked. Finally, after the sun had set and a quick meal was prepared by Spike and eaten, Twilight showed Velux the guest room and went back to her late-night studies. Velux settled into the small room and propped himself onto the bed, the days events repeating itself in his head. After a sudden reminder that he may have to wake up early in the morning to work at Applejack’s orchard, Velux lay his head onto the pillow and drifted off to the first bit of good sleep he had in a while.
SIaanme	1156	1	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-10-03T01:48:21+00:00	2011-10-03T01:48:21+00:00	3,904	DAY 1: 1 Manehatten, the big orange. It was often said if you could make it here, you could make it anywhere. And ponies took this advice to heart, traveling from all across Equestria to this fabled city in search of a new start, a new hope, the Equestrian dream. Some came only for a visit, some stayed longer. It was a hub of activity, the centre of town playing host to so many ponies that carriages were banned, or else risk hitting some pony. There wasn't a time of day where the streets weren't crowded, ponies trotting in all directions, unable to spare time to slow down and smell the roses. It was in this centre that a certain purple unicorn currently lay, unconscious. The crowds walked around her, forming a gap in the crowd that would be obvious to the casual observer. But there were no casual observers seeking such patterns. And no pony stopped to check if the mare was okay, simply acting as if she wasn't there. With good reason. Slowly, Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes, eyelids heavy as if waking from a deep sleep. Her head was pounding, and she stared uncomprehendingly into the middle distance. "Urgh, my head... Spike! Can you get me some coffee?" Twilight looked around, still not seeing the obvious. She began to close her eyes again, still sleepy, and it was now that she noticed something was wrong. Her eyes snapped open, her mind instantly focusing. "Wha- what am I doing here?" she asked of no one in particular. The crowd continued to ignore her as she stood up, still confused. She looked around. "This is Manehatten isn't it? What was I doing passed out on the pavement? Last thing I remember I was... argh." The headache was back again, bringing an end to that train of thought. Twilight lowered her head, trying to will the pain away. Unsurprisingly it didn't work, although it did lessen in intensity. With her head down, Twilight noticed something else unusual. She was wearing a sash that went around her neck, behind her front left leg and back around over her back. An extra oddity was the pin that was attached, an unusual design that resembled a pony skull from head on. Trying to angle the sash to better see the pin, Twilight accidentally tapped the pin with her hoof. And a cacophony of voices in her head broke out. --- Somewhere not too far away, a pink blur rushed through an alleyway. Every now and then she glanced behind her. "Good, still no sign of them." She burst out of the alleyway, and with a final glance behind her, paused for breath. She pushed her pink mane out of her eyes, scanning the crowd for some familiar face. She wasn't sure why she was here, but the last thing she could remember was that she was with her friends. So if she was here, they must be too. And they'd be confused, disoriented, and worst of all, in danger. The earth pony couldn't bear the thought of losing any of her friends, so she had to find them quickly. Any of them, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity or Fluttershy. They would be able to get through this if they just stuck together. And then maybe they'd give her back. A sudden magical flare interrupted her though process. In front of her, a scroll materialised, as if sent by way of dragon magic. The pony stared at it as it began to unroll itself. No, not now! It's too soon, I haven't found anyone yet! --- Twilight couldn't help herself. She screamed, trying to hear herself over the noise in her head. She tried covering her ears with her hooves, but the noise continued unhindered. What kind of sound could penetrate a mind without going through the ears? Thankfully the noise was beginning to lessen, or possibly Twilight was learning to ignore it. She uncovered her ears, but slowly, just in case that was somehow the cause of the voices getting quieter. This wasn't the case, and the sounds reached the level of a background din, not much louder than your usual crowd. But as Twilight looked around, certain words and phrases became clearer. I hope my wife is making daffodil soup for dinner tonight.... Oh, how am I going to tell her? I don't even know if she likes other fillies... Oh my gosh, was that... Sapphire Shores? No wait, that's not right, she's on tour in Canterlot right now... Twilight looked around in amazement. Were those thoughts? Was I hearing pony's thoughts? But how can that be? Twilight took a deep breath. She just had to think about this rationally. She hadn't been hearing thoughts until she had tapped that pin she was wearing. So what did that mean? Had that pin allowed her to read minds? But how did that work exactly? Surely that kind of power would be concealed in something mystic gemstone, not a small piece of metal. Another thought came to Twilight. I've been standing here, freaking out, even screaming, and yet no pony has even turned to look at me. With her new psychic powers, she quickly looked through some other ponies' minds. None of them even seem to be registering me. What's going on? Am I invisible? As if there weren't enough mysteries to be solved, another one chose that moment to show up. A scroll, like the kind Twilight received from the Princess, appeared out of thin air. But instead of falling to the ground like a normal scroll, this one hovered in the air in front of Twilight and unrolled itself. "Mission 1: Reach Bits n' Bobs," Twilight read aloud. "You have sixty minutes. Failure will result in erasure. The Reapers. Well what the hay does that mean? Where did this scroll even come from? Magical scroll transmission requires a dragon on at least one end, and a bond between the ponies contacting each other. You can't just send random scrolls like this!" Twilight's thought process was derailed but a sudden, sharp pain near her right hoof. She raised it to eye level, trying to find the source of the pain. She was not prepared for what she found. Just above her hoof, as if tattooed there, was a timer. And as she watched, the time ticked down. 59:51, 59:50, 59:49.... It was too much for Twilight. She had to be dreaming. Mind reading, unsolicited scrolls, ticking time tattoos? None of that could possibly exist, could it? This being a dream was the only explanation that made sense. Although Twilight remembered a lesson learned not too long ago, about how just because she couldn't explain something didn't mean it couldn't be.... That thought got no further before Twilight was knocked off her feet. Whatever had hit her had enough force to send her flying a short distance. Thankfully she hit the pavement without receiving any damage. She looked up at whoever it was that had run into her. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I was in your way, but why are you.... Pinkie?" The pony that had collided with her was the spitting image of Pinkie Pie. Pink coat, balloon cutie mark.... the only difference was her mane. Where Pinkie's mane was fluffy and untamed, this pony's mane lay flat and straight. Still, the resemblance was uncanny. "Ow... wait a minute. I ran into you? You must be a player then!" The voice even sounded similar. Maybe she was a relative of Pinkie Pie's? The pink pony looked behind her, as if being chased by something. "Great. I had hoped to find one of my friends before this happened, but I guess I have no choice." "Um, excuse me? You're not making any sense." Yet another way the two were similar. "Player? Before what happened?" The mare looked confused. "You mean you don't know? Okay, I'll explain. You see..." A scream pierced the air behind them. The Pinkie Pie look-a-like jumped in the air. "Horse apples! Okay, no time for explanation now then. We need to make a pact, quick!" "A pact? What do you mean, I don't unders-" "I said explanations later! Just say I accept! Say it!" The expression on the pony's face was beginning to scare Twilight. "O-ok. I accept?" A blinding light emanated from the ground around them. Twilight winced, and had to close her eyes. When she opened them again she looked around for the other pony. She was facing away from Twilight now, crouched in what could ostensibly be called a battle stance. "What are you-?" "No time, explanations later. Noise are coming." Twilight blinked. "Okay, firstly, that statement is grammatically incorrect, noise is a singular word, so it should be noise IS coming, and secondly..." "I said explanations later! We've got a fight coming for us!" Before Twilight could raise any further objections, a strange red symbol came hurtling into view. Twilight couldn't figure out what it was, but it almost looked like... a frog's head? As it came closer, the symbol seemed to bulge at the middle and expand, unfolding into... a frog? But this was unlike any frog Twilight had ever seen before. It was half the height of a normal pony, and its legs, instead of being fleshed out seemed to be made out of the symbol that it used to be. "What- what is that?" "Noise! And now we fight!" The frog leapt at Twilight. Just before it made contact, there was another flash, and every other pony on the street seemed to vanish. There were now also three frogs rather than just the one. "Just when I thought I couldn't get any more confused," muttered Twilight. Behind her, the pink pony was charging at another group of three frogs, lashing out at them with a flurry of hooves. She knocked back the group of frogs and looked back at Twilight. "Don't just stand there! Fight!" "But how do I do that?" "I don't know! What pins do you have?" "What?" Twilight looked down at the black pin on her sash. To her surprise, another one had now joined it, one that looked like a stylised flame. "I've got one that looks like a flame, but how is that important?" "That one lets you summon fire! Imagine a line of flames going from you towards the Noise, that should activate it!" The strange pony sidestepped just as a frog jumped at her, narrowly avoiding it, then let loose with another flurry of hooves. Twilight looked back towards her side of the battlefield just in time for a frog to leap onto her face. Panicking, she somehow managed to imagine the frog catching fire. A spark flared in front of her eyes, and the frog vanished, disintegrating into thin air. Twilight focused more, and a thin column of fire appeared on the ground in front of her. Not entirely certain how she was doing this, she steered the column towards one of the remaining frogs. It tried to jump away, but too late, as it too vanished into nothingness. That left just one frog. Twilight directed the fire towards it, but just before it could engulf the frog, the flames died down. What's happening? Where's the fire gone? Twilight felt her anxiety levels rise again, and couldn't focus. The frog, sensing an opportunity, leapt at the undefended pony. Twilight closed her eyes, waiting for the blow..... but it never came. Opening her eyes, Twilight saw no frog in sight. She looked behind her to see the pink earth pony also with no enemies in sight. "Well, that wasn't too bad. I forgot how weak the initial Noise are..." the other pony mumbled, barely audible to Twilight. "Good job over there. Now, the Underground should reassert itself... now." The scene around them dissolved, and the crowds returned, seemingly from nowhere. Twilight slumped to the ground, heart still racing from the adrenaline. "I don't understand..." The Pinkie look-a-like came over to her and sat down beside her. "Good, well we're safe for now." She looked at her front-right hoof. "For now anyway. We've still got forty minutes left, so I guess we can do some introductions. My name's Pinkamena Diana Pie. What's yours?" "Twilight Sparkle." Gears started to turn in Twilight's head. Hadn't Pinkie once told her that her full name was Pinkamena? "Umm... do you normally go by another name? Like, maybe just Pinkie, perchance?" Pinkamena froze. "No," she eventually managed to say. "That name belongs to somepony else. The question is, how do you know that name? I haven't met you before have I?" It had to Pinkie. Twilight was sure of it! "You don't recognise me? It's me, Twilight! We both live in Ponyville? We're best friends? How can you forget me?" Pinkamena shook her head. "Nope, that can't be right. If you were from Ponyville I'd know, because I know just about every pony in...." She trailed off. "No... that's too much like her..." Twilight was shocked. How could Pinkie not recognise her? And why was she calling herself by her full name? I know, I'll just read her mind. I'll bet this is just another Pinkie Pie prank... a really elaborate Pinkie Pie prank... Twilight focused, shutting out the background noise. But try as she might, she just could read Pinkie's mind. Did I do something wrong? Has my mind reading stopped? Oh listen to me, only twenty minutes ago I had no idea I could read minds, now I'm acting like I could always do it? "You can't scan other Players Twilight." Pinkamena had figured out what she was up to. "Don't know why, but you just can't." Twilight let out an exasperated sigh. "There you go, you're using words that don't make sense again! I thought you were going to tell me what's going on here? What am I playing?" "What are you playing? You're playing the Reaper's Game. Ad if you're playing the Reaper's Game, that can mean only one thing." A rather grim smile appeared on Pinkamena's face. "You're dead, Twilight Sparkle."
SIaanme	1156	2	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-10-03T01:45:04+00:00	2011-10-03T01:45:04+00:00	3,348	DAY 1: 2 The purple unicorn was lost for words. "Dead? How can we be dead? We're talking, and thinking, and breathing, and those frog things just tried to kill us!" Pinkamena checked her timer again. Thirty seven minutes. There was still plenty of time to bring her partner up to speed. Besides, there were few things worse than a partner not up to speed. "I'm not going to pretend I understand it, but that's just the way it is. For whatever reason, you and I are dead, and we're here playing this game." "Game? This is a game? We're dead! How do the words 'dead' and 'game' even fit together in the same sentence?" "You look like a well read pony, surely you've encountered the story about the Earth Pony who challenged Death to a match of chess for her soul?" Twilight blinked. "Well yes, but that's just a myth! It can't be true." "No, but as with all myths, there is an element of truth to it." "No, this is insane! It's nothing more than an...." Twilight trailed off. "...old pony tale..." She cleared her throat and continued. "Okay, you know what? I believe you." "Good, that'll make this go faster then. Okay, where do I begin?" "Well, what about those frog things that attacked us? What was up with that?" "They were creatures called Noise. The reapers sic them on players to try and stop them from achieving the missions, although now that we've made a pact they won't try and attack us quite like that last set did." "Reapers? As in more than one?" Pinkamena sighed. She was clearly going about this the wrong way. "Okay, new plan. Give me ten, maybe fifteen minutes and I'll explain everything. If you still have questions after that, you can ask. Deal?" Twilight nodded. Taking a deep breath, Pinkamena started her explanation. "Right, so this is the Reaper's Game, and we're dead. We have seven days of challenges, or missions, and if we survive the seven days, we get a second chance at life. If we don't, we're erased. If we don't complete a mission in the time limit given, we get erased. And as the icing on the cake, we can be erased by Noise. But we have a way to fight back against the noise in the form of those pins we have on our sashes. Each pin unleashes a different psych, a sort of magic. Not every pony can use every psych. If you were to give me your Pyrokinesis pin, I'd be unable to use it. "To enter this game in the first place you've had to give up what's most valuable to you as an entry fee, to be returned upon your victory. Should you lose, well, you'll have bigger problems. "Each Player forms a pair with another Player, called a pact. They work together to complete missions and defeat Noise. If one half of a team is erased, the other will follow shortly. So it's in your best interest to make sure I'm every bit as healthy and fit as you are. "And that pretty much wraps up this chunk of exposition. That covers the basics anyway. Anything you're still confused about?" "Just two things actually." Of course there is. I shouldn't have asked. Aloud, Pinkamena said "And they are?" "Well, you said something earlier about reapers, as in more than one. How is that possible?" "Oh, that's easy. There's a distinction between reapers and the Reaper. Reapers, the ones we're going to encounter, were once ponies like you or me. They played this game, but when the won they decided to become reapers and help run this game rather than come back to life." "I see. Last question then. How do you know all this?" "The better question is how do you not? The reapers normally take a few minutes before the start of a game to explain this. Why haven't they this time?" "That doesn't answer my question. If they haven't told us this, why do you know it?" Twilight asked. Pinkamena gave a hollow laugh. "You haven't figured it out? This isn't my first time playing the game." --- Once again, Twilight found herself flabbergasted. Pinkie had played this crazy game before? Did that mean she had died before? But how could that be? That's the sort of thing you got told when you were introduced to new ponies. 'Hi, this is Pinkie Pie. She died once before, but she got better.' Then again, it was still possible that this wasn't Pinkie Pie. After all, she didn't recognise Twilight. And Pinkie Pie wasn't the sort of pony to forget any pony. Pinkamena looked at her timer again. "31:46. Right, since we've used half our time, we'd better get back to the mission. What was it again?" "Um... Reach Bits n' Bobs. I don't understand though, what is Bits n' Bobs?" "It's a fashion arcade. All the aspiring fashonistas have set up shop there, hoping that one day that their designs will become popular." Twilight managed a smile despite the situation. It sounded just like the sort of place Rarity would love. "So, we just need to get there? That sounds easy. Unless it's on the other side of town. Is it? Oh please tell me it isn't on the other side of town." Pinkamean shook her head. "It isn't on the other side of town. As a matter of fact it's just a short distance that way," she said, gesturing just behind Twilight with her hoof. "What? You mean we could have finished this mission ages ago? We've been wasting time, let's go!" Twilight cried. She started galloping the way Pinkamena had indicated, and before long she could see a sign looming ahead that read "Bits n' Bobs: Fashion on the go." "Wait, don't run off yet," Pinkamena yelled from somewhere behind her. "There's something I forgot to mention!" Twilight turned to look at her partner, but before she could form any words she felt herself hit something. The impact knocked her to the ground, and she lay dazed for a few seconds while Pinkamena caught up to her. She helped Twilight back onto her feet. "Sorry, forgot to say. Some ways are barred off by invisible walls. Just to make things interesting." "Barred?" Turning to see what she ran into, Twilight was surprised to see nothing. By all accounts she should have kept running. She tried to continue, but was unable to proceed more than another step before she found herself unable to continue. The air in front of her seemed to shimmer and solidify, blocking her way. "But that's where we need to go! How are we going to complete the mission now?" Pinkamena didn't seem to be listening, looking around at the crowd. Soon she stopped, and pointed. "You see that pony? The one wearing the red hoodie? Try scanning him." Twilight must have looked confused, because Pinkamena sighed. "Tap the skull pin. That's what lets you read minds, and tap it again to turn it off. Saves a lot of headaches." Twilight gave the pin a tap with her hoof, and heard all the voices in her head vanish. She realised she'd been scanning, as her partner had called it, all that time. The sudden silence was a bit off putting, and she almost fell to the ground again. She tapped the pin again, and sure enough the voices returned. Glad to understand how the mind reading worked now, she turned her attentions to the hooded pony. She focused, but while she could hear the thoughts of those around him, he remained silent. She tapped her pin again and welcomed the silence. "I couldn't read his mind?" Her partner nodded. "There are two types of pony who can't be scanned here: players and reapers. Guess which one he is." Twilight gasped. "He's a reaper? But he looks just like us." "I told you, reapers were like us once. Anyway, he's the one who set up this wall. And that means he can take it down again, if we meet his conditions." "Conditions? What, like a toll guard?" "Pretty much. But we're not going that way yet. We've got 25 minutes I plan to use them to find my friends." The pink pony turned around and started heading in the opposite direction. Twilight ran to catch up. "But if we don't clear the mission..." "If I survive the seven days, that's meaningless if my friends don't as well. So we're gonna find them." She looked over her shoulder at Twilight and sighed. "Don't worry, we'll get the mission done. But my friends come first." A shrill cry shattered any reply Twilight was trying to come up with. She recognised that scream! So too did Pinkamena it seemed. "Rarity! That's one of my friends! Quickly, this way!" She was off before Twilight could respond. This strange pony knew Rarity? She had to be Pinkie. So why didn't she recognise Twilight? This isn't the time for that, Rarity's in trouble! Twilight dashed towards the source of the cry.
SIaanme	1156	3	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-10-03T01:49:44+00:00	2011-10-03T01:49:44+00:00	3,271	DAY 1: 3 Rarity was having just the most horrid day! Oh it had started out okay, after all, she was finally in Manehatten, the centre of the fashion world! But then it had started going downhill. First she had no idea how she had got there, having just woken up, lying on the pavement. Then her mane just refused to be styled properly, looking like an absolute pig sty. Then the scroll had appeared, and this infernal timer had marred her beautiful coat. Still, things were beginning to look up now. She had managed to find Fluttershy, although the poor dear seemed to be frightened to death! She hadn't said a word since they had met up, or if she had Rarity hadn't heard her. She too had a scroll with her though, and it said the same thing as Rarity's. "So then dear, what do you suppose this all means?" Rarity tried to strike up a conversation with Fluttershy again. "I mean, it's not every day you wake up in Manehatten is it? Unless you're lucky enough to live here I suppose, but then I'm sure that these scrolls aren't usual. What do you suppose they mean?" Fluttershy opened her mouth. Whatever it was she said was drowned out by a sudden shout just nearby. Rarity swiveled around in time to see some other pony being swarmed by strange floating red symbols. Before her eyes, more and more of the symbols appeared, and seemed to attach to the pony, blocking her from view. Then, after only a few seconds, the symbols dispersed, but where there had been a pony only seconds before, now there was no one. Rarity reflexively took a step back. "Did that pony just disappear? But she couldn't have, she was an earth pony! Unless those tacky floating symbols had something to do with it." Rarity felt a soft tug at her tail. She turned to find Fluttershy with it in her mouth. Seeing that she had Rarity's attention, she dropped the tail and pointed just to the right. Rarity followed the direction with her gaze, and spotted more of the symbols swarming over other ponies, also disappearing after a short amount of time. A group broke off from their latest victim and started flying towards Rarity and Fluttershy. "Oh dear. Fluttershy, I think it might be time to run." Rarity turned on the spot and started running. Fluttershy followed on wing. After only a few feet though, Rarity felt her legs get caught under her and she tripped headlong. Fluttershy stopped to help her up, but it was too late. Symbols were approaching from all sides. Rarity used her only weapon left in her arsenal. Having been an only child for most of her life, Rarity was good at getting what she wanted. Sometimes it required sickening sweetness, other times she got it by whining. But when all else failed, she had one final resort. Her scream, which on a clear day could be heard half a mile away, and had been known to knock birds out of their flight path at its peak. The ultimate weapon. She let loose one now, hoping that their attackers would be deterred. Alas, this was not to be the case, and the things keep coming closer. Rarity kept screaming, now out of hope that someone would notice her and save her. "Rarity! Fluttershy!" Rarity stopped screaming. She knew that voice! Looking around, she saw Pinkie Pie running towards them. At least she assumed it was Pinkie Pie, although her normally frizzy and uncontrollable mane was now straight, and possibly duller. Pinkie kept shouting. "You two need to make a pact! Hurry or you'll be erased!" Pact? Erased? What nonsense was Pinkie spouting now? Still, this had been a rather strange day. "What do you mean? How are we supposed to do that!?" She turned to Fluttershy. "Do you have any idea what she's on about?" Fluttershy started to shake her head, then paused. Slowly she began to nod. Still not saying a word, she carefully placed her forehead against Rarity's or at least as close as she could with Rarity's horn in the way. Before Rarity could ask what she was doing, a pillar of light bloomed out of the ground, surrounding the two friends. Just at that second the symbols reached them, and their surroundings started to melt away. --- Twilight could only stand in shock as she saw one after another of the red symbols - Noise symbols, that's what Pinkie said they were - pile onto the spot where Fluttershy and Rarity had been. "No... they can't be.... they've been..." She could feel tears begin to well up. Pinkamena on the other hand seemed unfazed by what happened. Twilight rounded on her angrily, tears flowing now. "How can you just sit there so calmly?! Our friends just got erased, and we'll never see them again!" Pinkamena sighed. "No they didn't. They haven't been erased. They made a pact in time. They'll be fighting off the Noise now, and there is literally no way you can lose your first Noise fight if you have a pact." "They made the pact in time? Then where are they? They've vanished! Doesn't that mean they've been erased?" "And just when I thought I'd explained everything to you... You don't fight Noise here. They transport you to a different plane, the Noise plane. We can't see my friends anymore because they're fighting in the Noise plane. Make sense?" Twilight considered this for a while. "So, they're on a different plane of existence than us? But that's really powerful magic! Most unicorns are unable to Plane shift, and yet these Noise things make it happen just like that?" "I don't know the details, but yeah. Technically we're on a different plane than normal as well, the Underground. The plane we normally exist on is the Real Ground. So I guess if we've already changed planes once, it's a bit easier the second time around." "Okay, I suppose that makes a sort of sense," Twilight said. She looked back at where Fluttershy and Rarity had vanished. "So we just have to wait and they'll come back?" "Once they've defeated the noise, yes." --- Rarity slowly opened her eyes again. She wished she'd kept them closed. In front of her were three frogs, although they were like no frogs Rarity had ever seen. One of the three jumped at her before she had a chance to do anything. It landed on her head. "Ah! Get it off, get it off!" she cried out, quickly backing away. The offending frog leapt away, using Rarity's face as a springboard. The force of the leap was greater than Rarity was expecting, and she found herself propelled the opposite way. She hit something behind her, and slumped to the ground, winded, but on the whole unhurt. She staggered back to her feet, and looked behind her to see what she hit. But there was nothing there. It seemed she had just stopped in the middle of the street, as if there was a wall of glass. She reached a hoof out to test this theory, and discovered that she couldn't move it past a certain point. There was no feeling of glass under hoof, just a barrier. Past it, she could see Fluttershy, also confronted by three frogs. The frogs! Rarity wheeled around just in time to see another frog leaping at her. "Oh no you don't, not this time!" Rarity reached for her magic. She wasn't sure what she could do, magic wasn't her strong point certainly. But she could probably at least halt the frog in its tracks. She focused on the frog. A second before the it could make contact, a pillar of ice, glittering like diamond, speared up from the ground, impaling the frog. The pillar vanished a second afterwards, taking the frog with it. Rarity found herself gasping. Since when could she do that? She didn't have time to marvel for long though, another frog was leaping towards her. Well, if she could do it once... Once again she focused, and was reward with a pillar of ice spearing the frog. It vanished faster than a pillar of ice had any right to do, not even leaving a puddle of water. Rarity, deciding she had the hang of this, decided to go on the offensive. She focused on the last frog, preparing to duplicate the feat... only to find it wasn't working. She tried again, focusing harder, but still nothing. She began to panic. The last frog sensed its chance, and leapt at the unicorn. Rarity jumped to side before the frog attached, but fumbled her landing, and fell on the ground for the second time that day. She stumbled back onto her feet, feeling a bit sore from the second tumble. From here she could see Fluttershy, now also down to one frog. She was hovering just above the ground, dodging all the frog's leaps. Forgetting her own battle for the moment, Rarity watched Fluttershy. Suddenly she stopped evading, and closed her eyes. The frog lunged. Rarity was sure the frog would land a hit, but before it even got close, a ring of shadow seemed to surround Fluttershy. Despite it being shadow, the frog landed on this ring, and paused. It didn't leap off again; instead it disintegrated in a flash of black and white static. Her friend's safety assured, Rarity turned her mind back to her own. But the frog on her side had vanished. Even as Rarity was looking around for it, the world went blurry, and equestrian shapes began to fade into existence. For now, she seemed to be safe. --- It was only about a minute before Pinkamena saw Rarity and Fluttershy fading back into existence. She rushed over to them, giving them both a hug. "Oh thank Celestia you two are all right!" Rarity beamed at her. "Why of course we're okay darling. But what's happened to your hair? It's so straight! I thought your hair didn't straighten, after all it didn't take when we were getting ready for the Gala." "Oh, yeah. Um, there's a perfectly good reason for that. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Did you two see Rainbow Dash or Applejack anywhere?" Fluttershy shook her head mutely. Rarity did one better. "Not at all. Why, are they in some sort of trouble?" "We're all in some sort of trouble Rarity. But I'd sooner explain this once we've found Rainbow Dash and Applejack. I've already said all this once today, I don't want to make it three times." "If you say so dear, but how do you know they'll be here in Manehatten? I don't even know why we're in Manehatten!" "That's part of what I need to tell you. Like I say, I'd sooner we found Applejack and Rainbow Dash first." Pinkamena paused to look at her hoof. The timer read 23:57. "Well, we still have plenty of time to try and find them. I'm sure they're both okay, they're resourceful ponies." A shadow of doubt flitted across her face. "I'm afraid you're not making any sense dear. But if we must find our friends, then the three of us shall not rest until they are found." Pinkamena managed a smile. It felt like it hurt. "I know we will. Oh, but there's actually four of us. Let me introduce my partner, Twilight Sparkle. She'll be helping us in the coming week." Rarity managed a small curtsey. "Pleasure to meet you miss Sparkle. My name is Rarity, and my friend back there is Fluttershy. You'll excuse her if she doesn't say much, she's always nervous around new ponies." Pinkamena opened her mouth to say something else, but was distracted by a tingling sensation on her front hoof. She looked, and discovered the timer had gone. Her eyes widened in shock. "Someone's reached Bits n' Bobs already! But that means that day's about to-" DAY 1 CONFUSION END
SIaanme	1156	4	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-10-11T10:59:32+00:00	2011-10-11T10:59:32+00:00	2,794	DAY 2: 1 "Rainbow! Are you okay?" Thud. "RAINBOW DASH!" "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY FRIEND!" Crunch. " Fluttershy? Oh Celestia..." "... we can't fight this thing!" "... that thing has just killed-" Crash. "...I'm going down fighting, like the others." Thump. " Spike! ...send a letter to the Princess!" Darkness. Then everything became light again, and Twilight Sparkle sat bolt upright, gasping for breath. Slowly she remembered where she was. Manehatten. Looking around, she found she was still in the square. Not too far away from her, Pinkie was lying on the pavement, asleep. Right. So this wasn't just a dream. That was her last hope gone. She stood up and looked at the crowd around her. Busy ponies on their way to their busy lives. Living their lives while others fought for their own. Twilight turned her thoughts away from this topic, and they settled on another one. Rarity and Fluttershy didn't recognise her. But they recognised Pinkie, even looking as different as she did. So why not her? Why had her friends forgotten about her? The answer came a moment later. Pinkie had said that to play this game you had to sacrifice what you held most dear as an entry fee. And what did Twilight hold most dear? Her friends. And so her friends became her entry fee, or at least their memories of her. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes, but she fought them back. No. She couldn't let the others know. She had to win this game and get her entry fee back. She had to get her life back, her friends back, and her friends' lives back. Further thoughts on the topic were interrupted by Pinkie. No, not Pinkie. Pinkamena. The pink pony was waking up, letting out a stream of unintelligible noises, her eyes still closed. "-end. Wha-" Her eyes snapped open, taking in her surroundings. "Horse apples. It must be day two then." "Day two? You mean we've been asleep for an entire day?" Twilight asked aghast. "But how is that possible? We were wide awake just minute ago, and then suddenly we wake up here?" Pinkamena shrugged. "I don't know how it happens, all I know is that it does." She looked around briefly. "Oh good. Rarity and Fluttershy are just over there. I should probably go explain what's going on. You want to sit through the explanation again?" "I'll be fine. Actually, wait. Something's been bothering me. You say we're dead? Then why can't I remember how I died?" "It could be for a few reasons. For example, your memories might be your entry fee-" "No, not my memories," Twilight muttered under her breath. "-Or you could have died in a traumatic way. Traumatic deaths tend to take a while to come to grips with. But you'll remember eventually." Pinkamena started walking towards Rarity, who was just waking up. She spoke over her shoulder to Twilight. "Still what does it matter? Doesn't make you any less dead." --- After filling Rarity and Fluttershy in, a decision had to be reached. Since they hadn't found Rainbow Dash or Applejack yesterday, it was agreed that finding them was an important priority. But there was some debate as to how important. "If we don't all go back together, there's no point in going back at all!" declared Pinkamena. "So we need to find them first, and focus on the mission later." Rarity was vocally opposed to this. "How can you be so cruel Pinkie? I agree it would be best if all five of us made it back-" Twilight had to force back tears at this. "-but to say it's all or none? We've still got family to get back to! Sweetie Belle is probably heartbroken by now, and I know our parents don't have enough time to raise her on their own. And Fluttershy has her animals to look after. We can't get back unless we complete the missions!" "That's what the other players are for. It doesn't matter which pair completes a mission, so long as it gets cleared. Which leaves us free to search for Applejack and Dash." "But how do we know they can do it? I'd sooner not leave my life in the hooves of strangers." "Fine, we put it to a vote then. Which do we focus on? The mission or Dash and AJ? I'm voting our friends, you?" "The mission of course!" Rarity turned to Fluttershy. "Support me here darling. We've got to do the mission first, right?" Fluttershy looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head. She pointed at Pinkamena. "Ha! That's two votes for searching for AJ and Dash first. Sorry Rarity, looks like I get my way?" Rarity fumed. "Oh, but the voting's not over yet. Miss Sparkle still has to cast her vote." Pinkamena waved a dismissive hoof. "She doesn't get a vote. She has no reason to choose to search for Applejack and Rainbow Dash, so she only has one option." Twilight didn't like being talked about like she wasn't there, especially by her friends. "Actually I think I do get a vote. And I vote we do both." "Both?" Rarity and Pinkie echoed the last word. "Yes, both," Twilight affirmed. "You're forgetting something. We're two pairs, not one quartet. Pinkamena and I have to stay together, and Rarity and Fluttershy have to stay together, but our two groups don't have to stay together. So one of our groups should try and complete the mission, and the other should try and find our- your friends." Pinkamena and Rarity looked at each other. "I guess that would work," said Pinkamena. "So we'll look for Applejack and Rainbow Dash." "And Fluttershy and I can complete the mission," Rarity added. Twilight shook her head. "Actually I think it should be the other way around." Seeing the confused looks she got, she continued. "Pinkamena told me she'd played this game before, so she'd be best prepared to deal with whatever the Reapers throw at us. And Applejack and Rainbow Dash won't reco- don't know me, and Pinkamena doesn't look like she normally does, so they might be suspicious of us. So Rarity and Fluttershy should try and find them. Besides, being able to fly will be an advantage in looking for them." Silence. Then Pinkamena sighed. "You make a good point. I hadn't thought of that." She looked back at Rarity. "We'll take care of the mission then. But you have to promise you'll find them." "I'll do one better than that dear, I Pinkie Pie Swear it." Rarity mimed out the actions as she said the words. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." A frown flickered across Pinkamena’s face, quickly being replaced with a half hearted smile. "Thanks Rarity. I know I can count on you. Oh, and I know this'll sound strange, but try to fight as many noise as you can safely. The more you fight the stronger you'll get, and there might be some point where you'll need to fight anyway." Rarity nodded. "To be frank, I'm still a bit confused about the fighting. You say the we draw upon magic from these pins?" She indicated the sash she was wearing, identical to the other's except for the pins on it. Rarity had, along with the skull pin, a pin with a column of diamonds that looked a bit like her cutie mark, and one with various gems forming a staggered v-shape. "Yup. If I had to guess, the first of those will form an ice pillar, and the other will drop rocks or something on your enemies." She then turned to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, your ones look like they'll be a barrier that'll protect you from harm while damaging the Noise, and one that creates stationary orbs of water." Fluttershy's pins were one of a butterfly, like the ones on her cutie mark, but black and grey, and a turtle with a light blue shell. Rarity nodded. "Thank you for letting us know. You take care dear. We'll find Applejack and Rainbow Dash before you know it." With a nod to Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy were on their way. Just as they vanished from sight, two scrolls appeared in front of Twilight and Pinkamena. The day's mission had arrived. "Mission 2: Find and erase the Noise in charge of Mr Ed's Theater. You have 180 minutes. Failure will result in erasure. The Reapers." Twilight felt the sharp pain in her hoof again. The timer had returned, ticking down from 180:00. She turned to Pinkamena. "So we just have to defeat some Noise? This won't be a problem, right?" "I wouldn't say that. The wording of the mission is a clue. 'The Noise in charge?' Sounds like a boss Noise." "You mean like in a video game?" Twilight hadn't played any video games, believing them to be a waste of time that could be better spent studying. However Spike had talked her into getting a Pon-e Haystation for him, and she'd watched him play in his off hours a bit. So she was familiar with the idea of a boss, an extra powerful enemy that had to be defeated. "Yes, exactly like in a video game." Pinkamena stared off into the middle distance for a heartbeat, then looked back at Twilight. "It'll be tougher than the Noise we fought yesterday, so we'll need to do some other battles before then." "Well, alright. I guess I need the experience. Can you just remind me what my other pin does?" Twilight indicated the starburst designed pin set next to the others on her sash. "It'll shoot magic blasts rapid fire. Not very powerful, but fast. And while I'm on the subject, I guess you want to know about mine?" She indicated her two pins, one decorated with her balloon cutie mark, and the other with a knife embedded in a cupcake. "You've already seen me use the cupcake one, that's how I do the flurry attack. As for the other one..." She smiled. "Why don't we have a demonstration?" Pinkamena tapped her skull pin, activating her mind reading. Twilight was confused. How would reading minds help demonstrate battle techniques? She was about to ask, when one of the Noise symbols appeared in front of her. Startled she leapt backwards. Pinkamena's eyes opened. "And now we fight." The square dissolved around them, taking the passer-bys with it, replacing them with two of the frog Noise. They wasted no time, and one of them already sprung at Twilight. She made a quick sidestep, letting the frog sail harmlessly past. She followed its progress, and spotted Pinkamena on the other half of the battlefield. The pink pony, now holding Twilight's interest, smiled. "This is what my other pin does." She turned, looking at one of the frogs. Suddenly she wasn't standing where she was anymore. Instead she was hovering just above the frog she had been looking at, and crashed down on the Noise. The Noise vanished in a burst of static. She turned back to Twilight. "And that's what it does. Now, eyes front soldier." Twilight whirled around and narrowly ducked under the other frog's leap. Time for her to try out this new pin did then. She focused, trying to visualise magic bursts firing towards the frog. She was rewarded with a stream of purple sparks firing from her horn roughly towards the frog. About half of them missed their mark, but the rest made contact, causing the frog to vanish in a manner similar to its compatriot. The world rematerialised around the pair of ponies. "You're better at this then I thought you'd be." Twilight turned to find Pinkamena just behind her. "Have you been in battles before?" Only against one of Equestria's immortal goddesses, Twilight thought. And an Ursa Minor. Some diamond dogs. A hydra. Huh. I guess I have been in more than a few battles. Aloud she said, "I guess I'm just a natural at this." She looked at the timer on her hoof. 168:34. "Huh. It really doesn't feel like it's been twelve minutes since we got this mission. Feels more like... I don't know. Less than twelve." "Oh well that's because...." Pinkamena trailed off. Finally she shrugged. "Okay, I don't know why that is. Maybe time goes faster when we're fighting Noise? Look, I don't know everything." "Well if we're going to get this mission done, maybe we should start making our way to this Mr Ed's theater, where ever that is." Twilight looked around, trying to figure out what way to go. "Please tell me you know where it is. I'm hopeless at finding my way around without a map." Pinkamena nodded. "They had me running basically all over this city last time I played. I can still remember where everything is. Mr Ed's Theater is that way." She started walking off, only to stop a few second later. "No, wait.... that way." She turned around and resumed walking. Twilight watched just to make sure she didn't change her mind again, then followed after her.
SIaanme	1156	5	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-10-11T11:02:51+00:00	2011-10-11T11:02:51+00:00	3,093	Day 2: 2 "Nope sorry, we haven't seen any pony matching either of those descriptions." "Oh. Sorry to bother you then. We'll be on our way." That was the third pair they'd asked, and none of them had seen Applejack or Rainbow Dash. Still, it was too soon to give up hope. Fluttershy looked around the crowded square, searching for the spots of silence that indicated a mind unreadable. Since she couldn't help with the questioning, Rarity had her scanning full time to find more pairs. Mostly though, she was distracted by the thoughts of the living ponies. It was so frustrating Fluttershy could just scream. Here she was, a pony content to go through life with as little attention paid to her as possible, and she finally had it. Complete anonymity. And it turned out it wasn't what she had hoped it would be. Yes, she wanted to hide from the world, but she always thought that would come with the option to speak up if she needed to. Here though, her voice was gone. Even if she wanted to be heard, she couldn't express herself. "Well it was never going to be easy to find them," Rarity broke in on Fluttershy's thoughts. "Are you sure you don't want to do a quick fly-over to see if you can spot them?" Well, at least she could still convey yes or no. Fluttershy shook her head. The idea of separating from Rarity, even for a short while, didn't sit well. What if she was attacked and Rarity didn't notice? She couldn't scream for help, and on her own, she was as good as dea- erased. She instead pointed in the direction of the next pair. "Well, if you insist dear. Who knows, maybe the fourth time's the charm." Rarity starting walking in the direction Fluttershy indicated. Only a few steps later, she tripped. Fluttershy hovered over and helped her up again. "Thank you Fluttershy. I swear the pavement stones here must be uneven. I've never tripped so much in my life." The next pair of ponies consisted of a sea-blue unicorn and a pea-green pegasus. "Pardon me!" Rarity called out once they were close enough. "You there! The blue unicorn and green pegasus." The pair looked around in confusion, finally spotting Rarity and Fluttershy. "More players!" It was the pegasus that spoke. "Oh thank goodness, I was beginning to worry we were the only pair in the game." Fluttershy's heart sank. If Rarity and her were the first pair they'd seen, it was unlikely that they would know anything about Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She began scanning again. Rarity continued unfazed though. "Yes yes, we're all in this game. How terrible right? Anyway, I just wanted to know if you'd seen some friends of mine." The pair looked at each other. "You mean you're just looking for any friends, or certain friends in particular?" the unicorn asked. "Yes, that's it exactly. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Rarity, and my friend over there is Fluttershy." Fluttershy waved a hoof shyly. "And we're looking for our friends, Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Maybe you've seen them? One's a blue pegasus with a rainbow coloured mane, and the other's an orange earth pony wearing a hat. Oh, and they probably both have no semblance of grooming or grace." "Well... I don't think we've seen anypony like that. Oh, I'm Sea Breeze, and my partner is Oriens Ventus," said the unicorn. "Oh..." disappointment tinged Rarity's voice. "Still, no matter, I'm sure we'll find them eventually. Sorry to have bothered you." Rarity began to turn away. "Wait! Well, we haven't seen any pony that matched those descriptions perfectly," Oriens said. "But there was a blue earth pony with a rainbow mane at Bits n' Bobs yesterday when the mission finished. And she was with another earth pony with a hat, but she sounded rather upper class." "I suppose it's as good a lead as any we've got. May we inquire if you've seen them today?" Oriens shook his head. "Not today. Like I said, it was yesterday. But your friend's a pegasus, can't she just fly up and search from the sky?" "See Fluttershy?" Rarity's tone was victorious. "I'm not the only one who thinks this would be easier if you searched from the sky." Fluttershy tried to shrink into the ground, shaking her head. She knew it made sense, but there was just too much that could go wrong. "Guess she's afraid of heights," Sea Breeze snickered. "A pegasus afraid of heights, who knew?" Surprisingly, it was Oriens who came to Fluttershy's defence first. "It's more common than you'd think Sea Breeze. Those of us who were born or raised away from Cloudsdale are more likely to be, since we've spent more time on the ground, but it's not unheard of for weak flyers to be... reluctant to leave the ground." He turned to Fluttershy. "I'd wager you're one of the latter, would I be right miss? Well, no problem. If it's that big a deal for you to find your friends, I can search for you." Rarity's eyes went wide. "Really? You'd do that for us? But we've only just met! Why? You're not doing this just to impress us are you?" Oriens smiled. "Do I really need a reason to help someone?" "So in other words, yes, he is doing this just to impress you." That statement earned Sea Breeze a glare, which she met with a teasing smile. "Sometimes I don't know why I put up with you," Oriens muttered under his breath. "It's all part of my charm. You know you love it." Rarity coughed. "Is this really important flirting, or were you going to search for our friends?" she asked, trying not to sound too pushy. "Right, of course. I'll give the square a quick circuit and see if I can spot them. I'll be back before you know it." And he was off, spiraling lazily into the air. Fluttershy watched him, worried something was going to happen. When she could see him no longer, she went back to scanning the crowd. Rarity went back to conversing with Sea Breeze. "So, I take it you two knew each other before the game then?" Rarity was asking. "Oh yes. We've been going out for the last year or so. We're engaged actually." Sea Breeze indicated the ribbon in her mane. "He gave that to me the night he proposed. It was the most wonderful night of my life." "I see. If it's not too personal, how did you two meet?" "That's not personal at all. Let's see, it started when-" A cry ripped through the air. Sea Breeze's eyes widened and her ears stood up in shock. "Ori!" she cried out, and rushed off. Fluttershy and Rarity followed in equal haste. The cry had come from almost the other side of the square, and by the time they had got there it was too late. Oriens' body lay on the ground, his breathing ragged. "Ori? Ori, it's me, Breeze. Please wake up..." Breeze crouched beside her fiancé, nudging him gently with her horn. It was clear she was holding back tears. Oriens' eyes fluttered open. "Breeze... Did the fall... hurt?" "Fall? What are you talking, about, you're the one who fell." "I mean... your fall.... from heaven to earth...." Despite the situation, a laugh escaped Breeze's lips, mingled with a sob of relief. "You're not hurt then? You're going to be okay?" "I wouldn't say that..." Wincing, Oriens lifted his wing, revealing a gash underneath. Blood oozed from the wound, staining his coat red. Breeze looked on aghast. "Oh my Ori, what happened? Who is responsible for this?" "Aww, and I was sure I'd finished him off too." Fluttershy jumped at the new voice, and zoomed round behind Rarity. Sea Breeze took a defensive stance over Oriens' body, turning to find the speaker, while Rarity turned as gracefully as she could. Considering Fluttershy was clinging to her, this wasn't very graceful at all. The speaker was a peach coloured pony, with red highlights running through her otherwise white mane. Just behind her was another pony, this one a dark blue pegasus with a black mane. Both of them were floating a few metres above the ground, despite the peach pony having no wings. "Sorry, but could you all move out of my way? If I don't erase your coltfriend, then I lose my bet, and I won't get a free bowl of daisy soup! Is that what you want?" "You made that bet. I didn't. I don't have to keep it," the blue stallion said in a monotone. He touched down a few metres away, folding his wings away. "Finish the job. Erase all of them." "Aww, but I just want to have some fun! Can't you lighten up, High Tide?" The other pony landed. "But you know, if I erase them all, that'll bring my streak to 12, and then you'll owe me a dandelion salad as well." "Didn't make that bet. I won't pay up." Fluttershy realised that these must be Reapers. And not the kind that watched from the sidelines either, the kind that actively hunted players. Sea Breeze glared at the duo. "You... you're the ones who hurt Ori?" The peach pony giggled. "Oh no, that was the Noise. But I suppose we're the ones who made the Nosie attack him so... Tide, does that mean we're the one's who hurt him?" The pegasus shrugged. "Sure. Why not." Breeze's horn ignited. "You monsters. How can you be so calm about this? You'll pay for what you did to Ori!" "Ooh, this one has some fight in her! That's what I like to see!" The female Reaper laughed a fillyish laugh. "Come on then, let's play! Maybe you'll be a better playmate than your coltfriend. He was soo boring, barely any endurance. I mean really, what sort of loser goes down after only one itty bitty sneak attack?" Sea Breeze's nostrils flared. "You are so going down!" She ready herself to charge, but as she tried to leap forward she found herself held back. She glanced down to find Oriens holding her hind leg. "Breeze, don't do this... you won't survive... and I won't without you either..." A look of concern passed over Breeze's face. "But if we don't fight she's going to erase us." "Do you really think we'll allow that to happen?" Rarity spoke up. She stepped between the Reaper and the pair. "Oriens got hurt trying to help us. So this is our fault." "What? No, it's not your fault!" Rarity waved a hoof to silence her. "Of course it's our fault. So we shall defeat this mannerless lout for you. Right Fluttershy?" Fluttershy was already doing all she could to not run away. The only thing that had kept her near Rarity was the knowledge that it was safer than the alternatives. She looked back at Sea Breeze and Oriens, and steeled her resolve. Tentatively, she took her place beside Rarity, opposing the Reapers. The peach Reaper cricked her neck. "Oh it's been too long since I got to have any real fun!" She grinned a disturbing smile. "Let's see how long you can entertain me." Without any more warning, she charged. Fluttershy closed her eyes, bracing for impact. A second passed. Two seconds. Five seconds and still no impact. Fluttershy peaked out to see the blue Reaper between them and his Partner. ""Tide, what are you doing? Didn't you want me to erase them all?" There was a note of underlying rage in the Reaper's voice, barely detectable. "We're not allowed to do this. No direct fighting with the Players. Those are the rules." "But Ti-ide, I just want to play with them a little! Can't we break the rules just this once?" "Candy Cane." High Tide's voice hadn't changed at all, but his partner seemed to flinch at his words. "Fine, I'll play by the rules. But you'll owe me a veggie dog as well after this." "I didn't agree to this bet." Ignoring him, Candy Cane gave a high-pitched whistle, forcing all present to try and block their ears as best as possible. Within a few seconds, the air around her was thick with Noise symbols. Only these weren't the same as the ones Fluttershy and Rarity dealt with the previous day. These one were all circular, but with four small holes on the sides, giving the eerie impression of eyes. With a stomp of her hoof, Candy Cane sent to symbols flying towards Fluttershy and Rarity, surrounding them. Like the frog Noise symbols before them, they began to expand into three dimensions. They bulged at the middle, changing from a circle to a sphere, while the gaps stayed apparent. They seemed somehow familiar to Fluttershy, although she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Until a set of wings unfolded from the back of the Noise. "Mrrrt, brrp." "Ugh, a parasprite?" Rarity let out a groan of disgust. "How ghastly! They were bad enough last time we dealt with them." Fluttershy shared her companion’s distaste for the creatures, especially since the Noise versions of them had lost their only redeeming quality, their cuteness. The swarm circled the pair, and the Underground began to fade around them, being replaced by the Noise plane battleground. It was now Fluttershy looked up. If she was able to, she would have screamed. Scores of parasprites blotted the sky, their multicoloured bodies giving the impression that Celestia couldn't decide what colour the sky should be and decided on all of them. It didn't take long before the Noise made the first move. A group of about ten parasprites broke off from the main swarm, flying on a collision course with Fluttershy. The pegasus activated her shadow barrier a moment before impact, protecting her from the assault. The parasprites made no effort to correct their course, slamming into the barrier, and each disintegrating with a white flash as it made contact. Fluttershy looked down at the pin powering the barrier. It was glowing brightly, a sign that it would last for a while. Her own defence seen to, Fluttershy looked around to see how Rarity was doing. The unicorn was having a harder time, having to constantly fend off attacks. As Fluttershy watched, a group broke off from the main swarm and rushed Rarity. They didn't get far before an ice pillar pierced through them, erasing all of them, even those that were only brushed by the column. Another group was attacking from the other side, and it too met with the same fate. The next swarm was buried under a sudden rockfall. Despite how well she was doing, Fluttershy could tell Rarity was struggling just to keep them at a horn's length. Fluttershy turned her attention back to her side of the battle. The swarm had been quiet since she had activated the barrier. The barrier that had just run out. Sensing their opportunity, the swarm surged towards Fluttershy, extending a tendril of parasprites. Fluttershy was disoriented by the sudden loss of her barrier, and was struck by the parasprites. Before she could recover from this attack, another swarm had reached her, and this too struck her. And then another. The assault was relentless, slowly but surely draining Fluttershy of her power. She saw why the parasprites could attack so haphazardly. They couldn't survive a hit, but if they could get in a hit their superior numbers would quickly overwhelm their victim. As was happening to her. Looking up, Fluttershy could see another element to their strategy. With every blow a parasprite connected, another one spawned in the above swarm, allowing the attacks to come even faster. It was a vicious cycle, and one that she was now trapped in. It was hopeless, she was just too weak. She had let down Rarity, she had let down Pinkie, she had let down Applejack and Rainbow Dash, she had let down.... Shing. A flash interrupted her thoughts. The barrier pin had recharged. What was she doing? She couldn't let every pony down! Her friends needed her! Drawing on the little energy she had left, she focused on her shadow barrier again, successfully forming it and prevent any further attack. The swarm continued attacking under its own momentum, crashing into the barrier like waves breaking against a rock. Casting a glance behind her, Fluttershy could tell Rarity was having trouble. She had managed to keep them at bay this long, but if they managed to break through... well, Rarity didn't have a barrier to protect her. It would be over in a matter of seconds. They had to end the fight before that could happen. Fluttershy gingerly stretched her wings, and with a few flaps ascended into the heart of the swarm, her barrier still active. It erased the Parasprites on contact, clearing a path for Fluttershy's flight. She continued to fly through the swarm, erasing swathes of parasprites at once. She checked her pin. It had dulled, now barely emitting any light. It was a sign that it would soon disperse, leaving her one again at the mercy of the swarm until it returned. But Fluttershy forced herself not to panic. She still had her other pin, the one with a turtle on it. If she could just figure out how to work the thing... She descended again, touching down just as the barrier deactivated. The swarm wasn't far behind, though there was far fewer of them now. Fluttershy tried to remember what Pinkie had told her about the pin. Oh, what did it do? Was it something to do with water? Balls of water maybe? It was as good a lead as any. She thought back to how she first activated her shadow barrier. She was being attacked by those frogs, and she wished there was something between them and her.... Was that it? Was it imagining things? Oh, if she was a unicorn she just knew she'd have no problem. The swarm was closer now, and closing in fast. Fluttershy closed her eyes, and imaged a large ball of water between her and the swarm. She opened her eyes again to find no sphere before her, only ravenous parasprites. She tried again, wishing twice as hard as last time. No luck, and the Noise were almost upon her. Belatedly she realised that maybe she was imaging the size of the orb too big. She tried for what she was sure would be her last time, this time visualising the sphere as only two hoof spans across. It worked, and the parasprites flew head on into the orb, dissolving into nothingness as they made contact. Stranger, the sphere moved with contact, floating in the direction it was hit. Fluttershy formed another orb, this time right in the middle of the parasprite swarm. A gaping hole appeared in the swarm, the ball having bounced off each parasprite it killed into another grouping. A few more strategically placed orbs and the swarm was almost finished. A scream interrupted Fluttershy's assault. Looking over, she found she could no longer see Rarity, the unicorn being mobbed by parasprites. And the things were multiplying again, beginning to repopulate the sky almost as quickly as Fluttershy had cleared it. Rarity! Fluttershy opened her mouth to scream, but her voice stubbornly stayed missing. An anger built up inside her, the same kind that she had felt the day she had stared down the dragon. The feeling gave her a second wind, and she activated her barrier and flew into the midst of the swarm once again. She was erasing the parasprites as fast as she could, racing the clock. She flew faster than she had flown in her life, desperate to save her friend. She circled the swarm, circling tighter with each pass, trimming the Noise down to a only a score or so. With one final sweep, they too were gone. She looked over at Rarity's side of the field in time to see the last of the matching parasprites dissolve. They had survived. They had won. As soon as the battleground had been replaced with the Underground once again, Fluttershy rushed to her friend's side to make sure she was okay. Rarity was shakily regaining her footing, but otherwise okay. "They certainly were a hoofful weren't they? Thank Celestia you managed to finish them before they got me." Fluttershy blushed at the praise. "They survived? They really survived?" Candy Cane's voice was incredulous. "Well, at least they're not going to be boring, Alright then my little ponies, for our next game-" "Your streak's broken," High Tide interrupted. "Back to zero. I win the bet." "What? But you said you didn't make the bet!" A note of rage crept into Candy Cane's voice. "No. But you did. You owe me a sandwich." Candy Cane's eye twitched as she regarded Fluttershy and Rarity. "You hear that? You've lost me my bet! I was going to draw this out, but now I think I'll just erase you right now!" She started calling up Noise symbols again. Fluttershy braced herself for another onslaught. Before they were set upon however, High Tide stepped between the pair and Candy Cane again. "You lost. Sandwich. Now." "But they... they're.... you.... ARRGGHHH!" Candy stormed off into the sky, muttering curses as she went. Tide spread his wings, preparing to follow her. He turned to Fluttershy and Rarity. "You fight well. Hope you survive. Later." He took off after his partner. With a few wingbeats, he was beyond the pair's sight. They headed back over to where Oriens was still lying. "Are you two okay? They didn't try anything while we were fighting those Noise did they?" Rarity radiated concern. "Not at all. I think they were too busy watching you." With some help from his fiancé, Oriens struggled to his feet. "I guess I'm in your debt now." "Whyever do you say that? If it weren't for us, you wouldn't have been attacked in the first place. Besides, we would have helped even if you hadn't tried to help." Fluttershy nodded an emphatic yes. "Be that as it may, you didn't force me to help. And you saved not only my life, but Breeze's as well. I think you'll find we're squarely in your debt." "Just agree, he won't rest until he finds someway to owe you," interjected Sea Breeze. "Well he's just going to have to go away disappointed. No pony owes Rarity anything." There was a silence as the two debtors stared each other down. Finally Oriens cracked, smiling. "Well I guess if you really want things to be even between us, fine. Neither of us owes the other." "Good. I'm glad you finally saw sense," said Rarity with just a hint of smugness. "So it's agreed? We're even then?" Oriens smile widened. "Then I suppose if I were to, say, tell you that I managed to spot a rainbow mane roughly north of here before I was attacked, then you'd owe me, right?" Rarity spluttered in panic. "Now wait a minute..." Fluttershy didn't quite hear the rest of what she had to say, as she leapt at Oriens with her hooves open wide, abruptly ending the hug when she realised she was hurting him. She shuffled away, trying to hide the blush colouring her cheeks. Oriens grinned through the pain. "So, looks like your friend agrees, the debt is on the other hoof now." "It certainly is not! We saved not only your life, but your fiancé's life as well, so I think you'll find we're even again. Let it never be said that Rarity owes any pony anything." "Oh? I thought it was that no pony owes Rarity anything?" "It goes both ways!" "Well tell you what. I'm such a nice guy, I'll call it even. But you'll owe me for it." "How is that any different?" Fluttershy and Sea Breeze began pushing their respective partners away from each other. Breeze gave Fluttershy a smile. "Sorry about this, and thank you again for saving us. See you some other day maybe?" Fluttershy nodded, still pushing Rarity away. It didn't take long for Oriens and Breeze to vanish into the crowd. Rarity finally calmed down, and the full impact of what Oriens said sank in. "Wait, he said he saw a rainbow mane north? Fluttershy, do you know what this means? Rainbow Dash must be that way! Quickly, we must hurry!" She spun around in a hurry, and walked straight into some pony. "Oww.... watch where you're...." Rarity trailed off as she saw the stallion she had collided with. "....going." "My apologies ma'am. I wasn't watching where I was going. I am called Gathering Storm, and you are?" He was handsome, that was for sure. He was slightly taller and more muscular than your standard stallion, which was unusual in a unicorn. He was aptly named as well, as his dark grey coat suggested storm clouds, with a streak of yellow running through his slightly spiked mane, like lightning. He wasn't Fluttershy's type, but she could understand why Rarity was currently lost for words. "Ra.. Rarity. A pleasure to meet you Mr Storm." Rarity's eyelashes fluttered enough that an onlooker might mistake her for trying to fly. "I must say, it's always a pleasure to meet a gentlecolt like yourself... especially a handsome one like you." "Oh Lady Rarity, you flatter me. I could say the same for you. It's just a shame about your mane though, it's the only thing that really stops you from being a true beauty." "Well I... Pardon me?" Rarity's brain caught up with her ears. "Are you trying to say just because my mane is messy, that you don't think I'm beautiful? I'll have you know beauty is more than skin deep!" "Is that what you really believe, or is that just what you'd like to be true? Anyway, I couldn't help but over-see you're helping of that other pair before." "Oh that? That was nothing, after all, being generous is..." "Incredibly stupid." Rarity was brought up short again. "Oh my dear Rarity, don't tell me you didn't know? Not everyone who wins the game can come back to life. Usually it's only one pair, or even sometimes only one player. You in fact just made it less likely that you'll come back to life. Especially since your performance thus far has been rather lacking. That last battle? Your partner is the only reason you won. If she wasn't around, you would have been erased." "But... wha.... how did you...?" Rarity struggled to form coherent words. "You could see our battle? But how?" Storm smiled, a smile that made Fluttershy uneasy. "Oh, did I not mention? I'm a reaper. We can watch battles anytime we please." A Reaper? Fluttershy sprang between Gathering Storm and her friend, an impressive feat considering the narrow gap between them. Storm merely chuckled. "Oh and here you are, the star of the battle. A little song bird who's lost her voice. Is that really what you value most in your life? Well, if something so unimportant is highest on your list of value, than where must things like your friendships lie, hmm? Something to keep in mind." There was a brief whistling noise. Gathering Storm turned his head to the side as an apple flew past it. "And with that, I must take my leave. Good day to you ladies, and I hope you remember what I said." A bolt of lighting struck Storm, and he was gone. Rarity was still shaken by the encounter. "Hmmph! The nerve! Who's he to tell us what we should and shouldn't do, right Fluttershy?" Fluttershy nodded her assent. "But that apple... where did it come from?" A familiar, coltish voice called out from the crowd. "Well it's about time we found you!"
SIaanme	1156	6	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-11-01T12:15:14+00:00	2011-11-01T12:15:14+00:00	2,743	DAY 2: 3 "Conditions met. Wall clear." The air behind the reaper shimmered briefly. Twilight took a tentative step forward, waiting to meet resistance. Pinkamena however trotted through at a comfortable pace. "Come on Twilight, you heard the mare. The wall's gone." "Well sorry for still not being used to all this," Twilight complained, quickening her pace to catch up with Pinkamena. "How do those walls even work anyway? I'd say it was an air compression spell used to increase the air pressure so much that it's impassable, but that wouldn't explain the shimmering, and it can't simply be a massive telekinesis gate because those require constant concentration to maintain, and..." "Shh, did you see that?" "See what?" "Oh, something flew over my head. I think it was your magic jargon." Twilight grinned sheepishly. "Hehe, sorry. I get a bit carried away when it comes to magic." "It's no biggie. Most of my friends have something like that. Word of advice, don't talk to Rarity about fashion unless you're REALLY interested." "I'll keep that in mind." It's so weird having to pretend like this, thought Twilight. The hardest part is trying to remember what I'm not meant to know. Aloud she spoke again. "So are all walls like that? Do we simply have to erase some Noise and we can go through?" Pinkamena shook her head. "It's often up to the Reaper who put the wall up. Last game some of them had us running back and forth bringing them food because they couldn't leave their posts." "Really? They used you as a pizza delivery service?" "On the bright side, most of them weren't that fussy about it. It got to the point we just started carrying some small snacks with us just in case. It helped when we got hungry as well." The pair walked on in silence for a while, Twilight still mulling over how the walls worked. Summoning glass? No, they wouldn't want something that can be broken easily. It has to be something magic. Her thoughts were interrupted when Pinkamena pointed ahead. "Another wall's coming up. Might be more fighting. You up for it?" "Huh? Oh yeah..." Twilight paused, unsure of how to put her next thought. "Uh, before we clear the wall, can I have a poke around with my magic a bit? I mean, we still have plenty of time right?" Pinkamena looked at her hoof. 72:26 "Sure, I guess we've got time. I don't know that it'll help though. The Reapers wouldn't be using these walls if they weren't prepared to deal with ordinary unicorns." Good thing I'm no ordinary unicorn then, thought Twilight. Pinkamena headed towards the Reaper in charge of the wall to find out the clear conditions, while Twilight moved closer to the wall. Gently she extended a hoof to touch it. Where it touched, the air shimmered and solidified, much like the first wall she ran into. But there was something else, barely perceptible. There was a slight tingling sensation, not unlike a static charge. It was small though, so small that most ponies wouldn't notice it. But to Twilight it signified one thing. The wall was indeed magic. Well duh Twilight. That much was obvious. Still, that did make it easier to investigate. Twilight took a cautious look around, making sure there were no Reapers watching. Satisfied that there were none, she lowered her horn towards the wall and closed her eyes. It wasn't strictly necessary for a unicorn to close her eyes while doing magic. Indeed it was a mark of skill to be able to perform feats of magic with open eyes. Closing one's eyes however allowed greater focus on the magic, shutting out distractions and allowing a better visualisation of the arcane energies. Twilight sent a small pulse of magic though her horn, a simple exercise learnt by young unicorns to detect magic. It worked on the same basic principles of echo-location, the pulse would bounce off, and be slightly amplified by, any etheral forces nearby, and would be attracted back towards the unicorns horn, here acting as a sort of lightning rod. The received pulse would then provide the user with a depiction of the nearby magic. The pattern Twilight received made no sense. There were crisscrossing lines of magic, but they seemed to be spread randomly. But magic has to have order to it! Twilight thought on this for a moment before mentally correcting herself, Unicorn magic has to have order to it. Without order, the magic would collapse on itself. There must be something I'm missing here... She didn't have a chance to mull on this further as Pinkamena had returned. "Well, convinced that it's beyond your knowledge yet?" Twilight sighed. "I'm not willing to give up yet, but I don't want to spend too much time on this. So what do we have to do? More Noise?" "Not this time. This time we've got to get that mare," Pinkamena pointed at a nearby unicorn sitting at a cafe table reading. "To talk to this mare," she pointed at another unicorn, seated at a table opposite the first one. "Or vice versa. It'll probably be easier the other way around." "That's... really?" Twilight considered this. "But how? They can't see or hear us, how are we meant to get them to talk to one another?" "We have ways. You know the skull pins we have? They can work both ways. We can read others minds', but we can also plant ideas in their heads'." Twilight looked at the pin on her sash. "These little things can do that? Do we get to keep these after the game? I'd love to study it...." "Time and a place Twilight. Right now we have a wall to get through." "Oh, right. Sorry. But if we can do that this should be easy right? We just need to place the idea of going and talking to that mare in her head." "Not that easy I'm afraid. We can only plant one word. And it's up to them to decide how to interpret it. For example, while one pony might react to the word 'Cold' by putting on a sweater, another might start think she's coming down with a cold." "That's inconvenient," said Twilight. "So what are we meant to do? I don't think any one word would be enough to make them talk to each other." "It's just a matter of finding the right word. So first we need to know what they're thinking." Pinkamena tapped her Skull pin to start the mind reading. Twilight followed suit, focusing first on the unicorn reading the book. Sigh, this is the fifth day we've both been here. Why can't I just work up the courage to talk to her instead of hiding behind this book? She probably hasn't even noticed me... Twilight withdrew from the mental contact. The idea of using a book for something other than reading was abnormal to her. She also couldn't understand why it was so difficult to just talk to someone. She focused on the other unicorn next, not sure what to expect. There she is, sitting there reading as always. I should just go talk to her, even just introduce myself. But she's reading, and what if she's one of those mares who hates being interrupted while they're reading? That's not the right hoof to start a relationship on. Twilight deactivated her pin, shaking her head. Both these ponies wanted to talk to each other, so what was the problem? Why did neither talk to the other? "Well that didn't help at all." "Au contraire, it helped hugely. We now know they both like each other and want to talk." "How do they know they like each other?" Twilight asked. They've never even met." Pinkamena looked at her with a pitying look. "Twilight, you really need to get out more." Twilight was sure she'd missed something. "What? What do you mean? What?" "You'll find out when you're older," Pinkamena replied, stifling a giggle. For a moment she almost sounded like her norm- her usual self. "Anyway, I think I know how we can make this work. First we need to get the one with the book to look up." "Would the word 'up' work then? Or would that be too vague?" "I have a better idea. Try the word 'look'." Twilight was surprised. "Me? You want me to plant the word?" "Sure. You're the unicorn, surely this sort of stuff should be easier for you. It's just like mind reading, but instead you imagine them saying the word." Nervously, Twilight activated her pin again. She focused on the book reading unicorn once again. Maybe I should give up. I mean she probably hasn't even noticed me, and it's not like there's anyway I can find out... Seeing her chance, Twilight thought the single word, Look. A puzzled expression passed over the unicorn's face for a moment. Look... hmm, maybe I can find out if she's noticed me. Maybe if I just take a quick look and see if she's looking at me... She lowered the book to take a quick glance. The other unicorn flushed and quickly turned her gaze elsewhere. Pinkamena smirked. "Good, we're halfway there then. Right, now we check on our other friend." "Actually, since you seem to have this pretty much under control, can I go back and examine that wall some more?" Twilight asked, innocence on her face. "Really?" Pinkamena looked surprised. "But what is there to find? It's a wall." "Yes, but I know I can figure this out. I just need a bit more time, and I think I can figure it out." Pinkamena looked doubtful. "It can't hurt, can it? I'll only be just over here, and if you're sure you can do this..." "Fine, you can go. This shouldn't take long anyway. But once I'm done the wall is coming down, got it? We're not leaving it up just for you to study it." "I know, and thank you!" Twilight trotted over to the wall again. Once again she lowered her head and sent a search pulse through the wall. The results she got back were no less confusing than the last time either. The leylines composing the wall still had no rhyme or reason to them. Twilight walked beside the wall for a couple of paces, taking up a new position along it, and sent another pulse. There was still no pattern Twilight could discern. It's like I'm not seeing the big picture here. There has to be some pattern to it... Maybe her magic was too weak to detect the whole of the spell? Contrary to basic logic, the stronger a spell was, the less magic could be detected. Spells could only be detected through the pulse method because all magic had a degree of inefficiency in it, and magic that should be being focused towards an end ended up escaping, leaving the residual trail. The glow around objects being magicked and unicorn horns was just an extension of this loss of magic, more magic being lost in the form of light. So, was it possible that the magic used in the wall was simply so focused that next to no magic was lost? If it was it could be almost impossible to detect the whole thing. You'd need powers on par with the princesses themselves to detect it, and while Twilight always secretly believed herself to be close to their level, the gap between Alicorn magic and Unicorn magic was still huge. Twilight slumped, defeated by the wall. Then suddenly, a bare glimmer of an idea sparked in the back of her mind. The black skull pins, they allow us to read minds? Even non-unicorns. And they let us see things unseen. She considered the Noise symbols she had previously seen while the pin was active. Maybe if I use the pin at the same time as I sent a pulse... Once more she tapped the pin. She could feel the now almost familiar sensation of a million voices just outside her range of hearing, the minds of the nearby ponies. Instead of focusing on any one of those though, she kept her attention on the wall. For a fourth time she sent a pulse through the wall. It returned a few seconds later, and Twilight almost fell over in shock. It had worked all right, she had got the whole picture. Literally. Twilight sent a longer pulse this time, to give her more time to confirm what she saw. On their own, the magic leylines made no sense, that was true. But seen together all at once, they formed a picture of a love heart with two unicorns, their horns touching, in the middle. There were other leylines coming of the main ones that composed the image, forming the barrier part like a fine net. But they all stemmed from this main picture, a picture which itself could be traced back to one line, terminating just behind the Reaper guarding the wall. "So, you got that thing figured out yet?" Twilight jumped. She whirled around to find Pinkamena behind her. "How long have you been standing there?" "Not long. Why, were you doing something you shouldn't have?" "N- no! I mean, not unless figuring out how this wall works is something I shouldn't be doing." "It probably is. Anyway, just thought you'd like some warning before your test subject vanishes before your eyes." Twilight was puzzled for a second before she realised what that meant. "So you got them to talk?" "Yup. When I left them I think they were making plans to meet up for dinner tonight." "Oh. It's nice to see friendships forming so fast, I guess." Twilight glanced towards the new friends, now chatting animatedly. "So time to move on then?" "Yup. Just need to get the Reaper to clear the wall. Mr Ed's Theater is just beyond it." Twilight checked her hoof. 63:00 "We're making good time then? I mean, it shouldn't take us that long to take out a Noise, right?" "Well no, but we do still have to find it." Twilight took another look at the wall. "I know I've already asked a lot, but do you mind if I just stay here while the wall goes down? It might give me more insight as to how they work." "More insight? That sounds like you've figured something out. What aren't you telling me Twilight?" "Do we really need to have another conversation where you don't understand what I'm saying?" Instead of the other way round for once. Pinkamena laughed, although it sounded forced. "No I suppose not. Okay then, I'll go tell the Reaper we're done. But no more fooling around after this. I don't want to hear 'But auntie Pinkamena, please let me stay here for five more minutes! It's for science!'" "Deal." With that Pinkamena was off again. Realising she had little time, Twilight quickly returned her focus to the wall. Her skull pin was still active, so she prepared another spell. This time, instead of a pulse, Twilight projected a stead flow of magic through, allowing her to see the picture for as long as she held the spell. She saw a surge of magic start at the line's terminus spread rapidly along the main lines. As the magic passed through, the lines seemed to fade, the magic diffusing into the air. In the space of just a few seconds, the wall had completely vanished.
SIaanme	1156	7	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-11-01T12:15:24+00:00	2011-11-01T12:15:24+00:00	2,852	DAY 2: 4 Twilight and Pinkamena headed through into the final area available to them. The streets were lined with various restaurants and cafés, and nested among them was the pairs destination, Mr Ed's Theater. The theater in question was a Manehatten landmark, housing at first the famous variety show hosted by Mr Ed, and now more recently the Late Show with Neighvid Letterhorse. It was also in here that Twilight and Pinkamena had to search to find the target Noise. "So, that's it right? That's where the Noise will be?" Twilight asked. Pinkamena nodded. "Well let's get in there and defeat it. It shouldn't take long right? We've fought enough of the smaller Noise to increase our power, right?" "It's won't be that simple. See that guy?" Pinkamena pointed to a burly looking stallion standing in front of the door. "He may not be able to see us, but we're not going to be able to open the door with him still there. We need to get him to move." "You say that like it's going to be a problem. Can't we just use that idea planting stuff we used to get past that last wall?" "That... hmm. Actually, yes. Why didn't I think of that? I was going to try and make him think there was a ghost or something around and frighten him off." "Don't we kinda count as ghosts?" "Ah, so you had the same idea?" Twilight resisted an urge to facehoof. "So, do we just need him to move, or do we need him to open the door for us?" Pinkamena looked thoughtful. "I suppose it's better if we don't attract attention, even if we can't be seen. So if we can get him to open the door, that would be best." "Got it." Twilight activated her skull pin again and focused immediately on the stallion guarding the door. She felt his thoughts going through her mind. Ugh, this job is so boring. I don't even know why they need a bouncer for this place. Oh well, I suppose it beats working in the sewers. Twilight saw her chance, and implanted a single word into the bouncer's mind. Toilet. The thoughts flowed on naturally from his previous musings on the sewers quite nicely. Man, I could really do with a whiz right now. Eh, no-pony will notice if I nip inside to use the toilet. I'll only be gone a second. Twilight deactivated her pin and turned to Pinkamena. "That's done it. He's about to head inside. We should be able to... well, ghost in after him." "Fantastic, we'll have that Noise erased in no time flat. Quick, he's heading in." The pair hurried into the theatre's foyer, managing to get in just before the door closed behind them. Twilight looked around. "Right, we're in. Now what? Do we still scan for the Noise?" Pinkamena shook her head. "Something that big? Nah. We just need to find where it's hiding. It'll probably attack us immediately, so be ready." She looked around as well. "So... any ideas where it might be?" "What? I thought you'd know!" "Why would you think that? It's not like they reuse the same missions every game. That would just be lazy and uninspired." "Great. So we're wandering blind then?" sighed Twilight. "Come on. It's not like it'll take us that long to search the place." "Maybe not, but every second we waste brings us a second closer to failing this mission. We can't afford that. We need a better plan." "Well if you have any ideas I'm all ears." Twilight considered for a moment. "What did the mission say we had to do again? What were the exact words?" Pinkamena reached into her mane, which while not as puffy as her normal self, was still able to hide a surprising amount of objects in it. She pulled out the scroll she received at the start of the mission. "Let's see... Mission 2: Find and erase the Noise in charge of Mr Ed's Theater. You have 180 minutes. Failure will result in erasure. The Reapers. You think the way they said it is a hint?" "Well why else would they say it like?" reasoned Twilight. "They could have just 'Erase the Noise here.' So why bother saying 'the Noise in charge' unless it was a clue? And other than telling us it's a boss Noise, it also tells us where we can find it!" She started to talk faster as she explained. "Charge has many meaning. 'In charge' refers to having a position of power, but 'charge' also refers to electrical energy, which as you know has both negative and positive charge. If something has charge, it has something to do with electricity. And in a theatre like this, the best place to find charge would be the lighting desk, which is also has a certain degree of power associated with it, so it brings out both meaning, so the Noise must be there!" There was silence. Pinkamena stared hard at Twilight. "I understood maybe one in ten words there, but what you're saying is that the Noise is at the lighting desk?" "Yes, now come on! If this theatre is anything like the ones in Canterlot, the lighting desk will be on the balcony seats." The pair rushed to the stairs and began climbing. "What floor will it be on?" Pinkie asked, trailing behind Twilight. "Ummm.... we'll check 'em all!" yelled back Twilight. They had just made it to the second floor, which was occupied by ponies. Twilight took a brief glance at the group of ponies milling about before taking the next flight. "Not this one, this is probably the way to the main seats." "You know that, but you don't know where the lighting desk is?" "Deduced actually. You see...." "You know what, never mind." The third and fourth floors both proved fruitless, both leading to balconies overlooking the main stage, but not ones with the lighting desk. On the fourth floor balcony Twilight looked up. There was only one other balcony above them. "It has to be the next floor." "And if you're wrong?" "Then we keep looking!" The two of them charged up the stairs. At the top Twilight paused to check her hoof. 42:03 Plenty of time... I hope. They barreled through the doors leading to the balcony, not caring if the act should surprise anypony nearby. "There's the lighting desk!" Twilight activated her skull pin, scanning for Noise. Up here, where there were only two other ponies, Twilight for once didn't have to blot out a deluge of voices, only two, and both were wondering why the door had just slammed open. But Twilight wasn't interested in them. She was more interested in the large blue symbol making rapid progress towards them. "Pinkie!" "I see it! That's our target!" The symbol had reached them, a quartet of teardrop shapes, all pointing to a centre. The arrangement was staggered into two pairs, each roughly horizontal. From the centre of the symbol, the rest of Noise began to appear. First a long tube expanded, like a balloon, about as thick as a pony, and as long as four of them standing end to end. Below it, six stick like legs grew out. Finally the creature's head appeared, supporting two bulbous eyes and grasping mouthparts. The Noise gave out a shriek. "A dragonfly?" Twilight shouted to Pinkamena over the shriek. "We can take this, right?" "Right!" she shouted back. The dragonfly zipped toward the two, beginning the transition to the Noise plane. The world appeared to brighten, to the point of almost blinding Twilight. As the light faded, she found herself down on the first balcony, looking down at the stage. She spotted Pinkamena on the theatre's stage, the Noise hovering just out of her reach. Twilight looked around for her copy of the Noise to take on, but couldn't see one anywhere. "Something's wrong, there's only the one Noise," she yelled down to Pinkamena. "It's a boss Noise, they work differently! The main one is that there's only one of them!" "So what do I fight?" "Brrp." Twilight spun to see a small swarm of Parasprite noise hovering behind her. "Oh." --- Pinkamena sprang sideways as the dragonfly rushed past, barely dodging the attack. She focused on her first pin, the one that let her perform the flurry attack. She began her charge. Because of the way her pin worked, she was forced to stay in one place once the actual attack began, which was a weakness on occasion, as was the case now. As she reared onto her hind legs to begin the attack, the dragonfly moved out of the attack's range, leaving her attacking the air. She finished her futile attack just in time to dodge a sonic blast attack fired from the creature's wings. Okay, if that attack isn't working, time for plan B! She focused on the space just above the dragonfly, preparing for the teleport attack that the other pin used. Just as she felt the attack begin, the Noise moved again, faster than anything that size had any right to move, and her attack once again connected with only the air. She tried again, aiming closer to the head of the creature than before. Once again it had moved out of her attack range before the blow could connect. Before she could recover and prepare for another attempt, the Noise rammed her, sending her flying into one of the invisible walls surrounding the stage. She fell to the ground, winded, but still somehow managed to narrowly dodge the follow-up attack, which shredded the offstage curtains behind her. "Okay, this really isn't working," Pinkamena muttered to herself. She dodged another sonic blast and called up to Twilight. "Twilight! I can't land a hit on this thing!" She jumped to the side, dodging another charge. "I don't think we can win this battle!" "What?" Twilight yelled back. "You mean we should... hang on!" Pinkamena cast a glance upwards just in time to see a flare shoot up, illuminating the balcony. "That's should keep them away for a while... So if you can't hit it, what do we do?" "We need to escape! There's no way I can take this thing down with the psyches I've got!" The Noise made another charge, and Pinkamena dodged towards it, rolling underneath the Noise in the narrow space between it and the ground. "But if we don't take this Noise out we can't beat the mission! We'll be erased!" The glow of the fire had faded, now replaced with a purple flickering. "We can't beat the Noise, but some pony else might be able to!" She dodged another sonic blast. "But if we keep fighting we're certain to be erased!" There was silence from the balcony. Even the purple flickering had stopped. Just as Pinkamena started worrying that something had happened, Twilight called out again. "Okay, so we'll run! Is that even possible?" "Barely! Just leave it to me!" Pinkamena turned her attention away from the balcony almost too late to see the Noise on a direct collision course with her. At the last second she managed to duck, the Noise flying over her head. With a bit of breathing space, she focused now on the prospect of escape. Being able to escape from Noise battles was not something that was strictly possible by normal conventions. If you were in a battle, it was meant to end only when one side was erased. But Pinkamena was never a normal pony. In life she had been able to do inexplicable things that even she never really understood. During her first Reaper's Game, she discovered that her abilities seemed to be able to do more stuff in the UG. Escaping from battles was an important one, and she never would have made it past her first day without it. She still didn't fully understand how it worked, but she could make it happen on demand. As she did right now. Around her, everything seemed to stop, as if time had paused. Even she couldn't move, but unlike those around her, she retained awareness. In this strange paused state, she began to concentrate on the idea of escaping. From seemingly nowhere, a hovering rectangle floated before her mind's eye. On it were two words: "Gotta Bounce." She focused her attention on it, and the next thing she knew she was back on the balcony in front of the lighting desk, Twilight Sparkle beside her, looking confused. "What just happened?" Before Pinkamena could answer, she was interrupted by a shrill cry from behind them. Both ponies whipped around to see the Noise, still in dragonfly form, and it was angry. The pair exchanged glances. "Run?" "Run." They burst through the door, leaving the light techs staring at the door in puzzlement for the second time that day. They raced down the stairs, taking four stairs at a time in their haste. Behind them they could still hear the shriek of the boss pursuing them, thankfully slowed by the narrow passage ways. "So, care to explain what happened there?" Twilight asked as they made it to the ground floor. "I would if I knew! It shouldn't be able to chase us like this!" They burst out into the street. Unfortunately, in their haste to escape they weren't watching where they were going, and they collided head first with another pair. "Watch where you're going!" cried a familiar voice from underneath Twilight. "All this rushing about, it's quite undignified!" "Rarity?" "Pinkie?" Rarity struggled out from underneath Twilight. "Oh it is you! And Twilight too. It was Twilight wasn't it? But where's Fluttershy gone?" Pinkamena felt a weak kick at her ribs. "Oops." She stood up, giving Fluttershy space to breath. "Sorry about that Fluttershy. Anyway, did you manage to find Rainbow Dash and Applejack?" Rarity beamed. "We certainly did dear! Well, more they found us, but it works out the same in the end. But I notice that you still haven't fulfilled your side of the mission. The clock is still ticking after all." "The mission?" Pinkamena and Twilight looked at each other. "Umm, it's not just me right? It feels like it's been too quiet for a while now?" Twilight nodded just as the windows above them shattered, and the dragonfly Noise zoomed into the streets. "Well, as you can see we found our target..." The dragonfly looked around, searching for them, disorientated by its recent chase. It finally spotted the group of ponies and dived towards them, screeching its horrible scream. Terrified, the ponies huddled together paralysed by the scream. "I guess we're not going to survive this then?" Twilight asked. Before Pinkamena, or any pony for that matter could frame an answer, they heard another cry cutting through the air. "Like a bolt from the blue, it's time for a flank whopping from me to you!" The Noise swiveled its head slightly, just in time to see what indeed did look like a blue bolt flying towards it at breakneck pace. Too fast to dodge. It collided with the dragonfly, knocking it into the side of another building. The blue bolt on the other hoof had seeming transferred all it's momentum into the dragonfly, and dropped down to land in front of the terrified ponies. "Heh, it's a wonder you guys managed to survive the first day without me!" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Good thing I'm here now!" "And here I was hoping that without your wings you might lose the ego..." another voice muttered, approaching from behind. It was familiar, but at the same time there was something strange about it. Rainbow just smirked. "Well I'm glad you're still the best applebucker around even with that weird accent." "I told you! It's the Standard Manehatten accent! I don't know why I'm using it, but I just cannot talk normally!" The group spun around to see it was indeed Applejack. Pinkamena's jaw dropped. "Applejack? Your voice..." "Isn't it just wonderful!" Rarity squealed. "Our little farm bumpkin, finally talking like a respectable pony!" "Excuse me? I always talk like a respectable pony!" Applejack countered. "Hey Pinkie, what's up with your mane? You're not about to start talking to rocks again are you?" Any further conversation between the reunited friends was cut short by another scream. The dragonfly had recovered from Rainbow Dash's attack, and now it was madder than ever. "Ugh, really? That last attack should have finished him off," Rainbow complained. "Fine then, I guess he doesn't know when to quit. Ready AJ?" "Ready when you are partner." The last word sounded weird without Applejack's usual drawl. The two raced off, leaving Twilight and Pinkamena still staring in shock. Pinkamena was the first to recover. "Well, at least they're taking this well." --- Applejack and Rainbow Dash arrived just as the dragonfly began to take off, presumably with the intent to attack again. "Oh no you don't!" cried Rainbow, and leapt at the Noise, with the intent of dragging it down. She managed to catch hold of one of its legs, causing its ascent to slow considerably. Unnoticed by her, it also caused the streets to melt and reform into a battlefield. Applejack on the other hoof, had noticed. "Rainbow! Try that attack you did before!" "Huh? You mean the windy thing? I thought it didn't work when we weren't fighting Noise?" "What do you think we're doing right now?" Rainbow stared at Applejack, then back at the dragonfly she was still holding onto. "Oh yeah. Hehe." She let go of the leg, dropping to the ground below. She took a deep breath, and as she did a pin on her sash, with a wavy looking design on it, started to glow. Once she landed, she let out her breath all at once. Inexplicably, a large whirlwind appeared in front of the Noise, buffeting it. The dragonfly screeched in pain as it tried to break free of the whirlwind's grip, but couldn't manage. Finally, the whirlwind died down, Rainbow Dash having run out of breath. Free, the dragonfly tried to flee before another whirlwind could occur. In doing so it crossed the normally uncrossable barrier between the two halves of the battlefield. Applejack smirked. "Looks like you're in my territory now." If the dragonfly understood this, it made no sign, but began charging towards Applejack. Applejack faced it down, unflinchingly. A pin on her sash, with a lasso design on it, began to glow. A matching glow appeared in the air above her head. At the last second, Applejack jumped aside and a cable of barbed wire shot out from the glowing spot, entangling the Noise and bringing it crashing to the ground. Not wasting any time, Applejack deftly removed her hat, holding it in her teeth, and approached the downed beast. She drew her head back, and brought the hat across the Noise in a slapping motion. As the hat made contact, a cut appeared on the Noise, like the hat was a sword. She slapped the Noise with the hat again, although once again the result was more of a slash. She continued in this manner for about ten seconds, when the wires holding the dragonfly vanished. It hastily took off into the air again, looking worse for wear. It made it's way back towards Rainbow's side of the field, hurrying in case it was trapped by the barbed wire again. It had almost made it through the division when Applejack managed to fire off another entanglement burst, once again bringing it to the ground, this time on Rainbow's side of the field. The cyan mare was on the opposite side of the field, seemingly waiting for the Noise. Upon seeing it was trapped, Dash began to charge towards it, turning the tables. She quickly became a rainbow blur, and another one of her pins, this one with a emblem reminiscent of her cutie mark on its side, started glowing. She quickly closed the distance between them. A second later she collided with the Noise, creating a loud BOOM! This was finally too much for the Noise, and it flashed once, twice, before vanishing in a burst of static. The battle was over. Applejack checked her hoof to find the timer gone. The mission was complete. DAY 2 MEETINGS AND BATTLES END
SIaanme	1156	8	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-11-01T12:15:34+00:00	2011-11-01T12:15:34+00:00	3,212	DAY -1 The wind was picking up again. Twilight shivered, chilled by the wind. Normally she could devise a spell to protect her from the wind, but now there were more important things to do with her magic. The fact that she'd almost exhausted her magic for the day was another factor. She looked around at her friends. Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were all panting, and even Pinkie seemed more subdued than usual. Fluttershy was using this brief respite to collect some berries to help them last. "So Twi, that was the last of them, yeah?" Dash asked. "I mean, no more monsters will attack tonight?" Twilight shook her head. "I'm afraid that there'll probably be more. We've got to maintain our guard until daybreak, that's the only time for certain that they'll stop attacking." It was a red moon tonight, often known as a blood moon among the more superstitious ponies. It was believed to be an ill omen, a sign of bad things to come. And Twilight had to reluctantly agree that this much was true. For whatever reason, on a night with a blood moon, the wild creatures of Equestria became extra hostile, attacking anything on sight. In most cities this wasn't too much of a problem, but in towns that boarded on wild forests such as the Everfree, monster attack was an all too real problem. This meant that Ponyville was under threat this night. Princess Celestia was attending to the defense of Fillydelphia, another town close to the Everfree, but on the opposite side from Ponyville. This meant that the job of protecting Ponyville lay to Twilight and her friends. Twilight didn't anticipate any problems, but just in case she had Spike nearby, ready to send a letter to Princess Celestia if things became too dangerous. "What I don't understand is why Princess Luna would let the moon cause such problems in the first place," Rarity said. "Can't she do something about it?" "From what I've heard, the blood moon is caused by a powerful spell, the last one Nightmare Moon managed to cast before she was banished. Princess Luna has tried to find a way to solve the problem, but she's hasn't met with any success yet." Fluttershy was coming back now, her saddlebags bulging. "I found lots of wild raspberries over there, so hopefully there'll be enough to keep us going." She emptied a small pile of them just in front of Twilight, and then went to do the same for the others. "Whew! Thank ya kindly Fluttershy," Applejack said as she received her pile. "Ah had a long day of apple bucking today, so between that and them monsters, I'm just about spent. This should be a good pick-me-up though." Pinkie, still standing guard, started shouting. "Girls, we've got incoming! My knee's gone pinchy, and we know what that means!" Even though she had a grasp on the more common types of Pinkie Sense, Twilight still couldn't remember what all of them meant. She looked at the others, who'd had more experience with Pinkie and her strange signals. "Pinchy knee? But... but... that means something scary is about to happen!" Twilight wasn't sure how Fluttershy had managed to get behind her so quickly, but right now that wasn't the important part. "Something scary?" Pinkie nodded. "Yup! And whatever it is, it's super big!" Dash chuckled. "Heh, scary for you maybe. I'm not scared of anything. You know what they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall." A roar broke the silence of the night, and the wind intensified ten-fold. Twilight looked around, trying to figure out where the new monster was coming from. There was no movement from the trees on the left or right of them, except for the wind. The wind which had suddenly picked up? She looked up, and there, blotting out the blood moon, was a wyvern. A wyvern was among the deadlier creatures in Equestria, although there had been no sightings of them for centuries. A creature as big as a dragon, with a comparable, if not larger wingspan, and two claws armed with sharp talons. In many ways it resembled a cross between the biggest bird you could think of and a dragon, and just as fearsome. Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash. "Still not scared?" She called out. She tried to keep her tone light, but inside she was terrified. They might need the Princess' help on this one. Dash tried to smile, but it seemed to flee before the wyvern. "No problem, right? I'll take the fight to this bad boy!" Before anyone could respond, she took off to the skies, charging straight at the wyvern. It wasn't easy, she was fighting the wind caused by the creature's wingbeat, but in just a few more seconds she'd make it. The wyvern wasn't giving her that kind of time, and swiped at her with one of it's powerful claws. The blow connected, and it sent Dash flying back to earth. She was knocked into a tree, and it gave a sickening crack as she slammed into it. She slumped to the ground, her body limp. "Rainbow! Are you okay?" It was a stupid question to ask really, Twilight could tell she wasn't okay. That crack wasn't just the tree. She turned to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, you've got to get Dash out of here. Get her to Nurse Redheart, quickly!" Before Fluttershy could act though, one of the trees braches, loosened by Dash's impact with it, gave a loud snap. It fell, and before than anyone could look away, it landed. On top of Rainbow Dash. "RAINBOW DASH!" It was impossibly to tell who had just cried out. It seemed every one had at the same time. Fluttershy was the first to break out of the shock. "HOW DARE YOU!" Now it was her flying towards the wyvern, tears in her eyes, a look of determination on her face. She was going to stare the beast down. "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY FRIEND!" This seemed to give the wyvern pause, and for a second it seemed it was going to give up. And then reality played it's hand, and its hand was filled with sharp talons. The wyvern snatched Fluttershy up, trapping her in its claw. And it started to squeeze. The screams could be heard over the wind, and it was the most awful thing anyone had ever heard. Then, it stopped, and Fluttershy was plummeting to the ground below. She landed in a tangle of limbs, lying limp in a puddle of red. Pinkie Pie was by her before anyone else could act. She looked down at her friend, tears in her eyes. "Fluttershy? Please tell me that's just berry juice. Please just be berry juice, please just be berry juice, please just be berry juice. Ok, haha, make believe-time is over! Fluttershy? Oh Celestia, oh Celestia, oh Celestia..." Twilight forced herself to look away from the sight of the pink pony cradling Fluttershy's body, tears flowing freely. She instead caught sight of Applejack, preparing a lasso. "Applejack, no, we can't fight this thing! We need to get Princess Celestia!" "Consarnit Twi, that thing has just killed-" Applejack spat out the word they were all dreading. "-Killed two of our friends! I'm not going to let it get away with that!" She let the lasso fly, snaring the wyvern around the neck. "Now... help me... pull this overgrown chicken... down!" The lasso was nothing more than a minor nuisance to wyvern. It simply increased its altitude, leaving Applejack dangling off the other end of the rope like a fish on a line. With some effort, it managed to grasp part of the rope it its claws, and started swing Applejack back and forth, building up speed. "Applejack!" Twilight struggled to make herself heard. "Let go of the rope before things get any worse!" As if on cue, the wyvern swung Applejack like a conker, knocking into Rarity, sending her flying backwards into a tree with a sharp crack. Applejack hadn't managed to keep her grip on the rope, and she too had gone flying into the tree with Rarity. The tree snapped along its middle, and the top half, after debating which way to fall for a moment, fell on top of the pair of ponies. Twilight could now barely see for all the tears in her eyes. She managed to make a out a pink blur in the middle of the clearing. She wiped away what tears she could, and managed to focus on Pinkie Pie, shouting to the sky. "COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME YOU BIG MEANIE!" She turned to Twilight. "Twi, run, get Princess Celestia. But I'm going down fighting, like the others." She returned to yelling at the sky. "GET DOWN HERE SO I CAN MAKE CUPCAKES OUT OF YOU!" The wyvern graciously accepted the invitation, folding its wings and diving straight at Pinkie. Moments before impact, Pinkie pulled a knife out from somewhere in her mane, and clasped it in her jaws. She leapt, and managed a slash across the wyvern's eye. The creature bellowed in pain, momentarily blinded, and crashed into the ground. Pinkie wasted no time, darting around the wyvern, getting in quick slashes here and there. But it couldn't last, and the beast managed a lucky blow with its powerful tail, smashing Pinkie into the ground. The knife dropped from her grip, as the wyvern smashed her again and again with its tail. Twilight turned, and began running towards Spike. "Spike! Please tell me you managed to send a letter to the Princess!" "I tried, Twilight, I did!" Spike's desperation was audible. "But the wind's too strong, it ripped the scroll out of my hands before I could send it!" "Then get back to the library and send a new one! And hurry! Things look really really bad!" Spike ran as fast as he could in the direction of the library. Twilight turned back to face the wyvern. Too late to dodge the tree trunk flying towards her.
SIaanme	1156	9	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-12-21T00:04:52+00:00	2011-12-21T00:04:52+00:00	2,302	DAY 3: 1 For the second time in as many days, Twilight's journey to consciousness was swift and unpleasant. The last thing going through her mind before her awakening was the tree trunk... which was probably accurate on more than one level. Still, that was a memory and not a nightmare, right? It certainly seemed like it could be real... Twilight briefly checked over herself for some evidence that the events of her dream had really occurred. Nothing. Not even so much as a bruise. Still, there had to be other ways to confirm how she died. She could always ask the others. Even if they didn't remember her, the details of their deaths would have to be consistent, right? Speaking of the others, where are they? Twilight gave a quick glance around, and spotted the other five a short distance away, chatted animatedly between themselves. Once again, Twilight felt a pang of pain at the exclusion, understandable as it was. She missed having friends to confide in, ones who knew her well enough to confide back. All the more reason to win this game. Rarity had spotted that Twilight was awake, and was motioning with her hoof for her to join them. She trotted over to the others, glad she wasn't being totally excluded. "Good morning everypony. At least I think it's morning..." "Good morning Twilight," Rarity replied. "I hope you don't think us rude, talking away over here without you, but we've been hearing about what Rainbow Dash and Applejack have been doing over these last two days. Oh, where are my manners, you haven't been introduced yet! This is Applejack and Rainbow Dash. I should mention though, Rainbow usually has wings, and Applejack usually has a simply appalling accent. It seems that's the only good thing to come out of this so far." "For crying out loud Rarity, I don't have an accent!" Twilight could only tell it was Applejack speaking because she saw her mouth move. "Well, that is I do now, but I normally don't." She turned to Twilight. "Anyhow, pleasure to meet you Twilight. Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy seem to like you well enough, and anypony those three like is okay in my books." Before Twilight could respond, Dash cut in. "Psh, I don't know about that. I mean, she couldn't even handle that Noise yesterday. She's got a lot of proving to do before she's got me convinced." Applejack managed to give Dash a quick swat with her hat. "Rainbow, behave! That's no way to treat somepony you don't know." "Quite right! Besides, Twilight has already proved herself as far as I'm concerned," Rarity added. "She managed to keep a calm head and come up with a plan of action yesterday, without which I'm sure all of us wouldn't be here." "Yeah yeah, whatever." Dash waved a dismissive hoof. "Point is, I'm not buying all this hype. She has to prove she's as good as you say she is." "Why of all the arrogant-" Twilight held up a hoof. "It's okay, I see where she's coming from. Arguing isn't going to change her mind, she's too stubborn for that." Rarity and Applejack exchanged a glance. "Um, begging your pardon Twilight, but how would you know that? You haven't met Rainbow before have you?" Applejack asked. Too late, Twilight realised her slip. "What? Haha, no, that would be silly!" Shootshootshoot! How do I cover this up? "No, it's just I have a friend just like that." Phew, nice save Twilight. They don't need to know that Dash IS the friend I'm talking about... "Fiercely competitive, convinced she's the best at everything, and stubborn. But also a good friend to anyone who's earned her respect. So I ask you, Rainbow, what can I do to earn that respect?" "Heh, you think it's gonna be easy? You've got guts, I'll give you that at least. But as to earning my respect... hmmm...." "I think we have more important things to worry about right now," Applejack interrupted. "Like what kind of mission they could possibly expect us to do here." "Speaking of here, where are we?" Twilight asked. In response, Applejack pointed up and behind her. Twilight turned around to see a giant stone pony, hoof raised to sky, holding up a torch. "Is- is that the Statue of Libmarety? But that would mean..." "Yup. We're cut off from the mainland. We've only got this one island today." "But what can we do in just one location? I mean, one small location." Twilight turned to Pinkamena, who had thus far stayed quiet. She shrugged. "It's not like we did everything last time I played. We always had at least two locations to run between." There was a popping noise, and a flash. "But I guess we're about to find out." Twilight levitated the scroll in front of her, and read from it aloud. "Mission 3: Survive the Noise attack for 60 minutes. Failure will result in Erasure. The Reapers." There was another, smaller flash, and a second scroll appeared to join the first one. Twilight read this one too. "You have 10 minutes before the timer starts. Prepare yourself." She looked at Pinkamena, who shrugged. "We didn't have anything like this. I have no idea what'll happen. Still, they're just Noise, right? We can take 'em." "I don't know about that dear," Rarity interrupted. "Fluttershy and I had a dreadful time trying to defeat some Parasprite Noise yesterday. They overwhelmed me, and if not for Fluttershy I wouldn't be here now, I'm sure of it." "So it won't be as easy as one two three then," said Twilight. "Frankly, I'd be surprised if the Reapers DIDN'T have some sort of twist planned." "Uh, hello? You guys are missing the obvious here!" Twilight was surprised to here Rainbow speaking up. "The Noise can't attack us unless we let them, right? So we just don't use that skull pin thingy, and we're home free. Easiest mission ever." "She's got a point you know," Applejack said. "I mean, put like that, how can we lose?" Pinkamena shook her head. "It won't be that easy. Reapers can force Noise to attack, so that's likely what'll happen." "That's what happened to us yesterday," Rarity added. "It was a pair of them. They seemed pretty determined to erase us." "But they can't have that many Reapers, right? And if we see any, we can just run away," Twilight suggested. Pinkie quickly shot down that plan. "Towards the end of last game they also brought in Noise that attacked on its own accord. They'll probably have some like that as well." "So what, we've just got to fight it out?" Applejack asked. "Great. We're going to be erasing a lot of Noise then." "Oh! I've got it!" Everypony turned to face Rainbow. She pointed a hoof at Twilight. "A competition." Twilight blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?" "You said you wanted to earn my respect? Well how about this, if you can defeat more Noise than me, maybe you'll be worth my consideration." Pinkamena grunted in annoyance. "And we thought you had an idea to make the mission easier, not harder. We should be focusing on survival, not these silly games." There was a silence. "Never thought I'd see the day where Pinkie was against games.... Discord notwithstanding," Rarity said. "If it was any other time, I wouldn't be," Pinkamena said. "But having the joy of life taken from you tends to have a rather sobering effect." "That's what was taken from you? Oh, you poor thing," Rarity said. "Well, that's the easiest way to explain it anyway," Pinkamena said. "But like I said, we don't have time to indulge in these competitions. I want to see us all come out of this alive, and if we start taking unnecessary risks-" "I'll do it." Everypony turned to look at Twilight, who flushed at the sudden attention. "I mean, we're going to be fighting Noise anyway right? What does it matter if we keep count of how many we've erased?" "Because, knowing Dash, she'll go out of her way to fight more than she should, putting herself in danger," Pinkamena said. "You're forgetting something Pinkie," Applejack chipped in. "I can keep an eye on this one, make sure she doesn't do anything rash." "Heh, you're one to talk. Who was it who refused help last applebuck season again?" "Girls, please!" Everypony looked at Twilight again. "I trust Applejack enough that she'll keep Rainbow out of trouble, so I don't see the harm." "Yes!" Rainbow cheered. "Better bring your A game Sparkle, 'cause this Pegasus only has one gear, go!" Twilight smirked. "Not much of a pegasus without wings though, are you?" "Eh, details." And before Pinkamena could talk her out of it, Rainbow had dashed off. "I'd better follow her, keep her out of trouble then," Applejack said. "Later all." She trotted off in pursuit of her friend. Pinkamena rounded on Twilight. "If either of them come to any harm, I will hold you personally responsible." "I'm sure they'll be fine." Twilight however wasn't sure how much she believed her own words. Rarity spoke up. "So, if those two have headed off on their own, should us four stick together? It'd probably be safer." Twilight shook her head. "Sorry Rarity, but no. I intend to beat Rainbow at this game, and I'm worried that the more of there are, the less fights overall we'll get. Besides, the more fights, the stronger we become, right?" Pinkamena sighed. "Yes, it's true. We would be best to split up. Just be careful, okay?" "Darling, I'm working with Fluttershy. It would be hard for me to not be careful." She turned to the yellow pegasus, who couldn't participate in the conversation for obvious reasons. "Come on dear, we'll have a quick look around the island while we're waiting for the battles to begin. I've always wanted to see the Statue of Libmarety." Pinkamena shot another glare at Twilight, who sighed. "Yes, alright I know. It'll be my fault if they get hurt, right?" "No. This time it wouldn't be your fault. Doesn't mean I have to like it." "They'll be fine. They're.... they seem like they’re the types to keep themselves safe." "That they are. Well, guess we should prepare. How long do you think we have before the attack starts?" A pain shot through Twilight's hoof. "By my guess? Not long."
SIaanme	1156	10	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2011-12-21T00:04:59+00:00	2011-12-21T00:04:59+00:00	2,765	DAY 3: 2 "Well I clearly got that detail wrong, and here I was thinking the crown would be bigger...." Rarity muttered to herself, apparently comparing the statue with the dress design she'd made last year. "Well no wonder I couldn't get any outlets here to buy it." Fluttershy didn't have much choice but to along with Rarity. She couldn't voice any objections, although she knew either way she'd be unlikely to voice them. So while Rarity was being a fashionista first, tourist second, and player last, it was up to Fluttershy to keep an eye out for any incoming Noise. The lack of them so far had been rather worrying. It had already been ten minutes since the timer had started, and she hadn't seen even one group, even with her player pin scanning. It was quiet. Something was up. Fluttershy tugged on Rarity's tail, getting her attention. "What is it darling? Have the noise started attacking yet?" Fluttershy shook her head, and Rarity turned back to admiring the statue. "Well be sure to let me know when they are. No sense getting my mane further ruffled until I have to." Fluttershy gave another insistent tug. "Fluttershy really, can't I have a minute of peace?" Fluttershy shook her head again, and indicated the time on her hoof. Rarity looked at her own. "Gracious, has it really already been ten minutes? But then why haven't we been attacked yet?" She began trotting off. "Come Fluttershy, something is ahoof, and I intend to find out what it is." §§§ "Ugggh.... so bored!" "Would you calm down already? You're making me dizzy with your pacing." Dash stopped and looked at Applejack. "Calm down? It's been twelve minutes thirty-two seconds since the mission started, and we haven't seen ANY Noise! At this rate, that Twilight's gonna beat me!" "I think you're freaking out about this too much Dash. After all, if we haven't seen any Noise, how do we know they have?" "No way, she's fighting all the Noise, I just know it. I can sense it." "And since when were you little miss psychic?" Dash tapped the skull pin on her sash. "Since this thing. Argh, if only I had my wings again! I could do a quick fly around and find some Noise!" "Even if you could, I'm not sure that would be a good idea. Remember Rarity's story about that other pegasus who tried to help them? He got attacked." "Exactly! I could do a quick fly, and boom! Noise galore." Applejack facehoofed. "That's not the point. Besides, you can't fight without my help, so unless you were willing to carry me, it wouldn't do you any good." "Uggghhhh...." Rainbow went back to pacing. AJ sighed. "Look, if it'll make you feel any better, we can have a look around the rest of the island. Maybe it's just something about this spot?" "Well it's not likely to make me feel better, but at least it's better than nothing. Let's go." §§§ "I don't like this. Not one bit." Twilight looked over her shoulder, still scanning the area. "Neither. Fifteen minutes and no Noise attacks?" "They're up to something. I can feel it in my bones." "Is that one of your Pinkie senses?" Twilight asked. "No, it's just-" Pinkamena started, then her eyes narrowed. "Wait.... how do you know about my Pinkie senses?" Twilight cursed silently. I need to stop making those mistakes. "Oh, Rarity mentioned them in passing. I mean, it doesn't really make much sense. It's hard to believe in." "What's not to believe? You do magic. What's the difference?" Pinkamena paused. Those were the same words she said last time we were discussing her Pinkie sense, Twilight noted. "Anyway, it seems kinda moot, what with the whole being dead and reading minds and stuff." "I guess I can't really argue with that. Anyway, what do you think is happening? Are they just not attacking this part of the island?" "No. They're up to something." "Like trying to catch us of guard?" Pinkamena thought, then shook her head. "Nah, it has to be something big." "Well we're not going to figure out what it is just standing here. We should look around." "Yeah, you're right. Come on, we'll head round-" Pinkamena was interrupted by a shout from across the way. "Yoohoo! Pinkie?" The pair turned to see Rarity and Fluttershy approaching them. "Sorry to be a bother, but Fluttershy and I haven't seen hide nor hair of a Noise since we split up. We were wondering if you'd maybe had more luck than us. Or less luck as the case may be." "No, we haven't fought any yet either," Twilight answered. "Hah! You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat me!" Once again Twilight and Pinkamena turned, this time finding Rainbow Dash and Applejack behind them. "Really? So did you manage to fight some Noise when I wasn't looking, or are you ecksager... eggadyer..." Applejack turned to look at Rarity." Rarity, what's the word I'm looking for?" "Exaggerating?" Rarity hazarded. "That's the one. Thank you." She turned back to Dash. "Are you exaggerating again Rainbow?" "Me? Since when do I exaggerate?" "So you've fought some Noise?" Twilight asked excitedly. "Well... not exactly...." "So between the six of us, we haven't seen any Noise for over fifteen minutes now," Pinkamena summed up. "Either this is the easiest mission since day one, or we're missing something here." "Maybe it's just the six of us?" Rarity offered. "The other players could be fighting." "Guess again," an unfamiliar voice sounded. Twilight found herself turning again, this time seeing.... two ponies she didn't know. "And you are?" Rarity however seemed to recognise them. "Sea Breeze! Oriens! You're still in the game!" "Heh, of course. You think I'd get erased without cashing in the favour you owed me?" "Pardon me, but I think you'll find we're even." "That's not how I remember it...." The green unicorn gave a snort, and approached the group, pausing to give Fluttershy a quick hug. "Hi, sorry to interupt. I'm Sea Breeze and the argumentative one over there is Oriens Ventus, my fiancée." She indicated the pegasus, currently arguing head to head with Rarity over who owed who. "We helped Rarity and Fluttershy yesterday, and in return they saved us from some reapers. Anyway, Ori and I have been wandering since the mission began, and no-one has had any battles yet. Frankly it's kinda worrying." "So there's been no Noise," said Applejack "And we're supposed to be worrying about that?" "Of course! If there's no Noise, how am I going to prove I'm the best Noise hunter!" complained an indignant Dash. "More like best noise maker," grumbled Applejack under her breath." "Look, I'm no expert, but there's something off about this situation," Sea Breeze said. "If a mission says there will be a Noise attack, you expect there to be a Noise attack, right?" Twilight heard Pinkamena muttering something under her breath, but dismissed it as Pinkie being Pinkie. "Right. So there has to be a catch." "Exactly!" said Breeze. "So what I think we should do is put together a group brainstorming session, get all the players to help, and see if we can't figure this out." "I like the way you think. It'll be a committee! Oh, but I don't have anything to make a checklist of things we need to cover." "A checklist?" asked Applejack, confused. "Uh, Twilight, don't we only have one topic?" "The subtleties of checklist etiquette is lost on you ponies..." Sea Breeze coughed. "Okay, well if Breeze and I start heading around the island, getting other groups to meet here in say, five minutes, we should get all the pairs." "Dash and I can go the opposite way, we should get every pony together sooner that way," added in Applejack. "Perfect! And Fluttershy and Rarity can get any ponies hanging around up by the statue." Applejack looked at her. "And what will you and Pinkie be doing while we're off rounding everypony up? Just sitting here waiting?" "Are you kidding? There's so much I need to prepare! Where will I stand? Is my voice amplifying spell working properly?" Applejack and Sea Breeze exchanged glances. "Those are... uh... quite interesting friends you have," said Breeze. "I swear, I've never seen that pony before in my life." §§§ Within five minutes, all the players on the island had been rounded up in front of the statue. There were quite a number of them, Pinkamena noted. More than she would have expected for the third day. Still, if she was right, that would change after today. She glanced at her partner, who had somehow managed to conjure a stack of lecture cards from nowhere, and was busy ensuring they were all in the right order. Finally Twilight stepped forward to address the murmuring crowd. "Good afternoon everypony. My name is Twilight Sparkle. As I'm sure you're all aware, for today's mission we're meant to be fighting off hoards of Noise. However-" "Hang on, who put you in charge?" cried out on pony in the crowd. "Well, I'm not in charge per se, I'm just informing everyone about this situation," Twilight replied, not missing a beat. "Anyway, like I was saying..." "Well if you're not in charge what are we doing here?" asked another pony. "That's what I'm TRYING to-" "Yeah, you interrupted the game of Tin Pin Slammer my partner and I were playing!" "THAT'S NOT IMPORTA-" Twilight broke off. "Tin Pin Slammer? What's that?" "Oh, its this game you play with your pins, and..." Sea Breeze, who was standing with Twilight, gave a gentle cough. "I'm not certain that's the main issue here..." "Oh! Right. Now, if everypony is finished interrupting me?" She paused, just to be sure. No pony spoke up. "Okay, as I was saying, there hasn't be any Noise attack in- "CHOCOLATE CAKE!" "PINKIE!" Twilight's response was immediate, and Pinkamena could swear she saw her mane catch fire. She smiled. "Worth it." Twilight facehoofed, then turned back to the crowd to explain what they all already knew. Pinkamena looked at the crowd. As expected for Manehatten, unicorns and earth ponies made up most of the crowd, with only the occasional pegasus. She spied Rarity and Fluttershy right at the back, and Applejack and Dash off to one of the sides. They were avoiding the centre of the group, like Pinkamena had told them to. She turned her attention back to Twilight's speech just as she was wrapping up. "...and so, we decided we should gather all the players and brainstorm what the Reapers are up to with this mission. So, any ideas?" The crowd was silent for a few moments. Eventually one pony spoke up. "Maybe they're trying to lure us into a false sense of security?" "But it hasn't worked," another responded. "We're all on tenterhooks waiting for this attack." "Maybe they're lying about the mission?" "No, impossible. It's against the rules for them to lie about the main mission, isn't it?" Twilight turned to Pinkamena. "She's right isn't she? The Reapers can't lie about this?" She responded with a nod. Another pony in the crowd spoke up. "Let's think about this. The Reapers tell us we're going to be attacked by Noise, and they don't send any. Why does that get them?" "It gets them.... a group of worried players. A large group of worried players. In one place." There was a sudden silence as the words sank in. But there was no time to react. Without warning, there was snapping of jaws, and a whole swath of ponies in the centre of the group vanished, erased. In their place stood an Ursa Minor Noiseform. It let out a roar, and the remaining ponies started fleeing in terror. Right into more Noise symbols. Pinkamena looked through the remains of the crowd, and managed to spot her friends, still okay. "Good, I was worried somepony would figure out it was a trap and warn everypony," she said. Twilight spun around, a horrified look on her face. "You mean you knew this would happen?! Why didn't you tell us?!" "The more players that make it to the end of the game, the smaller the chances of all five of my friends and me being resurrected. This is just tipping the odds in our favour." Twilight still had the same horrified look on her face. "The other players aren't your friends Twilight, they're your enemies. I suggest you learn that if you want to make it out of this." She spotted a group of Noise heading towards them. "Now look sharp, we've got company." "But our... your friends! They could have been seriously hurt, or worse!" "And that's why I told them to stay to the edges of the crowd. Look, they're okay, although I don't see why it should worry you. Now snap out of it, the Noise are almost on us." Twilight hesitantly took up a battle stance. Pinkamena sighed as she saw Twilight wobble. "Look, focusing on the battling right now. Or on your competition with Rainbow. You won't beat her with your mind on other things." That seemed to help, as Twilight straightened up after that. just in time for the Noise to begin their assault proper.
SIaanme	1156	11	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2012-09-25T04:27:23+00:00	2012-09-25T04:27:23+00:00	2,578	DAY 3: 3 A crash of rocks, and the last Noise was erased. Rarity looked over at Fluttershy, exhausted. If her partner was as tired as she was, she was certainly hiding it better. As the battlefield faded away, the unicorn found herself right beside her timid friend again. Rarity couldn't quite understand how that worked, but now was scarcely the time. She looked around the island, seeing scattered pairs fighting the seemingly endless Noise. "Fluttershy, are you doing alright over there?" Rarity asked. The pegasus nodded her response. "Good to hear. Well, know. You know what I mean. It doesn't seem like we'll be given a break anytime soon though." Fluttershy shook her head, and pointed at another Noise symbol. It had noticed the pair, and was racing towards them, as if eager for battle. Or maybe it was something else entirely. Who knew how these things thought, or even if they did. Rarity checked her hoof. They had been fighting off Noise for what had seemed like hours now, but the timer confirmed as only having been ten minutes. The assault had started when they had about 35 minutes left, and the timer read 27:53. Rarity hoped she wouldn't faint before the time was up. Fighting the Noise was more exhausting than even the most complicated magic she'd attempted. Still, this wasn't the time for it. If Fluttershy could stay strong, then so could she. The Noise reached them, and once more the pair found themselves sealed off from the rest of reality. This time before them stood a new type of Noise. Wolf-like in shape, but with a wooden appearance, with various gnarled branches coming from its joints and head. It was a creature most in Ponyville could name, but few had seen. It - Or more accurately, they - were Timberwolves. The only discrepancy between the creatures before them and the description Rarity had heard from the stories was the head, which instead of the wooden texture consistent with the rest of the creature, was the more ink-like appearance common among Noise. Rarity didn't have any more time to observe as the first of the pair sprung at her, bearing its teeth. With instinct born from battle, the fashionista conjured an ice pillar under the wolf, throwing it into the air, and more importantly, away from her. Its compatriot took up the assault, this time prowling around the unicorn, not immediately leaping. Rarity tried to toss this one the same way as the other, but the Noise moved to the side at the last second, dodging the column. Sensing its chance, it attacked. Rarity tried to dodge, but failed to move quickly enough, avoiding a full on collision, but still getting scratched by the wolf's claws. The impact was enough to knock her off her feet, and she fell a short distance away. Capitalising on this moment of weakness, the wolf doubled back for another attack. Disoriented though she was, Rarity managed to use her other pin, causing a shower of rocks. While they failed to make a direct hit, they managed to stop the Nosie's advance all the same, forming a small barrier between them. It lasted long enough for Rarity to regain her footing. By this point the first wolf had recovered from its flight, and unleashed another pounce. Rarity managed to successfully dodge this one, and sent it flying again with another ice pillar. She didn't wait for it to land this time, raining rocks upon it even while it was still airborne, causing it to slam into the ground, stunning it. Before she could launch it again, something hit her in the back of the head. Not hard, but hard enough to throw off her concentration for a bit, causing another miss with the ice. Looking at her sash, Rarity confirmed she had used all her charges with the pillars for now, noticeable by the dulled colour of the pin. There was another whack to her head, and she turned around. A short distance away, moving slowly was the second wolf, what seemed to be a branch in its mouth. With a flick of its head, it sent the branch flying, causing Rarity to step to side quickly, lest it hit her. She then watched as the timberwolf snapped off a branch from its forelegs. The creature was tearing itself apart just to get Rarity. As she readied another rockfall, the Noise tossed the latest branch at her, forcing another dodge. The wolf's strategy became clear. It was using the sticks to distract Rarity, and to prevent her from being able to attack it, all the while drawing closer to unleash its own attack. Sure enough, as Rarity focused on her attack, the wolf threw another branch. Rarity didn't even try to dodge this time. It hit her square in the head with just enough force to throw off her concentration. There was a ringing sound, and Rarity glanced down to see her ice pillar pin had recharged. She dodged another branch, and the wolf drew ever closer. The gap between them was closing rapidly now, and Rarity knew she had no chance if the combat became mêlée range. She was also acutely aware that the other wolf couldn't stay stunned forever. She had to come up with a plan. She backed away from the advancing Noise, trying to remember what she knew about timberwolves. They were creatures of the Everfree forest, they were made of sapient wood, they didn't like loud noises... Just like that a plan formed. Instead of dodging the next branch, she conjured an ice pillar, forming a shield. But she wasn't done, and she immediately started dropping rocks on the crystal. The resulting collision created a huge din, one that she would normally object to. But more importantly, it was one the timberwolves would object to. Peering out from behind the column, the unicorn could see that the Noise had indeed stopped its approach, its paws covering its ears as best as it could. Before it could recover, Rarity summoned another ice pillar, this one directly beneath it, sending the creature skyward. She followed through with her rocks, much as she had done with the other wolf, slamming it to the ground. And then she did it again, launching the Noise and then slamming it. It didn't survive the collision, and it vanished in the now familiar burst of static. "One down," muttered Rarity. She didn't have long to celebrate though, as she became aware of a growling sound behind her. She spun just in time to see the first timberwolf, recovered, making another leap at her. She concentrated on her rocks, but they didn't come. She had exhausted the charge while dealing with the other wolf, and she didn't have the time to ready her other attack. She closed her eyes, bracing for the hit... which never came. She felt a small gust of wind right in front of her face, and opened her eyes just in time to see the last remnants of the Noise fade. She looked over to the other side of the battlefield to Fluttershy, who was surrounded by her barrier. Rarity realised what had happened as the UG returned. "Fluttershy, thanks for finishing off the last Noise. I mean, I was in no danger really, but it certainly saved any more damage to my mane." Fluttershy smiled briefly, before turning her focus once more to the swarms of Noise symbols. Rarity glanced at her hoof again. 20:21. They could do this. They only had to survive another 20 minutes. §§§ "And that makes twenty five!" Dash cried, crashing through the last of the Noise. "Oh yeah, as if there was any doubt of my awesomeness!" "It's certainly hard to doubt it when you're yelling it after you do just about anything," muttered Applejack. Dash shot her a look. "You may have forgotten, but I am at war here!" "War? Rainbow, it's just a small competition. There's no need to be so... gung ho about it." "JUST a SMALL competition? There's no such thing as a small competition! You either go home with the glory, or you lose. And I am NOT going to lose to that unicorn." "Aw come on now. Twi seems like a nice enough pony," Applejack tried to reason. "I don't see why you have to insist on this ridiculous game." "Well I can't be friends with anyone less cool than myself, can I?" explained Dash. "Besides, she's the one who insisted on this 'ridiculous game', not me." She squinted off into the distance. "Heh, speaking of her, she's right over there. Come on, I've got to go brag to her." "Can you at least have the restraint to not call it bragging?" If Rainbow heard Applejack she made no indication of it. The pair made their way to where Twilight and Pinkie were. "Hey Twilight!" Dash shouted as soon as they were close enough. "Just thought I should let you know how much I'm beating you by. I've taken out twenty five Noise! Pretty impressive huh? What's your count? I bet it's only five or so, right?" "What? Oh, Noise count." Twilight sounded a little distracted, or preoccupied. "Let's see... Thirty-one I think? I may have missed one or two..." Applejack would have paid a large number of bits to have a picture of Dash's face right then. "Wha... you're beating me?" "Yeah, I guess so. Look Rainbow, I've got a lot on my mind right now, can we talk later?" With no further ceremony, Pinkie and Twilight rushed off into the chaos, leaving AJ and RD on their own again. Dash was still in shock. "Well, looks like you're not going to win that competition sugarcube," snickered Applejack. "Who knew that little filly had it in her?" "No! She will not beat me!" Dash cried out, getting a second wind. "We're going to take this to the next level!" "Easy there... remember what Pinkie said, we should focus on just surviv-" "Hey! Noise!" Once again Dash demonstrated her ability to not listen. "You think you can take on the Dash? Well come and get some! I'll take you all on with my wings tied to my back!" "Uh, you don't have wings right now sugarcube..." said Applejack nervously. It seemed to her that the Noise that were previously whizzing above them had slowed, now instead circling them like vultures. "And would you mind dialing it back a bit?" "Well, I could I guess.... if you're too scared!" "Now just hang on a sec, I never said I was scared," exclaimed Applejack indignantly, her current accent doing indignant rather well. "Oh, I know. But it's pretty clear that you're trying to chicken out from this whole thing. It's okay, we can't all be as brave as me. "That does it! Hey Noise! Come and get it!" They didn't have to wait any longer as the Noise swarmed down on them, and they were transported to the battleground. §§§ Dash was frustrated by the number of Noise to battle. "Only two? Errgh, that's not enough! I need like, twenty if I want to catch up with Twilight!" "Then beat these ones quickly so we can fight more," Applejack shouted from her side of the field. Before Dash could respond, she had leapt into battle, swinging her hat. Dash snapped her attention back to her side of the battlefield. Thankfully she was only up against some frog Noise. They posed no real threat. She prepared her whirlwind attack, taking a deep breath before breathing out. As before, a twister formed, or rather, two twisters, one beneath each of the frogs, lifting them into the sky. Finally, when Dash was out of breath, the twisters slammed the frogs into the ground, erasing them both in a single strike. "Heh, too easy," smirked Dash, and she waited for the battlefield to dissolve. But this time it didn't. Instead another two Noise symbols appeared, unfolding into frogs. "Oh, so you want a go as well? Okay then!" Once again Dash unleashed a whirlwind, erasing the frogs in a single blow. But it wasn't over yet, as yet another two frogs showed up. "Hey, what gives? Why do these Noise keep coming?" "Are you really complaining? It gives you more points, right?" Before Dash could reply, one of the frogs managed to jump on her, jumping off a moment later with a powerful kick. "Ow! That's it, you just messed with the wrong pony!" Dash had one twister left to attack with, so she used it, expecting another one hit KO. But this time as the frogs slammed into the ground, they didn't vanish like their compatriots. Instead they spat a swarm of bubbles at Rainbow, who had to dodge. "Hey, you weren't meant to survive that attack," cried Dash. "None of your buddies did!" To correct this oversight, Dash tackled the frogs, using her other pin. They both vanished this time. Like clockwork, more frogs, numbering three this time, appeared on the battlefield. "Hey, uh, Applejack? Is it just me, or are these Noise getting tougher the more we fight?" "I think you're right sugarcube, but it's not like we can't handle them right?" Applejack replied. And once more she was back to fighting, this time shooting her barbed wires across the battlefield, trapping the frogs. Dash was still out of twisters, so she prepared her charge attack again. She knocked two of the frogs back, and had rounded on the third one when she felt a sudden decrease in speed. Her pin had run out, and a quick glance at her other one confirmed it still needed time to charge. She was out of attacks. The Noise seized their chance, two of them spitting bubbles at Rainbow while the third made a lunging attack. Dash jumped sideways, dodging the lunge, but landed in the path of one of the swarms of bubbles. She winced at the hits, feeling like each bubble was draining some of her strength. It was at that point that her tackle attack had recharged, so she immediately charged the closest frog with it, knocking it back into one of the others. She aimed herself at the third one and attacked. At the last moment, the frog managed to spit a bubble cloud at the approaching rainbow blur, but Dash didn't even flinch as she ran through them, colliding with the frog. Ding. Dash smiled, recognising that sound. Her twister badge was ready again. Without hesitation, she activated it, breathing a tornado under each of the frogs, flinging them into the air, and then bringing them crashing down. Three bursts of static, three more Noise erased. Finally, the battlefield faded and the underground reappeared. "And that's thirty-four! Oh yeah, Dash is back in the lead!" From the corner of her eye she spotted Applejack breathing heavily. She turned to face her. "Well come on, we can't stop! Every second we're not fighting is another second that Twilight gets closer to my lead!" §§§ Thirty-seven... thirty-eight. Dodge. Fire. Dodge. Shoot. Thirty-nine. Dodge. Fail to dodge. Stand back up. Fire, shoot. Forty, forty-one.... Dodge. Wait. Dodge. Dodge. Shoot. Forty-two. End battle. Focusing on her battles in this mechanical way was helpful for Twilight. It meant she could ignore the thoughts at the back of her head, the thoughts about all those ponies who had been erased, all because of Pinkamena's plan.... Twilight banished that thought to the back of her mind with the rest of them. She needed another battle. Thankfully there was no shortage of Noise at this point. Faintly she registered Pinkamena saying something to her, but she ignored it. She couldn't deal with her right now. She wasn't angry. The anger would come later. For now she was just numb. Pinkamena waved a hoof in front of her face. "Hello, planet Twilight, do you copy? You're starting to freak me out a little." "Huh?" Twilight snapped back to reality. "Yes, what?" "I was just saying, I think maybe we should try and hide for a bit, you know, rest. We've been going at full tilt since the fighting started, and well, the mission says to survive. Not to wear ourselves out." "Yeah, sure." Her voice betrayed no emotion. Pinkamena looked at her worriedly. "You sure you're okay? You've been acting kinda funny for the past..." Pinkamena consulted her hoof." "...fifteen minutes. And not the good kind of funny either." "No it's nothing...." Pinkamena narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Oki Doki Loki.... I saw a place back there that should work. Come on." Moving slowly to avoiding catching the Noise's attention, the pair made their way closer to the statue itself, finally reaching an alcove out of the Noise's view. They ducked inside. After a few seconds of silence, Pinkamena tried to strike up some conversation again. "So, spill. What's wrong?" "I told you," Twilight said, "there's nothing wrong." "Uh huh. And what about when we're not lying?" Twilight must have looked surprised, for she continued, "My special talent is normally throwing parties. Part of good party throwing technique is knowing when and who to throw a party for, usually for birthdays, but also for when somepony is feeling down or there's something wrong. So I can tell there's something wrong. So don't try and tell me nothing's wrong when something's wrong." "Okay, maybe there is something wrong," Twilight admitted. "But I don't want to talk about it." Not with you. "Of course you don't want to talk about it, that's how you know you need to talk about it. So come on, tell me." "I said I don't want to talk about it," Twilight repeated, clenching her teeth. "And I'm not going to accept that," replied Pinkamena. "Now tell me what's wrong, or so help me Luna I will-" "Or you'll what?" snapped Twilight. "You wouldn't dare do anything to me for fear it would end up getting you erased!" The dam of anger Twilight had been holding back finally broke. "You don't even really care what's wrong, you just don't want me to endanger your efforts at life! All those ponies out there, they had just as much right to a second chance as we do, and yet you condemned them without a second thought! No, you went out of your way to make sure they wouldn't survive! You're no better than a reaper!" Pinkamena just sat there in silence for a few moments. "Wow, that really affected you huh?" "How am I meant to react at seeing a whole hoofful of ponies dying? Should I bake a cake and celebrate? Cheer as loud as I can to cover the cries of agony?" "What do you want me to do about it? It was us or them, we're not all going to come back to life. What's wrong with tipping the odds in our favour slightly?" "Tipping the odds in our-" Twilight was dumbstruck. "What's wrong is that you effectively murdered all those ponies! When is murder ever okay?" Twilight waited for Pinkamena's next argument. To her surprise, instead the pink pony hung her head in shame. "You're right of course. It was murder. I just got caught up in trying to win, to take back my life and entry fee." She looked up at Twilight. "I can't change what's been done, but maybe I can make it up to you some other way?" Before Twilight could respond there was a roar from outside. The pair rushed outside to see the ursaform, still causing havoc. It seemed most ponies were trying to avoid it, with varying success. Every now and then it would flicker out of view, but would always reappear only a few seconds later, having made short work of another pair. Twilight turned to Pinkamena. "Well, I think I've figured out how you can begin to make amends." "I'm guessing it's not just going to be a hug? No?" She sighed. "Okay, off to fight the scary giant star bear then." The pair galloped as fast as they could, rapidly closing the distance between them and the Ursa, dodging the other Noise that tried to attack them. As they approached, the Ursa seemed to notice them, a toothy grin appearing on its features. With a swipe of its paw, it knocked back another pair, not erasing them, but certainly leaving them vulnerable to the other Noise swarming around it like vultures. "Last chance to change your mind!" Pinkamena called to Twilight. She shook her head and continued charging. The closer they got to the giant Noise, the more warped the landscape seemed to become. From a distance, the area around the Ursa had seemed normal, considering the presence of an enormous bear. But up close, the ground had been torn, there were paw prints where the Ursa had been, and here and there, there was a lot more red then you'd normally find on the ground. "The Battlefield is warping the space around the Ursa," Pinkamena answered Twilight's unspoken question. "After all, Noise only normally exist as their animal forms on the Battlefield. To be like that in the UG, they have to open a hole between the two, and the Battlefield bleeds into the Underground." Finally the two stood before the Ursa. The creature let out a roar, and there was a bright flash. They had now been transported to the Battlefield. As with the Dragonfly the day before, there was only the one Ursa, this time on Twilight's side of the field. The Ursa wasted no time in attacking, swiping at Twilight with one of its massive paws. Twilight jumped backwards, conjuring fire along the path of the paw swipe at the same time. The beast howled in pain, quickly withdrawing the paw. Twilight took advantage of this to pepper it with force rounds, shooting each one at the star in the centre of its forehead, a natural target. This seemed to do little but annoy the beast, and it crouched in preparation for a pounce. Twilight's force rounds ran out, and the Noise leapt, on a collision course straight for her. Twilight ran towards the lunging Ursa, escaping underneath the beast. As it landed, she managed to skid and turn around, using pyrokinesis once more to bathe the beast in flame. Another roar from the beast rewarded her efforts as it began to turn around, its huge bulk making this a slow job. Twilight used the time to continue her flambé, and when it had recharged, she complimented the attack with a round of energy blasts. Finally, the Noise finished turning, and Twilight prepared for another swipe or lunge attack. Instead the Ursa let out a might roar, louder and more forceful than the ones it had previous cried. In fact, this one was loud enough that Twilight winced, shutting her eyes and covering her ears with her hooves. The force of the roar was so great that Twilight could feel herself sliding backward on the pavement. When she stopped moving she managed to open her eyes. And promptly jumped several feet to the side. The sight of a giant bear made of stars leaping towards you is not a sight you want to see, less so if it's the first thing you see upon opening your eyes. The Ursa crashed through the wall dividing Pinkamena's side of the Battlefield from Twilight. Twilight didn't get any chance for a break though, as the second the Ursa was out of her reach, several frog Noise spawned on her side of the battlefield. As one they all blew swarms of bubbles at Twilight, who failed to dodge them this time. One of the frogs used this opportunity to jump on her, delivering a kick powerful enough to send the purple unicorn flying backwards. She landed with a thump, and was briefly winded. Once she regained her footing, she saw the frogs preparing another volley of bubbles. Not this time, she thought, surrounding each of them with a ring of fire before firing her own volley of force rounds at them. Forty-three, forty-four, forty-five, forty-six... They were all erased one at a time. As if on cue the Ursa Minor broke through the dividing wall again, once more on Twilight's side of the field. It swatted at Twilight, this time scoring a glancing blow, enough to knock her off her feet. Woozy, Twilight looked up to see the Ursa bringing down both its paws in a slamming motion, clearly trying to squash her. She rolled out of the way just as the paws hit the ground. Regaining her footing, she scorched the paws, causing the bear to rear in pain. Not wasting the opportunity, she unleashed a flurry of force rounds at the Ursa's exposed underside. The Ursa let out another roar, and toppled backwards, landing on its back with a tremendous crash, half on Twilight's side, and half on Pinkamena's side. Twilight continued shooting force rounds at it until they ran out, whereupon she switched to pyrokinesis. The Noise struggled to right itself under this onslaught. Finally Twilight's pyrokinesis also ran out, and she was left defenseless. Seeing an opportunity, the Ursa tried one last time to struggle to its feet. What it didn't see coming however, was Pinkamena's attack. She teleported directly above its head, and crashed down into it. It was the last thing it saw. Twilight watched as the creature flashed white, fading and shrinking. The battlefield also began to vanish, and as it cleared Twilight spotted Rainbow Dash staring at her. "That still only counts as one!" Dash yelled. Across the island, there was a flash as the timer on everypony's hoofs ran out. The lingering Noise symbols vanished, leaving only battered and weary ponies in their wake. And just like that, the day was over. DAY 3 RAISED STAKES END
SIaanme	1156	12	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2012-09-26T11:49:24+00:00	2012-09-26T11:49:24+00:00	2,727	DAY 4:1 "Ugh, this is the part of the job I hate the most. Reporting! These meetings are so boring!" These complaints might have been more effective had High Tide not heard them all before. He kept his silence, munching on a lily sandwich. Candy Cane kept railing against the unfairness of it all and how she just wanted to be doing something not sitting in these boring meetings all day and he wasn't even paying attention was he. Tide finished his bite and continued the tirade where his partner had left off. "It's no fair, when I joined the reapers I thought it would be all this fun erasing, and no dull meetings where they don't even provide sweets." The imitation was lost on Candy Cane. "Exactly! You see where I'm coming from! We're called reapers, so we should be out there reapering!" "Reaping." "But instead we have meetings so often we may as well be called meeters!" High Tide didn't respond, instead still enjoying his sandwich. It was a good sandwich, made all the sweeter because he wasn't the one who had bought it. His partner had obliged him by proposing another bet. In the years he had known her, Candy Cane had proposed exactly fifty-nine bets, and had lost every one to Tide. Never for anything big mind, just food stuffs, never exceeding 5 bits. This latest bet was that the sneak attack yesterday wouldn't work, and for a sandwich. Of course High Tide had never agreed to the bet, and took home the spoils when the sneak attack was even more successful than expected. He took another bite, filtering out Candy Cane's complaining. The pair were sitting in a dim room, reminiscent of a bar. In the middle of the room, instead of the many individual tables, was a large meeting table that looked slightly out of place. Tide and Candy were the only ones present at the moment, having stayed behind after the meeting, owing to Candy's pent up anger. From experience, High Tide knew she shouldn't be out on the streets right after a meeting. The last time that had happened.... Well, Tide had never thought of erasing to be particularly painful, and after the incident he intended to give the players that mercy. Whoever had said "Hell hath no fury like a filly scorned," had never met Candy Cane post-meeting. "It's not like we even talk about anything USEFUL when we have these things," Candy continued, ignoring her partner's silent contemplation as he ignored her non-silent ranting. "No, it's always 'The Conductor is pleased with this,' or 'The Conductor is not pleased with that,' and so on. I mean, what even was the point of today's meeting? We were told to erase all the players, I mean HELLO, that's what we DO!" High Tide shook his head. "Clearly didn't listen," he mumbled, just loud enough for Candy Cane to be thrown off her complaints. "Huh? What do you mean? Of course I listened!" "No. Not erase all players. Don't erase players. Hooves off." In hindsight, this news could have been broken more gently, and thus the table wouldn't have been broken harshly. "WHAT!?" Candy screamed, bucking the table into the wall. "Why? Why would they do this to us? How do they expect us to survive without erasing anything? It was bad enough to go thirty minutes without attacking, but an entire day?" "Two days," corrected Tide, not having learnt his lesson from his last correction. This time it was the floor that was cracked, Candy Cane stamping in anger. "TWO WHOLE BUCKING DAYS?!" Candy's rage was very nearly a palpable thing at this point. "WHO THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA?!" Tide shrugged. "Conductor. Who else?" This did little to assuage Candy's anger. "How does he expect us to work under these conditions?" "We don't. That's the point." There was a silence while Candy fumed to herself. Then, "Well can I maim one of them?" "No." "Well can I mutilate one of them?" "No." "What about-" "No." Candy sulked. "You're no fun at all." ---- "You erased how many?" cried the multihued ex-pegasus. "Forty seven all up," Twilight said. There was a stunned silence from Dash. "That's counting that big Noise as only one right?" "Of course." "Well, technically I landed the final blow on that one, so I guess she's only got forty six," Pinkamena interjected. "Even so, that still beats Rainbow Dash's final score of thirty eight right?" responded Twilight. Dash looked only momentarily put out. "Well, sure, but I was holding back." Behind her Applejack rolled her eyes. "I thought it would be nice to let the new pony have a taste of success. If I was going all out I would have erased like.... a thousand Noise." She gave a cocky smile. "But I guess if you can erase that many Noise you're alright. Especially since you took on that Ursa by yourself." "With Pinkamena's help," Twilight objected. Still, she was happy with the result. Rainbow Dash was willing to admit she was alright, which was a step up from yesterday. Today the ponies had woken up surrounded by so much grass and so many trees that Twilight had thought they were no longer in Manehatten. Rarity corrected her once she had woken, and revealed that this was in fact Manehatten's Central Park. Twilight admitted, she had missed the feeling of grass underhoof, and appreciated the relative quiet of the park. She wasn't the only one, with Fluttershy and Applejack looking happier than they had all week. Rarity on the other hand was eying the area with some suspicion, as if at any moment the dirt might stage an assault on her. "Anyway, moving on to more important issues than Rainbow Dash's ego," Rarity spoke up, "What kind of mission do they expect us to do here? We're walled off from the rest of the city." "It could be a lot of things really," Pinkamena replied. "A scavenger hunt, hide and seek, a maze..." "Those are all foal's games though," Rarity noted. "Yup. Lots of the missions are based off things like that. You'd be surprised at how well they work." Further speculation was cut short by the arrival of the mission mail itself. Unlike the previous days mail, today's came in an envelope, rather than a scroll. Twilight and Rarity were the first to get theirs open, benefiting from their magic. "Mission Four: Clear Central Park of ponies. You have 240 minutes. Failure will result in erasure. The Reapers." Twilight felt the familiar pain of a timer activating. There was something extra written on the note. "PS: This may be useful." Twilight fished around inside the envelope, finally levitating out a small chunk of metal. Twilight quickly recognised it as a pin, and inspected its design. A book surrounded by a violet aura. A glance over towards Rarity confirmed she had also received a pin, hers with a sewing needle surrounded by a blue aura. Pinkamena was the first of the non-unicorns to free her mail from its prison. The note and the pin both fell to the ground. The pink pony's eyes first landed on the pin, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Is that what I think it is? Rarity, would you mind helping me with this?" With Rarity's assistance, Pinkamena attached her latest pin to her sash. "That's better. Why didn't they give us these at the start of the game?" "Sorry Pinkie, but just what exactly do these pins do?" Rarity asked. "Not all of us are as informed about these matters as you are." A smile danced on Pinkamena's lips. "It's easier to show you. Although don't get your hopes up, they won't be nearly as useful for you two." With a floruish, she tapped the pin, which began to glow with a soft pink light. Moments later, the letter was surrounded by a similar glow, and floated into the air, where it danced in front of Twilight's face for a few seconds. "Can you tell what it is yet?" Understanding dawned. "That's telekinesis isn't it?" Twilight asked, although it wasn't really a question. "But how? Only unicorns have access to magic." "Twilight, we spend our days fighting creatures that appear from nowhere with abilities that defy explanation. Not to mention we are technically dead. Is it so hard to believe that there's a way to let us non-magical ponies use the most mundane of your talents?" Twilight coughed. "Well, when you put it like that..." The remaining three were still struggling with their envelopes, so Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkamena went over to help them open the letters and attach pins. Fluttershy's was a flower surrounded by yellow, Rainbow Dash's a cloud with a rainbow glow, and unsurprisingly, Applejack had an apple with an orange aura. The three started adjusting to their new ability, first trying to pick up their mission mail. They all struggled at it until eventually, Dash managed to lift her letter. Unfortunately, she lifted it too quickly, and it caught on one of the tree branches above her. Twilight stifled a giggle. “You don’t have to do everything so quickly Rainbow,” Twilight advised. ”Try to get it down, slowly this time. Once you’ve managed that, try lifting something larger, like those sticks over there” Twilight indicated a pair of fallen branches. "Well that's all well and good for you four, but what about poor Twilight and I?" Rarity asked, pulling Twilight’s focus back to the conversation. "We already could do all that. What benefit do we get from this?" "Have you tried using your telekinesis in battle yet?" Both unicorns shook their heads. "That's because you can't. Or couldn't rather. But with the pin, you can lift and throw any objects lying around on the battlefield at the Noise." "Well that's better than nothing I suppose," Twilight said. "Anyway, about this mission... How are we going to clear an entire park of ponies when the most we can do is plant vague ideas in their minds?" "Well we could always plant the idea of leaving in their minds. That ought to do the trick," Pinkamena said. "With a park this size?" Twilight shook her head. "By the time we found and got even half of them to leave, more would have just wandered in. We may have four hours, but even that won't be enough to stop them coming in. "Twilight has a point. Besides, if it was that simple, why would the reapers have given us these new pins?" "Well, how powerful is your magic? We could work together and knock down a few trees and block the entries. That would stop any ponies coming in." Rarity glanced over at Fluttershy, who had got the hang of telekinesis now, and was floating a flower around. "I'm not sure Fluttershy would like that plan. You know what she's like about nature." "Also how would the ponies currently in the park leave if we blocked the entrance, or from another point of view, the exits?" Twilight added. "Pinkamena, is there anything we can do as players to influence living ponies?" "Well, there's one way, but it's not like it's really useful. What we do in battles can slightly affect ponies' perception, like if Twilight uses her fire a lot they might start to feel warmer." Rarity's ears dropped. "You're right. That isn't useful." "Not on it's own..." Twilight mumbled. A plan was starting to form. As the last piece clicked into place she grinned. "If we used a lot of telekinesis in battle, how would that affect the living ponies?" Pinkamena looked confused. "I don't know. I guess they might think objects are moving on their own?" "So if we did that, could we make them think the park was haunted?" A light of recognition appeared in Pinkamena's eyes. "If we combined it with planting words in their heads, it could work..." "And then they'd warn everypony they met that the park was haunted, and they'd stay away!" Twilight concluded. Rarity looked between the two. "Well, if we must perform these foalish pranks to live, so be it. Shall we spilt up again to cover more ground?" "Well we do have four hours, so we could probably manage without splitting up. But we'd be done faster if we did. It's up to you." "I think splitting would be the best," Pinkamena said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get to day seven. The longer we're in this game, the smaller the chance that we'll all make it back." Rarity nodded. "Okay then. Fluttershy and I will take one end, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash can take the other." "Meanwhile Pinkamena and I can stay in this area and deal with the ponies here, as well as guard the entrances." "Sounds like a plan. And tell every player you meet to do the same." Pinkamena consulted her hoof. "We should have plenty of time, so if it's a choice between hasty and safety, choose safety. Okay, let's tell the others." There was a loud CRACK behind them. Startled all three ponies turned as one.... and saw Fluttershy cowering as Applejack and Rainbow Dash telekinetically duelled with the sticks. Twilight smiled. "Maybe we should give them a bit more time to play around..."
SIaanme	1156	13	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2012-03-25T08:00:34+00:00	2012-03-25T08:00:34+00:00	2,334	DAY 4:2 Candy Cane had finally calmed down, and so High Tide and her were roaming the streets again. This wasn't to say she wasn't still angry. Far from it in fact. But Tide had decided that if they stayed in the meeting room for too much longer, Candy Cane would run out of things to break. As it was, the final loses included the table, seven of the chairs, over half of the flooring tiles, and most of the lights. Vaguely worried that he might be the next on the list of things to break, he suggested a walk. And so out they went, before anypony could come in and see the destruction, and force them to get replacements. "Today is so boring," Candy Cane was, unsurprisingly, complaining. "Are you sure I can't annoy the players even a little?" "No." "No? So you're not sure? So I can annoy the players?" "Hooves off means hooves off. No annoying." "But there's nothing else to do! What do they expect us to do if not hassle?" It was a good question. If there was a game on, all Reapers were expected to be working, whether that be maintaining walls or hassling players. But with the order to stand down, only the wall reapers had something to do. It wasn't entirely unprecedented, sure. But in previous games when a stand down order came, it was usually only for a day, not two. It was also usually on the final day, when the Game Master had the chance to fight the players themself. So what was different about this time? "Hey Tide, can we go to Central Park?" Candy Cane asked, her voice dripping innocence. It was enough of a change to startle Tide back to alertfulness. "Why?" "Because that's where the players are." "No." "Aww come on! I won't hurt them! I just want to watch?" High Tide narrowed his eyes. "Really." "Really! Would I lie to you?" "Daily." Still, High Tide saw little harm in it. He was confident that he would be able to restrain Candy if he needed to, and it would hopefully get her to shut up for a bit. "Fine. But no interfering." "Yay! Thank you Tide!" Tide found himself in the grips of a hug before he could react. He pried Candy off him before she could choke him. The two flew to the park, Tide with his natural wings and Candy with her Reaper wings, one of the perks of the job for non-pegasi. There were walls all around Central Park to keep the players in so they had to alight outside the boundaries. Of course, Tide could have cleared a wall long enough for them to get in, but he neglected to mention that fact. There was a lot he neglected to mention to Candy Cane. It made life simpler. "Oh come on!" Candy Cane was back to complaining. “Why can't we get in? We can't see anything from out here!" High Tide shook his head. "Not true. Look." He indicated a point just beyond the wall. As they watched a group of ponies came rushing out, screaming. "Help!" "The park is cursed!" "Help!" "The park is haunted!" "For the love of Celestia, somepony help!" Before long the group had vanished from sight, still screaming. Candy Cane glared. "That hardly counts!" High Tide continued to gaze beyond the wall. Just beyond he could spy several players, each with their own unique mental signature. The player pins they held blocked telepathy, but being a reaper conferred certain advantages. Mind reading was still impossible, but a reaper could locate and even recognise players by their signatures, while a player could detect absolutely nothing. Tide hadn't bothered to learn many of the player's signatures this time, having not had much contact with the players outside of the ones erased shortly afterwards. Yet as he watched, one of the players stood out. He recognised her. Well, that was certainly interesting. If Candy behaved herself this afternoon, he might even tell her. §§§ It was times like this Pinkamena missed her entry fee. By all rights she should have been having a great time. Ignoring for a second that she was fighting for her life, she was outdoors, hanging out with her friends -well, a friend anyway- and pranking almost every pony she came across. It was only about fifty cupcakes away from a Pinkie Pie Perfect day. And that was the problem. She just wasn't Pinkie right now. Well that wasn't quite true. She was Pinkie, but only half of her. The side that occasionally rose to give voice to niggling doubts, like what had happened on her last birthday. The half normally kept in check by her love of life. But right now, she didn't have that side, giving her more cynical side free reign. Like right now for example. It was only an hour into the day, and Pinkamena already felt like they had almost half of the park cleared. That combined with the glaring absence of reapers made her suspicious. She wondered if they were planning a trap two days in a row. It was the sort of thing they might do, but at the same time it seemed unlikely. So really it was a 50/50 chance. Remembering Twilight's reaction from yesterday, Pinkamena had planned on airing her concerns with her.... "Yes! Yes! Run From the spoooooky ghosts of the park!" ...at a time when she wasn't having so much fun perhaps. Nevertheless, soon. Yesterday was actually a good example of her missing her entry fee. Normal Pinkie wouldn't have stepped back and let the trap unfold. She would have warned every pony, and ensured as few ponies as possibly had been erased. She had partially repented for that by helping erase the Ursa noise, but Pinkamena didn't feel like that was enough. "Pinkamena? You feeling okay over there? You've been quiet for a while now," Twilight said. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm all peaches and gravy," she responded. "Actually, not really. Can we take a break for a short while?" "Sure. Something on your mind?" "Yes actually." The pair wandered over to the shade of a tree close to the park's edge and sat down. "So, what's on your mind?" Twilight asked. "Well, you know how yesterday turned out to be a trap and I said nothing?" "You think today might be a trap as well?" "I think it's a possibility. It just seems a bit easy, that's all." "Maybe, but I don't think so in this case. I think what's more likely is that the reapers need a rest as much as we do from yesterday. After all, summoning that many noise must be almost as tiring as fighting them." Pinkamena thought on this for a bit. "So you think today is a chance for us to catch our breath?" "Well yeah. I mean, once we figured out what to do today, it really wasn't that hard. By my estimation we're down to about twenty five percent of the original number of ponies in this park, and we've hardly used any of the time we got given." That was exactly the reason Pinkamena thought it might be a trap, but she hadn't considered the idea that maybe the reapers needed a day to recuperate. "How do you figure twenty five percent?" "At a rough estimate. We started in a fairly densely populated area, at a guess I'd say half of all the ponies in the park would be there. I counted about sixty ponies there, so roughly a hundred and twenty total. Since starting we have chased out about forty two ponies, counting the ponies other pairs working in this area have chased out. If we assume the others are only managing about half that at each end, owing to the areas being less populated, that still adds up to another forty two or so. So that's eighty four ponies chased out. If we take my assumption of a hundred and twenty to be right, that means we've chased out seventy percent of the ponies, or almost three quarters, so only a quarter, or twenty five percent left. And you didn't follow a word of that did you?" "You did something with numbers and then more numbers happened. That's all I know. Math may as well be another type of magic for all I understand it." "Well it was all as accurate as you can expect me to be under these conditions. So we probably don't have long before the mission is cleared. I'd say maybe ten, twenty minutes? Thirty at most." "Really? So soon?" If Twilight was right, the they would have completed the mission in less than half the time they had available. "See, that's why it has to be a trap. We were given four hours. If it was meant to be this easy we would have only been given two hours." "But then it wouldn't have been easy. I never thought I'd say this to anypony, but you're over thinking this. The challenge in today would have been figuring out how to proceed, and it just so happens we figured that out quickly." "Well, if you're right, then does that mean we can rest for a while longer? Just in case something does happen." Twilight smiled. "That's fine, I was hoping for some spare time. I wanted to look at those walls again." "Well just stay alert. If it is a trap I don't want you taken unaware." "Don't worry, I'll be fine." And with that Twilight trotted off to the edge of the park. §§§ Twilight closed her eyes and sent a magic pulse into the wall. As before, she had difficulty making out any discernable pattern to the leylines. But if she activated her player pin at the same time as she sent out the pulse, she got a much clearer view. Unlike the wall two days ago, the one surrounding the park had a different design. In fact, it was a much larger wall as well, covering the entirety of one edge of the park. It was too large to get a clear look at the whole pattern, but from the section in front of Twilight she could make out the letters '...AYER AC....' What does that mean? Twilight wondered. She strolled along the wall for a short way, making sure to keep Pinkamena in sight. Eventually, satisfied that she had gone far enough, she sent another pulse through the wall. This time she saw the letters "NO PLAY..." At the bottom of the N, a single leyline trailed off and came to an end at about head height. Ah-ha, that must be where the seal started. Twilight tried to remember how the reaper from the second day had cleared the wall. In that case it was a heart shape with two ponies inside it, but the principle had to be the same. He had started from a similar point, and loosed his magic into it, and the leylines had receded, making the invisible barrier vanish. Well if he can do it, so can I! Making sure she could still see Pinkamena, Twilight wandered over to the sealing point. Feeling a bit foalish, she pressed her horn against the wall where it was. Okay, now what? Twilight sent out one more sensor pulse to see if she could detect any magical residue that might give her a hint of what spell to use. A short while later, Twilight realised doing this right next to a large source of magic was the thaumaturgic equivalent of staring directly at the sun. From her new position on her back she rubbed her horn, which felt like a million tiny pins were being stuck into it. After quickly making sure she still had her magic, she stood up again. She now stood a few feet away from the wall. Okay, not trying that again. Other than causing pain, the pulse found nothing. No residual traces of magic, no further hints as to what she should do. Temporarily flummoxed, Twilight decided to wander the other way to try and piece together what the wall said. She trotted back to where she had started, then went the same distance the other way. Activating her magic this time took a bit longer, but once she managed to send a pulse, she read the letters ....CCESS". Mentally she compressed the letters. NO PLAY...AYER AC...CCESS... NO PLAYER ACCESS. Well that's unhelpful. I already knew that. Acutely aware that time was running out, and that this might be her last shot to figure out how the walls worked, Twilight made her way back to the sealing point. She tried to remember the painfully few facts she knew about the walls. They're meant to stop player access. Some of them will be opened by reapers once players have done a task. Both of the ones I've really looked at have had different patterns. "Argh, it's no good! I need more information! Two data points a reliable conclusion does not make! Okay, calm down Twilight. There must be something I've missed." Once more Twilight scanned the wall for a clue. Finally she noticed something. The letters making up the central leyline for this wall, they looked like the kind that were summoned with an air-writing spell. And when she thought back to it, the other wall looked like it could have been a product of the same sort of spell. Twilight was suddenly struck with an idea. What if these walls are the product of not one, but two spells working concordantly? If somepony was to combine a barrier spell with an air-writing spell... There was a tingly sensation in Twilight's hoof. She checked, and found the timer had vanished. The mission was finished. Now more than ever she was on a time limit. "Okay, I've only got one shot at this...." If the wall was made with a spell combination, then that had to be the solution as well. Hurrying, Twilight approached the sealing point. Pressing her horn once more against the wall, she started drawing the power she needed to perform a dispel. Once she had enough power, she prepared her second spell, the air-writing spell. This one was ready very quickly, which was good. Now was the hard part. First she activated the air-writing spell, carefully tracing over the leylines. After a short delay, she released the dispel, carefully controlling it to follow the path traced by her first spell. With as much haste as she dared, Twilight finished tracing the NO PLAYER ACCESS lines. A second later the dispel reached the end as well. Twilight took a tentative step forward. No barrier blocked her path. She took another. Still nothing. And then everything went black. DAY 4 SET UP END
SIaanme	1156	14	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2012-04-02T08:00:07+00:00	2012-04-02T08:00:07+00:00	1,876	DAY 0 Princess Celestia paused for breath. The monsters from the Everfree were retreating. Another blood moon had passed, and this time there were no casualties. Fillydelphia was safe. She reached out with her magic, connecting to her sister's mind. Luna, are you alright? Have there been any problems? Luna was protecting Trottingham, a town that bordered on another wild wood, Marewood Forest. It was smaller, and the creatures weren't as dangerous, so it was perfect for Luna, who still found her magic a bit weak after her banishment. Luna's response came through mentally. I'm fine Tia. The worst I have had to deal with was a Canis abyssus. But there has been no damage, every pony is okay. Celestia nodded, forgetting that the gesture wouldn't translate telepathically. That's good to hear. And Twilight and her friends haven't had cause to send me a scroll all evening, so it's safe to assume that they're- There was a flash of green light just in front of Celestia, distracting her. A scroll had materialised. Celestia was ready to dismiss it as a scroll reporting that all was well, until she saw the mauve ribbon it was bound with. The same ribbon she had given to Twilight Sparkle to be used in case of emergencies only. Luna, meet me at Ponyville. Something's wrong. She wasted no time in teleporting to Ponyville's library, where Spike had sent the letter. She materialised in the library foyer, looking left and right for her pupil. "Spike, what's the matter? Has something happened to Twilight and the others?" Spike pointed outside, unable to speak. Celestia looked, and was shocked by destruction she saw. Roofs had been ripped off buildings, trees had been uprooted and slammed into other buildings. All the leaves on the library tree had been ripped off, leaving the building looking rather forlorn. Gashes scored the ground everywhere, and elsewhere, deep scratches cut into what walls didn't have trees embedded in them. There were no ponies weeping at this destruction in sight. The town seemed deserted, abandoned. But Celestia could sense a large gathering of ponies at the town's edge, in the direction Spike was pointing. She began to get more worried. She forced herself to walk towards the crowd slowly, not letting any of her worry show. As she approached, the crowd began to draw back, giving her clear passage. Finally she reached the edge of the crowd, and was struck dumb by what she saw there. Lying in a row was Twilight and her friends, all of them with their eyes closed. No movement could be seen, not a fluttering of an eyelid nor the movement of the chest. They were all covered in scratches and bruises, and in the case of Fluttershy at least, dried blood stuck to their coats and manes. There was a flash as Luna teleported next to her sister. She looked over the bodies, and had to turn away, fighting back tears. Celestia kept looking, though she longed to turn and flee from this awful sight. Wandering among the bodies of the ponies was a white earth pony with a rose coloured mane and a red cross for a cutie mark. She approached the royal sisters. "Your highness, I'm sorry. There was nothing we could do. It was too late by the time we got here. They're... they're dead." Celestia nodded. "Thank you Nurse Redheart. May I ask what happened here?" Nurse Redheart began explaining. "Well, we're not entirely certain. The whole town was spending tonight in the Town Hall to be on the safe side, since it's the strongest building in town, so the monsters, if they somehow got through, would be unable to get to us. The night was almost over, when just a few minutes ago Spike was banging on the doors, crying out for help. He barely managed to explain that something bad had happened to Twilight and the others before he dashed off again, presumably to send a scroll to you. "So we came outside to discover the destruction done to our town, and we headed to the clearing that Twilight and the others were meant to be defending. That's where we found them. Most of them were trapped under trees, but Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were just lying there. We managed to pull them out and lie them here, but there was nothing we could do." "I see." Celestia wanted to weep. Even after more than a thousand years, the loss of ponies she considered her friends still hurt her deeply. "We shall begin preparations for their funerals immediately." She turned around, finally looking away from the bodies. "Now if you'll excuse me..." She spread her wings and took off, leaving Ponyville behind her in a matter of seconds. Up here, where her subjects couldn't see her, she finally began to cry. She alighted on a cloud and wept openly for the loss of Twilight and the others. A light thump interrupted her distress. She looked up to see Luna sitting on the cloud just in front of her. "Sister...." Celestia sniffed. "It doesn't get easier does it sister? Even after all this time, I still feel their loss like it was part of me that was cut out." "Sister, if you miss them so much, can you not just bring them back?" "Bring them back?" Celetia looked at her sister in shock. "Luna, you know just as well as I do that we can't bring ponies back just because we miss them. There are procedures to follow. They must first enter the game, and there's no game in Ponyville. It's still too small to be able to host one." Luna nodded. "Yes, but there is one in Manehatten is there not? That is not too far from Ponyville. And you're the Princess. If you ask for them to stretch the rules so they can include Twilight Sparkle and her friends, then what choice do they have but to accept?" There was silence. Then Celestia spoke up. "You're right of course Luna. How did I manage to blunder through those thousand year without you?" "I really wonder about that sometimes. I shall go fetch their souls, you talk with the Conductor about doing this. Is Manehatten's Conductor still Swamp Light?" Celestia shook her head. "No, he was succeeded about a few years back. Somepony had taught him how to make Taboo Noise, and he was sicking them on his players and reapers alike.” Luna shifted uncomfortably on her cloud. “I realise what I did was wrong, but surely you cannot hold me accountable for everything I did as Nightmare Moon.” Celestia gave her sister a weak smile. “Of course not. Regardless, he had to go. he was replaced with his second in command, the pony who informed me of his misdeeds. His name is Gathering Storm." §§§ Night was falling over Manehatten as Celestia flew in. She had spent most of the day overseeing the reconstruction of Ponyville, trying to keep her mind off Twilight. Now that she had gotten her emotions under control again, she was ready to talk to Gathering Storm. Celestia had only spoken with him a few times before since he took up the position of Conductor. The Conductor's role in running the Reaper's Game was to ensure everything went smoothly. While Celestia was the one who set up the game, and the only one who could bring the winners back to life, the Conductor was the one who decided on a Game Master, and dealt with any minor problems. He also was in charge of deciding who was entered into the game, and when it began. Gathering Storm was based in the UG. While he was able to travel to the RG, it was more polite for Celestia to be the one to make the visit. Especially with the request she had to make. So as she landed beside the Clydesler building, she cast the plane shift spell. From her new vantage point in the UG, she could see the door that lead the to Reaper's Headquarters. She entered it, into a room rather like a mansion's sitting room. It wasn't quite as grand as her room in Canterlot, but it was still a sight to behold. There, behind a desk sat a dark grey unicorn, yellow highlights running through his short cut mane. He seemed to be anticipating the visit. "Ah, Lady Celestia. A pleasure to see you again," said the unicorn, his deep voice cutting through the silence. "I admit, I wasn't expecting a visit from you, not this month at least. And unannounced as well. You are full of surprises." "Gathering Storm. I should have liked to have given you forewarning of this visit, but I'm afraid I was rather unprepared for it as well. I'm afraid I have a favour to demand." "Demand? Forgive me my lady, but aren't favours usually asked, rather than demanded?" "Indeed, but this is one that you must grant. You see, just last night, six ponies had their lives taken before their time. I am here to see that they not only have entry into the game, but also that the game begins as soon as possible. Tomorrow if possible." "My lady, why should that pose a problem?" asked Gathering Storm, perplexed. "I am always more than ready to accept those who deserve a right to live into our game, so long as they can pay the entry fee. So why should you need to ask this?" "The ponies I speak of did not die within the boundaries of your game. They died a short distance away, in Ponyville." "Ponyville?" The unicorn's features creased in puzzlement. "I thought Ponyville was within my boundaries? I must have forgotten to bring up the request. Still, no matter. I can accept these ponies. The game can even start tomorrow; it's been too long since we held one. I shall have to take the role of Game Master, I doubt any of the officers would be able to cope at such short notice." "Good. I have one more request," Celestia added. "If any of these six ponies survive the seven days, they are to be revived." "My lady!" For the first time in the conversation, Gathering Storm's tone was less than servile. "This is unheard of! To forego the judging of worth, as is right? If this is to happen, then they have to be at a disadvantage to begin with." Celestia held his gaze for a moment, then acceded. "Very well. They shall not be informed of their situation from the start. They shall have to figure it out for themselves. Would this be disadvantage enough?" Gathering Storm considered. "It is a start. But my lady, I suspect that you hold a connection to these ponies, to ask for so much from me. As such, what is to stop you from helping them throughout the week? Now, if you were to bar yourself from interfering with the game, or even monitoring the game, this should allow balance to be restored, and allow them to bypass judgment." "It is done. So long as you keep your word, I too shall keep my word." "Very good my lady. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must begin planning immediately. I shall see you at the end of the week with the victors." "Indeed you shall." Celestia turned and left the building. She didn't even notice the smile Gathering Storm was unable to contain any longer.
SIaanme	1156	15	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2012-04-02T08:01:02+00:00	2012-04-02T08:01:02+00:00	2,156	DAY 5: 1 Groggily, Rarity opened her eyes. As she had done for the last three days, she checked her mane. Still an atrocious rat’s nest. Sighing she checked around her for her friends. Fluttershy was easily found lying beside her, still sleeping, but the others were nowhere to be seen. The pair were still in Central Park, but there was no other pony to be seen anywhere nearby, whether players or not. Rarity heard a rustling from behind her. She turned to find Fluttershy rising slowly to her hooves. "Why good morning Fluttershy. Glad to see you're finally awake. And are you still... well...." Fluttershy opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Sadly she nodded. "Oh dear. Well don't worry, I shall just have to keep talking enough for the both of us. Now then dear, we should try looking for our friends. I suppose you're still opposed to the idea of flying up high to get a look?" Fluttershy's shrinking into the ground more than answered her question. "Very well then, we shall look on hoof. Off we go then." The pair had gotten no more than about twenty metres from their starting point when Rarity walked straight into a wall. "Well, it seems they don't want us going this way. No matter, we still have plenty of other directions to choose from." Rarity turned on her hooves and walked right back the way she came, Fluttershy trailing behind her. They had gotten no further from the starting point in the opposite direction before Rarity hit another wall. "So, they don't want us going this way either? Well, it's still not a problem. We can still go the other way." But the next direction Rarity picked was also a dead end, with another invisible wall looming up to meet them. "Well then," Rarity said, her confidence a bit rattled, "I guess there's only one way we can go. Onwards." Turning round once more, Rarity headed off at a canter, trying to make up for lost time. While they had no mission yet, she would prefer to have already found her friends by the time it came. After all, we figured out yesterday’s mission quickly together, so if we can do the same again to- Thunk. Rarity was suddenly admiring the view of the sky. Fluttershy's concerned face hovered into view as rarity struggled to figure out what happened. She rolled over onto her hooves and walked forward. Another barrier blocked her path. "What. No, seriously, what? They've boxed us in?" §§§ "Now calm down Rainbow, and say it again, slowly," Applejack said. "Okay, well while you were still out I decided to do some warm ups, you know, basic stretches, a few breathing exercises, but when I went for a run, I ran into a wall." "Well so what? So the reapers don't want us going that way then. That's nothing new is it?" "Well no, but then when I tried another direction, BAM, another wall. And not just two, but everyway I tried to go I hit a wall." Applejack frowned. "Why, that can’t be. You sure you didn't just get your directions muddled up after hitting the first wall?" "If you don't believe me see for yourself! I'm telling you AJ, they've boxed us in here." Applejack had to check it out for herself. She went towards where Dash had said the wall was, and stopped. She moved a hoof forward, and encountered resistance. There was a wall alright. "See? A wall." "One wall doesn't prove anything." "Well why don't you do a lap? See if I'm wrong." "Alright alright, I'm going. Sheesh." Leaving Rainbow behind, Applejack walked parallel to the wall for a while. Eventually she came to another wall at right angles to the first. Unperturbed, she followed this new wall until she reached another. Slightly more concerned, she followed this one too, finally arriving on the other side of the waiting Rainbow Dash. "See? Told ya." "But that can't be right! Wait the hay do they expect us to do in this tiny space?" Two green flashes punctuated the remark. "Well, looks like we're about to find out." §§§ "So, we're still in the park, we can't find the others, and we're stuck behind four walls," Twilight was saying. "Does that cover everything?" "I don't understand this at all," said Pinkamena. "If there are walls there should be a reaper in charge of them. They're not supposed to lock us up like this." "Well clearly they have. I'm sure it'll all be cleared up once we get the mission." A green flash. "Speaking of...." As with the day before, the mission came not in a scroll, but in an envelope. Twilight pulled out the mission brief, placing it aside for now as she fished around for anything else. Her magic wrapped around another pin, and she pulled it out. This one featured what appeared to be a stylised wave, in various hues of blue. "Hey Pinkamena, any idea on what this pin does?" Twilight turned around to see Pinkamena staring at the mission mail, a look of disbelief plastered on her face. As Twilight watched, her expression changed to one of abject horror. "What? What's wrong?" Pinkamena said nothing, just pointing a hoof at Twilight's own letter. She picked it up and read it. Mission Five: Erase another pair. You have 60 minutes. Failure will result in erasure. The Reapers. PS: Every pair has an individual time limit. One new pin has been enclosed. The timer will start and you will be released from your isolated area once all players have read the mission mail. Twilight stared. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, hoping this was all a mistake. The words stubbornly remained on the page. "They... they can't be serious," Twilight said, vaguely hoping saying it would make it true. "This is horrible!" "This is breaking almost every rule I know about the game! Rule 1, no erasing other players!" "We have to end another, no, two other ponies existence's, and you're worried about BREAKING RULES?" Twilight was incredulous. "What if it's our friends we have to fight?" "Then they'll erase us. Simple as that." "What? Why? You don't think we can beat them? Wait, no, that's beside the point! They can't make us do this!" "What do you expect to happen Twilight? That by refusing to fight we'll manage to come out of this fine?" Pinkamena was barely holding back the distress in her voice. "No, we fight or we die for good. And if we go up against my friends, we're going to throw the match." "What?!" "Look at it from their point of view. Either them and at least one of our friends survives, or one of their friends and some pony they barely know. Which side do you think the scales are going to come down on that decision?" It was all Twilight could do to stop herself from screaming. But they do know me! "Okay, fine, but that's a worst case scenario. There must be plenty of pairs in this game. The odds of us fighting your friends aren't exactly huge. We'll be fine, and so will they. If comes down to fighting or dying, well...." Twilight swallowed. "I guess we have no choice really." That doesn't mean I have to like it. "Now until we start we should calm down. If we try to fight like this we're likely to make fatal mistakes." "Oh, of course, I'd just hate to be erased because I was stressed about doing the same to some innocent pony!" "That's not very calm." "I AM COMPLETELY CALM!" Twilight realised she was nearly nose to nose with Pinkamena. She backed away and took some deep breaths. "Okay, I'm calm, I'm calm.... no I'm not no I'm not no I'm not!" The deep breathing was replaced with hyperventilating. "You're not exactly helping yourself! Look, would it help if I tried to figure out your new pin?" Twilight nodded, and handed her pin over to Pinkamena's telekinetic grasp. Try as she might, the stress just wasn't going away. The thought of facing her friends still preyed on her mind, as did the image of each one of them standing over her broken body. "Okay, well there's two possibilities." Pinkamena handed the pin back to Twilight, who pinned it to her sash. "It's either a water orb pin, like the one Fluttershy has. But I think it's more likely that it's a water barrier." "A barrier of water?" Twilight echoed dubiously. "I wouldn't think water would be the most effective barrier..." "You'd be surprised. You wouldn't be able to attack while it's up, but you will be untouchable. You'll also recover strength while it's up." "I see." She didn't. "So what makes you think it's that instead of the other thing?" In response Pinkamena held up her own new pin. It showed an oven with its door open, a faint orange glow coming from within. "This is my new pin. It'll let me teleport short distances during battle. It can't be used to attack. So I suspect all the new pins the reapers handed out are support ones, not attacking pins. That and Fluttershy already has a Water orb pin, and it would be boring if more than one of us had the same type of pin." Pinkamena blinked for a second. "Sorry, I don't know where that last part came from." "It's alright." Twilight took another deep breath. "Okay, I think I've calmed down now." There was an all too familiar tingling sensation in her hoof. "And just in time too." "Good. The walls should be coming down any second now..... Yup, any time now...." Panic started to seep into Pinkamena's voice. "I'm- I'm sure the walls are already down and we just didn't see it." Twilight fired up her player pin and sent a magic pulse out. "Nope, all still up." Silence. "Anything yet?" Pinkamena asked, the panic now well evident. "Still nothing." Another silence. "Oh now that's just not fair!" §§§ "Come on Fluttershy, the walls are down! We need to get moving!" Fluttershy shook her head and clung all the tighter to the tree. Rarity continued to pull at her. "I know you don't like this mission; I like it no better myself. But if it's a choice between certain death and uncertain death..." Rarity finally managed to dislodge Fluttershy, toppling backwards as the resistance vanished. "Oof! I'll take the uncertain death. Now come on, or we'll run out of time!" Fluttershy reluctantly fell behind Rarity. Rarity felt terrible pressuring Fluttershy into this, but they had no choice. As the pair finally passed through the previously impenetrable barrier, Rarity found herself looking at her new pin. It was a needle and thread, like the kind Rarity often used for final touches on her dresses. She had no idea what it might do. She had even less of an idea of what Fluttershy's pin, a cartoon rabbit, might do. There were still no reapers in sight, a fact which unnerved Rarity slightly. Granted, she had no desire to meet any more reapers after the last three they met, but she preferred to know where the danger might be. They had only taken a few steps past where the barrier was before they heard a shiing noise behind them. Fluttershy turned and bolted, but her flight was stopped by the barrier that had just reappeared. "They've sealed us in again! How rude!" "Well isn't this unfortunate," came a voice from the other side of the area. A voice Rarity recognised, missing it's normal drawl as it was. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped into view. "Howdy."
SIaanme	1156	16	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2012-09-26T11:49:51+00:00	2012-09-26T11:49:51+00:00	2,209	DAY 5: 2 "WHY-" Thud "-WON'T-" Thud "-YOU-" Thud "-OPEN!" Thud "STUPID WALL!" Thud, thud, thud, thunk. Pinkamena sunk to the ground, head still resting against the barrier. "This isn't fair. They're not allowed to do this!" "Yes, I heard you the first dozen or so times," Twilight said. "It's still only been five minutes. Maybe it'll come down soon." "Yes, and maybe there'll be a giant cake waiting for us on the other side, but I wouldn't get my hopes up," Pinkamena said. "Face it Twilight, that wall's not coming down." Privately, Twilight agreed. With the relatively short time limit imposed on them, five minutes could mean the difference between li... well, death and erasure really. If the wall was meant to come down, it would have been cleared by now. However, Pinkamena didn't know about her secret weapon. One quick dispelling from Twilight and they'd both be out of there. Twilight had tried to use her trick while Pinkamena was busy banging her head against a wall, but physical contact with the wall seemed to cause it to emit high powered magical pulses, effectively blinding her etheral sight. But now that Pinkie had stopped her assault, maybe she could.... "YOU SHALL KNOW TORMENT LIKE NONE OTHER WALL!" Pinkamena suddenly cried, resuming her attack. Twilight sighed. I should have acted quicker. Distantly she noted Pinkamena had added kicking and ramming to her repertoire. "YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU TRIED TO STOP PINKAMENA DIANA PIE!" "Okay, I get it. You hate the wall. But if you could just stopping hitting it for a few moments..." Pinkamena didn't stop. "No! If the reapers won't lower the wall, then we'll just have to break it down! Or failing that, the noise will attract a reaper, and we'll force them to lower it!" "But that's what I'm trying to- wait, attract a reaper? You can't be serious!" "Of course I am! What's the matter, scared?" "Not scared, just thinking. If the reapers have kept us stuck in here on purpose, what makes you think they're going to help us get out?" "I don't. That's why I said we force them." "Uh huh. And how do you plan to do that?" "Simple. While I'm luring them out, you hide, and when they arrive, WHAM! You ambush them!" "Wooow, that's a smart plan!" "Thanks, it was easy enough to come up with." "Uh, Pinkamena?" Twilight said. "That wasn't me..." "What? What do you mean that wasn't you?" Pinkamena asked. "Then who was it?" "Hmm, I wonder," came the voice that wasn't Twilight again. "Oh wait, I know! It was me! A shame I heard your plan before, but other than that little problem, it was great! Oh, and that part where you thought you could ambush a Reaper!" Twilight looked up. Inexplicably hovering in the air above them was a peach coloured earth pony. On her flank was the same skull design that was on the player pins. A Reaper! Twilight knew immediately. Well, since she's here... "Hey, I never thought I'd be glad to see one of you! Our wall hasn't come down yet, can you maybe do something about that? Please?" "Hmmm.... No. One, not my division; two, even if it was, why would I let two sitting ducks like you go? We're not called Reapers for nothing you know!" The pony smiled. "Now, should I draw this out, or erase you quickly? Ooh, there are two of you! I can do one fast and one drawn out. That way everypony wins!" "I can't believe it!" Pinkamena suddenly exclaimed. "Candy Cane, is that you?" "What? How do you know who I am? Wait..." The pony hovered towards Pinkamena, frowning. All of a sudden she broke into a grin. "Pinkie Pie! It's you isn't it! Wow, how long has it been? You were just a foal last time! Well I guess I was too... How'd they rope you into another game?" "Hang on a minute," Twilight interrupted. "How do you two know each other?" Pinkamena looked sheepish. "Right. Introductions. Candy, this is Twilight Sparkle, my current partner. Twilight, this is Candy Cane, my previous partner." "Your partner?" repeated Twilight incredulously. "You had a Reaper for a partner last game?" "What? No!" Pinkamena looked shocked at the suggestion. "No, when we met she was just a normal pony. When we won, I chose life, she chose reaping." "Wait you can do that?" "Yeah. I mentioned that back in day one, remember?" "Did you?" Twilight thought back. "Hmm, maybe you did. Well you can't blame me for forgetting. That was ages ago." "Twilight, it was four days ago." Pinkamena paused for a few seconds before continuing. "Anyway, Candy, since it's me, would you mind lowering that wall? Please? For the sake of all the good times we had when we were foals?" "Well we did have some pretty good times," Candy admitted. "Hmmm.... nah. If it's all the same to you, I haven't erased anypony in days, and like I said, you can't escape. If it makes you feel any better, I'll probably feel bad for a few seconds after I've erased you, so that's some comfort right?" "Oh yes. We'll be gone forever, but that's okay because you'll feel bad about it. Yeah, that takes the sting out," Twilight deadpanned. Candy Cane missed the sarcasm in it though. "Wait, that works? I should lie about this whole feeling bad thing more! Then I'll get to erase so many ponies!" "No, I.... Ugh. Was she like this during your last game as well?" Twilight asked Pinkamena. "What, eager to attack stuff, or oblivious to sarcasm? Both hold true." "Now which one of you should I erase first?" Candy Cane was muttering to herself. "Maybe the unicorn... but is she likely to be a screamer? I like it when the ponies scream..." Twilight could only see one way out. She had to bring the walls down. The only problem was the reaper. She didn't particularly want her knowing that she could take down walls at will. That seemed like the sort of thing that could get her erased. But to do nothing was also to be erased. "Pinkamena," she whispered. "Do you think you can keep crazy over there distracted for a minute or so? I think I can get us out of here." "Sure, give me the life threatening job," Pinkamena muttered back. Raising her voice, she addressed Candy Cane. "So, Candy, I imagine you must have flown through the reaper ranks. Especially if you're working alone. Don't most reapers have partners?" "Now that you mention it..." Candy looked around briefly. "Good, he's not here yet. I hate sharing." "Wait, so you do have a partner? Then why aren't you with him?" "Because he's soo boring! He barely ever says anything, and when he does say anything he's always saying things like "Don't erase the players" or "You're not allowed to do anything fun" or "Don't do anything at all." He's a total killjoy!" Pinkamena winked at Twilight, who took her cue. Trying to not attract any attention, she moved towards the wall. Firing up both her player pin and her horn, she quickly sent out a magical pulse. The returning pulse gave her the image of two crossed swords forming this side of the wall, with the origin point at the hilt of one of them. She approached it and prepared the unlocking spell... and was suddenly knocked on her back. Pinning her down was Candy Cane, smiling the most terrifying smile Twilight had ever seen. "Well I don't know what you were trying to do there, but I'm willing to bet High Tide a sandwich that it was nothing good. Which means you get to go first, and slowly!" A sickly green glow appeared above her head, where her horn would be if she was a unicorn. The glow intensified, forming the shape of a sickle. "Feel free to scream." the reaper said, leaning closer to Twilight's neck. Twilight closed her eyes... Suddenly Twilight found herself no longer weighed down. She risked a peek and opened her eyes. Sure enough, Candy Cane was gone. Instead, she saw Pinkamena's head hovering over her, looking worried. "Are you okay Twilight?" Pinkamena inquired, helping Twilight back to her feet. "She didn't hurt you did she?" "Aside from knocking all the breath out of me? No, I'm fine." "Good." The voice was another new one, almost monotone with just the barest hint of any emotion. Twilight looked to see the speaker, another reaper, pinning Candy to the ground in the same way that she had pinned Twilight. "Oh come on Tide! It was only a bit of harmless fun! I was going to save one for you!" "Not the issue. We had orders." The stallion let her go. "Back to base. Now." "But-" "Now." Grumbling, the peach pony took to the sky, revealing a set of skeletal looking wings. It wasn't long before she had vanished from sight. The new reaper turned to Twilight and Pinkamena. "Sorry. Problems?" "You mean aside from the fact that we nearly got erased and this wall hasn't gone down? No, we're doing super thank you," Pinkamena complained. The stallion walked towards the wall, and placed a hoof against it. There was a brief flash, and then he turned back to the pair. "Cleared. Malfunction. Get going." Without any further words, he also took the sky, and also quickly vanished. Twilight reached a hesitant hoof towards the barrier, and found it gone. "What just happened there? Why did that reaper save us?" "Right now, I'm not about to question it. We're back in this thing! Now come on, we have a mission to complete." Making up for lost time, the pair galloped out of their enclosure. The park around them was deserted. "So do we have any sort of plan here?" Twilight asked. "Like, how we're going to find anyone else?" "We don't really have time. It shouldn't be too hard to find somepony, right?" "Keep in mind that they all have a head start on us. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the other pairs were already battling each other." "But there has to at least one pair left right? Other than us?" "I guess we're going to find out." Twilight saw a faint shimmer in the air ahead of them. "Wall ahead, turn left." As they turned, a pond came into view, and on the other side they could just make out two other ponies, both shades of red. "Well there we go then." Pinkamena nodded. "Let's go get them." The other pair had noticed them as well, and were following the pond around towards them. Twilight slowed down to conserve her energy, letting the other pair expend energy on their approach. Now that they were closer she could tell that they were both stallions, a vibrant red earth pony and a darker red pegasus. A few paces away from them, they both stopped. The pegasus spoke up. "What ho fellow equines! My name is Altum Videtur, and my compatriot is Crimson Vest." "And yes, he does always talk like that," interjected the earth pony. Altum glared at him before continuing. "Anyway, forgive my inquiry, but perchance have you completed today's mission yet?" "Nope, and I guess you haven't either," Pinkamena responded. "So then, sorry for this, but we have to erase you now." "No hard feelings! I was about to say the same to you." Instead of the usual slow fade to the battlefield that normally preceded battles, this time there was a momentary blinding flash. When Twilight vision returned, she found herself standing opposite Altum Videtur. A quick glance to her right confirmed that Pinkamena was facing off against Crimson Vest. She turned her attention back to Altum, who was hovering just above the ground, but otherwise doing nothing. "I believe the tradition is fillies first, is it not?" he asked. Twilight responded with a barrage of energy shots, which the pegasus managed to dodge most of. Undeterred, Twilight quickly scanned the arena, noticing several pieces of debris scattered around the area. She levitated a tree branch from the ground, and swiped it above the pegasus, hoping to force him lower. She managed to hit him with it, knocking him to the ground. Wasting no time, she dropped the branch and swapped to pyrokinesis, bathing him in fire. Hidden behind the fire, Altum had managed to regain his footing, and took to the air, fast enough to extinguish the flames. "I see I shouldn't have given you the first go. Time for my chance." Without any further warning he plummeted directly down, almost too fast for Twilight to follow. He slammed the ground with her forehooves, creating a shockwave powerful enough to shake the ground and knock Twilight off her feet. As she started to get back up, the area just beside her exploded in a pillar of fire. She quickly scrambled away, almost backing into another flame pillar behind her. "Hmm, looks like I still need to work on my aim a bit," she heard Altum mutter. "Confounded new pins. Ah well, third time the charm right? Goodbye miss." Twilight reflexively shut her eyes as the ground around her exploded into flames. When the inital blast proved to be less scorching than she thought it would be, she opened her eyes again. Instead of fire, she was surprised to find an orb of water surrounding her like a barrier. I must have subconsciously activated my new pin she realised. Beyond it she could see the fire had died down. She smiled. "I'm afraid this isn't going to be as easy as you thought it would be." §§§ Pinkamena jumped to the side, not quite managing to avoid the barrage of magic from her opponent. Before she could counterattack, another swarm of projectiles came her way. Once again, she failed to dodge in time, taking the brunt of the assault. "Ugh, why am I moving so slow! Did somepony put chewing gum on my hoofs again?" Her opponent let out a chuckle. "That would be one of my pins. Slows everything I battle right down. Handy to deal with speedy things like you!" he began charging at her, readying another attack. Again, Pinkamena was too slow to dodge, but this time she was hit with a ball of electricity, knocking her backwards. The ball orbited around Crimson Vest, preventing her approach. Well it's a good thing I got that Telekinesis pin yesterday. She levitated a nearby park bench and swung it at the other earth pony, scoring a hit. He flew backwards, hitting the barrier surrounding the battlefield. "Home run!" Pinkamena cheered. Her opponent shook himself off, and fired more shots of energy at her. Rather than try to dodge the normal way, she focused on an area a short distance away from her. She felt her new pin activate, and she suddenly found herself in the spot she had just focused on, looking at a very confused earth pony. "Over here!" Crimson found his target again, and attacked with his energy shots again. Pinkamena teleported again, this time directly behind him. "What a shame, your lightning orb thingy has gone out," she commented, and attack him in a rapid flurry of hooves, faster than the eye could follow. He was knocked back and off his feet. Pinkamena didn't intend to let him get up again. Using her other attack pin, she teleported above him, and came slamming down on his midsection. She heard a sickening crack, and knew it was over. Crimson Vest was beginning to fade out of existence. Her foe dealt with, Pinkamena glanced over at Twilight's side of the field. Her enemy was also fading, although Twilight was kneeling next to him. Saying sorry I suppose. She went over to Crimson Vest and stood over him. Before she had a chance to say anything, he vanished completely. There was another bright flash, and Twilight and her were all alone, standing beside the pond. A tingle in her front hoof confirmed they had cleared the mission. I can only hope the others are okay...
SIaanme	1156	17	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2012-07-04T11:50:11+00:00	2012-07-04T11:50:11+00:00	1,980	DAY 5:3 "Come on Rainbow! The wall's down!" Applejack glanced over her shoulder at her friend. "That means we're on the clock." "I know what it means," grumbled Dash. She didn't make any moves towards the exit. "Sorry if I'm not eager to kill some pony like you are." Applejack held back a groan. This really wasn't the time...."Hey, I'm not crazy about the idea either. But surely if it's between us and them, better for us to survive, right?" "Why? What makes us any better than any other pony?" Dash asked despondently. Applejack was startled. She had never seen her friend like this before. "What, apart from the whole embodying the elements of harmony and thus being Equestria's last line of defense against any threats?" Applejack retorted. "Why, nothing really." "See, that's just it! We're meant to be defending Equestria, not killing other ponies!" "Technically they're already dead..." Applejack interjected. Rainbow waved it aside with her hoof. "It doesn't matter! The point is there would be ponies, and we would be hurting them." "Well if that's what it costs to come back to life..." "Then it's too much! I was fine with this back when the only thing we had to fight was Noise. Now they've gone too far, and I can't do it." "Are you saying you don't want to come back to life?" "I'm not saying that at all! I'm saying that I don't deserve a second chance any more than any other pony, so why should I deny them that chance? In fact, I probably deserve a second chance less than any pony else? What have I got to come back to? A job with the Weather Patrol, and an ever-decreasing chance to join the Wonderbolts. While the others, they still have family to come back to, ponies who care about them." "Now listen here Rainbow Dash. You've got ponies who care about you. Four friends for one.... er, four. Do you think we won't care if you don't make it?" "Well you won't. If I don't make it, you won't either." Quick as a flash, Applejack slammed Dash against the tree. "Now listen here Rainbow. You may not think you've got anything to come back to, but me? I've got Granny Smith, Big Macintosh and Applebloom. I've got Sweet Apple Acres to tend to. So if you're not gonna do this for yourself, you gotta do it for me." Dash tried unsuccessfully to wiggle out of Applejacks grip. "And if we're the only two that make it back, what then? If we have to fight our friends?" "It won't come to that." "You don't know that!" "Rainbow, look at me when I tell you, it WON'T come to that." Applejack gave Dash the most imploring look she could muster. "Now are you going to help us get our lives back, or are you going to mope some more?" "...Alright. Fine." Dash sounded defeated. "Not for you, but for your sister. After all, it would suck if you weren't there when she gets her cutie mark." "Darn tootin'. Now come on, the timer's ticking." As the pair passed through the barrier into a field, they heard a voice from the other side of the field. "They've sealed us in again! How rude!" Applejack gulped. "Well, this is unfortunate." As they stepped closer, they could see it was indeed Rarity, with Fluttershy hiding behind her. "Howdy." "It won't come to this huh?" §§§ Rarity checked her hoof again. Fifty minutes left. They had wasted ten minutes on this fruitless hunt for a way out. Every wall had been checked five times, and there were no opening. "Well girls, I'm afraid it's time we face facts," she said. "Only two of us are getting out alive." Applejack nodded. "I figured as much. So the question is, who?" "Well, I should have hoped the answer would be obvious," said Rarity "It is, I just didn't want to be the one to say it." "It should be Fluttershy and I," Rarity said at the same time Applejack said "Rainbow and me." Rarity blinked. "I'm sorry dear, but I believe you misspoke. You OF COURSE were going to selflessly let Fluttershy and I proceed, weren't you?" "Why the hay would I say that? Rainbow and I clearly have better reasons to win then you do." "Oh please! What do you have to contribute to society anyway? Apples? You can get them from any market," Rarity said, waving a dismissive hoof. "Whereas not only do I have my own, unique vision to bring to the world of fashion, but I also have a sister to help raise." "So do I! And those apples wouldn't get to the market without me there to buck them down." "Oh." Rarity was momentarily taken back. "Well, be that as it may, what about Fluttershy? She has all her animals to get back to." There was a tug at Rarity's mane. "Yes Fluttershy? I've told them how eager you are to get back to your animals." Fluttershy shook her head. She pointed at Rainbow Dash and Applejack and nodded. It took a few seconds for Rarity to get what she was saying. "You want them to win? But what about your animals? What about my fashion? What about my sister?" "Sorry Rarity, but if Fluttershy doesn't want to fight, I guess that means Rainbow and I win by default," said Applejack. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," said Dash. Applejack turned to look at her. "Why not? Without a partner, Rarity won't be able to battle properly, so we'll win." "Hey, I was only going along with this 'cause you said we wouldn't have to fight our friends. If we are, that changes things. And on top of everything else, we have to fight Fluttershy?" Dash looked distressed. "She's my oldest friend! I can't bring myself to hurt her. So you're down a partner as well." There was silence. Eventually, Rarity broke the tension. "Well we can't all stop here. Fluttershy, are you sure you won't..." "Well, looks like we got here in time," a voice interrupted Rarity. Stunned, all four ponies turned to see the speaker. "Oriens? Sea Breeze?" Rarity said confused. "What are you two doing here? There was a wall..." "Was there?" Oriens shrugged. "Well, now there's not. Just as well too. Seems I'm going to be able to pay off my debt now." "Oh, are you admitting you're the one who owes the debt now Ori?" Sea Breeze teased. "Pay off your debt? I'm afraid I don't understand..." said Rarity, worried she did understand." "Well," Oriens said, "The way I see it you've either got to fight your friends, or fail the mission. And neither you or your friends can go through with the former, while none of you want the latter." "What's he talking about a ladder for, and why do none of us want it?" Applejack whispered to Rainbow Dash. "So," Oriens continued, louder, "if only you had another pair to fight instead, so you all have a chance to complete the mission." He tapped his chest with his hoof. "And so, Sea Breeze and I." "But I just couldn't!" Rarity cried. "After all, Fluttershy and I saved you from those Noise. How could we then be the ones to erase you?" "No, see, he and his partner are giving us a way to not fight each other because he owes Rarity a debt or something," Rainbow Dash was explaining to Applejack in a whisper. "Ah, right. So where does the ladder come into it?" Sea Breeze spoke up this time. "Well, the way we see it, neither of us would be here if you hadn't saved us back then. So since our existence is dependant on you, being erased by you wouldn't be so bad." "Besides, how do you know it won't be us who erases you?" quipped Oriens. "Well hold on now," Applejack spoke up. "I might not have the whole story here, but why can't RD and I here fight you instead. That way neither side will hold back or feel guilty." "And how do you know that wasn't what we were counting on?" Oriens asked, grinning. "No, I don't mean that. Look, my debt is to Rarity, not you. Thus it's her and Fluttershy we have to fight, not you two. Make sense to me." "And me," Rarity said. She nodded at Applejack. "You two go find some other ponies. We'll be fine here." "But Rarity..." Applejack started, then cut herself off. "Okay. Don't you go dying on us." With that the two of them ran off past Sea Breeze and Oriens. "Well then," Rarity said, turning to Fluttershy. "Are you ready?" Fluttershy nodded her consent. "Well then... shall we begin?" §§§ "See Rainbow? I told you we wouldn't have to fight our friends," Applejack said to her partner as they ran through the park. "And I was right." "Don't say that," said Dash. "We might still end up fighting Pinkie." "Nah, by now I reckon Pinkie will have completed the mission." There was a flash of colour up ahead. "I think we found our fight." Standing before them was a pair of ponies, a unicorn and an earth pony, yellow and green. Applejack slowed down to avoid running into them. Dash on the other hoof, lived up to her name, and continued charging. She ran straight into the unicorn, knocking her to the ground. Before Applejack could scold Rainbow, the area around them began to warp and change. Once it had calmed down, Applejack found herself opposite the other earth pony. "Er, howdy?" She called out. Her opponent made no response, instead charging at Applejack. Okay, no time for talk then. Applejack activated her Lasso pin, firing a line of barbed straight at the charging pony. The pony dodged to side at the last second, and continued bearing down on Applejack. Likewise, Applejack leapt out of the way of the charge at the last second, still keeping he in range of her hat attack. Her opponent spun around suddenly, creating a ring of energy, knocking Applejack back. What in tarnation? Applejack darted toward the earth pony, hat in mouth ready to attack with her own shockwave attack. Her opponent spun around again, creating the same energy ring, knocking AJ back again. Alright, so I need to hold you still. Applejack tried her Lasso pin again. This time the green earth pony was too close to dodge, so she was ensnared by the barbed wire. The other pony struggled against the wire, but she was helpless. Wasting no time, Applejack slashed at her several times with her hat. The wire was after all only a temporary solution, it couldn't hold her forever, and once it wore off... Applejack felt herself being knocked back as she expected. She fired off another another Lasso attack, and prepared to start her assault again. This time however, the barbed wire veered off course. Applejack's eyes widened. The green earth pony appeared to be on fire! And she was getting closer to Applejack. Quickly AJ retreated, narrowly avoiding getting her tail singed. Before she could get too far away though, a park bench crashed down in front of her. Without thinking, Applejack leapt straight over it like she would a rodeo hurdle. She turned just in time to see another park bench flying towards her. This one she ducked under. She tried firing another length of barbed wire, but the other pony was too far away, and easily dodged it. Deprived of any more park benches to levitate, the mare charged Applejack again. Staying calm, Applejack lined up another Lasso shot. When the other earth pony was only a short distance away, she tried firing. Nothing happened. Too late, Applejack glanced down to see the pin had turned grey, out of uses. She looked up again just as her opponent did her spin attack again. Applejack managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but still took a hit. She whipped off her hat again, preparing a counterattack. Before she could land even a single blow however, her opponent was covered in fire again. Applejack had to divert her attack to the side, not wanting her hat damaged. Her opponent spun again, knocking Applejack back. Undeterred, Applejack reached out using her telekinesis, picking up one of the park benches her opponent, and clubbed the green pony to the ground. Her opponent got up shakily, clearly weakened by the blow. Blood trickled down her face. "Give up now, and I won't have to do that again," Applejack suggested. Instead of replying, the mare tapped a pin on her sash. A green light surrounded her, bright enough to force Applejack to look away. When she looked back, the other mare looked stronger, and the blood on her face had vanished. She had been healed. "Oh now that's not fair." Applejack swung the bench again, but the other pony was on fire before it connected. She shrugged off the blow, no more hurt than if a bug had flown into her. She slowly advanced on Applejack, still on fire. Applejack backed away equally slowly. Her opponent smiled a lazy smile, still advancing. Suddenly, her fire barrier was down. Applejack prepared an attack... WHAM! A sudden blow from behind sent Applejack flying towards her opponent. Smiling, her opponent reignited. Applejack collided with her, although it felt less like hitting a pony and more like hitting a brick wall. Except for the whole being on fire part. Applejack tried to scramble backwards before she caught fire, but it was too late. A smell she hadn't smelled since she first learnt how to bake wafted through the air. Her tail and mane were on fire! Acting on instinct, she dropped to the ground and rolled. After three rolls she was satisfied the fire was out, and started to stand up again. Just in time to see one of the park benches aimed straight at her face. The blow knocked Applejack back into the barrier surrounding the fight area. Shakily, she tried to stand up. The other pony was approaching, smiling. She had won and she knew it. Applejack had nothing left. She closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate. Except I do have something left, Applejack remembered. Opening her eyes again, she looked down at her pin sash. There was one pin she hadn't used, the one she got in her mission mail. On it was a cider mug, in danger of overflowing. Applejack had no idea what it did, but at this point, she had no better plan. She reached down and tapped it. Instantly Applejack felt strength returning to her legs, accompanied by a faint green light. She recognised it as the same light that had appeared when her opponent had healed itself. She looked up. The green pony continued towards her, seemingly not having noticed the healing. Applejack gathered her strength, readying one last assault. She took aim as her foe came ever closer. Once Applejack deemed her close enough, she fired a shot from her lasso pin, entangling her opponent. Not wasting a second, she reached out towards the park bench with her telekinesis, and brought it crashing down on her opponent, again and again. She didn't let up, even when the entanglement had worn off. Finally, she stopped, her opponent lying in a puddle of blood, barely breathing. "I'm sorry," Applejack whispered, and brought the bench down on her one last time, with a sickening crack. There was a brief flash of light, and her opponent's body was gone. Applejack sank to the ground, her eyes closed. "I did what I had to do," she whispered to herself. "It wasn't my fault. I did what I had to do...."
SIaanme	1156	18	Main 6,Crossover,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Reaper's Game	The World Ends With You meets Ponies.	incomplete	153	6	<p>Twilight Sparkle wakes up on the streets of Manehatten with no idea how she got there. Things take a turn for the strange when a scroll appears in front of her, threatening erasure and signed by "The Reapers". Just what is this game that Twilight has gotten herself into, and can she survive for seven days?</p>	teen	2012-09-17T09:50:59+00:00	2012-09-17T09:50:59+00:00	2,652	DAY 5-4 "Now this is just unsporting!" Rarity cried, glancing around the arena. "It's unfair of you to be invisible!" "And who said I was interested in playing fair?" Oriens voice said from somewhere behind her. Rarity spun on the spot, and dropped a barrage of rocks roughly where she heard the voice coming from. She heard a chuckle. "Nice try, but no. I'm over here now!" Rarity turned to see a ball of fire approaching. She hastily summoned an ice pillar in front of her. In defiance of conventional wisdom, the ball bounced off the pillar instead of melting through it, rebounding to the side. "Is that the best you can do Oriens?" Rarity asked the wind. "I suppose that invisibility isn't helping you after all." "I wouldn't say that," replied Oriens from right behind her. "It let me sneak up on you after all." Before Rarity had a chance to react she felt a series of slashes on her back, causing her to stumble forward. Without looking she conjured another ice pillar, this one directly behind her. She heard a grunt of pain, and immediately followed up with a hail of rocks. She was rewarded with several muffled thumps, followed by a larger one. She finally turned around to see Ori struggling to his feet. "Well played," he wheezed. "But don't think you've won yet." He launched another fire orb at Rarity, who once again blocked with an ice pillar. By the time it had vanished, Oriens had also. "Again with the invisibility? This is getting tiring," Rarity grumbled. "Why mess with a winning strategy?" Oriens replied. Another fire orb appeared to Rarity's left. She dodged this one, since she her ice pillar pin was recharging. Suddenly Ori was right beside her, and he slashed at her with his wings. Before Rarity could respond, he had disappeared again, with another fire orb aimed straight at her in his place. Rarity threw herself to the ground, the orb flying harmlessly over her. She summoned another hail of rocks off to her left. She heard some of them connect by chance. Managing to get back onto her hooves, Rarity tried creating an ice pillar, but unfortunately her pin was still recharging. "You know, a real stallion wouldn't need to resort to such underhanded tactics to win," Rarity cried out, dropping another barrage of rocks behind her. "And a classy mare wouldn't make disparaging comments about somepony she barely knows," Oriens shot back. "So I guess we both have our faults." Another orb of fire appeared, heading for Rarity. She dodged to the side, only to be knocked back into it by Oriens. "Look, you're barely managing to hit me. If you give up now, I promise your erasure will be as pain free as I can manage." "I don't need to hit you to win." Rarity scanned the area for any hint of Oriens. "I just have to survive long enough for Fluttershy to defeat Sea Breeze." Oriens reappeared and let out a chuckle. "Well that won't happen anytime soon." He performed a lazy loop in the sky. "You're already exhausted. It shouldn't take too many more hits to finish you." In response, Rarity summoned her rocks above Oriens, battering him to the ground. She followed though with an ice pillar, then more rocks. "Maybe, but I still have another trick left." She tapped her new pin, a sewing needle with thread, hoping she had guessed its ability correctly. A light blue glow suffused her, filling her with energy again. "Oh good, that is what it does." "So, you can heal yourself," Oriens said, shakily rising off the ground again. "Well that certainly will make things more interesting." He vanished again. "But it won't be enough." "Au contraire," Rarity replied, looking around for a clue to Ori's position. "So long as I keep damaging you when I can, eventually you will be beaten. Even if you can damage me more, I can heal from it." "True, there is that," Ori conceded. "However, you forgot the other side of this battle. Our partners." "I'm sorry, did you miss the part where I said Fluttershy would win?" Rarity quickly glanced over to the other side of the battlefield. She saw Fluttershy surrounded by her barrier approaching Sea Breeze, who was unable to do anything but flee. Rarity winced in sympathy as Sea Breeze retreated into a water orb, knocking her down. "Yes, I have misjudged that battle," Rarity said dryly. "Clearly Sea Breeze has the upper hoof. However shall we win now?" "No need to be like that," Ori huffed. "Considering how unfair that barrier is, I say Breeze is doing well. But that's not what I meant at all." He suddenly reappeared close to the other side of the battlefield. "BREEZE! HEALING PLEASE?" Rarity's heart sank as she watched a green glow surround Oriens and Sea Breeze. "Ah," she said. "I admit that will be a problem." Quickly she dropped some rocks on Ori, only managing to score a few hits before he vanished again. "See, Breeze can match you healing for healing, so all you're really doing is delaying." The voice came from Rarity's left, so she summoned her ice pillar. A short grunt rewarded her effort. Before she could follow up, Ori had already vanished. A fire orb passed in front of her, and she reflexively took a step backwards. A sharp pain flared up across her side, knocking her off her hooves. Oriens' attack was strong enough that she was sent flying across the battlefield, hitting a tree. A few leaves fell, loosened by the impact. "Please tell me you're ready to give up now," Ori said, reappearing in front of her. "I don't actually like hurting other ponies." In response Rarity summoned another ice pillar. She slowly stood up again, her back to the tree. "Give up? When I have the upper hoof?" She tapped her healing pin, feeling the energy suffuse her. Refreshed, she dropped a few more rocks on the pegasus. In response, he shot a fire orb at her, forcing her to dodge to the side. The orb extinguished as it hit the tree, defying physics and not setting the wood on fire. A few more leaves fell. "I wouldn't say you have the upper hoof here," Ori said, reappearing to Rarity's right to deliver a slashing attack. "Unless you come from some sort of opposite land." Rarity used her last ice pillar charge to retaliate, missing Ori. "Not, but with this tree behind me, there are now fewer places you can attack me from." She dropper a few rocks in a random spot, waiting for Ori's response. "Well, we can't have that can we?" he asked. Rarity heard a series of slashes, but none of them seemed to be aimed at her. A few seconds later there was a sharp crack, and the tree fell away behind her. She turned to see Ori, puffing but grinning. "Now your advantage is gone." Rarity summoned her rocks, but the pegasus vanished before they landed. "And I thought you'd be smart enough not to tell your enemy your plan." Rarity smiled. "Oh, I am. Thank you for the weapon dear." A blue aura surrounded the tree, and it slowly lifted into the air. "Hmm, a bit heavier than my sewing needles, but it should get the job done." She swung the tree in a wide circle around her, shedding leaves as it went. She heard a thunk as it hit Oriens, sending him flying. She swung it round again, readying another hit. Before she could line it up , she felt her telekinesis fail, and the tree dropped to the ground with a thump. "I underestimated you," Oriens panted. "Getting me to cut that tree down, that was clever." He flashed a grin. "But that trick won't work again." "It doesn't need to, One more hit and I'll have won. And I have plenty of other attacks to do that with." "I see only two problems with that scenario," said Ori. "One, you seem to have forgotten Breeze's healing pin. And two..." The pegasus disappeared from sight. "Well, I think you see how this goes." "Yes, I admit under those conditions I might have a bit more difficulty," Rarity said. "However, if I may offer two counter points? One, poor Sea Breeze will have a hard time doing anything right now." Rarity indicated the other side of the battlefield. Fluttershy was hovering a short distance in front of Sea Breeze, her eyes locked on those of the unicorn's. "You see Fluttershy has quite a naturally intimidating stare. I can only imagine how much worse it is with a pin to improve it. As for you being invisible...." Rarity scanned the leaves that had fallen in a circle around her. She spotted a small group of them moving in the non-existent wind, and grinned. "Well, let's just say that the tree served two purposes." She conjured an ice pillar directly under the swirling leaves, striking Oriens Ventus directly in his chest. There was a bright flash, and Rarity found herself standing beside Fluttershy, their battle won. "Oh thank Celestia! Are you okay Fluttershy?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy didn't respond, instead looking at the ground. "Fluttershy?" Rarity asked again. She followed the pegasus' gaze down, to find the prone form of Oriens. "Oh. Oh dear." The green peagasus was fading, still visible but slowly turning transparent even as the pair watched. "I'm sorry Oriens," Rarity said quietly. "But it was us or you. We knew that." "Yeah, I know," Ori replied slowly. "Where's Sea Breeze? I want to see her... one last time...." "I'm here Ori," Sea Breeze whispered, appearing from behind Fluttershy. "I'm here..." Oriens groaned with pain, turning his head to look at the mare. "Breeze... I just wanted to say, the day I married you was the best day of my life." A cold feeling went up Rarity's back as she watched. But when we first met, Sea Breeze said... Sea Breeze was clearly holding back tears. "But we never married Ori. We were just engaged." Oriens let out a chuckle. "I see. So that's what your entry fee was. Those b-" The rest of the word was cut off as another grunt of pain escaped him. "Well then. I suppose... If it's my last chance to say it.... Sea Breeze, I-" A flash of light, and he was gone. Sea Breeze turned to Rarity, tears in her eyes. "Wha... what did he mean? My entry fee?" Rarity had the good grace to look uncomfortable as she spoke. "Well, if your entry fee is what you value most... then I suppose what you valued most was your marriage." "Oh Ori...." Sea Breeze slumped to the ground, her tears falling freely now. "I loved you too...." She was beginning to fade now. Tears still falling, she looked up at Rarity and Fluttershy. "Rarity, Fluttershy. Win this game. Win it for Ori and I." Another flash, and she too was gone. "We will," Rarity muttered. "We will." DAY 5 CROSSING LINES END §§§ "Well THAT was boring!" Candy Cane complained. High Tide glanced at her before turning his back on Rarity and Fluttershy. "I mean it felt like that battle lasted MONTHS, and it wasn't even very good! And that conclusion? Ugh, soo soppy!" High Tide said nothing, spreading his wings and flying off. Candy Cane followed him. "If you ask me a battle between those friends would have been way more interesting. I mean can you imagine the tension? Tension always makes these battles better, and then it wouldn't have been so obvious who would win like that one was!" "You bet against the winners," High Tide reminded her as they landed on top of one of Manehatten's skyscrapers. "Yeah, well, shut up," Candy Cane retorted. "So why then? Why'd you drop the barrier keeping the friends locked up together? It was all shaping up to be a free for all friend fight until you interfered." Candy Cane sulked. And after you stopped me playing with Pinkie and her friend too..." High Tide stayed silent, a lot on his mind. A borderline illegal mission? Rigged walls? Something was very wrong with this game. And he was going to find out what.
TDarkchylde	1158	1	Big Macintosh,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Zecora,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shylight	A magical accident creates a new pony where two existed before.	incomplete	150	6	<p>(Author's note: This is not a shipfic. I wish they'd put tags on the main page.) </p><p>After a tragic magical accident, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie have lost two of their friends, but gained a new one.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T03:59:53+00:00	2011-10-03T03:59:53+00:00	8,287	Shylight A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfic Written by T. Darkchylde Chapter One: Don't Be Afraid The day began like any other for Fluttershy. She rose from her bed and cheerfully greeted the new day. After grabbing a light breakfast, she fed her animals and checked on the sick ones in her care. When she was satisfied all was well, she curled up on her day bed with a little bit of light reading. Her gentle heart quivered as her eyes darted across the pages. Despite the romance novel being possibly the lightest and least suggestive in Twilight Sparkle's library, it was still enough to make her feel slightly uncomfortable in a good way. After reading the steamy novel for what seemed like hours, her stomach growled at her. She decided it was a good time to fix a small lunch. As she finished eating, she could hear a knock on the door. "Hello? Fluttershy?" a familiar voice called from outside. Fluttershy meekly went to the front door and peeked through the curtains. "Oh, hello Twilight," she said as she opened her door. "What brings you out here at this time of day?" "I, ah... I kind of need a favor," Twilight Sparkle said. "Zecora loaned me one of her spellbooks, but I need ingredients from the Everfree Forest for one of the spells." "Oh, Twilight," Fluttershy meekly inquired, "Is this another one of your magical experiments?" "Kind of," Twilight sheepishly admitted. "It's actually for a good cause, though." "You said that when you helped Rainbow Dash out by copying Pinkie Pie's energetic personality onto her own," Fluttershy scolded as she opened the door wider so Twilight could enter. "It took me days to get all the snow out of the chicken coop." "Yeah, but..." Twilight began to protest as she went inside. "...And the time you tried giving Rarity a self-styling mane," Fluttershy continued. "Okay, that wasn't my brightest idea, but..." Twilight continued. "...And the time the Crusaders came running here in the middle of the night because you accidentally made Spike full-grown while you were dreaming..." Fluttershy went on. "Geez!" Twilight said. "Okay, okay, I get it. This time's different, though. It's actually a fairly benign spell, a vaccine for Poison Joke. Remember what it did to you?" "Yes..." Fluttershy meekly admitted as she recalled the unpleasant experience. It took her weeks to convince the stallion who owned the jazz club to go away. "I guess it won't be too bad..." "It'll be fine," Twilight reassured her friend. "I just need to grab one plant. That's all." She showed Fluttershy the information she had on the plant. Fluttershy looked tentatively at the notes. "Oh, okay, this one isn't too hard to find. It actually grows pretty close to the entrance," she said as she smiled. "But you must be careful, there's a poisonous plant that grows in the same area that looks almost exactly the same as this one." "That's why I need your help," Twilight said. "I'm great with books and magic, but I admit I'm not much of a botanist." "Okay," Fluttershy said. "Let me go give the animals their lunch real quick, then I'll come along." She opened a closet and pulled out a small bag of feed. "Things have started going so much more smoothly since they started selling pre-made animal feed at Sweet Apple Acres." "I told Applejack that was a great idea months ago, but she didn't want to believe me," Twilight said as she grabbed the bag of feed with her magic. "Let me give you a hoof with that." "Thanks, Twilight," Fluttershy said as she walked toward the back. =++++= Back at Twilight's Library, Spike was conspiring with Pinkie Pie. "This is going to be great!" Spike said happily as he started to hang a banner from the ceiling. "Yep! It'll be the best party ever!" Pinkie Pie said as she grabbed the other side. "The anniversary of the day Twilight hatched you... it's not right not to have a party!" "You know, Pinkie, you always say that, but then you keep outdoing yourself!" Spike exclaimed as he finished and slid down the ladder. "You good to finish up here while I go grab the others?" Pinkie nodded to the young dragon as she started working on the other decorations. "Yep, I'm good here," she said. "Just make sure Twilight doesn't come back for about twenty minutes or so. We don't want to ruin her surprise!" "Sure don't," Spike said as he left. This was going to be perfect... =++++= It took only a few minutes for Fluttershy to find the plant Twilight was looking for, though it was a little deeper in the Everfree than she remembered. Luckily, it was still fairly close to the edge of the forest. "Over here," she softly called. Twilight went over to Fluttershy's side. "Yes," she said as she inspected the plant, "That's the one. It's just like the notes said." "How much of it do you need?" Fluttershy asked as she bent down to grab some of the plant. "Just a couple of flowers should do," Twilight said, smiling. "A little goes a long way with this spell." Fluttershy bit at the stalks carefully with her teeth, then lifted them gently and put them in Twilight's saddlebag. "Is that it?" she asked. "Yep," Twilight said. "We can get out of... Fluttershy, did one of your chickens escape again?" Something with the head of a chicken was poking its head over the bushes. Fluttershy looked over at the creature. "That... that's not a chicken, Twilight," she said as she began to panic. She could feel a familiar feeling. Twilight noticed the same feeling. She had fallen victim to it once before. She looked back as her hind legs were beginning to turn to stone. "Oh no... Fluttershy, get close to me!" she cried. Fluttershy didn't have to be told twice as she huddled next to Twilight. "Next stop, home!" Twilight shouted as she unleashed her teleportation spell... =+++*+= Spike had managed to get Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash to come to the library. Along with Pinkie Pie, they were hiding. All of the lights were out and the curtains were drawn. "Think she's gonna show up anytime soon?" Applejack whispered. "Yeah," Spike replied. "She said she had some big spell to work on, so she would be home as soon as she came back from Fluttershy's." "Maybe she'll have Fluttershy with her!" Pinkie quietly exclaimed. "I hope not," Rarity whispered. "Remember when you tried throwing her a surprise party last year?" "Oh, yeah, I forgot," Pinkie said. "She almost jumped right out of her skin..." "Which is why we should never prank Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash whispered. Suddenly, a familiar magic appeared in the center of the room as a teleportation spell resolved. Pinkie Pie flipped on the lights. Everypony sprang up and yelled "Surprise!" The small beige alicorn standing in the center of the room shrieked...
TDarkchylde	1158	2	Big Macintosh,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Zecora,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shylight	A magical accident creates a new pony where two existed before.	incomplete	150	6	<p>(Author's note: This is not a shipfic. I wish they'd put tags on the main page.) </p><p>After a tragic magical accident, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie have lost two of their friends, but gained a new one.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T08:53:23+00:00	2011-10-03T08:53:23+00:00	10,229	Shylight - Chapter Two - An Accidental Alicorn "Surprise!" Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Spike all shouted. The small beige alicorn in the center of the room shrieked. Instinctively, she darted out of sight and hid beneath the staircase. "I'm sorry," she pleaded. "I... I don't know what is happening..." "That wasn't Twilight," Pinkie said, confused. "That sounded more like Fluttershy..." "...But that was Twilight's teleporting spell," Rarity said. "I can tell." "Did something happen to Twilight?" Spike asked, concerned. The alicorn curled up into a ball under the stairs. Her mind was full of confusing sensations and memories. She knew all those ponies, yet she didn't. She had an idea of who she was, but she couldn't remember her own name. She knew she had asked... herself to go into the Everfree Forest to look for a plant, and that's where everything got confused. Rainbow Dash approached the stairs slowly. "Are you alright?" she asked gently. "I... I'm... Rainbow Dash, is that you?" the alicorn stuttered. "It's so hard to tell right now... Everything is so mixed up." "Yeah, I'm Rainbow Dash," she said, confused. "Do you have a name?" "Fluttershy," the alicorn answered quietly, audible only to Dash. "No, wait, I'm Twilight Sparkle... I... I... I don't know..." She screamed in that subdued manner Fluttershy was known for, but there was a hint of growling in the scream as well, as Twilight would do whenever frustrated. "I don't know what I am..." "This is bad," Dash said as she looked back to the others. "She just said she might be Fluttershy or Twilight... and if she's Twilight, there's no way she's in any shape to figure out what's going on." Applejack looked over at the alicorn, who somehow managed to become even more hidden as she sensed AJ's glance. "Okay, guys, who do we know besides Twilight who could figure this out?" Dash asked. Spike spoke up first. "I could try writing a letter to Princess Celestia," he offered. "Meantime, Ah could be grabbin' Applebloom." Applejack suggested. "Maybe she learned somethin' from Zecora that could help us here." "Good idea, but we might need Zecora herself," Rarity said. "No offense, but I'd rather have the teacher over the apprentice." "It's pretty far to Zecora's," Rainbow Dash said. "I'll go, I can get there quickest. Maybe I can get her to come here." "It's settled, then," Rarity said. "I'll try to see if I can figure anything out myself. Pinkie Pie could stay here and help me keep the poor thing company." "Prolly not a good idea," Applejack said. "As skittish as that filly is, Pinkie may be the last thing she needs. No offense, Pinkie." "None taken," Pinkie said, smiling. "I know I'm a little of an acquired taste." "I don't have to go anywhere to send the letter," Spike said as he was in the process of writing it out. "I'll help Rarity out here." "Pinkie, go with Applejack," Rainbow Dash decided. "If Applebloom is with her little friends, you might need to keep them occupied while we get her here." "Will do!" Pinkie said as she bounced over to Applejack. "You should go ahead and get moving, Dash," Rarity said. "You will need all the daylight you can get." "Right," Dash said. "Let's move!" =++++= It only took a few minutes for Applejack and Pinkie Pie to reach Sweet Apple Acres. "You keep up awful fast considerin' all you do is bounce," Applejack observed. She had been in a full gallop since leaving the library. "Never question an all-dessert diet!" Pinkie said, laughing. "I'm starting to get tired though." "Proteins," Applejack snarkily replied. "Gotta keep some balance." Big Macintosh looked up as the two young mares ran up to him. They had interrupted him taking a rest break. "Somethin' wrong, sis?" he asked. "You could say that," Applejack said. "You seen Applebloom about?" "Eeyup, but she ain't here now," he said as he got up. "One of her friends came by a little bit ago an' said somethin' about some new thread. Ah think they went to Rarity's." "Dang," AJ said. "Come on, Pinkie, Ah don't think this here's gonna be as easy as Ah thought." She went back into a full-speed gallop again. "Thanks, bro!" "Yeah, thanks a lot, big guy," Pinkie said, smiling, as she resumed bouncing after Applejack. "Mmm-hmm," Big Macintosh said as he went back to work. =++++= Princess Celestia was walking to her chambers after finishing yet another excruciating day of court. "Still want this job, Sister?" she said. "Ugh. Not after our nephew's outburst," Luna said as she followed her sister. "All he ever does anymore is whine about that one mare at the last Gala." "Personally, I figure it would be good for him to get knocked down a few more pegs," Celestia said, laughing. "I might have to have a word with his father." "Don't try it," Luna warned. "He makes Blueblood seem like the perfect gentlecolt by comparison." Celestia stopped for a moment and shuddered. "Ooooh, scary thought," she said. "Don't do that to me!" "Sorry," Luna said. A magical letter soon appeared in front of the Princesses. Celestia opened it up with her magic and took a look at it. She soon frowned. "Celly?" Luna asked. "What is it?" "There's been an accident. I'm needed in Ponyville right away," Celestia said. "Could you put the sun away for me tonight, please?" "Of course," Luna said. Celestia ran back towards the throne room as quickly as her majestic legs would allow. Once her sister was out of sight, Luna picked up the letter and read it. Dear Princess Celestia, This is Spike writing. Something has happened here at the library. It may involve Twilight Sparkle. There's a small alicorn here who is claiming to be both her and one of our other friends, Fluttershy. Could you please take a look? Signed, Spike "Oh, dear," Princess Luna thought. "I know that magic... it's old magic I traded to the zebras long ago!" "Sister, wait!" Luna shouted as she ran after Celestia. =++++= Rainbow Dash flew deftly through the Everfree Forest. As long as the sun was still out, she could fly at a fast enough speed and still see the obstacles in her path. She had to hurry, though. She was close to Zecora's hut, but there was still the matter of getting back out of the forest before nightfall. "Spike, you shoulda asked the Princess if she could keep the sun up a little longer," Dash muttered as she continued to evade the natural obstacles at somewhat unsafe speeds. It took another ten minutes or so, but Dash finally made it to the hut. She landed and knocked on the door. "Hey, Zecora, you home? It's Rainbow Dash. I need your help." A groan could be heard from inside. "Dash, if it's help you seek, you could have picked a better week..." Zecora said, weakly. "I'm sorry... it's an emergency. It's about Twilight," Dash said apologetically. "Did she botch another incantation? I warned that girl about bad information," Zecora said as she struggled to reach the door. Dash laid her eyes upon a Zecora that was a few shades more green than usual. "Whoa... what happened to you?" she asked as she covered her face with her hoof. "Just an annoying autumn flu," Zecora said as she motioned for Dash to come in. "Be thankful ponies can't get it too." Dash breathed a sigh of relief as she walked in. "Remember that book of spells you loaned Twilight last week?" she asked, getting straight to the point. "Yes... I remember that tome. Did she misplace it somewhere in her home?" "No... though the book was missing," Dash mentioned. "She was looking for a plant for one of the spells, and I think she tried to teleport home for some reason... then something weird happened." "She traveled through space and time? I hope the book was elsewhere, child," Zecora said, shocked. "Okay, that was a poor rhyme," Dash quipped. Zecora laughed between coughs. "Considering how badly I'm under the weather, I'm lucky I can still string words together." "Fair enough..." Dash said. "So, do you think the book might have had something to do with it?" "To be certain, mine eyes must see, the result of Twilight's catastrophe," Zecora said as she packed a few books into her saddlebag. "Let us be off, making haste. At night, we don't want to be in this place." "Need a lift?" Dash offered. "It would be far safer to walk, than to risk a crash in the dark," Zecora said, declining the offer. She began the trek through the forest to Ponyville. Dash wasn't far behind. =++++= The alicorn was still hiding underneath the stairs. She was sobbing quietly, but hadn't said a word since Dash and the others left. "The poor dear's so frightened," Rarity observed. "If she really is both Twilight and Fluttershy, it must be painful for her," Spike said softly. "How so?" Rarity asked. "Well, we've seen how timid Fluttershy can be," Spike said. "The thing is, Twilight isn't exactly social either. If she's both of them, she must be scared out of her mind just by existing." "If only there was a way to get her to open up," Rarity sighed. "The others are trying to get all the expertise here they can find, but the only one who can tell us what really happened is hiding in that corner." Suddenly Spike had an idea as he remembered back to when he and Twilight first met Fluttershy. "Rarity, could you go into the kitchen for a few minutes?" he asked. "I'm going to try something." "Sure," Rarity said. "I could probably use some tea or something anyway. Do you want any?" she asked as she turned toward the kitchen. "I'm good," Spike said. "I had an entire plate of aquamarines earlier. Our little friend might want one, though, so just keep an ear out." "Indeed," Rarity said as she disappeared into Twilight's kitchen. Spike crept up to the little beige alicorn. "It's safe. It's just the two of us now." "No..." the alicorn wept. "It feels like three. You, me... but it feels like someone else is watching." "It's just us, Twilight," Spike said as he crept closer, very careful not to frighten the alicorn. "Are... are you scared of other ponies right now?" "I... I don't feel like Twilight," the alicorn said softly. "I don't exactly feel like Fluttershy either, but I know I'm both of them. I don't even know what to call myself." She began to weep again. "There, there, don't cry," Spike said as he reached very slowly to wrap the alicorn in a hug. "Want me to figure out a name for you then? How about Fluttersparkle?" The alicorn pouted. "That just sounds weird, Spike..." "Well..." the dragon paused as he thought about it for a moment. "Shylight, perhaps?" "Shylight... Shylight? I... I think that'd be okay," she said. "Shylight. Yeah. I'm Shylight." "Cool, Shylight," Spike said as he slowly let go of the hug. "I have to go tell Rarity what's going on." Shylight cringed. "Is... is she going to come back in here?" "Well, this is the center of the library," Spike said sadly. "Hey, why don't you go upstairs and wait for me? That way you don't have to see Rarity until you're ready, and the others won't scare you when they come back. Is that okay?" "I... I think that'd work..." Shylight said as she slowly emerged from her hiding spot. She took a quick glance around, then ran up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. Spike sighed as he turned to go into the kitchen. This was going to take a lot of work...
TDarkchylde	1158	3	Big Macintosh,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Zecora,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shylight	A magical accident creates a new pony where two existed before.	incomplete	150	6	<p>(Author's note: This is not a shipfic. I wish they'd put tags on the main page.) </p><p>After a tragic magical accident, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie have lost two of their friends, but gained a new one.</p>	everyone	2011-10-04T06:24:55+00:00	2011-10-04T06:24:55+00:00	6,659	Shylight - Chapter Three - Past Mistakes "Wait up, Applejack!" Pinkie Pie panted as her bouncing slowed to a series of delayed hops. "Time out! I gotta catch my breath!" Applejack slowed her frantic gallop to a slow trot. "Ah told you... proteins," she gently mocked. "That there all-sugar diet ain't good for you." "I get it, I get it. I'll order something with soybeans next time I'm eating out," Pinkie said. "Just wait up, please..." "'Kay," Applejack said as she stopped. "We're here anyway." They'd arrived at the Carousel Boutique. The doors were locked. "Sweetie Belle? You home?" Pinkie Pie called out as she knocked on the door. There was no response. "Dang it," Applejack said. "They must be at their lil' clubhouse. Let's hoof it!" She launched back into a swift gallop. "This isn't fun anymore," Pinkie pouted as she tried to run after her friend. ==++++== "This is bad, Rarity," Spike said as he prepared to grab a tray with two glasses of tea on it. "Even if we get Zecora, Princess Celestia or anyone else here, the poor girl is traumatized! I doubt she'll let anypony near her..." "She let you come close, though," Rarity said, trying to reassure the young dragon. "It's a start. We can build on it." "I just don't know," Spike said sadly. "She's so much like Twilight and yet... I can't help thinking my Twilight is gone..." Rarity's horn glowed as she grabbed the tray out of Spike's hands and levitated it to the counter. She then beckoned for him to come closer. Spike ran over to Rarity and hugged her as all his emotions and tears just flowed out. They were like that for several minutes. "There, there," Rarity finally said. "Princess Celestia will be here soon and hopefully Zecora won't be far behind. We'll get to the bottom of this. We'll get them back." As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. A weak scream could be heard from upstairs. Spike sniffled. "I should go keep Shylight company while you fill the Princess in on what we know." He grabbed the tray. "Are you going to be okay?" Rarity asked as she walked to the door. "This whole thing isn't exactly easy on you either." "I'm the only one she trusts right now," Spike said, sadly. "It has to be me..." He disappeared upstairs. Rarity opened the door. "Ah, Princess Celestia," she said, bowing as she opened the door but not looking outside. "I'm glad you could come help us." She then looked up and froze. It was Princess Luna. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I might have more of a clue about this than my sister," she said. "May I enter?" "Ah... ah, of course Your Highness!" Rarity said as she practically stumbled over herself to back up. "Do come in!" Luna waved to the two Royal Guards who brought her into Ponyville. "Please, maintain your watch but stay outside," she told them. "This is a very delicate situation and your presence inside may cause a disturbance." "Yes, Princess," they said as they pulled the chariot aside the library, then took up positions near the door. "Princess, Rainbow Dash may be bringing Zecora here," Rarity said. "You might want to let them know to let her approach without any problems. Applejack may also return with her little sister, who happens to be Zecora's apprentice." "Did you hear that?" Luna asked the two guards. "If you see a blue pegasus traveling with a zebra, or two earth pony fillies, one wearing a hat, please do not bar them entry." "Understood," the guards said as they stood watch. "There," Luna said. "We should have all the privacy we need while we try to get to the bottom of this. Where's this little alicorn at?" "Shylight's upstairs with Spike," Rarity said. "Before you go and see her, though, I should tell you what to expect..." ==++++== "Horseapples!" Dash cried as she ran toward the outer edge of the Everfree Forest. She had Zecora riding on her back, and a small, but very angry hydra giving chase. "Run straight and true, Rainbow Dash!" Zecora cried. "I may be able to make this beast crash!" She grabbed a potion from her saddlebag with her teeth, and in one fluid motion, uncorked it and sent it flying at the hydra. As the glass vial shattered against the creature's hide, a cloud of steam rose up into all eight of the creature's nostrils. It continued its pursuit. "Uh, any time now, Zecora!" Dash shouted as she tried to keep them ahead of the creature. Her endurance was at its limit. She would have lasted much longer if she could have flown away. "Just keep your eyes ahead!" Zecora shouted as she ducked her head underneath a low-hanging branch. "This creature's chase is at an end!" Without warning, one of the hydra's heads began to attack the others. The confusion forced the creature to halt its chase. Then another head started attacking the others. Within seconds, all four of its heads were going after each other. "I'm glad that worked, Zee..." Dash said as her pace slowed and she fought to catch her breath. "I hit the wall..." "That's not it! Just keep running, Dash! Poison spores drift in from the grass!" Zecora said, trying to urge Dash on. "Poison? Oh, no..." Dash said as she started to stumble and cough. "What do I do?" "Just keep going, my friend. We're almost at the patch's end," Zecora said. She hopped off of Dash's back, hoping that lightening her load would let her go just a few extra steps. Dash continued to run on as she and Zecora reached the end of the Everfree Forest. "I gotta stop for a sec," she panted. "That was too much..." "Take a second to breathe, just make it brief," Zecora warned. "Time is short for your friends, indeed." "Ugh," Dash spat. "I guess rest can wait for a few minutes." She struggled back to her hooves, then started running toward the Library. ==+++*+== Shylight was hiding in the upstairs closet, sipping her tea. "Th-thank you, Spike... You didn't have to do this for me," she timidly said. "I'd do the same for any of my friends," Spike said. He was trying to keep his own emotions hidden. "Spike? Shylight?" a voice called from downstairs. "It's Princess Luna. May I come upstairs?" Shylight squeaked as her horn began to glow weakly. She started to become transparent. "It's going to be okay, Shylight," Spike said as he held her gently. "Luna's a good friend of ours. She came to try to see what happened to you, but she has to take a look at you first, okay?" "I... I..." Shylight tried to say, but she was too scared to speak. She nodded her head as she wished for the whole ordeal to be over. "Come up, it's okay," Spike said at a normal tone of voice. He opened the door to the closet slightly so Princess Luna could find them. As Luna came closer, he called out to her. "Wasn't Princess Celestia supposed to come?" "She will be by after sunset if she's still needed," Luna said softly. "I fear I may have an idea of what did this. Can you come out for a second so I can see you in the light, Shylight?" "It's okay," Spike said as Shylight unconsciously tried to become invisible again. "I'm scared," Shylight said almost silently. "Please," Spike said. "Do it for me?" Shylight squeaked as she got up and took a couple of steps into the light. She was indeed an alicorn, at least in the physical sense, though unlike the Princesses her horn was of a normal size. She had a coat that appeared to sit at a point in coloring between Fluttershy's yellow and Twilight Sparkle's lavender. Her eyes were the same way, an alluring cobalt blue. Her mane and tail were mostly pink, with an indigo stripe. While her mane was styled like Fluttershy's, her tail was a dead ringer for Twilight's. Even her cutie mark was a combination of the two, a single pink butterfly encircled by several small stars. "Thank you, Shylight, I've seen what I needed to see," Luna said, smiling as she backed away. Shylight sank back into the closet and became semi-invisible again. "Spike, would you mind staying with Shylight while I talk with Rarity and send my sister a message?" Luna asked quietly. Spike just nodded as he held the transparent Shylight. Luna headed back downstairs. Just as she turned into the kitchen, there was knocking on the door. "It's definitely the spell I was thinking of," she said to Rarity who was opening the door. "I gave it to a zebra mage over a thousand years ago to help them grow hardier plants. I think his name was Sandstone..." Zecora spoke up as she came in the door. "I know what caused this if Sandstone's involved. After you met him, his hate evolved." "How do you mean, Zecora?" Rarity asked, puzzled. "The book Twilight borrowed from my home, a curse was placed upon that tome" Zecora began. "Sandstone blamed your kind for his poisoned corn, so the curse twists the magic from a pony's horn. When Twilight used her transit spell, it trapped her in an imaginative hell." "Wait... he cursed the book Twilight borrowed, and her spell triggered it?" Luna said, trying to understand. "Why? You mentioned poisoned corn, but the spell itself was harmless!" "Indeed it was, but that's not the point," Zecora said. "His folly left the result spoiled. Yet instead of taking his rightful blame, his hatred grew instead of his shame." "What did the spell do in the first place?" Rarity asked. "It was a spell meant to combine two things and create a hybrid that had the best traits of both," Luna said. "A long time back, the zebra lands were struggling against a great drought. They came to us for help. I gave them the spell and an ear of corn... but Sandstone must have used the spell to combine the corn with a poisonous plant!" "And he blamed ponies for it instead of himself, so when he wrote that book, he wove a curse into it that would trigger whenever unicorn magic was used near it..." Rarity said. "Zecora, why would you keep such a vile thing in your possession?" "I honestly hoped the tale was a lie," Zecora said. "Obviously, the blame is mine. Through space, I told her not to blink, but in a panic, one does not think." "We don't blame you, Zecora... we just need you to help figure out a way to fix it," Rainbow Dash said. "That I shall do, but we must work fast - the time for reversal will not long last," Zecora said regretfully as she coughed. "I'll help you, Zecora. You're obviously ill and this whole mess is my fault as well," Luna said. "I gave that spell to him in the first place." Zecora and Luna walked together into the main part of the library as Rainbow Dash went upstairs to deliver the news.
TDarkchylde	1158	4	Big Macintosh,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Zecora,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shylight	A magical accident creates a new pony where two existed before.	incomplete	150	6	<p>(Author's note: This is not a shipfic. I wish they'd put tags on the main page.) </p><p>After a tragic magical accident, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie have lost two of their friends, but gained a new one.</p>	everyone	2011-10-04T13:50:00+00:00	2011-10-04T13:50:00+00:00	6,429	Shylight - Chapter Four - A Greater Good "Sis, wait! What's the big hurry?" Applebloom cried as Applejack was carrying her to Twilight Sparkle's library. "Somethin's happened to Twilight an' Fluttershy," Applejack said as she panted for breath while in a gallop. "Ah figured since you was helpin' Zecora out, that you might be able to help us out." "Oh no..." Applebloom said. "They gonna be okay?" "Ah hope so, lil' sis, Ah truly hope so..." Applejack said. The sun was setting as Applejack dashed past Quills and Sofas. Pinkie Pie was struggling at this point to even maintain anything faster than a power walk. "I guess... we're lucky the... Crusaders were at... the school, huh?" she said as she desperately tried to keep pace with her friend. "Somepony's lookin' out for us today," Applejack said as Twilight's library was within sight. ==++++== Zecora and Luna were both trying to work together on a counter for the hybridization spell. Complicating matters, they were faced with a ticking clock and no documentation remaining on the spell itself. Luna was having to work from memory alone, and Zecora was working off of information passed down through generations of perceived gossip. Still, as the sun was setting, they were making tangible progress. Zecora's potions were no longer exploding and Luna's incantations were no longer killing the test plants she was trying to separate. Both knew they were very close. Meantime, Rainbow Dash was upstairs trying to talk to Shylight. "Please, Shylight, it's important," she pleaded as Shylight tried to sink from sight. "But... I didn't... I didn't..." Shylight tried to say. As much as she knew what she wanted to say, it was as though her fear was keeping her words from making the trek from her brain to her mouth. "Didn't what?" Dash asked. She felt like she was speaking to the air, with as much helpful feedback as Shylight was providing. "Zecora... she did warn Twilight... ugh! She warned me about the spellbook..." Shylight forced herself to say. Her confusion over her very sense of self was making it hard for her to assist herself. Even coherent thought seemed out of her reach. The part of her that was Twilight was finding it hard to work against the unfamiliar sense of fear. The part of her that was Fluttershy couldn't even make the words she was thinking make sense. "Yeah, she told us that already," Dash said. "Did you have the book when you went to Fluttershy's?" "Dash, I..." Shylight began before crying. "I... I'm scared to say..." "Why, Shy?" Dash asked. She unconsciously used her pet name for Fluttershy. The damage was done, though. Shylight let her head fall into her forehooves as she began crying. Back downstairs, Luna finally made a breakthrough. "That was it!" she cried triumphantly. "That was the spell!" "Great work, Moon Princess," Zecora said, working through her fatigue. "But we're still faced with our greatest test." "Yes... yes, I know," Luna said. "Plants and ponies are two way different things, and we'll only have one chance at this. If we make a mistake, we risk losing Twilight and Fluttershy forever, as well as Shylight." "Perhaps it would be best for all, if Shylight were allowed to make the call?" Zecora asked. "I've seen her, Zecora," Luna said. "She's a complete wreck. As separate ponies, each could at least function. It's like the worst of the flaws of each are crippling Shylight." "You are just worried she'll actually say yes," Zecora observed as she mixed another potion. "Speak the truth to me - confess." "I know what the spell was meant to do," Luna said. "We're not just dealing with a magical accident up there. We're dealing with a new life. She has her own rights. I'm worried about asking her to choose suicide to bring Twilight and Fluttershy back. I don't want to force her either... that'd be murder." "It is a tough call we must make. I too think this weight is hard to take," Zecora said. "If it is nothing we do, then not one do we condemn but two." "I know... sunset is coming, at least," Luna sighed. "Maybe my sister will help make this choice clearer for me." "We have enough time for you to reflect," Zecora said. "Work through your emotional conflict." "If that's Zebra for 'get some tea,' I think that's the best idea I've heard today," Luna sighed as she walked over to the kitchen. "Want some?" "A relaxing drink? Perhaps I will," Zecora said as she joined Luna. "Its calming effect should fit the bill." "Exactly," Luna said. "You know, this could be the start of a great friendship..." ==++++== Princess Celestia finished putting the sun away and started raising the moon. She was hesistant to let Princess Luna go to Ponyville in her stead, but she could sense her sister felt she had some personal demons to overcome, and the fewer of those she had to struggle with, the better. Still, the tone of Spike's earlier letter left her with a nagging feeling that all was not what it seemed. When Luna sent her a second letter saying she knew the problem, her doubts increased somewhat. As she completed her task of raising the moon, she called to one of her assistants. "Scribe?" An aged grey unicorn stallion with a scroll and quill for a cutie mark soon walked into the throne room. "Princess Celestia? What can I do for you tonight?" "Please let the guards know that night court has been cancelled for today," Celestia said as she tied the last loose end. "My sister is dealing with an urgent personal matter in Ponyville, and I must leave now to join her." "As you wish, Highness," Scribe said as he bowed and left to relay the news to the guards. "Thank you, old friend," Celestia said as she walked over to the balcony. She opened the window and was soon soaring through the air. ==++++== "Hey! We're home!" Pinkie Pie called out as she, Applejack and Applebloom entered Twilight's Library. "We're in the kitchen," Rarity called out. "Did you find Applebloom?" "Ah came as quick as Ah could," Applebloom said, not exactly lying. Riding on her sister's back certainly wasn't the slowest way to cross town. Zecora coughed as the three earth ponies got into the kitchen. "Ah, my young friend, welcome! Your assistance tonight will be no burden." "Yeah, my big sis told me everythin' that happened," Applebloom said. "Is there anythin' Ah can do to help?" "Little one, indeed there is," Zecora said, smiling. "Please help Dash allay the new one's fears." "Okay!" Applebloom said. "They're upstairs," Rarity said. "Be careful, though. She's still very confused." "Gotcha, Rarity," the young filly responded as she headed for the stairs. "Her heart is in the right place for sure," Zecora said. "But I've done most of the work for her." ==++++== "Dash? Hello?" Applebloom asked quietly as she climbed the stairs. "I'm up here," Dash whispered loudly. Shylight had finished crying and was finally starting to feel a little better. "Come on up," she said softly. Applebloom turned toward the closet and saw Dash holding Shylight gently. Spike was asleep on a nearby pile of towels. "Are you okay, ah... um..." she asked as she struggled to figure out what to call the timid alicorn. "Shy... Shylight," she offered. "Other than feeling like I'm going to explode from panic... I... I think I'm okay, considering everything that's happened." "Wow," Applebloom said as she knelt next to Dash and Shylight. "What's it like? I've never met two ponies in one body before." "That's just it," Shylight said. "I... I don't feel like two ponies. I mean, I... I can remember being Twilight Sparkle. I can remember being Fluttershy. I know what each were like... I'm starting to figure out what I'm like. I feel like parts of both of them have been tossed in a cotton candy machine and... and I came out." "How so?" Dash asked, still holding onto the timid alicorn. "The... the stuttering, for one," Shylight said as Twilight's analytical mind finally began to make its way to the surface. "Neither of us stuttered... Twilight never did, and Fluttershy would... would just kind of go silent." "I did notice that," Dash conceded. "I thought it was unusual." "There's other things," Shylight said. "Sunflower sandwiches. Both Twilight and Fluttershy loved them. Right now the... the thought of one is making my stomach do back... backflips." "How's your magic? Or your flying?" Applebloom asked curiously. "I... I'm not sure yet," Shylight said. "I'm kind of scared to try to fly, even though I should know how, and my... my magic feels weaker somehow. I kinda did the... the invisibility spell by accident because all I wanted to do was disappear." "But you're an alicorn now," Dash said. "Shouldn't you be better at both?" "You'd... you'd think that, but no," Shylight said. "I'm not an actual alicorn. I... I don't have the strength of an earth pony like the Princesses do. I'm just... just a hybrid of a pegasus and a unicorn, and I think even those traits are diluted." "Weird," Dash and Applebloom both said as most of the words Shylight used were outside both of their vocabularies. Applebloom spoke up. "You owe me an apple juice!" "Yeah, I guess I do," Dash said. All three erupted into laughter. ==++++== Another hour passed before Luna and Zecora felt confident enough to attempt the complex reversal spell. They had reached the point where living plant hybrids remained alive even after being split back into their component parts. Zecora had already went down to the basement to start preparing for the ritual. "Shylight?" Luna called. "Could you come down here, please?" Shylight, with Applebloom and Dash's encouragement, came downstairs. "Wow," Luna said. "If I were that pretty, I wouldn't want to hide it." "Th.. thank you," Shylight said very quietly. "Are... are you ready to try to get me back to normal?" Shylight's statement gave Luna pause. "What did you say?" she asked quietly. "I... I asked if you were ready to try to get me back to normal," Shylight said, confused. "You said 'me,'" Luna observed. "Yes?" Shylight said. "I... I wasn't expecting this," Luna said. "I'm not sure I can do this." "What? Why?" Shylight asked. "I... I want to be Fluttershy and Twilight again." Celestia knocked on the door. "Sister? Are you there?" she asked. "Yes... please come in," Luna said, sighing. "I need your counsel. You can head back upstairs for a few more minutes, Shylight, I need to discuss something with my sister." "Okay..." Shylight said as she went back up the stairs. She stopped at the top of the stairs and listened to the conversation. "What's wrong, sister?" Celestia asked as Shylight departed. "I'm scared, sis," Luna confessed. "This isn't just a magical accident. If I try to reverse the spell now, I'd be killing somepony." "I see..." Celestia said. "But if you don't do this, then everyone here will lose two of their friends. Even you." "I know, I know..." Luna said as she ran to the nearest wall and put her head against it. "I... I don't know what to do." "What does she want?" Celestia asked, referring to Shylight. "She said she wanted to go through with it," Luna sighed. "She's willing!" "So then, doesn't that make the choice easier?" Celestia asked. "I can't..." Luna cried. Celestia went over to her sister and hugged her gently. "You can't do what?" "I can't ask her to commit suicide to bring Twilight and Fluttershy back," Luna said as she wept. "She's her own pony. She doesn't refer to herself as Fluttershy or Twilight... I don't think she even thinks of herself as either. I don't want to kill her." "Pr... Princess?" Shylight asked as she walked up behind the Princesses. "Respectfully..." She recoiled as Luna and Celestia turned back to face her. "Don't be afraid, my faithful student," Celestia reflexively replied. "Speak your mind." "That... that's just it, Princess," Shylight said. "I'm... I'm not your faithful student. The ponies here are my friends, but... but I'm not. I want to do what's right for them. I want to do what's right for Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy. They deserve a chance to live. They deserve to be with their friends." "You understand what you're saying, correct?" Celestia asked. "I understand..." Shylight said. "I'm... I'm not changing my mind on this." "Are you really doing it for them?" Luna asked, still unsure. "Are you willing to do this because you feel you shouldn't exist?" "No... no, Princess," Shylight said softly. "I believe... I believe I have every right to exist, except that it denies two others their lives and everyone present their friends. I'm ready." "I'll get Zecora," Luna said. "I'm still not sure this is right, though..." "The sad thing is, sister, there is no right choice here," Celestia said. "This brave young mare has made her decision, though. We must respect it." A few minutes later, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie came into the main part of the library. "You don't have to do this," Rarity said. "Surely there's another way to do this..." "Yeah, if you're just doin' this for our sake, you don't have to," Applejack said. Her normally tough exterior was cracking and she was sobbing. "I... I have to," Shylight said quietly, looking away. "I have to do this for me, too. If I didn't have Twlight and Fluttershy's memories, it wouldn't be this hard for me, but I know those two better than anypony here... and I know they'd do the same for me if they could." Pinkie was letting the tears flow. "Awwww... I didn't even get a chance to get to know you, Shylight! We don't even get enough time to throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party?" "If... if it helps, you already have," Shylight said. "You're all here. This... this place looks like it's fit for a party. You even surprised me..." Dash was doing the best of the four at not letting her emotions show. "You're brave, you know that, Shylight?" she said. Shylight blushed. "Dash... I'm not brave... I... I don't even know how I'm managing to keep it together," she said. "Every fiber of my being is telling me to go back to the closet and hide forever." "Yeah, well... I couldn't do this if it were me, so that makes you a better pony than me," Dash said as she snatched Shylight into a hug. "I'm glad I got the chance to know you..." "We all are, even though it was brief," Rarity said. "If it helps, you'll be with us all the time," Applejack said. "Ah know you'll be in my heart." "Ditto that!" Pinkie said, trying to regain her composure. "I'm... I'm glad I got the chance to know you... again..." Shylight said. "I guess all... all that's left to say is goodbye..." They all embraced in the center of the room. Even Dash began to cry. "...Goodbye... and see you in a few minutes," Shylight said as she went down to the basement where Luna and Zecora were waiting. ==++++== Celestia was sitting upstairs, watching the sky. She could sympathize with her sister. She could also understand Shylight's wishes. It didn't make any of it easier, which is why she chose to remain in Twilight's bedroom instead of joining her sister and Zecora in the basement. "Truly, you are a brave soul, Shylight," Celestia said softly as she closed her eyes and turned her head away from the sky. When she opened her eyes, she was looking directly at a book atop a bookcase at an angle only she was tall enough to see. The writing on the cover was ancient Zebra. Celestia's jaw dropped. "Oh no," she said. "Oh no! If the book is here, then... then..." She grabbed the book with her teeth and ran down to the basement. ==+++*+== Shylight stood in the center of a magical circle. She looked down at the potion. "Drink that first, it will start the spell," Zecora said. "When Luna does her part, all will end well." "I hope so," Luna sighed. Shylight tried to focus her magic on the vial. Zecora had told her earlier that by doing so, her magic would activate the mixture. It was hard for her, but she finally managed to lift it to her lips and drink the contents. "...I'm sorry, Shylight," Luna said as her horn began to glow. Shylight began to levitate as Luna's spell started taking effect. Soon, she began glowing. Celestia busted down the basement door. "Wait!" she said as she threw the book to Zecora, who had stepped aside. "The book? It is here? Luna! We're making a mistake, I fear!" Zecora cried as she looked down at it. "It's too late!" Luna cried. "I can't stop now..." Smoke soon began to rise from Shylight, and a blinding light filled the room...
TDarkchylde	1158	5	Big Macintosh,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Zecora,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shylight	A magical accident creates a new pony where two existed before.	incomplete	150	6	<p>(Author's note: This is not a shipfic. I wish they'd put tags on the main page.) </p><p>After a tragic magical accident, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie have lost two of their friends, but gained a new one.</p>	everyone	2011-11-25T12:16:37+00:00	2011-11-25T12:16:37+00:00	7,365	Shylight - Chapter Five - Survivor's Guilt "Look, she's waking up," Pinkie Pie said. "Good... Ah was kinda worried about her," Applejack said. Shylight began to open her eyes. She was in Twlight Sparkle's bed back in Ponyville. Aside from hurting a little, she didn't feel any different than before the separation spell was attempted. That made her panic. "Oh no... oh no... I'm still me... what happened?" she cried. "Our friends are gone forever because of you!" Pinkie yelled to the shaken filly, her faded body showing all the outward signs of rage. "FORRRREVVVVERRRR!!!" "It... It's not my fault..." Shylight cried. "It's not my... my fault the spell failed..." "Don't care," a visibly faded Rainbow Dash said from the corner. "You lied. You led us all to believe you had the book when you were created. Not like it matters, though..." She was clutching a small cloud protectively. "I didn't need Twilight or Fluttershy anyway. I have Cloudsdayle." "Good riddance!" Rarity said as she was occupied with a very large rock. It was almost as though she was speaking to it instead of her friend. "That's just one less mean pony to try to steal you away from me..." "Don't listen to them," Applejack said. "Ah'm not mad at you. Ah'm just glad you're safe." She then curled her lip and looked away as she revealed an axe to Shylight. "Yep... ain't mad at all..." Shylight screamed as Applejack swung the axe at her head. She woke up screaming in Princess Luna's bed in Canterlot. She was sweating and the panic in her eyes was so clearly visible it could be seen by a blind pony. "Applebloom!" Applejack cried. "She's been havin' another one'a them dreams! Get a potion from Zecora's bag!" "Oh no, not again... Ah'm on it, sis," Applebloom said from the next room over. "Shhh... shhh... go back to sleep, Shylight... you ain't outta the woods yet," Applejack said as she wiped the sweat from Shylight's face. "You..." Shylight said, still partially in the nightmare. Her sensations were being twisted into delusions. All she could see was the lying corruption of her friend created months earlier by the malevolent Discord. "You... you tried to kill me... why?" "Wha?" Applejack said, stunned. "Girl, Ah ain't tried to do anythin'a the sort..." "Get... off of me!" Shylight yelled. She somehow summoned the strength to buck Applejack away from her, then tried to get out of bed. "It's not my fault! I didn't lie!" Applebloom came running in. "Ah got the potion, sis!" she said. Princess Celestia was right behind her. "I heard you call your sister," she said quickly. "Is she having another nightmare?" "Dang girl tried to buck my head clean off! "Applejack said as she rubbed her jaw. "It's gettin' worse. Ah don't think Ah can handle her." "It's not my fault!" Shylight repeated, now screaming. She was lost within one of Fluttershy's rage states, but backed by the magic of Twilight Sparkle's rage transformations. Instead of changing outwardly like Twilight however, it gave her a surge of strength not unlike a high-potency shot of adrenaline. "I have her," Celestia said as she wrapped Shylight in a field of magic to immobilize her body. "Quickly, Applebloom... the potion!" Applebloom quickly maneuvered up to Shylight's face and poured the potion down her mouth. "I... I didn't... lie..." Shylight said, struggling as the potion quickly kicked in and she returned to sleep. Celestia gently lowered her into bed. "Perhaps I should take over watch," she offered. "Ah still don't know what she was on about," Applejack said. "Nopony's at fault..." "C'mon, sis" Applebloom said as she left. Applejack held onto her for support. "I'm not sure either," Celestia said as she kept watch on the ailing Shylight. ==++++== Shylight's friends and Princess Luna were gathered in one of the Royal Palace's smaller kitchens. At most times it would be used by Celestia's aides, but they had commandeered it due to its proximity to Luna's room. "You? Killing her? That's rich! You break down into tears if you kill a worm by accident in your apple orchard!" Rainbow Dash said, laughing so hard that she almost spilled her tea. "Nopony's s'posed to know 'bout that!" Applejack shouted as she held a small bag of ice to her jaw. "Don't change the fact she said it though... Ah don't get it." "Nightmares... they don't often make sense to those of us who are awake," Luna said, staring out a window. "But to her, they're as real as everything out here... but nowhere near as nice." "What's that mean, Princess?" Pinkie said as she poked her head out of the icebox. Her face was covered with icing. "It means she still has a lot of issues to work through," Luna clarified. "My guess is she feels guilty because the separation spell didn't work." "Didn't think of it that way," Applejack sighed. "She's prolly holdin' herself responsible for Twi an' Fluttershy not bein' back." "But we don't blame her... right?" Pinkie said, half-muffled by the cake she was devouring. She still felt drained from bouncing around Ponyville trying to find Applebloom. "Ah sure don't," Applejack said. "Ah don't even blame her for buckin' me in the jaw. She don't know what she's doin' right now." "How long did Zecora say she might be feeling the effects of that potion again?" Dash asked. "She didn't even know, Dash" Luna sighed, continuing to face the window. "She'd never made one like it before." "If only we would have known," Rarity said, stirring a cup of tea with her magic. "The poor thing wouldn't have to be going through this." "Yeah... if only..." Dash said. Part of her felt she should have pressed Shylight harder for the truth. The other part was scared she wouldn't have tried at all if she had... ==++++== It was a few days later. Pinkie Pie was watching over Shylight. She had been talking to Shylight the entire time, hoping that even in her fitful sleep, she'd know her friends wanted her to get better. Even after Shylight inadvertently gave her a black eye, she refused to leave her fallen friend's side. Suddenly, Shylight began to stir. It didn't seem like a nightmare this time. It was much more peaceful. "Shylight?" Pinkie asked softly. "Are you okay?" "...Did... did somepony get the number of that piano that hit me?" Shylight weakly asked as she opened her eyes. "Nope," Pinkie said in mock disappointment. "It was a safe!" "That explains it..." Shylight said as she turned to look out the window. "We... we're in Canterlot..." she meekly observed. "Yep..." Pinkie said, softly. The tone soon turned to a shout. "Princess! Guys! She's awaaaaaake!" Shylight hid under her blanket, shocked by Pinkie's loud shout. Soon, Princess Celestia and Rainbow Dash galloped in. Applejack wasn't far behind, though still slightly wobbly from earlier. "Come on out of there, your friends want to see you!" Pinkie said as she pulled the blanket away. Nothing was underneath... nothing that could be seen, anyway. Shylight's presence was betrayed by an indentation in the sheets. "Shylight... knock it off, okay?" Dash said. "At least her magic works," Celestia joked as Shylight ceased her invisibility spell. As soon as Shylight was visible, Rainbow Dash snatched her up into a hug. "We were worried about you," she said. "Do you feel okay?" "You... you were worried about... about me?" Shylight asked as her eyes began to puff up with tears. "We sure were, silly filly!" Pinkie said as she joined in the hug. "You're our friend! That's what friends do when one isn't okay." "She's right, Shylight," Applejack said. "We even kept watch on you to make sure you didn't go and get worse on us. Ah got the wounds to show for it," she said as she pointed to the bruise on her jaw. "Oooh, yeah, I got one too!" Pinkie said as she proudly showed off her black eye. "I... I did that? Now I know I'm... I'm not worthy of being your friend," Shylight cried. "I'm still... still here and the others... the others are gone... because of me... and I hurt you too?" "That's not true, Shylight," Dash said. "It's partially my fault also." Luna walked into the room. "But... but I didn't say anything when you asked about the book," Shylight said through tears. "I didn't push hard enough," Dash said. "I was scared. You're so fragile... even more so than Fluttershy is, and I was scared if I pushed the issue, you'd never trust any of us..." Luna turned right back around and left. "I... Dash... I don't think I'm the one you should apologize to..." Shylight said. She was the only one who had seen Luna walk in and out of the room. "Luna didn't look okay..." "I'll go talk to my sister," Celestia said as she went off after Luna. "Princess... wait!" Shylight shouted as best as her tiny voice would allow. "Yes?" Celestia asked. "She... she went the other way..." Shylight pointed out.
TDarkchylde	1158	6	Big Macintosh,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Zecora,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shylight	A magical accident creates a new pony where two existed before.	incomplete	150	6	<p>(Author's note: This is not a shipfic. I wish they'd put tags on the main page.) </p><p>After a tragic magical accident, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie have lost two of their friends, but gained a new one.</p>	everyone	2011-11-27T10:12:23+00:00	2011-11-27T10:12:23+00:00	5,481	Shylight - Chapter Six - There's Only Me After searching the Royal Castle for well over an hour, Princess Celestia finally caught up to Luna. Luna was looking up at the stars, lost in thought. Conflicting emotions were wracking her mind. "Sister?" Celestia asked. "Is everything alright?" Luna didn't move. "I messed it up, Tia," she said. "I messed it up again. I almost cost three ponies their lives back there." "It's not your fault, Luna," Celestia started. "Look at the kind of emotional condition Shylight was in. Could you honestly have expected her to be able to remember everything with all of us pressuring her? ...Unintentional of course, but..." "That doesn't excuse it, Sister, and you know it," Luna said, still looking up toward the stars. "We're Princesses, Celestia. We make hard decisions every single day for Equestria's sake. They should have pushed her harder. I should have pushed harder... You know our past as well as I. You know the kind of decisions we've had to make for the greater good." "I do remember," Celestia said as she looked down. "For you, it wasn't that long ago, but I still remember every single one. I never took any of those decisions lightly." "So why couldn't I do it?" Luna pleaded as she turned to face her sister. "This is all my fault! If I hadn't given that zebra the plant merging spell all those years ago, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy would still be here and I wouldn't have nearly killed an innocent pony!" "Sister..." Celestia started as she moved closer to Luna. "There is another possibility we might have to consider." "As if it couldn't get any worse," Luna said, sighing. "Your spell may not even have been responsible for this," Celestia said, flatly. "Remember where the accident first occurred?" "Everfree..." Luna said almost silently. "We need to begin our own research into the situation," Celestia said as she put a hoof over her sister's shoulders. "And this time, we need to do it together. There are so many species of flora and fauna in the Everfree Forest that we haven't had a chance to properly research for ourselves. Yes, the zebras do know a lot about the forest, but we know almost nothing despite our old castle being there. Something there could be the culprit." After a moment lost in thought, Luna looked up at her sister. "You're right," she said. "One of these days, I need to learn to put my past behind me - not just for my sake, but for Equestria's." "You'll get there," Celestia said. "For now, we should head back downstairs and let the others know what we're planning." "You go on ahead," Luna said as she turned back to look at the sky. "I still have things that I need to reflect on." Celestia turned and started back downstairs. She stopped momentarily. "Reflection is fine, little sister, but you don't need to keep beating yourself up over this," she stated. "Nopony down there blames you and neither do I." "Yes, the beauty of unknowns," Luna sighed. "Everypony should know better, but nopony is to blame when it all goes wrong..." ==++++== A week soon passed for everypony involved. Princess Celestia had chosen to tell the girls the truth - they didn't know the cause yet, but they would keep looking. They'd do everything in their power to bring Twilight and Fluttershy back. Shylight and her friends had all returned to Ponyville, and the new alicorn was faced with a decision - how to approach her life. She had decided to go about it in the only way she knew - assuming both Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy's work. "Ah got a bad feelin' about this, sugarcube," Applejack said as she and Big Macintosh moved the last boxes of books from the library to Fluttershy's cottage. "Not that you ain't got the talent for this, but two jobs? Ah ain't gonna pretend to know what goes into managin' a library, but Fluttershy's work with the animals took up most of her days." "I... I appreciate your concern, Applejack, but I think... I think I can handle this," Shylight meekly replied. "I mean, I do have both Twilight and Fluttershy's memories, so I should be... be able to do both their jobs." Big Macintosh blushed as he lowered the last box of books off of his back. This did not go unnoticed by the two young mares. "Spill, bro... you just found somethin' she did cute, didn't you?" Applejack teased. "...Nope," Big Macintosh replied. His blushing became even more apparent. "You can tell... tell us..." Shylight said. "We won't laugh or... or anything..." Big Macintosh grimaced and started to sweat. "It's just..." he started to say. "Would you just come out with it already?" Applejack said mockingly. "We ain't got all day here." "Well... uh... it's..." he tried to say. "He... he really doesn't need to say, Applejack..." Shylight said, trying to get her friend to turn down the heat a little bit. Applejack would have none of it. "It's fine, Shylight... he's just nervous is all. How's he ever gonna find him a mare if he can't even say what's on his mind?" "It'sthestuttering," Macintosh blurted out quickly, before he could cover his mouth with his forehoof. Now it was Shylight's turn to blush. "Eep," was all the meek alicorn could say. "Ah'll be..." Applejack said. "Well, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Big Macintosh looked down. "Ah didn't wanna say anything... it's just... Ah kind of like you, Shylight..." "I... I... wow..." Shylight started to say. "I'm flattered, Big Macintosh, but... but I barely even know me right now. I... I'm just not ready yet." That caused Big Macintosh to sulk. "Ah understand..." he said, slightly hurt. He started to walk back to Sweet Apple Acres. "No... no... It's not you..." Shylight said as her fragile emotions began to crash on her. "Why...?" Applejack embraced her friend. "It's ok, hon. He doesn't like to come out with how he's feelin' about another pony. Ah'll have a talk with him. We'll sort it out." "But..." Shylight tried to say as she started to weep. "It's okay," Applejack said reassuringly. "It's not... not okay," Shylight said. "There's another reason I... I don't want a relationship right now... even though I do... kinda like him... it's just... just that neither Fluttershy or Twilight felt anything like that for him and... and what if the Princesses are able to split me back apart? What if... if I did get to know him better and I was just... just gone one day?" Applejack sighed. What she was about to say was what she honestly thought, but that didn't make it any easier - especially with her holding on to a very fragile Shylight. "You can't dwell on that, sugarcube," she said. "You gotta live in the now." Shylight sniffled. "But..." "No buts," Applejack said. "Ah miss Fluttershy an' Twilight, an' Ah know you're both of them but not quite either. Right now there's only you. You gotta make your own life, not just do what you think they'd do." "I... it's... oh!" Shylight said as she quickly darted into the cottage and locked the door. She quickly ran up to Fluttershy's bed and started crying her eyes out. "Dang it..." Applejack sighed. She tried in vain to get Shylight to open the door, but to no avail. After a few minutes, she went back toward Sweet Apple Acres to talk to Big Macintosh. She was just hoping she didn't lose a friend in the process. ==++++== A couple of days later, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were sharing a day off in the park. This usually meant that they were turning the park into their own private little racecourse. Surely enough, the two were sprinting along on one of the walking paths. Other ponies were just trying to get out of the way. "She took it that bad, huh?" Dash asked as she tried to surge ahead. "Yep... Ah didn't wanna say it, but Ah felt Ah had to," Applejack replied as she desperately clung to her lead. "Macintosh was devastated last night. Ah tried to explain why Shylight was scared to even consider it, but you know how hard it is to get through to a colt in love." "Don't you know it!" Dash cried as she adeptly dodged a power walker and assumed the lead. "Sometimes a guy just don't know when to quit... it's hard to chase them off!" "Naw, Rainbow, Ah don't mean the usual lecherous trash," Applejack said as she hurdled a trash can somepony had knocked over in an attempt to get off the path. "He's honestly fallen for her. Ah tried explainin' why it might end in heartbreak but he don't care..." "Maybe it's not that different, then..." Dash mused as she tried to hang on to the lead. They were both rapidly approaching their predetermined finish line. "Way different, RD... the stallions chasin' you don't take the hint til ya' buck 'em in the jaw," Applejack said as she put everything she had into retaking the lead. "Mac does respect her wishes an' he'll give her space. It's still hurtin' him though." The two competitive young mares crossed their finish line tied. The rest of the park-goers were relieved that their weekly exercise session had concluded. "Dang it, tied again," Applejack sighed. "One'a these days, Ah'm gonna beat you..." "Keep dreaming!" Dash shouted, smiling. "All of that aside, though..." "Yep," Applejack said. "We gotta make sure we're there for Shylight. She's gonna need us 'til she feels right in her own skin." "I'll see how she's doing a little later on," Dash said as she turned to leave. "Same time next week?" "You wanna lose that badly, Rainbow? You're on," Applejack gloated.
TDarkchylde	1158	7	Big Macintosh,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Zecora,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Shylight	A magical accident creates a new pony where two existed before.	incomplete	150	6	<p>(Author's note: This is not a shipfic. I wish they'd put tags on the main page.) </p><p>After a tragic magical accident, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie have lost two of their friends, but gained a new one.</p>	everyone	2012-01-28T10:28:34+00:00	2012-01-28T10:28:34+00:00	5,445	Shylight - Chapter Seven - I'm Not Enough A month passed by for all involved. The Princesses had been spending their time scouring the Everfree when they had any spare time at all. They had tested hundreds of plants, insects and various other substances found there to see if any were the cause. None had proved to be the cause. "This is frustrating," Princess Celestia said as she picked yet another flower. "There are literally millions of things in this forest between flora and fauna... add other substances such as blood or excretions, and that number just skyrockets. I never thought I'd ever have cause to say this in my lifetime, but this may be a lost cause." "Sister... we cannot simply give up," Princess Luna said. "We have two ponies depending on us... three if you consider Shylight herself. You've never given up in your life on anything. This would be a horrible time to pick up that bad habit." "You may be right..." Celestia said, though her confidence that they would find the missing piece of the puzzle was waning. Sighing, she picked up another specimen. "We should head back to the castle for the day and test these things we've found, see if any of them are the cause." Luna sighed. "Okay, Sister... but that doesn't mean we're giving up, right?" "Would you really search this place for all eternity, looking for one needle among all this hay?" Celestia said, partially equating the current situation to an old metaphor. "As far as either of us know, we do have eternity to search," Luna said, "but Shylight doesn't. We must continue." "Then we'll be back out here at the same time tomorrow," Celestia sighed as she leaped up into the sky. Luna sighed. "I know this is starting to wear on you, Sister... but we can't stop now," she thought as she too leaped into the air, dodging tree branches and indigenous birds until she reached the open sky. ==++++== Shylight was going about her daily routine in Ponyville. Having spent the morning sorting books with Angel and Spike, she was heading to the Carousel Boutique to meet up with Rarity for their weekly spa trip. While they had mutually agreed to put it off until Shylight felt ready to resume the activity, Shylight was ready to try to get some normality back into her life. As she arrived at the Boutique, she knocked on the door... then freaked out from the noise. There was no response - nopony was responding... it was complete silence. She couldn't even hear the clopping of hooves against floor. She knocked again. There was no response this time either. "Rar-Rarity?" she squeaked. "Are you there? It's Shylight... I-I'm here for our weekly spa trip..." There was still no response. Shylight looked over to the window. All the lights were out, and then she noticed the "Closed" sign. "Oh... she must be g-gone already..." She turned to go to the spa to see if Rarity had already went on her own. ==++++== Both Princesses coughed as yet another test of the materials from the Everfree blew up in their faces. Their plan was to take flowers that did not appear in the Everfree - specifically, two types whose only relation was that they were both flowers - and teleporting them with various substances from the Everfree Forest. None of the experiments had yielded a hybrid as of yet. Some of them survived the teleport... but most would end up resulting in something catastrophic. "Well, it's not leaves of Poison Joke," Celestia said, laughing nervously. "There's only manticore saliva left from today's samples," Luna deadpanned as she magically cleared the soot from her face. She waved an attendant over, then whispered to him. He left in a hurry. "What was that about?" Celestia asked, her mood lightening from earlier. "I had the servant fetch us some antidote from the Royal Infirmary," Luna said. "Poison Joke likes to play tricks on ponies who touch it, remember? We must be careful in case its ashes can have the same effect." "True," Celestia said. "It would be tragic if you ended up shrunken to the size of a field mouse." "Or if your tongue became so large that you couldn't speak, Sister," Luna said, glancing slyly at her sister. "Or if your voice ended up really deep like this," Celestia said, her voice acquiring a false deepness with the last two words. "As if our little ponies don't fear me enough," Luna said, yawning. "But they'd fear you more if your hair ended up so overgrown that you looked like a monster." Celestia shrieked slightly. "Don't even joke like that, Sister, or you might end up with a limp horn!" Luna laughed. "Better that than having your wings upside down so you couldn't fly properly!" Both Royal Sisters enjoyed a good, long laugh. After a few minutes, Celestia blinked and looked to her sister. "We should go fetch the antidote ourselves." Luna wiped her eyes - she had laughed so hard that she was crying. "Yes... it has taken entirely too long." Eventually, the attendant returned with the antidote. After the Sisters each took some of it, they both got up and finished the last experiment. The result? Nothing. Luna yawned. "Perhaps we should resume this after a quick rest..." Celestia looked down at the table. "Go ahead... I'll get a nap later tonight after I put the sun away." Luna took a quick look at her sister as she left. "I'll be checking to be sure you do. We're not even close to done yet..." ==++++== It took a few minutes, but Shylight managed to reach the spa. As she was about to go inside, though, Rarity walked out with a pinkish-purplish earth pony with a cutie mark of a strawberry and a bundle of grapes following her. Rarity's mood crashed as she saw her friend. "Oh... oh dear, Shylight?" she stammered. "I... was today our normal spa day? I figured..." Shylight sighed. "No... no, I understand, Rarity... I kind of fig-figured you wouldn't want to stop going just because I wasn't feeling up to it... but who's the new pony?" "Ah... this?" Rarity said, nervously. "This is... ah... Berry Punch. She accompanied me this week because she was interested in a... a complete makeover for an upcoming event and I... well, I can make outfits for her and the like, but... there are so many aspects of beauty that are better handled at the spa..." Shylight just looked at Rarity. "It's okay... really... I-I'm not angry or anything..." Her eyes were saying something completely different, though. "I...I should probably head back to the cottage... the books won't s-sort themselves..." She turned and started walking away. "No... no, you don't have to leave!" Rarity shouted, but Shylight broke into a run as she spoke. Sobbing could be heard in the distance before she got too far away to hear. "...What was that about?" Berry Punch asked as she approached Rarity. "I... oh, I... I think I let down a friend..." Rarity said, on the verge of tears. "I... I forgot today was normally our spa day..." "Eh, the makeover can wait a few hours, Miss Rarity," Berry said. "I've got to get a couple of other things set up anyway before this thing can happen... go check on your friend." Rarity smiled back at her customer. "Oh, thank you so much for your understanding! I promise you, though, we'll get that makeover finished today!" She ran off in pursuit of Shylight. ==++++== The sound of hooves striking apple tree could be heard as far away as the dirt path near Sweet Apple Acres. "Yeah, hit it again!" Rainbow Dash cried as she watched from a cloud overhead. Applejack looked up, annoyed, at the blue pegasus. "Or... y'know, you could come on down and help me just a little bit. Y'know Mac ain't been himself lately, an' we're fallin' behind bad." Rainbow Dash thought about it for a second. "What's in it for me, though, AJ?" Applejack groaned. "How 'bout a five-second head-start next time we race in the park?" She blinked, and when her eyes opened back up, Rainbow Dash was gone and the sound of hooves cracking against another apple tree reverberated through Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash was standing underneath an apple tree surrounded by baskets of fallen apples. "Deal," she said, her smile stretching widely. "Ten seconds if I clear what's left before you do!" "Oh, you're on," Applejack said, smiling back, "but if Ah finish 'fore you do, Ah get the head start instead!" "Done and done!" Rainbow Dash said as her hooves struck another apple tree. A shriek could be heard from the front gate as Dash's hooves struck the tree. "What was that?" Applejack asked. "Dunno," Rainbow Dash said. "Wanna go check?" "So you can get that head start easier?" Applejack said. "Not a chance in..." There was another shriek as Applejack's hooves struck the tree. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash sighed. "We'll both check," they said at the same time. When they arrived at the gate, they saw a shaking and sobbing Shylight curled up on the other side with her hooves over her ears. "Bit for your thoughts," Applejack said softly. Shylight looked up at Rainbow Dash and Applejack with tear-filled eyes. "I... I'm sorry... I was hoping th-that Macintosh would be here but... but then it got so noisy and..." "It's okay... I didn't realize AJ was being so loud," Rainbow Dash said. "Me?" Applejack said, feigning surprise. "When you bucked that one tree, you coulda woke the dead, RD!" "Mine wasn't that loud!" Rainbow Dash protested. "When you were bucking all those trees, it sounded like a war zone!" "Uh... I-I'll just go..." Shylight said as she turned to leave. "Nah, you ain't gotta go an' do that, girl," Applejack said. "You know how competitive me an' Rainbow are an' all, remember?" "She should remember... I'm still sore that we tied for last in the Running of the Leaves," Rainbow Dash said, though her tone suggested she wasn't really that angry. "C'mon, we'll let Mac know you're here," Applejack said as she opened the gate. "Come on in, girl." "Oh...ok... if that's fine with y-you..." Shylight said as she slowly walked into the Acres. ==+++*+== Rarity arrived at Fluttershy's, now Shylight's cottage a few moments later. She knocked on the door gently. "Shylight? Shylight, are you there?" The door soon opened, and Spike responded, tiredly, "Huh? Rarity? She went off a couple hours ago to go see you..." "You mean she didn't come back?" Rarity said, shocked. "I... we had a little misunderstanding in town today, and I wanted to apologize..." Spike sighed. "What upset her this time?" "I..." Rarity began. "I forgot that today was our spa day, so I went there today with a client... she must have gotten upset because I forgot..." Spike thought for a moment. "Maybe you should go check with the others. Usually, if she gets upset around here, she'll go to Rainbow Dash's place or something until she gets her head back together. It's been pretty rough lately ever since the Macintosh thing." "Macintosh... thing?" Rarity asked. "By Celestia, I'm really out of the loop, aren't I?" Spike shrugged. "Everything's so strange around here lately. Living with an owl was hard enough to get used to, but it's hard to get any kind of sleep here with all of Fluttershy's animals around..." Rarity sighed. "I suppose I'll just check with them, then... thank you, Spike. By the way, I have to acquire some more gems in a few days... do you think you could come along with me to dig them up?" Spike looked to Rarity. "I want to... but I'll have to ask Shylight first. She needs me now more than ever..." "I understand... hopefully she can give you up for a couple of hours..." Rarity said as she turned back down the path. "Rarity, wait!" Spike called out. "I... I miss seeing you around... I hope you and Shylight patch things up." Rarity gently dabbed a tissue in her eye to clear out a tear. "I hope so too, Spike... I hope so too..." She went on down the path to go check with her friends...
theworstwriter	1160	1	Original Character,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	A New Era	Celestia and Luna are gone, and Equestria appears peaceful... but the past has not been forgotten.	cancelled	-1	-1	<p>The sun and moon grant day and night without the guiding hooves of the gods. Ponies do not receive cutie marks. Equestria is ruled by a democratic goverment - by the ponies, for the ponies. Everything is going so well until one pony who refuses to let go of the past puts the future in danger.</p><p>You may notice the status here was switched to 'cancelled.' Don't be alarmed. I'm just going to start over. Same basic concept, same OCs. It's one short chapter, and it's been months, so I feel like trying to 'pick back up where I left off' wouldn't go very well.</p><p>The restart of this is my next project. It'll be a bit before you see it, but I have many plans.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T05:51:52+00:00	2011-10-03T05:51:52+00:00	1,408	Shooting Star hovered a short distance above the floor, slowly drifting toward the right end of the large oak bookshelf. His bright violet eyes settled on their target and he reached a hoof toward the thick book. A lone candle, flickering softly from atop the desk in the corner, gently illuminated the rough cobalt coat and short indigo mane on the young, thin stallion. He had never put much time or effort into his appearance, and it showed. The other pegasus in the room, a brilliant golden mare with a peculiar rainbow mane hanging over her left shoulder, had an annoyed look on her face. “Come ON, Star… how long does it take to find one stupid book?” “Calm down, I’ve got it right here. Besides, the train doesn’t leave for another few hours.” “I know, I know, but I hate just sitting and waiting. Runs in the family. I need to be DOING something, and sitting still while you look for a book just doesn’t work. But if you’ve got it, then that means we’re ready to go, right?” “I’m good if you are.” Shooting Star opened the door. “Let’s go grab Cherry and start walking.” A thin crescent moon spilled a soft light across the crisp autumn night, though both ponies could easily have navigated the simple dirt road with their eyes closed. Shooting Star had never left Trotsburg, but he knew his small corner of Equestria inside and out. Rainbow Rocket flew around at such ludicrous speeds, she had to memorize the area so she wouldn’t hit anything. They both trotted silently down the path for only a minute before veering off toward a small house. Rainbow reached a hoof up to the door and knocked twice. After a brief silence, followed by a moan and some quiet shuffling sounds, the door slid open. A disheveled cyan unicorn with a cherry red mane stood in the doorway, wobbling slightly. “Can’t a pony get any sleep around here?” “C’mon, sis. I know you had a long day, but you can sleep on the train.” “What time is it? I thought the train didn’t leave until ten?” “It’s only eight, y’know… better early than late and all that jazz. And unless we really hustle it’ll take an hour to get there anyway.” “Allegedly. None of us have gone this way, at least not on hoof. We just have what other ponies have told us,” said Shooting Star. Sweet Cherry slung a small bag across her back, stepping out into the cool night air and loosing a large yawn. She idly kicked the door closed behind her. “Whatever. Let’s get moving.” Star and Rainbow nodded and the three ponies set off at a brisk canter to the north. Just as they reached the edge of town they stopped in front of a small earth pony. The little brown colt’s eyes shined as he looked up at Rainbow. “Good luck, Rocket!” “Thanks, squirt. I’m sorry your dad won’t let you come with us.” The colt’s eyes shifted downward and his smile lost some of its energy. “It’s okay. Just… can you promise me something?” “Sure.” “Promise we you’ll win.” Rainbow chuckled a little at the thought of NOT winning. She knew it was bad to let your head get too big, but really the competition was just a formality. For generations – as far back as anypony could remember and then some – every Rainbow that entered the Best Young Flier competition had won. There was one occasion where it looked like that wouldn’t be the case, but in a surprise turn of events the judges decided it was too close to call and declared a tie between the twins. She put a hoof on the little pony’s head and ruffled his mane. “Sure thing, kiddo.” The little brown bundle skipped merrily back toward town, humming a happy tune to himself, and the three friends continued to the north at a relaxed trot. After about a half hour, Cherry stopped and frowned. She set her bag on the ground and started rummaging through it, clearly worried she was missing something. “What’d you leave behind?” “I think I forgot my camera.” Rainbow’s wings twitched slightly. She looked into her sister’s eyes with a melancholy expression in her own, scraping one hoof against the ground nervously. “We can go back, y’know. If we take off at full gallop we’ll make it.” Sweet Cherry sighed and mirrored her sister’s sad gaze, slowly converting it into a smile. “It’s okay, sis. We’re on our way to the competition. I was planning on taking PICTURES. I can handle it. Go.” “You sure?” “Yes, I’m positive. Just hurry.” Rainbow Rocket took off like… well, like a rocket. Before either of her companions had time to blink she was nothing more than a speck on the horizon. Shooting Star stared with a slightly slackened jaw before closing his mouth and turning toward Cherry. “She just keeps getting faster. So… what exactly was that about?” Cherry let out a long sigh. “It’s… it’s stupid. Ever since she learned to fly she’s been really careful about it around me. Every time we need to get somewhere really fast or do something up in the sky she hesitates and waits for me to tell her it won’t offend me if she takes care of it. She feels guilty that she gets to carry on the family tradition and I don’t. But it’s so dumb! I’m a unicorn! I can do magic! So what if I can’t fly straight into houses and trees at a zillion miles an hour? She can and it makes her happy. I just wish she would stop holding back because of me, but she never listens. She got mom’s gift, I got dad’s. We’re both special and unique little snowflakes blah blah blah diversity. We’re both awesome and it actually hurts me more to see her feeling sorry for me than to see her doing something amazing that I can’t. So she can fly. I CAN BURN OBJECTS WITH MY MIND. I can’t tell you how many times she’s done something like this and I’ve had to resist the temptation to light her up.” Star chuckled. “This is the part where I’d make a joke about the ‘warmth of your sisterly love’ and something something fire, but I’m not a comedian and I haven’t got anything prepared.” “You’re plenty funny. Just look at your face!” “Har har. You sure showed me what for with that rapier wit of yours! An ugly joke, how original!” An enormous cloud of dust filled the air as Rainbow skidded to a halt, a camera hanging around her neck and a few leaves sticking out of her mane. “Did I miss anything?” “Apparently you didn’t miss a tree or two,” quipped Star. Rainbow ran a hoof through her main, dislodging the debris. “Ha ha. You’re hilarious... Let’s get moving – we’ve got a train to catch.” The three friends set off once more, resuming their original brisk canter. Before long, they had reached Hoofington and could see the train station standing proudly in the center of town. Shooting Star stepped in front of his friends. “We’re here, and we managed to make it with an hour to spare. Anything either of you want to do while we’ve got the time?” Rainbow looked around briefly before dismissively waving a hoof. “Eh, Hoofington’s boring even in the day and any town this small isn’t going to have much of a night life. Probably more than Trotsbore, but it’d be impressive if they managed not to. I think I’m just gonna find somewhere to grab a snack and then get on board. Either of you hungry?” Cherry yawned. “Not me. I’m getting on that train and going to sleep.” Rainbow turned to face Star. “What about you, egghead?” “Sure, why not. Any place in particular you had in mind?” “How could I? I never come here. I don’t even know what places there ARE.” “Then how are you so sure it’s so boring?” “Just look around you! There’s nothing going on, hardly any ponies walking down the street. You can’t feel the buzz of a city that knows how to be alive.” “I’ll just take your word for it. So, uh, that way I guess? There’s lots of light coming from over there.” Rainbow nodded and the two pegasi trotted toward the active end of town. “Rainbow… do you know why they hold the competition in Canterlot? I’ve read historical accounts that always mention it taking place in Cloudsdale.” “No idea, but it’s been in Canterlot as far back as I’ve heard. My great grandma won it in Canterlot, and then my grandma and then my mom. I don’t dare doubt the mighty truth of these books you like so much, but if it was ever anywhere else it was a LONG time ago. Like, probably back when we had a princess. Can you even imagine what it must’ve been like back then? The sun and moon needing to be tended to every day? What if something went wrong? It would be total chaos!" “Actually, there were a few occasions where something did go wrong. And there was more than one princess. I have a great book you can borrow! The princesses were sisters, you see. One of them, Princess Luna, was responsible for the moon. Her elder sister Princess Celestia was responsible for the sun. Then one day…” Shooting Star was interrupted by a hoof on the end of his muzzle. “We’re here.” --------------------------------------------------- Dozens of ponies came tumbling out of the train, pushing and shoving whatever happened to be in front of them, all eager to be on their way. Shooting Star, Sweet Cherry, and Rainbow Rocket eventually found themselves standing still in a pocket of space where shoving was not the primary means of interaction. None of them had ever been to Canterlot before, and the ancient city was quite a sight for them to drink in. An elegant alabaster castle, littered with tall spires and ornate balconies, rose up from the side of an imposingly large mountain. In many places, masterfully crafted stained glass windows could be seen catching the sun’s rays. The interior of the castle must have been absolutely gorgeous. The castle was impressive in every sense of the word, but this is not to say the city itself was lacking. Canterlot was an enormous metropolis filled to the brim with unique buildings of every architectural style imaginable. Thousands, if not millions, of ponies roamed the streets alongside many other creatures. There were griffons and dragons and deer and diamond dogs and… whatever that thing over there was! Their gawking was cut short by a cry of recognition. “LITTLE ROCKET! OVER HERE!” Rainbow groaned at the use of that nickname, but turned and motioned her companions in the direction of the voice. The three ponies made their way to a small yellow unicorn with a poofy orange mane leaning against a decorative fountain. “Cherry! Rocket! It has been too long! Come here, it is time for hugs!” Both sisters embraced their father in a warm hug. “My little Rocket, have you been to the arena yet?” “Nope. I’m not even sure where it is.” “We will fix this. Come, I will show you where I met your mother! Cherry, you also!” Sweet Cherry turned and looked at Shooting Star. “Think you’ll be okay all alone in big scary Canterlot?” “I can manage. The competition isn’t for a few hours, so I think I’ll just take a look around out here. Maybe I’ll find a nice bookstore.” “You really should get your muzzle out of your books sometime and make some friends.” “I’ve got two!” “Some friends. Not TWO.” “Two is some! One friend, two friendS. Plural.” Cherry rolled her eyes. “Okay then. I’ll see you in a while, alright? I gotta go catch up with those two.” “See you later.” Cherry trotted off in the direction that her family had gone, disappearing into the thick crowd. Shooting Star turned in place, glancing all around for anything that would suggest a direction. It didn’t take long for him to find a dilapidated two story building with a large wooden sign depicting a book. With nothing else on his mind, he pushed his way through the door. Entering the dusty old store, he quickly surveyed the shelves. He was a kid in a candy store. This place was no simple ‘come in and pick up the latest blockbuster novel’ affair. This place was SERIOUS. There were shelves and shelves and shelves of huge, thick tomes reaching from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. There were also a few rows of smaller shelves out in the middle of the floor that appeared to be populated with that special brand of pulpy nonsense that almost made him gag. Just to one side of the entrance was a rather grand mahogany countertop with a decrepit old unicorn stationed behind it, apparently sleeping. Salivating slightly, Star snapped his attention to the far corner of the store where the staircase up was located. If the popular garbage was out in the center of the bottom floor, and the good stuff was along the walls… he shivered. This was going to be good. The world upstairs was different. Every surface seemed dull and faded, almost like an old photograph. Shooting Star reached a hoof out to the nearest shelf. It felt solid enough. He put his hoof back down and noticed the spot where his hoof had been was much more vivid than before. The entire room was positively coated with dust – as if nopony had been up here for years. Examining the shelves more closely, he was surprised to find that he didn’t recognize a single title. Or author, for that matter. Many of the volumes here had publication dates that were unbelievable. It was a GOLDMINE up here. Unfortunately, Star knew he didn’t have the time to properly freak out and begin the process of choosing which ones to buy. He didn’t have the bits or the load bearing capability to take them all home, and choosing a select few out of the thousands available would be a time consuming process. Deciding to mentally map out this part of Canterlot and return later, Star sighed wistfully as he left the shop empty-hoofed. He could indulge himself later. For now, he needed to make sure he wouldn’t lose track of time. He needed to be there for his friend. If only he knew where ‘there’ was. Now was as good a time as any to get his bearings and learn the basic layout of the city, remembering to make special note of the location of this particular bookstore. --------------------------------------------------- “And THAT is when your mother started blushing. She had misunderstood me because of how I speak differently.” “Yes, I get it dad. Now if you don’t mind stopping those stories, I’d rather keep my lunch in my stomach.” “Love is beautiful and natural.” Rainbow put a hoof to her mouth and imitated a gagging motion. “I’m sure it is, and I’d probably be willing to listen to these kinds of stories from time to time. But not when they’re about my parents.” “Haha… some day you will find a fine stallion and you will understand. Now remember the wing stretches that your mother taught to you.” “I can handle this. Really, dad, I can. No Rainbow has ever lost one of these competitions.” “Confidence is good, but remember that you earn your victory. Not your heritage. Your mother must judge honestly and impartially.” “I know. Don’t worry, I won’t let either of you down. You’re going to love my big finish.” “I am sure we will. Remember always, I love you my little Rocket.” She lowered her head and nuzzled the front of her father’s neck. “I love you too, dad.” “Cherry and I will be watching from the crowd, and also that friend of yours who loves the books.” “Star managed to find the place okay? It looked like we sorta ditched him back there.” “Yes, he is here. I will go back out there now. Break a wing!” The rainbow maned pegasus suppressed a giggle. “Just one?”
Windchaser	1161	1	Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Conversion Bureau: Last Man Standing	What is there that is left for a human in a world full of ponies?	complete	458	44	<p>In the many years after the Conversion Bureaus' shutdown, Twilight Sparkle is tasked by the Princesses with finding the last living human on Earth, Isaac Hamilton, and learning the story of his past. What she hears is a tale of loss, tragedy, joy, and the discovery of one's place in the world. But how much longer would that place last with what Twilight has to tell him?</p>	teen	2011-11-29T00:37:08+00:00	2011-11-29T00:37:08+00:00	20,016	“Sir, you appear to have a visitor,” the synthesized voice reverberated throughout the house, emanating from speakers located in every room. The message reached the ears of the man sitting at his desk in a dimly lit room, tapping away at a keyboard to his computer. “Ah. Who might it be this time?” the man called back without removing his attention from the screen in front of him. “It appears to be a unicorn, sir. Shall I ask her to return when you are not busy?” He leaned back in his chair, running his hand through his scraggy head of greying hair. “That’s quite alright. I needed a break anyway. Let her in if you don’t mind,” he responded. “And can you boil up some water for tea? Raspberry for me, if you would be so kind.” “Of course, sir.” The speaker clicked off, filling the room with silence once more. He stared at the screen again, analyzing his progress. “Hello? Anypony here?” a shy, feminine voice called out, accompanied by a soft and apprehensive clip-clop that came from the living room. The man pushed himself out of his chair to meet his guest, as it was the polite thing to do. Making his way out of his office and into the better lit hallway, he continued out into the small living room of his house. His eyes settled on a small purple unicorn, her deep lavender eyes gazing back at him. He walked up to her, hand outstretched. “Pleasure to meet you, miss…?” “Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle. And you must be Isaac Hamilton.” She held out her hoof and they exchanged their greetings. “The one and only. Now, what brings you to my humble little abode?” “I have a message from the princesses. It’s pretty urgent.” Isaac walked over and fell back into one of the sofas with a thwomp and looked back at the unicorn. “Interesting. Would you care for some tea? I have the water heating up right now.” “Do you have dandelion?” the mare asked. “Yes, we do. It shall be ready in a few minutes.” Twilight jumped at the unexpected response from the speakers just above her head. “Is that an AI?” she gasped. “I thought they all got decommissioned!” “Nah. I snagged SyRE before I left the IHSA, and he’s a special one at that.” “SyRE?” Twilight repeated, confused. “That’s a funny name. It sounds like you are addressing it as if it’s royalty.” Isaac let out a small chuckle. “Well, I have plenty of names for him. ‘Bucket-o-bolts’, ‘bit-brain’, ‘slave’…” With the last remark, a teacup shot out from the kitchen, straight at Isaac’s head. He saw it coming as he was speaking as well as from the corner of his eye. He ducked, almost feeling the wind of the teacup flying over his head and shattering on the wall beside him. Twilight could only giggle. “HEY! I didn’t say you could do that!” Isaac fumed. “I do not appreciate being called ‘slave’, sir.” “Quite the sensitive computer you are. Bah, fine. What I was saying, before I was so RUDELY interrupted,” Isaac shot a glare towards the kitchen, “Is that his name is actually an acronym. Synthetic Recognition Emulator, or SyRE. He’s not much of a worker, but more of a thinker. He can have opinions and ideas, but I never let him do my work for me.” Twilight still looked slightly confused, deciding instead to change the subject. “Well then, onto business. Since your meeting with Luna and Celestia, we’ve been getting fewer and fewer reports of human sightings.” Isaac leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with interest. “A year ago, the princesses commissioned a spell study from the Canterlot Unicorn Academy, tasked with determining how many humans are left in the wilds, and where they reside. “Pony emissaries were sent out to the few we detected, offering them homes, food, and even ponification if they desired to do so. Isaac,” she held out a long pause, “most of them chose ponification after hearing that I’m going to tell you, while the others… well… they took their own lives instead of facing it.” The words hung heavy in the air. Isaac knew exactly what she was about to say, refusing to admit it to himself. “We double and triple checked our readings, but unfortunately they all pointed to the same thing. You are the last human on Earth.” Isaac leaned forward, staring at the floor. He ran his hands through his greying hair, taking in the new information. Twilight looked at him, expecting something more than just silence, but the room stayed quiet for a few minutes. A loud whistle of steam came from inside the kitchen, and then the sound of water being poured into mugs. “Sir, your tea is ready.” A small robotic cart drove out with two steaming cups of tea, seated on its flat head. The small motors buzzing away as the contraption presented the unicorn with her steaming cup of tea. Twilight took hers, and whispered a quiet “Thank you,” as the cart drove over to Isaac. He took his tea and took a long sip of the soothing drink. “Isaac, are you okay? I’m getting a little worried,” Twilight asked. Isaac shot a glare up to the purple unicorn, a gaze that filled Twilight with dread. “Me? Oh, I’m fine. Just peachy. I was just told my entire species is extinct. Not a big deal, oh no,” he said, coldly. “Tell me, Twilight Sparkle. Tell me how you think I am. How do you think I’m feeling right now?” Twilight fidgeted for a moment. “I, uh... I think that you must feel terrible, an-” “Terrible? That doesn’t even begin to DESCRIBE IT!" the man yelled, rising to his feet, looking down on the terrified unicorn. “You walk into my home, cheerful as can be, and tell me, ‘Good day, sir! Oh, by the way, your species is dead. Have a nice day!’” Isaac paced back and forth, his hands clutching his head. He moaned angrily as he swung his arms down, his fists clenched so tight his nails were digging into his skin. He glared back at the unicorn. She was trembling on the couch, her mouth slack, her eyes filled with terror as she stared at him. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes as she tried to mutter something, but all that came out was a feeble squeak of fear. The sight eased his temper; he shouldn’t be taking it out on her. She did nothing wrong. "I’m just... ugh.” Isaac fell back into his chair, the blood draining from his red face as his temper began to ebb away. “I’m... I’m just so tired of this.” Isaac glanced over to the cup of tea before him, and took another long sip. “I must apologize, Miss Sparkle, for that outburst. I had suspected for a while since the bombing that I was the last one, but when confronted with the fact, it’s a little... taxing on the nerves.” He set the teacup down on the table in front of him, his mind deep in thought. He stared at his hands for a moment. They shook a small bit from the swath of emotions that filled him. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off, as if Isaac knew exactly what she was about to say. “And no, I can’t get ponified. It’s... complicated.” “Isaac,” Twilight began. “There’s more.” Her horn lit up, filling the room with a soft lavender glow. Her saddlebag’s flap lifted open, and a red folder levitated over to his lap. The cover was marked with warnings such as ‘TOP SECRET’ and ‘FOR EYES ONLY’. Isaac looked up at Twilight, who nodded in return. He opened it, and examined the contents within. “Each one of the humans also was asked to read this. None of this is public knowledge yet." Flipping through the pages, a single word carried a sense of importance throughout each document. “Twilight, what is this? ‘Purification’?” Twilight took another sip of her tea before she set it down onto the table and locked eyes with Isaac. “Do you remember back before our kind came to your world? Before Equestria was where it is today?” Isaac scratched at the stubble on his chin as he raked his memories. “Yeah, a bit. What about it? And what does it have to do with this ‘Purification’?” “Then I’m sure you remember that disease that was appearing on your planet, correct? Red Plague, I believe?” Isaac’s mind lit up at the name. “I remember it. What’s its significance?” “Our worlds were linked, even before we came. They were tiny bridges between our worlds, so small that finding one was almost impossible on your own. Typically, you could tell where one was by what was coming through it. On your side, they manifested as pockets of life sprouting up where none had been before. For us…” Twilight paused. “They were pockets of disease and death. Areas around those points in Equestria were poisonous and often harmful just by being near it.” Isaac leaned forward and picked up his tea cup and took a sip. “Couldn’t you close them? You’re magic, aren’t you? You and your princesses could just close those and clean up whatever came through.” “We tried that, Isaac. But for every one we closed, more opened, spreading those patches of malaise throughout Equestria. It was just about a little over a year before we appeared that we encountered the Red Plague in Equestria. The princesses saw the frightening potential of it should it inherit the magical properties of Equestria. So for the rest of that year, they decided instead of treating the visible wounds, they would deal with the source of it. The spell they wove opened one of the bridges wide enough for our entire land to fit through, appearing where the corresponding bridge existed in your world, which happened to be the middle of the ocean.” “Hold on a second. Wouldn’t coming closer to the source of the Plague give it more opportunities to mutate to what your princesses wanted to avoid?” Isaac objected. “Technically, that is what most of us who knew the details of it were worried of. But when our worlds joined, the bridges were broken, so the Plague couldn’t sneak into Equestria the way it had beforehand. When we perfected the Ponification serum, we made sure that the disease was eliminated in the process. We’re naturally immune to the most common strain that infected your people, but we couldn’t let the sources that spawned it persist to create a plague that could harm us. “The Purification Spell: the single greatest piece of arcane spellcraft ever conceived by anypony in our history. Harnessing the casting power of millions upon millions of unicorns, a wave of energy would wash over the planet, refining everything the spell touched to the base elements that comprised it, and imbuing it with natural life energy. When the spell is finished, all that would remain would be a world virtually untouched by human hands. A clean slate. Everypony would take shelter in Equestria when the spell is cast, to avoid the effects. This is why we’ve been pushing to get the last of humanity poified. So you can survive.” Twilight expected Isaac to take more time reflecting on the new information she had presented to him. “When is this spell supposed to be cast?” he said. “One week from today. Believe me, Princess Celestia has been trying to put it off for as long as possible, but if she waits any longer, even the Purification wouldn’t be enough.” “And all human technology, architecture, the quintessence of our entire history will be erased from the Earth, correct?” “I’m sorry, but yes, that is correct.” Isaac folded his hands in front of his face in quiet contemplation. After a few minutes, he spoke again. “Is there anything else you need me for? I told you my stance on ponification, regardless of this ‘Purification’ spell.” “Well, we knew you were part of the IHSA, and we wanted to know what was going on there before the bombing. I-if you don’t mind, of course.” After a few moments of silence, Isaac responded. “Sure, why not. But after it’s over, I want to be left alone for a while. I have a lot of work to do, and apparently, only a week to do it all in. Where would you like to start?” Isaac leaned back in his chair, and took another sip of his tea. Twilight Sparkle levitated a clipboard and a pen from her saddlebags. The moment the pen touched the paper, it immediately started scribbling notes on the things the voice recorder couldn't get. "I would like you to start from when you first heard about the Bureaus. Knowing what led you to the IHSA is very useful for knowing the circumstances of..." "I know," Isaac cut Twilight off before she could finish. "It really all started when I got a message from a friend of mine." * [Many years prior] Isaac meticulously picked at the scummy food littering his plate. The package supposedly said “Chicken Parmesan”, but it looked more like some sort of gelatinous swamp-monster his mother was trying to feed to him. Unsurprisingly, his appetite was not with him. If it had been at any point earlier, it ran for the hills at the sight of the meal before him. This was the common fare for his family: ultra-processed synthetic meats, fruits, and vegetables. Rumor even had it that the water would even light on fire from the faucet. “I’m not hungry,” Isaac mumbled, pushing the meal away from him. The way it jiggled as he did so would have elicited a response from his gag reflex, had he not been so used to the sight. “Oh… well I’m sure your father will be more than happy to eat your helping,” his mother, Susan replied. She sighed, looking down past her blond curls at the plate, the food virtually untouched. Her eyes locked with Isaac’s, and mouthed ‘I don’t blame you’. “Well I’ll HAVE to now that it’s already cooked up,” a voice grumbled from the room over. “You’re gonna wither away if you don’t eat anything, Isaac. Gotta grit your teeth through it, jus’ like everyone else does.” Isaac’s father, Jeff Hamilton, spent all of his evenings sitting in the same exact chair, flipping through the hundreds of channels their television received. “I think I’m just gonna go to sleep,” Isaac mumbled. “Can you tell Erika that dinner’s ready when you get up there?” Susan called from the kitchen. “Sure,” Isaac moaned back as he rose from the rickety wooden chair. He shuffled his feet along the hard wooden floor to the stairs as he slogged his way up. He was exhausted from another day of fruitless job searching. But at least he tried, and it kept his parents off his back for living at home. He reached the top of the stairs, the old house creaking underneath every step he took. He leaned up against the wall next to a door and knocked a single time. “Erika, mom says dinner is ready.” “Just a minute~” she sang. Erika was Isaac’s younger sister, still enrolled in college. Her unusually optimistic attitude was grating to Isaac whenever she was around, but Isaac always cared for his little sister. The door swung open, momentarily blinding Isaac with the viciously bright colors of the decorations of Erika’s room. “I wouldn’t touch it if I were you,” Isaac mumbled as she sailed right past him. She spun back around as she reached the stairs, giving him a wry smile. “I’ll take what I can get!” Isaac sighed and continued to his own room. Just down the hall from Erika, his own room was much darker and plainer than his sister’s by comparison. Books and papers littered any open floor real-estate, his desk covered in half-empty drinks and snack wrappers. On most nights, he would spend countless hours staring at his large computer screen, working on collaborative projects with his old college buddies, chatting, or just checking out how miserable the rest of the world was compared to him. It was one way he could cheer himself up. Falling onto his bed, he buried his head in the solitary pillow, trying to let sleep take him. Unfortunately for him, his room was right above the television, and his father liked his volume unnecessarily high. Every night he tried to get to sleep before midnight, he would be forced to tune into the audio of whatever caught his father’s fancy for the evening. Tonight, it seemed, nothing could hold his attention for too long before he would change the channel. <Welcome back to StormWatch. We’ve been following Hurricane Pauline for a few hours now, and in just the time from when it was formally classified as a hurricane three hours ago, it has already escalated into a devastating category five storm, marking the sixth of these mega-hurricanes this season.> BZZT <Unemployment now stands at an unhealthy thirty-nine point five percent, a substantial rise of three percent since last month, mostly in the IT fields and manufacturing. AIs have finally been integrated into virtually all workplaces, bringing productivity and efficiency through the roof. Protests and demonstrations have been taking place outside of the very places employing these new virtual workers, the old workers demanding their jobs back.> BZZT <Riots once again populate many of the countries of the Middle East, further adding to the tensions for energy in the global market. The oil shortage shows no signs of slowing down, as wells are pumped dry and fewer fresh ones are found with each passing day.> BZZT <With the sudden emergence of the new disease now referred to as ‘Red Plague’ in central Europe last year, many small towns are still locked down in quarantine. Major cities are encouraging less travel to the rural areas, where the disease is thought to have mutated from industrial runoff basins.> BZZT The sounds of metal crashing, gunshots, and explosions now rattled the walls of his room. Jeff must’ve found some sort of cop drama to keep his attention. A more distinct rattling met his ears, clearly not coming from the television downstairs. Isaac pushed himself up and reached to his bed-side table, grasping his phone and bringing it to his face, half buried in the pillow. He had a new message. [Meet at the diner tomorrow at 2. –Will] * William Rathmore was a good friend of Isaac’s from high school. They were known to be troublemakers throughout their school career, winding up on the wrong end of the Principal's attitude more than a few times. Even though they ended up at different colleges, they still kept in touch through online chatting. And, it seemed to Isaac, that Will had yet to give up his habits if he was intercepting private files from his home computer. Will’s head popped out from the crowd, flashing a smile when he saw Isaac standing at the corner by the diner. Almost running over a few people roaming the sidewalk in front of him, Will kept his balance while running over to Isaac. "Good to see you again," Isaac said as he shook Will's hand. "I was getting ass-cramps from sitting in that chair all day. I needed to get out sooner or later,” Will wheezed. The two strode into the diner and chose two stools at the main counter. The place was a favorite of theirs back in high school since it was open 24-hours a day, providing them with meals whenever they wanted. And fortunately for them, the meals they served here tasted like what they were supposed to be. Most of their planning and pranks were devised there in the dark hours of those mornings. It was a small place in town, mostly unchanged from the last century of innovation and shifts in style, helping it keep its charm. One of the waitresses brought over two glasses if ice water, and handed them each a menu. Heh. Even the menus don't change, Isaac mused to himself. He spent no time looking over the menu, already knowing what he was going to get. Will spent a little bit longer looking it over, but eventually settled on his choice. "So what can I get you boys?" the waitress asked, notepad ready. "I will get a Coke and a triple stack of pancakes," Isaac piped up. "Uh, I'll get lemonade and an order of French toast." "Coming right up, sweethearts." She took the menus and disappeared behind the double doors into the kitchen. Isaac tapped the counter with his fingertips, waiting as he and Will sat in silence. Will stared at the wall opposite from him. Impatient, Isaac finally broke the silence. “Okay, I’ll bite. What did you want to show me?” Isaac asked, growing impatient with his friend. “Patience, young padawan.” Will took a quick glance at his watch, noting the time. Will pulled out his tablet and fiddled with the icons for a short moment. The television on the wall behind the counter flickered on, surprising many of the guests and workers. Will only shot Isaac a smirk. One of the waiters stepped up to the television to turn it off, aiming a glare at Will and his tablet, mouthing ‘damn punks’. A bright red 'BREAKING NEWS' notification lit up the screen with a loud jingle. He stepped away with a look of confusion, knocking some of the plastic cups onto the hard ground, drawing the attention of the other customers in the diner to the racket. They all stared at the television in the same stupor that the waiter did. <We apologize for the interruption of your regularly scheduled programming. We switch you now to a live press conference in the UN in New York City, held by the president.> There was a brief transition, and the camera opened on an older man standing at a podium in front of an audience of thousands. Camera flashes were constantly illuminating the stage as the noise started to die down. <Hello. My name is Henry Eismann, president of the United States of America. What I’m about to tell you, quite possibly, will change your view of the world. I know it has changed mine.> <About two weeks ago, a large landmass appeared in the ocean, approximately five hundred miles offshore from New York City. We sent several reconnaissance missions to gauge what we were dealing with, none of which were able to achieve any kind of information aside from basic geographical data. The island was extremely large, about the size of Georgia. The terrain was not unlike anything we hadn’t seen before; mountains, forests, swamps, and grassy fields.> <A few days after this new land appeared, we had an encounter with the inhabitants of this new place. They spoke of desiring peace between our two civilizations. I spoke with the members of the royalty of this land, and we have reached an agreement. The details of this will be explained by none other than the Princess herself.> “You’re gonna love this,” Will whispered to Isaac. Isaac had never heard of a group being able to organize a worldwide broadcast within just a few days. Whoever they were, they must have left quite the impression on the president. The president walked away from the podium, disappearing behind the curtain. After a moment of pure silence, both in the diner and at the press conference, a single figure emerged into the spotlights. The audiences on both sides of the television gasped. A majestic white horse walked out from behind the curtain to the side of the stage. Her mane wafted in the stagnant air of the room by some unnatural breeze, reflecting all of the colors of the spectrum. On her head she wore a single golden tiara set with gemstones the likes of which only seen in museums, and holding that in place was a long, ivory horn. On either side of her slender body were tucked-in wings. She wore many other golden decorations, each emblazoned with an insignia of a blazing sun. Isaac could hear people around him talking amongst themselves about the revelation of the nature of this ‘guest’. "What in the world... It’s a unicorn!" “It has wings? And a horn?” “That’s a pretty sick tattoo on it’s ass!” "My lord! It’s beautiful!" "I don't like this... Ain't natural." "Don't tell me THAT’s the speaker! Horses can't talk!" someone spouted from the back of the diner. <Greetings, people of the world. My name is Princess Celestia, one of the rulers of the verdant land of Equestria.> Her voice was regal, majestic, and beautiful. She exuded an air of confidence and gentleness about her, translating clearly through the television. Isaac stared in wonder at the Princess. <We come to you not as a nation seeking power, but one willing to share what we have. While we cannot force you to believe what I say, we will let our actions speak for us. I and my sister, Luna, both expect that your people have already begun plans to try and colonize our land, seeking to utilize our resources for your own gain. For your own safety, we ask you to cease these efforts. Our fair nation of Equestria is rich with magical energy. A few members of various countries discovered this the hard way, for which I am dreadfully regretful for. Because of this, no human can ever set foot in Equestria.> A loud roar of outrage erupted from the audience attending the speech. After a moment, the din started to taper away, leaving the white alicorn at the podium, her expression shifting from one of seriousness to a soft smile. <We can offer humanity a future, though. Our top scientific minds are hard at work combining our magic with your technology to complete a process that will allow humanity to live in our lands, as one of us. We can offer those interested a simpler life, honest work, and the joys and happiness we have lived with for generations. We offer this gift to you in good faith. We will be opening Conversion Bureaus for those who are interested all over the world in the coming months, beginning the treatments for ponification once we are one hundred percent sure that the process is safe for everyone.> <We look forward to hearing your concerns and answering your questions. We have uploaded an information document onto your internet, and will be hosting meetings in cities worldwide to ease any worries and answer any questions you may have. We look forward to welcoming those of you willing to join us as our brothers and sisters.> The diner had fallen silent. As Celestia walked off from the stage, the entire audience erupted into a cacophony of cheers, screams, and even boos as she left. “What just happened?” Isaac asked Will, who seemed to have a better grasp of the situation. “Well, a few weeks ago I stumbled into the Pentagon mainframe…” Will began casually. “Stumbled?” “Err, yeah. And I found these reports of a giant landmass that just appeared a few hundred miles out to sea practically overnight. Flights were redirected away from it, satellites were taken over to prevent any unneeded sightings. I've never seen the net subjected to such a widespread censorship campaign. Any mention of it, any pictures, anything pertaining to it was immediately deleted and the user would go silent. A few days after the island appeared, a picture surfaced with a couple of those ponies meeting with some military personnel on a ship a few miles off the coast from that island. She wanted to hold a press conference today, and now we have… ponies wanting to turn humans into more ponies.” “Well that’s just great.” Isaac took a sip from his beverage. “Hey, pull up that file she mentioned. Let’s see what this is all about.” Will pulled out the tablet from his pack, and set it down on the counter. After a few moments of fiddling with the controls, the screen was filled with color. The cover was a color photograph of rolling green hills, rivers, and snow-capped mountains in the background, with all sorts of ponies playing around and an old English style town right behind them. A message was displayed along both sides of the scene. [Are you tired of your life of exhausting work for little pay? Have you had your job taken from you and you are struggling just to get by? Then enroll in one of our Conversion Bureaus! During your 7-day stay, you will be supplied with everything you'll need to live amongst us in Equestria. Ponification is an easy, painless procedure that will allow you to live in our home land, along with all of the other ponies!] [Our top scientists are teaming up with their human counterparts to perfect this process. Administered at our Conversion Bureaus early in your stay, you will grow into and adjust to your new pony body while keeping everything that was ‘you’ right where it belongs!] [Room and board, meals, education, and medical expenses will be free of charge! Yes, you read that right! You can start your new life for no cost whatsoever! Questions? Come and visit the Conversion Bureau nearest to you on July 2nd for a Q&A session!] [Conversion Bureaus opening near you: all New York City boroughs, Newark, Trenton, Camden, Philadelphia...] Isaac removed his attention from the screen to see everyone else in the diner looking to their own screens. They were all entranced by the promises the ponies were offering. A new life? For free? It was an offer countless people would take at the drop of a hat. "No way am I doing this. There's gotta be something more to it than that," Will objected. "Yeah. Not asking for anything in return? No cost for the process? Sounds fishy." "Says here that the Newark one is scheduled to open tomorrow. Care for a small road trip?" Isaac knew where Will's mind was going, and knew he had no choice in the matter. * Isaac and Will pulled into the colossal parking lot in front of the large building. The entire lot looked like it could rival the Meadowlands Stadium parking lots at a first glance. There were thousands of spaces, most of which were empty. There were several dozen cars, all up near the open doors to the building. The two strolled inside, voice recorders already on, eager to discover what was being discussed. They had decided to record everything the ponies said, since most of their announcements were still painfully vague as to the details of what they were planning. A series of signs and arrows pointed them into a large presentation room. Voices were heard from inside. "... but what would we do when we move to Equestria?" one of the audience members finished asking. The pony at the podium was a deep purple unicorn; presumably female judging by the way her mane was styled. "Well, each pony is given work and a place to stay. Jobs can range from farming, to tailoring, to cooking, and so on. Don’t worry; we are sure to find ways for everyone to make a healthy living!" A roar of applause grew from the audience, cheering at the prospects of a newer, simpler life. Isaac and Will made their way into the middle of the group and found a pair of chairs they could use. As they sat down, the applause began to peter off, giving way to silence once again. "Any more questions?" the unicorn asked. Isaac's hand shot up almost involuntarily. "Yes?" "What's your motivation?" Isaac could feel the glares from everyone in the audience settling on him at that moment. Taking a gulp, he continued. "You offer humanity a new start, and you ask nothing in return. Why?" "Ahem, well... we have watched you and your civilizations constantly rising and falling. We see famine, poverty, starvation, and exploitation running rampant through your world, and we only wish to offer you a hand to be free of it all. What was your name?" "Isaac. Isaac Hamilton." "Would you mind staying afterwards, Isaac? I would love to address your worries and concerns a little bit more thoroughly and personally, if you don't mind." "By all means," he responded, taking his seat again. Throughout the rest of the presentation, he could feel much of the animosity from the rest of the audience around him begin to fade away. Most of the questions everyone had were what would happen to them during their stay at the Bureau and what Equestria was like. Once nobody raised their hands anymore, Isaac noticed that a few hours had passed since they arrived. "Thank you all for coming out to meet with us today! We look forward to seeing you when we officially open!" the unicorn concluded. The audience, save for Isaac and Will, were smiling and laughing while leaving the facility, excited for their new lives to come. The unicorn stepped down from the stage and walked over to where the two of them were standing. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Isaac. And you are?" "Oh, I’m Will Rathmore." "Wonderful to meet you too, Will. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m going to be in charge of this Bureau once it opens, so I believe I can answer most of your questions." The unicorn, Twilight, cleared her throat. "So you wanted to know our reasoning for why we’re doing this, correct?" The two nodded in unison. Isaac spoke up, "Yes. You see, we are naturally very apprehensive when something is offered to us for free. Never in our history has something been given free of any strings or conditions attached." "Yes, we were fully aware of the opposition we would face from some humans. Be assured, we truly mean you no ill will. We just want to see you thrive, and we believe we can help you in that through ponification." “I apologize for sounding rude, but that sounds like a very arrogant claim. Humans have to become ponies to live happily? We need to join you to thrive? I’m sorry, but there are many people out there who are going to be taking your claims that way, and not being as polite as me about it.” Twilight looked down at the carpet of the small conference hall. “I know. We still are in wonder at the technology and knowledge your people have been able to achieve. Humans are amazing, I am proud to believe that. Your kind does truly fascinate me. But... I’m sorry if I sound rude, your kind does tend to have... aggressive mannerisms and harbors hostility moreso than our kind. Equestria has never experienced war, famine, disease, or anything of that nature. We have a peaceful society. We only wish to share that with you.” Isaac smiled. “I believe you, Twilight. I only wish it were that simple, to change a person that way.” Will took the opportunity to voice his concern. "What I’d like to know, Miss Twilight, is how you plan to, well, 'ponify' us humans. How does it work?" Twilight let out a soft sigh. "To be honest, I’m not too sure how it works right now either. The research has been under very tight security since it was started so only the ponies and humans working on the project have any sort of extensive knowledge on the subject. But what I have heard is that your scientists have had most of the work done for years now, and all that we need to do is add the magic and start trials." Isaac did a double take at what he just heard. "Did you just say 'magic'? Like abra-kadabra, shazam, that kind of stuff? I heard your princess mention it during her speech yesterday." Twilight masked a small giggle. "Oh, heavens no! We unicorns can use actual magic, like this." The tip of Twilight's horn began to glow a soft purple, and the chairs around the small group began to levitate and stack themselves. They kept doing so until the entire room was empty, except for stacks of chairs lining the walls. Isaac and Will could only look in amazement. "Well that's something. Sure wished we got that on video," Will whispered. Isaac only nodded in agreement. "We ponies come in three forms: unicorns like me who can use magic, pegasus ponies that have wings and can fly, and earth ponies who are agricultural masters and animal handlers. The ponification process selects which one of these three you are most suited for, and that is what you become." "Alright, well thank you for your time, Miss Twilight. It's been a pleasure." Isaac held out his hand to meet Twilight's soft hoof, and after an awkward moment of figuring out how to grasp the alien appendage, he gently shook it. The feeling was entirely unexpected. Her coat was not unlike velvet or silk, her hoof not hard or dirty, but supple and warm to the touch. "Indeed it has. I hope I’ve eased your apprehensions! I look forward to seeing you two once we open in a few months!" Navigating the empty halls of the giant building, Isaac and Will walked out into the soft glow of the afternoon sun, looking out over the empty desert of asphalt before them. Will let out a drawn out sigh. "Dude, it sounds so appealing. A new life? To be able to start over? I would take it in a heartbeat if it wasn't for that 'ponification' she kept talking about." The two of them were walking out across the parking lot, over to the individual car left out in the middle of the asphalt wasteland. "I hear you. And that's why I can't bring myself to do it. Because I want it so badly. I don’t want to get caught up in the rush of it. People make bad choices when they get too excited. Let’s wait and see what happens with this. I already know I’m gonna have a busy evening," Isaac said, gazing down at the ground. "Yeesh. I forgot. Erika. She's gonna be all over this. Best of luck, dude. You're gonna need it." * "Did you see how cute they were?! I'm going right away once they open up!" Erika squealed. Isaac looked on with a baleful gaze. He was afraid of this. They ponies had appealed to everyone with the lure of utopia waiting with them. And his sister fell right for it. "Oh honey, you simply must calm down. While it does sound absolutely wonderful, you have a perfectly good life here at home. You have a job, your friends, and a loving family, everything a grown woman would want! Don’t be so quick to get whipped up in it," Isaac's mother called from the kitchen. "Yeah, pipe down. You're giving me a headache," Jeff grunted from the living room. "Jeff! Don't speak like that to your daughter!" Susan yelled. Jeff replied only with another grunt and went back to watching his television shows. "So, Isaac! You gonna get ponified? Well? Hm?" Erika said over Isaac's shoulder. "Nah. Pass. Too girly for me," Isaac lied. He knew that deep down, he did want to go through with it, but he simply couldn't admit it to himself. "Funny, I would think you would be ideal for it!” Erika playfully sneered. “You haven't had a job in almost two years now, you don't have any friends aside from Willy, and you've just been living off mom and dad since you got out of college!" "Now that’s enough Erika!" Susan yelled, her red face peering out from the kitchen. "I will not have you talking to your older brother like that! It's not his fault that those things took his job from him! And he is always welcome in this house! And that’s the end of it." Isaac stared at his mother. He couldn't believe the passion she had showed in standing up for him. But, to Isaac, everything his sister had said was true. Three years ago, Isaac had finally scored a job working at a computer science firm, developing new programs and technology for the world to utilize. When his boss had suggested working alongside an experimental AI, Isaac thought it was a decent idea. Having some sort of program help him with the grunt work? It sounded good to him. After a few scant weeks, the AI had grown to be able to emulate Isaac's programming skills, and eventually surpass it. Since then, the entire company was being outfitted with AIs to take over human held positions, resulting in Isaac being ousted from his job. During the weeks that followed, he was constantly asking for interviews and employment opportunities, but found none. Every programmer, technician, developer, and engineer had been steadily replaced with AIs. The only ones still with jobs were the AI developers. Isaac stood up from the table he was seated at. "Thank you for dinner, mother." He brought his bowl into the kitchen, placed it in the sink, and walked upstairs without saying another word. His family looked on, saying nothing. Only the drone from the television filled the air. He stepped into his room, which immediately sparked to life. His computer terminal lit up, routing him straight to the chat room he frequented in his free time, signing him on immediately. All of the other users were abuzz about the Conversion Bureaus, the ponies, and especially 'ponification'. Isaac had heard enough about these ponies for today. He powered down his equipment, deciding on sleep instead of his usual online work. He needed the sleep. It would let him rest and give him time to be able to reflect on the test humanity as a whole was about to face. Is the promise of paradise really worth losing one's humanity? Trying to get to sleep, Isaac could hear the television blaring from downstairs. His father almost never turned it off. Just like the other night, he was forced to sit in on his father’s program. <Hello, I’m Gabby Fitzsimons, and welcome to the nightly news at 8. It’s the thing that everyone and their mothers are talking about! Ponification! What is it? Should you be afraid? Should you go for it? Well, there are already those who are voicing the proposal as an insult to humanity. They are already calling themselves the HLF, or the Human Liberation Front. It’s a grassroots movement sprouting up all over the world, with one unifying goal: to keep humans and ponies separate. With the ponies facing vandalism and threats of violence, they chose to address the concerns some people had.> <A spokesma- err… spokespony… really?... said the following:> <”We wish humanity no harm. We offer this service as a voluntary choice. We are not forcing any humans to get ponified, only holding the doors open for those who wish to move to Equestria. Humanity is entitled to its own decision on an individual basis. We don’t think that one pony or man should choose what an entire species must decide.”> <Frank Dunland, self-described leader of the pro-human movement, responded with this:> <“The simple fact of the matter is that they are insulting the human condition, saying that we are incapable of helping ourselves! How have we been able to achieve the technological progress we have without our unending will to succeed? The real motivation behind these ‘Conversion Bureaus’ is that they want to control the human population!”> <More on this story after the break.>
Windchaser	1161	2	Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Conversion Bureau: Last Man Standing	What is there that is left for a human in a world full of ponies?	complete	458	44	<p>In the many years after the Conversion Bureaus' shutdown, Twilight Sparkle is tasked by the Princesses with finding the last living human on Earth, Isaac Hamilton, and learning the story of his past. What she hears is a tale of loss, tragedy, joy, and the discovery of one's place in the world. But how much longer would that place last with what Twilight has to tell him?</p>	teen	2011-10-03T06:20:32+00:00	2011-10-03T06:20:32+00:00	11,575	"So that was you! What happened? Why didn’t you get ponified?” Isaac took another long sip from his steaming cup of tea. The sweet aroma of raspberries soothed his mind like almost nothing else could, bringing a fond smile to his face. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I really wanted to. Really, really wanted to. Everything pointed to a better future after ponification, and I was miserable. So I looked up the times for the tours your staff hosts for apprehensive patients. Unfortunately, I scheduled my tour on the day of the HLF riot.” "Oh... There were so many people hurt that day... Were you one of them?" Isaac shrugged. "You could say that." * [4 months after the bureaus open] Isaac sat on the spongy seat on the train, sinking into the material. He started out the window at the surroundings as they whipped by. The train was packed, many people standing at the back of the car holding onto railings for support. He wasn’t sure why the train was more packed than usual, but he was sure they weren’t headed to the same place he was judging by how the vast majority of them sported foul and angry expressions. Isaac was going back to the Newark Conversion Bureau. He had been following the opening of them very closely, ever since his meeting with the unicorn before the bureaus opened. Many of the interviews that started surfacing of humans who had undergone ponification were more than willing to spread the joy of how they felt. Every single one of them said they were happy, and all of them wore such bright smiles. They all said that the most difficult thing right off the bat was learning how to walk again, and how to live without thumbs. What intrigued Isaac most of all was the fact that in all of the photos, press releases, interviews, and television specials, every single new pony was smiling. No frowns, no regret, no misery. They were all convinced that it was the greatest thing that had ever happened to them in their entire lives, and it made Isaac a bit envious. He wanted to finally be truly happy, and he knew full well that he would be able to achieve it living the life he was currently in. So Isaac decided to take one of the tours offered to the more apprehensive humans to help them be at ease with the process. Isaac was convinced that if he liked what he saw today, he would go home, pack up, and enroll the very next day and never look back. He knew Will would be disappointed, being against the process himself. But Isaac believed that the benefits outweighed the consequences. It all was sprung forth from a recent interview he saw on the news: <Hello, I’m Gabby Fitzsimons, and welcome to the nightly news at 8. If you haven’t heard already, ponification is all the rage! But, some of you may be asking yourselves ”what happens to me after the whole ordeal?” Tonight I have a special guest, here to explain to everyone his team’s most recent research. Welcome, Professor Edwin Valmir.> <Pleasure to be here, Gabby.> <Pleasure to have you. So you claim that your team has been researching the physiology of humans that underwent ponification. Is this true?> <Yes it is. And we discovered some remarkable things. Most people have been hearing rumors from countries around the world of miracles occurring after ponification to people who suffered from various medical conditions being cured after the conversion.> <Do go on.> <Well, upon following up these testimonials, we requested access to patient files and records. Most of the first to enroll were the poor and the homeless. Without anything in the human world, they had nothing to lose by undergoing ponification. Many of them were in poor health, and upon ponification, most if not all of these conditions were nowhere to be seen within their new bodies.> <Fascinating! What conditions are you referring to?> <Well, this may come as a bit of a shocker. Many of the patients we looked at suffered from various forms of cancer from the poor environments they had been living in. Upon taking medical scans for their new bodies, no tumors or abnormal growths were detected. They were cured.> <Are you saying that ponification cures cancer?> <As much as I hate to admit it, yes it does. After decades of fruitless human research into trying to obliterate the horrid condition, along come the ponies and they cure it through sheer coincidence. Puts all of our effort to waste.> <Was there anything else you and your team discovered? Any other conditions that are cured by ponification?> <Yes. Viral and bacterial infections were eliminated; mental disorders corrected, amputees and paraplegics having control over their bodies again, so much suffering gone with that one process. Limbs growing back, even. Even the fatal Red Plague has been cured through this process.> <Anything else to add before we wrap up? That is some pretty heavy weight for the Bureaus to any skeptics out there.> <Yes, two more things. We discovered heightened serotonin production within the brains of pony-kind. Serotonin is known to have a very strong connection with the mood of a person. While humans produce it, the brain of a pony produces as much as three times more, supporting the transmission of signals within the brain, generating the natural euphoria and positive feelings that ponified humans claim to feel so much of. The second being that ponies are capable of similar lifetimes to humans, sometimes even passing them. Quite remarkable.> <Thank you very much for your time, Professor. After the break: the HLF issues more threats against the Bureaus. What could this mean to you? Find out when we return.> Isaac walked further down the road towards the bureau, trying desperately to navigate through the ever-growing crowds of the city. It seemed that the crowds were getting thicker the closer he got to the bureau. He started to hear shouts, screams, and angry yelling grow over the normal chaos of the usual city soundtrack, and his mind tried to tell him what was happening, even if he didn't want to believe it. He had to pick this day of all days. Upon entering the colossal parking lot for the bureau, the entire place was filled with people. There was a chain link fence creating a tunnel towards the front doors to the building, but was constantly being rattled and shaken by the angry protesters. It didn't seem like it was terribly violent yet, but Isaac didn't want to be anywhere nearby when it did. Isaac was too busy observing the scene before him to notice the small group of thugs approach him from behind. "Hey buddy. You here to protest too?" asked one of the guys, his breath rank with alcohol. Isaac looked up at the men towering over him, too petrified to speak. "Cause... We don't take too kindly to those damn pony-lovers, you catch my drift?" he asked, pulling out a savagely long knife from his jacket. Isaac slowly nodded in agreement. Seeing the fear in Isaac's eyes, the lead brute gestured to one of his lackeys behind him. In his hand was a red brick, outstretched in front of Isaac. "Take this, and show us you're no pony-lover. Huck it at that damn hell-hole." The rest of them shouted various cheers and expletives. The ‘leader’ started eyeing his glinting knife, then back to Isaac. His insinuations were as clear as pure water. Isaac took the brick into his hand, gazing at it. He knew that he wouldn't be able to get away from these guys and least of all fight them off. Most of the people around them were too busy shouting and yelling to care enough to help someone as insignificant as himself, and if he didn't do something with that brick, he would be in the wrong side of that knife. No matter how he looked at it, Isaac was in a lose-lose situation. He had no choice but to comply. His body acted before he could stop it. His mind, caught in the brief moment of confusion, only saw his hand empty and outstretched in front of him. He heard the sharp sound of shattering glass before him, and the cheers of the troublemakers behind him. While they were distracted, Isaac sunk into the layers of the crowd, desperate to get as far away as he could before his cowardice cost him his freedom. Sirens began to wail in the distance, the screams and yells from the crowd growing in response. Other objects began flying towards the bureau, likely inspired by his act of fear and coercion. He stood up straight to get another look at the surroundings, and saw that his efforts had placed him towards the back of the angry mob, much to his relief. Keeping his head low, he passed by the thinning crowds until he reached the streets of Newark, away from the chaos in front of the Bureau. Looking back to make sure nobody was following him, Isaac sprinted towards the train station, eager to get back home and seclude himself in his room, hoping nobody saw him and his stunt. Rushing up the stairs onto the platform, he flashed his ID to the ticket terminal and jumped onto the earliest train headed back home. Planting himself onto one of the seats, he slumped down, dread and regret filling his body. He thought to himself that it couldn’t possibly get any worse. * "You explain yourself this instant!” the voice yelled from beyond the doorway. Isaac hadn't even set foot inside his own home before being accosted by his father. Upon seeing him, Isaac only beheld a visage of anger and hate, his father's face beet red. "What are you talking about? What's going on?" Isaac asked, thoroughly confused. His mother stumbled over, her face hidden behind her hands, resting them on his father's shoulder. After a few moments, she regained her composure. Her face was slick with tears and puffy from her sobbing. "Why? Just tell me why... they didn't do anything bad to you... so why do you hate them so much?" She couldn't stand it anymore and returned to her sobbing. "I thought we raised a tolerant son, but it seems that I was SORELY mistaken!" his father bellowed, bleeding sarcasm. Isaac winced at the harsh accusation. Did they know? How on earth could they have found out... unless... Isaac looked behind his parents at the lit television set, its face lit with a news story covering the earlier riot at the Conversion Bureau. From the aerial view, the crowd was massive. The screen flashed to more highlights: men getting beat over the head with police batons, fist-fighting, other people throwing things at the police and the bureau... and then the screen flashed to the one thing he prayed nobody else had seen. It was himself, throwing the brick at the bureau, breaking the glass window, the kindling that led to the full ferocity of the riot to bear. Isaac felt himself lose his mind to panic. "I-It wasn't my fault! Some drunken thugs were threatening me! They pulled a knife on me! I was too scared to do try and get away from them!" he cried out. "WELL WHY THE HELL WERE YOU THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" His mother's face was now a similar color as his father's. Isaac saw the rage burning in both sets of eyes. "I... I was going to take a tour of the bureau..." "Bullshit. We know you've been recording all of those interviews. Stewing your damn racist hatred. Well..." his father looked over to his mother, who nodded in agreement. "We're leaving for the bureau. Right now. And you're not coming. Dear, tell Erika to get her things." Isaac stood frozen as his parents, the very people who raised him, walked off. They truly were too blinded by their rage to see Isaac's innocent intentions. He heard the clinking of zippers coming from the living room, and didn't even respond as his father shoved him to the side, walking out the door to the car. A few voices were heard from upstairs, one of which was louder, and somehow filled with joy. All too soon, that joy died as Isaac figured her mother told Erika that he wasn't coming with them. His mother and sister both walked downstairs, solemn looks as they too walked to the door. Isaac began to tear up. The only family he had... the only people he was close to were abandoning him. All because of some stupid misunderstanding. And he couldn't even defend himself. He was too scared. Erika stopped before Isaac and embraced him. She whispered in his ear. "I believe you. I'm sorry that it had to come to this." And then she too walked to the car. The electric engine buzzed from the garage. Isaac turned around to see his parents backing out of the driveway, not even giving him another glance. The car peeled down the street, towards their future, leaving Isaac behind. Erika looked out from the back window, waving her brother goodbye. Isaac stood frozen in the door. The ponies had taken everything from him. He was completely alone in the world. He had absolutely nothing left. "What's all the hubbub?" a voice called from down the street. Isaac shifted his gaze to the figure, which appeared to be carrying several bags, walking in his direction. As the figure approached, Isaac made it out to be the only thing left in the world he was familiar with. "Sorry you had to see that, Will." "Lemme guess. The Bureau Riot? That was you, right?" Isaac sighed. "Yep. Crazy things some people do under the coercion from a drunk with a knife." "Don't worry, I would've done the same. Not much you can do in a situation like that." Will stood before Isaac now, apparently carrying all of his possessions with him. Will noticed Isaac's gaze, and gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, the folks decided to get ponified too. Sold the house before I told them I wasn't interested. Mind if I crash here for a bit?" Isaac smiled. Maybe the end of his world would be put off a while yet. "Yeah, sure. Come inside." * Twilight’s pen kept whizzing away at her clipboard, the scratching filling the silent room. The pen ceased its movements, and Twilight finally relaxed after her marathon of an interview. "Goodness! We sure lost track of time! I still have so many reports to finish for the Princesses... I hope you don't mind if we put our little interview on hold until tomorrow." The purple unicorn began tucking her tall stack of notes into her saddlebags along with her clipboard, pen, and recorder. Isaac lifted himself up and helped Twilight with the bags. "Not at all, Ms. Sparkle. If it would be okay with you, I would like to continue tomorrow in another setting, perhaps over lunch." She brought her purple hoof to her chin, trying to organize her itinerary for the next day around it. A small spark in her eyes brought a soft smile to her face. "That sounds delightful, Mr. Hamilton. Daisy's at 11:30?" "Never been before, but sounds perfect. I'll see you then." Twilight gave a light nod of her head, and left the room, closing the door with her magic. As soon as the mare left, Isaac closed his eyes and recalled what that packet had said. "SyRE. What’s the progress on the data retrieval from the Kremlin?" A few moments of silence was followed by the synthesized voice coming from the room’s speakers. "Four hours until completion. On my schedule next are The White House and The Pentagon." "And how much of your processing power are you using towards this?" "Approximately .01%, as you requested. Decommission should not be accelerated should I retain these limits. I fear that retrieval of the Pentagon documents alone will take months, however." Isaac almost felt the intonation of fear and worry in the AI's voice. "Alright, we don't have that much time in that case. Remove the limiter I put in, and devote all of your processing power to the retrieval. How long will it take to retrieve everything?" SyRE responded only with a simple "Please define 'everything’." "Everything. All recorded information. Human history, recorded documentation, media, creative works, absolutely everything. How long would that take if you devoted 100% of your processing power to it and weeding out redundant copies?" Nothing came from the speakers for a moment as Isaac felt the humming and buzzing from SyRE’s processor core in the basement. "Approximately 3 days. However, decommissioning will occur a few hours afterwards as a side-effect of handling the information." Isaac knew that SyRE wouldn't display its emotions, but he knew his old AI would sound concerned if it was assigned a suicide mission. "Forward all documentation, research notes, and guidelines to AI salvage and reintegration to my personal station. Top priority. Put everything else on the holographic drives downstairs. Don't worry old friend, I won’t let you won’t die under my watch." If SyRE had a shoulder, Isaac would have given a reassuring pat. "I have no worries, sir. I trust your methods and reasoning completely. The requested documentation is now on your private terminal. Once I begin the retrieval, I will be unable to communicate or make any other actions. Please confirm directive: Archival of all human knowledge." Isaac took a great breath. "Confirm." "Acknowledged. Processing directive. Estimated time until completion: three days, fourteen hours, thirty seven minutes." "Best of luck, buddy." Isaac gave a light sigh, realizing he was going to have to cook for himself for a few days. He hoped he still knew how. Isaac sat back down in his chair and took another long sip of his now cold tea. The vapor trails had settled, and now didn't give off the soothing scent as well as it did before. Reveling in the silence that had now befallen his home, Isaac closed his eyes. The only thing he heard was the fans that were working tirelessly to keep the central computing unit for SyRE cooled while he trudged along with his mission. The droning hums were so relaxing to Isaac, that his consciousness began to melt away, the surroundings beginning to drift from his recognition, his mind beginning to wind down. Isaac welcomed the sweet embrace of sleep. It had eluded him so often in the past; he treasured each minute of it he got. The peace that was surrounding Isaac was swept away by the crashing noises that came from his office. “Owwww...” a young voice moaned from down the hallway. The soft steps were barely audible on the carpet. "I was hoping she would leave soon. You guys talked forever! I was getting so cramped in that overstuffed closet... I might have broken some stuff... sorry..." a gentle voice called from behind Isaac. "Ahh... don't worry too much. I have too much junk in that closet. And sorry about that... I wasn't expecting any guests today, let alone the Princess’s closest advisor." “What? If I had known she was here... If she even tried anything on you, I woulda beat the stuffing out of her! Wham, pow!” the squeaky voice yelled out. Isaac opened his eyes to see a blurry figure standing next to the arm of the chair. As he wiped the small bit of sleep from his eyes, he reaffirmed his gaze. Next to his chair stood an aqua blue pegasus colt. Not even three feet tall, he was still fairly young by both human and pony standards. He sported a silver-white windswept mane and tail, glowing bright in the lamplight. His blue wings were perked up, a sign of excitement by his kind. His tail flicked and jumped in joy as the pegasus's bright green eyes locked onto Isaac's, and they both shared a bright smile. Isaac lifted himself from the chair and kneeled down to embrace the young colt. The colt wrapped his neck around Isaac's, and dug his snout into Isaac's hair. “Your bravery is positively infectious. I wish I was like you when I was your age, Windchaser.” Isaac stood back up, ruffling the young one's mane amidst a light bit of laughing. "I'm going to be going out tomorrow to meet with that mare again. She asked me to continue that interview we were working on earlier. SyRE is off working on a job I assigned to him using all of his attention, so you'll have the house to yourself. Try not to break anything else, okay?" "Sure thing, papa!" Isaac gave his son such a wide smile that he almost brought himself to tears, as the pegasus jumped onto the couch to spread his legs out after his afternoon of confinement. Isaac walked into the kitchen and leaned onto the counter as his smile began to fade into a frown. I can’t risk him hearing in. “So what would you like for dinner?” Isaac asked cheerfully. Opening the refrigerator, he peeked in between the shelves and drawers of fresh produce. “We have some leftover rice, some eggs, onions, bean sprouts... How about I make you something I loved when I was younger?” The pegasus bounced in and out of view beneath the counter. “That... sounds... awesome!” he cheered with each bounce. Isaac pulled out a steel frying pan from the cabinet and set it on the stove, starting the electric burner with the turn of a knob. At least it’s harder to mess up fried rice than it is to cook it. If only all decisions were as easy as picking what to have for dinner. * Isaac strolled down the street at a slow, relaxed pace. He waved at some of the familiar ponies he shared the small area of town with, giving them warm smiles and waving his hand. Each one of them responded with smiles lighting up their faces as well. The town was alive and bustling, ponies out enjoying the morning sunlight. It was very pleasant out, warm with a light, cool breeze. The pegasi had done a wonderful job with keeping the smog away from town. The Earth was still polluted, but the efforts of the unicorns and pegasi kept the countless towns around the world pleasant and livable. He walked along the roads, weaving around the ponies he shared the sidewalk with towards his destination. When he finally made it to Daisy’s Diner, he saw a very flustered Twilight Sparkle waiting for him. She was tapping her hoof, and pulling a pocket watch out from her saddlebag every few seconds to check to see how late Isaac was. Calling her punctual would have been the understatement of the year. “You kept me waiting here for thirteen minutes! Now my schedule is all ruined… I’ll never get all those files sorted tonight…” she bemoaned. “You need to take some time for yourself, Miss Sparkle. Taking the scenic route does wonders for one’s nerves.” “Yeah, yeah. Let’s find ourselves a table, shall we?” “Why don’t we get ourselves one out on the patio? The day is simply too marvelous to be put to waste,” Isaac asked. He relished the sweet air around the diner. Twilight had made a great decision coming here. “That… sounds good, I suppose.” Isaac opened the door, and held it open for Twilight as she trotted inside. She gave him a nod of appreciation, and continued on to the waiters to find them a table. “Table for 2, please. And out on the deck, if it isn’t too much to ask,” Twilight said. The blue unicorn behind the desk took a peek at her documents, and levitated two big menus in front of her. “Right this way, darlings!” she said, leading the duo between the tables, towards the back. She opened the doors to the patio outside, and flipped open the umbrella for the table, offering some shade from the noon sun. Twilight and Isaac took their seats and menus, both thanking the waitress. "My name is Morning Roast, and I’m your waitress this wonderful day! Now what can I get you two to drink?” Twilight thought for a moment. “Do you happen to have apple cider?” The waitress gave a smile and a nod. “That, then. Thank you.” “And you, sir?” Isaac thought to himself. It was a long shot, but what did he have to lose? “Do you happen to have a bottle of Coke? I know they’re really rare, but if you don’t, it’s alright.” “Hmm… As a matter of fact… I think we do have a bottle or two somewhere in the back. We held onto it just in case we had another human patron. Haven’t seen one in almost fifteen years now, until you showed up! So today’s your lucky day, sonny!” “Terrific. I’ll take that please. And a glass of ice.” “Comin’ right up!” Isaac leaned back on the back legs of his seat. The idea that some ponies haven’t even seen a human in so long was a little disheartening to him. “You okay, Isaac?” Twilight asked. He brought his chair back down with a deep thud on the wooden deck. “Yeah. I’m just glad they have a bottle of coke back there. Haven’t had one in so long. I just hope it’s not flat…” Isaac gave a soft chuckle. Twilight’s horn began to glow once more, her bags opening up bearing the voice recorder, clipboard, and pen from yesterday. “I was hoping we could continue your interview if you don’t mind…” “Oh, right. Of course. I’m actually going to skip ahead a bit, if you don’t mind.” “Hmm?” “Well, we left off when Will came to stay at my house, right?” Twilight flipped through her notes from their last meeting. “Yes, that’s where we ended.” “Things got... dull for a while. Will and I would search around town for jobs to keep ourselves active, and to get some sort of income flowing in. The jobs were nothing extraordinary. We were cashiers, truck drivers, even tried my hand at working in a local police station. But as the population steadily funneled it’s way in through the bureaus, we lost our jobs faster than we could find new ones. “As dreary as things seemed, we were able to reap the benefits of what was happening. We would frequently make trips around, looking for abandoned shops and houses, seeing if they had anything we could, well, use. I suppose you could have called the two of us looters, really. After a while, we had accumulated quite the wealthy sum of toys and gadgets. Food was also somewhat easy to come by, since most food then was made with so much preservatives that they could last for decades. “So then everything kind of became slow. We stayed in the house, mostly because the AIs that ran the utilities and other services knew we were still there. They had began shutting down grids that humans had abandoned, leaving them to slowly decay along with the rest of the world. We had running water, electricity, heat, gas, everything we needed to stay there indefinitely so long as we had food.” “So how long did you two live like this?” Twilight was scribbling down on her notepad, while also staring right at Isaac. “I think it ended up being almost ten years actually. Work died out after seven, then three just minding our own business. We had plenty of things to keep our minds preoccupied. We had most of the entire media library known to man available at a moment’s notice, and we would go out to some remaining human run markets for food. But for me, things were getting pretty dull. There was a deep sense of purpose begging to be filled in me. I began to think those big questions: What am I supposed to do in this world? Where is my place? I was sure it wasn’t doing crap jobs for my dying species. So, I decided to go out for a walk down on the beach.” * Isaac walked along the boardwalk lining the beach. The sky was a faded grey, lines and streaks in the clouds, painting a picture that some would find beautiful. Isaac was one of them. He enjoyed weather like this: overcast, clear, with a cool, refreshing breeze. Looking out over the ocean, he stared at the waves crashing on the sandy shore and the rock jetties. He leaned on the railing, breathing in the salty air. Faint peals of thunder could be heard overhead. The beach never appealed to him when he was younger. He always put up a fuss whenever his parents dragged him and his sister there, whereas Erika would always have a blast regardless of how much of a grump Isaac was being. She would always talk him into helping her build mammoth sand castles, dig big holes, and look for seashells along the water. Her enthusiasm and cheer would spread to him, and he would end up enjoying himself no matter how sour of a mood he had been in before. His thoughts immediately shifted entirely to his sister. She was the only one to say goodbye to him when she and his parents left. She was the only one who gave him a hug, the only one to wave goodbye. Even ten years hadn't helped the ache in his heart watching his family abandon him like that. Even though Will showed up immediately after asking to move in, he still missed the company of his old family, especially Erika. Isaac took his socks and shoes off, leaving them on the old wooden boardwalk, stepping into the soft beach sand. The tiny grains filling in between his toes felt refreshing and welcome, even the mild itching that accompanied it. He had been cooped up with Will back home for so incredibly long; he began to forget how fresh air smelled. Not that his friend was getting on his nerves; Will was perfectly content with the lives they were living at the time sitting at home, chatting online, doing shady intel work for companies still around for good money. Isaac, however, was not. He felt a void in his being that had been growing since his family left. One could call it wanderlust, or even say that Isaac was tired of sitting on the sidelines, watching the world decay. He wanted to do something with his life. He wanted to help humanity, or what was left of it. It reached a bit of a crisis point that day, when he was forwarded a note from one of his friends online he had worked with. It read in plain letters: [New census results: less than 1m humans left] He walked out towards the frothing surf, feeling the icy waves lap at his feet. There was a time not too long ago where the beaches around were too polluted and dangerous to play on, garbage washing up every day. With the dwindling population of humans, less and less garbage found its way into the ocean, which had begun to try and clean itself, slowly restoring the azure hue it held so long ago. The trash would accumulate in bays and along belts of stagnant currents out in the ocean, away from the beaches. As the waves kept washing over his feet, Isaac felt the stress draining away from his body. Looking back inland, he saw the ruins of humanity, slowly crumbling from neglect. This town was one of the first to be abandoned. It wasn't the most glamorous town around, but so many people saw the bliss and happiness that waited for them within Equestria and just left. Now, it was nothing more than a silent ghost town, cars left alone in parking lots, stores empty, and most homes devoid of all life. Looters could be seen every so often, trying to nip at the bones of the dead town, looking for any more treasures left over after the countless others before them. Ponies had begun to repopulate some towns around the world, slowly spreading back out from Equestria. Not many towns were picked for repopulation, but the ones that were quickly became small hamlets similar to the ones back in their homeland. The ponies didn't seem partial to the idea of cities or huge metropolises, and only chose smaller towns, the least touched by modern technology. Most humans flocked to the giant cities, hoping to achieve some sort of extravagant life before the ponies had come. Isaac walked back up the beach a bit and sat down, sinking slightly into the sand. He looked to the north, seeing the faint silhouettes of the skyscrapers of New York City clawing at the horizon, begging to be remembered by their creators. The city was just about abandoned during the second great ponification surge, when humanity realized that their numbers had dropped below three billion. Not wanting to be a part of a dying species, they sought out ponification in such numbers that humanity’s fate was just about sealed. Nobody wanted to ride a sinking ship into the depths of the ocean. Isaac leaned back into the sand and began to think about what he wanted to do with himself. He wanted to do something for humanity, but it just seemed to be impossible. With so few people left, they were sure to be too spread out to attempt a concerted effort at anything. Isaac let out a heavy sigh. "WHOAOAH! INCOMING!! AAAAAAAHHH!!" screamed a voice overhead. Isaac had no time to register it, and felt the ground below him shake, and a plume of sand shooting overhead. On his feet, he brushed off the sand that had managed to make it into his clothes, then to see who or what caused that crash. There was a small crater barely a foot away from where he had been resting, with a bright yellow pegasus sporting a blond mane and tail struggling to her feet inside. "Owwww... Those gusts up there sure are tricky... I’m sorry I almost… Oh..." she gasped, her eyes resting on Isaac. She brought her hooves up to her mouth, as if she had seen a monster out of a horror movie. She climbed up and out from the crater, not breaking her stare. "What? What's wrong?" Isaac asked. "I... I never thought I'd see..." she began. "What? A human?" Isaac said, sighing. The few days he had ventured out from his house he had been stared at as if he was some sort of circus freak. Colts and fillies would point asking what he was to their parents, before being hushed up. Others would just stare, either in wonder, or asking themselves ‘Huh, I wonder why that poor sap didn’t bother getting ponified.’ Fitting, since he was one of the only humans in a world filled with ponies. But every time it happened, he felt like they thought it was bad that he was still a human. The pegasus's eyes drifted down to the sand, her expression darkening. "Y-yeah... a human… I'm sorry... I almost hurt you there. My name is Sunny Days." Isaac chuckled. "Kind of ironic, no? Flying out when it's such a dark and dreary day?" Sunny formed a small smile. "Any dark day can get brighter if you find what you were looking for," she said, staring up at Isaac through her messy blond mane. "And what are you doing out here all by yourself?" Isaac planted himself back into the sand, staring back out at the ocean. "I suppose I just needed some time to think. I feel… empty. I feel like I should be doing something more than just sitting idly by as my species fades away. I just want to do something for humanity." "I know the feeling. When I'm cooped up without getting to fly for too long, it hurts... But not just in the regular way. It hurts deep down because you aren't able to do what you were born to do. I think you can find what flying is to me if you look hard enough! It’s sure to be out there," Sunny said, cheerfully. Isaac smiled, looked back over to the smiling pegasus. A smile crept its way onto his face as well. "You remind me of someone I knew once." She lifted her head up, whipping her mane out of her eyes. "Really? Who?" "My sister. She was always such an idealist, seeing the bright side of any situation no matter how dark and gloomy it looked. She was the only one to say goodbye to me when my parents took her to get ponified together years ago. I just wished I had said goodbye to her too. The whole situation was so screwed up; I just stood there in shock and let it all happen. I'm sure they have forgotten all about me by now. Living it up in Equestria, not a care in the world." Isaac’s heart sank, thinking about how alone he truly felt. "I-I'm sure they haven't forgotten you, especially your sister! She still loves you, regardless of your decisions!" "Yeah... I hope so." A silence hung over the two. Isaac really did hope that his family remembered him, at the very least, Erika. "So what do you plan to do now? You said you wanted to do something to help humanity, right? Find some people who want to do the same and start something special!" Sunny chimed. "You know… you're right. I shouldn't be sitting around while everything I know fades away. I need to go out and help bring my people together! Thank you so much for talking me through this, Sunny Days. You were a fantastic help." Isaac scooted over to give the smiling pegasus a hug, which she returned with a nuzzle to his hair. Isaac jumped up and started running back to the boardwalk to retrieve his shoes. He spun around to wave and shouted back the pegasus, "Goodbye Sunny! Thank you again!" "Good luck, Isaac!" she yelled, waving him goodbye. Sitting alone on the beach, the yellow pegasus felt tears welling up in her eyes, and a smile a mile wide growing on her face. She looked out to the sea, the first rays of light punching through the cloud cover over the water. * Isaac burst through the door to the old house, almost tripping over the piles of trash that had been forming in the living room. He stumbled up the stairs to his room, mumbling to himself. “I know I saw it the other day… Where was it… HAH!” he shouted, pulling out an old AM/FM radio out from his closet. He frantically began turning the dials, twisting volume up to the top. Will poked his head into the room, a wearing a confused look. “Dude… what’s going on? You left without a word, and now you’re running all over the place, playing with antiques, and shouting everywhere,” Will said from the doorway. He was dressed in an old t-shirt and jeans, the same style he had retained since he moved in. The two of them worked in separate rooms, Isaac keeping his old one, and Will using Erika’s. Isaac said nothing, still fumbling with the frequency dial, until a message began playing. “This!” he shouted. <…ware, we welcome any and all humans still willing to help keep our species alive and well during these dark times. Free housing, free meals, and guaranteed work are all the benefits we offer. Safe from looters and gangs, we are an independent community free from the corrupting propaganda the ponies put forth. United with the other fifteen stations around the world, we will begin a new civilization for humanity to flourish within.> <The International Human Survival Association wants you! Located in Fort Stillwater, Delaware, we welcome any and all humans still willing to help…> “It just repeats after that. One of the guys online found it the other day, but I didn’t think too much of it and forgot all about it. It’s on most of the major radio bands, broadcast all over the country. So? What do you think?” Isaac said, his heart elated. He had finally found what he needed all this time, working to help humanity prosper. “I don’t know. It sounds a little fishy, but what the hell. What isn’t nowadays? Fort Stillwater, eh? Kind of far way, if you ask me.” Will said. Isaac didn’t see the desire he felt in his friend’s eyes, but hoped for the best. “Well, let’s give it a shot. Better than sitting around this dump for much longer. No offense, heh.” Isaac almost jumped for joy. He was finally the one deciding where his life was heading. “Let’s pack up. We have no idea what’ll be waiting for us there.” Isaac grabbed a bag from his closet, tossing some of his clothes in along with his computer’s external holographic drive. “Alright. I’ll toss some stuff together then get us a car. Be outside in half an hour.”
Windchaser	1161	3	Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Conversion Bureau: Last Man Standing	What is there that is left for a human in a world full of ponies?	complete	458	44	<p>In the many years after the Conversion Bureaus' shutdown, Twilight Sparkle is tasked by the Princesses with finding the last living human on Earth, Isaac Hamilton, and learning the story of his past. What she hears is a tale of loss, tragedy, joy, and the discovery of one's place in the world. But how much longer would that place last with what Twilight has to tell him?</p>	teen	2011-10-03T06:24:29+00:00	2011-10-03T06:24:29+00:00	10,210	The truck smashed through the plastic gate, giving way to the duo to the bleak New Jersey Parkway. The miles-long stretch of asphalt and concrete led straight through the state, from Connecticut to Delaware, the very place the riders in the truck were headed. Isaac sat in the passenger’s seat, holding onto a map printed out before he and his friend Will left their crumbling home for the IHSA. The map said that it would be about a two-hour trip, but at the speed Will was driving, it could easily only take one. With so few people left, there were really no legal speed limits to adhere to. There were still places where going 120 mph was nigh impossible without causing bodily harm, but the majority of the trip was smooth driving, few turns, and no need to wait to pay tollbooths. The truck they were riding in was an old Ford pickup that was parked in a driveway with the keys hidden above the sunshade, left behind by its previous owners a few years prior. The tank was almost full, perfect for the trip. “Hey, Isaac. Where were you before? And what’s with the sudden urge to get out?” Will asked, eyes still locked on the road. “Well, I went down to the beach to clear my head. Had a deep conversation with myself, and told myself ‘You need to man the hell up and do something with your life!’ Needless to say I decided to follow my own advice,” Isaac said. He decided it was for the best to omit the part with the pegasus, Sunny Days. Will wasn’t too fond of the ponies. He said on occasion that he would have joined up with the Human Liberation Front early on if they hadn’t resorted to such deplorable and senseless acts of violence. “Well good for you. I was starting to feel the same way, to be honest. Well,” Will said, “almost the same. I just wanted to find some way to keep mankind from dying out. By any means necessary.” The tone Will had used with those words gave Isaac a small shiver. He never heard Will sound so serious before, he was always so good at hiding his emotions. “You hear what I’m saying? They’re killing off our people, but not in the traditional wartime sense. They are taunting us with the fruit of knowledge, as it were. They are offering us utopia, but for what? You were entirely right to be skeptical back when those damned Bureaus opened.” Isaac never knew Will held such animosity to the ponies. While he was depressed watching humanity fade away, it seemed Will was upset, even angry at the ponies for causing it. Isaac held no grudge against the ponies, all they wanted was for humanity not to have to suffer any longer, right? * “Hey, Will? Can we stop somewhere? I kinda need to get something to drink.” Isaac tried to smile it off, but Will just sighed. “There’s a convenience store right there that looks like it’s still kicking. You wanna see if you can get me a Coke while you’re in there too?” Will pulled into the small parking lot of the 7-11, stopping in one of the front spaces. Will pulled out his wallet and handed Isaac a crumpled up bill. Isaac hopped down onto the asphalt from the truck and pushed his way inside the store. It was still active, which was good. But to his surprise, the person manning the register was in fact a small grey unicorn. The pony smiled and nodded in acknowledgement of Isaac, who gave the unicorn a sheepish smile in return. Isaac retreaded behind one of the aisles, checking for the fridges and the drinks. He rounded a corner and was finally upon them, but to his dismay, most of them were empty. He saw something in the front-most fridge. The bottles weren’t soda, but simply bottles of water and various juices. They seemed to lack the finesse of mass production, each glass bottle looking like it was hand... hoof made as it would seem. Isaac read the various bottles, noting some fairly unusual flavors. Apple, Strawberry, Orange, Kiwi, Starfruit, Raspberry, Blackberry... no way these can be real. Isaac grabbed a bottle of the amber hued apple juice and an old bottle of Coke he saw at the bottom of the racks. Inspecting the bottle’s label, it simply bore three brightly colored apples and the logo “Sweet Apple Acres”. Isaac brought them to the counter, the unicorn pushing the buttons on the register. A loud bell rang and the drawer shot out fro behind the counter. “$3.50, please.” “Wow, really? Why so cheap?” “Not cheap, really. Everything else is just so expensive,” the cashier said, chuckling. Isaac heard some steps behind him, and a sudden intake of breath. Isaac turned to see... another human. The man was fairly tall, his hair somewhat well-kept. His eyes were a little sunken in, but they were staring right at Isaac. “Are you heading to Fort Stillwater as well?” Isaac asked. He and Will were fairly close to the destination, so any humans around would likely be headed in that direction too. “What’s that?” he asked. It appeared that the shock to the man was almost if not greater than it was to Isaac. “You haven’t heard? The International Human Survival Association. They’ve made strongholds for humans all over the globe. A last ditch survival measure. I’m Isaac by the way, Isaac Hamilton.” Isaac stuck his hand out, meeting the other man’s hand in a strong shake. “I’m John Norris, been quite some time since I’ve seen another human on good terms. Can’t say I’ve heard of that organization before.” Isaac wasn’t surprised. Radios were pretty dead nowadays, so nobody would be checking for any signals there. “Hey dad, who’s this?” a high pitched voice piped up from behind John. A blue pegasus colt walked out from between the aisles, looking up longingly at John. Isaac was in shock. “Did that pony just call you ‘dad’? Did you... you know... with a pony?” “Oh. Oh God no. His mother got ponified when she was pregnant. I’d never do... THAT... with a pony.” Isaac let out a sigh of relief. There were some sick people in the world, and at least the one human he met today wasn’t one of them. A loud honking rang from the parking lot. Will. Isaac was taking too long, but he wished he could get to know John just a little bit more. “Oh, that’s Will. I gotta get going. Nice meeting you, John.” Isaac shot the colt a smile as he ran out the glass doors, sliding back into the passengers seat of the truck. He handed Will his Coke, and proceeded to crack open his glass bottle of apple juice. Taking a sip of the golden drink, Isaac was assaulted by such sweet and delicious flavors that had he been standing, he would have been knocked to the ground. He had never tasted a drink so... natural. It actually tasted like what apples were supposed to taste like. Will backed out from the parking lot and pulled back into the road, closing in ever more on their target. * The truck weaved through the streets of the small town, signs of life growing stronger the closer they got to the base. Noises could be heard, other cars were seen driving the roads, and groups of humans were walking around. “Isaac, I think we’re here,” Will said, nudging Isaac. “Seems that way.” The two continued on, finding the heavy iron gates leading to Fort Stillwater, the IHSA headquarters. On either side of the gate stood two tall towers, both manned by guards, sporting black automatic military rifles, keeping an eye on the ground below. Riding through the designated path, Isaac peered out the window to see what the fort contained. There were people walking around the green lawns, entering and leaving the various buildings he could assume were dormitories, not dissimilar from a college campus. There were some kids as well, it seemed that anyone and everyone who heard their broadcast dropped everything to come here. Just like how they did. The signs along the path pointed them towards a large, circular building sporting a bright red banner reading “REGISTRATION”. Will parked the car out in the lot, along with all of the other vehicles. They both grabbed their bags, and walked towards the building. “This is sure to be interesting,” Isaac said. “No kidding. It said that they’ll be assigning us work positions over that broadcast, maybe this is where we get them.” The two entered the glass sliding doors to a desk manned by a gruff middle-aged man dressed head to toe in formal military garb. He looked up from his laptop to see the two walk up. Isaac stepped in front. “Name, age, education,” the man asked, plainly. “Uhh… Isaac Hamilton, thirty-three, master’s degree in computer science and bachelor’s degree in genetics. Studied both at MIT.” “May as well gone to community college with that CS degree, kid. Genetics… right. You’re going to be assigned to Science Team Eight. Orientation for new base personnel is tonight at 1800 hours, in conference room one. Continue to that desk behind me to get your room assignment, maps, and all that bullshit.” He gestured to the woman seated at a desk behind him. She was dressed casually, a tee shirt and jeans. Her hair was tied up in a bun, black rimmed glasses hanging on her nose. “Hey there, science boy. Name?” she asked. “Oh, Isaac Hamilton.” “Lemme guess. You want a room with your friend back there?” She pointed at Will, who was talking with the man at the laptop, getting his assignment as well. “If that isn’t too much of a problem…” She let out a small chuckle. “No need to get your panties in a bunch. Science personnel are housed together by fours in the houses along Artillery Circle, and he was just assigned to team eight along with you. It’ll be you, him, let’s see… Roxanne Adams and Quincy Jacobs. They moved in a few days back. Now get going, you got two hours before orientation. May as well grab some grub before then. The science teams aren’t known to have too much time for eating.” Isaac took his card key, his new ID, and a folder containing various documents concerning the fort. He waited by the door for Will, who took his time talking to the woman at the last desk. He swore he saw her giggle a few times. “Science Team Eight?” Will asked, walking back to Isaac. The both pushed open the doors, exiting out onto the lawn. Isaac pulled out the map of the area, looking for the street their house was on. “Uh, yeah. Says we’re housed with… Roxanne Adams and Quincy Jacobs. It’ll be nice seeing other faces around for once,” Isaac joked. “No shit. Tired of staring at your ugly mug all day long,” Will retorted. They both shared a hearty laugh and strolled towards Artillery Circle. *** When they arrived, they saw rows of identical two story houses lining the road on either side. They were a stark white, had a few windows, but other than that were very minimalistic in appearance. “What number?” Will piped up. “231. There it is, right there.” Isaac pointed over to the house to their left, walking up the stone pathway up to the door. Isaac slid his key card through the slot, heard a light click in the lock, and nudged the door open. The house’s inside was not dissimilar to the exterior in style: clean and minimalistic. Isaac stepped into the house, followed by Will. They put down their bags and Will jumped over onto one of the sofas. A shuffling was heard from upstairs, followed by steps coming down to meet them. “Oy! Who let you in here? And take your bloody shoes off if you’re gonna lay on that sofa, you twit!” A lean, bespectacled man walked into the living room. His voice had a light Irish accent to it. His hair was a mess of jet black with light curls. “Quincy Jacobs?” Isaac asked, hand stretching out. The man met it with a nod. “Aye. So you two are gonna be on team eight with Roxy and me, eh? Oy! Roxy! We got some new lodgers!” Quincy shouted behind him. Another set of steps were heard from upstairs. “Will you quit shouting so much? I’m going to have to get a hearing aid if you keep that up… Oh! Hello there!” A middle-aged black woman had entered the room to join the three. Her black hair was pulled back, a silver necklace hanging from her neck. She wore a grey tank top with light khaki slacks. “Nice to meet you...?” The question hung in the air. “Oh, Isaac Hamilton. And that’s Will Rathmore. We’re moving in.” Isaac stretched out his hand to shake the woman’s. “Pleasure to meet you two. Roxanne Adams. That that lovely fellow there as you’ve already guessed, is Quincy. Why don’t you guys get your things settled in upstairs? There are rooms for each of us. Come on back down when you’re done and we’ll head off to grab some dinner.” Isaac nodded, picking up his bag, and walked up the staircase. The two rooms immediately to the left and right were filled with clothing and other belongings, presumably Quincy and Roxanne’s rooms. He turned and followed the banister past the bathroom, and entered one of the rooms further down. The room was similar to the other decor of the house. White walls, a small window, a desk complete with a full computer terminal, a bookcase, and a dresser. Isaac set his things down on the bed, and decided he would unpack after the ‘orientation’ meeting later on that afternoon. The bed was very ordinary, a bit stiffer than his old bed back at his old house. He bounced up and down on it as he sat on it, getting a feel for it. He kicked back, flopping his head on the crisp pillow, the linens having not been used until then. Isaac closed his eyes, trying to take a minute to relax. He thought about all that had happened today. It was such a change in pace than what he was used to that it didn’t register immediately. After so long living with Will and living at his old house, he was glad to get a fresh change in scenery, but... at what cost? He was now in some strange place, put into this team with his new housemates. What would he be researching? Several things were starting to bother him as Isaac thought to himself. Why did the military, or whatever armed force, have such tight security? Was it to protect everyone inside from raiders and looters? Or was it to protect them from the ponies? Were they really so dangerous that they had to pull guns on them if a pony got too close? knockknock* Isaac opened his eyes and turned his head towards the doorway. Standing in it, leaning against the door frame stood Will, his unkempt hair hanging down past his shoulders. “Looks like you could really use a haircut, Will.” Isaac sat up, beckoning his friend into the room. Will pulled up the desk chair next to the bed and sat. “Yeah. You could afford a trim too, Isaac.” Isaac felt at his head, his hand tracing his fair down to his shoulders as well. Isaac chuckled in agreement. “So? What do you think? The place seems nice enough. Good to have some sort of real community around again.” Isaac nodded. “Yeah, but I’m just wondering why there are so many army personnel around.” Will sighed. “Yeah, it’s a little strange. A bit excessive if you ask me. But from what I’ve heard, gangs that used to be all over the place have clumped together to form raiding parties, looting, killing, raping, the works. In fact, I kind of feel safer with all those rifles pointed out towards the rest of the world.” “Yeah,” Isaac began, “But I’m just... I don’t know. I can’t help but feel that it’s still a bit excessive. I’m thinking that maybe it’s a deterrent to keep ponies from coming close. I mean, I don’t have anything against them, but-” “Why not?” Will asked, interrupting Isaac’s train of thought. “Huh?” “Why don’t you have anything against them? I mean, they've essentially destroyed our society, brought us down to such pitiful numbers, and yet you still like them?” Will’s eyes narrowed on Isaac. “What’s up with you, man? I don’t like them, but I don’t have anything against them either. I say live and let live. We stay out of their business, they stay out of ours. I mean, I’ve heard some stuff on the net about stories of that ponification serum being forced on some humans by rogue pony groups. That’s the kind of shit I can’t stand. Same with the HLF. No group of whatever should dictate what everyone else has to do or think.” Isaac felt Will’s gaze lighten, his friend relaxing. “Yeah, you got a point. But still. I don’t like them. I like humanity, as silly as that sounds. We walked on the goddamn moon because we wanted to. Humanity has a fire in it that lets it be able to conquer any kind of challenge thrown at it. The only reason the world got to the point it was at when the ponies came was because of complacency and a general lethargy that infected everyone while the people with the big wallets did what they wanted to do.” “But that doesn’t matter anymore, Will. We are where we are, whether you like it or not. And look at it this way. We are a part of humanity rebuilding itself. We are going to bring back that fire you mentioned. Hell, this is that fire, the IHSA. Some people are content sitting at home, letting the world crumble to dust. Then there are the others who said ‘no’. We are those people, Will.” Will rose from the chair, slamming his hand against Isaac’s shoulder. Isaac winced. “That’s why I like you, Isaac! You know just the thing to say to me. I’m glad you had that little revelation this morning. By the way, what happened at the beach?” “Oh, uh, I guess... it was just something about the sea. It has that effect on me.” “Well if we’re in some shit on a boat, I’m tossing you overboard until you have some sort of revelation to save our asses!” Isaac and Will both laughed as they exited Isaac’s room and headed back downstairs. * The four of them sat at a table in the bustling cafeteria, trays in tow. Isaac and Will placed theirs down on one side of the table, with Quincy and Roxy on the other. All of them but Roxy had drinks that all looked suspiciously like watered down Gatorade, and upon tasting it, Isaac was inclined to agree. Roxy, though, had a steaming cup of sweet-smelling tea. Taking a spoonful of the red mush, Isaac gently slipped it into his mouth, recoiling from the bitter flavor. He forced himself to swallow the vile concoction, chasing it with a gulp of the neon Gatorade. Quincy and Roxy were both chuckling. “Ah, don’ worry Izzy. You lose all sense of taste within the first few meals. Roxy here still owes me a twenty from a bet we had ‘bout that, don’cha?” Quincy sneered. “Bullcrap and you know it. Hmph. You were obviously faking it.” Roxy took a spoonful of her meal and swallowed it without any sense of disgust, much to the disbelief of Isaac and Will. “We’ve been living off ramen noodles and microwave dinners for the past few years. I kind of want to go back to the noodles… at least it had different flavors of salt…” Isaac said, staring at the plate before him. “So you two lovers been living together, have ya?” Quincy spouted, taking a spoonful in his mouth. Isaac almost choked as he took a gulp from his drink. “Nah, we were just rooming together in Isaac’s house once his family abandoned him. Parents left me with almost nothing, so I took a chance and tried to move in. What about you two?” Will asked. Quincy was the first to talk, with no objections from Roxy. “Well, I was workin’ an internship in DC with a pharmaceuticals company when the whole pony shitfest started. What a bloody frenzy THAT was. Everyone and their mothers were goin’ out to get ponified. Me and my mates, for the most part, held out against their succulent promises of that damned utopia,” Quincy sighed. “Bout a few years ago, the lads started losing hope. Started with one, then another, then before long, I was the only bloody one left. Pastel colored ponies never really appealed to me, so I decided to head here. Got here a week ago and was put right back to work as a lab tech, helping out with Science Team 1. They be workin’ on a re-humanification serum, one that can counter the effects of ponification and return humans back to their original forms. Nowhere close to any progress just yet. But when you two trollops came along, I was reassigned to Science Team 8. Dunno what we’re gonna be workin’ to be honest.” “So Team 8 is just us four?” Isaac asked. “Nah,” Roxanne replied. “We got a project leader we’ll meet tomorrow at the lab.” Isaac tried to take another taste of his meal, but gave up. He took a gulp from his drink, and leaned back in the chair. “So, Roxanne. What’s your story?” “You can call me Roxy, honey. Everyone does. A few weeks after the bureaus opened up, my husband and kids were all getting ready to move out. They had been pestering me to come along, but I refused each time. My husband tried to console me, telling me that it was for the best. They would want their mother with them in Equestria.” Roxy looked down at her cup of steaming tea. “I... I begged for them not to go. That night, my husband snuck out with the kids while I was asleep, telling them that I was going to another bureau later on. I woke up the next day with my life ripped from me by the person who I gave my heart to for almost ten years. I was a wreck.” A tear fell from Roxy’s closed eyes. “After a while, I got my act together, and lived a quiet life in Atlanta for a few years, helping out families struggling to make a life for themselves as humans. About two weeks ago, I heard the radio broadcast and decided to come up here to try my hand at rebuilding humanity.” “Real god-damned Mother Theresa, aren’t ya?” Quincy snickered. “It’s no wonder nobody ever sits with us. All you ever do is exacerbate things. No sensitivity at all.” “What do you mean?” Quincy asked back. “You really are thick, aren’t you?” “No, I mean, what does ‘exacerbate’ mean?” Roxy buried her face in the palms of her hands. * After the group finished their meals, Quincy and Roxy started walking back to the house. They had seen the orientation presentation beforehand when they first arrived, and didn’t care to see it again. Isaac and Will made their way out from the cafeteria and across the campus to the large building they had gone through registration in. The lobby was packed with people, all shuffling into the auditorium. There were dozens of seats, most of them filled towards the front. Will and Isaac chose two closer to the back to avoid the crowds when the whole thing ended. After a few minutes, the lights died down, silencing the audience. A bright spotlight lit the central part of the stage, and a tall man dressed in a suit walked out into it. “Welcome! Welcome all of you to the International Human Survival Association, Eastern North America Branch! My name is Frank Dunland, former leader of the Human Liberation Front. We are part of a fifteen piece instrument spanning the entire globe to help pave a path to the future for mankind. One that We, Homo Sapiens, will choose! “You here, you all represent the strongest of will and heart of our species. The venomous lies that the false deities spread through our civilization, the same ones that enthralled your loved ones, your closest friends, and the vast majority of our own species, had no effect on you! You were proud to walk on two legs! You were proud of being called man and woman! You came here seeking to help our species reaffirm our ownership over our world! “Mankind. We have survived for hundreds of thousands of years in our current forms. Our knowledge had been passed down from parent to child, growing exponentially. First, we tamed fire, and we were warm. Then, we hunted the animals of our lands, and used their parts for our own uses to live better and grow stronger. We were protected from the elements. Then, we began shaping the land and melting the very rock below our feet into tools and weapons. We flourished. We learned to manipulate the environment to suit our needs. We kept on developing as a species, until virtually no speck of land on this planet hadn’t felt our touch. We were truly masters of the elements. “We overcame EVERY challenge nature threw at us, testing our dominance, tenacity, our determination. From earthquakes, to colossal storms, to the most horrific organisms evolution ever came up with. Mankind never gave up, never called it quits, and never lost. We fought tooth and nail with our very planet for dominance. Bloodied, hurting, and wounded, we came out stronger than ever, with complete dominance. We thought we could take down anything. We are Man: The Conqueror. “And then, along came the Equestrians. Offering a fresh start, a guilt-free life, and a clean slate to anyone who chose to take up the offer, they led our brothers and sisters away from what we had fought and died to achieve after so long. All because they wanted the easy way out. To me, I see them as the scum of our species. No sense of pride no will to do things on our own, that we have done for generations in the past. They didn’t deserve to be human. “And for the Equestrians themselves? I find the offer as a declaration of war. A war against our species. They claimed that their own form is superior to our own; they claimed that their land was superior to our own, their ways of life superior to our own. I saw them as an abomination, those ‘Conversion Bureaus’. I began the HLF, seeking to reassert our dominance over this planet, and to shake loose those who weren’t already caught in the teeth of the beast. “Unfortunately, it was too late. The movement never picked up enough steam. Our enemy relied on heavy use of propaganda, and tore the very humanity from their victims. Our species now stands at a paltry million. Our cities now stand quiet, desolate, and crumbling. And some of those who turned their backs to our species even possess the gall to call it ‘home’ again. They come back to our lands, expecting for us to act as if nothing had ever happened. Their tales of love and happiness invading the ears of the defiant, chipping away at the willpower and tenacity that made us so great. “And that is where the IHSA comes into play. A centralized district for every area of the world, they are the last places where any man, woman, and child can escape the corrupting propaganda put forth by our fallen brethren. Each one holds anywhere from fifty thousand to a hundred and fifty thousand humans, all working and communicating in tandem to bring our species back to its former glory. We achieve nothing if our brilliant minds are so spread out. But together, TOGETHER, we can achieve greatness!” The entire crown leaped into the air, the deafening cheers pounding at Isaac’s eardrums. He and Will both stood up to clap, but without the bravado as the rest of the crowd. “And remember. Everyone has a piece to contribute, and each one is as valuable as any other. And know this: Every human that is ponified becomes an enemy to our cause. They no longer seek to see our species flourish, but to see it further assimilated. So stay diligent.” * Isaac needed to take some time for himself. After Frank’s speech to the new ‘recruits’ as he called them, many things bothered Isaac about it. It felt more like indoctrination. He asked Will to head back to the house while he sorted out a few things on his own. Underneath the late afternoon sky, the sun was taking on a yellowish-orange hue, the clouds above glowing with it. Isaac wondered to himself whether or not coming here was a good idea. Sure, he wanted to help his species, but he wasn’t too keen on the whole anti-pony agenda it seemed that the greater part of the population here possessed. The speech seemed to stroke the egos of those who listened. It appealed to the sense of being human, feeding one’s pride, reinforcing Frank’s message: the ponies must pay for what they did to us. As he sat on a bench on the border of the woods, he leaned back, listening to the wind as it blew through the trees. The branches bending, the leaves fluttering, the bugs chirping. Something else was there though. Every so often, Isaac would hear various grunts, and cries coming from the woods behind him. He rose from his seat, and began trudging his way through the foliage. After a few dozen yards, Isaac came across a small clearing. In the fading twilight, he could make out the silhouettes of three large men, and two figures in heaps on the ground. One was off to the side, not moving aside from the rises and falls of breathing. The other was in the middle of the three men, getting kicked and beat. The cries and pleads were clearly feminine, and Isaac couldn’t just let them keep doing this. “Hey! What’s going on back here?” Isaac shouted. The three looked up from their prey, beady eyes locking onto him. “We found a coupla pegasi snoopin’ around the woods back here. Damn varmints don’t know they don’t belong here. We’re teaching ‘em a lesson!” one of them said. Isaac recognized him from the orientation; clearly he and his goons were on some sort of high from hearing the pro-human speech. “Come on! She’s defenseless! Just let her go.” “Hey boys,” the leader said, “looks like we got ourselves here a pony-loving faggot. Why don't you make him comfortable?” Before Isaac could figure out what he meant by those words, he felt his arms yanked behind his back by great meaty hands, and his hair pulled back. His head was held up to see the hapless victim from before. She was a bright yellow pegasus... with a blonde mane... “SUNNY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” Isaac screamed. The pegasus tried her hardest to meet his eyes, but could only lift her head a few inches up. She tried a few times to speak, but most of it came out as coughs and blood. “I-Isaac... h-help... its m-me... E-Erika...” Her head fell back down into the dirt. The words hit him like a freight train. How had he not figured it out before? Her surprise on seeing him? How she knew that his sister still loved him? How she shouted his name back to him when he was leaving when he remembered never telling her beforehand? And why of all places was she here? “Well, looky here, boys! Looks like our fag here knows this here varmint! Watch real close here, boy. This is what happens to you when ya side with them fuckin’ ponies!” The leader lifted his boot heel, with a dreadfully insidious look on his face. Isaac slammed his eyes closed. There was a sickening crack followed by what would haunt him for the rest of his life. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH... AH... AHHHHHHHH!!!!!” The piercing screams tore at Isaac’s ears and his heart. It echoed throughout the forest, certainly heard back at the fort. After her throat gave up in protest to her screaming, she broke down into wracking, heaving sobs. Each one ripped away at Isaac, threatening to break his sanity. Isaac opened his eyes to see his sister’s wing bent at a horrifying angle and its feathers stained red. Her entire body shaking, she couldn’t hope to fly again unless it was seen to immediately, but Isaac feared that she might not even make it that long. “Oh, well look at that. Neither of you two are smiling. What a shame. Looks like I'll have to put a smile on your faces, won’t I?” The leader pulled a sickeningly long blade from his jacket pocket. The blade looked... familiar... The way it caught the dying rays of the sunset... the jagged nicks and stains... This very blade had been brandished to Isaac before. It was the same thugs at the Conversion Bureau during the protest. The same thugs who threatened his life if he didn’t show his commitment against the ponies. The same thugs who tore his family away from him. And Isaac had just found the one last member of his family who still cared about him deeply, and they sought to take that from him. “I think I'll start with the little girly. Time to put a smile on your face!” he sneered, each word dripping with malice, the knife reflecting the last rays of sunlight into Isaac’s eyes. * “GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!!!!” A missile of brown fur shot out from the darkness, impacting the leader square in the back, and sending him flying into the dirt with a loud crack. Isaac took the moment of confusion to jump away from his captors when he felt their grips loosen. He fell down to his hands, looking towards where the leader and the Pegasus landed. Both were unconscious, and the knife lay in the grass beside them. Isaac twirled around at the thugs behind him, already in the middle of a swing of their fists. Isaac knocked one out of the way, but took the other to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. He collapsed to the ground in a heap, gasping for air. He rolled away from the two with what energy he could find, his breath finally returning to him as he rose to his feet. He lunged at the left thug, knocking him to the ground. Isaac repeatedly slammed his fist into the thug’s throat before getting hit in the side of the head by the fist of the other. Isaac’s head was spinning, his chest burning from the exertion. He rose back to his feet, wobbling in place slightly. When his vision steadied, he saw the body of the one thug still on the grass, his chest slowly rising. He was out for the count. Isaac turned back to the last conscious thug, his focus coming back. He felt his muscles reinvigorate from his small victory. Now it was a fair fight. The thug ran at Isaac, his fists directed straight at Isaac’s head. Isaac slid to the side, and before the thug could react, he brought his foot up in a swift kick. His shoe connected with the jaw of the thug, who collapsed in a cacophony of cries and moans. Isaac figured he may have shattered the guy’s jaw. “Well, it looks like I gotta be the one to set ya straight, faggot.” Isaac immediately rolled forward, narrowly dodging the knife as the large man swung it down, digging it into the dirt. He growled, raising the knife for another strike. Isaac rose to his feet and turned around to face the thug. He realized his back was to a tree and the rest of the forest. “Listen up, asshole. I’m gonna fillet you, then feed you to those ponies back there. Seems that girly one knows ya, so I’m gonna go ahead and give her a double helping. Now STAND STILL!” he screamed, lunging again at Isaac. He jumped to his left, but he was slow. The knife sunk into his leg, cutting down along his thigh and calf before Isaac was clear of the attack. Isaac screamed out in agony, blood beginning to stain his pants. The gash didn’t feel particularly deep, but it compromised most of his ability to move quickly like before. “Like a wounded animal, with the wolf circling and ready to strike the killing blow. Oh, I’m gonna do it nice and slow like. I’m gonna enjoy this.” Isaac looked up at the thug, fearing that his life was about to come to such a miserable end. He was going to die, out here in the middle of the woods by some brute while trying to save his sister. The sky was starting to darken down to a deep violet, but there was something in the sky... a silhouette. Isaac rolled out of the way just as the brown pegasus landed a vicious high-speed headbutt to the man, knocking the two to the ground yet again. But it didn’t knock the thug out like before. He rolled over and began strangling the pegasus under his meaty fingers. Isaac acted so quickly he didn’t feel his leg protest. He didn’t feel his hand grasp the knife that was laying in the grass beside him. What he did feel, was the dreadful warmth as he sunk the blade into the thug’s neck from behind, blood following the blade as he withdrew it from the wound. The thug gurgled in protest, clasping his hands around the wound in his throat in vain to stop the bleeding. He fell backwards, his eyes staring up at the sky as the last traces of life left him. Isaac froze, looking down at his hands. Even in the dim light, he could see and even smell the ferrous odor of the blood staining his hands. He just killed someone. He killed someone with his own hands. He never even thought about killing someone before, and not even just now. It was all reflexive. But even so... Isaac felt... ruined. A little voice in his head rose up from the noise of the pain coursing through his mind. The bastard deserved it. He was the worst kind of person, the kind that needs to be put down. He brought it on himself when he hurt Erika. Isaac quashed the voice, choosing not to listen to the hate-filled words. Isaac fell onto his back, his body finally scolding him in the form of his muscles aching and burning in pain. After a few minutes, he rose onto his good leg and limped over to the shape in the dark that was his sister. Isaac started to gently ease her up. The moment he tried to move her wing, she let out a gasp of pain. Her wing was hanging limp at her side, still bent at a horrific angle halfway up the first bone. "Just... Just stay there for a minute. I'll figure this out," Isaac wheezed. Isaac looked over at the two thugs, both unconscious now. The scene was bad enough, and he didn’t want to stick around no matter how much his leg would hurt. Isaac limped over to the brown pegasus, his face buried in the leaves and dirt. Isaac gently shook him awake, who greeted Isaac with a startled yell. Isaac covered the pony's mouth with his hand, silencing him. Isaac looked into his large, brown eyes, which were still filled with panic and concern. "We need to move her. Can I count on you?" Isaac asked with a hushed tone. The pegasus responded with a quick nod. "Good. Now I'm going to lift her up onto your back and you'll need to carry her further into the woods. We don't want to be around when these two wake up." Another nod. Isaac took his hand from the pegasus's mouth. They both walked slowly over to the now unconscious yellow pegasus, the brown one leaning down onto his knees. Isaac propped his sister's broken wing onto his shoulder as he picked her up, being careful not to move it more than he had to. He gently placed her hooves around the brown pony's body, his wings splaying out to keep her from falling off. Isaac placed her broken wing on top of the brown pegasus’s wing. Better to keep it still until they get a brace for it. "Bullseye. My name's Bullseye," the pegasus whispered. "Nice to meet you, Bullseye. Isaac Hamilton. I'm Erika's older brother." The two eased their way into the dark forest, their feet and hooves crunching the sticks and leaves that littered the woodland floor. The trees were far enough apart for Bullseye to walk through without having too much trouble with his wings. "Nice to meet you, Isaac. I've heard so much about you from her. I was her flying tutor when she was first ponified.” Bullseye looked back at the unconscious body on his back, and sighed. “Even during her lessons I could tell that she was distracted. I finally asked her, and she told me all about her parents and about you. Her parents abandoned her once they got ponified, moving straight into Equestria.” Isaac stumbled on his wounded leg. “What? They just abandoned her?” “Yeah, real shame. They just took the first ferry out to Equestria once they got ponified, eager to leave everything behind and start over, including Sunny. She was a real wreck after she told me all of this.” Bullseye stretched out a wing in front of Isaac, stopping him. “Hold on.” The pegasus pushed through a thick bundle of branches and twigs littering the forest floor in the darkness. He stomped them down with his hooves, flattening a path for Isaac to walk through unhindered. “Thanks.” “Don’t sweat it. Sunny was under my wing for a full week for flying lessons. Once she was ready to move to Equestria, it also happened on the end of my contract as flight instructor. I figured since she had nopony out there what with your parents abandoning her like they did, she could move in with me. W-Well, as long as she was okay with it,” Bullseye stammered, beginning to get a bit embarrassed. “I got her a job at the Ponyville post office as a mailmare, same place I worked. We housed together and worked together for a few years, she and I occasionally heading back here to America to help out with other Bureaus and to do deliveries.” “Sounds like she was enjoying her new place, not that she ever saw it coming,” Isaac chuckled. “Right. She and I eventually began to grow steadily closer to each other, and so I eventually mustered up my courage to ask her to dinner, like a proper gentlecolt. We hit it off pretty well after that. We’ve been dating for six years now, and... I feel like I’m ready to take the next step.” “Oh?” “I was about to ask her today after she got home after a delivery, but when she did get home, she was frantic. She wanted me to come with her so she could follow you. She really wanted to talk to you. She never stopped thinking about you, Isaac. We followed your car here, and... well, you know how the rest turned out.” Isaac looked down at the brown pegasus. “Why didn’t she come and see me while I was still at our old house?” “It’s... complicated. She wanted to. She really did. It was tearing her up inside. But she was terrified about how you would react. She didn’t know how you would act around her as a pony.” Isaac sighed. He would have loved it if his sister showed up again after his parents left with her. He would have loved to hear about everything about the Bureau, about the ponies, about ponification. Isaac was glad she had found someone to grow close to, though. “Hey, Bullseye.” “Y-Yeah?” he grunted back. "If it's worth a damn, I say you should still go for it. You earned my trust when you saved her life back there. She must matter a whole lot to you, Bullseye. I can't think of a finer man... er... stallion... to look after my sister than you." Isaac gave the brown pegasus a smile, only to see his eyes wet with tears. "Y-You have no idea how much that means to me, Isaac. And for what it’s worth, you saved all of us. W-When we get out of this place, I’m going to ask Sunny for her hoof in marriage, and make her the happiest mare she can be!" Bullseye yelled to the woods, his voice shaking with sheer joy. Tears were streaming out of his eyes, and were now spreading to Isaac as well. He felt that lump growing in his throat. He was sure that there wasn't anyone or anypony better to keep Erika safe than the one before him. "W-who are you t-talking about, Bullseye?" a faint voice asked from behind the pair. Isaac and Bullseye both gasped, Bullseye, dropping to his knees. "Sunny! You're awake! I'm so sorry I couldn’t help you sooner than I did..." Bullseye cried. "It's okay... You saved my life, you dummy! Thank you so much..." she said, burying her muzzle into the messy brown mane before her, wetting it with her own tears. "Erm, I'll be right back. I'm going to find a stick to brace your wing with, okay Erika?" Isaac asked. She lifted her head from Bullseye's mane to give him a nod. Isaac looked to Bullseye and gave him a wink. Almost immediately, his face lit up brighter than the sun. Isaac walked out into the trees, scanning the ground with the light from his phone. Most of the sticks around were too small to provide any kind of support, or too big and would weigh her wing down. He walked further into the brush, looking up into the trees as well. There it was. A light grey branch, long enough to brace the section of the wing, and light enough to... "YEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!" The cheer echoed through the forest, birds and other animals running away from the noise. Isaac smiled as he reached up to grab the branch and began his walk back to the two. When he came upon them, the two were locked in an impassioned kiss, their hooves wrapped around each other. They both were in the throes of joy, and Isaac didn't want to interrupt them just yet. He walked out behind a tree, and pulled his phone back out. He tapped a quick message onto his phone to Will. [Gonna be out a little later than I thought. Don't wait for me.] Isaac felt at his leg wound. It still hurt like nothing else, but it seemed like his pants were acting as a sort of bandage, helping the clotting. The blood wasn’t flowing anymore, so it wasn’t a serious gash. It didn’t keep it from hurting like it was serious. After what felt like fifteen minutes, Isaac heard the two begin talking again. "We'll have to get in touch with everyone! Oh my... That's gonna be a lot of letters!" his sister said. "So I take it you two lovebirds are finished?" Isaac called from behind the tree as he struggled to stand up. He walked back out to the two, who were laughing lightly, clearly embarrassed. "Hehe, sorry Isaac..." Sunny said. "Okay, sis. Let me see that wing." She struggled to unfold her wing, each inch causing her to wince in pain. Clearly, it needed to be seen to immediately. Isaac took the coat off his back and secured the branch in place with the sleeves. He lifted her back onto Bullseye's back, her wing stretched out straight. It wasn't the best brace in the world, but it would do. "Bullseye. Fly her straight to a hospital. And Erika... I mean... Sunny... Try and keep it still until you see the doctor. And one more thing... Take this." Isaac handed he his phone, which she took with her hooves. She looked up at him with a confused look on her face. "It's so I can still talk to you and hear what you've learned about Equestria! I’m gonna be hard at work here, and probably not going to be able to get out much. I set it so you can just tap the screen to answer it when I call. When you get a chance, go ahead and check our old house. In my old room there should be a solar charger for the phone. It connects directly with satellites, so reception won’t be a problem. How can I stand to see you just this one time?" Sunny smiled. She leaned out to gently nuzzle Isaac's cheek, and gave him a light kiss. "Thank you Isaac... I hope we can see each other again," she said. "Of course we will! How else am I gonna see your kids?" he said with a smirk. She dug her muzzle back into Bullseye's mane, trying to hide her embarrassment. If there was any light, her face would be a shade of crimson, as would Bullseye’s. "And Bullseye. Looks like I'm going to have a brother in law, aren't I? I just have one thing for you to promise to me: Be sure to keep her safe." "I promise with all my heart!" he shouted. With a few trots, he started into a gallop, flapped his wings, and rose up past the tree line into the black of the night. Isaac looked up into the black sky. He truly hoped that he could see them again. He corrected himself: He would make sure that he would see them again. "Wait... How am I gonna get back with no light? Ah, hell." Isaac said to himself. Sighing, he turned back towards the way he came from before to the best of his judgment, and began walking. *** Isaac walked down the stairs, the air growing colder and stale with each step he took. He was following Will, Quincy, and Roxy down into the science building to their lab, the home of Science Team 8. It was early in the morning, they had been requested at the lab at 8:00, much earlier than Isaac and Will were used to. Isaac had made it back to the house the night before without anyone noticing the bloodstains on his pants, and quickly secluded himself to the bathroom when he got home. Peeling the pants off was agonizing, but after cleaning the wound and applying real bandaging, the pain was quick to ebb away. The cut was far from dangerous as he figured, but it was sure to leave a scar all the way down his leg. They finally reached their floor and stepped out into a somewhat empty hallway. There were doors with windows next to them, leading to dark labs stuffed with old equipment. The group rounded a corner and came upon a lab with all of the lights lit. They opened the door and walked in. The lab was spacious, lined with a single lab bench cutting through the middle of the room, two computer terminals lining each of the side walls, and a large desk at the front of the room, covered in folders, papers, and several data discs. Beside the desk stood two men: Frank Dunland, who Isaac and Will recognized from the speech the evening before, and another, a shorter and tubbier man standing beside Frank. “Ah, so kind of you to join us. Welcome to your new lab, everyone. As you already know, I’m Frank Dunland, and this here is your team leader and organizer, Roger Truman. He’s here to make sure that everyone is working their respective jobs. If you need anything, ask him and he’ll forward it to me. “Now as you all may know, each lab team has a specific project they are working on. You all have some sort of specialty in genetic engineering and organic chemistry, which is necessary to your work. One of our teams had stumbled across a gene found only 3 ponies out of the entire population that makes them immune to magic. Using this as a template, we have determined the appropriate gene required to grant a pony with the ability to absorb magic, compounding it within themselves, and using it themselves. “The issue is, that when we have tried to synthesize this gene into our, ahem... ‘stock’... results were less than fantastic. They needed to get back to their work, so we’re shifting all relevant documentation and research to you four. Find a way to get that gene into a pony. That’s all I ask.” Without another word, Frank shook everyone’s hands and strode over to the door, leaving the lab to the group. Roger handed each of them a heavy folder filled with various files, as well as a small, green holo-drive in each. Isaac picked out the drive and looked at it. It was thin, green, and transparent. Inside the walls, lines and flecks of light were spread out from top to bottom. Ones this intricate could potentially have an almost limitless capacity depending on how advanced the compression encoding was. “Now, since we have so few people, Frank was kind enough to get each one of you an AI partner, stored on your holo-drives there. We won’t be getting much in terms of... well... anything else to be honest.” Roger walked back over to a computer terminal, pulling up a list of things. “We have 4 TC100p portable cloning tanks, several gallons of genetic duplication solution, a couple gallons of ponification serum, four separate stem cell clusters to act with the gene seeds for the cloning process, and a single Gamma Laser for the gene modifications.” he started. “Wait a bloody minute. TCs? Those things are pieces of crap! They were phased out 20 years ago from countless technical oversights and not to mention ethical shitstorm that followed they’re abysmal failure rate!” Quincy yelled, his face turning red. “I know, I know. That’s all they could spare from team 3. And they can’t spare any ‘stock’, so we had to come up with some... alternative solutions,” Roger sighed, his shoulders falling. “We want to collect tissue samples from each of you and use those as our test subjects.” Will looked up from his folder. “So essentially we’ll be ponifying ourselves to some capacity. Am I correct?” Roger fidgeted with his hands for a moment. “Erm, well, I suppose so. We’ll take a DNA sample from each of you, use the laser to punch in the proper gene sequence, and apply the ponification solution. Hopefully, we’ll end up with the correct sequence after ponification. After that, we move to the cloning tanks.” Roxy leafed through the sheets in her folder on the table next to her. “So we have to figure out the proper gene sequence that will, during the application of some sort of energy that NO HUMAN has ever understood to ANY capacity, create a ten-thousand gene long sequence? That could take years! Decades even!” Isaac looked through his papers as well. Roxy was right. No human had ever understood the ‘magic’ that the ponies kept referring to that they used during the ponification process. And to create such a complicated gene, then apply some sort of unknown energy to it, and trying to predict the outcome? The gears in his head began to creak to life, and started crunching the information. “And that’s why you each are getting AIs. They should help the working process along significantly. Why don’t you all nab yourselves a terminal to use and start going over the raw data? Um, Isaac, can I talk to you for a minute over here?” Roger asked. The three others had already pulled out their holo-drives and were walking over to the terminals in the lab. “Y-yes?” Isaac said. Did he already do something wrong? “We know all about you and your... distrust of AIs. We didn’t want it to be a hindrance to your work, so we requisitioned a prototype AI code-named SyRE from one of our researchers, a Dr. Thomas Marcus. Your friends all got typical worker AIs. SyRE, on the other hand, is a thinking AI. He doesn’t do work as much as the others, so you can do everything yourself, but he can still give feedback and even offer ideas. Why don’t you go and introduce yourself.” Roger shooed Isaac towards the open terminal, located right next to Will. Isaac took his folder and eyed the holo-drive again. It seemed to twinkle in the light more than it had before. He sat down and plugged the drive into the port on the tabletop. The screen came to life, displaying some boot-up commands, followed by ‘Synthetic Recognition Emulator Initializing...’ “Hello, user. My name is SyRE. I’m sure it will be a pleasure working with you,” a synthesized voice buzzed over the speakers. “AHEM H-Hello SyRE. My name is Isaac. Roger told me you are a ‘thinker’ AI. What does that entail?” Isaac asked. “I am a recognition emulator. I think about the deeper meanings and reasoning to the data presented to me, rather than crunching the numbers. Due to my unique nature, my decommission lifespan is vastly longer than any other AI.” Isaac rested his chin on his hand, opening up the folder again. He leafed through the documents. “How long is that then?” “If I operate at my designated specifications, I can function for five hundred Earth-years before logic redundancy buildup, or decommissioning, occurs.” Isaac was very impressed. Typically, an AI could only go about five to ten years before redundant processes build up within its processing cores, preventing it from being able to operate at any functional capacity. Even if left alone, an AI will reach this point by itself. AI engineers could sometimes ‘salvage’ these decommissioned AIs and use the uncorrupted data to generate new AIs that retain most of their functions from their past incarnation. But since SyRE was a ‘thinker’ and not a ‘worker’, he wasn’t at the risk for redundancy buildup as easily as other AIs. “Very nice. Alright, I have two rules for you, okay, AI?” Isaac said. “Yes, sir?” “First: I do the work. Second: Do not do anything unless I give you expressed permission to do so. Got it?” “Yes, sir. I have already added these commands into my hard coding. Do you accept these changes? I am unable to change lines of hard code without your permission.” “Accept.” “Acknowledged.” “Say, SyRE. Can you pull up information on the tests that team 3 did with this gene sequence?” Isaac was curious about what this ‘stock’ that team 3 was using. He feared the worst. “Team 3 used a gene mod serum on the stock ponies that the HLF had captured for intelligence gathering operations. Every subject who was given the serum developed fatal mutations to their bodily form.” Isaac didn’t want to think about what those innocent beings had to go through, or even what else they were being subjected to by the other teams. “Okay. Can you forward me the logs and gene files from the, um, ‘stock’ tests?” “Yes, sir. May I ask what you are planning?” “Not just yet,” Isaac said. “I have an idea, but that’s well down the road. We need to do some tests, seeing how the ponification process affects human genes. I’ll let you know when I get it figured out.” * “How in the bloody hell does he expect us to actually come up with something like that?!” Quincy hollered, cracker crumbs hurtling from his mouth across the table. Isaac wrapped his arms around his bowl of soup to protect it from the barrage, instead getting his shirt sleeve coated in the crumbs. He pulled his arms away, wiping the filth from his shirt, giving Quincy a minor scowl. Isaac finally took a sip from his soup: chicken barley. Not exactly what he wanted, but at least the chicken tasted real. “And what exactly was it he wanted these clones to do?” Will asked. “Frank said that this gene allows for the absorption and amplification of magical energies. It just screams trouble if you ask me.” Will took a bite from his salad and a sip from his neon green drink. Isaac cringed at the sight of the fluid. He had vowed to avoid the stuff. He didn’t want his insides to start glowing that color. Roxy strutted over, taking the seat next to Isaac. She too had gotten the salad, along with a steaming cup of hot water, a small string hanging off the side. Roxy noticed Isaac’s interest. “It’s raspberry tea, honey. Nobody else here drinks the stuff, so they give the teabags away practically for free. Here, I’ll go grab you some. I have to let mine steep for a bit anyways.” She gave Isaac a smile before walking off. “You got an eye on our chocolate queen there, Isaac?” Quincy murmured, crackers flying out from his mouth yet again. Isaac had noticed that he had been watching her walk away a bit more than was polite. “I, uh, I was just surprised she was going to get me some of the tea, is all! And about that gene, it’s completely absurd for Frank to expect us to come up with some sort of reliable way to replicate a process so prone to mistakes.” Throwing himself back into the original conversation, Isaac was able to sweep away any more thoughts about before. “I mean, I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but genetics isn’t like playing with building blocks. It’s like each block tries to knock another from a random place. And you can’t just build the tower right away, you have to assemble it in a way that a completely mysterious process, no details about it is known to us, can assemble the right tower, down to the exact molecule. We’re looking at years to just understand the ponification serum on it’s own, let alone the genetic manipulation to get that particular gene he wants.” Isaac finally took another spoonful from his soup, feeling the warmth expand through his body. “Ain’t that the truth. Got a good head on ya, Izzy.” Quincy finally managed to say something without showering the group with cracker crumbs, something Isaac felt he should be commended for. A steaming mug was placed on his tray before him. Isaac looked up to see Roxy had rejoined the group. “Thank you!” “Aw, it’s nothing, sweetie.” Roxy rubbed Isaac’s shoulder before taking a sip of her own tea, slowly taking a gulp of the rosy fluid. The scent wafted over to Isaac, catching him entirely by surprise. The aroma was soothing in such a way that he never felt so clear-headed since he was much younger. His sinuses were clearing, his mind waking up much faster than before, and not to mention that it smelled pretty darned good, too. Isaac took a slow sip, careful not to burn his tongue on it. But as the tea entered his mouth, he pledged never to even think about drinking any of the disgusting neon water ever again. The tea was a soothing blend of raspberry and citrus, balancing the tart flavors with soothing herbs and spices. He couldn’t help but grin boyishly after swallowing. “So what were you boys talking about before?” Roxy asked, her fork swirling some lettuce around the plate, picking up the dressing. “Oh, just about how bullshit this job is, nothing important for you to get your little head worried over.” Quincy took a swig of his beverage, a neon blue drink, that left a blue stain on his upper lip. Isaac felt his stomach turn at the thought of the taste of that drink. “I’m more concerned about the clones. Say we get the sequence right. Say we have our clones ponified and the gene is there. The what do we do? What does Frank want them for?” “Ain’t it obvious, missy? He’s gonna brainwash ‘em, send ‘em in as sleeper agents, and send ‘em after Celestia and Luna. They’ll try and strike our little monstrosities down, only to be smitten themselves. Disgraceful, but hey? Whatcha gonna do ‘bout it?” Quincy tossed his empty glass onto his tray, rising to his feet from the table. “Well, I got some bloody reports to look at. Those arseholes in Team two really did a number on those stock ponies. What a damned mess. I’ll see what I can salvage, what happened to each one of them.” Quincy gave a huff and stormed off. Will downed the rest of his soup, finished off his neon drink, and got to his feet as well. “I’ll see what I can get from the actual reports of the ponies born with the gene. From what I saw, they didn’t live too long. Tons of other shit wrong with them.” Will walked off, depositing his trash and leaving the cafeteria. Isaac looked next to him, seeing Roxy starting at her tea. She had a frown on her face, her expression one of either sadness or anger; Isaac couldn’t tell which. “Do you think they’ll do that to them? The brainwashing and the murder missions? For the Princesses?” Roxy asked. Her voice was low, her usual chippy intonation missing. “Unfortunately... I think so. It doesn’t mean I’m okay with it either. I have nothing against the ponies or their Princesses. But... I have nothing else going for me.” Isaac sighed. He noticed that Roxy had started staring at him with her hazel eyes now. “I... just want to be a part of something. I want to help our people. I wasn’t doing anything helpful out there. I was wasting away. So as long as I’m doing something, I’m happy.” “I know, sweetie.” Roxy gave Isaac a gentle smile. “I helped out in Atlanta with the people still living there. I couldn’t bear to leave my home, to leave the one thing that reminded me of my family. But I too got bitten by the bug. I wanted something, something that wasn’t there. I was ready to move on, so I came here. I just wish that I could be doing something other than creating super assassins from our own genetic code.” Roxy looked back down at her cooling mug of tea and took a long sip. Isaac did the same with his. * Isaac laid on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling in his room. The computer hummed softly in the corner. He turned his head to the side, trying to see how long he had been laying there. 3:29. Well, shit. Isaac never had any sleeping issues before, but he couldn’t get to sleep for the life of him tonight. He and the rest of his housemates retired at ten that evening, needing the rest before they could get started on their work the next day. But Isaac had been laying there for hours, and his mind just wouldn’t wind down like how it was supposed to. He kept thinking about so many things: finding the gene sequence, the clones, the ethics behind ponifying the clones, the true goals behind their project, and Roxy. She had been on his mind all day, since getting lunch. Though he had never really caught the eye of any girls before, he still had eyes for them. And Roxy was no exception. While in years past, the idea of him being with Roxy, a white man with a black woman, would have been frowned upon. But those ideas of racial arrogance have since long passed. Isaac didn’t even really see her skin color. She was very down-to-earth, kind-hearted, and sweet. “Ugh.” Isaac groaned as he pushed himself out of the bed. He staggered over to his desk, the monitor lighting up gently as he sat down. “Is everything alright, sir?” SyRE asked in his buzzing voice. “Can’t sleep. Hm... Can you pull up some of those docs on the mutation we’re researching?” Isaac asked, groggily. “Of course, sir.” A series of files opened up on his computer, along with genetic maps of the gene itself. Isaac read about how an earth pony foal was born, the doctor at the time trying to levitate it from the mother to ease the birth. The foal had absorbed the magic, and in it’s panic, killed it’s mother. Even simple things like that can be fatal with this thing? Isaac opened up the next case. A newfoal (pony slang for a recently ponified human) was trying to learn how to use her magic. Her instructor was trying to teach her basic levitation and kinesis, but the more the instructor tried to show as an example, nothing happened. The newfoal was absorbing all of the magic the instructor poured into the teacup he was trying to manipulate, and when the newfoal tried, she poured all of her energy into it. The damage to the Bureau was extensive. Neither of the two survived. The final case was only to be expected with such a mutation. A newfoal pegasus went on a murdering and thievery binge, using his ability to avoid any attempt at capture. Any kind of effort to apprehend him with magic was fired back at the police, resulting in severe losses. They called in the few human officers still serving who were able to deal with the convict swiftly and decisively. Turns out not even the mutation could stop bullets. “Great. SyRE, can you pull up the tests done on the stock ponies?” Isaac felt sick at realizing what he had just said. Isaac recoiled upon seeing the horrific pictures opened on his desktop. Ponies of every kind and color were either on the floor or barely able to stand. They were presumably subjected to gene therapy to try and directly implant the gene into their bodies, but they didn’t take too well. Some were ‘blessed’ to be able to walk away from the treatment with only a new limb sticking out from their bodies before dying a few minutes after their picture was taken. Others... weren’t so lucky. Flesh boils, severe hemorrhaging, and... Isaac almost vomited at the other results of the sick and twisted experiments. And in all of the pictures, various scientists stood around the bodies of the ponies, looking intently at them, taking notes on clipboards. Clearly they cared not for the victims, but for the results. “Alright, I think that’s enough, SyRE... I don’t think I’ll ever get back to sleep after seeing those.” “Would you like me to delete them from my local memory?” “Yes. Yes, please."
Windchaser	1161	4	Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Conversion Bureau: Last Man Standing	What is there that is left for a human in a world full of ponies?	complete	458	44	<p>In the many years after the Conversion Bureaus' shutdown, Twilight Sparkle is tasked by the Princesses with finding the last living human on Earth, Isaac Hamilton, and learning the story of his past. What she hears is a tale of loss, tragedy, joy, and the discovery of one's place in the world. But how much longer would that place last with what Twilight has to tell him?</p>	teen	2011-10-03T06:30:08+00:00	2011-10-03T06:30:08+00:00	9,134	“So, you want our AIs to do... what again?” Quincy asked. Isaac looked across at the group. “I need a complete cypher of the effects of ponification on the human gene.” “Honey,” Roxy began. “That’s gonna take... oh I don’t kn-” “A year and a half. I know. I did the calculations. Getting the gene records of every human who underwent ponification as well as their genetic makeup after the fact won’t be anything to worry about. I asked Roger to bring it up to Frank. If all of our AIs work in tandem, we could have the cypher in eighteen months. Without it, we really won’t have any idea where to head for this project.” “Your plan sounds, erm, how do I put it? It makes sense, but what the bloody hell are we supposed to do in the mean time? A year and a half of sitting here on our hands won’t do a lick of good.” Quincy took his glasses off and wiped the dust on the lenses off on his shirt. “Roger brought that up to me too. He says that Frank will be able to give us temporary work assignments around the compound while we wait on the results.” The group of four stood in silence in the lab, none of them knowing what else to do. The past six months of work had produced no results in the form of progress towards their goal. The door opened to the lab, breaking the silence between everyone. “I got everyone’s new jobs!" Roger cheered, waddling over to his desk, dropping a big stack of papers onto it. “Quincy, you’re going over and helping out at the Stillwater Clinic. Your knowledge of pharmaceuticals will be sure to get you into the swing of things quick and easy.” Roger handed Quincy a small folder. He walked over to his desk, reading the contents. “Roxy, dear. You’re gonna be heading to help out at the school. We got plenty of kids here, and we can’t have them just sitting there doing nothing. The principal will assign you a class and a subject when you start.” Roxy took the folder, her smile brightening the room. “Will! You’re headed to Comms and Intel. Your skills with computers will be indispensable for getting data from still live networks around the world.” “And Isaac. You... Uh, Frank found out about your little... encounter a few months ago. Two injured, one dead. He agrees that it was in self-defense, but can’t let you get away with it with no consequences. He assigned you to the Stables. You’re going to be a guard for the Stock.” Isaac took the folder and slogged to his desk. He was really hoping that it was too dark for either of the two thugs he left alive to identify him, but it seems that his luck ran out. At least he wasn’t going to be punished too badly... until he reminded himself of his new job. The Stock ponies. The captured ponies the IHSA gathered and experimented on. Isaac’s stomach turned, the photos of the ponies experimented on back when they were first trying to graft the counter-magic gene into them directly floating back into his memory. Isaac was half regretting the proposition for the cypher compilation and subsequent reassigning of jobs. He screwed himself over. * “Hamilton! Get your sorry ass out here!” Isaac winced as he ran out along the raised platform. His superior, Major Joseph Anderson, was going to be a hard ass from day one it seemed. Isaac stood straight before the uniformed man. “Do you know what Frank told me to do to you while you’re down here?” “No, he did not, sir.” “He told me to make sure you do your job. That’s it.” Isaac felt his hope rise a bit. “You’re gonna be on the graveyard shift. Only one. The filth down there just needs a pair of eyes on them. There’s nothing left in them. No hope, no drive. They’re miserable, pitiful excuses for intelligent life.” Anderson did a run-down of the things Isaac needed to keep in mind. Isaac was to do patrols every hour during his shift to make sure that everything was quiet, keep an eye out for any interactions between the ponies, and in case of some sort of an issue, to hit the alarm button in the security office. Most if not all of the ponies would be either asleep or crying silently at the time, so things were bound to be uneventful. Anderson left Isaac to his duties, heading off for some shut-eye. Isaac decided to get his patrol done with for now, walking along the elevated wooden platform, looking down into the shallow pits where the ponies lay. Many of them were asleep, others gazed up at him through glazed over eyes. He felt a chill run through his spine as he watched them. Isaac really wished he could do something for all of these innocent ponies. They were here only to die by the hands of mad scientists who treat them as something lesser than just another sample. Isaac finished his short patrol of the six pens, none of the ponies lively at all. He retreated to the security office, eager to get out of the chilly night air that constantly blew in through the poorly built structure. It was hastily assembled from steel beams and wooden paneling for the walls, and wooden platforms rising up from the ground, isolating the six pens. Each pen was about twenty feet wide on all sides, a single ramp with a gate barring the only entrance or exit. The only thing worse than the conditions they lived in was what they did to the ponies themselves. The earth ponies didn’t have anything that made them special, so they were left alone. Unicorns had their source of their magic, their horn, sawed or broken off. Horns are capable of growing back through rigorous magic therapy, but such treatments take months to complete. Then there were the pegasi. All that remained of their majestic wings were fleshy stumps rising from their backs. Each one had their wings removed upon entry to the pens. Isaac stared at the computer screen in the security office: 12:30. It was going to be a long night. * “Oh... my...” Twilight began. She had stopped writing, her eyes growing wide at the conditions they ponies had to suffer through. “And you had to be a security guard? F-For this... place?” “Yeah, it seemed that those thugs told Frank that I was trying to protect a pony when I attacked them. What worse punishment could you put someone through than witnessing such depravity first hand?” Isaac took a sip of his drink, relishing the sweetness as it bathed his tongue. “So I had to put up with it for all that time. Anderson ended up not being so much of a hard-ass, but I rarely saw anyone else. “Whenever I would try and talk to any of the ponies, they would all scurry away from me, as if I were some sort of monster. The ones who did... they weren’t there the next night. They were bumped up in the experiment queue. I still remember each of their names... Limelight, he always wanted to be a star on TV. Glimmer, she wanted to be a weather pegasus. Domino, he was a farmer. “The pattern started to emerge that if anypony talked to me, they’d be as good as dead. It was Frank’s way of sticking it to me, I guess. So instead, I would work on some solo projects on the computer in the security office to get my mind off it. All that time I spent on the computer was dedicated to that gene sequence and how to implement it.” “And so I’m guessing that things were fairly routine until SyRE and the other AIs finished their job?” “Yeah. SyRE still helped me out with my work. He couldn’t handle the amount of data the others were, being a special AI and all. Roxy was loving her work at the school, Quincy constantly complained about his work at the clinic and how everyone there came in with the tiniest little things wrong with them. Will would frequently tell me about his exploits in hacking through mainframes around the world, ripping data from them as if it was no big deal. “I... The work was grating to me. Seeing the melancholy faces of those ponies all night every night... It was getting to me. Just like Frank knew it would. I wasn’t getting numbed to it, certainly not. But fortunately, my work with team eight finally started back up.” * “God DAMN I’m glad to get out of that place. Pesky gits. I mean, some bloke came in yesterday with a splinter. A SPLINTER.” Quincy recanted his story to Will, who laughed along with it. Roxy walked next to Isaac. He hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before since he had to work his last shift. He had to sleep during the day, and with everyone milling around the house, he was frequently woken up, and rarely able to get any sleep after that. “You alright, honey?” Roxy asked. She had been trying to help console Isaac about the things he saw at the Stock Stable. Fortunately, he wasn’t needed for the... amputations or the experiments, otherwise, he would have snapped. “I’ll... be fine. I just want to have a normal sleep schedule again. That’s all.” Roxy gave Isaac a soft hug, his woes slowly dissolving for the brief moment. She pulled back and gave him a smile, which he returned. He was feeling a bit better. Upon entering the lab, the group met with Roger again. They exchanged greetings after being away on other jobs for so long, the now less pudgy man pulling up a file on his computer. “Well, we got it! A full cypher for ponification’s effects on DNA. Any DNA sequence we plug in, we will know what it’s outcome would be after ponification. Brilliant idea, Isaac. Now, we need to actually-” “No need.” Isaac patted the shoulder of the confused man. They all looked at him, interested. “I had plenty of free time, so SyRE and I worked a method of applying the sequence to the templates indirectly. We punch in a pre-primer sequence into our sampled DNA, that after ponification, will open itself to easy genetic manipulation through an injection. That would fix our clone’s DNA to have the desired gene.” “That... Just how much free time DID you have, Isaac? Surely science and genetics wasn’t the first thing you did all alone at night over there.” Will joked. “Alright, alright. Come on, people! Let’s get this started! Isaac, you and SyRE have the proper pre-primer sequence to put into the clones, right?” Roger asked, tapping the keys of his keyboard. “Yeah. SyRE should’ve uploaded the templates to you.” Roger stood at his computer for a moment more. “Alright! Well, no time like the present, let’s collect some samples!” Roger took swabs and handed one to each of the four people, and instructed them to run it along the inside of their mouth. After collecting them all, he deposited them into separate beakers filled with a milky white fluid. “I’ll get these samples fixed up for you guys. Go ahead and take the rest of the week off. The clones will be ready for ponification by then. Go! Get outta here! Go relax!” * “So?” “So what?” “So why are you still working?” Isaac sighed. He placed the beaker down on the lab table and looked up at Roxy. “I still have plenty of research to do on this stuff. I mean, sure, we have the cypher, but I want to know a bit more about the serum itself.” Roxy took the beaker off the desk and looked at it herself. “So it’s purple, it smells like grapes, and it turns people into ponies when they drink it. What more is there to know?” “Think about it. I mean, they’re able to achieve a complete genetic remapping. Throughout an entire human’s body! Sure, magic plays a big role in it, but...” Isaac paused. He turned his head to see Roxy staring right at him. His heart began racing, his eyes peering into hers. Isaac took the beaker from Roxy and turned back to his desk, his cheeks practically on fire. The serum sloshed lazily in the beaker, the walls tinted purple from where it washed against. Isaac bgan pouring the serum into a small test tube, the thin stream of fluid slowly dripping down. “How about I treat you to dinner?” Roxy whispered, wrapping her arms around Isaac’s waist. Isaac lurched forward from the sudden advance, his grip in the heavy beaker almost giving away. He kept his hand securely locked onto it, but not the contents. A small portion of the purple serum splashed on Isaac’s hand. Slowly but gradually, a warming sensation began to envelop Isaac’s hand. The sensation was comparable to having his arm wrapped in a warm blanket, but he payed that no heed. His mind was aflame with panic and fear. “SHIT!!! Shitshitshitshitshit!” Isaac placed the beaker and test tube down on the desk and sprinted over the sink. His hand was starting to feel warmer now, the sensation creeping its way up his arm. Looking down, he saw his skin beginning to darken around the serum-soaked part of his hand. Isaac turned the faucet on full blast and soaked his hand and arm with the icy cold water. The warming sensation gave away, the purple fading from his skin and down the drain. He let the water run until he couldn’t feel his arm anymore. Isaac gave a heaving sigh, his entire body trembling. As the panic drained from him, Isaac looked up to see Roxy, a look of horror on her face. She was staring right at him, a hand over her mouth. She ran over to Isaac frantically. “Oh god, Isaac! I’m so sorry! I shouldn't have done that while you were handling the serum,” Roxy wrapped her arms around Isaac, pulling him into a big hug. Isaac apprehensively put his arms around the woman, relaxing his body. His heart was starting to slow down from its grand prix, his breathing becoming smoother. “It’s... okay. It was a very dilute sample... and it wasn’t designed to be administered through the skin. I managed to stop it, though. Don’t worry... just be careful when you... do that again, okay?” Roxy buried her head in Isaac’s neck, Isaac bringing his hand up and gently ran his fingers through her tight black curls. She brought her head back, looked into Isaac’s eyes, and gave him a small peck on the cheek. “OY! YOU TWO! Will an’ I are headed down to the pub! Get your sorry arses out here an’ come with us! Las’ bit o’ fun til we’re back at it tomorrow!” Quincy shouted from outside the lab. Roxy and Isaac both shared a frustrated sigh. Isaac looked down into Roxy’s hazel eyes and smiled. “I guess I owe you a nice dinner now, don’t I?” Roxy chuckled softly. “I’ll hold you to that. Now let’s go have a bit of fun. We can pick this up again later, okay?” * “Okay, now for the moment of truth, you guys.” Roger walked over to the four lined up tanks, inspecting the connections and input pads on each tank. After making sure everything was secure, he walked back to his desk and sat in his chair. He tapped his computer’s keyboard for a moment. “The clones are about a year and a half old, the age acceleration factored in. This is to ensure that they can get ponified without any major problems arising during the process. Aaand, here we go.” Roger pressed a button on his computer. The cloning tanks buzzed to life, the eerie purple serum beginning to flood each tank. The once clear fluids each clone floated in now took on a violet hue. The effects weren’t instantaneous, but they did happen much faster than anyone expected. Isaac watched his own clone begin to shift. Bones began twisting and moving, shifting into new shapes and positions. His skin began turning a new color, small hairs sprouting from it. The head began warping, the jaw and nose pushing out from the rest of his head. Hair began sprouting from his head down his neck, his new mane growing in. It finished somewhat quickly. The tanks were flushed clear again, the violet tint fading away, giving each clone their true new colors. Isaac walked forward and peered into his clone’s tank. Inside floated a pegasus pony. Still asleep even after the ponification, the foal slept soundly. His coat was a vibrant sky-blue, the short mane and tail a bright white. The hairs seemed to reflect the light shining into the tank, looking almost like spun silver thread. “Eugh. I hate green.” Quincy scowled and walked away without looking too much at his own ponified clone, a green coated earth pony with a pitch-black mane. He went back to his computer and began reading over some documents. “I never expected myself to come out as a unicorn.” Will looked in at his clone with a apprehensive curiosity. His clone was a bright red, the red horn poking out through an orange mane. “Pretty neat, I guess.” Roxy walked to her clone’s tank, her eyes wide and glistening with tears. “They... they’re like our children...” She placed her hand on the clone’s tank. The foal inside was a deep blue unicorn, topped with a bright yellow mane. Roxy couldn’t take her eyes off the foal; she was hypnotized. She stayed kneeling there, unmoving even after Quincy and Will left for the house. Roger departed not long after, asking Isaac to lock up and turn off the lights when he and Roxy left. “Roxy? Are you okay?” Isaac asked, packing his things up, getting ready to leave himself. She didn’t move. “Come on, I’m getting a bit worried.” Isaac placed a hand on her shoulder, but withdrew it when she spun her head around, a ferocious look on her face. “I won’t let you take her from me.” Isaac backed up, eyes wide. Roxy turned back around and looked back into her clone’s tank. “Right... well lock up when you’re done.” Isaac opened the door to leave and turned back to look at Roxy once more. “Please be okay. Please,” he whispered to himself before leaving. * Isaac awoke to sunlight shining into his eyes from the window. He slogged out of his bed and into the bathroom to wash up. It was the first full night’s worth of sleep he’s been able to have in a long time. Between his work at the lab and the constant stream of thoughts coursing through his head, he had very little time to just relax. He walked downstairs and into the kitchen. He reached up into one of the cabinets for a mug and filled it with near-boiling water from the faucet. He reached into another cabinet and pulled out a small box. Roxy had never been able to drink the vitamin drinks that the fort always served, and opted for raspberry tea whenever she could. She had offered her cache of tea packets to Isaac during the first week they moved in, letting him use them whenever he wanted. Isaac was never a tea person in his past life. But now, he couldn’t keep a steady head during his work without a steaming mug of it on his desk. Isaac dropped the teabag into the mug, watching the tendrils of color start to spread from the small herb bag. He just noticed that he didn’t see anyone else since he woke up, which was odd, since they all usually left for the lab together every morning. Isaac shrugged to himself. Perhaps they were all sleeping in after finally finishing the toughest part of their work. Isaac thought back to what he saw in the tank. The small equine form lingered in his mind. The aqua blue coat... the silver-white mane... Isaac thought it was funny what Roxy had said before he left the night before. “They’re like our children...” Isaac supposed she was right. They had slightly modified the genetic structure, slight mutations would also be present, but still retain enough similarity to his own genetic roots that the small foal could in fact be considered his son. He never thought that he would end up a father, even if it was for some pastel-colored pegasus. “Gee, I’ll have to give him a name at this rate,” Isaac said to himself. Isaac walked back upstairs with his mug of tea and sat in front of his computer terminal in his room. The screen winked to life, along with the speakers. “Good morning, sir. Anything I can help you with today?” SyRE asked. “Yeah. Can you dial up Sunny Days on the encrypted line?” “Of course. One moment, please.” A window popped up on the screen, showing his video feed next to a black window. After a few moments, the black gave away to a bright yellow face, already smiling. “Isaac! You haven’t called in forever!” Sunny yelled. “Sorry, sis. Been working pretty hard down here. How’s Bullseye?” “He’s out right now, picking up some breakfast. And by the way. I still don’t forgive you for missing the wedding!” She said with a frown on her face. “Security is really tight around here, and since I’m working on pretty important stuff, I really can’t get out of here. But when I do, you’ll be the first pony I come see. How does that sound?” “Wonderful!” “I was meaning to ask you. Why did you come out here back then? I didn’t want to bring up any bad memories the other times I've called...” “It’s okay, Isaac. My wing made a full recovery and I’ve been flying ever since. But when I saw you run off from the beach, I couldn’t just let you go again. I wanted to talk to you as Erika, not as Sunny Days. So I got Bullseye to come with me and we followed you down to Delaware. When we saw the guys carrying the guns, we landed in the woods to try and look around on hoof, when those thugs jumped us... We never did anything to them!” Isaac saw her eyes begin to glisten with tears. “It’s alright. Some of the people here... they do terrible things to ponies. Most of the time without any provocation.” “Then why are you working for them?” she asked, tears wetting her face. “Because... Because... I...” Isaac started. “This is all that’s left for me. I don’t have any more options. I’m hoping that my work can help create a future for both ponies and humans. I’ve gotta go. I need to be at the lab. I’ll call you again soon, I promise.” “Oh... Okay, Isaac. Take care,” Sunny said. Isaac closed the link, took one last gulp of his tea, and walked out from the room. He grabbed his bag from the living room, and left for the lab. * When Isaac finally arrived at the lab building, he made his way down the flights of stairs down to the lab. He walked down the hallway, and as he rounded the corner, he knew immediately something was wrong. The doorway was covered in “CAUTION” and “DO NOT CROSS” tape, and the windows were obscured by a translucent tarp. He whipped the door open, and upon doing so, he truly wished he hadn’t. The lab was filled with people. Isaac was able to pick out ones he recognized: Will and Quincy stood next to each other, discussing something between them. Frank Dunland was practically yelling at Roger, his face a bright red. “Wh-... What the hell...” Isaac muttered. Will walked up next to him, and placed his hand on Isaac’s shoulder. His face was dark with gloom. “It’s Roxy... There was an accident last night after you left.” Isaac didn’t know what to think, or even what to feel. Isaac walked over to the center of a large group of people, pushing and shoving his way to the open area in the center. It was Roxy. She was on her back, her eyes glossed over, staring at the ceiling. She was smiling. Her dark skin seemed a bit greyer, but it looked almost as if she was still alive. Frank Dunland walked up behind Isaac. “Don’t worry, kid. The lady was crazy. She brought it on herself when she opened her clone’s tank. Roger, forward me a full report of what happened the minute you find it out. I have something I have to take care of.” Frank stormed out from the lab, slamming the door behind him. Isaac looked over to the cloning tanks. Roxy’s tank had it’s top hatch wide open. So she took her clone out before it was ready? Why would she do that? He looked to his own clone’s tank. The main control panel on the front had a large scorch mark on it, almost as if it was hit by a bolt of lightning. “It seems that the magic from Roxy’s clone fried the tanks. The Age Acceleration drives on each one were the only parts damaged, fortunately.” Roger said from his desk. “Okay. Got the security footage from last night. Lets take a look.” The group gathered around the screen at Roger’s desk as the static cleared. Roxy was still standing in the same place she was when Isaac left. Her head darted from side to side, looking around the lab. The speaker came to life. “It’ll only be for a minute... Nobody has to know... I just want to hold her...” Roxy whispered. She punched in a code onto the front panel of her clone’s tank, which let out a loud beeping as the tank cover began to open. Roxy reached in, and scooped up the dark blue foal into her arms. “She... she’s so small... so soft... just like Rory and Casey... Please...” she said to the foal, holding it closer to her chest. “Please don’t leave me like they did...” The foal began to squirm in Roxy’s hands, her face lighting up in joy. “D-Does that mean you’ll stay?!” she cheered. The foal opened her eyes, looking up at the human holding her. The clone began to moan, eventually growing into loud cries. “Shhh, shhh, it’s okay.” Roxy tried to calm her clone down, holding it close to her chest. A smooth light began to come from the foal, bathing the lab in it’s white glow. Tiny flashes began to appear around the pair, the foal crying louder than before. The flashes grew into small crackles of electricity, striking out at the lab and equipment around them. There was a bright flash, a crash of thunder, and a scream. After the camera recovered from the interference, the lab was still. Roxy was on her back in the position she was still in. She stared at the ceiling, with the same smile she still wore. Nobody said anything after the video ended. “It was the radiation from the magic the clone used. She was killed almost instantly,” Roger murmured. “I-I could have snapped her out of it... I could have stopped this!” Isaac yelled. “Listen Isaac. We all saw her when she looked into that tank. She snapped when she thought of the clone as another child of hers. She was beyond saving after that,” Will said. “I know... but she didn’t have to get herself killed!” Isaac slammed his fist into the desk. “Alright fellas. I don’t think we’ll be able to get much done in the lab with it in this condition. Take the rest of the day off. I’ll send out messages when we know what’s gonna happen to us,” Roger said. Isaac couldn’t work today even if he wanted. The thoughts of Roxy were still tying his gut into knots, the guilt and dread hanging down on him. You could have stopped this. She would still be alive if you helped her. Voices whispered in his head, chiseling away at his fragile mind. Each accusation, another bit of his old self gone forever. If you loved her, you would have helped her. You never did love her did you? NO! Isaac screamed in his head. I DID LOVE HER! I wanted to be close to her... I was never closer with anyone in my life before... Isaac whispered in his mind. I only let her be so she could tackle her personal demons herself... It wasn't my place to interfere... The voices quieted down, leaving his mind in peace for once. He walked back over to the clone tanks and looked into his own. The small blue foal floating in the tank didn’t seem any different or worse for wear other than that. Isaac was in fact glad that his clone wasn’t being forced to age prematurely anymore. Isaac picked up his things and walked out from the lab, refusing to let his eyes anywhere the darkened corner of the room. * “That’s... horrible... I’m so sorry you had to go through that...” Twilight said. She had stopped taking notes a quarter of the way through, and instead listened closely. “She’s always been on my mind since then. So much could have happened between us. I keep playing those few times I spent with her alone in my head over and over again. But...” Isaac let out a stuttered sigh, feeling chocked up at the memories. “So! I think it’s getting a bit late, wouldn't you say so, Morning Roast?” The pony leaning on the door was startled back to reality after listening in on the interview. “Oh, uh, yeah! Oh don’t you two worry your little heads about that. You two are welcome here any time you’d like! Does that mean you’re gonna start wrapping up?” “Yeah I think so,” Isaac said. The sun was beginning to set, and the breeze was beginning to get a bit chilly. “Oh no no no! You can’t stop now! What happened after that?” Twilight asked. “Why don’t we wrap up here first and I’ll tell you the rest back at my place, if that’s alright with you? The story is almost finished.” Isaac stood up from his chair and pulled out a small jingling sack from his pocket. He fiddled around with his hand inside, drawing out a small handful of bright golden coins. He handed them to Morning Roast, who smiled and nodded in return. “Keep the rest as a tip. Thank you for putting up with us,” he joked. “Oh, why the pleasure was ours!” she giggled, before heading back inside. “Got everything?” Isaac asked. Twilight was busy packing all of her supplies into her saddlebags. Her notebook itself looked like it was going to rip the bags open by itself. “Just about... There! All done. Ready when you are!” *** As the pair approached the door to Isaac’s house, Isaac turned the brass doorknob and eased the door open slowly. He flipped the switch next to the door, illuminating the living room with a bright light. He flipped a few more, lighting the outside patio, keeping the dark of the night at bay. “Well let’s get back into it. What ha-” Twilight began, before being hushed by Isaac. “Shh. You’ll wake him up,” Isaac whispered. Twilight cocked her head to the side, confused. Isaac walked over and sat on the couch, looking down at his side. Twilight walked around with him, and saw what he was talking about. Fast asleep on the sofa was a young pegasus colt with fur as blue as the sky and a mane so brilliant it looked like spun silver. “That’s... No... It can’t be! That’s... your clone!” Twilight whispered, trying not to yell. “Yeah. I named him Windchaser. He’s been staying with me since I left the IHSA. I’ll explain more in a little bit.” “Explain what daddy?” a tired voice asked. The colt had woken up, and was giving a great big yawn, stretching his legs out over the sofa. “There’s my big stallion! Get a little tuckered out, buddy?” Isaac asked. “Yeah... With SyRE working, I got really bored. I watched some movies... but I guess I fell asleep...” Windchaser said before letting out another long yawn. Twilight looked on in wonder at the two of them. What she saw there was a true connection between father and son, even if they were closer to being clones. “Hello there Windchaser. My name is Twilight Sparkle. It’s an honor to meet you,” Twilight said courteously, holding out her hoof. “Hi Miss Sparkle,” Windchaser said, shaking it. “Windchaser, I’m having Auntie Sunny pick you up very shortly. You’re going to be spending the evening there while Miss Sparkle and I finish our talk. Okay?” “Sure thing, daddy! I haven’t seen Pearl and Bracket in forever!” Windchaser cheered. Seems he was wide awake now. “Now make sure you behave. They’re still young and you’re their role model-” Isaac said before a series of knocks came from the door. “It’s open!” Isaac called out. “Oh, right!” a voice said from the doorway. “Thanks for coming over on such short notice, Sunny. I need the house to myself for the evening. I’ll come over and pick him up by eleven.” “Sure thing, Isaac. Say, who’s this? Oh Isaac! I didn’t know you were looking for somepony! Wait til Bullseye gets a load of this! If you two ever need more alone time, just let us know!” Sunny laughed. Twilight’s face began to take on a slightly pinker hue. “Uh, sis, she’s one of Celestia’s advisers...” Isaac whispered. Sunny caught herself in mid-laugh and stuck her hoof in her mouth with a high pitched squeak. “Oh I'm so sorry! I hope I didn’t offend you, ma’am!” Twilight recomposed herself, shaking her embarrassment from her face. “Oh, it’s quite alright. Isaac’s been telling me his story. I know all about you Sunny Days!” “Well I hope he only mentioned the good parts! Well, I have to be off. Bullseye can’t handle the kids for too long without me there. Come along now, Windchaser!” “Sure thing Auntie Sunny! Bye-bye daddy!” the colt called. “I’ll see you later tonight, son,” Isaac said, before giving Windchaser a light kiss on his forehead. He ruffled his white mane, and sent him off. Isaac closed the door behind them, and walked back to sit on the couch. “I’m sorry about all that.” “Oh it’s quite alright. She’s very kind and charming. Why did you have to send him out with her, though?” Twilight asked as she levitated her materials back out onto the table in front of them. “I... I can’t let him find out about the IHSA and what happened there. He’s... not ready to know of those atrocities.” “I can only imagine what you went through when you were over there. I can’t even begin to think what those truths would do to such an innocent mind.” Isaac nodded. “Well, shall we continue? We’re gonna have to jump ahead a bit, if you don’t mind.” “Oh not at all! Please, do continue,” Twilight said as she pressed the red button on the recorder, her notebook open in front of her, and a smile adorning her face. * Isaac fell into his chair before his computer screen, exhausted from his day of work. Since the accident at the lab, He, Will, and Quincy had been reassigned to various different lab teams to assist as lab technicians, or to put it more accurately, slaves. They had to do all the clean-up, fetch anything any of the other workers needed, and were never included in on any of the work. Their project had been put on indefinite hold after the accident that took Roxy’s life. But it was better than working down at the Stock Stable again. Isaac woke his terminal up, the screen shining brightly in the dark of the evening. “Hello, sir. How was your day?” the speaker buzzed. “Awful, SyRE. I don’t feel like discussing it too terribly much, to be honest. Have you picked anything up on the secure comm lines?” Isaac had been growing suspicious of Frank Dunland since he arrived at the IHSA. When he discovered that SyRE could encrypt his secret calls to his sister Sunny Days, he asked SyRE if he could spy in on other information floating around the IHSA network. Very little of it was of any concern to Isaac, but sometimes he would get lucky and pick up on mysterious notifications from the other IHSA facilities around the world. “I received another communiqué addressed to Mr. Dunland that had been delivered this afternoon. It was a single line of text.” Three words lit up on the screen in front of Isaac. [>SITE 8 LOST<] “There have been no other signals received from the base referred to as Site 8. Frank believes it to be lost to the enemy. That makes this location the only one active.” The pattern had begun just this past month. One by one, the other IHSA bases had begun going silent, not sending out their routine updates between the other sites. Just last week, three bases had gone silent one day after another. Until now, there had been no information as to why this had been happening. In other messages SyRE intercepted, Frank as well as other staff had simply brushed it off as either technological failures or weather patterns interrupting their signals. But this was the first notification alluding to the fact that a IHSA site had been lost. “This can’t bode well for us-“ Isaac began as a message notification popped up on the screen. Isaac clicked it, opening the short message from Will. >Come to the command barracks. URGENT< Without hesitation, Isaac grabbed his bag and sped out the door. If Will said it was urgent, it had to be. Isaac just hoped that it was nothing bad. * Isaac rushed up the steps into the main building. One of the receptionists greeted him and pointed him to the staircase. Will had left a note with them for when Isaac arrived. Isaac followed the directions down to a dark corridor in the basement. When he arrived at the room the receptionist indicated, he slowly opened the door. Inside were two rows of chairs in front of a large glass window. Behind the window sat a mint green unicorn who was shaking and twitching madly, seated at a small table. Isaac peered through the darkness in the room and saw Will seated in the front row. Isaac shuffled in and sat next to him. “So what’s going on, Will?” Isaac whispered. “This unicorn was caught near one of the gates, trying to break in. He was asking for Quincy by name.” Will rested his arms on his legs, slouching forward. “Frank asked for Quincy to do the questioning while we watch on.” “But what are the guards for?” Isaac asked, eyeing the two uniformed men stationed on either side of the nervous unicorn, bearing dark assault rifles. “Frankly, I don’t want them to have to be necessary,” Will sighed, leaning back into his chair. “But it’s better to have them there in the first place and not need them than to need them when they aren’t around, wouldn’t you agree, men?” Frank had just walked into the room, dressed in a full formal military uniform. He took a seat nest to Isaac, and gave a hard pat on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. They’re in there to make sure your friend Quincy is safe. He should be coming in any minute now. Curious how they knew where your friend has been staying, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Hamilton?” Frank sneered, glaring at Isaac. “Uh, yeah. That is odd. No idea how they could’ve known.” Isaac felt his stomach drop. Did Frank know about his calls to Sunny? Was he under suspicion as a traitor? Before he could finish his thoughts, a door into the room opened up, and Quincy walked in. He pulled up a chair to the table opposite from the unicorn “What’s your name?” Quincy asked. “Uhm, uh, Minty Fresh...” “Your REAL name,” Quincy growled, his voice audibly fiercer. “Quincy! It’s me! Tom! Tom DeLaney! From Dylan Pharmaceuticals! Your pal! Come on, cut me some slack! I’ve b-been roughed up since I-I got here!” The unicorn’s voice was starting to crack and stutter in places. “Why are you here Tom? Why did you ask for me? Me in particular?” “I-I-I wanted to try and talk some sense into you! Surely you’re miserable here! C-C-Can’t you just follow the rest of your friends and just join us? Y-Y-You’ll f-f-feel so much b-b-better!” Quincy closed his eyes and rubbed his brow. Isaac was more concerned about the unicorn than Quincy. Surely he didn’t go through all this trouble just to try and talk Quincy into ponification. “I-I-It’s the greatest feeling in the world! Y-Y-You of a-a-all people would b-b-benefit from it the most, y-y-you g-g-grouch!” “SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP, TOM!” Quincy screamed, making the unicorn almost fall over in his chair form fright. “You can’t be serious. You come all the way out to the middle of nowhere just to try this shit on me again? You and all the twits back at Dylan tried to talk me into it once before, and I stand by that decision. I’d rather eat my own bloody colon than be a pony!” “I-I-I w-w-was a-a-afraid of that... I r-r-really w-w-wanted you to just take the e-e-easy way out. Y-Y-You see, everyone e-e-else back home are s-s-saying that y-y-you lot a-a-are the ones h-h-holding everypony back...” Tom began, his stuttering even worse than before. “I don’t have any time for this...” Quincy said as he began to stand up from his chair. “B-B-But y-y-you can’t g-g-go! I-I-I h-h-have s-s-something t-t-to show y-y-you!” Tom cried, his horn starting to glow a sickly green color. It slowly shifted to a deep purple hue, and mist started rising off of his coat. He started to chuckle, the mist slowly rising into the room. The chuckle grew into a laugh, but one of a madman. “Ehehehaha... hahahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHA!” “End it,” Frank muttered into the speaker. The two guards in the room nodded, raised their guns, and fired a single shot each at the mad unicorn. A fine red mist sprayed all over Quincy and the table as the head slammed into the table, a trickle of blood dripping onto the floor from the pool of his blood. Quincy recoiled in shock, staring at the still body in front of him. “WAS THAT SO FUCKING NECESSARY?” Quincy screamed at the window, before slouching over from a fit of coughs. Both the guards had dropped their guns and were coughing along with Quincy. Isaac stared into the room and saw the purple mist was still rising from the unicorn’s fur. All three of them in the room were doubled over on the floor in pain. The coughs has stopped, but were replaced by grunts and cries of pain, the bodies convulsing on the floor below the purple blanket of the mist. More cries echoed out from the room, all the while Will and Isaac looked on in horror. Frank reached back for his walkie-talkie. “Evacuate the room, and get a HAZMAT suit ready for me.” Frank stormed out of the viewing room and down the hall. With a loud whirrrr, the mist in the interrogation room swirled and was swept into the ventilation pipes. Three blurred figures remained in the room. As the last of the mist cleared, the two guards in the back slowly rose to their feet, their legs trembling below them. They looked at each other, not saying a word. Their faces described it all. “What... what the bloody hell... happened?” a voice groaned from below the window. Isaac and Will stood up from their chairs as a figure stood up from below the glass. Quincy shook his head, clearing the daze from his mind, but what he felt was unnatural. It felt like he had more hair than normal, and his legs didn’t feel right. He looked down, trying to figure out the situation. Before his eyes were two dark green hooves. “Wh-wh...” was all Quincy could manage. Quincy had become the spitting image of his clone: a lean earth pony with a deep green coat and a pitch black mane. The door to the room opened again, but this time entered a figure coated in a bright yellow HAZMAT suit. Behind the mask was the grim face of Frank. He eyed Quincy, who still was in a stunned daze from his new condition. Frank walked behind the table to the two guards. They had become grey earth ponies with black manes, still stumbling on their new legs. Frank reached into the pouch that hung at his side, pulling out a semi-automatic pistol and aimed it at the two. BANG BANG The two slumped over, each with matching holes in their foreheads. Frank walked back over to Quincy, who still hadn’t moved an inch from before. “Take this one and toss him in with the rest of the stock. Maybe he can still be of some use to us. And get rid of his clone. Filthy vermin.” Frank stood back up and walked back out the door. Will heard the door close not from in the interrogation room, but the door to the viewing room. Isaac had already left. With no other choice, he followed.
Windchaser	1161	5	Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Conversion Bureau: Last Man Standing	What is there that is left for a human in a world full of ponies?	complete	458	44	<p>In the many years after the Conversion Bureaus' shutdown, Twilight Sparkle is tasked by the Princesses with finding the last living human on Earth, Isaac Hamilton, and learning the story of his past. What she hears is a tale of loss, tragedy, joy, and the discovery of one's place in the world. But how much longer would that place last with what Twilight has to tell him?</p>	teen	2011-11-29T02:28:14+00:00	2011-11-29T02:28:14+00:00	9,614	Isaac had practically sprinted back to the house. He leaped up the stairs into his room, and started typing and clicking manically at his computer terminal. “What is going on, sir?” the AI asked. “We’re leaving, SyRE. Frank’s a madman, and we can’t stay here any longer. I’m going to back you up with everything else I can get my hands on onto a portable terminal.” “If you say so, sir.” Isaac began dumping all of his research data onto various portable drives, and started loading everything up into a backpack. “What the hell has gotten into you, Isaac?” Isaac jumped and almost spilled the contents of his bag. He looked to the door, and saw Will panting almost as much as he was. “We have to leave. Like, NOW.” “Not until you explain to me why. I’m not letting you do something stupid until I know the method to your madness.” Will walked in and gently eased Isaac to a seat on the bed. “I can’t stand working for someone so heartless. I... I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I just want to get out of here. You saw what he fucking did to those guards! What makes you think he won’t do something even worse to Quincy?” “There’s nothing we can do for him now. But you said that we gotta leave, right? Well, I don’t like it, but it looks like we’ve got no choice. We’ll take the truck we came in. I still have the keys. I’ll go pack up and meet you outside-” “There’s one other thing,” Isaac said, still staring at the floor. “We need to go pick up my clone. I’m not letting him stay here.” “You CAN’T be serious!” Will yelled. “They’re god damned science tests! Nothing more! Don’t go crazy like Roxy did! They’re not our children!” “Well, you can do what you want, but no matter what, I’m going back to get my clone whether or not you like it.” Will rose from the bed, and began pacing around the room. “You aren’t making this very easy for me, Isaac. I followed you here, hoping that for once in your life you had the guts to make a decision for yourself and stick to it... But I know more than anyone else that once you set your mind to something, nothing in heaven or hell can get in your way,” Will conceded. “You got a plan?” “Who was the one who came up with all of our pranks back in high school?” Isaac said with a grin on his face. *** Isaac gently eased the door to the storage room open, shining his flashlight into the dusty room. He slipped in, and when it was clear that he was alone, he gave the signal for Will to come in as well. Isaac spotted a strong metal cart in the corner and rolled it with him further back into the room. Will stood at the door, constantly peeking outside to check for any unwanted visitors. Isaac rolled the cart down the aisles of old equipment as quietly as he could, looking up and down the shelves for the tanks. Row by row passed, and with each one, the unease began to grow in his chest. SyRE had confirmed that the tanks were in this storage room; it was in the documents he had taken from Frank. But where were they? Rolling down the last aisle, Isaac pointed his flashlight down to the end, and saw them. Both tanks, his and Wills, still lightly humming with both clones still in one piece. Isaac hefted the small tanks onto his cart, setting his on the bottom, and Will’s on the top. He slowly rolled the cart back to the front of the room, but something struck him as odd. Quincy had been taken just a few hours earlier to the stock pony room, but where had his clone gone too? Surely it was too valuable to just throw out, and especially when both his and Will’s were still in storage... Isaac rounded the corner to see the door. A thin sliver of light was shining out from underneath the door. The lights hadn’t been turned on in the hallway outside when they had arrived. Isaac saw Will with his back to the door, keeping it jammed with his foot, hoping that whomever was outside would just think it was locked if they tried to investigate it. Even in the darkness, Isaac saw Will’s chest heaving up and down with each breath. They were so close. They had the clones. All they would have to do is wait for whomever was outside to lose interest and walk away, then they would load up the clones into the truck and be off away from this terrible place. The light underneath the door began to shift as steps on the laminated floor tiles echoed from outside. Everything seemed to freeze for those short moments. RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT The shots rang in Isaac’s ears as the door was kicked open. Will was thrown to the ground several yards away, his breathing ragged and wet. The lights clicked on, filling the room with a blinding glare that caught Isaac by surprise. Will was surrounded by a growing puddle of red. In the doorway stood the last man Isaac wanted to see that night: Frank Dunland. “Did you HONESTLY think I didn’t see this coming? You science types are always so FUCKING predictable! Always letting your conscience get in the way!” He yelled, lifting the assault rife into the air. He strolled over to the ragged body of Isaac’s best friend, and crouched over it. “What a shame William had to be swept away by your silly little plan! He had such a bright mind. Too bad you led him to his death!” He stomped his boot down onto Will’s back, forcing him to let out a howl of pain. Out of the gurgles of blood and the wheezes from his punctured lungs, Will said one thing. “H-he... lp... me...” Isaac was frozen. Frank let out a triumphant laugh, and shouldered the rifle as he pointed it at Isaac. “Say goodbye!” Frank yelled as he began to tighten his finger about the trigger. Isaac began to hear the faint cracking of glass. Frank and Isaac had been too busy to notice what had been happening to the tanks on the cart. The tank on top was now violently boiling and glowing a fiery red. Isaac turned his head, and saw what had been causing it. The unicorn inside it had woken up, and it had seen the entire thing. They weren’t the eyes of an innocent child anymore; they burned with vengeance. Isaac took the opportunity to dive behind one of the shelves of lab equipment. Frank opened fire on the tank, nicking the glass in various areas. One shot had landed on one of the cracks, causing it to spiderweb across the rest of the tank. The glass shattered everywhere, spilling the liquid inside onto the floor. Will’s clone was hovering in mid-air, surrounded by a fiery aura, making him look almost like a living fireball. Frank lifted his rifle back up at the clone, and pulled the trigger once more. All he got was a hollow click. The unicorn flew forward, glowing as bright as the sun, and shouted “DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDYYYYY!” The force of the charge lifted Frank off his feet and launched him back into the hallway.There was a violent explosion, shaking the entire building to it’s foundation. As the light and heat began to dissipate, Isaac rose back to his feet, and ran to see the damage. The hallway outside of the door was a charred wreck. The wall opposite from the door was scorched black, and melted in places. Isaac looked out the door down each end of the hall, and saw no sign of Frank. “I...saa...c...” gasped a voice form behind him. Isaac whirled around and slid to the ground beside Will. His face was beginning to loose color, and the red puddle surrounding him was much bigger than before. “Will! WILL! YOU CAN’T GO!” Isaac screamed. His heart had been put through so many hurdles since he arrived at the IHSA, he wished he never came here in the first place. “I... It’s alright... Don’t get... so beat up... over it... ya wimpcoughcough” Will lifted his head up with the last of his strength. He winced from it, but continued. “J-Just promise... One thing...” “Yes! Yes! Anything!!” Isaac cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Live... live for the two of us...” Will let out his last breath and slumped over. His eyes dimmed as he faded away. Isaac slammed the door of the truck shut, his eyes still slick with tears. He wiped them away with his sleeve, and started the engine. He stuck his clone’s tank in the passenger seat, keeping it secured with the seatbelt. He shifted the truck into reverse and slammed on the gas pedal, caring not for the other cars that the truck shared the lot with, but simply with getting away from this dreadful place. He peeled out form the parking lot and down the winding roads leading to the entrance gate. As he approached the gate, the entire fort had come to life, lights flicking on everywhere, sirens beginning to wail. He slammed down on the gas, smashing through the wooden barricades and out into the streets. He sped down the road, still hearing the sirens wailing from behind him. He figured the best place to go would be into the woods, away from anyone who would try and follow him. He remembered one of his uncles had a summer home somewhere in the hills around here, so that would be his first destination. He rounded a road carved into the face of one of the high mountains, and began to slow down. Over the side of the railing, he could see Fort Stillwater still alive and shining in the distance, the sirens still echoing across the landscape. He stepped out from the car and stared at the place that had once held hope for him, but only brought him pain and loss. Several shadowed figures flew down the mountain right in front of him, almost knocking him down to his feet. Isaac squinted his eyes in the darkness and saw that they were indeed pegasi that had just passed over him. He saw them approach the complex, but disappear from sight. Nothing happened for several moments. All of a sudden, a bright purple cloud of gas shot up from one of the buildings, falling back down to the ground, bathing the area in a thick haze. Several more plumes shot up around the area, and each one blanketed the complex in progressively thicker clouds. It was the same mist that Tom had used on Quincy... The ponies were forcing the humans in the IHSA into ponification. That’s what happened to all of the other sites around the world: they were all bombed by this ponification gas. Isaac dashed back into the truck and sped further into the mountains, hoping he hadn’t been sighted. * It had been several hours of driving until Isaac had found the house that had once belonged to his uncle. When he pulled into the driveway, he saw that the entire place had been completely trashed. Looters, lodgers, and other hooligans had found and made a ruin out of it. Isaac knew too well that he wouldn’t find anything worthwhile there. He turned off the car, and sat there. He pulled up his backpack, and opened up the portable terminal that SyRE dwelled in. “Hello, sir. Anything I can help with?” the voice asked. “You have GPS active, right?” Isaac asked, his spirit completely drained. “Yes.” “Can you look for a house in a one hundred mile radius that still has power? Anything at all. And make sure it’s at least a fewvmiles away from any major road.” “There is one about sixty miles down the highway and five miles down a path through the woods that appears to have been cleared just for it. I will give you directions as we go along.” Isaac started the truck up again, feeling it rumble to life below his feet. The tank in the passenger’s seat sloshed a bit, shaking the small foal still suspended in it. He squirmed a bit, but fell back into his peaceful slumber. Isaac pulled out from the driveway to his uncle’s ruined home, and started down the road, following SyRE’s directions. “Sir, may I ask where Mr. Rathmore has gone to?” Isaac felt the wound in his chest open once again. Will’s bloodied body laying there in the pool of red... “He... there was an accident back in the lab. He didn’t make it,” was all that Isaac could let out before he would beak down again. “I understand. I will pursue this topic no further. My sensors are indicating that the IHSA base at Fort Stillwater has gone silent. Do you know why?” Isaac didn’t feel the same amount of sadness for the base as he did for Will’s death. “The ponies gassed the place in a bombing run. Forced ponifcation.” He said, his tone more balanced now. “That would explain why the other bases went silent then. What do you think of the situation?” Isaac pondered the question. What did he think about it? In the several calls to Sunny, never once did she seem hostile to him or his decision to stay human. Were all the ponies behind this? “I don’t know. Perhaps they wanted to silence the IHSA, maybe to complete their assimilation of the human race, I can only really speculate for now. But all I know is that I can’t afford to show my face to any of the ponies from now on.” The truck rumbled across the asphalt, the wind blowing into the cabin smelling crisp and clean. Much better than the smells from the IHSA. “Turn right.” Isaac looked along the side of the road, not seeing an exit into the forest. “I can’t, SyRE.” Isaac looked closer at the rows of trees, each one set away from the next one by a few feet... except for two. Isaac turned the truck onto the dirt, and drove into the gap between the trees, tearing down branches and he pushed through the foliage. When he cleared the trees, he saw a dirt path, just wide enough for a car to drive down. He stepped on the gas, hearing the dirt and gravel crunch below the tires. The path continued on like this for a while, Isaac driving slower than he normally would, being careful not to run into one of the many trees that lined the road and wreck the vehicle. The first bits of sunlight began to brighten the sky as he continued down, before the rising sun finally shined down through the leaves and branches into the car. Isaac finally arrived into a wide clearing with a single house straight out of some suburban area in the middle. As he drive closer, he could see the entire roof of the building was covered in solar panels, with a fresh stream running through the clearing behind the house. He pulled up next to the building, wondering if anyone was home at all. He turned off the car, and stepped out onto the bright white gravel driveway. He walked up to the front door, and to his surprise, it opened. Nothing seemed to be locked at all. He stepped inside the spacious house, looking around in wonder at how such a wonderful place could still be around with the state the world was in. He wandered through the house, occasionally shouting "Hello?", but received no response. He finally made his way into the kitchen, which sported a spectacular view of the forest surrounding the property. He looked down onto the counter and saw a slightly faded envelope placed delicately onto the counter. Isaac opened up, and unfolded the letter within. Dear sir/madam: As you may already know, this house has nobody living in it. I apologize for possibly misleading you. And, as you likely already know as well, the state of the world is pretty interesting at the moment. I had this home constructed several years ago just in case there was a reason for me to leave civilization for some reason, seeking solitude. Unfortunately, that time did in fact come. But when I sought to leave civilization, I found one so much better than the one I had previously thought to be the only one available to me. And as such, I have no need for this retreat anymore. I leave this place to you, whosoever happened to stumble on this place. The solar panels will provide you with plenty of electricity, the stream out back will provide you with fresh water, and there is enough preserved food in the basement to provide for a single person for a full ten years. Life isn’t always as bad as it seems. Make sure you always have something worth living for. Remember that. Sincerely, Edgar Holbright Isaac placed the letter back down, and sat at the table looking out to the field. Surely this was too good to be true. He feared that in moments he would wake back up, sitting in the drivers seat of the truck back at his uncle’s house, still in need of proper shelter. He decided just to play along for the moment, enjoying the peace and solitude while his dream would allow it. He walked back out to the truck, and began unpacking his bag, SyRE’s terminal, and the cloning tank. He carried everything inside, and set his things down in the main foyer. He pulled the crystalline green holo-drive from the portable drive and set it in one of the ports in the wall. The speakers cracked and fizzled to life. “This place is quite marvelous, sir.” Isaac knelt down and looked at the tank that held his clone afloat. “Hey, SyRE. Is there any way I can open this thing up without breaking anything?” “Yes. Plug the cable from your portable terminal into the back of the tank and i will initiate the waking procedure.” Isaac took one of the cables he brought with him in his backpack and hooked the tank up to the terminal. A series of lines of code lit up on the screen, and a faint whirr came from the tank as it came back to life. The lid slowly spun a few times, and lifted up. Isaac reached into the icy liquid and scooped out the young aqua-blue foal. It squirmed and yelped in his arms, but calmed down shortly after once Isaac started to whisper to the foal. “Shhh, shhh, it’s alright little guy.” The tiny figure Isaac was rocking in his arms finally opened it’s eyes, laying them on Isaac’s smiling face. Almost as a reflex, the foal began to smile as well. For the first time in as long as Isaac could remember, he was happy. No, he wasn’t just happy. This was the happiest he’s ever felt in his life. Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes as he began to hold the soaking wet foal closer to his chest. * Isaac opened his eyes to the sun poking through the blinds in his new bedroom. It turned out he wasn’t dreaming, much to his joy. He sat up, stretching his arms out, hearing the joints in his back crack and pop. He stepped out from the bed and looked around. The bedroom was a somewhat spacious one, the queen-size mattress bare when he got there the day before. The sheets were stored in the dresser, sealed in cases to keep them from getting dirty over the past several years the house had been empty. They were a plain white, but a smudge of color was poking out from under the sheets. A light aqua-blue. The little pegasus Isaac had removed from the cloning tank. The foal was having trouble walking right off the bat, so Isaac carried the small pony with him for the remainder of the evening. Right now, the little guy was snoozing away, his head resting on the pillow next to the one Isaac had just been using. This was the only bed in the house, but... he didn’t know why, but Isaac would have wanted to keep the foal close anyway. The little eyes popped open, the luminous green irises focusing on Isaac. The pegasus yawned silently, smacking his lips afterward. Breakfast time. Isaac stood at the foot of the bed, smiling at the pegasus. “Come on, little guy. Just walk to me right here. You can fall and tumble around all you want on here,” Isaac said, trying to stifle a laugh at the image forming in his head. The pony pushed himself up on his four small legs, wobbling all the while. He took an apprehensive step forward, then another, then another, then... fwoomph. He fell right onto his face, right into a bundle of sheets. Isaac couldn’t help but laugh. But the laugh was... happy. Pure. It was a laugh he never felt before. And the foal joined in with a fit of giggles to accent it. Isaac pulled the foal close, holding him against his chest. The pegasus looked up at Isaac as he walked the pair of them down the stairs and into the larger part of the house. It was fairly simplistic in it’s design: there was a kitchen with a dining table, a television room, and an office on the ground floor. The basement held the computer core as well as the majority of the food stores and batteries to store energy from the solar panels above. Isaac stepped into the kitchen and set the foal down on the wooden table. “Hey SyRE? You up?” “Of course, sir. I do not require sleep. You should know this.” “I know tha- Whatever. Uh, let’s see... Do you know what ponies eat?” The speakers stayed silent for a moment. “My records have a full description all aspects of a pony’s physiology. For the time being, I suggest feeding your clone vitamin supplements stored in the large cabinet above the sink, seeing as how we do not have any maternal milk. Grass and flowers are also part of a proper diet for your clone.” Isaac couldn’t imagine eating something like that for breakfast. But as long as the pegasus was hungry, he’d do anything for him. Isaac stepped out the sliding glass doors from the kitchen out to the field behind the house. He saw the treeline about a half-mile in the distance, various bushes and grassy hills in between the house and there. He walked around the green expanse, collecting shoots of tall grass and dandelion blooms. They were everywhere. He’d have to check what flowers out there are edible for the foal before experimenting with any more. Isaac walked back inside, hands full of grass and dandelions. He dropped them on the counter and walked over to the cabinets to look for bowls. He grabbed two white ceramic bowls and filled one with the greens and the other with water. “Sorry, kiddo. I don’t think we got any milk here.” He placed the two bowls in front of the silent pegasus. He looked down at both, and looked back up at Isaac. “Fine.” Isaac took one of the blades of grass in his fingers and held it before the foal. After a moment, he opened his mouth and tossed it inside, trying to hide his distaste. The pegasus looked down at the bowl of grass and slowly dipped his muzzle down, biting on a few blades himself. His eyes lit up, diving right back into the bowl, taking bite after bite of the grass and dandelions. He took a few gulps of water before digging right back in. Isaac chuckled and looked around the kitchen to see what he could make for himself. For now, it would have to be a simple meal of oatmeal with cinnamon, brown sugar, and some of the freeze-dried apples that were hidden among the other foods in the freezer. But now that he thought about it, it sounded pretty delicious to Isaac. He sat down with his bowl and spoon. The foal had already finished his meal. He watched Isaac as he began to eat, his eyes transfixed on the man. “Ooohhh...” The noise escaped the pegasus’s mouth. Maybe... Isaac put his spoon down, and looked directly at the foal. He pointed at himself and said, “Isaac. Isaac.” “Ey... szak... Eyysack,” the foal struggled with his name. Maybe this would be easier... Isaac pointed at himself again, and said, “Daddy. Daddy.” “Da...ddy. Daddy!” The foal cheered, a smile lighting up his face. “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” Isaac was surprised when the foal leaped forward, landing on his chest, knocking his bowl of oatmeal all over the ground. He wrapped his hooves around Isaac’s neck, burying his muzzle into his shoulder. Isaac brought his arms around the small pegasus and held him close. He could feel the foal’s tiny heart racing in his chest, the little wings on his back fluttering like mad. * “Hey, SyRE. Picking anything up on the radio bands?” Isaac asked from his desk. “No, sir. I do not detect any more human activity.” Isaac slumped down in his chair. “Can you connect with any other networks out there?” “Yes, I believe I can so long as they have an active satellite link. What would you like me to do?” “Can you download everything from Fort Stillwater? I want to know what else had been going on over there.” “Of course, sir.” Isaac leaned back in his chair. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. Just a few days ago, he fled the compound, and... The memories came back with the force of a freight train. Roxy’s death. Quincy being forced into ponification by an old friend of his. Will... A crippling sense of loss overtook Isaac. He sat in his chair for some amount of time, blurring together into some timeless span. He fought as hard as he could to keep his tears from returning, but when he thought he had it under control, the memories of his parents resurfaced. They left him by himself. They effectively disowned him, taking his sister away from him to the Bureau he had almost admitted himself to that day. Everything he cared for was always taken from him. His family, Roxy, Quincy, Will... He had nothing left. He was a man without direction... Isaac was awoken by a soft tugging on his pant leg. He sat up, wiping the tears from his face to see his clone spitting the fabric from his mouth. He looked up at Isaac, his bright green eyes meeting Isaac’s. The pegasus ran out the door, disappearing for a moment. He popped his head back in, looking back at Isaac. “Sir, I believe he wishes to show you something.” Isaac pushed himself out of his chair, following his clone out into the green field behind the house. The pegasus ran laughing up to the top of the highest hill, freezing in place at the top. Isaac watched as his clone’s head turned, his ears twitching. A few moments passed, as a gust of wind blew through his mane, the sun dancing off the bright white. The foal’s smile turned into a small frown, but he stayed on the hill, his legs bent and ready. Another gust blew through his mane, and this time his smile grew larger. The pegasus’s wings began flapping like mad. He started into a wobbly gallop, and leaped off the hill. Catching the wind under his wings, he glided erratically through the air, straight into Isaac’s chest. Isaac and the foal were both knocked to the ground. Isaac’s chest was a little sore from the impact, but his attention wasn’t on that. The foal sat up on his chest and shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dizzying sensation of the crash. “Wow! That was fantastic!” Isaac cheered, the foal giggling like mad. “Yay! Daddy!” His clone latched onto Isaac’s neck in a hug. That was when Isaac realized he hadn’t even given the foal a name yet. He was his son. He should have a name. “Hmmm... What should I call you?” Isaac set his clone back down on the ground, who was already running back up the hill. He froze at the top again, waiting for the prefect breeze. As the wind ran through his white mane, he caught it under his wings, gliding back down the hill next to Isaac. “How about Windchaser? You sure do love flying, don’t you? Not even a week out of the tank and you’re already able to glide!” “W-wwind... chaszer... Windchaser!” The foal began cheering, shouting his new name at the top of his lungs as he ran up the hill, ready to catch the next gust of wind. I haven’t lost everything. I have him now. I have my son. *** ~ Several years later ~ “Come on, dad! Tell meee!” Windchaser moaned. “Nope, not until we get outside. You gotta be patient, little guy.” Isaac lugged out a blanket with him, opening the sliding glass door to the field. The two of them had been living here for eight years now, each year beginning to blend together. Isaac had spent plenty of time with his son, but also spent time before his computer, collecting data from active networks across the world. He wasn’t able to access many, but the ones he were able to get had quite the collection of movies. Isaac and Windchaser would lounge every few nights and watch a new movie together, more often than not Windchaser falling asleep halfway through. On the days that Isaac was working on his computer, Windchaser would be working on teaching himself flying in the field behind the house. Among the movies SyRE downloaded were collections of air shows by both pegasus and airplanes. The ones Windchaser watched the most was exhibitions by the Equestrian Wonderbolts, the aerial acrobatics and stunt team. He was fascinated; he watched the shows without blinking, hypnotized by their flight trails and maneuvers. Windchaser would often try these stunts himself, and more often than not crashing in a bad way. He broke his leg once trying a particularly dangerous dive-bomb corkscrew. Isaac gave his son a stern talking-to, explaining that the Wonderbolts had years and years of professional training. Windchaser shouldn’t be attempting their tricks just yet. “Daaaaad, come oooon! What are you gonna show me?” Windchaser said. He was dragging his hooves along the ground, following his father into the darkness. Isaac said nothing, but kept walking. He dropped the blanket on the grass on the side of a hill and sat down. He motioned for his son to do the same. He fell on his back and stared at the sky. “So what is it? What ar- ooooohhh!” Windchaser finally saw it. A bright white spot glowing in the sky, soaring among the countless points of light behind it. “it’s called a ‘comet’. It’s basically a giant snowball flying through space.” Isaac stared up at the comet, looking at it in wonder. “Back when I was younger, we couldn’t see the night sky like this. There was always so much gunk up in the sky. We could only see the moon and a few stars. That was it.” “Woooow... How fast is that comet going?” “About a million miles an hour. It’s pretty fast.” “Then you know what?” “What’s that, Windchaser?” “I’m gonna learn how to fly faster than a comet!!” Windchaser leaped into the air, soaring around the clearing. He began flapping his wings faster and faster, pushing himself as hard as he could. From the ground, Isaac watched as the dark silhouette in the sky began to glow under the dim moonlight. Windchaser began to take on a light glow, a faint trail of white light following in his wake. But before it could become anything more than a dim glow, it fell from the sky. Windchaser landed next to Isaac in a fit of coughs and wheezing. “Take it easy, little guy. You still got a few years to go before you can go that fast. Let’s head back inside. It’s getting chilly, don’t you think?” “Y-yeah... cough” Isaac folded the blanket up again, holding it under his arm as he and his son began walking back to the dimly lit house. Isaac held the door open for Windchaser before entering himself. Windchaser staggered over to the sofa and collapsed on it, about to fall asleep from the exhaustion. Isaac noticed something, however. “Hey, Windchaser? You feel okay?” “I... feel... so tired...” “Hmm, because I noticed something a little different about you. Are you sure you don’t feel anything new?” “What are you... talking about dad?” Isaac smiled. “Take a look yourself.” Isaac pointed at Windchaser’s flank, before disappearing into the kitchen. Isaac filled a glass with water, but almost dropped it from the shouting. “I GOT MY CUTIE MARK! DAD DAD DAD! LOOK!” Windchaser bounced into the kitchen, standing sideways to Isaac. On his flank, there was the image of a white comet, a brilliant tail of white light trailing behind it. Windchaser was positively ecstatic. “So you know what that means, right?” Isaac said, giving the glass of water to his son. He took it with his mouth, downing the drink in one gulp. “What?” “That means you gotta keep that goal. Learn to fly faster than a comet!” “Yea-” Windchaser’s cheer was interrupted by a great big yawn. “But we’ll do that tomorrow. Come on, time for bed.” Isaac led his son up the stairs and into their bedroom. Isaac pulled back the sheets for the pegasus as he crawled into the bed. Isaac tucked him in, brushed his mane to the side and gave him a kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight, my great big stallion.” Isaac turned the light off as he walked back downstairs. He settled into his desk chair, staring at the computer screen. “Is everything okay, sir?” “Yeah, yeah. Windchaser just got his cutie mark. Tired him out big time.” “Wonderful news, sir.” Isaac looked at the clock on his screen. Tomorrow was going to be the eight year anniversary of his flight from the IHSA. Eight full years of living in the house Edgar Holbright left for him. Eight wonderful years living with his son, Windchaser. Eight years of hiding from society. The pony society that had overtaken the entirety of his world. Eight years since he called his sister. Isaac was tired of hiding. “Hey SyRE. Call up Sunny Days, please.” “Of course, sir.” ringring ringring ringring click “Isaac? Isaac is that you?” * The truck rumbled down the road, whirling around the twists and turns as they descended the mountain roads. The young pegasus in the passenger’s seat was trying his best to keep a grip on something to keep him from bouncing around so much. “Daddy, why does it have to be so bumpy?” he pleaded. “Well, the roads have been cracking and breaking from years of nobody taking care of them,” Isaac said to the young pony. The sun shined down into the cab, reflecting off the young pegasus’s brilliant white mane. As the truck rounded the last hill, Isaac and Windchaser finally got a good look at the town SyRE had given them directions to. It was the closest one for miles that would be the most likely candidate for ‘recolonization’ by the ponified humans. They rolled down the hill, but Isaac took a dirt road off to the right before he got near the town. As the truck barreled through the woods, Isaac began to slow down, easing the truck to a stop. Isaac stepped out from the truck, and walked around to the passenger’s side. He opened the door, and helped the pegasus currently struggling with the seat belt. He clicked it open, causing it to recede back into the frame of the truck. Windchaser hopped out, and the pair walked further into the woods. They happened upon a clearing, filled with tall stems of grass. Windchaser gave out a loud cheer and bounded into the small field, jumping in and out of the grass. Isaac scanned the treeline, looking for something. “Fancy meeting you here, stranger.” Isaac whirled around to see a golden yellow pegasus standing before him. “Sunny!” Isaac kneeled down and wrapped his arms around his sister in a loving embrace. “Windchaser! Come on over and say hi to your aunt!” Isaac yelled back into the field. Sunny looked perplexed, but became even more so when the laughing pegasus popped out from the grass. “You must be my Auntie Sunny!” the colt said, walking over to Sunny’s leg. “Why isn’t he the cutest little colt I’ve laid my eyes on! Well, next to Bracket. Did you adopt him?” Sunny asked cheerfully. “Y-yeah, I’ll tell you the whole story someday. Could you just look after him for the afternoon? I have some business to attend to in town.” “Sure thing, Isaac! I never thought about it before, but being a parent is pretty fulfilling, isn’t it?” “You sure got that right. This little guy has made my life bearable these last few years.” Isaac stood up and walked over to the blue pegasus. “Listen, little guy. I gotta go out and take care of some grown-up stuff. You’re gonna be going with your Auntie Sunny for the afternoon, alright? I promise to come and get you as soon as I can!” “Sure thing papa! I can’t wait to finally meet them!” The colt was bouncing in the air, laughing all the while. Sunny couldn’t help but laugh along with him. “Come along now, Windchaser! You’re still a little colt, so you’re gonna have to ride on my back to the house.” Sunny knelt down to the ground, letting the colt climb onto her back. “Hold on tight!” She yelled, before starting into a great gallop, leaping into the air and catching the wind under her wings. The two faded beyond the treeline. Isaac watched them as they faded from his view and walked back into the truck. He started the engine, and continued on towards the town. * As the truck crawled through the streets, very few ponies came out from their houses upon seeing it. Many of them scampered into the various alleyways and side-streets, eager to avoid contact. Isaac wanted to get to the center of the town, it would make getting noticed much easier. The town, now repopulated by the ponies, had undergone a radical transformation in the last several years. Many of the houses had been rebuilt and repainted with bright colors, bringing life back to the old skeleton of a town it used to be. As Isaac neared the center of town, fewer ponies tried to scurry away, but instead they simply stopped in their tracks and stared. To them, the sight of a human was extremely unusual. Most had not seen a human in a dozen years. He put the truck into park, and turned the key to kill the engine. He opened the door and stepped out into the blazing sunlight, ponies gasping and some even screaming at the sight of him. Am I really that scary? Isaac thought to himself. “Who’s in charge around here?” Isaac yelled out to the crowd. “I want to talk to your mayor or police chief!” He wasn’t sure if their culture had either; he never really looked into it. A timid looking unicorn tiptoed out from the crowd before him. She was clearly nervous, and possibly terrified. “I-I’m the mayor’s assistant... I c-can take you to her i-if you’d like...” she stammered. Isaac knelt down to her eye level. “I would greatly appreciate that. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt anyone,” he said reassuringly. Isaac could almost see the tension fade away from the unicorn as she let out a sigh. “Follow me, if you’d please.” Isaac did so, watching all of the ponies heads following him as he walked along the street. *** “You WHAT?” the elderly grey mare screamed. “Like I said, I want an audience with your Princesses. What were their names again?” Isaac asked, raking his mind for something that supposedly should be an important fact for him to know. “Ah! Celestia and Luna. I’d like for them to answer to a few things. Sooner rather than later.” The mayor paced around behind her desk, visibly sweating. “You don’t understand, do you Mr. Hamilton? The princesses don’t just grant audiences on a whim! The typical amount of time before you’d usually be able to see them in three months! And that’s after all of the exhausting paperwork! Even for a... human.” She spat the last word out as if it left a bitter taste in her mouth. “Just be sure to tell them I was a survivor of the Fort Stillwater raid.” The mayor’s eyes widened for a moment before she buried her face in her hoof. “Alright, fine. But don’t expect any miracles, okay? Lily, can you take a letter? Tell Princess Celestia that an ‘Isaac Hamilton’ seeks an audience with her and her sister. And that he was at this ‘Fort Stillwater’ raid, or whatever it was.” She sat back at her desk, watching the unicorn jot down the message onto a levitating scroll with her quill. it quickly rolled itself up, and vanished with a small pop. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hamilton, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave my office. I have very important duties that I ne-” FWOMPH FWOMPH With two brilliant flashes of light, two figures materialized into existence behind Isaac. He stood up, hands in his pockets, and turned around. Two majestic winged pegasi, Alicorns, stood before him. One was as brilliant and white as the blazing sun, her mane a colorful, billowing aurora. The other was as dark and graceful as the most pleasant night, her mane a lighter shade of blue than her coat. They both stared at Isaac for a moment before anyone spoke. “I... guess I’ll leave you all alone, then... come along now, Lily. Lets give the princesses their privacy...” The mayor shuffled out the door, pushing the unicorn out with her. The large wooden doors closed with a dull thud. “Princesses. Pleasure to meet you at last,” Isaac said, nodding his head. “We apologize for the spectacle, but when we received the message about you, we had to be here as soon as we could. Especially since you had to witness that atrocity,” the white alicorn said with disdain. “Celly, are you sure we should tell him...?” The darker one asked, apprehensively. “Luna, of all ponies or people, he is the most deserving of knowing the truth,” Celestia said to her sister. “Mr. Hamilton. I’m sure you are aware of what happened at Fort Stillwater eight years ago, correct?” Isaac looked back down at the floor. “How could I forget? I saw several pegasus ponies dropping those gas bombs on the last vestiges of mankind, forcing ponification on them. They weren’t given any choice in the matter.” Isaac tightened his fists in anger. He felt the blood beginning to boil within him as soon as he was reminded about it. “Yes, well. These actions against your people were not under our jurisdiction. We always sought to achieve peace between your organization, for humans and ponies to coexist together. Unfortunately, your leaders always declined any offers we made, and constantly carried out heinous crimes against our people. In fact, after the attack on Fort Stillwater, we rescued hundreds, HUNDREDS, of ponies being held captive that were being used as test subjects. What do you have to say about that?” Celestia growled, stomping her hoof down into the wooden floor. “Nothing. I don’t have any excuse for what my people did to yours, just like how you claim to not have an excuse for those who attacked MY people. I’m... just glad that they were rescued.” Celestia’s stern visage softened into a small smile. “I’m just glad you aren’t as malevolent as some of your brothers and sisters were.” “You said that the bombing wasn’t ordered by either of you. What happened? Why did it happen? Who ordered it?” The blue alicorn, Princess Luna, spoke. “When a human goes through ponification, many of their human traits are kept, while others are... reappropriated. Usually this translates as people becoming less aggressive, manipulative, greedy, et cetera. They become friendlier and happier. But some humans kept some of those negative aspects. Most of these humans had held positions in your militaries and governments. They formed an association dedicated to bringing all humans over to our civilization. They called themselves the PER, or Ponification for Earth’s Rebirth. “They worked in secret, recruiting other ponies to aid in their work, developing and weaponizing our ponification serum. They used it on all of the other bases your people were staying in. We’re just glad you made it out alright.” “When we were informed of these actions, we took swift and decisive action. We arrested each and every member of their group and imprisoned them all. They were given opportunities to repent for their crimes, but they stood by their choices,” Celestia said with a harsh and serious tone. “Forced ponification can be... jarring... to the human psyche. Most humans who underwent this process weren’t prepared for it and went mad, losing their sanity as a result. Many of them had to be admitted to mental institutions to aid in their recovery and reintegration into society. But the damage had been done. Most took their own lives in the minutes following their ponification,” Luna said woefully. Isaac fell to his knees. This was too much for him. The last hope for mankind had been wiped out all because of someone’s self-righteous quest for teaching unwilling people their corrupted ideals of happiness? Isaac felt his head spin. All of the events at the IHSA... all of their work... had been for nothing. There was absolutely no way the human race could survive from such a blow to their already unstable population. There were... what? How many people still lived on the Earth? Celestia bent down onto her knees, meeting Isaac’s eyes. “We are truly, deeply sorry for your loss. We never wanted this to happen.” A soft click came from the door to the office. A faint hissing sound began to come from the vents to the room, a faint purple cloud oozing out from them. “Isaac, get on the ground. Keep your eyes closed, and hold your breath. It seems what’s left of the PER found out about you being here.” Isaac dropped to the floor without any question, his eyes squeezed shut. He took a great breath of air and held it, the hissing continuing in the background. “Luna, blast the door open. We have to get Isaac out of here NOW,” Celestia growled. “Of course, sister.” Isaac heard a small ringing in his ears, before a loud explosion of splinters and metal rang through the office. As the ringing faded from his ears, Isaac made something out from the various sounds meeting his ears. “Isaac! Follow my voice! We need to get you out of here! The ponification gas is too thick in there! Keep your eyes shut and keep holding your breath!” Isaac started to feel his chest burn, his mind slowing, and his nerves flaring. He began to think of Windchaser, and what he would think if he came back to him as a... Wait. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. Isaac originally was going to get ponified, but he got swept up in that god-forsaken riot. His parents calling him a terrorist and a racist only reaffirmed his false stance against ponification. Thinking back to his son, Isaac only wanted what was best for the young colt. Surely being raised by a human wouldn’t be the ideal childhood, but if he became a pony, he could do his best to pave a path for his son. I’m going to do it. For him. One... Two... Three... Isaac let out the air in his lungs with a giant wheeze. Luna and Celestia froze upon hearing the noise, looking back at the figure slumped on the floor. It’s now or never! Isaac braced himself for what he could only imagine as the worst pain he could imagine subjecting his body to, and took a deep breath from the purple cloud surrounding him. The smell reminded him of the foul smelling odors of cough medicine he had to take as a child, a very overpowering grape flavor. He took another breath. More of the overly fruity odor. He didn’t feel his body changing. He opened his eyes, and looked down at his hands. He still had fingers, that was for sure. He felt his face, still flat. He could still wiggle his toes, and his skin, while tinted a faint purple from the mist, still had the pasty caucasian hue he had always lived with. “What... happened? Why... didn’t I change?” Isaac stammered. He slowly rose to his feet, his legs trembling form the ordeal. Celestia looked over to her sister, and lowered her head. “Isaac, did you work with the ponification serum during your time at the IHSA?” The pair walked back into the office, still cloudy from the gas. “Y-yeah, why?” “Did you touch it at all?” “Uh, yeah. A dilute sample splashed onto my hand once. I washed it off right away though.” “Oh dear. Isaac, the serum did have an effect on you then. While the concentration wasn’t high enough to facilitate ponification, your body... it fought off the changes the serum was trying to make. Your body built up more defenses against it in the time since then. I suppose you could think of it as a vaccine. Unfortunately...” Celestia readied her next words. “You’re immune to ponification now.” Isaac was trying desperately to understand what she was saying. “Are you telling me... that I can’t get ponified? But most of my friends at the IHSA were exposed to even more of the serum than I was! Why did they change and not me, here?” “Your body had more time to build up the immunity than anyone else did. Your body had eight whole years to prepare.” Isaac sank to his knees in the purple mist. He was finally given the opportunity to join the rest of his kind, in this new world. Because he suspected everyone of hating him and secluding himself in the woods with his son, he sealed his own fate. “But... you could use your magic! You could use your magic to turn me into a pony, right?” Isaac lit up with excitement. “Isaac... our magic would kill you. I can’t knowingly endanger the life of any man or pony,” Celestia solemnly replied. “I don’t care. I want you to do it. Even if it brings me to within an inch of my life! Just do it!” Isaac was beginning to get angry, his voice rising in volume. “No. I will not.” Celestia stomped a hoof down onto the wooden floor with finality. “DO IT!” Isaac screamed at the princesses. “JUST FUCKING DO IT! I DON’T CARE IF I DIE! I... I...” His eyes began to fill with tears of defeat as his voice began to go hoarse. Isaac slumped forward, his head pressed against the floorboards. “All I ever wanted...” Isaac began. “Was a normal life... but every time I tried to find one, something was always in the way! It’s just not fair!” Isaac cried, slamming his fist into the ground. Celestia knelt down to Isaac. “We’re deeply sorry about this... We both wish there was something we could do to help you join us, but even our abilities have limits. Anything we would try would simply kill you from the magical energies. What we CAN do, is give you everything you could ever need to live a peaceful, happy life in this town, or wherever you desire. It’s the least we could do for you.” Isaac wiped the faint tears forming at the edges of his eyes. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot. Thank you, your highnesses.” Celestia nodded. “We will make the arrangements as soon as possible. If you need anything from us, please don’t hesitate to ask. But for now, we must address this issue of PER members working in this building. We’ll be in touch.” With another bright flash, the two alicorns vanished from the room, leaving Isaac behind. He rose to his feet, and walked through the mist, swirls of purple in his wake. He walked out through the splintered doorway, dozens of pairs of eyes settling on him. Some of them were in surprise, others in fear, and others in anger. Isaac waved to them, putting on a weak smile. “THIS THE CANTERLOT GUARD SQUADRON. THIS BUILDING IS SURROUNDED. COME OUT WITH YOUR HOOVES WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!”
Windchaser	1161	6	Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Conversion Bureau: Last Man Standing	What is there that is left for a human in a world full of ponies?	complete	458	44	<p>In the many years after the Conversion Bureaus' shutdown, Twilight Sparkle is tasked by the Princesses with finding the last living human on Earth, Isaac Hamilton, and learning the story of his past. What she hears is a tale of loss, tragedy, joy, and the discovery of one's place in the world. But how much longer would that place last with what Twilight has to tell him?</p>	teen	2011-10-03T06:41:09+00:00	2011-10-03T06:41:09+00:00	12,987	“And that’s it. I’ve been living here ever since, just me, SyRE, and Windchaser. Occasionally I would venture out of town, leaving the kid with Sunny when I would. Typically it would be for old human technology from old abandoned bases like Stillwater, or even the Pentagon down in DC. But Celestia and Luna have held true to their word. I have lived a perfectly wonderful life up til you showed up.” Twilight had looked visibly shocked from Isaac’s remark. “But please, don’t take it the wrong way. I’ve lived far too long for my own liking. I have some things I'd like to take care of before this spell is cast, though.” “Like what?” Twilight asked. “Ah, ah, ah. Spoilers,” Isaac teased. “You’ll find out soon enough, Ms. Sparkle. Now that I’ve answered your questions, I’d like to ask you a few of my own, if you don’t mind. Don’t worry, it won’t be anything personal, I promise.” “I think you deserve to be able to ask something, especially after having to put up with me for so long,” Twilight chuckled. “Okay. First question. When this ‘purification’ spell is cast, where are all of the ponies living around the world going to tucker down in?” “We have sent evacuation orders out already to some of the more distant areas of the world, but everypony will have to be relocated into Equestria by the time we cast the spell. They will all be safe in there.” Isaac folded his hands. “I see. And humans can’t survive in Equestria from the magic, correct?” Twilight frowned. “Unfortunately, yes.” “And the entirety of the Earth will have this abundant magic after the spell is done, right?” “I believe so.” “But human technology will still be able to function, correct?” “I... suppose... why?” Twilight asked. “You’ll see. You are a librarian by trade, correct?” “Yes... Oh won’t you please tell me what you are planning?” Isaac laughed. “Good. You’re perfect then. Don’t worry, you’ll appreciate what I have planned for you. Just please take my word for it.” Twilight slumped back into the chair. “Hmph. Fine.” “Well, it seems to be getting a bit late. I need to go pick up Windchaser from Sunny’s place. Oh Twilight, do you mind letting me make a quick copy of that recording? For reference.” “Oh, why of course!” Twilight floated the small recording device over to Isaac. He walked to his office down the hallway, and copied the audio files onto his computer terminal. After a quick moment, he reemerged and handed it back to the unicorn. “Thank you very much. Please give Luna and Celestia my best when you see them again.” Isaac walked Twilight to the door and held it open for her. “I will be sure to. It was simply marvelous spending these past few days with you, Isaac. I wished I could have gotten to know you better, though.” “Such is the tragedy that is life. Don’t worry, there are plenty of more interesting people- er ponies out there. Take care now!” Isaac called as Twilight began to walk down the street into the night. She waved back to him, and watched him return to his house before continuing down the road. * There was a soft knocking at the door. “Don’t worry, darling, I got it.” The brown stallion walked over to the door and tugged it open. “Isaac! So good to see you again! The kids are all asleep. They had a blast with Windchaser here,” Bullseye said in a hushed voice. “Glad to hear it. Can you get Sunny for me? I gotta talk to the two of you.” The stallion walked into the living room. There were some hushed whispers exchanged, and the two pegasi joined Isaac back in the foyer. “Thank you for looking after Windchaser for me again, sis.” “Ah, it’s no problem. Bracket and Pearl love it whenever he comes over.” Isaac walked over and sat in one of the chairs, with Bullseye and Sunny sitting on the couch opposite from him. “I... gotta tell you two some things. I don’t have much time left.” Bullseye and Sunny looked at each other, their faces growing into frowns out of concern. “What do you mean, Isaac? Are you ill?” “No, it’s nothing like that. I just won’t be around much longer is all, and I wanted to clear a few things up with you two before you have to leave for Equestria when the evacuation order comes around.” “What evacuation order?” the two asked in unison. “Right... they hadn’t given the order for this town yet. Well, in a few days, all of the ponies worldwide are going to have to move into Equestria in preparation for the Purification Spell when it’s cast. Nothing outside of Equestria will be safe.” Sunny quickly mulled over what she had just heard. “Wait! What’s going to happen to you? Surely you... no... NO! You can’t! I won’t lose you!” she cried. She buried her face into Bullseye’s chest, muffling her sobs. “What’s going on Isaac?” Bullseye asked. “I’m not going to survive past the week. I can’t survive for any amount of time in Equestria, so when the spell is cast, I’ll be swept away along with the rest of the world.” “What is this Purification Spell? We’ve never heard of it.” “It’s supposed to fix the earth. That’s all I understand.” Isaac leaned back in the soft cushions as silence fell between the group. “You could become a pony! I’m sure the princesses could figure something out to-” Isaac simply put his hand up to stop his sister mid-sentence. “No. I already told both Celestia and Luna that I don’t have it in me to throw away my humanity just to save my old worthless hide,” Isaac joked. “But in all seriousness... I tried. Turns out I can’t after my work at the IHSA.” Bullseye and Sunny both looked blankly at Isaac. “I love you Isaac! You can’t just leave, I can’t stand to lose you a second time!” Sunny cried out. “But you won’t be losing me. Well, not entirely. That leads me to the second thing I wanted to tell you two about. I’m leaving Windchaser with you two, if you’ll accept.” They both nodded in unison. “The I think it’s time I told you the truth about him. He’s not an orphan. I didn’t adopt him. He’s... he’s my clone. He was originally my project back at the IHSA. I took him with me when I made my escape.” Sunny wiped the tears from her eyes and gave a small chuckle. “Heh, he always did remind me a bit of you when you were his age.” “Yeah. Just promise you won’t tell him a thing about it? I want to wait until he’s at least a little bit older before he finds everything out.” “You can count on us, Isaac,” Bullseye promised. “Alright, I’m going to go get him. I’ll be leaving him with you when the call for evacuation is announced. I want you to take a few things along with you, if that’s alright. Nothing too big.” Isaac walked out from the room and into the living room where the three young ponies were sound asleep. Bracket, a young grey pegasus, and Pearl, a light pink pegasus, were curled up around Windchaser. Isaac picked up the small colt, and wrapped his forehooves around his neck, so he would be hanging on Isaac’s back. Isaac walked back into the foyer, waved to Sunny and Bullseye, who were still embraced, and walked out the front door into the night. They waved, Sunny’s eyes still damp from her tears, as Isaac closed the door behind him. * “Hello? Is anyone here?” a song-like voice called from the other side of the wooden door. Isaac walked up to the door, opening it to see two unicorns standing before him. “Oh, hello. How can I help you?” Isaac asked. He didn’t usually get too many visitors, but after Twilight’s visits, he welcomed conversation. “Hello! Me and my sister just moved in down the street, and we wanted to get to know more ponies around. When we heard that a human still lived nearby, we simply had to come over and introduce ourselves!” “Well why don’t you come inside? I’ll boil some water for some tea, if you’d have some.” Isaac held the door open for the two unicorns. The one who had just been talking had a bright white coat with a icy-blue mane. She wore a bright smile as she stepped inside. The other unicorn, slightly smaller than the white mare, was a dark maroon with an orange mane. She seemed slightly more shy. They both sat on the sofa in the living room. “So, what may I get for you, Princess Celestia?” Isaac gave the white mare a smirk. She smiled gently in return. “You are simply too perceptive, Isaac Hamilton.” There were two bright flashes of light in the other room. Replacing the two unicorns, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna now both sat on his sofa. They both filled the room with a sense of peace and majesty. “Well, I do apologize, but I would have known if there was someone moving in down the street. Would you two like some sugar with your tea?” Isaac asked, pulling the boiling kettle off the stove. He poured the steaming water into three cups, tea bags in each one. “Yes, please,” the sisters replied. Isaac poured a small spoonful of sugar into each cup, mixing the grains into the drink until they vanished. Isaac brought out two cups for the alicorns, setting them on the coffee table. Celestia picked the cup up with her magic, and took a slow sip. Luna mirrored her sister. Warm smiles lit their faces. “This is delicious, Isaac. Thank you for your hospitality. I do apologize for Luna and I having been in disguise, getting out from the castle in Canterlot would have been somewhat difficult, what with... you know... so close.” Celestia’s smile began to fade, a faint frown replacing it. “We listened to Twilight’s reports,” the midnight blue alicorn said. “About you and the IHSA. We... we are so sorry you had to go through such tragedies.” Luna’s mane draped over part of her face as her gaze fell to the floor. “Indeed. No pony or human should have gone through anything like what you suffered. But... from what Twilight had told me, you gained something, did you not? May I meet him?” Celestia’s smile began to appear again, eventually reaching Isaac as well. He nodded, walking through the hallway to his son’s room. knockknock “Hey, Windchaser? I have two very special guests I’d like for you to meet.” The blue colt bounced out of his room, following his father back down the hallway to the living room. Windchaser’s eyes grew wide as soon as he saw the two alicorns smiling at him from the couch. His head began to feel light. Windchaser looked to his dad, unsure of what to think. “Yes, Windchaser, they are the Royal Alicorn Sisters. They are the ones who raised the sun and moon in Equestria. Say hello.” Windchaser finally managed to close his gaping mouth and blink the wonder from his eyes. “H-Hello, my name is Windchaser, and it’s an honor to meet you two!” “Hello, young Windchaser. I have heard many wonderful things about you from my student, Twilight Sparkle. I am Princess Celestia. It is an honor to meet you.” Celestia bowed her head to the young pegasus, who bowed in return, his wide eyed gaze not leaving the Princess. “Oh, my! He’s so cute!” Luna whispered to her sister. “Hello, Windchaser. I am Princess Luna. I echo my sister’s sentiments. It is a pleasure to meet you!” Luna gave a bright smile, much to the contrast of her coat and mane. “Windchaser, from what I have heard, you love flying. Is that correct?” Celestia asked the young pegasus. He nodded quickly with a bright smile. “Luna, would you be so kind as to show young Windchaser here a few tips for flying outside?” Celestia gave a firm gaze to her sister, who lit up with a soft smile. “Of course, sister.” Her form shimmered for a moment, before settling on a smattering of blues, yellows, and whites with a windswept mane erupting from the back of the suit. Luna looked exactly like a Wonderbolt in full costume, much to Windchaser’s joy. “Come on, Windchaser! I’m gonna teach you how to really fly!” Luna cheered, opening the front door and walking outside, the blue colt in tow. They both leaped into the air amidst a chorus of shouts and cheers. Celestia took another sip of her tea and placed it on the table. “I know how much he means to you, Isaac.” Celestia let out a soft sigh. “I wanted to apologize.” “About what, your highness?” “You know what. The Purification.” Isaac took a sip of his tea and walked over to his chair, falling backwards into the soft cushions. “I’m so sorry. But for the effects to be what we desire, it needs to be cast by the end of the week. I’ve been putting it off for as long as I can... But the deadline is here.” “So is that all you’ve come here to say?” “I didn’t want the time to come without showing you how truly sorry I am that it had to some to this point. I was truly hoping for the pollution of the world to have reversed itself by now, but that is regrettably... not the case. Even after all of the efforts we have put into trying to stop it. Radiation tainting the landscape, poisons in the water and ground, and diseases still present in the wilderness... The Purification is the only thing able to take care of it all for good. “The Purification isn’t a new idea. My advisers and scholars had come up with it several years ago, and suggested that the immediate casting of it was in the population’s best interest. But it wasn’t in mine. I oppose any needless loss of life, human or pony. I knew that humans couldn’t live in Equestria, so I had the survey Twilight told you about ordered in an effort to locate all remaining humans. Each one was approached and told of what was going to happen. I refused to have ponification forced on them. I did not want to fall to the level of the PER, especially after what happened at the IHSA and the event when you met with my sister and myself before. I offered them the choice, and let them decide. “I came to you last, since my sister and I knew there was only one outcome. I know we promised to give you as best of a life as possible... It seems like we won’t be able to keep that promise.” Isaac looked down at his tea. It had reached a cooler temperature, steam no longer rising from it. He took a sip and set the cup down on the table. “Princess, I’m sorry. I only wish I could have known what you had to go through these past years with the thought of the Purification on your mind. I’ve lived a fairly long life. Not as long as a human is able to live, but I’ve seen more heartbreak than any human should be forced to see or feel. But... I’ve also felt so much more joy and happiness... Between being able to see my sister and her husband, my niece and nephew, and my son, you have delivered on your promise. These past years have been the best of my life. I could never thank you enough for the memories I’ve been able to have.” A single tear fell from Celestia’s eye. “I’m glad that I was able to do something right for you and your son, Isaac. What will become of Windchaser after you’re gone? If you do not wish to think of such things-” “No, it’s alright. I’m going to send him to Equestria with my sister and her family. He’ll grow up with them, and I’m positive my sister will do a magnificent job of it.” Celestia smiled. “I will do everything in my power to aid him and your sister’s family after the Purification. This I truly promise. I will make sure your town here is the last to evacuate to Equestria. That way, you can spent as much time as possible with your son.” “Thank you so much, Princess. You would have made a truly wonderful human. And I could never think of entrusting the future of this world to anyone but you and your sister.” Isaac and Celestia both rose from their seats, the Princess finishing of the last bit of tea from her cup. She levitated it into the kitchen and into the sink for Isaac. Her form began to shimmer, taking on the body of the ice blue maned unicorn from before. Isaac opened the door for her, letting her trot outside into the beautiful afternoon sunlight. The pair looked up into the sky to see two blurs of blue flashing above their heads. “Windchaser! Your friend has to go now!” Isaac shouted up at the blurs, causing them to slow down and their features finally visible again. They floated down to the ground, Luna, still in her Wonderbolts disguise, landing next to her sister and Windchaser landing next to his father. Luna’s form shimmered briefly to her maroon coat again. “Goodbye, Isaac. Goodbye, Windchaser. Have a wonderful evening.” Celestia began walking down the quiet street. “Goodbye Isaac! And it was fun flying with you, Windchaser! Be sure to keep it up!” Luna called, turning and catching up with her sister. The two disappeared in a bright flash, and with that, they disappeared, leaving Isaac and Windchaser alone in the middle of the street. “Did you have fun, Windchaser?” Isaac asked as they walked back into the house. “Oh, yeah! Princess Luna was a great flier! She even said that maybe one day I could maybe join the Wonderbolts!” Windchaser cheered, his wings beating on his back from the excitement. “How about I take you to the park tomorrow for a picnic? You can fly around as much as you want! Maybe try some of those tricks you saw the Wonderbolts do?” Isaac cheerfully suggested to the already overly-excited pegasus. Upon hearing about the picnic, he almost exploded. “That would be so awesome! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! You’re the best dad ever!” Windchaser leaped up and latched onto Isaac’s chest, holding him in a big hug. Isaac was almost knocked over by the force of it, but managed to keep his balance. He wrapped his arms around his son, feeling the pounding of his heart in his chest. “You’re the best son I could have ever asked for, Windchaser.” * Isaac walked along the smooth sidewalk, a streak of blue and white speeding around above him. It wasn’t too often Windchaser got out of the house to fly, but when he did, he made it count. He was doing various different loops, dives, and corkscrews above Isaac, even before they made it to the park. “Hey, ‘Chaser! Careful up there! It’ll be better when you crash into the grass than the pavement!” Isaac shouted above, the streak of white and blue slowing down. The pegasus dropped in height to right next to his father, his small wings flapping in the cool air. “Awww, but dad...” “Ah, ah. No buts! We’re almost there. Be a little bit more patient.” Isaac fixed his grip on the small basket. Inside were small lunches for the two of them, as well as a few snacks to recharge Windchaser’s flight batteries when he would get tired. “It’s so cool the Princesses stopped by yesterday! I never really imagined that Princess Luna would be such a great flier! It’s awesome how you and Princess Celestia are friends too, daddy!” Isaac chuckled. “Well, she helped the two of us out when we needed it. I’ll tell you the whole story some day.” A sudden weight hit Isaac in the gut with the realization of what he just said. And as fast as it came, he shoo’ed it away. Today was meant to be a happy day between a father and his son. He didn’t want to think about anything else. As the pair approached the park, the late morning sun shone down on countless families playing around and walking within it. Pegasi were soaring overhead, some lounging on clouds above, others chasing each other. Windchaser eyed all of the ponies around, a look of excitement growing before shrinking away. “Hey, dad?” “Yeah?” “How come nopony else has a dad like you? Like... not a pony?” Isaac sighed. “Let’s go and find a seat and I’ll explain it to you, okay?” Isaac asked. He was nervous for when this talk would come up. Windchaser never really got out too much to see the rest of society in any meaningful sense aside from the frequent trips he went on with Sunny and Bullseye. But he has never seen another human, aside from Isaac. He’s only ever seen other ponies. After finding a particularly shady tree to sit under, Isaac set down the basket and gestured for WIndchaser to sit next to him. Isaac sighed, trying to think of what to say. He didn’t want to lie to his son, but he didn’t want to lay the whole truth on him either. “Well, Windchaser... There used to be tons of people like me around. Humans.” Windchaser watched his father with rapt attention. He had never really asked about the world in detail before the bureaus. “But they all got themselves turned into ponies, like your Aunt Sunny did. They chose to do so.” “Why didn’t you, daddy?” “Heh, I kinda can’t. But it doesn’t make me any less of your father, does it?” “But... who was my mommy? Bracket and Pearl have auntie Sunny for their mommy; who’s mine?” Shit. Isaac froze. He should have expected this one, but... how could he explain this one off? Windchaser was Isaac’s clone. He didn’t have a mother. Isaac is technically his father, but only because of the genetic similarities. He could lie, and say that his mother died when he was born, but Isaac didn’t feel comfortable with such a blatant lie to the innocent mind, especially when he would find the truth out later on in his life. “Windchaser... those were... some bad times in my life. Not you, by any means. You were the one who brought me out of it. But... if it’s okay with you, I’d prefer to not talk about it.” Windchaser shrunk from his father’s change in demeanor. “Oh... sorry, daddy. I won’t ask again.” “Don’t worry. There’ll be a day when you find out. I promise. Why don’t you go practice some of those tricks Princess Luna taught you yesterday? I’m eager to see what you can do!” “Just you watch me!” Windchaser leaped into the sky amidst a soft blur of blue and white, disappearing into the blue expanse. Isaac leaned back against the tree, closing his eyes and listening to the laughs and cheers of the families around him. Everyone out for a beautiful day in the park, enjoying the weather and each other’s company. “Heh. Can’t imagine anyone doing that thirty years ago,” Isaac murmured to himself. “What’s that? Going to the park? Tell me about it.” Isaac opened his eyes to see a mahogany brown pegasus stallion with a black mane standing next to him. “This spot taken?” “Not at all.” The pegasus sat down in the shade, tucking his legs in underneath his body. “Don’t see many people around anymore. You live around here?” “Yeah. I live on the other side of town with my son. He’s up there, practicing some tricks.” Isaac pointed to the sky, the characteristic white trail of Windchaser zipping around the other pegasi. “Huh. Who’s the mother? You didn’t...with...” “Nope. It’s a... a long story, though.” “Ah. I got a son... somewhere around here. Eh, he’ll show up.” Isaac smiled. He leaned back again, the tough bark of the tree scratching against his scalp. “I never imagined being a father was so wonderful.” “I had a few of my hiccups. Got past ‘em though. And yeah. It’s great. You got the time?” Isaac glanced at the watch on his wrist. “About 11:45.” “Shit. I gotta bolt. It was fun chatting with you. I’ll be sure to keep my eye out around here in case you come back.” The mahogany stallion flapped up to a small figure chatting with what was likely Windchaser. The other small pegasus waved him goodbye and flew off with his father. Windchaser glided down to the tree with his father. “Hey, dad! I meet this really cool pegasus! I don’t think I got his name though...” “Yeah I saw his dad down here. Nice fellow. Say, you hungry? I packed a dandelion sandwich for you, you’re favorite!” Windchaser squealed with joy and eagerly snatched the sandwich out of Isaac’s hand. He wolfed the meal down without a second thought. Isaac simply pulled out a thermos of tea and took a sip of it. “Thanks, daddy! I’m gonna try some new tricks!” Windchaser flew back up into the sky, beginning a routine he saw on one of the Wonderbolts movies he watched on SyRE’s memory banks. SyRE should be done tonight. Isaac took another sip of his tea and closed his eyes. * Isaac tucked Windchaser into his little bed in his room, and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, kiddo.” Isaac gently closed the door to the colt’s room. He was exhausted from his day at the park and fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow. Isaac slowly turned the corner into this office, his computer screen glowing a bright blue, white text dotting it along lines across. SyRE built up a redundancy overload. He essentially is too busy working through meaningless computations that loop into each other, resulting in no more processing output. Isaac closed the blue error window and looked down at his desktop. There were a couple folders littered throughout the space. One was the recordings of the interview he had with Twilight Sparkle. He dragged the audio files and dropped them into a folder labeled “LOCKED”. He didn’t want those files to be viewable until a specific time. He went through various other files from his work at the IHSA, the original gene structures Frank wanted implanted on the clones, the serum designed to activate it, and the various other research notes. He completely forgot. Windchaser was a weapon. A living weapon that he designed to presumably assassinate Princess Celestia and Princess Luna with. Frank Dunland’s twisted legacy in a way. And the only thing needed to activate the proper genes for the mutation was this simple little serum. “Some things are meant to be forgotten,” Isaac muttered to himself, as he dragged them to the trash bin on his desktop. While he wanted to preserve all of human knowledge, some of it was better to be left in the annals of history, lost for the rest of time. Isaac opened the folder SyRE prepared for him a few days ago. He clicked to open the AI salvage files, and began reading. * “Hello? Anyone in there?” Isaac called at the screen. A faint buzzing came from the speakers, followed by a hollow mechanically synthesized voice. “Starting up... Designation: Synthetic Recognition Emulator. SyRE. Software Designer: Thomas Marcus. Salvage Technician: Isaac Hamilton. Beginning recovery of banked processes... done. Scanning domicile... done. Scanning imminent area... done. Thank you for recovering me, sir. I greatly appreciate it. And it seems you managed to perfect your compression ratios for the holographic drives. Well done, sir.” “Heh, how else am I going to fit everything on these two terminals?” “Two?” the speaker buzzed. “Oh, yeah. Well, three to be exact. But one doesn’t really count. He’s just an archival AI. ‘Ask and ye shall receive’ and all that jazz. It’s for the formal history terminal. I made a full copy of you and have you both linked up in real time on another portable terminal that I’m giving to Windchaser when he leaves with my sister to Equestria. He’ll have all of the history files as well as you.” “I see.” “What? It’s not like you can’t survive in Equestria. Why should I keep you from... um... ‘living’ on?” “I understand.” “I left you some instructions concerning a particular folder in your archives. Do NOT let him know about it until he’s ready. I’ll leave when that is up to your discretion.” The speakers did not respond immediately. “I understand.” Isaac stood up from his desk chair and stretched his arms. “I think I’m going to go grab a bite to eat, then get some sleep. Working eighteen hours straight to save your cybernetic ass really took it out of me, SyRE.” “I believe you deserve it, sir.” “Everything else seems to be in order,” Isaac said, looking around his office at the various pieces of equipment strewn about. “Can you start importing the archives into two solar panel fitted laptops? There should be two somewhere around here.” “Yes, they are right over in the closet. Can you please set them on your desk, sir? It will make the process work faster.” Isaac looked through his cluttered closet, pulling the two computers out from the pile of loose equipment. He placed both on the desk just like SyRE asked and opened each one. Their screens winked to life, a progress bar appearing on both. After uploading the new compression ratio for the holographic drives, SyRE began uploading copies of the archives onto each one. With a smile, Isaac walked out from his office and stepped into his room. He fell onto his bed and closed his eyes. Before he fell asleep, a single thought wiggled its way through his head. 2 more days. * There was a quick knocking at the library door. Twilight Sparkle kept her nose buried in her book. “Midnight! Go get the door!” The black unicorn sighed, closing his book. “Fine,” he sighed. He walked down the stairs of the Ponyville library to the front door, his prismatic mane and tail following in his wake. With a simple flash of his horn, the door gently opened. “Delivery for a ‘Twilight Sparkle’,” the mailpony announced. He looked up from his clipboard, noting Midnight. “Uh...” “Don’t worry, she’s here. I’ll sign for her.” Midnight gripped the pen in the air, gently signing the form and accepting the small package. The mailpony bid Midnight Shadow goodbye, flying back into the sky. “TWILIGHT! MAIL!” “DON’T SHOUT! I’M COMING!” Twilight clopped down the staircase into the main room of the library, her eyes settling on the package Midnight held in the air. “Honestly, Midnight. You’re a worse assistant than Spike was.” “Hey! I’m not your assistant! I’m Princess Luna’s prized student, as much as you are Princess Celestia’s. So...” Midnight looked at the package and set it on the table. “Any idea what this is? I didn’t know that the mail service was still running this close to the Purification.” “I think I just might...” Twilight carefully opened the package, levitating handfuls of the soft packing insulation onto the table in a small heap. Twilight recognized it, almost barely. The top of it had been covered in glossy black sheets. But the rest of it looked like a computer humans used back on Earth. She cracked the lid open, and with a flash of light, the screen inside came to life. The screen faded to black, but a familiar face to Twilight popped up. Hello Twilight. I hope this makes it to you in good condition, not busted or broken, or anything like that. Well, here you go. What I promised you. Now it may not look like much, this computer. But I assure you, it will be well worth your trouble to keep it close to you and working for as long as you live. “Who’s-” “Shh!” Inside this computer is everything. All human knowledge. Every written document, every discovery, every historical moment, every movie, musical, television show, everything. This is my gift to you and your people: the legacy of the human race. Please don’t let any of it fade away, only to be forgotten. The computer itself is solar powered, so as long as it gets enough sunlight, the battery should never fail. I’ve also loaded it with a simple artificial intelligence, able to pull up any document or file you ask of it. Well, that’s about it. I wish the best for you and your peop- ponies. I hope the Purification works to perfection, and you heal the Earth. This is Isaac Hamilton, signing off. I always wanted to say that... The video of Isaac winked out. Twilight didn’t know what to think at the moment. Before her sat the gathered wealth of knowledge of an entire species who had technologically advanced leaps and bounds before her own. But more importantly, the last of that species had entrusted her with it. She didn’t know whether to be happy, cry, or anything. “That’s the guy you were chatting with back in America? And did he really mean it when he said he put everything on here?!” Midnight started at the small computer, his mouth agape. “So that’s what he meant...” Twilight closed the computer and placed it gently back into the box. “Come on, Midnight. We have to finish up here and be in Canterlot tonight. We have to be ready for tomorrow.” * “Isaac? Isaac? Are you there?” a muffled voice called into the house. It was very early in the morning, yet the town was alive with commotion. “Yeah, yeah, one sec.” Isaac wiped the sleep from his eyes and stumbled over to the door. He had been trying to get some sort of rest before the sun rose, but even that eluded him with all of the noise from outside. Swinging open the door, Isaac saw Bullseye, Sunny Days, and their twins standing outside, their saddlebags filled with what possessions they could gather. “Is he ready?” the brown stallion asked, his eyes betraying his will to hide his sorrow. “Yeah, I’ll go get him.” Isaac regained his composure, his mind jolted back to action. He walked slowly through the living room, the same room he played with his son for countless hours on end. He would lay on his back, gently tossing the young colt into the air, the two of them giggling madly the whole time. They would sit, curled up with each other, watching some of the most amazing pieces of human cinema and television during the late nights that he was working and his son couldn’t sleep. SyRE would turn the television off once he detected the two had finally fallen asleep, the blue colt sleeping soundly on Isaac’s chest. Isaac stared longingly at the living room, and turned his gaze to the kitchen, where he and Windchaser had held some of their own experiment sessions in how to cook for the two of them, but most of the time it would just devolve into one starting a food fight with the other. Isaac tried to stifle a chuckle, but instead felt tears beginning to fall down his cheeks, onto the floor beneath him. He tore himself away from looking at the kitchen, and began making his way down the straight hallway towards the other rooms of the small house. His steps paused at the door to his office as he looked in. The computer screen was turned off for once after so many years. Many nights he would sit at that same chair, staring at the screen, tapping away at his keyboard for hours on end. Occasionally, Windchaser would just sit next to him, watching his father at work, not knowing in the slightest what he was doing. More often than not, Isaac would have to carry his small form from the office to his room and tuck him in after he had fallen asleep. Isaac continued down the hall, all of the memories of his many years here washing over him. He looked into his own disheveled room, the bed he was tossing and turning in not five minutes before. Whenever Windchaser would be kept awake by nightmares, Isaac would have him snuggle into bed next to him, constantly reassuring his son that he was safe, and that nothing would separate the two of them. Looks like a promise I won’t be able to keep. Isaac finally stepped up to the last room in the house, guarded by a single closed door, adorned with pictures he and Windchaser had either taken with a camera or drawn together. There was one that stood out to him: a picture of the two of them, taken back at the house he had ran off to after fleeing the IHSA. From looking at the size of the colt, and the color of his own hair, Isaac figured Windchaser was about four in that picture. Isaac was on both knees, his hands up against the door, holding himself up. Tears were freely cascading from his tightly shut eyes, his chest tight, his heart aching. He gritted his teeth, trying his hardest not to scream out from what he was feeling. His hands finally fell free from the door, slamming into the plush carpet beneath him with a dull thumph. He buried his face in the palms of his hands, rocking back and forth on his knees. “Daddy? Are you okay?” a soft voice called from above Isaac. He quickly wiped the tears from his face, an attempt to keep up the strong figure he had held for Windchaser for so long. But no matter how hard he tried, his voice was still shaking. Windchaser stood before Isaac, his mane a slight mess. “Hey, sport. I was about to wake you up. Auntie Sunny is waiting.” Isaac tried to stand up, his joints reluctantly following him. He felt his knees begin to shake beneath him, holding himself up against the wall beside him. “Oh boy!” Windchaser cheered, before letting it fall into a long yawn. “Is she taking me camping again?” “I’ll tell you in a minute. Come with me.” The duo walked along the hall, past all of the rooms that Isaac had reflected upon seeing on his way back, without a second glance. “Hi Auntie Sunny!” Windchaser cheered, bouncing over and hugging his aunt’s leg. She placed a hoof around his neck, holding him against her, tightly. She looked up at Isaac, who was standing in the doorway, with tear-filled eyes. “We’ve got to get down to the town hall, we don’t want to miss the evac!” Bullseye growled. “Daddy? What’s Uncle Bullseye saying?” the blue colt asked, looking back at Isaac. He walked out from the doorway, and out onto the sidewalk. He knelt down onto his knees, reaching eye level with his son. Isaac looked at his son’s eyes. They were a brilliant emerald green, shining brightly even in the dark hours of the morning. They were the eyes of an innocent soul. They were the eyes of a child, and an endlessly curious one at that. They were the eyes of his son. They were the eyes of his family, whom Isaac had once thought lost to him. They were the eyes of those who sought happiness in such a dark and dreary world. They were the eyes of those who would deliver humanity from their sins. And they were the eyes of Isaac Hamilton, staring back at himself. “I… I have to go somewhere,” Isaac began, his voice shaking even more so than before. “Where are you going, daddy? Can I come?” “Sorry, sport. This time I gotta do it on my own. I’m going away for a long time.” “When are you gonna come back?” “I… I don’t think I will.” “Daddy, why are you crying?” Isaac brushed his fingers along his cheek. He was indeed crying once again. “Well would you look at that. Well, son, it’s because I love you so much. So very, very much. And I’m gonna miss you even more. But you gotta go with your aunt and uncle now.” Windchaser’s eyes began to turn from confusion to panic. “Wait! Why do I have to go now?! I don’t wanna go! I want to stay with you, daddy! Daddy! DADDY!!” Windchaser screamed as Bullseye pulled him away. Windchaser was kicking and screaming, tears falling freely from his own eyes too. “DADDY! I DON’T WANNA GO!! DADDY!!” The screams began to disappear as Bullseye kept hauling the colt down the street, and the more Windchaser screamed, the faster he used up the little energy he had. Soon he would simply pass out, his efforts putting too much strain on a tired body. “Isaac, I don’t think I can love him nearly as much as you do, but Celestia help me if I don’t try. I promise you he will have a wonderful life.” Sunny trotted up to the slumped over form of her brother. He rose up, and threw himself over her shoulders, burying his face into her bright blond mane. “Just make him happy. That’s all I ask. Make him happy and give him the life we never could have ourselves.” “You say that like you don’t trust me,” Sunny chuckled, wiping the rapidly forming tears of her own. “Of course not. I trust you and Bullseye with every fiber of my being.” “I’m… I’m gonna miss you, big brother. I really will.” “You got me kicking and screaming over there! But I’ll miss you too, Erika. I’ll miss all of you. Now you better get going. You don’t wanna miss the teleport, Bullseye will have an earful for you if you don’t get moving.” Sunny Days stepped back, and began flapping her wings, rising higher and higher in the air. “Goodbye Isaac! I’ll miss you!” Isaac looked up at the mare, already flying in the direction his brother-in-law went. Waving his hand, he shouted back to her. “Goodbye sis!” Looking back down at the concrete beneath him, Isaac rose to his feet and walked back inside, fresh tears forming in his eyes. * Isaac looked down over the valley below from his perch high on top of a nearby mountain. The empty town sitting amongst the endless sea of trees gave no signs of life. The residents had just finished evacuating a few hours ago; Isaac watched the last of them leaving through his pair of binoculars. “Sir, are you sure you are okay with this?” “As I’ll ever be, SyRE. If I gotta see the end of my days, I want to have a good view.” Isaac sat back in his folding chair and opened his thermos of raspberry tea. He poured a cupful of the sweet smelling drink into the cap and took a long sip. He had been feeling nervous all day, after all. He had driven up the mountain to the old abandoned campground at the summit in the same pick-up truck he and Will had taken all those years ago to the IHSA along with a portable terminal so SyRE could accompany him. “Sure is a beautiful afternoon.” “I will have you know that Windchaser and your sister’s family have made it to the Equestrian border. Theirs was the last group to arrive, and the shield was raised to full power before I was cut off. It should be starting soon,” the speaker chirped. Isaac leaned in his chair onto the back two legs. A warm breeze blew across his body, tingling his leathery old skin. His chair fell back down to the dirt and he bounced up and walked over to the rail that kept everyone away from the cliff-face. “Sir, are you afraid of dying?” Isaac looked at the computer for a moment. He scratched his head. “That’s a pretty deep question, wouldn’t you say so?” “Yes it is. But you still haven’t answered the question.” Isaac laughed as he walked back to his chair. “Well, I suppose I kind of am. Afraid. I mean, who isn’t? It’s the last frontier for mankind to explore, a land that once you venture to, you can never return to tell your brethren what you’ve discovered. It’s the ultimate mystery. But, when I think about it, there have been so many people who’ve already gone forth with it. It’s... humbling, I suppose. I will be the last human to make this journey.” Isaac closed his eyes, relaxing in his chair. The weight of the thermos pressed down on his lap. He took deep breaths, his heart racing. Faster than it ever had before. He was excited, but he was still scared. Scared of the unknown, scared of what will become of his body and his mind. And he was sad. He was never going to be able to see his son ever again. His heart was going to be crushed once he found out. Isaac felt a gentle rumbling in the soles of his feet. He opened his eyes and pushed himself to his feet. He walked over to the railing by the cliff, staring out across the land. “Ah! There it is!” Isaac yelled. On the far horizon, a bright green flash colored the sky for a few moments. The sky faded back into its blue hue, but closer on the horizon, the pale green was growing in intensity. The ground below Isaac’s feet began to rumble, the wind began to blow harder, carrying the smells of fresh cut flowers and the various smells of spring. It was something the entire world was feeling. He could see it now. It was a massive wall of green light, sweeping across the landscape, coating everything in its path with its touch. Isaac looked out through the binoculars that hung around his neck, watching as the countryside was swallowed up by the wall. He tried to see past the glow to the lands behind the wall, but the light was too bright to make out any discernible detail. “Hey, SyRE. You got it sent, didn’t you?” Isaac said to the computer, without taking his eyes away from the light. “Yes, Isaac, it finished uploading just before the shield was closed.” “Excellent.” Isaac started to look back through his binoculars, but froze. “Hey, wait. You just called me Isaac.” “Yes, Isaac, I did. After all, there is a first time for everything.” Isaac gave a hearty chuckle at the AI that helped him through so much. The wall of green was now washing over the town at the base of the valley now, flooding the area like a great tidal wave. It was only a matter of moments before he would be taken as well. “To Mankind!” Isaac cheered, lifting his fist up towards the green light, a brilliant smile lighting up his face. Isaac took a great breath as the wall of magical energy washed over the campsite. Isaac could feel the energies nipping at his skin, his mind, and his soul. He looked at his hands, slowly dissolving into a loose cloud of shining mist that faded into the energies surrounding him. It didn’t hurt, he thought, but rather it felt good. He felt the grip of age fading away from him, he felt the years of sadness and regret being washed from his mind into the ocean of energy surrounding him. His body was now afloat within the swirling green mass, his legs having already vanished from sight. There was no blood, no pain, no feeling of loss. He felt like he was finally going home. He was joining with everything, and it just felt right. His torso was now starting to fade now. Isaac still felt his lungs and took a deep breath, filling what was left of his chest with the swirling green mist. What he smelled, what he tasted, what he felt was positively beyond definition. He smelled the greatest and most beautiful scents that nature had to offer, and tasted the sweetest and most delicious of flavors he could ever have imagined. Everything was beautiful, serene, and just so complete. Every sense of his was being overwhelmed with pleasure and joy, and they were overcome even more so when he felt more of himself joining with the maelstrom swirling around him. As the last parts of his body dissolved, he let out his breath in a great bellowing laugh. The most joyous, triumphant, and happiest laugh he had ever given as tears began to fall from his eyes. They too began to fade, as his head and face vanished in a flash of green. Even after the last parts of him faded from sight, he was not yet gone from the world. His laugh echoed throughout the empty valleys, across the barren plains and deserts, across the vast oceans until every corner of the Earth had felt his joy. As it circled the world, it finally converged on the great nation of Equestria. Ponies were hunkered down in camps, cities, and towns all over the giant island nation. The sky above them was glowing an eerie green, eyes turned skyward to the Purification. Everything underneath the shield was silent aside from the sounds of nature spread out across the verdant lands. The breeze rustling the leaves, the rivers splashing against their banks. Colts and fillies clung to their parents, as nervous and unsure about what was going on as their parents. But as they stared at the sky in wonder, something began to make itself heard within every gathering of ponies. It was a faint laugh. Everypony heard it, everypony felt it. Pure, infectious joy. As it spread through the crowds, frowns turned to smiles, smiles turned into laughs, which in turn grew into cheers and celebrations. The roars of joy and celebration echoed throughout Equestria. Even in the great bastion of Canterlot, the Royal Pony Sisters succumbed to the infectious joy. They embraced each other, laughing and cheering along with the rest of the world. Celestia looked out towards the brilliant green sky, shedding a tear for the loss of the bravest man she ever knew. But in the all the commotion, nopony seemed to notice a single young pegasus curled up in a corner. His face was buried in his hooves, hiding the mournful sobs of his loss from the world around him. He had lost the one person who had ever cared for him, not out of obligation or being forced to do so, but out of his own heart. The pegasus felt as if a part of him had been ripped away and was left for dead. What made it worse was that nopony seemed to notice or care. His aunt and uncle were cheering along with the rest of crowds, for reasons that he couldn’t seem to fathom. Even his cousins Pearl and Bracket were laughing too. He was all alone now. His father had been the whole world to him, guiding him since he was born. Why did his dad leave? Was he a bad son? How could he hope to live on now? The sobs grew into full wracking cries, shaking the young pegasus with each wail. But as hard as the pegasus tried, he was drowned out beneath the cheers and celebration. As he ran out of breath and tears, Windchaser slumped in the corner, unable to find the energy to cry or even move anymore. He sat there, staring out through hazy eyes to an uncaring world. He closed his eyes, begging the darkness to take him and relieve him of his misery. But in the din of the celebrations, his ears picked something out. When it finally reached him, it wasn’t in the form of a laugh or a cheer. Windchaser felt someone rustle his mane, and a whisper in his ear. “Make me proud, son, and live on for the two of us.” ~Fin~
Windchaser	1161	7	Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	The Conversion Bureau: Last Man Standing	What is there that is left for a human in a world full of ponies?	complete	458	44	<p>In the many years after the Conversion Bureaus' shutdown, Twilight Sparkle is tasked by the Princesses with finding the last living human on Earth, Isaac Hamilton, and learning the story of his past. What she hears is a tale of loss, tragedy, joy, and the discovery of one's place in the world. But how much longer would that place last with what Twilight has to tell him?</p>	teen	2011-10-18T04:45:10+00:00	2011-10-18T04:45:10+00:00	18,040	~ 10 Months AP (After Purification) ~ The first rays of sunlight began to bathe the valley, the chill in the air finally beginning to dissipate from the cold night before. Though the day had barely started, the Pegasus Weather Squad was already hard at work, prepping the skies for the day’s forecast. Sunny with passing clouds, giving way to a clear sky later that evening. While they tirelessly worked, the town below slowly began to rise from its slumber. The few stores had begun to open for the day, workers continued their work on the many houses and buildings yet to be constructed, and colts and fillies began their morning by getting ready for school. A shrill beeping resounded in one of the houses, sending a pegasus colt tumbling out of bed in a tangle of his own sheets onto the floor. He wiggled his head free and glared at the black box resting on his window sill. “Turn it off!” “Of course, sir,” the box responded. The ringing ceased its assault on the colt’s ears. Falling back into the bundle of sheets, he began to feel the sweet, sweet grip of sleep begin to take him again. “Sir, if you don’t get ready for school, your aunt will send Pearl and Bracket in to finish my job for me.” The blue pegasus’ eyes snapped open in panic. “Alright, alright, I’m up, I’m up!” Windchaser said as he wiggled his way free from the sheets. He stretched his forehooves and wings out, hearing the groans and cracks of his joints waking up along with him. He never liked mornings. Not one bit. He yawned and smacked his lips as he looked out the window from his room. The sun was hanging lazily above the horizon, the glare blinding his still half-lidded eyes. Bringing his hoof to his eyes to shield them from the sunlight, he turned and trotted to his door and down the upstairs hall to the bathroom to take a quick and soothing shower to wake him up. After he felt clean enough, he toweled himself off the best he could, shaking the rest of the moisture off by whipping his head around. He rose up to the sink and took a mouthful of the oppressively minty mouthwash and swished it around in his mouth. He looked at his own reflection while he was busy with the mouthwash. His white mane was frizzy from the shower still, but still reflected the light from the window impressively enough. His sky blue coat was smooth all across his body. He flicked his white tail, whipping the last of the water across the bathroom wall. He smiled to himself sheepishly and spit out the mouthwash, whispering “Sorry...” Trotting back into his own room clean and refreshed, Windchaser began tucking his books into his saddlebags. “Hey SyRE, what time is it?” “About 8:23. Homeroom starts in seventeen minutes, sir,” the computer responded. Windchaser nodded and tossed his bags onto his back. He slowly and calmly walked from his room downstairs to the kitchen, where his family sat waiting for breakfast. “Morning, Windchaser!” Pearl and Bracket echoed simultaneously. The pink and grey pegasus twins somehow manage to coordinate all of their speech and actions with each other, creeping Windchaser out a little bit. They were a few years younger than him, and they were just barely getting the hang of flying. “Good morning, Pearl, good morning, Bracket. Aunt Sunny, what’s for breakfast?” Windchaser asked, feeling his stomach grumble. The yellow pegasus at the counter picked up a plate in her mouth and carried it over to the kitchen table, setting it down gently. “Good morning, Windchaser. I’ve got some cinnamon toast here for everypony. Dig in!” The plate was stacked high with slices of toast, each glistening with a layer of sugar and cinnamon with a light coat of butter underneath. The twins both grabbed one each, nibbling on the corners. Windchaser’s uncle, Bullseye, grabbed a pair of slices and placed them on his plate. He leafed through the newspaper as he began chewing on one of his slices. “Looks like the new district should be done by the end of the week, honey. I think I heard that we’re getting a good amount of ponies moving in here when it’s done.” Sunny Days smiled at her husband and kissed him on his cheek. “Oh, good! It’ll be nice seeing more faces in town. It was wonderful of the Princesses to get us this house here in the first wave of construction, but the town was so empty aside from all the workers. I still can’t believe they wanted to build us a mansion of all things!” Bullseye chuckled. “Yeah.” Switching his attention, Bullseye looked over to the blue pegasus, who was finishing his last slice of toast. “Say, shouldn’t you be on your way to school, young colt?” Bullseye said as he patted Windchaser’s back. His wings flared up in surprise at the impact, making him almost choke on his toast. Fighting down his coughs, Windchaser put on a smile. “I was just about to head out!” Without giving any time for his aunt or uncle to say another word, he was out the door and in the sky. “I swear. That colt is too much sometimes.” Sunny took a seat at the table, starting on the last slice of toast herself. “He sure has changed in the last year. I thought he’d never get over what happened...” Bullseye said, solemnly. “But he has. And I couldn’t be happier to see him smile again,” Sunny said as a speck of light reflected off the tear forming in her eye. She wiped it away with her hoof and took another bite of her toast. * Windchaser glided over the town as it was still waking up. He could see more and more colts and fillies slowly making their way towards the single school in the town as he flew, even recognizing a few of them. At first, Windchaser really didn’t like school, which seemed to be a common feeling among his classmates. All the boring homework and assignments never interested him in the slightest. During recess, he would often fly up, find a nice cloud, and take a short nap since all the ones he tried to take in class would get interrupted by the teacher. One day a few months back, he saw a unicorn he recognized from his class getting harassed by some of the bullies from the grade above them. He swooped down to help the colt, but instead got his flank handed to him by the bullies. The unicorn attempted to help Windchaser out, but was left with a few bruises and some cuts on his legs as a result. Rising to his hooves, the unicorn shook the dust from his coat and began chuckling. “That was fun!” “Huh?” Windchaser stretched out his wings, checking to see if any of his feathers got torn out during the scuffle. They were ruffled, but all still accounted for. “Yeah, I suppose it was kinda fun.” The red unicorn laughed and held out his hoof. “The name’s Nova. Next time, you should come in from above and take one of them by surprise, instead of going in from the front. Make it more of an even fight instead of being outnumbered,” Nova suggested. “Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Oh, I’m Windchaser by the way.” Nova was Windchaser’s first friend from school. They got together every few days after school, playing around and wrestling with each other, as well as figuring out creative ways to get back at the bullies that bothered them so much. “Maybe I can make their lunches explode while they’re trying to eat them!” Nova said, his eyes lighting up in glee. “How in Equestria would you do that?” Windchaser asked, puzzled. Nova’s brow dropped as he held a hoof towards his horn. “Duh.” Windchaser brought a hoof to his forehead and sighed. “Right.” Windchaser snapped back to reality, feeling the wind beneath his wings again. He scanned the small crowd of fillies and colts as he slowly descended, keeping his eyes out for Nova. Suddenly, Windchaser felt himself get pushed forward into the dirt from the air. He was quickly back on his hooves, and whirled his head left and right, his eyes looking for the faintest hint of red or orange in the group of ponies staring at him. “Hya!” a voice called out from behind him. He beat his wings once, pushing himself forward a few feet as he heard the body crash into the dirt where he had just been standing. Windchaser turned around to see a red unicorn picking himself up from the ground. “Maybe I should be quieter from now on,” Nova murmured as he walked up alongside the pegasus. Some of the ponies were still staring at the two of them, wondering what had just transpired. “I could hear your hoofsteps even before you tried to tackle me,” Windchaser said, poking Nova’s belly with his hoof. “H-Hey! I’ve been working with my dad with the construction! I’ve been losing weight!” Nova replied, defensively. “Don’t listen to that featherbrain, Nova. You look just fine.” “Oh, hey North Star. Thanks.” The dark blue unicorn trotted up between the two colts and glared at Windchaser. “You should stop teasing Nova so much, Chaser. Who knows... one day you might be so chubby you couldn’t fly anymore,” North Star joked. Windchaser gulped nervously. He and Nova met North Star a few weeks after the two of them finally got back at the bullies during lunch time. Nova’s spell worked perfectly, sending chunks of sandwich all over the lunchroom, drawing the laughs of everypony around. Unfortunately, the principal had seen Nova casting his spell, so they were both punished immediately when Windchaser tried to shift the blame for the idea on himself. They were both sentenced to two weeks of detention each, to stay inside during recess. During their last day of detention, a unicorn was sharing the room with them. She had been trying to protect another filly from the same bullies that had been harassing Nova and Windchaser before they got their revenge. North Star had ended up hurting one of them pretty bad with an overpowered spell, earning her detention along with the two colts already there. Windchaser and Nova promised to keep an eye on the bullies while North Star was in detention, making sure none of the younger ponies got hurt or harassed by them. Needless to say, they ended up in detention for another two week period the very next day. The trio finally arrived at their classroom, each taking their respective seats. North Star sat behind Windchaser, and Nova sat next to her. They were roughly situated in the middle of the room among the rest of the desks. As the final colt took his seat, the teacher finally walked in through the door. “Good morning, class!” she sang. Her students either had their eyes closed and trying to sleep, or were talking amongst themselves. “AHEM!” she said, clearing her throat loud enough to quiet the rest of the class. “I said ‘good morning’, and what do you say back to somepony when they say that to you? Hm?” The class collectively groaned and responded in a staggered unison: “Good morning, Mrs. Feather.” “That’s better!” the lavender mare said with satisfaction. “Well, class, today we are getting a new teacher for the school! He’s going to be teaching your science and history classes from this point on. You can come in now, Mr. Quill!” Windchaser looked towards the door to see a dark green earth pony trot into the room. His mane was a pitch black, and was somewhat disheveled despite evidence of combing in parts of it. He placed his saddlebags beside the desk. “Good mornin’, class. My name’s Inked Quill, an’ I’ll be teaching you lot science an’ human history.” His voice had a bit of an accent to it, drawing giggles from North Star. “Your voice sounds funny!” she managed to say. Mr. Quill smiled as he looked towards the filly. “An’ you have a funny voice yourself, missy.” It seemed like he was about to say something more as his mouth hung open, but he slowly closed it and shook his head briefly. His eyes jumped from North Star to Nova, then to Windchaser. “Nah...” he whispered to himself, before beginning his lecture. “That was weird!” Nova whispered to both Windchaser and North Star. The two nodded in unison. Windchaser sat in his chair and listened to Mr. Quill begin talking about Human History. “About thirty years ago, this planet was filled not with ponies, but with big monkey men.” The class giggled from the remark. “Oy! I was one of those ‘monkey men’ once. An’ so were most of your parents. Anyway, before the Princesses brought Equestria to Earth, it was a much different place back then.” * “Oy, uh,” Mr. Quill paused as he checked the roster on his desk. “Windchaser! Can you see me before you leave? I’d like to ask you something.” Windchaser looked to his two friends as they were leaving. “Oh, uh, my parents wanted me home right after school anyway, Chaser. Gotta help my dad with some more construction! Bye!” Nova said before dashing off down the hallway. “I’ll see you later Windchaser. I don’t think you did anything today to get another detention, so it’s probably nothing. Take care!” North Star trotted off down the hall in Nova’s wake. Windchaser watched as she walked out from the doors, barely catching himself from eyeing his friend. “Ahem.” Mr. Quill stood at his desk, stuffing papers and books into his saddlebags as the pegasus walked to the desk. “Am I in trouble?” he asked. “Oh. Oh, no, nothing like that! I just wanted to ask you a quick question.” Mr. Quill paused for a second as he dropped his gaze to the floor. Picking it up again, he asked, “what’s your dad’s name?” Mr. Quill asked with a hint of nervousness. Windchaser felt it in his throat. He felt it in his eyes, in his head, in his heart. He had no idea why somepony would ask about his dad, let alone his new teacher. He was having such a great day, and now it all came crashing down at this simple question. “My... dad... h-his name was Isaac.” Windchaser was struggling to hold his composure, keeping his tears firmly behind his eyes. “You’re...! So Isaac made it out okay! Haha! Well I’ll be damned! It’s, me! Quincy! Isaac’s old friend! I knew you and your dad when you were still a foal!” Windchaser stared at the earth pony in confusion. “Did... did he not mention me? At all?” the pegasus shook his head. “Nothing about me or Will or Roxy?” Another shake of his head. “Alright. Well where is that bloke, nowadays? I haven’t seen him in years!” Windchaser dreaded this. he was hoping so hard that Mr. Quill- Quincy- wouldn’t ask this. Mustering up every mote of courage he held Windchaser steadied his voice. “He’s gone. H-He stayed b-behind during t-t-the P-Purification.” “What?! Why in the hell... Oh... Oh damn...” Quincy stopped himself as soon as he saw the colt physically trembling in place, his eyes firmly locked on the floor. “I-I’m so sorry, Windchaser. I didn’t mean to bring something this painful. Why don’t you get going. I shouldn’t have brought this up. I’m so terribly sorry.” “I... I need to go.” Windchaser turned towards the door. He was losing the fight against the tears, and he didn’t want to break down in front of his new teacher, let alone a friend of his father. “Do you think someday you can tell me about him? About Isaac? Everything you can remember? I’d like to know how he did. If it’s okay with you.” Quincy looked at the poor pegasus, who stood in the doorway. Windchaser galloped down the hallway before he could respond, leaving Quincy in the classroom by himself. He cursed to himself and tossed his bags on his back. “You just had to fucking do that, didn’t ya, Quincy? Gah. The poor kid probably hates me now. I gotta go make this right.” * Windchaser flew as fast as he could through the skies above town, hoping that nopony could see or hear him as he sped overhead. He was crying again. Crying harder than he had in months. He could have sworn he had gotten over this in the past. He had finally gotten over the death of his father, and now somepony comes in and reminds him all about it! The colt breached the town’s border and flew further out along the forest. The massive sea of green stretched out in all directions around him. It was so unlike the forest he lived by when he was very young, living with just his dad and SyRE... the forest there was dark and scary. When he would sleep at night he could sometimes hear howls of the monsters who lived in the forest. He would snuggle closer to his dad for protection, who was always there to provide it for him. “Dammit!” the colt screamed. He could feel his wings starting to cramp up, but through the blur the tears created in his eyes, he could make out his destination: a singular mountain rising above the sea of trees around it. There were trees up the back of the mountain, but the side facing Windchaser was a shear cliff of grey rock. On top of the mountain, there was a small grassy field, the forest staying clear and ending a short way before the peak. Except for one tree. A few weeks after the Purification, Windchaser had been incessantly pleading SyRE for where his dad was before he died. Eventually, SyRE gave him the coordinates where Isaac was to aid in his emotional recovery. The coordinates led him to the top of the very mountain just outside of his new town. Windchaser dropped to his hooves on the soft grass on the peak, and fell further onto the ground. His chest was tight from the exertion, sweat trickled down from his mane onto the grass. After taking a few more moments to catch his breath, he dropped his saddlebags onto the grass and walked up next to the lone tree rooted on the summit. “Hey, dad.” When Windchaser had finally reached the mountain for the first time, he saw this exact scene: a singular oak tree standing on the very top of the mountain that his dad died on when the world was cured and rejuvenated. Windchaser was absolutely convinced that his dad, somehow, was that tree. It rose at least a hundred feet from the peak, reaching towards the clouds above. “I... needed to see you again. I met somepony today, who said he knew you. He said his name was Quincy. He’s my new teacher at school. He asked me about you. I...” Windchaser began choking on his words. He sidled up next to the tree and sat down on the cool grass in the oak tree’s shadow and rested the side of his head against the bark. “I miss you so much, dad. “I was finally getting better, too! I wasn’t crying every night like I used to, I didn’t need to come here every day just to get by without breaking down. I mean, I love coming here to see you!” the colt said, hastily. “Don’t get the wrong idea, I love seeing you! It was... just bad that I needed to see you every day to get by. I... I’m just glad I’ve had you to talk to all this time, whether you can hear me or not.” Windchaser sat next to the oak tree in silence. “Nova and I finally convinced the teachers the other day to give those bullies detention after they saw them hurting a filly! North Star didn’t like letting the filly get hurt, but she was able to help heal some of her scratches with her magic after the bullies were taken to the Principal's office. It only took us a few months, but we got them!” Windchaser laughed as he thought of his two friends... but mostly about North Star. “I... I wish you could help me out, dad... I think I like my friend, North Star. Like... i like her like her. She’s really pretty, she’s nice, and we get along... well, pretty well. She likes to make fun of me a bunch though... but I make fun of her too!” Windchaser broke into a silly grin thinking about her. “I remember seeing in some of those movies you and I watched about how human kids had crushes on each other... I wonder if it’s the same for ponies... I’ll have to ask Uncle Bullseye! He’d know!” Windchaser's spirits lifted more. He smiled and rested his head against the tree for a while, watching the clouds tenuously chug past. After a while, the clouds began taking on a yellower hue as the sun began to approach the horizon. Windchaser rose to his hooves and stretched his limbs and wings out. He was well rested enough to make it back home without any breaks, and it was starting to get dark. Aunt Sunny would start getting worried if he didn’t leave for home soon. “I’m gonna get going, dad. I think I’m feeling a bit better, now that I got to talk to you again.” Pausing for a second, he continued, “and I think I'll talk to Quincy about what we did. Well, as much as I can remember, at least. He sure seems nice enough, even with his funny accent!” Windchaser walked back to where he collapsed when he arrived and picked up his saddlebags, setting them in place. With a few beats of his wings, he rose in the air and hovered over the ledge of the cliff. “Thanks for listening, dad. I’ll come back soon to see you again, I promise!” Windchaser smiled and tossed himself off the cliff. He felt the rushing of wind through his mane and tail as he hurtled down the cliff face, watching the trees rushing ever closer to meet him at full speed. At the last minute, he unfurled his wings, catching the speeding wind under them and rising up just above the canopy at an amazing speed. He steadily rose higher and higher above the trees and looked back at the mountain. A gust of wind must have been blowing, because it looked like the oak tree was waving all of it’s branches at him as he left. * Windchaser gently glided down to the front of his family’s house right as the sun was setting. The orange rays of the sun made his mane look a lot like Nova’s, making Windchaser chuckle a bit. He walked to the front door and nudged it open with his head, entering his house. Not a single light was on, giving the room a spooky darkness amidst the twilight. “Hello? Anypony here?” “SURPRISE!!” Windchaser was knocked to his rump from the sudden assault of light, color, nose, and not to mention the two winged bullets that crashed into his chest, knocking him back onto his rump. “Happy birthday, Windchaser!” Pearl said. “Happy birthday, Windchaser!” Bracket said. “Wha- What’s going on?!” Windchaser muttered. He rose to his hooves, looking around at all the ponies gathered in the living room, all wearing party hats. He recognized them all as his classmates from school, and they were all smiling at him for the first time he could remember. “Duh! It’s your birthday!” Nova said from behind him. Windchaser turned around to see his red friend wearing one of the hats himself. “Dude, you forgot it was your birthday?” Windchaser brought his hoof up to his forehead so hard that it almost hurt. “I... guess I did?” he responded with a sheepish grin on his face. “Happy birthday, Windchaser! I invited all of your friends for your birthday party! You’re sixteen today! You need to have an awesome birthday party when you’re sixteen!” Sunny said, wrapping her neck around the colt in an embrace. “But... but I-” “And where have you been? We were expecting you home an hour ago!" Sunny brought her head back with her brow furrowed in worry. "Oh, no matter! You’re here, everypony else is here, let’s have a good time! I have a cake to finish!” Windchaser’s aunt rushed back into the kitchen, almost knocking over a stack of pots and pans on the counter. “This... was a surprise.” Windchaser said to himself. “Well, isn’t that the general idea?” North Star trotted up behind Windchaser, smiling. “My birthday was a few weeks ago, but my parents didn’t do anything like this for me! I’m pretty jealous,” she joked. "T-Thanks for coming, Star. I really mean it. Thanks." Windchaser gave the filly a smile. She looked over his shoulder, focusing on something behind him. Her horn started to glow with a blue light as he felt something placed on his head. He reached up to feel it, finding one of the party hats that his friends were all wearing. “It's not a party without party hats!" North Star said, pausing for a moment. "Well, that's what my mom says. She's a party organizer in town. She helped your aunt with everything, but your aunt insisted on doing the cake herself," North Star giggled. "My mom says that she's been working on it all day, since you left for school, at least!" North Star burst into another fit of giggles, Windchaser joining her. As they both calmed back down, North Star looked at the ground and rubbed one of her hooves against her other leg. "A-And it certainly isn't a party without presents... a-and as for your present... I couldn’t find anything in town that I thought y-you’d like... so I... um...” Before another word was said, North Star leaned over and gave a quick, gently kiss on Windchaser’s cheek. The colt felt his heart skip about ten beats, his cheeks burn with heat, and his head swim with a combination of surprise, joy, confusion, as well as a plethora of other indescribable thoughts and emotions. Her cheeks were a bright violet even under her dark blue coat. “That was for helping me get those bullies at school... and, um, because... I... I kinda...” Before she could finish what she was about to say, she ran off into the crowd, disappearing from sight. A massive wave of emotion crashed into the young colt. He felt his legs get replaced with jelly, threatening to fall out beneath him, should he try to move. He only just noticed, but his wings were stiffened on his back. He had no idea when they had gotten like that. Windchaser just wanted to collapse. He was suffering from far too much emotion all at once. But first, he needed to get something to drink. He lazily walked over to the table with the drinks on it, trying desperately not to fall over from his still trembling legs. Windchaser opened his mouth to pick up one of the paper cups filled with juice, but paused for a moment to let his jaw stop shaking. When he felt the trembling cease, he picked up the cup with his teeth and arched his neck back, draining the sweet tasting juice in a few gulps. He dropped the red-stained cup in the garbage can next to the table and sunk into one of the cushions on the couch nearby. “Du-u-u-u-ude!” Nova said as he took a seat next to him. “That was awesome! Nice going! You handled it real smooth. Like a pro.” Windchaser looked up at his friend, his mind still high from the experience. “Well, not really. But whatever! I’ll have you know, she’s had her eye on you for a good few weeks now.” “What?!” Windchaser said, finally able to form a word with his mouth. “Yeah. I sometimes catch her staring at you during class, during detention, between classes. Nothing creepy, just a few glances at you. More than just casual glances, I might add.” Windchaser stared at his friend, completely dumbfounded. “Yeah, just like that," Nova said, nodding. After a few moments, his smile faded, replaced by a frown. "Okay, now you’re overdoing it. Cut it out.” Nova pushed WIndchaser’s muzzle away, turning his head and bringing his consciousness back. “Oh, sorry. I’m... kinda... in a strange place right now. Sorry.” “Oh, it’s no prob. Hey! Enjoy the party! It’s for you! Oh, and the present with the red and white polka dot wrapping is from me... my mom didn’t have any other kind of paper for it. But you’ll like what’s inside, I’m sure of it.” Nova hopped off from the couch and walked off into the crowd. Windchaser sat still for a few minutes, milling over what had been happening in his mind. “Mind if I take a seat, Windchaser?” Quincy sat down next to the colt, much to his surprise. “Wha-... How-” “Don’t worry. I went to your house after you left the school, wanting to apologize. I met your aunt and introduced myself as one of Isaac's friends. Once she knew who I was, Isaac having mentioned me in the past, so she invited for me to stay for your party.” Quincy rested his back against the cushion and took a deep breath. “It’s okay. I forgive you. About earlier.” Windchaser smiled up at the stallion. “And I’ll talk to you about me and my dad someday soon, I promise. I’ll bring along SyRE, so he can tell you the stuff I forgot.” “Isaac’s AI is still kicking, eh? Good thing he hated them in the first place, otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten the damn thing. How about this weekend? My house is just on the other side of town. We can sit down and talk. How does that sound?” “That sounds great. I’d love to hear more about my dad!” Windchaser smiled. Quincy smiled and excused himself from the couch, leaving Windchaser by himself once more. “Windchaser! There’s somepony at the door for you!” Sunny shouted over the crowd of fillies and colts. Windchaser hopped from the couch and weaved through all of the party-goers towards the front door. His aunt was standing in the doorway, holding the door open for him. Outside stood two unicorns: one, with a white coat and an icy blue mane, and the other with a maroon coat and an orange mane. It took a few moments for it to register, but Windchaser’s jaw suddenly dropped as he remembered who these mares actually were. “Do you mind, miss Sunny Days? My sister and I would like to have a private word with your nephew, if that would be okay,” the white mare asked in a pure, song-like voice. “Why of course. Come back in when you’re done, Windchaser. Cake and presents should be happening soon!” Sunny closed the door behind her. “P-P-Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! What-” he began in a hushed voice still filled with astonishment. The white unicorn brought a hoof to his mouth, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Shh, shh. We can’t have anypony knowing we’re here, young Windchaser,” Celestia said. “We are merely here to wish you a happy birthday and offer you gifts for such a joyous occasion. Will you accept them?” Windchaser’s jaw hung open once again. He was getting birthday presents from the immortal goddesses themselves? It would be sacrilege if he declined! Standing up straight, he puffed out his chest, trying to look as impressive as he could for the Princesses. “Of course I will accept your gifts, your majesties.” Windchaser tried as hard as he could to sound dignified and respectful when he spoke. A faint glow emanated from Celestia’s horn and a small spark fell to the ground. A bright flash formed where it landed. When the light faded, a small white box adorned with the golden sun insignia sat where the spark landed. “I offer this gift to you, Windchaser. I wish for many long years ahead of you and good fortune to meet you along them.” Celestia stepped back, letting Luna step forward in her place. The maroon unicorn smiled as she stepped before Windchaser. “You’ve gotten bigger since I last saw you! Have you been practicing your flying?” Luna asked, playfully. “Of course, your highness. Every day!” Windchaser allowed himself a proud smile as he flourished his wings for her. Another spark formed at Luna’s horn this time, falling in a similar fashion that Celestia’s did. When the indigo light faded, a purple box decorated with a silver moon insignia sat next to the gift from her sister. “Make sure you enjoy it, Windchaser. Happy birthday!” Luna levitated the two gifts and balanced them on Windchaser’s back, where his saddlebags usually sat. Luna stepped back and joined her sister. The white mare smiled and nodded at her sister. “Goodbye, Windchaser. Enjoy the evening.” In a blinding flash of light, the two disguised princesses disappeared. The door burst open behind the young colt, surprising him. Ponies stuck their heads out the open door and through the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of what just happened. “What happened?! We saw a flash of light out here! Are you okay?!” Bullseye asked, rushing over to Windchaser. “It’s okay, Uncle. It was just... some friends of my dad’s.” Windchaser walked back into the house and past all the staring ponies. He reached over and grabbed each gift with his mouth, placing each on the table with the rest of his gifts. There were quite a few, more than Windchaser had ever expected. “Why don’t you go ahead and open some of them? Your aunt is almost done with the cake. Go ahead, it’s okay,” Bullseye said, patting the colt on the back. Windchaser decided to look for Nova’s present first. He found it immediately: red and white polka-dots. He ripped the wrapping paper off with his teeth, holding the box in place with his hooves. After he got the paper off and the box opened, he pulled out a small comic book entitled ‘Grognak: The Barbarian’. “My dad used to collect comics when he was a human. He said this one was the pinnacle of his collection, and that it’s one of the two copies he brought with him to Equestria. He gave both to me, so I decided to give this one to you! I hope you like it!” Nova nodded at Windchaser, wearing a smile. “Thanks a lot, Nova. It means a lot to me,” Windchaser said, giving his friend a hoof-bump. Windchaser placed the comic book on the table as his uncle trotted up next to him with something resting around his neck. “Here you go, Chaser. This one is from me. I know it’s not much, but it served me tremendously well in the past.” Bullseye handed Windchaser a tough brown satchel. It was old, but the faded emblem of the Equestrian Mail Service was still visible. He opened the flap and peered inside. The bag was very spacious, as it needed to be so for the deliveries his uncle needed to do. “Happy Birthday, kiddo.” Windchaser went through most of the rest of the presents, thanking his classmates for each of the gifts. Before long, only three remained. The first was the one from Princess Celestia. Opening the top of the box, Windchaser looked inside and pulled out a letter adorned on a regal parchment scroll. Clearing his throat, Windchaser read it out loud: “I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, hereby honor Isaac Hamilton, father of the pegasus Windchaser, with this Medal of Valor. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to not just stare one’s own demise in it’s eye, but to be forced to leave behind the one you love without reservation could break any human or pony. May Isaac’s son wear it with pride, knowing he is and always will be the son of his father.” Not a single pony spoke. They all just stared at the blue colt in amazement at the honor he had just received. Not even Nova could say anything, which Windchaser joked to himself that it was the first time the unicorn stopped talking for any extended period of time. Windchaser opened the small blue case sitting inside the white box, revealing a shining medal hanging from a golden ribbon. The medal itself was in the shape of a blazing sun, and indeed gave off its own glow in the dim light of the room. Windchaser closed the box, not wanting to dirty the honor presented to him for his father. He was certain to treasure both the letter and the medal for as long as he lived. Windchaser placed the scroll and medal case back in the box they came in, gently placing the lid back on. He pulled the other box closer to him, inspecting the contents as he opened the lid. There was a sealed envelope and another scroll inside Luna’s box. Repeating the process that he used for Celestia’s gift, he read Princess Luna’s letter aloud: “Dear Windchaser: While my sister has granted you and your father the highest honor that either of us can grant a human or pony, I give these to you: first is five tickets to the Wonderbolts show in Canterlot this year for the annual Grand Galloping Gala. The second is a private three day training camp I arranged for you personally with the three leaders of the Wonderbolts; Spitfire, Soarin, and Rainbow Dash. I hope you enjoy these gifts. Yours truly, Princess Luna.” Windchaser felt his head almost float away in a dizzying high when he finally understood what he had read out loud. While they were more directly useful than Celestia’s gifts, they both were absolutely amazing in terms of what they were. Silence befell the group as Windchaser reached over for the last gift. It was unmarked, no name for who it was from on the box. Regardless, Windchaser opened the plain box and saw only two things inside. The first was a pair of goggles; authentic Wonderbolts goggles! He had wanted a pair for as long as he could remember! The second was a short note. All it read was this: Keep your promise and fly as fast as that comet! Windchaser felt the tears returning in full force. And there was no use in stopping them. He let the emotions overflow and consume him as he fell into wracking sobs, the kind of which he hadn’t felt since the day his father was taken from him. He held the goggles close to his chest, cradling them there as the memories that he and his father shared all came surging back to him. The words they shared the night he earned his cutie mark: “Woooow... How fast is that comet going?” “About a million miles an hour. It’s pretty fast.” “Then you know what?” “What’s that, Windchaser?” “I’m gonna learn how to fly faster than a comet!!” But before he could release his emotions any more, the lights in the room dimmed to almost darkness. A deafening silence fell in the room. Slowly and quietly, the ponies around him all joined in song. “Happy birthday to you...” His aunt Sunny was pushing out a small cart with a cake sitting on top. Several glowing candles were lit, offering the only light for the room. Shadows danced along the walls in a bewitching pattern as the cart rolled closer. “... happy birthday to you...” Windchaser felt somepony move in and stand next to him on his left. It was his best friend Nova, grinning like a maniac. “... happy birthday, dear Windchaser...” Another body stood next to him. He felt the warmth as it rested against the side of his body and his wing. He looked to his right to see the luminous smile of North Star. Windchaser leaned his body a bit closer to her, feeling more of their bodies in contact. His heart was fluttering again, but not so much that his mind was lost to it. “... happy birthday to you!” Cheers erupted throughout the room as the cart was placed before the colt. He looked down at the cake, reading the message written in icing: To Our Favorite Nephew Happy Birthday Windchaser The room faded once more to silence. Windchaser took a deep breath. He knew he had a wish. But he also knew that the one wish he had could never fully come true. His father was gone, and there wasn’t anything changing that. So he thought about what he wanted. He had a loving family in Sunny Days, Bullseye, Pearl, and Bracket. They loved him without hesitation, welcoming him into their family. He had his best friend, Nova, who would stick with him through thick and thin. He had the one filly he cared deeply for and wanted to keep close to his heart for as long as he could imagine, North Star. So he made another wish. One that he knew for a fact that he was sure he wanted. He spoke it to himself in his mind and was happy with what it was. And he blew out the candles, repeating the wish in his head. I wish for nothing more. I have everything I could ever want. -THE END-
BrainLapse	1162	1	Applejack,Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	A Cry Left Unheard	When it all builds up, who's there to pick up the pieces?	incomplete	86	8	<p>Everypony has their breaking point, what happens when a pony reaches theirs? Who will get them back on the right track? But most of all will it be enough?</p>	teen	2011-11-17T03:43:20+00:00	2011-11-17T03:43:20+00:00	5,254	A heart-filled sob broke through the air. There, in a huddled mass on her couch, laid a heartbroken pegasus. She cried gentle, silent sobs as the day’s events ran through her head once more. She had just opened her heart, poured it out to Applejack, the mare of her dreams. At first, she took it as a joke, so she let out a hearty laugh. After some time passed, she realized that Fluttershy was serious. What followed next hurt even more. Disgust. Applejack told Fluttershy how unnatural and sick it was. All the pegasus had received for opening her heart was pain and a sense of emptiness. Not many ponies talked to her, let alone put up with her overwhelming shyness. It hurt just to think about it! And if the pain wasn’t enough, the pony she had thought cared for her, who could possibly be something more than a friend, had crushed her. Well they don't call it a crush for nothing. Eventually, Fluttershy fell asleep, although her dreams were not an escape from her pain tonight. No, they held even more pain, forcing her to relive some of her dark times in Cloudsdale. Most of the ponies at Flight School tormented her, branded her an outcast, and called her freak after she had been caught admiring another mare. They would pull her mane, slam doors in her face, and basically make her life a living hell. But then, she met Rainbow Dash, the only pony to ever stand up for her. She was Fluttershy’s knight in shining armor, but it was clear that Rainbow did not see mares that way. However, even with her new ally, they still tormented and mercilessly degrading her. When she had finally found her special talent, it was all the more reason for her to leave. She moved to Ponyvile, trying her hardest to put everything about her past behind her, including Rainbow Dash. She gradually adjusted to life in Ponyvile, a new life slowly filling her as her traumatic experiences were pushed further and further into the recesses of her mind. Then came the fateful day when she saw Rainbow Dash in Ponyvile. Her presence dug up some terrible memories, along with some more pleasant ones. As the days went on, more terrible memories would resurface, but it was not a problem. She was able to ignore these thoughts, thanks to the pony she could call her one, true friend. More and more friends would make their way into her heart, and she finally felt like she belonged. Unfortunately, such feelings were not meant to be. Fluttershy opened her eyes, tears streaming down her cheek. She sat up, unable to sleep any longer, as her mind started to wander. Slowly Fluttershy thought of her other friends. She thought of how Pinkie made her laugh with her goofy antics and silly jokes. However, that was all that she had. She was nice. But she was rarely serious and could never focus on the matter at hand. Sometimes she was too random, but at other times Pinkie really pulled through. Ultimately, she was not Fluttershy’s type of pony. Next, she thought of Rarity and her supportive nature; always putting others first, offering a helping hoof whenever possible. She was gorgeous, but a bit too over dramatic for Fluttershy’s tastes. Rarity was effected by anything that was even the slightest bit annoying. Although she and Fluttershy had so much in common, Fluttershy only loved her as a friend. Then came Twilight. She was knowledgeable and kind, always trying to help anypony, even if she had no idea what she was doing. She trusted the information from her books a bit too much, since she had a book on nearly everything, including things that wouldn’t need a book. She was a pretty pony, and a great friend, bu nothing more than that. Finally, she thought of Applejack. This brought up a new wave of tears, as sobs shook her body, once again. She had thought that AJ would feel the same way, considering how she was always there for her, sometimes going out of her way to make Fluttershy feel better. However, she was wrong. All that revealing her true feelings did was bring more pain. Her past was bad enough, but the recent chain of events shattered the last of her self confidence. This was the last straw for Fluttershy. She took out a piece of paper, preparing a last message to anyone who bothered to come find her. As she finished the note, she put it in an envelope and set it on the table. Although she did feel bad that she was leaving the animals unattended, she just couldn’t take it anymore. She was sure that somepony would come and find the animals and take care of them in her place. She pulled some rope lying on the floor, she carefully tied the rope into a noose and flew up to the ceiling, hanging it from the rafters. She then put the noose around her neck, she let out more sobs as she realized what she was about to do, and stopped flying. Immediately her body fell downward, beginning to pull her right into the bottom of the noose. Her vision began to fail. Splotches of black formed in the edges of her vision, slowly covering her sight. Slowly they grew, connecting into one giant dark mass blocking out her sight. As she started to slip into the realm of unconsciousness, Fluttershy heard a crash. But before she could react any further, she finally slipped into the dark unconscious bliss that she'd been waiting for.
BrainLapse	1162	2	Applejack,Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	A Cry Left Unheard	When it all builds up, who's there to pick up the pieces?	incomplete	86	8	<p>Everypony has their breaking point, what happens when a pony reaches theirs? Who will get them back on the right track? But most of all will it be enough?</p>	teen	2011-11-17T03:45:58+00:00	2011-11-17T03:45:58+00:00	5,280	Rainbow Dash was worried. She had been flying home earlier today when she saw Fluttershy running from Sweet Apple Acres. The tears running from her eyes worried her even more. What in Equestria had her worked up? Rainbow Dash realized that she was sometimes hard on the gentle pegasus she had known since foalhood, but never to the point of tears. Sure, they had not seen eye to eye all the time, but Fluttershy always seemed to be there. Whenever the cyan pegasus needed a shoulder to cry on, or somepony to give her the support that she needed, Fluttershy was there. She had never asked the pastel pony to do any of that for her; Fluttershy had done that out of the kindness of her heart. She was all that Dash needed in a pony. The cyan pegasus watched as her friend ran until she was out of sight. Her curiosity peaked, Rainbow flew down to Sweet Apple Acres to find out what had sent Fluttershy running. As she got closer, she saw Applejack bucking a few apple trees in the fields. Rainbow Dash flew down, figuring that Applejack would know the reason on why the gentle mare had gone running. As she landed, the orange pony greeted her. "Howdy, Rainbow, what can Ah do for ya?" the earth pony asked. She was smiling, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, like something had just ruined her appetite. Although Rainbow was curious about what aggravated Applejack, she was more worried about Fluttershy. Taking a deep breath, the pegasus spoke. "Well, I was just flying over the town when I saw Fluttershy running away from the farm. I was just wondering if you had any idea on what would cause her to do that. Did you find a dead animal or something?" Rainbow Dash asked. As she finished, Applejack had dropped the smile. She now had a deadpan expression and was clearly not pleased to have whatever had happened between the two. "That mare jus' ain't right. She came her talkin' to me bout her likin' me in some romantic manner. Ya know it ain't natural for two mares or stallions to be in a relationship. It’s just wrong," the orange pony stated with that same deadpanned expression. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. She could not believe that the pony she had known for years thought that way. Not to mention saying something so cruel to one the sweetest ponies in Ponyvile. Rainbow Dash turned away to quickly compose herself, shaking her head as she tried and get rid of the thoughts that raced through her mind. She quickly turned back to Applejack, staring her down. “AJ, you’ve got to be kidding me with this! Fluttershy is a sweet pony. Sure, she might like other mares, but there is nothing wrong with that!” Rainbow Dash stated while trying to keep her anger down. Surely the orange earth pony must be joking about this. But Applejack did not look like she was telling a joke, if anything she seemed even more steadfast about it. “Rainbow, somethin’ is wrong with that mare! It don’t matter what she’s done if she’s gone ‘round trickin’ everypony into trustin’ her, just so she can corrupt our minds!” Applejack said, looking Rainbow Dash straight in the eye, the conviction set on her face. Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped at this. Fluttershy, innocent, sweet Fluttershy, trying to corrupt anypony was an outlandish idea. Rainbow Dash found the whole idea so crazy that she would of laughed, thinking that it was a prank, if it wasn’t for the look in Applejack’s eyes. It was a look of certainty, one that dare Rainbow Dash to challenge her. “AJ, seriously? Fluttershy, the pony who hasn’t got an evil bone in her body, trying to corrupt us all? You’ve got to be kidding me about this!” The cyan pegasus stated her total disbelief to the mare in front of her. Applejack just shook her head, tutting, before she looked up at Rainbow Dash with the one emotion that she was not prepared for. Pity. Rainbow had expected anger, sadness, relief. Anything but pity. This made Rainbow Dash tilt her head to the side, wondering why in Equestria the farm pony was pitying her. “It seems like that monster has tricked you too. Ah’m not surprised, considerin’ yew and her have known each other for so long. But don’t worry Sugarcube. I took care of that disgusting beast. I told her how wrong she was, how she would be better off dead then destroyin’ the land we live in with her unnatural thoughts. Don’t ya worry Rainbow Dash. Ah’ll set yer head right once again.” Applejack said while looking Rainbow strait in the eye, her arrogance making Rainbow Dash shake with rage. Of all the insensitive things that could be said to Fluttershy, this one topped the cake. “Applejack, how could you treat your friend like that, after all she’s done for all of us? How could you be so heartless?” Rainbow Dash asked the earth pony, confused and angered by what she had just heard. “She ain’t our friend Rainbow, she’s a sick monst--” But Rainbow Dash had heard enough. She whipped around and bucked the orange earth pony with all her might, her anger fueled by the words being said about her longest friend. The kick caught Applejack right in the jaw, knocking her onto her haunches, and dazing her for a few moments. She quickly got back onto her hooves and lunged at the cyan pegasus, knocking them both to the ground. They rolled around, throwing jabs at any opportunity to land a hit against the other mare. After a few moments Applejack wound up on the bottom and bucked Rainbow Dash straight into the air, where she hovered for a few moments. After wiping some blood off her face, the orange earth pony spat at the pegasus. “Ah just don’t understand why in Equestria you’re defending that fillyfooler. She ain’t nothin’ but a sin against the world we live in,” Applejack said between ragged breaths. Rainbow Dash just glared down at the earth pony below her. Rainbow Dash was starting to feel the aches of the tussle already setting in, her back hurting from all the rolling the two mares had done. Deciding it wasn’t worth the time to fight with the orange mare anymore, Rainbow flew to her cloud home, leaving a beaten up and angry earth pony behind, cusses being shouted behind her. When she reached her home, she slowly retreated to her bedroom, collapsing into her bed. She fell asleep quickly, but it was not to last, because a few hours later, she woke up after dreaming about her fight with Applejack, how the two had fought after she had thought that they were some of the best of friends. Rainbow Dash froze, as she remembered the pegasus that the fight had been about. Suddenly, she took off, deciding to check on Fluttershy. As she flew the more she thought about the gentle pony. If Fluttershy had such a problem with simple statements, Rainbow Dash couldn’t imagine how the pastel pony would react to having her heart broken in such a cruel manner. This worried the cyan pegasus even more, causing her to pick up more and more speed. She quickly reached the pegasus’ house. As she landed, she looked through Fluttershy’s windows, hoping to see her. Rainbow Dash saw the mare, but she had a rope around her neck. To the cyan mare’s horror, Fluttershy stopped flying, letting her body fall to the ground, the noose applying pressure to the mare’s neck. This caused the weatherpony outside to stop, the pure shock of what her friend was doing rendering her body incapable of moving. Eventually Rainbow Dash realized what exactly was happening, causing her to spring into action. Rainbow Dash crashed through the door, flying straight for Fluttershy’s now limp body. She grabbed the unconscious mare, taking the noose off as she flew. She began to panic, trying to figure out what she could do to save her friend. She checked her pulse, and found a shallow heart beat, a sign that her friend was still alive, if barely. She gently shook the mare in her hooves, calling Fluttershy’s name with tears in her eyes, but there was no response. Rainbow Dash’s panic rose. She hit Fluttershy on the cheek, seeing if that might shock her awake, but no such luck. On the verge of a mental breakdown, the cyan pegasus picked up Fluttershy’s limp body and left the cottage. She flew to the hospital. As soon as Rainbow reached the hospital, and she flew down to the entrance, crashing through the door, tears in her eyes. “Please, somepony, help her! PLEASE!” Rainbow Dash shouted, tears streaming down her face, as she looked around the waiting room frantically. She collapsed to the floor, shouting for help. The doctors glared at the pony who had disrupted the peace of the waiting room, until they saw the injured pony on her back. The hospital staff jumped into action, immediately rushing to Fluttershy’s aid, taking her from the cyan pegasus’s care. Once Fluttershy was wheeled away on a gurney, Rainbow Dash broke down on the spot, her body shaking as she cried. Her friend had looked so lifeless as she was raised onto the gurney that it hurt. Eventually the staff managed to console the panicked pegasus. After a few moments of being calmed, the staff talked to Rainbow Dash, trying to figure out what caused her to bring her friend to the hospital in the first place. When they found out what Rainbow Dash had seen, the staff surprised to discover that a pony that was known for her respect towards all things living, would try and take her own life. After a few hours in the waiting room, a doctor came and told Rainbow Dash that she could see her friend, but that she would not be conscious for some time, as Fluttershy had suffered some damage to her neck from the suicide attempt. Rainbow Dash silently nodded, and followed the doctor to Fluttershy’s room. As she walked in, she noticed how lifeless the pastel pony looked. In reality, she looked more like a doll than a living pony. Rainbow Dash slowly crossed the room, taking a seat beside the pony in the hospital bed. Her exhaustion slowly took over though, and she fell asleep in the chair by her friend, whispering three words before she fell asleep. “ Why Fluttershy? Why?”
BrainLapse	1162	3	Applejack,Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	A Cry Left Unheard	When it all builds up, who's there to pick up the pieces?	incomplete	86	8	<p>Everypony has their breaking point, what happens when a pony reaches theirs? Who will get them back on the right track? But most of all will it be enough?</p>	teen	2011-11-18T04:27:02+00:00	2011-11-18T04:27:02+00:00	6,211	Rainbow Dash woke up to the same scene she had seen for the past few days. White walls, white ceiling, beeping machines, scattered “get well” cards and Fluttershy lying in her bed. Only the slightest rising and falling of her chest provided any sign of life. Rainbow rubbed her eyes, trying to shake the sleep from her body and mind. She glanced at the clock, seeing that it was a little after nine. She then turned her gaze back towards the mare lying in the bed. Her mind kept drifting back to that one moment when Fluttershy had fallen and all she could do is watch. If she had reacted fast, been faster or even thought of it faster, Fluttershy wouldn’t be here. She’d be back at home with her animals, humming happily as she worked, instead of lying there like a lifeless body. Rainbow continued her train of thought, imagining how the whole situation would be better if she had just reacted faster. As she was thinking, Fluttershy's hoof twitched, just the smallest amount. Her eyelids began to flutter before they were squeezed tight. The sight of this made her heart jump up into her throat. But then what Rainbow Dash saw next broke her heart. Tears started to stream down Fluttershy’s face, soft sobs shaking her whole body. "Fluttershy? Are you OK? What’s wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked, her concern sketched on her face. At the sound of her voice, Fluttershy froze, her body locked in place. The tears, however, continued to fall, staining her coat and bedsheets. “Fluttershy? It’s OK, it’s just me, Rainbow Dash. You know, your best friend since forever. Don’t worry, I’m here now. It will be alright.” Rainbow Dash said, slowly reaching out to the bedridden pegasus in front of her. She just wanted to comfort her friend, to show her that somepony was there with her in this time of need. When Rainbow touched Fluttershy, the pastel pegasus pulled back, before slowly easing her hoof back forward. Rainbow gently grabbed said hoof and began to slowly stroke it. After a good period of time, Fluttershy began to relax, leaning back into the bed. She finally opened her bloodshot eyes, and the moment that Rainbow looked in them, her world as she knew it ended. There was no trace of the sweetness she used to know, nor was there the hope and happiness she had come to know and love. All there was only pain, hurt and something else that she could not name. But that unknown something made Rainbow feel even worse. As soon as Fluttershy opened her eyes, she tensed back up again as sobs began to shake her body again. Rainbow Dash, never one to be too good at the touchy- feely sort of thing, had no clue what to do. Giving it her best guess, the cyan mare slowly wrapped her hooves around the sobbing pony, pulling her close. As soon as Rainbow has her hooves around , Fluttershy quickly returned the hug, burying her head into the shoulder of her friend. Slowly Fluttershy’s sobs became less intense until they faded away completely. They continued to sit there for a long period of time, holding onto the other, lost in this moment, the world around them not mattering for once. As she was stroking Fluttershy’s back, Rainbow Dash saw Nurse Redheart motioning for her to come over. Sighing, Rainbow slowly pulled out of the hug and looked the pastel pegasus in her eyes. “Fluttershy, I’ve got to go talk to the doctors OK? I’ll be right back.” Rainbow Dash said carefully, hoping that her friend would be fine with out her. Fluttershy nodded, the sullen look never leaving her face. The cyan mare slowly got off the chair and walked to where the nurse was standing, before she looked back quickly to see her friend, not wanting to leave her alone for a moment. Seeing that all was OK, Rainbow Dash walked out into the hall to talk with Nurse Redheart. “Miss Dash, as you know, your friend has suffered an injury. Normally something of this type of injury would just require the pony involved to take it easy for a few days. But, based on your accounts, this was an attempt to take her own life. That is a very serious issue, usually stemming from a serious mental problem. We believe that she should be under close watch for at least the next couple of days, with her going to some therapy sessions to help her deal with these problems for the next couple of weeks, bare minimum.” Nurse Redheart said with a somber expression. Rainbow Dash listened to the nurse, taking in what she said. She hadn’t really thought of what Fluttershy had been doing, only that she needed help. Slowly the bits and pieces began to join together in Rainbow’s mind, the level of sensitivity that Fluttershy is at, the pain of heart break, and the natural timidness the pastel pony is at. Then in a flash, it all came together, hitting the cyan mare like a high speed cart. This is Fluttershy, the pony who can barely speak up when asked to go and do something dangerous, revealing her feelings to another pony. The sheer level of feelings that she must gone through weighed on Rainbow’s mind as she realized what being hurt like that could do to a normal pony. It suddenly made sense as to what had happened. When it made sense, it hit Rainbow like a ton of bricks. She looked back at the pony laying in the hospital bed, who was crying yet again. She looked back at the nurse, with a simple nod and a quick “I’ll do it”, Rainbow Dash walked back over to Fluttershy and pulled her back into a hug. Gripping her as tight as she could manage without hurting the heartbroken pony. Rainbow then slowly rocked back and forth, still holding onto the crying mare tightly. “Shhhhhhhhhh, it’s OK. I’m here. Everything is going to be ok.” Rainbow Dash said calmly. She slowly stroked Fluttershy’s mane, trying to calm the pony in her hooves. After a short period of time, Fluttershy’s breath returned to normal before slowing down even more, as she fell into a much needed sleep. Rainbow Dash carefully laid the sleeping mare back into her bed before heading back to the nurse to fill out the required paper work. After that tedious task was done, Rainbow Dash went back to her seat for the past few days to wait for the sleeping mare to wake up once more so that they could head home. But as Rainbow thought of heading home, she realized that they would need to do something about where they were planning on sleeping considering that she couldn’t leave Fluttershy alone. If they were to head to Rainbow’s house, they could be away from anypony that might worsen Fluttershy’s current mental state, specifically a certain orange earth pony. But then Fluttershy also would have to head out into public if she wanted to see her other friends, considering that they weren’t pegasi. Figuring that it would be for the best if the gentle pony could be near the ones that loved her, she begrudgingly decided to leave her cloud home for the time being for the sake of her friend. When she finally reached her mental conclusion to this dilemma, she looked back at the exhausted pony in front of her. She reached out, gently moving Fluttershy’s mane out of her face. How Fluttershy could try to do such a thing was beyond Rainbow. And since she considered Fluttershy to be one of her closest friends made her realise how little she knew about Fluttershy. Sure, she knew all the superficial things, like her birthday and favorite color, but not her hopes or her dreams. Determined to find out more about her friend, Rainbow laid back in the chair, waiting for Fluttershy to wake up.
BrainLapse	1162	4	Applejack,Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	A Cry Left Unheard	When it all builds up, who's there to pick up the pieces?	incomplete	86	8	<p>Everypony has their breaking point, what happens when a pony reaches theirs? Who will get them back on the right track? But most of all will it be enough?</p>	teen	2012-05-22T07:15:32+00:00	2012-05-22T07:15:32+00:00	2,988	Fluttershy woke up in the hospital, her body feeling hollow and empty. This feeling was not new to her, in fact it was what she almost always felt whenever she woke up. She groggily opened her eyes. The bright light of the midday sun broke through the blinds, giving the stark white room a faint glow effect. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room, she took a look around to see what else the room contained. There sitting in the chair, just as she had been the last time she woke up, was Rainbow Dash, looking at Fluttershy with concern in her eyes. “Hey Fluttershy, are you ready to head home?” Rainbow asked, watching the timid mare closely. The fact she was doing this was not unnoticed by Fluttershy. She felt every one of her moves being watched, as if Rainbow Dash was worried that Fluttershy would do something drastic. Fluttershy just nodded her head, ready to get away from the hospital. Rainbow helped Fluttershy get out of the bed, just barely touching her, as if she was afraid that Fluttershy would break if she was touched any harder. Slowly the two mares made their way towards the exit of Ponyville’s hospital. Upon seeing the empty streets, Fluttershy let out a quiet sigh, glad that there was nopony else there to see her like this. Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy with a confused look before focusing back on the street. The two mares continued walking towards the edge of Ponyville, neither of them saying a word. Fluttershy didn’t mind, she really didn’t want to have to say anything. She was tired of being hurt, and no matter what she did, she wound up being hurt. It wasn’t like she tried to get hurt, or even looked for a reason to be hurt, it just kinda happened. Unconsciously, she began to hide behind her mane, trying to hide from all that caused her pain. “You OK, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked, the concern etched on her face as she watched her friend shrink away from the world without an apparent reason. Fluttershy nodded meekly, not trusting her voice not to fade away. Rainbow Dash stared at the pastel mare before she slowly turned away, focusing on the path ahead of them. Fluttershy sighed softly, glad that Rainbow had not pushed her for answers. The two of them continued down the road silently, walking towards Fluttershy's cottage. Fluttershy kept glancing at the cyan mare next to her, trying to build up the courage to say something, anything really, just so that the awkward silence between the two would disappear. Right when Fluttershy had built up enough nerve to say something, they had reached her cottage. "Well here we are. Would you open the door Fluttershy?" Rainbow said, smiling at Fluttershy. She meekly nodded and opened up the door. The two walked into the cottage before Rainbow shut the door behind them. Fluttershy turned around, facing her long time friend. The two stood there for a bit before the tension became a bit too much, causing them both to look away. Feeling the need to break the silence, Fluttershy quickly thought of a reason to leave the room. "Would you like something to drink?" Fluttershy mumbled, hoping to get an excuse to get out of the room and maybe get a chance to gather her courage to talk to the weatherpony currently standing in her living room. Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy, pondering on the implications of letting her friend be alone, no matter how little distance or time she would be away from her sight. After nodding, Fluttershy quickly walked out of the room, glad that she hadn't had to spend too much more time in there. As she made some tea for the two of them, she slowly thought of what she could say to explain what she did. She wasn't sure what to say though, because if she was to say the truth, then she might lose the the thing that was holding her together. If nopony had been there when she woke up, then it would have proved some of her darkest fears all along. As much as she liked to hope that there was always somepony there for her, her past told her otherwise. A sharp whistle of the teakettle broke the Pegasus' train of thought. She quickly got to mixing in the tea leaves before she put it all on a tray. She set the tray on her back before she timidly began to walk back to her living room. Laying on the couch was a sleeping Rainbow Dash, her limbs spread in all directions, as if they were trying to escape from her body. Fluttershy quietly set the tray down on the table before looking around her house. The place looked almost exactly the same as the night she tried to end it, with the exception of the note and the noose. She then looked outside, at the bright sunny day that was in progress. Deciding to check on the happenings of her animal friends, Fluttershy walked outside. Once outside, Fluttershy found herself looking for the animals that normally lived within her yard. After looking in the nearest burrow, she found it surprisingly empty. She quickly checked the next one, but it was also empty. Fluttershy frantically searched each hole, burrow and house, searching for any critter. But as she moved from dwelling to dwelling, she found nothing. After she had checked all the empty bird houses, Fluttershy collapsed onto the ground. All of her precious animal friends, gone. She sat there as it began to sink in. In all of her dark moments since the day she fell from Cloudsdale, the animals were there for her. All the times she had broken down crying, a sweet little bird or mouse, or even Angel Bunny, would come and comfort her, chasing away the tears and bringing in a small smile. But now? Now she felt more alone than ever. Fluttershy began to cry, her body shaking as quiet sobs wracked her body. She cried her heart out, then cried some more. Above her, the sky darkened droplets of water began to fall, as if the world had sensed her pain and was crying with her. A crack of thunder echoed around her, but none the less she cried more. "FLUTTERSHY! YOU NEED TO GET INSIDE!" A voice yelled over the rain. Fluttershy looked over and saw Rainbow Dash staring directly at her. Fluttershy looked down at the ground before slowly standing up and trudging to the door. Rainbow quickly moved aside to let the drenched Pegasus get inside. Fluttershy quietly walked in with her head down and made her way to the sofa. She sat down on the floor near the sofa, her eyes never leaving the ground. Rainbow Dash sighed, before taking in a decent sized breath. "Fluttershy, look at me," The cyan mare said as paused for the wet mare in front of her to meet her eyes," You've gotta let go of whatever it is that's making you act like this. You're better than that. Where's the mare who soothed a raging manticore, who stared down both a dragon and a cockatrice? She wouldn't be doing this, she would be out there with her friends. Look, we all go through tough times, but you can't let that get to you. I completely agree that what AJ did was cruel, but you have to keep moving on." The whole time Fluttershy sat there staring at the ground. At the mention of Applejack, she lowered her head and began to cry again, sobs that were just louder than a whisper shaking her body. Rainbow Dash stood there, her heart breaking at the sight of this. She slowly sat down in front of the sobbing mare, and put a hoof on her shoulder. Fluttershy lunged forward, clinging onto the weatherpony as if she was about to disappear. Rainbow sat there awkwardly for a moment before tentatively putting a hoof on her sobbing friend's back. And they sat there like this for a long while, no sound going through the cottage except for the soft sobs of a broken Pegasus mare. As time went on, Fluttershy's sobs weakened, and her tears began to slow. She slowly leaned back to look at the rainbow maned pegasus who's coat she had just soaked. Rainbow gave her friend a small smile. Fluttershy looked back at the cyan mare, her eyes bloodshot from all the crying she had done. "Thank you," Fluttershy whispered as she looked down, tears staining her muzzle. She sighed, her shoulders slumping. All she wanted to do was disappear. The pastel pony slowly started to make herself shrink, laying closer to her floor. Fluttershy slowly looked up at her friend, the one who had always been there, the one who had always held a place in her heart, and thought that she might see something more in the look in the cyan Pegasus’ eyes, something that she had not noticed before. Abandoning her shy self, she lifted her head up to Rainbow’s muzzle and stole a quick kiss. The kiss was quick, nothing more then a peck. It was less of a romantic outburst and more of a question. A question of hope, of a reason to keep on fighting. Fluttershy leaned her head back, she stared into Rainbow Dash's eyes, looking for some sort of confirmation, a sign that what she did is right. But as she looked, she saw shock, surprise, and confusion. Fluttershy slowly lowered her head, choosing to stare at the ground instead of her friend. "Why did you do that Fluttershy?" The cyan mare asked. There was no malice in her voice, there was no anger. It was just cold, like Rainbow Dash had gone onto autopilot. Fluttershy cringed at the sound of Rainbow's voice. "I...I do-don't kn-know. I th-thought th-that you might ha-have felt someth-thing more, but it's OK th-that you do-don't. I... I wasn't th-thinking." The pastel pony whispered, eyes never leaving the ground, her head hung in sadness. As soon as she finished, she felt her friend move away from her. Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash, who was now standing above her, the weatherpony's face expressionless. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, as if she could see something that wasn't there. Slowly she opened her mouth and spoke. "I'm going to go now 'Shy. I'm not sure what that was about. You know that I do not feel about mares that way. I’m sorry ‘Shy, I do care about you, I really do, but as a friend. You obviously need some space to think, and I'm going to give that to you. See ya later 'Shy." Rainbow Dash said in an expressionless voice, the look on her face never once changing. When she finished speaking, she quietly walked out of the cottage and shut the door behind her. Fluttershy just laid there, her thoughts weighing her down. She felt the pain, the loneliness, the hurt creep back into her mind. She felt so alone, her crush had rejected her, calling her a freak and a sin against nature. Her animals left her, without her knowing why. She chased her best friend away, scaring the only pony who had been there when she needed help the most. All she could do is lay there. She couldn't find the will to move, nor the drive to do anything drastic. She couldn't cry, because she was all cried out. So she sat there, staring at the floor, consumed by her thoughts. That's how she remained for who knows how long, until she slipped off into the bliss of unconsciousness. [A/N] Hey everybody, thanks for being so patient about this. I realize that this took forever to get out, and I'm sorry for that. You all are much better readers than I could ever ask for. Feel free to comment or message me. I'll try to do better on producing faster for the next one. This is BL signing out.
BrainLapse	1162	5	Applejack,Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	A Cry Left Unheard	When it all builds up, who's there to pick up the pieces?	incomplete	86	8	<p>Everypony has their breaking point, what happens when a pony reaches theirs? Who will get them back on the right track? But most of all will it be enough?</p>	teen	2012-12-18T10:20:45+00:00	2012-12-18T10:20:44+00:00	1,457	Twilight woke up with a groan. Her head hurt, her body ached and she just wanted to lay her head back down. As the librarian moved away from her desk, her makeshift bed after she passed out from an intense night of studying, and turned her attention towards the pounding on her door that had woken her from her much craved sleep. “One second! I’m coming, I’m coming.” Twilight shouted towards her door. Groaning again as she stood up, the purple mare shuffled towards the door. She grumbled as she moved across the room with her eyes almost completely shut, the precious few hours of sleep she got obviously not enough. When the sleepy mare finally reached the door, she quickly opened it, a look of strong displeasure aimed at the pony standing on the other side, her eyes squinted, a scowl across her face and her mane sticking up all over the place. The glare dropped from her face as she saw Big Mac waiting outside, confusion quickly replacing it. “Big Mac, what a surprise! Do you want to come in? I mean, I wasn’t expecting anypony this early, so the place is a little messy, but still you’re completely welcome here. This is a library after all, although most ponies don't come here. Which I don't completely understand because libraries are a fantastic place to be.” Twilight paused taking a deep breath before continuing. “Anyway, what can I do for you?" Twilight said to the down crested farmer. She tilted her head slightly, trying to get a better look at the stallion. What she saw were the telltale signs of exhaustion, from the red, bloodshot eyes to the large bags underneath them. Big Mac sighed deeply before looking up to the sky for a moment, gathering his thoughts. After a few seconds, the giant stallion lowered his gaze back to the purple mare in front of him. "Ah need your help Ms. Twilight. Somethin' big is up with AJ, but I can't get a thing outta her. All Ah know is she got in a tussle with the friend of y'all, the one with the rainbow mane, an' now jus’ sits on her bed starin' at the wall. Ah don' know what tah do with her. Ah tried givin' her some space, but Ah'm at the end of mah limits. Ah need her to start workin' again, else Ah dunno what'll happen tah the farm." After the stallion finished speaking, Twilight sat there for a few moments, thinking over what she had been told of. She had just found out about a fight among her friends. And from the looks of Big Mac, this fight had obviously been a few days ago at least. Slowly, Twilight nodded to the farmer, signaling that she was willing to help with Applejack, even if she had no clue about what had happened. "I just need one moment to take care of a few things really quickly before we leave." added the purple mare before heading back into the library. Taking out a quill and some parchment for her desk, Twilight scribbled out a note to Spike explaining where she had gone and that she didn't know when she would be back. As soon as she finished that, the purple mare quickly brushed her hair and headed back outside. When she got outside, she closed the door and locked it. "Thank ya kindly Ms. Twilight. Jus' follow me." Big Mac said before turning around. The duo slowly made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres. The sun was shining and not a cloud in sight. But none of this meant anything to Twilight. She was too busy focusing on why Big Mac had asked her to come with. One of the things that seemed to define Applejack was her work ethic. The idea that something had upset her to the point where she stopped working was astounding. But it was more than just Applejack’s sudden loss of motivation that confused Twilight, she was also confused by the fact that the fight had been with Rainbow Dash. The two had a history of being competitive, but would they really let it go that far. That also left the question of what could possibly cause Rainbow Dash to go that far? All of this ran through the purple mare’s head as the pair headed towards the orchard. The red stallion in front of her, on the other hoof, had substantially less on his mind. He was busy thinking about what needed to be done around the orchard, from fixing broken fence posts to bucking more trees. He was glad that Ms. Twilight had agreed to talk to his sister though, because he couldn’t handle all the work on his own. Soon enough the pair reached Sweet Apple Acres. After walking through the immense property, the two ponies reached the old Apple homestead. Big Mac turned to Twilight, who was still lost in her own world. Twilight kept walking forward until, with a solid thunk, she hit the farmpony who brought her here in the first place. Blushing, the unicorn picked herself up. When she was back on her hooves, Big Mac spoke. “Ms. Twilight, as much as Ah’d like tah take ya up tah mah sister, Ah need tah get work ‘round here else we’ll fall even further behind. Ya do know where her room is, don’t ya?” The red stallion asked. After receiving a slow nod, the workhorse trotted away from the house to begin his chores for the day. Twilight watched him as he walked away, uncertain about how the visit would unfold. When Big Mac finally disappeared from her sight, the purple unicorn turned around to face the house. Carefully she walked up to the home, the boards creaking under her as she passed over them. The librarian made her way into the house and up the stairs. There, on the left, was Applejack’s door sitting slightly ajar. As she approached, Twilight looked through the slit of space between the door and the door frame. Just as Big Mac had described, Applejack sat completely still, staring straight at the wall. Getting closer now, Twilight used her magic to push the door further open to the point where a pony could enter with ease. Stepping through the door frame, Twilight finally was able to get a good look at her friend. The orange mare looked awful. Her mane was a bigger mess up than usual, her coat was covered with stains, and she did not appear to have bathed in a few days, which was unbelievable, even for a mare like Applejack. Her shoulders were slumped forward and dark circles danced under her eyes, their hue rivaling those of her brother. Her bloodshot eyes were void of any sentience, like her mind is someplace worlds away. Twilight continued to move through the room, receiving no reaction from her friend on the bed. As the unicorn walked through the room, she accidentally hit her hoof on a loose plank, making a small noise. The sound quickly brought Applejack’s mind back into focus, her eyes darting towards the offending sound. The orange mare’s eyes screamed out to Twilight, the green irises completely void of emotions. “Howdy Twilight.” was all the farmer said to her friend before she turned back to the wall. Twilight quietly began to approach the bed, watching Applejack’s reaction with every movement. The orange mare did not react, her eyes focused forward, her mind somewhere else. When Twilight finally reached her friend’s side, she quietly sat down on the bed, staring at the ground. Her mind was preoccupied with how to start this conversation. The purple mare was absolutely lost on what she could possibly say to begin to get to the problem her friend was dealing with. Deciding that the direct approach would work best, Twilight hesitantly put her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder and sighed. The orange mare looked at her, and the librarian began. “Applejack, what happened to you? I’ve never seen you like this before. Even in your hardest times, you would always atleast try to work through the problem. What could Rainbow Dash have possibly done to change that?” The purple mare said, her eyes staring straight into the farmer’s. Slowly, the orange mare’s eyes began to change, from icy, unreadable walls into deep, emotion-filled pools. Her inner turmoil surfaced only temporarily, giving Twilight a glimpse of what her friend was feeling. Then Applejack closed her eyes and turned away, her attention turning towards the window on their left, towards the green treetops and the blue sky just outside. The two of them sat there for a few minutes, neither saying a word. Applejack was off in her head again, while Twilight waited impatiently for her friend’s troubles to be revealed. The emotions the purple mare caught a glimpse of in Applejack’s eyes ignited a burning desire within her to find the answers, so she could help solve the puzzle that had put the blonde mare in such a state. With a deep sigh, Applejack began to speak. “It ain’t jus’ somethin’ that she said Twi’. It’s what she tol’ me. She tol’ me how Fluttershy tried tah take her own life, all cuz of somethin’ Ah said.” At this point tears were welling in Applejack’s eyes, but her facial expression did not change, remaining as stoic as ever. Twilight was shocked at the news, finding that one of what she considered to be her closest friends, tried to kill herself. Before the purple mare could begin to ask questions, the farmpony continued. “Surprised me too. That’s what Rainbow had come over here for. She wanted ta know why Ah would do that sorta thing ta Fluttershy. Ah don’ rightly know myself. Ah mean, my Ma an’ Pa had always taught me that fillyfoolin’ and coltcuddlin’ was wrong. Ever’ time we’d be walkin’ through town, and a couple’a mares would be sittin’ a little too close, then Pa would jus’ go off. One time, when Pa was takin’ me home through Ponyville, we saw these two stallions who were havin’ a picnic. They were jus’ eatin’ some strawberries when one leaned in real close like an’ their lips were touchin’, only they didn’ stop touchin’. Pa scooped me up an’ covered mah eyes. When we finally got home, he sat me down and tol’ me ‘AJ, Ah wan’ ya to listen to me, an’ listen good. What those stallions were doin’ in the park is wrong, ya hear me? Mares ain’t supposed to have feelin’s for other mares, and two stallions shouldn’ be kissin’. Tha’ is somethin’ that should only happen between a mare an’ a stallion, an’ don’ you dare let me catch ya cuddlin’ up to ‘nother filly, or Sweet Celestia, there will be Tartarus to pay.’ An’ Ah believed him. Twi’ Ah believed him.” The farmmare was openly crying now, tears streaming down her face as she hung her head before she continued, “An’ now one of mah best friends went and tried tah kill herself. Ah jus’ dunno what tah do anymore.” Twilight said nothing, shocked by what she had heard. Quietly, the purple mare reached over to her crying friend, and pulled her into a tight embrace. This caused the Applejack to break out into another wave of tears, sob beginning to shake her body. The earthpony returned the hug, burying her head into the shoulder of her friend. The two mares continued to sit there like that for a while, long past the point where the tears stopped flowing. As they sat there, busy weather ponies pushed clouds across the sky. The sky rapidly began to darken, until a bright flash of lightning followed by a thunderous crack signaled that the bright day had been replaced by an aggressive storm.
BrainLapse	1162	6	Applejack,Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	A Cry Left Unheard	When it all builds up, who's there to pick up the pieces?	incomplete	86	8	<p>Everypony has their breaking point, what happens when a pony reaches theirs? Who will get them back on the right track? But most of all will it be enough?</p>	teen	2013-08-03T06:54:34+00:00	2013-08-03T06:54:34+00:00	1,149	Rainbow Dash sped through the pouring rain.The ice-cold rain was beginning to soak through her coat leaving her body numb, just like the rest of her had hours ago. The cyan mare haphazardly veered to the left, narrowly avoiding another rooftop. The mix of tears and rain clouding her vision did not help, but she needed the thoughtless bliss that flight normally provided. Even something as freeing as the skies could not help the weatherpony shake the thoughts racing through her troubled mind. Rainbow Dash began to speed up, her frozen muscles protesting as she pushed herself to fly even faster, in vain attempts to outrun the thoughts bogging down her mind. Twisting and turning through the pouring rain, strikes of lightning flashing across the sky. Each strike brought a new flash of vision for the rainbow maned pegasus. A treetop here, a rooftop there. Feeling her muscles beginning to lose all control, Rainbow Dash twitched the backs of her wings downward, arching her trajectory upwards. The small twist sent her rocketing through the cloud cover, changing the area around her into a vast blue sky above and a dark grey sea of clouds below. As the cyan mare continued to shoot skyward, the day’s events continued to go through an endless loop in her head. All of the joy she felt of ‘Shy waking up, to the uneventful walk home. From the disheartening moment of her friend finding all her animal friends gone, to the kiss. The kiss that tormented her for every second since the weatherpony left her friend’s house. It was unprovoked, shocking, and surprisingly pleasant. The cyan mare shook her head as the thought ran through her head. Everypony expected her to be straight, so why were these thoughts coming back to her now. It had been bad enough in Flight School, when she was standing up for Fluttershy. All the ponies that called her a lesbian, who tormented her because of her want to defend a weak, kind, pretty- Rainbow shook her head again. At this point all the momentum from her earlier flight had burnt off, leaving the mare floating above the sea of storm clouds. The sun was starting to go down, tinting the clouds bright reds, vibrant oranges, and soothing yellows. The whole scene was incredibly serine, but did little to settle the inner turmoil that was raging through the speedster. Her mind was going to war with her heart, each side fighting on what to do. To give into these strange feelings, or to stay with what she had always known. Rainbow Dash sighed, her shoulder sagging as her mind raced in endless circles. She continued to stare out into the vast sky around her as the sun finished it’s decent and gave way to the full moon. The change in lighting did nothing to quell the thoughts racing through the speedsters head. As the stars blinked into existence above her, Rainbow Dash slowly began drifting aimlessly across the sky. While distracted with her thoughts, her body began to carry her faster over the sea of clouds. Each beat of her wings took her further across the sky. The clouds below her slowly started to dissolve, each having run out of rain to drop onto the world underneath. Looking down, the cyan mare began to see trees blur beneath her. In the distance a barn rapidly approached. A strikingly familiar barn, a barn that she had help one of her friends build. Scowling, the speedster turned, not wanting to continue in that direction. All that direction held for her was anger and betrayal. Arcing upward in a tight corkscrew, the prismatic pony slowed to an eventual stop and looked at the town that lay before her, each little section unveiling itself before her as the cloud cleared in the night sky. She saw the giant gingerbread of Sugar Cube Corner and the leafy roof of The Golden Oak Library. From the chic architecture of Carousel Boutique to the practical build of the Ponyville schoolhouse. All this wonder of the small town she lived in, slowly being drawn out in a new light as each portion of the town gradually appeared from underneath the cloud cover, like a canvas being filled with the scenes of the place Rainbow Dash called home. But the thing that drew her attention more than anything else, more than all the semi uniform houses to the rustically designed town hall, was a small cottage, sitting out at the edge of town. As if the moon was highlighting something important, the abode of her oldest friend shone, the shadows created by the moonlight made a scene that was not frightening, but serene and beautiful. The scene at her friend’s home bought a sense of calm to the speedster. It was peaceful, something that she hoped that she could see again, because of the serenity that the image carried with it. Staring at her friend’s cottage brought forth the ease and simplicity that the weatherpony had been searching for since her rather abrupt departure from the home all those hours ago. As she watched the shadows dance around the small abode, all the pieces slowly fell into place. Her emotions arranging themselves, the conflicts answering the original problem. All the little thoughts that had initially caused the cyan pony turmoil fell to the wayside as her answer became clear. Rainbow Dash began to fly towards her friend’s home, until a yawn stopped her. Shrugging it off, the prismatic mare continued to fly forward. But the further she flew, the more the weight of the day finally set in. Struggling to keep her eyes open and her body moving, Rainbow decided that her decision could wait until tomorrow, and started to veer towards one o the few portions of cloud left in the sky, her cloud home.
JohnPerry	1164	1	Twilight Sparkle,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Writer's Block	Twilight is struggling to come up with another lesson on the magic of friendship.	complete	32	2	<p>Twilight is struggling to come up with another lesson on the magic of friendship. What's a studious mare to do when she loses her muse?</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T13:26:27+00:00	2013-11-05T16:11:00+00:00	1,912	Author's note: This story was originally posted on Equestria Daily, and I'm just reposting it here. I'm probably going to use FiMFiction for any future pony stories, so I figure I should start by posting my old material here. Writer's Block “I don’t know…” The young mare muttered sadly, looking at the ground. “You can do it!” The prince said enthusiastically. The mare looked up into his eyes, seeing the confidence he had in her and drawing confidence from them…yes…maybe she could do this! Twilight groaned and shut the book closed. She hunched over her desk and rubbed her eyes slowly, taking some small comfort in the circular motions of her hooves massaging her eyelids for a while before looking up at the night sky through her study window. Luna’s moon was much lower in the sky than it had been when she had started reading this book, meaning it was well past the middle of the night now – dawn would come in only a few hours time. The moon’s silvery glow mingled with the orange light from the candle sitting on Twilight’s desk, which had almost burned the wax to the base of the stick, as was often the case lately. The unicorn sighed, burying her face in her hooves again. Even for all her studying, Twilight was not exactly what one would call “well read.” Most of her reading involved non-fiction, and though she had read some of the classics to get through her classes as a filly, she dismissed them as soon as they were no longer required reading for a decent grade. Magic, science, the history of her nation, the essays from the field of equestripology…the real world offered so much wonder to Twilight that made-up ones simply didn’t interest her. Despite running a library, she had just never gotten into the habit of reading fiction for pleasure. But despite this, she was well familiar with some of the clichés of fiction, and the book she had just closed was chock full of them. Twilight knew perfectly well how this story was going to end: the nervous mare in the story would wind up rescuing the prince and they would finally confess their love for each other. She had opened it because the title sounded interesting, but the story and characters wound up being utterly bland. If Twilight had wanted to read a story about some self-doubting figure who keeps having to be convinced of her worth, she would have picked up the library’s copy of the filly picture book The Little Equine Who Could. And it just seemed so tedious to Twilight to read yet another story about an otherwise self-capable male character who somehow inevitably needs to be rescued by the female lead, which the unicorn supposed was one of those often unconscious by-products of Equestria’s female-dominated society. Twilight idly levitated another book out of a small stack on her desk, using her magic to flip it open to the page she had left a bookmark on. This one was supposed to be a romance novel. Twilight found where she had left off and continued reading: She stretched her wing around the earth pony’s midsection, drawing closer. The earth pony blushed deeply and turned her head away, but did not retreat from her friend’s advance. “Appleseed…” the pegasus said softly. “I…I want to tell you…” Appleseed looked up at the flyer, gazing at her with those magnificent, watery eyes which reflected the moonlight that cast its glow on the pegasus’ curving frame. “Yes, Flash?” Twilight stopped reading. Five lines. She managed to get a whopping five lines through the page before she was bored with the story again. What was it about romance that made it so nopony seemed to be able to write it well? To be fair, this story did have its edgier moments which made for enjoyable reading, but for the most part it just seemed so…banal. Granted, romance wasn’t a matter Twilight had a whole lot of experience with, but she knew enough to be able to distinguish between these trite, sappy stories and something that felt genuine. These romance novels were far too superficial – there was always lots of touching but very little feeling, and what feeling they had seemed too simplistic for the whirlwind of emotion that true love would seem to entail. The unicorn groaned and lifted herself off her chair, her bones creaking and her neck sore. She levitated the stack of books on her desk into the air and unceremoniously dumped them on top of the return pile near the door for Spike to reshelf tomorrow. Twilight then turned back to the window, gazing out into the night. It was the dead of winter in Ponyville, and the ground was covered in a few inches of snow which reflected the moonlight, bathing the village in a soft, silvery glow. The moon hung overhead, making its slow decent toward the horizon. Twilight yawned and stretched her forelimbs out. Guess it was time to hit the hay…she figured she wouldn’t wake up until around noon the next day, but winter mornings were so cold it was hardly a loss, and Spike could have a few hours to himself in the morning as he did his chores. Owlowiscious liked to take a night flight around this time, and Twilight knew he would most likely return in another hour or two – even in the cold of winter that bird liked to spread his wings for a bit. She blew out the candle before trotting upstairs to bed. It was just another one of those nights. * Twilight awoke earlier than she would have liked the next morning. The sun had been up for a while, but she could tell from its position in the sky that noon was still a long way off. Her dreams had been fitful, each one bleeding into the next with no real distinction between each other…which is the perfect analogy for these past few weeks, Twilight thought. She lay back down on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to remember her dreams…there was one where she had been playing tag with a bunch of fillies for some reason…there was something involving these two characters who had seemed so familiar in her dream, as if she had met them in an earlier dream…and then this had all somehow led to some situation with Pinkie Pie trying to catch a bunch of cats with a muffin tin, which had somehow made complete sense to Twilight while she dreaming it. She idly thought over all this for a moment, but knew there was no point trying to make any sense of it. At least they weren’t nightmares or one of those awful dreams where she was back in Canterlot trying to pass an examination she thought she had already passed. It was warm and cozy under her blanket. The nice thing about living in a tree was that it essentially heated itself as it pulled nutrients from the ground, although a small magically-powered heater never hurt in the winter (making a fire for heat would have been too dangerous in a house made from wood and filled with what were essentially bound stacks of paper). But even still, the floors could get a little chilly. However, Twilight didn’t see much sense in just lying in bed doing nothing and she definitely wasn’t going to be getting any more sleep, so she resigned herself to getting out from under her comfortable blanket and facing the day. Twilight could hear a clatter from downstairs, which she knew was Spike doing the morning chores and making himself breakfast. Twilight walked into the washroom and drew a hot bath for herself. She settled into the tub, letting the water wash over her and feeling it ebb her stress away. After a lousy sleep filled with stupid dreams, this was true relaxation. Her horn glowed softly as she lifted a bottle of shampoo towards her – it just wouldn’t be complete without a decent mane wash. Twilight stayed in the tub for a while longer, inhaling the steam until it vanished as the water slowly went from hot to merely lukewarm. At this point, Twilight finally drained the water and dried herself off before heading downstairs. Spike was in the kitchen, finishing off a very charred piece of toast (just the way he liked it). He grinned at Twilight. “Morning, sleepyhead.” “Funny, that’s what I used to say to you.” Twilight muttered, levitating a couple of spoonfuls of tea leaves into a cup before picking up the kettle of hot water that Spike had prepared. She pulled a poppy seed bagel out of a bag in the cupboard and levitated the bagel and the cup of tea to the kitchen table. “So, did you get any work done last night?” Spike asked as Twilight took a bite of the bagel. “No…” Twilight groaned. “No matter what I do, I just can’t get myself to focus lately!” “Come on, Twilight. How hard can it be? Look, I’ll start…” Spike cleared his throat and closed his eyes in a passable imitation of the unicorn. “Dear Princess Celestia. Today I learned…” “Today I learned…” Twilight started, staring into her tea cup, watching the small ripples distort her reflection. Deep reds and purples mixed with a slightly earthy tinge as the tea leaves swirled around in the cup. It was remarkable how many colors you could get into such a small cup… “…Yes?” Spike said expectantly. Twilight looked up at Spike, then closed her eyes and tilted her head up, as she always did when she dictated these letters. She spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone: “Dear Princess Celestia. Today I learned that I really enjoy hot baths. In fact, I wish they could last forever! I am going to do some research and find out if there’s a spell I can use to make it so hot water will never turn cold. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight opened her eyes again. Spike was glaring back, apparently unamused by Twilight’s joke. “Oh come on Spike, I was just kidding.” She muttered, taking a sip of tea. “This is serious, Twilight!” Spike said. “You haven’t written anything good in three weeks! Since the Winter Moon festival you’ve just been…lazy! And that’s not a word I thought I could ever use to describe you!” “Ah, the Winter Moon festival…” Twilight sighed as she placed a hoof on her chin, thinking back to the celebration of the Winter Solstice. Princess Luna had come to town to visit, and they had such fun…the trees were covered in lights and beautiful decorations, Pinkie Pie had led a big group of carolers, Applejack had brought them all hot apple cider to drink, and her friends had given her such wonderful presents. “At first I thought this was just a case of post-holiday blues,” Spike continued. “But don’t you think it’s about time you snapped out of it?” “That’s what I’ve been trying to do!” Twilight snapped. “But every time I start thinking about it, my mind goes blank…it’s like I lost my ability to work or something…” She was looking sadly into her tea cup. “Isn’t there some spells you can practice? Or some scientific research to work on?” “I told you Spike, I do my research in tandem with the experts at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and they’re still on winter break. There’s just nothing to keep me active…” “Come on, you’re Twilight Sparkle!” Spike cried. “You’re Princess Celestia’s prized pupil, you defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Equestria…you beat an Ursa Minor, for pony’s sake! You don’t give up, and I couldn’t call myself your #1 Assistant if I let you quit trying.” Twilight looked back up, a determined expression on her face. “You’re right Spike! I have to do this! I will write that letter!” “That’s the spirit!” Spike cheered. * An hour later Twilight was feeling considerably less confident. She was staring at the piece of parchment while holding a quill in mid-air just above it, staring blankly at the words “Dear Princess Celestia” she had written upon it. Nothing had been written beneath. She took a deep breath and put quill to parchment. This week I learned that a true friend has to offer No, no, that wouldn’t work. She crumpled up the parchment and tossed it aside before trying again. Dear Princess Celestia. This week I learned that no matter how much somepony tries, sometimes you have to No, no, no! Come on, what was she looking for? She knew there had to be some exact combination of words that would work, if only she could figure out what that combination was. This week I learned…what? “This week I learned I can’t write this stupid letter.” Twilight grumbled, forgetting that she still had her quill activated by her magic. She looked down at the parchment to see the words written there. “GAAAAGH! THIS IS HOPELESS!” She screamed, slamming her face into the desk. She let it sit there for a moment while Spike came in and patted her on the shoulder. “Hey... I got an idea!" Spike exclaimed, looking hopeful. "What if you just asked your friends for help? Somepony is sure to have an idea!” “Well…” Twilight considered this for a moment. She never needed to ask for help to write a letter before, and she felt awkward about asking them now. But this was not a situation where she could afford to be picky. “Well, I don’t have any better ideas…” Twilight muttered. “Maybe this can work! Let’s see…who should we visit first?” Spike had a satisfied grin on his face, seeing that Twilight was taking his idea seriously. “Well…let’s go see Rarity!” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “…And why exactly is that particular pony the first to pop in your mind?” “Um, well…” Spike stammered. “Isn’t it obvious?” He said hopefully. “You want us to see Rarity because you have a crush on her.” Twilight said flatly. “No, it’s not that! It’s…it’s…” Spike seemed to be desperately fishing for an answer. “It’s… because… she… she…” He was clenching his fists and biting his lip, hoping for something to come, but after a moment he finally slumped and looked at the ground. “Okay, fine. I don’t have another reason.” He sighed. “Hmmm…maybe we should try Applejack first.” Twilight said. “She wouldn’t be growing any apples in the winter, so she might not be so busy.” “Fine.” Spike muttered dejectedly. * “Going out of town?!” Twilight cried. Spike and Twilight were standing with Applejack at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres, which looked quite gorgeous even covered in snow. The trees lacked the lush greenery they had in the summer, but the darkly colored bark contrasted beautifully with the rolling white landscape. But what really drew the eye was the bright red of the barn, which looked absolutely picturesque when covered in snow. “Eeyup.” Applejack replied. “Sorry Sugarcube, can’t be helped. Ah’ve been planning this trip for weeks.” “Where are you going?” Spike asked. “Salt Lick City!” Applejack cheered. “S’posed to be amazing! The town sits under these big salt deposits, which get washed into this big salty lake on the edge of town. So you can get both rock salt and sea salt there! Nearly all the salt in Equestria comes outta that town!” “Sounds…salty.” Twilight said, unsure of anything else to say. “But why are you going there?” “Well, they make plenty of delicious salt, but the water there tastes awful.” Applejack grimaced. “So Cousin Braeburn rounded up a bunch of ponies from Appleloosa to help them build a big pipeline down from the mountains so they can get fresh water. And ah’m gonna go help them!” “Oh, wow…” Twilight considered all this for a moment. “But wouldn’t it make more sense to wait until summer to build a pipeline?” “It’s gotta be done before the spring melt.” Applejack explained. “Plus there’s a lotta interest in Salt Lick City at the moment. If we’re lucky, the Apple family can lay down a claim fer a bit of land so we can go back and start an apple orchard there when they have some nice clean water. Maybe someday a few of the young’uns can run it when they get older and make some good money.” “Well I wish you good luck!” Twilight offered. “Just be sure not to plant your orchard on top of any buffalo stampede grounds.” Applejack grinned. “That’s a mistake we won’t be making again, that’s fer sure.” * Twilight trudged back to town along the road from Sweet Apple Acres with Spike on her back. Even though the townsfolk had done a good job keeping the road clear of snow, it was still muddy and riddled with puddles of half-frozen water down the middle which Twilight had to navigate around, which made progress slow. They started down the hill into town, passing by a set of snowmares some fillies had made. The road was quiet, and with good reason – a brisk wind was sweeping down from the mountains, chilling the exposed hill. Even with her scarf and boots, Twilight couldn’t keep from shivering. “This is why I started going outside less often.” Twilight grumbled. “Winter days are for staying inside and drinking hot tea.” “I bet Rarity’s place is pretty warm.” Spike said a little too casually. “Forget it, Spike.” Twilight snapped. “I still need help on my letter.” “YOU NEED HELP?” Pinkie Pie had suddenly appeared out of one of the snowmares on the side of the road, her head emerging from where the snowmare’s had just been. Her cheery voice rang out like a shout in the cold air, causing Twilight to jump several feet in the air and Spike to fall into a patch of snow. “Pinkie?!” Twilight gasped. “What…what the…why were you sitting in a snowmare?!” Pinkie giggled. “Sorry Twilight, it’s a secret! And I promised not to tell nopony about it! …FoooooorrrEVER!” She finished dramatically, a dark look crossing her face for but a fraction of a second before reverting to its usual happy glow. “Yes, I’m familiar with your policy in that department.” Twilight said, deciding she probably didn’t really want to know the answer anyway. “But aren’t you cold sitting in there?” “Nope!” Pinkie squeaked. “See? I brought my ear muffs!” She tilted her head down to allow Twilight to see them more clearly. Twilight and Spike stared blankly at her for a few seconds before Pinkie burst out of the snowmare, causing the rest of it to vanish in a cloud of snowflakes. “Say, you look kinda tired, Twilight!” “I do?” Twilight asked, bemused. She knew she probably had dark circles under her eyes from her relative lack of sleep lately, but she had much worse periods of insomnia in the past without anyone remarking on it. Fortunately, Pinkie apparently decided not to press the point. “So, what’s this about Ponyville’s bestest most magical magic unicorn needing help?” “Oh, right…well, I need help writing a letter to Princess Celestia.” “A letter?” Pinkie said, rubbing her chin. “This looks like a job for-“ She was cut off by a gust of cold wind that sent a fresh wave of shivers down Twilight’s body. “HOT COCOA! Come on everypony, let’s all go to Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie finished before bouncing down the hill back towards town. Twilight and Spike ran after her, trying to keep up. Twilight was grateful Pinkie had suggested coming to the sweet shop even before they walked in, as the smell emanating from the kitchen window was absolutely irresistible. A mixture of gingerbread, cinnamon, and peppermint scents wafted through the cold air, tempting the senses like a siren. Something about cold air always made food smell better, and the scent of sweets was so strong it almost felt tangible, like something you could drink. Twilight inhaled deeply a few times before feeling a wave of welcome heat as she entered Sugarcube Corner. Stepping inside was like entering a furnace, and it made Twilight realize just how cold it had been outside. The ovens had been running all morning and were pouring out heat which had thoroughly fogged the shop windows (Pinkie briefly took a moment to rewrite her greeting message out of the condensation on the glass and added a quick scribble of a cupcake). Mr. Cake greeted Twilight and Spike before Pinkie led them to her room for that mug of hot cocoa. “Oh, that’s good…” Twilight sighed, letting the first sip of Pinkie’s creamy hot chocolate wash down her throat. She felt instantly warmed from horn to hoof – what the hot bath had been for her fur and skin, the hot cocoa seemed to be for her insides. “You want some marshmallows?” Pinked asked, holding up a small bowl of the little white treats. “Oh, yes please!” Twilight said. “I’ll have just a-“ Pinkie emptied the entire bowl into Twilight’s mug, leaving a small mountain of marshmallows on top of the cocoa, with a few falling off the sides of the mug on to the floor. “…couple.” Twilight finished, frowning at Pinkie. The pink pony took no notice. “So, you need help writing a letter to Princess Celestia! How far have you gotten?” Pinkie asked. Spike cleared his throat. “Dear Princess Celestia.” He stopped there and Pinkie looked expectant for a couple of seconds before her smile faded. “Oh. Then this might be a teensy tiny bit harder than I thought.” Pinkie said. “I need to write another of my reports on the magic of friendship, but I can’t think of anything!” Twilight said. “Since the Winter Moon festival I haven’t be able to write something good.” “Oh, silly filly!” Pinkie said, waving a hoof. “Isn’t it obvious?” Twilight gave her a blank look. Pinkie sighed. “You always write your letters about friendship after something crazy happens to all of us! You haven’t written anything since the Winter Moon festival because nothing crazy has happened to you! So…you just need to wait until something wild and unpredictable happens to us again and write something about it!” Twilight stared back in stunned silence. Now that she thought about it, Pinkie was absolutely right. In fact, why hadn’t Twilight herself noticed this pattern? Maybe it was her lack of sleep lately… Then again, Pinkie had a strange sort of wisdom about her, sometimes able to see the forest where Twilight only saw trees. A smile crept onto Twilight’s face. ‘Something wild and unpredictable’? She was only talking to what had to be the most unpredictable pony in all of Equestria! Maybe this is one of Pinkie’s moments of brilliance… Twilight thought. “So?” Twilight asked Pinkie expectantly. “So…what?” Pinkie replied. “So can you do something wild and unpredictable so I can write my letter?” Twilight asked, almost bouncing with anticipation. “What, me? Oh no no no no!” Pinkie laughed. “I’m the most predictable pony in all of Equestria!” Twilight facehoofed. Maybe not. * “Now can we go see Rarity?” Spike grumbled. They were back outside, walking down the main street of Ponyville. After the visit with Pinkie went nowhere, they decided to find another one of their friends. Sugarcube Corner was so warm that stepping back outside felt like walking into a cool breeze, but soon enough they were starting to feel the chill return. “Hush Spike,” Twilight muttered. “We’ll see Rarity when we’re good and-“ Spike suddenly got a terrified look on his face. “DUCK!!!” He yelled, diving for the ground. Twilight looked ahead just in time to feel something collide hard against her head. Whatever it was, it was white as snow and released an enormous cloud of feathers. She couldn’t comprehend what was going on...stars were popping in her eyes and something heavy was clasped around her head, honking loudly into her ears. “Um, actually Spike, it’s not a duck. It’s a goose.” A familiarly quiet voice said softly. Fluttershy landed gracefully on the ground a few yards away, looking in Twilight’s direction with a look of concern on her face (then again, rare was the moment where Fluttershy didn’t look concerned). Twilight had regained her senses just enough that she was starting to panic. “AGH! What’s going on?!? Is there a goose on my head?!” Twilight shrieked. “Please, calm down.” Fluttershy said. “Um, if that’s okay…” She added timidly. Twilight willed herself to not panic. Fluttershy approached Twilight slowly and reached out a hoof. “It’s okay…” Twilight felt the mass on her head edge away from the pegasus, but after a tense moment a long, slender neck emerged and stretched toward Fluttershy, making a soft gobbling noise as it nestled its head against the yellow pegasus’ outstretched hoof. “That’s better.” Fluttershy said, visibly relieved. “And I think he likes you, Twilight.” The goose seemed to affirm this by pulling its head back from Fluttershy and wrapping its neck around Twilight’s horn. “He’s beautiful!” Twilight said, feeling more confident the bird wasn’t going to attack her. “But what’s a goose doing in Ponyville in the middle of winter?” “Oh, he got injured in the autumn and couldn’t fly south with his flock, so I’ve been keeping him at my house this winter to nurse him back to health.” Fluttershy explained. The goose gave an appreciative-sounding gobble. “So if you’re taking care of him, why’s he flying around out here?” Spike asked. “Oh…he got scared.” Fluttershy said meekly. “Scared of what?” Spike asked, lifting an eyebrow. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADER WILD GOOSE CHASERS! YAY!!!” The overwhelming yell caused Spike and the two ponies to flinch and the goose to start honking frantically again. The Cutie Mark Crusaders emerged from around the corner, clutching to Scootaloo’s scooter, which had apparently been outfitted with treads on the wheels to handle snowy terrain. A moment after they spotted the goose they were flying down the street, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle barely managing to cling to Scootaloo as she expertly drove her scooter. The goose took off down the street, whacking Twilight on the head when it gave a couple of panicked flaps to try to get airborne. Fluttershy lifted off the ground just in time to avoid getting buried in a wave of snow sent up from the passing scooter, but Twilight and Spike were not so fortunate. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy!” Apple Bloom called back. “We’ll catch that goose!” “Oh no…wait, my little ponies! …Please! …Stop!” Fluttershy called out meekly, too quietly for anyone but Twilight and Spike to hear, whose heads popped up out of the snow. Fluttershy started flying after the goose and the fillies, but turned around before she got very far. “Um, Twilight…it’s probably none of my business…but you should really get more sleep. You look awfully tired.” She said before flying off. “What…but…BUT I FEEL…fine…” Twilight trailed off, realizing Fluttershy was already too far away to hear. She sighed and turned around to see Rainbow Dash hovering in front of her. “Hey, Twi! Spike! What’s going on?” Dash asked with a bemused look on her face. “Anything I should be getting involved in?” Twilight thought this over for a moment. “I don’t think so. Fluttershy would probably be better off handling this one on her own.” “Suits me.” Dash shrugged, landing softly on the snowy ground. “But Twilight needs your help!” Spike said. “We need something wild and unpredictable to happen so that Twilight can learn a lesson about friendship and write her letter to Princess Celestia!” “You mean that wasn’t something wild and unpredictable?” Dash asked, pointing in the direction Fluttershy had taken off in. “Not something I could learn any lesson from.” Twilight said. “Unless that lesson was ‘Don’t chase wild birds.’” “Well, if you need something wild and unpredictable to happen, then it’s obvious – you just gotta make it happen!” Dash said confidently. “How does that work?” Twilight asked skeptically. Dash shrugged again. “I dunno. Just…do something you wouldn’t normally do. Something that would lead to something crazy happening that you can write about!” “Sounds…risky.” Twilight said. “Plus, if you’re trying to make something unpredictable happen, wouldn’t that inherently make it predictable?” “Yes. …I mean – no! …Maybe.” Dash stammered. “…You got me there.” She finally admitted. “So…I know Applejack’s leaving town, and Fluttershy is occupied at the moment, and Pinkie’s probably being…Pinkie somewhere. Have you asked Rarity for any help?” Spike gave a sideways grin to Twilight, who was glaring at Rainbow Dash. * The Carousel Boutique looked magnificent in the winter. The light pink and yellow of the roof was exposed at the top but covered in a soft white below, with a ring of icicles dangling from the decorative trim beneath the edge of the roof. The awnings had been folded up so they wouldn’t collapse under the weight of the snow, but it also allowed more sunlight to reach the windows and illuminate the displays behind the glass. Twilight and Spike entered the shop and spotted Rarity almost instantaneously. She was reorganizing some merchandise to draw more attention to a particularly beautiful (and expensive) set of coats, which were surrounded by displays of winter accessories like scarves and mittens. Rarity turned around to face Twilight and Spike when she heard the doorbell over the shop door ring. “Oh, Twilight Sparkle! Just the unicorn I wanted to see! Tell me, how does the display look? And be honest now! I have some big clients due to arrive tomorrow and I need this to look just perfect!” “Oh, well…” Twilight started, but was immediately cut off. Rarity had gasped and rushed up to Twilight with a look of near-horror on her face. “My goodness dear, are you all right?” Rarity asked. “What…yes, I’m fine!” Twilight said hastily, taking a step back. “Why?” “Don’t take this the wrong way dear, but you look ghastly!” Rarity cried. “Your color is faded, your complexion looks dismal, you have dark shadows under your eyes…” She started circling Twilight, examining her closely. “You look anxious, you’re far too tense, and you seemed to have gained some weight.” She finished, prodding her midsection. “Rarity!” Twilight cried, pulling away sharply and blushing slightly. “I feel fine, really! And besides, it’s normal to gain a little weight in the winter. It’s a natural reaction to the cold.” “You’re absolutely correct, dear.” Rarity said. “But this is stress you’re dealing with! Come on in…I will not have you going out looking like this!” She added, pushing Twilight into a back room. Spike, who seemed not to mind being completely ignored in the midst of this situation, lazily followed them, walking so lightly he almost seemed to be floating. * A couple of hours later, after a series of heated negotiations in which Twilight managed to convince Rarity not to drag her to the spa, they were sitting in the top floor of the building, resting on silk pillows with green clay lightly applied to their faces (at one point, Spike had worked up the courage to ask if Rarity could apply some clay to his face too, and had practically fainted when Rarity obliged his request). Twilight had her front hooves resting in a bowl of steaming water and a warm towel draped over her back. Rarity had her hoof on her chin, looking thoughtfully at her guest. Twilight had just finished explaining her situation and Rarity seemed to be considering it. “Well my dear, it would seem to me that the answer to your problem is obvious!” She exclaimed. Twilight frowned. There was that word again. “I’ve been hearing that an awful lot today, Rarity.” “Oh yes, I suppose you have…” Rarity laughed. “Let me just make sure I’ve got this correct. You needed assistance writing your letter, so you decided to ask your friends for help.” “Yeah…” Twilight said slowly, not sure where Rarity was going with this. “Then the answer lies right before you!” Rarity responded. “A true friend is one you can always count on for help. And even if they can’t help you, just the knowledge that you have someone you can look to can make any situation much easier to bear.” Twilight’s jaw dropped. It was perfect. All she needed to do was add ‘Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle’ to the end and it would be ready. “Can I use that, Rarity? …Word-for-word?” Twilight asked. “I don’t think it counts as plagiarism if I ask for your permission first…” She said, laughing slightly. “By all means, use it.” Rarity said proudly. “I would consider it an honor!” “Told you we should have come here first…” Spike muttered with a sly grin on his face. Twilight offered a sharp glare in response. “Spike, take a letter!” “Can’t it wait?” Spike asked. During the conversation he had been fanning Rarity with a large leaf. “SPIKE! NOW!” * A couple of hours later they were back at the library. Spike had sent off the letter and Twilight was feeling more upbeat than she had in days. She was in the process of removing the last of her boots when they heard a knock at the door. Spike opened the door to answer it. “P-Princess Celestia!?!” He sputtered. The boot Twilight was struggling with suddenly went flying into the air, landing with a sharp smack on Twilight’s head. Rubbing the spot where it struck, she hurriedly got up and rushed to the door, bowing when she caught sight of the regal figure standing on her doorstep. “Hello, my faithful student!” Celestia said cheerfully. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything!” “Oh, not at all Princess!” Twilight said hurriedly. “Please, come in and make yourself comfortable!” “Thank you for the offer, Twilight.” Celestia replied. “But I’m afraid I will have to be leaving soon. I’m on my way to Hoofington, but I got your letter just before I departed and wanted to check in on you.” The princess lowered her head towards Twilight. “I haven’t been getting as many reports on the magic of friendship from you lately. Is everything all right?” Twilight swallowed hard. She was afraid that she’d be asked that. “Yes Princess, I’m fine. I’m sorry…I just wasn’t able to come up with any meaningful reports these last few weeks. I hope you’re not disappointed in me…” “Not at all, my faithful student!” Celestia said happily. “I just wanted to let you know that you shouldn’t feel any pressure to get your reports to me. Much like cutie marks, the magic of friendship is something we have to discover on our own time.” “Begging your pardon, Princess…But I think if I had been left to my own time, I never would have discovered anything about friendship!” Twilight said, referring to the events that brought her to Ponyville in the first place. Celestia chuckled softly. “Well, maybe not always on our own time. But so long as you’re attempting, it will come to you.” “Thank you, Princess…” Twilight said, audibly relieved. Celestia turned to leave, spreading her wings to take off, but she glanced back before soaring into the air. “And Twilight? Be sure to get your rest. You look exhausted!” Twilight’s eye twitched involuntarily.
mimezinga	1165	1	DJ P0N-3,Princess Luna,Rarity,Sweetie Belle,Dark,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	One Last Song	A different Vinyl Scratch.	complete	50	3	<p>There is a song that is more than a lullaby, a song where hope and sadness dance together, this is its story.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T18:39:00+00:00	2011-10-03T18:39:00+00:00	3,664	A Bad Pony Music still banged in my head when I left the console, a crowd of ponies danced under the flashing lights in a claustrophobic atmosphere. The backstage was sound-proof but the beat in the hooves was still there; all the freaking building pulsed with it, like a big artificial heart on an adrenaline rush. "Hey P, great show." The owner of the place cheered me, wonder if she was going to be so cheerish when she had to clean the mess... oh well, her problem, not mine... "Hey I'm the best around, dude... what time is it?" "Almost dawn." Yay for sunrise; it was a decent time to go to bed, maybe... I peeked at the morning ligh from a window: the Sun was already rising with all the might o a thou- well, actually of just one sun, but it hurt my eyes anyway. Music was fading too fast, my head didn't hurt bad enough to keep at bay my brain. Maybe I just needed some more little help from Mr. Booze. "I badly need something strong: fetch me anything you can find, mix it together and add some more alcohol." The mare in front of me frowned, hesitating. I could have been a better pony, I could have sympathized with her; after all, one thing is playing loud music and let the fillies go loose for one night, another thing is feeding me with all the alcohol of the town... but I wasn't a better pony, so... not my problem. "I... I'm not sure, you already-" "Hay, just do it!" The door of my changing room had a musical note on it, somepony put even a star under the note and wrote DJP0N-3. Wow, that was quite an effort for a one-night performance in such a small town; maybe I should have been grateful but, want me to tell the truth? Didn't care. How in Equestria I ended in such a small and peacefull village? The damn place wasn't loud enough to prevent my head from thinking; not thinking was the only thing I wanted... ever... that, and some strong drink. Better with ice, to keep it down as long as possible. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "U... Kay?... plea... ke up!" Urgh... that taste felt horrible... was I standing up? No, lying down... maybe upside down? couldn't say... there were echoes in my head... Was actually my tail on my muzzle or just a mop? My tail was a mop? "Are you okay? Please say something!" "What... time is it?" Head spinning, not good... no wait, head spinning was good: it helped me forgetting... what? I didn't remember, so it must have worked.... There was a small crowd of ponies around me, maybe four, seemingly concerned if not totally panicking... I hurt a lot, my head hurt, my hooves hurt, my everything hurt and they kept talking and talking and blah, blah... "I'm cool... just... don't freak out, I'm in the middle of finding my brain..." "You fainted in the changing room, we tried to awake you for, like, hours!" this one seemed the proprietor... There was a reason if somepony put a 'private' tag on that door, why they had to come in and check on me? Townponies... in any decent city they would let you die in the middle of a post office as long as you didn't slow the queue... I sighed while trying to get up. Worst. Decision. Ever. Head spinning and getting up could only bring-. "I... think I'm gonna..." "Somepony fetch a bucket! Fast!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alone again; the owner of the ballroom literally forced me to take some rest in her daughter's room. The closed windows let some sunlight pour inside the small bedroom. A bell told me it was 2 P.M. and I didn't get even a couple of hours of sleep. The house was silent... the whole damn town was flooded in silence. "Hay, I need more noise..." The bedroom was nicely painted in sky blue, there were posters all around and toys everywhere on the furniture. I focused on a record player just next to the bed, where the hay were those damn headphones when you needed them? I put off my glasses and took a look around: now the world was a little less purple, but even the little light from the closed window was still too much for my taste. My attention got caught by the posters that this filly kept here... I could recognize Sapphire Shores, Celestia, the Wonderbolts and me... me everywhere, talk about obsession... I felt sick again and stared at the ceiling trying not to make a disaster in somepony's else bedroom. Hay, why they liked so much my music? It hurt, it was meant just to make you go numb and stop thinking... it was meant for me, nonetheless they wanted it and I... well if it was me, I'd stop the show and say everipony to go home, but I needed that torturing sound: it was the only painkiller that still worked on me... "I'm a bad pony..." Somepony knocked at the door. "Vinyl, are you feeling better?" it was the owner of the room, obviously: her idol was sleeping in there and the filly simply had to pass by; couldn't blame her.... "Never felt this good..." "Your performance last night, it was incredible!" "You should had been in your bed by that time, y'know?" "I was in my bed." I sighed, head still hurt bad enough to prevent me from focusing on a topic for more than a hoof of seconds; it was good: it kept worse things away. "Hay... they told me the building was soundproof." "Are you hungry? Want something to eat?" I snickered. "No thanks, I don't want to ruin such a nice bedroom." "Do you like it? For real?" her voice went up of at least two tones in fangasm, my head blamed me for this. "It's cool... but please, don't scream..." I looked around searching for something to comment that wasn't about me. Good old Sapphire came in my help: "I like Sapphire Shores, too." honest: I really liked her music, she was so different from me... "Forget Sapphire, that's an old poster! I like you the most! Your music makes me feel like... it's like you understand me better than I do!" Here we go again: always the same story everywhere... I had an answer for this, I could even say it while sleeping. "When I was your age I had my load of troubles... not every pony is happy with her destiny... or solitude, or parents or whatever it is. So I had this feeling inside me, the urge to rebel against everything... time will heal those wounds; I give you a couple of years and you'll move onto some better music..." "W-w-what? But YOU make the best music! You can play all the anger and the pain I feel! You give me the energy to go on, despite of how bad I feel!" It was facehoofing time: teenage problems... "You shouldn't feel bad: Celestia is watching over you, you are loved, trust me… everypony is loved." I could barely remember the meaning of that word... love... damn, who was I kidding? "When I'm older I want to be like you!" the filly insisted. "Trust me: you don't... I'm a bad pony..." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A road, a Nightmare, a Pact The night was fresh and silent: a whole blanket of stars just hung above my head while crickets were singing hidden in the the fields and all around the hills. A large white moon shone like a benevolent eye watching upon all the ponies like me that were not sleeping at that time. That was a great atmosphere for lovers, poets or maybe some weird night pony, but for me all this stillness was just driving me nuts. Without any distraction I was just prisoner of myself. "Why in Equestria I had to trot my way home, why?" now the silence of the night in the middle of a desert road couldn't keep the past away from me… damn… while I was walking the lullaby came by itself, as it always did… "Crickets sing in candle light, sewing dreams is done by night." "Silken suede will suit you well, from-" What the hay was I just doing? Not that song! I shook my head, feeling a growing sensation of panic that made my heartbeat go wild and my teeth clatter. Stop it, stop it! "No, no, NO!" I dashed in a gallop through the night, desperately trying to outrun my thoughts, fleeing from that still silence that was driving me crazy. Run and don't think, just run, flee from your own fears stopping only when lungs burn and liver blasts your flank with pain… Every breath was like drinking a whole glass of burning flames, my hooves were almost going to crack if I had taken just another step, my heart galloped like a crazy begging for a truce. Everything I could feel was pain, yes, this was helping at last… catching my breath I couldn't help but grinning; it was the story of my life made short: run until you bleed then collapse, wake up and start running again… forever… "I'm a bad pony…" When I stood up again I noticed something familiar in the air: a creepy blue mist was coming from the trees and gathering in front of me, I knew that lousy trick and its performer: a pony I haven't met since… hay, since not enough time; it wouldn't be enough time even if they were a thousand years, who could actually miss such an heartless mare? From the shadows emerged a goddess; higher than me, she sported both a horn and a pair of wings; her color was the same of the night… only… she was quite different from the last time: She seemed younger and in her eyes something was missing; it was hard to forget the ever present shadow of hatred and pain in Nightmare Moon's stare, but now it was gone, replaced by something else: maybe sadness, maybe concern… This didn't prevent me from feeling the same anger i felt last time we met. "Nightmare Moon… you are the last goddess I wanted to meet tonight…" "Nightmare Moon is gone, call me Luna please…" "I call you whatever I want, are you here to finish the job? It was about time, monster!" The goddess stepped back at my anger, on her face I could clearly see how much pain my answer caused and somehow this made me feel better… yes: I truly was a bad pony… I wanted more of that feeling…but the damn song came up again by itself, playing in hy head and making me feel awful again… spreading sorrow wasn't a cure for my own pain, why was I doing this? Luna must have perceived my hesitation, exploiting it to deliver her message: "Please, at least listen to me. I need your help: it's going to happen again." Happen again? No, impossible! I was still struggling between rage and regret when Luna's last sentence made me freeze on the spot. The blue alicorn kept speaking: "A contract is coming to its end and no rule was broken. The deadline is in a couple of days, if nothing changes I'll have to grant that wish… again…" Luna was worried like hay, I could tell it from her face, but what was I supposed to do? This was her problem not mine. I already had my load of pain, I couldn't stand even somepony's else sufferings. I looked away and tried to be firm. "You are knocking at the wrong door, try the Sun…" The younger goddess shook her head, frowning. "No! She musn't know of this! It's… huge: it involves ponies that are very close to her… you are my only hope" I shivered for a moment, maybe I could- No! Not. My. Problem. I was a bad pony, after all, I was expected to be bad… Even if I felt it was wrong… "Then you are on your own, sweetie…" I could have at least tried to put some resolve in that sentence... "My hooves are tied as long as the pact stands; I'm already distorting the rules speaking of this to you!" Now she was playing the last hope card, not fair. I felt a sting in my heart, this pony was not the same that made me suffer, she was different… she was begging and not even for herself, how could I… My eyes lowered as my resolve vanished, Luna persisted. "Please, don't let it happen again…" No Vinyl, don't let her win, not this time! "There will be suffering anyway, the pact is-" "You know what's coming for those poor ponies… please, Silky Tail?" I felt the rage growing in my chest hearing that name, how could she dare? She perfectly knew what I had been through. "Don't use that nickname with me… never again…" Luna didn't reply, she just stared at me with her best sad face… hay, she was good at that… I lost. "what do you want me to do?" She told me, I accepted. Ponyville was more than a day of walk from where I was, that didn't leave very much time before the deadline... my usual luck. Here I was again: dragged in something way bigger than me because of an old acquaintance. "I'm a bad pony…" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sweet, the scoot and the apple "Hey you are Vinyl Scratch! I can't believe it! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Great Celestia, I had been in town for less than a couple minutes and somepony already recognized me… Hay, in this damn place I performed only once and it was just to make a favor to Hoity Toity. I really needed to be less recognizable, but with these stupid glasses it wasn't easy: I was depicted with those purple things on my muzzle on every album and poster. Every town had some adolescent pony that wanted to rebel against something and obviously being me the only "rebel" icon of the jet set, guess how good I was at covert operations? Oh well, change of plans. "Cool, sweetie, can I ask you wher-" "SHE KNOWS MY NAME!" The filly stared at me with an ecstatic expression and started jumping all around the place yelling "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!". She was a white unicorn with a pink and purple mane; it wasn't hard to guess that her name was Sweet, or Sweetie... note for me: try some different nicknames. Beside the jumping unicorn there were other two foals looking at me with admiration: an orange pegasus with purple mane and a yellow earth pony with a big ribbon on her head, they seemed both quite excited. "Woah, are you for real? D' you know mah name, too?" Well, that was quite of an accent. "I'm sorry I don't think I know you…" I smiled, from her point of view that probably was a legitimate question, after all I knew her friend's name, didn't I? "so… um… the unicorn's name is Sweetie?" The couple nodded, still staring at me as if I was some delicious cake. I returned my best smile and tried to find something to say. "Wow, that was quite random… is there a way to make her stop?" "Ah don't think so, sorry…" Oh well, at least that Sweetie was having fun, but I still had a work to do. "I'd stay and talk forever, but I'm looking for a place, maybe you can help me?" The reaction of the trio was quite unexpected: the unicorn stopped jumping around almost immediately and they began to whisper to each other, staring at me with a thoughtful expression here and there. After a brief consultation all three faced me smiling widely and screamed in one voice. "Cutie Mark Crusaders tour operators! Yaaaaaaay!" Without even noticing what was going on, I was dragged all around the town. In just a couple of minutes I visited an apple farm, a bakery, a secret HQ, a schoolhouse and almost drowned in a pond. The trio didn't even give me the time for asking or explaining anything, but i didn't feel bad at all: the commotion and the constant chatting of the three foals kept me distant from my usual mood. I felt better, relieved; it had been a long, long time since I had such a strange but fun experience, for a moment I wished I could forget everything else and stay like this forever. The voice of Sweetie Belle (this was her entire name) broke that spell. "You know, Vinyl? Can I call you Vinyl?" "Call me whatever you want, Sweetie." "I have a lot of your records, they belonged to my sister but she doesn't listen to them anymore, so I took them! Your beat makes me feel like you have known me forever! I'm so excited that you're in Ponyville, are you going to perform here?" Here we went again: another foal that was going trough that age, that felt different and couldn't accept herself… put all these things together and bang! My music was the only remedy for her to find a place in her soul where to scream her frustration and find a way trough her darker days… oh well, it was just the age, wasn't it? Maybe this unicorn was a bit too young if compared to my average fandom, but I was used to oddities. "Trust me, sunbeam: in a couple of years you'll be listening to a totally different music… do you like Sapphire Shores? I think she's very good…" "Nah, you are good! Sapphire is just moochie moochie and… well, gack! Hey, we're arrived! That's the Carousel Boutique! Come in, Rarity won't believe her eyes!" Rarity? I freezed, a chill running down my spine. Rarity, like Rarity the pony tailor that made the pact with mightmare moon? My heart sunk in a cold grip, I hoped for a second that this Rarity was just a friend with Sweetie, or one of her friends. Struggling to maintain a carefree expression I asked. "Is… Rarity your mom, Swetie?" She giggled, even Applebloom and Scootaloo found that question quite funny, I relaxed "No, she's my sister! Come in, come in!" As soon as the evidence in Sweetie's words settled in my head my heart skipped a couple of beats. I just stood in the middle of the road staring at the young unicorn while she entered the shop… I felt ugly, in bad need of something really strong to drink AND some really mind numbing music… A long, long time ago I was just like her, and tonight that sweet, smiling, life loving little filly was going to… no, I couldn't stand that, I needed time to think, a place to hide… "um, Vinyl, is something wrong?" "I'm sorry girls, it's really late, I have to go now!" I had to get out of here now, what the hay were I thinking? Why I was still thinking anyway? go away Vinyl, teleport, doesn't matter where! BZAP! With the little focus I had at the moment I simply launched the teleport spell without even thinking of a destination. When I opened my eyes I found myself in somepony's living room; It seemed a cottage full of perches and small animal houses. I noticed that something was poking at my foreleg and lowered my eyes: a white rabbit was giving me a menacing look, as if he expected some explanation. I just sighed and replied. "I'm a bad pony…" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Family After a couple of miles I finally had the guts to slow down and glare at my back. That rabid rabbit at last stopped chasing me. I didn't even know that rabbits could be that nasty, I felt sorry for the dwellers of that house: living with such a fearsome beast must have been like being in Hell… but the rodent from hell was not even on the list of my problems: I had to decide what to do with that Rarity, how to approach her. "By now Sweetie Belle should have told everything about me being in town…" I sighed, the spell was going out in just one night and I had no idea of what to do. I had to speak with this Rarity and hope to make her change her mind… but… Sweetie Belle? Damn, I was right: somepony was going to suffer anyway. This story couldn't have any happy ending… I paused to watch at my reflected image in the clear water of a pond, I looked awful. "I'm a bad, bad pony…" Taking off my glasses I tried to look at myself in the eyes "no, I can't let it happen again… there must be something I can do, or else Nightmare Moon wouldn't ask me". Nightmare Moon, Luna… maybe she was simply fleeing from her responsibility, after all? After the events of the longest night she left her old herself behind; maybe the new Moon princess didn't want to tend at the seeds that the Moon tyrant sow… after all, a bad apple was just a bad apple, wasn't it? "Why missy cries?" "I'm not crying, my eyes are always like this…" "Missy hurt?" "You can't imagine how mu- who are you?" A very young unicorn foal sat at my left speaking with my reflex in the water; she had a pale purple coat, a blonde mane and the two most innocent eyes I've ever seen. "Dinky!" "well, hi, Dinky… the sun is going down, where is your mom?" "Mommy flies! See? See?" I raised an eyebrow, a bit dubious, then looked in the sky where the filly pointed enthusiastically with a hoof… There was actually a pegasus flying in circles not very far above us, I put my glasses on and waved in that direction "Good evening, miss pegasus!" "Mommy is best flier ever! She can fly! When I'm old I fly like mommy too!" I couldn't hide a smile while I looked at the young unicorn "well, why not, with some levitation you could fly." "I will be bestest fly pony ever! But not like mommy! Mommy is bestest of the bester! You do magic?" "A little… I do music, do you like music?" "YES! I lovelovelovelove music! Mommy sings wonderful lullabies! Uh! Mommy go! Sorry missy time to go home!" suddenly as she appeared, the little foal was gone, taking away with her that warm feeling of innocence and happiness. I was alone again, looking at my pain, this time in the form of a mother and a filly that still had each other… "Luna, damn you, how can you ask me to do this job?" I paused, sighing, "Because I'm the only one that can try something, anything… and I don't even have a plan…" No, I didn't have a plan, but I took a decision. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A song that brings pain As I expected, Carousel Boutique was already closed. After all Rarity wanted to stay with Sweetie as much as possible this day, who could have ever blamed her? Peeking inside the shop I sighed sadly: hesitation grabbed again my heart but time was running low. I promised Luna to stop the pact, even if I had to play the evil executioner and trash anything that was left of my self esteem. "I'm sorry miss Rarity, your request can't be fulfilled…" I focused on my magic: being mostly a musician I never had to rely on my unicorn powers very much, but I had a lot of time for practicing with basic tricks and teleporting was one of my favorites. The real deal with the teleport was not the distance, but the precision. This time I could clearly see my destination, just past the window of the shop: it was a foal's play and I instantly found myself indoor. "very well, let's see how do I get upstairs, now… " Finding the stairs was easy enough and the door was not locked; when I was halfway climbing the stairs the voices of the two ponies became clear to me and I could hear their conversation. "Rarity, I want to go with the others! You know how much this is important to me!" "Sweetie, tonight you are not going anywhere: you have to stay with me!" "But sis!" "Don't But sis me, young filly! Tonight is a very special night: we should stay together and talk and have the best time ever!" The voice of the elder pony was firm, but somehow very, very sad… Sweetie Belle was putting on a good fight, but I could already see who was going to win this argument. "Aw sis! You never let me do what I want! I hate you!" There was a gasp and that was lucky, because it covered my own gasp… was this going to be so… trivial? Obviously not. Sweetie didn't mean those words and the pact wasn't about spoken words but honest feelings. "Sweetie! What I told you an awful lot of times?" "To… to…" the voice of the filly became so low that I couldn't hear her… for sure this Rarity didn't lack authority… the unicorn was one of the famed elements: she was meant to have a strong personality. "Louder…" "Never say that I hate somepony, everypony is a good pony; if I don't like a pony it could be my fault, not hers…" "good, remember always this rule: you need as much friends as you can have. Friendship is magic… sincere friendship." "I'm sorry…" "Now, now… I'm not mad; now go and play in your room while I cook something special." Finally Sweetie Belle left the kitchen; I needed to get Rarity downstairs, just to be completely sure that the foal didn't hear our conversation, so I went back to the shop's entrance, opened and closed the door so that the doorbell rang; almost immediately an answer came from upstairs. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" the unicorn arrived in front of me, we were face to face at last: the most stubborn fashionist of all Equestria on one side, a tortured soul, slave of a goddess' mistakes on the other... not a single chance. "hey, darling Scratch, are you listening?" "I'm sorry I… um… was a bit distracted by the dresses, could you repeat?" "I said that we are closed, I'm sorry." The unicorn smiled, but I could see the expression on her face: her resignation, her sadness an deeper in those eyes, her resolve… inside her heart there was already no way back. If I succeeded in make that resolve snap Sweetie was lost, if I didn't Rarity was the goner… I felt a sting through my heart, why these two sisters deserved this fate? Why couldn't they just be happy ever after? No, no, NO! Don't hesitate, Vinyl! Stick to the plan, Luna is counting on you! "oh, I can come tomorrow, no problem." Rarity shivered, her smile was getting more and more nervous; did I hit a soft spot, maybe? Lucky me. "I'm afraid that tomorrow we will be closed… actually, we are going to be closed for, like… a lot of time…" She was crying, damn, why I had to feel this guilty? I had to look away from her to keep talking with a normal voice. "A-hem… Rarity, right?" "Yes I am…." "Listen to me, you don't have to do this…" "Doing what? Look, miss, I'd stay to chat the whole night long but not tonight… I have… a really, really important work to finish." Damn poker player, as long as she played dumb the conversation was going nowhere. I needed a less sophisticated approach, something more like… my music… maybe not my music, but yes, I neded music. Even if I was a DJ, my voice wasn't half bad, after all. "Crickets sing in candle light, weaving dreams is done by night" Rarity looked at me confused, she seemed oblivious of the song meaning? Impossible, I just had to insist a little more before she cracked… for sure the song was hurting me. "Silken suede will suit you well, from real coat you couldn't tell" The white unicorn stepped back, still a solid expression of dullness on her face, either she was stupid for real, or she had an incredible self control… somehow I was certain that it was the latter. "Smiling face that never cries, stuffed heart that never dies" "Gorgeous mane soft and fluffy, and nice songs ang games and muffins" "STOP! Please I beg you, stop!" she cracked, her voice was broken and her breath was heavy "what do you want from me? I sticked to the rules!" I finally heard again the beating of my heart, if this one didn't work I was out of options… "I know that you did it… Luna knows that you did your part, but… you will die…" Regaining her composure, Rarity nodded. "Yes, a life for a life: that was the pact; I know the price, I'm not stupid." "No, but you are stubborn… you can't die, you are one of the elements!" actually, this was the point for Luna: she did a pact with a pony that, guess what? Five years later turned out to be one of her saviors… well, not she Luna, but she Nightmare Moon, nonetheless the pony was really strong in her heart and obviously succeeded in a task that was accomplished just once before today… after all she was the element of generosity, wasn't she? "This comes first: I made the pact long before, five years ago! I want what I asked for! Give. Her. Life! A real life!" This time was my turn of being surprised… a real… what? Oh colts… "I… I think that you misunderstood… she… is going nowhere from where she is now: she is already alive in the best way a stuffed doll can be. The point here is not her life: it is yours." Rarity snapped, her horn was surrounded by magic and in her eyes I could see both fear and anger "Who in Equestria are you, how do you know all these things? Who told you about Sweetie?" I stepped back, the light from her horn meant that she was up to something. I should have watched my back but I wanted to play the fair game and be honest, so I kept traveling on my trail. "I am-" She didn't let me finish. "How you dare to come here, after five years and tell me what I have to do and what not! Who do you think you are? You have no idea of what I have been through!" She was raging, I had to make her listen to me, so I took off my purple glasses "I could have no idea of what you suffered, but trust me: I am well aware of what Sweetie Belle will be going through." The white unicorn stared at me in horror; her words died as she kept watching into my eyes. There was a reason if I always had glasses wherever I went, actually many reasons. Infinite sleepless nights, desperation, regret, the pain of an empty life, robbed of the most important thing in the moment I needed it the most… my eyes were the mirror of my soul and I was a bad pony indeed. "The pact has three rules. First one, you can't tell to a single soul about it… Second one, you have to love the doll, as soon as your love flickers, the pact is broken… rule three, the doll has to love you, same as before…" Rarity was shaking, horrified by those lifeless red eyes filled with blood and weariness … yes, if I wanted I could look like a demon, no big deal… the unicorn muttered weakly "I… did not break the rules! I swear!" "I know… Luna knows… and this is why she's concerned" I took a deep breath "Rarity, Sweetie loves you the most, she lives for you, you are her Sun and her Moon… my mother was mine, I know what I'm saying. If you are gone, this is what will happen to her…" She closed her eyes trying to flee from the weight of my words but I went on: I couldn't have mercy now, it was all or nothing; if I had to make her snap and break the contract this was my last option. "Do you want to know what will she get when you will be gone? Desperation for being alone… regret for being the reason of your death… isolation… denial… pain… every day of her damned eternal life, pain! I have two hundred years, Rarity! And after two hundred years I still ask myself why my mother loved me so much to die for me, but not enough to live for me!" Something hit me hard, darkness surrounded me and i heard the sound of a lock,followed by the stomp a whole lot of furniture amassing above my new prison; at last I heard Rarity's distant voice. "She's different! She's not alone, she has friends! You are just… just… an angry mare that can play only angry music, you never looked for a remedy, you just went on killing the pain! Sweetie Belle is better than you, way better!" Damn… that hurt… that was true… I couldn't help but curl under that pile of furniture, into my prison, and cry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A story you didn't ask for Was there a reason to keep fighting? Was my fight a righteous one? This was what Rarity wanted, who was I to interfere with her wish? I heard Sweetie's voice in the distance, she was rejoicing. "This is the best night ever, sis! I love you so much!" Damn… It was the wrong question… was this what Sweetie wanted? But in the end that filly was lively, maybe she really was better than me... may be she deserved a life, a real one... but she deserved Rarity by her side, too. "Damn you, Nightmare Moon, you are the cruelest creature on Equestria!" "No, just the most desperate…" a voice answered my curse and it wasn't Luna's voice. I could tell from half a mile, it was Nightmare Moon! Was I having hallucinations? A new rage grew inside me, this was her fault, all of this! "Then why, why you accepted such a cruel pact?" "Because she begged me, like your mother did…" That was not the answer I asked for. "Why, damn you, WHY!?" "Because she prayed to the Moon for the only thing the Moon couldn't refuse." There was a pause, but I didn't need to make the question: I already knew the answer "Love…" "Yes, Silky Tail: Love… and I belong to lovers, I can't deny myself to them…" "But why in such a cruel way?" "It's just the way the pact was sealed the first time: the tailor in the night. Don't you know the story?" I didn't reply, so she went on. "Once upon a time a lonely mare came to me, bringing a doll. 'I'm alone, nopony will love me for what I am, I'm alone in a crowded world… please, please, please bright Moon… give me a companion, ever for one night, make me feel loved, make me prove love, just a single night, at dawn my life will be yours'…" The voice lulled me with the story, I could feel the sting of pain burrowing deep in my heart, she didn't stop. "...'No, great moon, not even the time of a night, just the time that takes a candle to burn, then you can take my life, but I don't want to die alone'… quite tragic, isn't it? A life for a life… I'm the Moon, I can't create a life out of nothing, I need something to begin with; I took her life and she died happily. Rarity asked for the same thing" Nightmare Moon paused for a moment. "Aaaw, who am I kidding? Thousands of lonely ponies asked the same thing! In a world with three females for every male you can't imagine how many mares die alone and neglected… but I couldn't fill the world with… living dolls…" She spat the word as if it was infected, strangely I didn't feel offended. "So I made the pact: you know the story, till now just two of you made it through the five years. I wish I could say that I'm sorry, but that's Luna's punch line, isn't it?" The voice vanished with a laughter… damn… damn damn damn! That sadist of a wicked ghost! "No… Sweetie deserves a mother, a sister or whatever it is!" I concentrated, trying to overcome the fatigue; I still had the resolve to fight for my ideals, especially now that I wasn't doing it anymore for Luna, but for those two sisters. "Rarity…" the light from my horn flared bright. "Is…" with a quite dramatic explosion of smoke I was out of my prison. "Going…" with my telekinesis I picked up a solid wooden ruler, Celestia bless the artisan's tools. "Nowhere" I headed for the stairs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- High stakes I arrived on top of the stairs with caution, my nerves were on the edge. A couple of voices came from a door on my left. "I'm sleepy, sis… maybe I should go to bed…" "Why yes, Sweetie, how about a lullaby?" "A… lullaby? Okay…" I paused, a chill ran down my spine when Rarity started singing… I had to hurry. "Crickets sing in candle light, weaving dreams is done by n-OOOF!" Simple and practical: hit a pony with something heavy and this will give you time for… for… okay, I had to invent, so I did the most simple thing: grab the foal and teleport as far as possible. "Let me go! Help! HELP!" "pipe down, Sweetie, I'm trying to help you!" I took a look around: it was far enough from the town and the moon was just in front of me, "Luna! Luna come here! Move that lazy cutiemark of yours!" "L-Luna? P-Princess Luna? Is she still evil?" "She's not evil, she's just lazy…" "well, that wasn't nice… I had the suspect that you were going to make things a bit messy, Silky Tail, but ponynapping… that's really a sucker hoof…" Luna appeared from behind a tree; she did not seem pleased, but if she had her plans I had mine, so I cut short. "There is no time: the candle is burning short and I have a pact for you!" "You? A pact?" the goddess cocked her head. "Yes, for love… of family…" "well, this is quite out of my…" "Luna don't play around: look at me and take you decision. Do you want to hear my plea?" The alicorn hesitated, then nodded "If you ask properly, you insolent doll… maybe I, the Moon, should lend you hear." She got formal, this was a good thing. I lowered my head in humbleness and stated my plea: "Oh Moon, bright Moon, my heart is in pain drowning in loneliness, but the pony I loved is long gone. I bring the same pain that you suffer, being forever distant from all the ones you loved, just watching at those who are happy and hoping for them to have a better fate than mine … please, great Moon, hear my voice." Luna's eyes blinked in surprise; now she knew what I was going to ask, but this was a formal request and she couldn't stop me from asking: if I did it properly she couldn't refuse. Sweetie was immobile in my hooves, at first I was convinced that she stopped because of Luna's arrival, but now I realized that she was weakening very, very fast… "The love of two sisters is a special bond: they need each other because they are the same thing, taking Sweetie or Rarity won't save the other, you'll kill both of them… I look at them and feel pain, I feel envy, I feel the urge to be with them… but I can't. I love their relationship, but that's not meant for me… please Mercyful moon, don't break their bond, don't take two lives: I offer mine." Luna lowered her eyes, in sadness, "Is that so? You think this is real love? You think that your heart has the strength to seal the pact?" "Yes I do." She sighed: "Very well, you are insolent and overconfident… but a pact is a pact, here's mine: I'm being generous." I nodded and waited, a black halo appeared around Luna's mane and wings, her voice boomed as if Luna and Nightmare Moon were speaking as one. "sing the rhyme, with no hesitation, with strong heart and pure intention. Sing it all up to the last verse, if you can do this, I'll do my part." I took a deep breath, but she interrupted me. "But beware! You will pay for your insolence: if you sing the song unproperly I'm taking both Rarity and Sweetie … you are singing for both the foal and her sister. I hear you, doll… now sing." And I was ready. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One last song "Crickets sing in candle light, sewing dreams is done by night silken suede will suit you well, from real coat you couldn't tell smiling face that never cries, stuffed heart that never dies gorgeous mane soft and fluffy, and nice songs and games and muffins no I'll never let you down, in my hooves you'll never frown in the morning first sun's kiss, me and you will find our bliss me and you are now together, we can be best friend forever now it's time to go to bed, the play ends and I'm so sad not forever nor one night, just a dream in candle light" While singing I began to have visions, memories: distant voices were talking as if they were judging me. "Yes, she was sincere indeed: she followed her ideals and even in hard times she sticked to them." "She didn't turn her back to Luna: she could do it, she owed nothing to her; but when Luna called, she was there… yes, she was loyal." "Laughter? Oh please! She's a crybaby! We can't…" Another voice started talking "She played with foals, she smiled even when the scars hurt her the most. If she doesn't have the laughter then I must have been looking at the wrong vision all the time!" "She always tried to keep others away from her road, maybe she wasn't kind to herself, but she was kind to others." "Oh don't kid me! She's giving away her life! Do we have to speak about generosity?" The voices paused while I was finishing my song. "Then, we can add magic…" At that point I felt like I… I… -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rarity arrived running wildly from the town to the point where the light was sighted. Sweetie Belle was peacefully sleeping on the grass and there was no trace of the foalnapper, just a pair of purple glasses on the ground near Sweetie and the filly was hugging a doll. For a single moment, Rarity had the sensation that the doll was hugging Sweetie more than the foal hugging the toy. It wasn't a gorgeous doll, just a hoof made one: with mane and tail made of blue straw and a white pelt that seemed very, very old, there was the faint shadow of a cutiemark, could it be a musical note? Under the left rear hoof somepony wrote a name: Silky Tail.
Dusty	1166	1	Fluttershy,Original Character,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Second Wind	A group of friends find themselves in Ponyville after a deadly accident.	incomplete	-1	-1	<p>It's not often that you die.</p><p>Dustin and his friends were out celebrating Dustin's birthday when an accident cuts the celebration short. Instead of the cold embrace of Death, Dustin feels the warm embrace of a pony. He wakes up to find himself in Ponyville with the body of a pony, and his friends missing. Twilight thinks there's a reason Dustin is here, but all He can worry about is finding his friends.</p><p>Dustin will have to not only rediscover himself, but also learn a lot of new things about himself. The ponies who were kind enough to help them are not without troubles either. Can Dustin single-hoofedly straighten not only his life out, but others as well?</p><p>Of course not, that's what friends are for.</p><p>(This obviously took some inspiration from 'One Way' a fic that I haven't gotten around to reading yet, but I'm sure is great.)</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T14:27:22+00:00	2011-10-03T14:27:22+00:00	1,735	"October the first, two-thousand and ten; my eighteenth birthday, and also my day of death." James turned the key to the car and it roared to life; the occupants of the vehicle were all laughing and enjoying themselves after having a nice meal together for Dustin's eighteenth birthday. It was night now, the group had spent a little longer on their meal then they had planned, but it was fine; the night was still young after all, and they had many more plans before they even considered going home. "OK, I think we should visit that store we found the other day, the one that sold old video games and stuff, remember?" Dustin spoke up. "Oh yeah, Page 3, I'm up for it if you guys are?" Matt said as he turned in the passenger seat to look at John and Dustin in the back. "I'm up for it." John said with a shrug. "Alright, heading to Page 3!" James said as he shifted the car into reverse maneuvered them out of the parking lot. The store wasn't very far from where they were, but it would still take some time, about thirty-minutes at most. Thirty-minutes that they didn't have. The group sped down the four-lane road, all laughing and making jokes. Dustin smiled and looked out the window as the light posts outside shot past them. 'Eighteen...' He thought to himself. 'It hardly feels like I'm even ten yet, I laugh at everything like a five year old after all,' this thought elicited a little giggle from himself. 'Then again I always find myself laughing when I'm with these guys,' Dustin thought as he turned from the window to look at his friends. 'I guess that's what friends are for.' A bright pair of lights in front of the group blinded them out of nowhere. "Turn your brights off buddy, damn!" James said aloud as he flashed his own bright lights in an attempt to alert the driver that his bright lights were on. Maybe if it was in the day time, they would have seen the car swerve, would have seen the intoxicated driver behind the wheel, would have at least been able to prepare for the impact. The lights got closer and closer, the group realized they weren't changing course, weren't attempting to avoid them. Dustin took a deep breath in as his eyes got wider, 'No,' was all he could think. Cops arrived on the scene around an hour later, and what a grim scene it was. A truck had struck a car head on, and only one made it out of the accident. It was as if irony itself was tempting the world as the drunk driver was taken into cuffs and thrown into the back of a police cruiser, he was the one who lived. At least from that worlds point of view. There was warmth spreading over Dustin's body, a warmth that felt like the sun itself was shining on him. 'Strange, I thought death would feel cold,' Dustin thought to himself. His eyes were closed to the world around him, and he was almost afraid of opening them, he had no clue what waited for him on the other side of his eyelids. "Ar-Are you alright?" A soft and quiet voice spoke up. It took Dustin a while to process that he had heard something, and even longer to realize it was a voice. "Sir...?" The voice spoke up again, this time accompanied by a poking against Dustin's shoulder. Dustin's eyes began to slowly open as he convinced himself that someone else was here, there was no way to prepare for what he was about to see. Dustin's eyes went wide as his brain began to work again, processing what he was seeing. A pony with a pale amber coat and pink mane stood in front of him. Dustin didn't know much about horses, but he did know that most didn't come with a pale amber coat and a pink mane, let alone a mane that long and apparently styled, and he was definitely sure that horses didn't talk. "Man, the afterlife is a weird place..." Dustin thought as he closed his eyes again. "Oh dear, I don't know how to deal with delusional ponies..." The pony said as she bit her lip and looked back and forth in confusion. "...What did you call me...?" Dustin said as he opened his eyes again to look at the pony. "A...P-Pony...?" The pony thought she had said something wrong. "I'm not a pony." Dustin said as he closed his eyes again. "But you look like one... Are you a zebra then? But Twilight said that zebras have stripes, and you don't have any stripes on your coat..." Dustin's eyes shot open wide, he quickly began scanning himself. The yellow pony was right, he was indeed a pony. Dustin now possessed a very clean and shiny lavender coat, as well as a body that resembled the pony that stood in front of him. "WHAT!?" Dustin yelled in confusion. Almost instantly the yellow pony shot up into the air out of fear with a very high pitched scream. Her wings shot out and flapped hard, carrying the yellow pony away in fear. "She had...Wings!" Dustin said in astonishment. His brain began to work again, telling him to get his barrings. He looked around himself, trying to make sense of where he was at. He was in a grassy field somewhere, and the sun was shinning down on him, the world seemed more vibrant and colorful. He tried to collect his thoughts, to make sense of the situation. He remembered the crash, he remembered being in a car, he remembered being with his friends- "Guys!" He yelled as he realized his friends were missing. "James! John! Matt!... Anyone...?" His yells got quieter and quieter as the reality dawned on him. Tears began to well up in his eyes, 'That's not fair...' he thought to himself. He laid back in the grass in a way that was oddly familiar to his new body, and he sobbed quietly. He felt something on his shoulder, it was the same pony from earlier. The pony settled on the ground beside of him and didn't say a word, she simply began running a hoof over his back, as if petting him. Dustin didn't object, in fact it almost seemed like something a mother would do. He felt his tears flowing faster then before as if the pony was coaxing out all of the repressed feelings he held back. He cried for his lost friends, for his old life, for everything. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you crying?" The soft voice once again spoke up. "My friends are gone." Dustin said almost in monotone, he feared saying this would start his waterworks up again, but he managed to keep himself composed. "Oh, that's no problem, I'm sure we can find them and-" Dustin merely shook his head as tears began to form again. "O-Oh my..." "Where am I?" Dustin asked, still in monotone. "Well, we're in a field not far from my cottage which is on the outskirts of Ponyville." "Ponyville? Where on Earth is that? I've never heard of such a place." "Earth?" The pony tilted her head. "This...Isn't Earth? Is this another planet!?" Dustin exclaimed before looking back and forth, "But then how did I get here...?" He asked himself before putting a hoof to his chin in thought. "M-maybe you should s-start from the beginning." Dustin's loud exclamation had frightened the apparently frail pony. "OK, well it all started this morning." Dustin proceeded to tell his new acquaintance about his mysterious day. "I think you should meet my friend Twilight, she's the smartest pony I know and I'm just sure she can help." The other pony stood up. "Twilight? You have names?" "Well doesn't every pony? My name if Fluttershy." "You have such strange names. Mine is Dustin." With introductions out of the way the two made their way to Ponyville. Fluttershy tried to explain as much about Equestria as she could; she told Dustin of the pegasus ponies, about unicorns, and about earth ponies (which he was apparently apart of). It wasn't a long trot to Ponyville, but Dustin was still unused to his new body, which only made the journey that much more difficult. They two eventually reached Ponyville though, and Dustin felt a little better now that he had a loose grasp on where he was and what he was. Dustin was astounded to see all the ponies in Ponyville. They came in a variety of colors and shapes, all carrying about different tasks. One thing that did catch his eye though was the mark on the flank of each pony in town, except the younger ones. "Fluttershy, what do those marks mean?" Dustin asked. "Oh, those are Cutie Marks, everypony gets one eventually. When a pony is born, they lack a Cutie Mark, but when they find their special talent in life they earn their Cutie Mark. It represents who a pony is." Out of curiosity, Dustin turned and looked at his own flank. To his surprise there was actually a mark there. It took him a while to make out what it was, but he eventually determined it was a compass rose. "But why a compass rose...?" Dustin asked in confusion. "I'm sorry, but I don't know. Things for you are probably really hard right now. I think you shouldn't worry about it though, Twilight will fix everything." Fluttershy grinned letting out an adorable 'Squee' in the process. This made Dustin smile almost instantly, even though he didn't feel like it. The two eventually arrived at Twilight's house, which happened to be a giant tree. "This is your friends house?" Dustin asked in amazement. "Yeah, it's also the town library," Fluttershy knocked on the door and then opened it. Dustin leaned to the left to look past her and into the house. There were books lining what seemed like every wall, and there were papers spread about the floor. "Fluttershy?" He heard from inside. Flutter shy entered and Dustin followed her inside as well. "Oh, hello Twilight! I hope you're having a good day." "Well yes, I am actually, thanks Fluttershy. Is there anything I can do for you?" "Uhm, yes actually, if that's OK. You see, I met this new pony today in the fields outside of my cottage and... He has a little problem. Well, a big problem..." Dustin entered and stood alongside Fluttershy. "Hello." Dustin said, "I assume you're Twilight?" "That's me, Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia's most faithful student." She said. Dustin vaguely remembered Fluttershy telling him about Celestia, that means that Twilight is practically royalty. "...And you are?" Twilight said. Dustin shook his head, realizing he had been caught up in his thoughts, "Oh, my name is Dustin." "Well what seems to be the problem?" She asked, she seemed almost eager to solve any problem given to her. Dustin once again went through his story that he told Fluttershy. By the end of the story, Twilight was scratching her head and rubbing her temples trying to make sense of the situation. "So you're saying this isn't your world?" Dustin nodded. "And that you should be dead?" He nodded again. "But instead you woke up here in Equestria?" "That about covers it." Dustin said. "That's...That's...AMAZING!" The sudden yell caused not only Fluttershy to recoil, but Dustin as well. "You traveled between worlds! This proves so many theories wrong, proves so many others right! Oh, this is a while new chapter in physics itself! Religions, science, math! This changes EVERYTHING!" The unicorn was bounding around the room in bliss. Dustin wasn't sure how to react, so he turned to Fluttershy. She shrugged, also unsure of how to proceed. "Uhm, Twilight...?" Dustin spoke up. "Oh," the unicorn seemingly blushed as she realized she got caught up in the moment, "Right, your predicament. I don't think I can help..." The unicorn said with a sorrowful tone. Dustin's gaze fell to the floor, "Oh." Twilight began rubbing a hoof against her chin, "But I know someone who can..." Her horn lit up and carried a piece of paper and a quill to her. She began writing a letter; 'Dear Princess Celestia...'
JohnPerry	1167	1	Rainbow Dash,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	A Chat with Rainbow Dash	From my studies in Equestrian hippology, I present an interview with famed mare Rainbow Dash.	complete	40	4	<p>From my studies in Equestrian hippology, I present an interview I conducted with famed mare Rainbow Dash regarding Equestrian culture and her response to her popularity amongst the brony community of Earth. It is my hope that this account will offer unique insights into Equestrian society and culture and enlighten readers intrigued by what this world and its inhabitants have to offer us.</p><p>I would like to personally thank those organizations and institutions that put forth the time and resources that enabled me to conduct this research: the North American Institute of Research and Education, Canterlot University, the Celestial Gates Fund, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T13:49:01+00:00	2011-10-03T13:49:01+00:00	4,880	Author’s note: This story was originally posted on Equestria Daily, and I'm just reposting it here. I'm probably going to use FiMFiction for any future pony stories, so I figure I should start by posting my old material here. Also, before you start, I really want to emphasize that this is NOT written in the style of a traditional story - I really wanted to see if I could pull off something that seemed like part interview, part sociological/anthropological essay with MLP:FiM characters. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea that’s fine, but I want to be sure you know what to expect. ************************************************************************* “Ugh…that is just typical,” Rainbow Dash muttered under her breath. I was sitting in Dash’s cloud home near Ponyville, taking notes as she sat hunched over my laptop. Exactly how I as a human wound up as a pony in Equestria is something I currently do not wish to divulge out of respect for the privacy of the scientists on Earth and magicians in Equestria who made my transportation/transformation possible, but I will say it’s amazing who you can meet when you pursue a joint academic degree in anthropology and hippology. As part of my exchange program with Canterlot University, I was conducting some research regarding Earth-Equestrian relations. Equestria has some knowledge of Earth, but it’s new and sketchy at best, something ponies have but a vague concept of and even less interest in – you see, most Equestrians are intrigued by their world and justifiably proud of the civilization their kind has shaped out of it. I’m not sure if it’s the strong ties the local inhabitants feel to nature or the direct link to the heavens Equestrians already have through their royalty, but Equestrians in general seem to only have interest in the universe beyond their world in so far as it directly affects them. As such, the knowledge of intelligent life beyond their world seems to have come not with shock, fear or delight, but with a shrug as everypony accepted the news before returning to their daily life. On the flip side of that, Equestria has only recently been introduced to human audiences through media like the popular Friendship is Magic documentary series and has captured much interest among humans, being the ever-curious creatures that we are, persistently dissatisfied with the status quo (a concept that barely exists in Equestria, as it were). My curiosity brought me here to learn about Equestrian culture, which is how I wound up sitting across the kitchen table from a certain blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. “Just…typical,” she muttered again. I must admit, I was nervous about this meeting. I had met with Rainbow Dash previously, but I was curious about her reaction to her popularity among Earth audiences. She was aware that her character in particular was popular with fans of the Friendship is Magic series, but she didn’t understand to what extent. Within Equestria she was still little known beyond Ponyville and while she seemed to like the idea of being a television star, she explained to me that she was at heart a flier and wanted to be know more for her skill and accomplishments as a weather mare and potential Wonderbolt than as a pony with a unique color scheme. I decided to bring along some examples of fan material from aficionados of the series, trying to offer a fair sampling of what was available regardless of personal taste, though I admit some bias was involved in my choices – I generally stuck to things that were at least well-regarded by myself or the brony community at large. At the moment she was skimming through the third example of a shipping fanfic starring her that I had stored on my laptop’s hard drive. She had a bored expression on her face as she repeatedly tapped the down key, her eyes glazing over as she read through a passage describing a confession of love between her and somepony else. I was terrified she would react angrily to this, which is why we had spent most of the day looking over artwork featuring her pulling off Sonic Rainbooms or diving through epic storms, but the fascination with shipping Rainbow Dash in the brony community was such that my curiosity to her reaction overwhelmed my common sense. Finally, she looked up at me. “You humans are horny, you know that?” I stifled a snicker and blushed slightly, looking down at the table. “You don’t know the half of it.” Perhaps I should have found something else to represent the human race, but my morals told me I should present as full a picture as I could without offending anypony’s sense of decency. Dash looked back at the screen. “Ew. With Applejack? Yeah…no thanks. Who wrote this, anyway?” she muttered, scrolling to the top of the page. “Brad Palomino? Is that a colt or a mare?” “Brad is a male’s name, if that’s what you mean…” I responded. “Well, maybe it’s not a human thing but like a colt thing,” she said, scratching her chin. “You…speak from experience?” I asked hesitantly. “Eeyup,” she said, doing her favorite Big Mac impression. “Flight school I’d get all these guys hitting on me, trying to get me to go on a date. They could never figure out that I just wasn’t interested.” “Not interested in dating, or not interested in…well…” I realized the awkwardness of what I was about to ask just as it was forming on my tongue. “…colts?” Dash shrugged. “Dating, I guess. I dunno, I just never thought about it. I just want to be a flier! Maybe one day I’ll fall for a colt or maybe I’ll fall for a mare, I don’t know what but I figure I’ll know when I know, you know?” “So…you don’t even know your sexual orientation?” I asked. “I really don’t care.” “But you do see yourself settling down with somepony at some point, right?” “Not really,” she replied before raising an eyebrow. “Why do you look so surprised? It’s like you think we’re all supposed to get married or something!” “Well…” I rubbed my front hooves over each other, trying to figure out the best way to explain my surprise. “It’s just that…in my culture if you don’t find another person you love within your lifetime, you’re considered something of a failure.” “Oh,” Dash said, giving me an odd look. “Well that’s stupid. Here if you don’t get married it’s not a big deal. I mean if you have foals, yeah, you gotta marry for that, but lots of ponies never marry.” “Huh…” I muttered, rubbing a hoof over the back of my neck, a habit I had developed after growing a mane. “I guess that would help explain why there’s more focus on friendship in this world. But anyway, let’s get back to what you were saying about colts.” “Oh, just that they would always hit on me,” Dash shrugged again. “You know, they have their fantasies about girls being madly in love or hiding their true romantic feelings or horseapples like that when we’re not. Well…most of us aren’t,” she muttered, and I could tell she was thinking of Rarity at the moment. “But reading this junk just reminded me of that.” “How weird…” I puzzled over this for a moment. “I would have thought in a female-dominated society like Equestria all that stuff about girls…err, mares being the romantic type wouldn’t exist.” “Colts are just hopeless romantics. What can you do?” Dash chuckled. I laughed. “So it’s like a desperation card. I guess that’s true for humans too…though often it’s a display of domination on the part of the male.” Dash snickered at this. “Friend, you’re in a place where mares control the sky, run most of the business, are some of the best fliers, and are the best magicians. Colts can have their silly romance.” Indeed, there seems to be a lot of truth to this. Further research into this has shown me that while gender inequality is not nearly what it is on Earth, many of the aspects of Equestrian life are heavily segregated by gender. So while colts have a strong hold on the fields of manual labor and are compensated well for it, mares have a pretty solid grip on the academic (which includes magic), political and economic arenas (though one can find plenty of colts working in politics or the economy, they are still undoubtedly the minority). Sports are one of the few aspects of Equestrian society that are pretty evenly divided between the two genders, which would explain the diverse make-up of groups like the Wonderbolts. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t factor in the existence of the princess figures in this matter. Besides being female role models for the society, there is also their power to consider – for much of human history, brute physical strength has been an important factor in war and conquest, something that simply doesn’t exist in Equestria. Much like the Cold War concept of mutually assured destruction, there is a sense that any nation – even those run by carnivorous or omnivorous creatures stronger than herbivorous ponies – that would dare attack Equestria would only seal their own fate when considering the potential wrath of the god-like figures of Princess Celestia and Luna. This, coupled with the fact that skill in magic and flight hold just as much pragmatic value as muscular strength, places the advantage colts have over mares in physical strength at a much less central value to society than they would have to humans. But I fear I may be veering off topic here. Allow me to return to Rainbow Dash’s views on the brony community. Following her comments regarding males of both species, we abandoned the shipping fan fiction and took to reading other examples of fiction from bronies. This may come as little surprise to those familiar with the series, but Dash particularly took to those stories that portrayed her in an epic or heroic light. Among her favorites were excerpts I showed her from It’s a Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door and Controlling the Weather (though she pointed out several flaws regarding weather control within the latter story), but she also took well to some of the comedic works such as Sofa, So Good. Dash scoffed at the shipping stories and generally found the grim or sad stories not much to her liking. Afterwards we returned to looking at some of the artwork featuring her, which she seemed to enjoy to no end be it comedic, epic or otherwise. “So why do you think you get so much attention in the brony community?” I finally asked. “Uh, like you even have to ask?” she chortled. “I’m only the coolest pony around!” “Would you say at least 20% cooler?” I couldn’t help but say. Dash rolled her eyes. “Oh hardy har har. You know how often I hear that said back to me? And I only said it like once.” Nevertheless, she later admitted that she was pleased that the line (along with the phrase “Ten Seconds Flat”) was so popular within the brony community. Ultimately though, Rainbow Dash told me she didn’t think about the brony community very much, and was admittedly thankful for this fact. “Don’t get me wrong, I love what they do,” she told me, “but if I thought about them all the time I couldn’t focus on flying.” Ponyville may be the representation of this world to Earthly audiences, but within Equestria it is but a single small village out of many overshadowed by its proximity to the capitol city of Canterlot, relatively isolated and unknown amongst most Equestrians even despite recent events. As such, Rainbow Dash’s popularity within Equestrian only extends to a few small circles, namely the village of Ponyville and close followers of flying competitions – casual fans of pegasus sport tend only to pay attention to the Wonderbolts, while only hardcore fans will pay mind to specialized events like the Best Young Flier competition. “Do you think you’ll have to leave Ponyville to make a name for yourself?” I asked. “Yeah, most likely…” she said, disappointment creeping into her voice. “Ponyville’s great but it’s not very big, so I gotta leave at some point. I don’t like thinking about it though…I got the weather and I got my friends here, so I’m staying for now.” “If you traveled to Earth, even just for a little while, I know you would be hugely popular. Humans can’t fly without special machines, so your feats would just dazzle us,” I pointed out. “It’s tempting, but…” Dash thought about it for a moment. “I don’t really want the attention of humans. I mean don’t get me wrong, but you humans flying around in your…whachama call ‘em, planes? All cooped up in metal tubes with wings attached? That’s boring! You humans just don’t know what real flying is like, so you could never appreciate just how much work goes into what I do. I know I make flying look easy, but…” she trailed off for a moment. “I want to be seen by someponies that really get flying. That know how much work I put into it.” I nodded. “Ponies like the Wonderbolts?” “Exactly,” she said, looking satisfied. The rest of the day was spent touring her cloud home, with me asking questions about various aspects of pegasus life. I should point out here that I had a cloud-walking spell cast on me, similar to the one Twilight Sparkle uses in the Sonic Rainboom episode of the Friendship is Magic series. Dash gave me a brief explanation of weather control, offering a demonstration of cloud kicking and allowing me to attempt it, but I found the technical aspects of it all far too overwhelming, which didn’t seem to surprise the pegasus. As it happens, there is a great deal of muscle memory and training involved in proper weather control, and my human upbringing and admittedly non-athletic build conspired to make cloud kicking something I could never have a proper grasp of. To paraphrase Rainbow Dash, cloud kicking was just something the wingless would never get. Reading up on pegasus culture, I came upon an interesting fact: despite the importance placed on friendship in Equestrian society, pegasus are generally considered the most solitary of the three pony races, owing in large part to the fact that they live in locations generally inaccessible to the rest of ponykind. The importance pegasus place on flight in their daily lives means that it is often considered unusual among pegasus to make friends with unicorns and Earth ponies, although this only seems to be truly the case in large pegasus cities such as Cloudsdale. But this notion has translated into a stereotype among unicorns and Earth ponies of the pegasus as a solitary or independent being, which offers potential answers to some intriguing questions I never would have thought to ask otherwise – for instance, why a unicorn such as Twilight Sparkle would be scolded for not making pony friends, while a pegasus like Fluttershy would be accepted for spending most of her time amongst other creatures. Or why fiercely independent creatures like griffons would feel a sense of kinship with pegasus while generally avoiding the supposedly more social unicorn and Earth pony races. Passing by the rainbow stream flowing outside Rainbow Dash’s house, I also learned something about the importance of rainbows to ponykind. While they are manufactured like all other weather phenomenon in Equestria, the advanced technical knowledge involved in creating one and the relative rarity of its occurrence mean they hold an almost sacred place in Equestrian culture – given that they occur after storms, the rainbow represents a new dawn, the end of troubles or even a rebirth, and this is perhaps best reflected by the rainbow unleashed by the Elements of Harmony which cleansed Princess Luna of Nightmare Moon’s influence. Pegasus, usually the only ones capable of creating rainbows, thus hold great pride in the symbol of the rainbow and display it much like how humans on Earth display religious icons. In the case of Rainbow Dash, while many pegasus praised her appearance as a filly some seemed to take offense to her apparent adoption of the image of a rainbow, regarding it almost as a form of blasphemy (for her part, Dash has always considered this simply the result of envy on the part of her peers), though these objections were permanently muted when it was widely revealed that Rainbow Dash was capable of producing a rainbow all her own, which adds extra significance and a deeper understanding to the importance of the Sonic Rainboom. At this point my visit with Rainbow Dash came to its conclusion, and I wished her farewell. I hope you have found this reading worthy of your time and attention and that it helps spread a greater understanding of Equestrian culture to my fellow humans. As a final note, I would like to thank Rainbow Dash in particular for offering her time to a fanboy, one not even of her world. Your generosity is appreciated more than you can possibly know. Bibliography Cheval, Erudite. Cultures of the Pegasus: A New History. Canterlot Press, 2010. Twinkle, Sky, and June Bloom. Gender and Race in Equestria. 5th ed. Cloudsdale: Sky, 2008. "Pegasus." New Encyclopaedia Unicornica. 2011 ed. Friendship is Magic. Creator Lauren Faust. Hasbro, 2010-2011. Soaring, Sweep. "What Rainbows Mean to Me." Editorial. Cloudsdale Weekly 26 Aug. 2010: 16. Equestria Daily. < http://www.equestriadaily.com/ >.
Chip Unicorn	1168	1	Applejack,Granny Smith,Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Possible futures	Stories of how the Mane 6 might turn out in a few years	incomplete	-1	-1	<p>These slice-of-life vignettes have future decisions for the Mane 6 characters. </p><p>They're fun!</p>	teen	2011-10-04T22:48:08+00:00	2011-10-04T22:48:08+00:00	1,759	Twilight stood aside while Applejack gently pulled on the shack's latch and opened the door. Sunlight streamed into the small enclosure for the first time in a month. Inside the cool shed was a shallow pit containing straw and old, deflated apples. Their sweet smell almost overpowered the air. “Welp, this here's the place we'll be storin' th' new crop. Ah'm sure grateful for you helpin' to clean out this ol' pit,” said Applejack. “I'm glad to!” beamed Twilight. “It's a new experience for me to help out at a farm.” They looked down at the remainders from last year's crop. Applejack carefully walked down into the pit, taking care not to step on anything. “Hang up them burlap sacks. We'll be takin' these ol' apples to th' compost pile.” Twilight's horn glowed lightly, and the burlap sack attached itself to a nail on the wall at Applejack's shoulder height and opened itself. String at the bag's opening tied themselves to two other nails. Applejack smiled her approval, and gently picked up an apple with her teeth and tossed it into the open sack. “Juicy,” she said, as liquid dripped onto her lip, “but not sweet. C'mon down and join in?” Gingerly, Twilight climbed into the pit with her friend. An apple squished under her right forehoof, spilling apple chunks. At her friend's startle, Applejack said, “''Taint no problem gettin' dirty. We've got an outdoor shower.” Twilight's horn gently glowed, not wanting to touch the squished apple parts with her mouth, and the pieces flew into the bag. “Use your lips not your teeth,” explained Applejack, “an' they don't break so much.” Twilight wrapped her mouth around a second, whole apple. Its wrinkled skin seemed too large for the fruit inside. She flung it into the open bag with a bit of distaste on her mouth. Applejack laughed. “Twi, watch me,” Instead of tossing the next apple into the bag, she ate it. “Th' shed is spelled to keep th' apples safe from worms, flies, an' insects. 'Taint nothing wrong with 'em, 'cept what age brings. Why, las' month, we was usin' 'em for making cider, but they're not sweet 'nuff for that no more.” Twilight steeled herself, digging her hooves into the straw and sandy loam. She picked up one apple with her mouth. Applejack watched as Twilight bit into the apple. Juice dribbled down her chin. “Not sweet,” Twilight agreed. “and mushy. But not dangerous.” She spat the other half of the apple into the burlap bag. They got to work together. After ten minutes of work, Twilight's horn glowed, and the full burlap bag untied itself from the nails, tied itself off, and a second bag attached itself to the nails in the wall. “That's sure more convenient than tyin' a knot wit' my tongue,” admitted Applejack. They fell to filling the second bag with more gusto, chomped apples, and giggles. After Twilight tied the third bag, Applejack reared up and held herself up with one forehoof against the wall. Her other hoof moved to the bottom of the bag. In her deepest voice, Applejack said, “Feed me, Twilight...” while moving the bag's 'mouth'. Twilight laughed. Her horn glowed, and three apples flew toward the bag. Two landed in their target. The third landed on Applejack, splitting apart. “Hay,” giggled Applejack. She pressed off the wall and twisted on two legs. Still reared up, she lifted her lips as if to nip her friend. Instead, she licked Twilight's cheek. Twilight blushed. “D-- d--- don't you think we should finish work first?” Her mouth didn't seem to work perfectly. “Spoilsport!” Applejack giggled as she settled all four hooves on the ground. The work went quickly, but as time went on, their aim grew worse and they ate more apples. The ground beneath the bag grew covered with apple pieces. Neither pony cared much. With the last of the whole apples, laughter and bad jokes filled the air. “--and that wuz th' LAST time he called our products horseapples!” finished Applejack. Twilight laughed, rolled, and kicked her hooves in the air. Applejack, seeing her opportunity, pounced onto her friend and mock-wrestled her. Twilight rolled toward the last pieces of apples, hoping it would dissuade her. She had forgotten: Applejack liked getting dirty. Both were soon covered in apple pieces, and laughing. “C'mon. Lemme show ya' summat,” slurred Applejack. Using each other for support, they left the shack, leaving the door open. They stumbled under a shelter to one side of the main home. “Stay riggghhhtt here...” said Applejack as she reached with her mouth toward a large, metal ring. She pulled it, and gallons of warm water spilled over both ponies. “Huh... glub WHAT?” The water woke Twilight somewhat. “I'd never leave m'friend all wet an' sticky, dontchaknow?” She fluttered her eyelashes. Twilight dripped. “If it's all the same to you... I'd rather just head home and get some rest.” Applejack smiled to her friend. “G'night, then.” The next morning, Applejack felt a lot, lot worse. Big McIntosh brought her weak oatmeal, plenty of water, and aspirin. “Granny's orders,” he said laconically. An hour later, her headache had subsided. She found Granny Smith in the front salon, reading. “So, ya had yer first taste of alcohol, didya?” were Granny's first words. “Is THAT what wuz in them apples? I thought they were just ol'.” “Everything sweet can ferment. And it's part of your nature. D'you know what applejack is?” The amber pony's ears twitched as she thought. “I thought it was a kinda cereal, or summthin'...” Granny Smith shook her head. “Look it up. It's brandy, made from apples. We remember our history: Ev'ry generation, there's been an Applejack." Granny continued, “Brewin' is good business. 'Twill bring in plenty of bits. Ah can teach you to make apple wine, hard cider – even your namesake. An' you can be the best brewer Equestria has ever known. You int'rested?” Still shaking off her hangover, Applejack said, “I – let me think about it.” The lessons started the next day.
Shiron	1170	1	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2011-12-18T21:09:17+00:00	2019-12-02T20:33:26+00:00	4,070	Book 1 – Wounds of the past Prologue It was a dark and cold night. Princess Luna had raised the moon and just in time Rainbow Dash and the weather team had finished their preparation for the monthly storm. After a whole month of sunshine and sometimes a small rainy day it was again time for a storm that would even continue on the following day. The earth ponies and the unicorns had already prepared the trees, cleaned up the ground, and had brought the smaller and lighter items into their houses. Fluttershy, a shy and caring yellow Pegasus with a pink mane and tail, and some other ponies took care of the animals so that they wouldn't be in danger. Perfect. Looks like everypony is finished thought the blue Pegasus pony with a rainbow mane and tail. Rainbow Dash, the leader of the weather team in Ponyville, made a last inspection fly to check if everything was in order and everypony had finished their work. After she finished her inspection she made her way to the dark cloud over the town and with a kick thunder sounded and the first raindrops began to fall. With every blow the wind became stronger and after a view moments the storm was unleashed. A strong wind blew through the trees, flashes illuminated the night and rain started coming down. Yes, Rainbow Dash was very proud of the storm she made but one thing was still missing. Every time, after she unleashed the storms she made, Rainbow Dash couldn't resist taming her storm. She was the best young flyer in Equestria and she had won the Best Young Flyer competition some months ago but to make her dream come true and become a member of the Wonderbolts, a group with the best flyer in all of Equestria, she was training every day and created new fly tricks. Taming a storm with its strong wind and instance rain was a perfect training and Rainbow loved the feeling when she flew through a storm. While she was flying through her storm Rainbow Dash's mind traveled back to the first time she had tamed a storm. It was two weeks after she had left Cloudsdale and had moved to Ponyville. Cloudsdale had been her home and she had loved the competition with other members of the Junior Speedsters but after the incident with Silverwing she had decided to start a new life and Ponyville had been perfect. Fluttershy had moved there after she had gotten her cutie mark and her parents had even bought her a cottage near Ponyville where she was taking care of her animal friends. Rainbow Dash had visited her from time to time and during her visits she had met two of Fluttershy's new friends, a crazy party pony named Pinkie Pie and a farm pony named Applejack. The first day she had met the farm pony had ended with hoof wrestling to decide who the stronger pony was. Although Rainbow couldn't remember who had won, she remembered the day they had met had been the beginning of their friendship. It had also been the beginning of Rainbow's never-ending competition with Applejack. However on one of her visits Fluttershy had told her that the weather ponies had been searching for new members. She had also told Rainbow Dash that the pay was good and that from time to time weather ponies even had the chance to join the Wonderbolts. This job had been the perfect chance to make her dream come true. Some days later Rainbow Dash had moved into her new cloud castle her parents had rented for her and which she had bought one year later. During her time as member of the Junior Speedsters Rainbow Dash had become very fast and skilled. Therefore the examination had been very easy for her and Rainbow Dash had become a member of the weather team. The first two weeks had been way too boring for her. All she had to do was to clear the sky with some other new members, move some clouds or create a little rain for small gardens. During most of her free time she had explored and had furnished her new home, she had traveled trough Ponyville where she had met many new friends like a unicorn named Rarity or she had just napped on a cloud or in an apple tree. During one of her meetings with Fluttershy and her new friends Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, the leader of the weather ponies, a Pegasus pony names Stormchaser, had appeared. At first Rainbow Dash had feared the worst but when Stormchaser had told her that she was allowed to create a big storm, Rainbow Dash hadn't been able to hide her excitement and had started to say ohmygosh again and again. She had been awake all night to learn everything about storms and then her great day had come. Stormchaser had been sitting on a cloud while Rainbow Dash had told the other weather ponies what they had to do. The thunderclouds, the rain clouds and the wind clouds were brought and soon they had been in perfect order. After two more hours of preparations the storm was finished and the only thing that had been missing had been to kick the big storm cloud to unleash the storm. With a nervous look Rainbow Dash had waited and had watched as Stormchaser had checked everything. After some minutes that had been like an eternity for Rainbow Dash, Stormchaser had flown back to her. With a pleased nod and a smile she had said "Very good job. Now you can unleash your very first storm." Rainbow Dash had never been as happy as this time. After Rainbow had unleashed her storm Stormchaser had told her that she was very pleased with Rainbow's abilities. However Stormchaser had also told her that Rainbow wasn't as good as she could be. At first Rainbow Dash had been disappointed but then Stormchaser had told her a new way to train. "A storm is strong and wild and only the best ponies can fly through a storm. If you can tame it you will not only test your own abilities, you will also become a better flyer." At first Rainbow Dash had been nervous because she had never flown in a storm before, but after some moments the feeling had been beyond description. She had been able to feel every wind gust. Together with the wind and the rain it had been like she was surfing on a wave. She had known all gusts and she had used them to fly faster than she had ever flown, except the time when she had done the Sonic Rainboom. When she had landed next to Stormchaser the storm had already unleashed its true power and had begun to become weaker. Without even knowing she had flown for some hours and because of the awesome feeling she had even lost the track of time. "I'm proud of you Rainbow Dash. Only the best Pegasus ponies are able to tame a storm,” Stormchaser had told her. During the next months Stormchaser had taught her many new things and tricks before the day of parting had come. Every time she flew through a storm like she did it now, Rainbow Dash could hear Stormchaser's voice "I taught you everything I know my friend. From the first day I saw you I knew that you would someday become the leader of the weather ponies. Today is this day and now you are the new leader but I'm sure some day we will once again fly together. One day, Rainbow Dash, you will become a member of the Wonderbolts." Then she had left Ponyville as a new member of the Wonderbolts but Rainbow Dash had never given up her dream. She loved Stormchaser like the big sister she never had and one day they would again fly together trough the sky. Rainbow Dash smiled when she realized that she and Scootaloo shared almost the same bond she had with Stormchaser. Both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo didn't have any siblings and if Scootaloo would ever ask her, Rainbow Dash would gladly become the big sister and mentor Stormchaser was for her. She almost flew an hour through the storm and rode every wind gust she found. Yeah, this is so awesome! This time I surpassed myself with the storm. When Rainbow Dash realized that she was already at the edge of the Everfree Forest, she knew that she even tamed this storm. Hehehe. Another storm was tamed by the incredible Rainbow Dash. When the Wonderbolts see me like this, they'll beg me to join them as their new leader. Satisfied with her skills Rainbow Dash prepared herself to fly back to her house when she heard something. At first she thought that her ears played a trick on her but then she heard it again. It sounded like someone was singing. She closed her eyes and focused on the sound. It took some time before she heard the sound again. It was indeed a voice and the voice was also singing. Although she couldn't hear any words she could hear that the song wasn't like the happy and cheerful songs she is use to hearing from her friend Pinkie Pie. It was a slow and almost sad melody. Rainbow Dash had her eyes still closed and turn herself in the direction of the voice. When she opened her eyes again she couldn't believe it. The source of the voice came from the Everfree Forest. She knew that Zecora was the only one who lived in the Everfree Forest, so she must be the one who was singing. Is this girl crazy? Why is she outside when there is a storm? Rainbow Dash flew into the Everfree Forest but when she was close to the source of the voice, it suddenly disappeared. "Zecora. Where are you?" Rainbow Dash shouted for Zecora but the voice was still missing. Maybe she is going back to her house she thought to herself. Well, it's time to fly home. I hope Zecora is safe. Rainbow Dash started to fly back to Ponyville when she saw that a tree was hit by a flash. She tried to avoid the falling branches but it was too late. One of the branches hit her and she began to fall. She tried to get back the control but could only manage to slow down her falling tempo. Come on Dash, you can do it she tried to cheer to herself. Using all her strength she could at least manage some wing beats so that she wouldn’t, at least, crash into a tree or against a rock and avoid serious injuries. Some moments later Rainbow Dash crashed hard on the ground. Ouch! After the pain started to fade Rainbow Dash stood up but when she looked at the sky she froze. Dark clouds were covering the sky, a strong wind blew and it started to rain but this wasn't the reason why Rainbow Dash was shocked. The reason was that these clouds weren't part of her storm. Everypony knew that the Everfree Forest wasn't natural. The animals cared for themselves, plants grew by their own and the worst part, the weather wasn't controlled by ponies. From one moment to another the weather could changed from sunny to stormy and nopony could predicted the weather. Rainbow Dash coursed her bad luck. Only the best Pegasus ponies just like her were able to fly during a storm. Even during a natural storm it was risky but during an unnatural storm like this it was life endangering even for her. Although the storm didn't move to Ponyville, which would be awful especially if this storm met her storm and created a way bigger storm, Rainbow Dash decided that she would walk back to Ponyville. The only problem was that she didn't know where exactly she was. While she looked around and scanned the forest for something familiar like the Poison Joke flowers, Rainbow Dash couldn't escape the feeling that someone or something was watching her. The Everfree Forest was filled with all kinds of dangerous creature and although she tried not to think about them she couldn't ignore all the creepy sounds that filled the air and suddenly Rainbow Dash recalled the story that Scootaloo had told her. During a sleepover of the Cutie Mark Crusaders at Fluttershy's home one of Fluttershy's chickens had escaped and had ran into the Everfree Forest. Scootaloo and her friends had followed it into the forest and they found it. However they also found Twilight Sparkle who was turned into stone by a creature called cockatrice. However thanks to Fluttershy and her stare the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Twilight and even the chicken were rescued. The last thing Rainbow Dash wanted was to run into one of those creepy cockatrices and being turned to stone. The creepy sounds became even louder and Rainbow Dash thought that they were surrounding her. Rainbow Dash stood up and while she was standing on her hind legs, kicking her front legs into the air like a boxer, she bravely shouted, "Show yourself you creepy monsters." When the sounds became even louder she slowly added "but on a second thought…" Rainbow Dash nervously laughed "I don't want to hurt you so you …uhm…can stay where you are." The sound of a deep growl filled the air and before Rainbow Dash could even react she realized that she already ran away from the growl. She hoped that she would find a way out of the Everfree Forest or maybe Zecora's house but Rainbow Dash would be even happy if she could find a good place to hide and wait out the storm. While she was running she heard that something big was following her and it came closer. After some time dashing through the forest, she had passed many densely wooded places. Rainbow Dash turned her head around to see if the creature still followed her. When she couldn't see nor hear anything behind her Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. However when she thought she was safe she turned her head again in the direction she was running but it was too late. She tried to slow down but in the end she crashed straight into a tree. I hate trees she thought after she landed hard on her back. Once again the growl filled the air and it came closer. Still unable to move from her crash Rainbow Dash thought about her options but she had no idea what to do. The shadow of a big creature appeared behind a tree and she could only see its fangs and teeth in the light of the moon. Still hiding in the shadows the creature slowly came closer and closer. It opened its jaws and its saliva dribbled to the ground. The creature was already close enough for Rainbow Dash to smell its warm and foul breath. With all her will power Rainbow Dash tried to escape but all she could manage was to crawl closer to the tree and take a lose branch off the ground with her mouth. If this monster was trying to eat her she would fight until the end. Rainbow Dash could see the devilish yellow eyes of the creature, looking at its pray, but before the creature was able to attack Rainbow Dash a bright light illuminated the dark forest. The creature let out a painful cry and shielded its eyes with its hands before it turned away from Rainbow Dash. After a last angry hiss the creature ran away, back into the darkness of the Everfree Forest. From the other direction Rainbow Dash could hear the sound of footsteps or maybe even hoofsteps. Although she didn't feel any serious injuries from the crash with the tree Rainbow Dash could feel that she would soon lose consciousness. The last thing she saw before she fainted was someone who was coming closer to her. The person was wearing a cloak just like Zecora. Although Rainbow Dash couldn't see the face of person in front of her, one thing she knew for sure. This wasn't Zecora. Then the world around her became dark.
Shiron	1170	2	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2012-02-11T09:37:12+00:00	2016-01-16T14:20:18+00:00	3,548	Chapter 1: The unknown pony When Rainbow Dash awoke she found herself in a big cave. Where the hay am I? The last thing I know is this crazy monster chasing me. When she touched her head she quickly removed her hoof because of the pain. Ouch!, she thought, but she could feel bandages around her head. Somepony must have had treated her injuries and bandaged them. Rainbow Dash was lying on a hay bed with a warm blanked over her body to keep her warm. Next to the bed were laying fruits, water and even some medicinal herbs, which were perfect to cure headache. Moreover the medical herbs were even able to increase the healing process. She already knew these kinds of special medical herbs because of her training. Some years ago she had worked on a new trick but she had made a mistake while planning for the trick. The result had been that she had crashed into a tree close to Fluttershy's home and she had hurt herself. Although the injuries weren't serious, the pain had been still too intense when she tried to fly. Luckily Fluttershy had heard Rainbow's crash and moments later Fluttershy had already sat next to her, trying to help her friend to stand up. The shy pegasus pony had known her friend too well and she had known that Rainbow Dash was too proud to go to the doctors in town. However she had tried to convince Rainbow to visit them but in the end Fluttershy had to take care of her friend's injuries herself. Fluttershy only had helped her animal friends when they were injured and she hadn't known how to take care of the injuries of another pony. However all she had known was that her friend needed help and that had been enough for Fluttershy. Fluttershy had treated Rainbow Dash's wounds like an expert and she had even given her some medical herbs. Fluttershy had told her that these herbs would increase the healing process and that they also were able to abate pain. After Rainbow Dash had taken the herbs she had realized that Fluttershy had been right. It had taken only a few moments until the pain had disappeared and only two days later her wings were back to their full awesomeness. Since this day Rainbow Dash had crashed more than once into something or even worse somepony. Most of these crashes had been harmless but a few times she had ended up with some painful injuries or headache. Every time she had taken the medical herbs she had felt better only a few moments later and she had been able to fly and practice new tricks only a few days later. Rainbow Dash knew that some of her tricks were risky but to make her dream come true and join the Wonderbolts she accepted these risks. Only the best pegasus ponies were able to join the Wonderbolts and someday her tricks would help her to become one of the best pegasi in Equestria's history. When Rainbow Dash looked at the medical herbs she knew that whoever brought her to this cave must have known the effects of the herbs. However she still wondered who her savior was and if it was possible that it was Zecora. Rainbow Dash stood up scanned the cave. It was a big cave with three tunnels and a small entrance big enough for a pony. A small campfire was in the center of the cave and near enough to warm her up. Rainbow Dash could also see some self-made tables with candles and some books. She walked to one of the tables and looked at the titles of the books. She took one of them in her hoofs and read the title "Frankenfilly". It was an old monster book about a crazy scientist, a unicorn named Frankenfilly, who used her magic and her knowledge to create a monster. She also had a humpback helper named Igor. Hehehe That unicorn reminds me a little of Twilight especially with Spike as her helper and her labor under the library Dash thought with a giggle. After she briefly checked the other books, which were also books about monsters, Rainbow Dash looked if somepony else was in the cave but she was alone. Seeing that the storm was still raging she went back to the bed to eat some fruit and the medical herbs. It took only a couple of minutes until the pain disappeared and she felt like a new pony. While she once again thought who might saved her she recalled a rumor she heard in Ponyville. Some ponies' especially young fillies and colts had heard about the Everfree Forest for the first time and went into it. These ponies had been either very curious like all young ponies or they had done it as a dare but all of them ignored the warning. In all stories about the Everfree Forest it was told that anypony who went in had never come out. Rainbow Dash knew all those stories but when her new friend Twilight Sparkle had to go into the forest to find the Elements of Harmony to save Equestria from Nightmare Moon, Rainbow Dash had followed her together with her other friends. Rainbow Dash would never leave a friend hanging when he or she needs help. She would even risk her own safety for her friends. Together the friends had defeated Nightmare Moon and had left the forest without any problems. After this day she had visited the Everfree Forest more than once and she was still alive. However although the tales about the Everfree Forest were exaggerated it was still a dangerous and unnatural place. Nevertheless those young ponies had entered the forest but surprisingly all of them had left it without running into trouble. Even more mysterious was that all of them had told the same story that they had been able to leave the Everfree Forest because something or someone had saved them. None of them had seen their savior but all of them said that they had seen a light that guided them out of the forest without running into dangerous creatures. When more and more ponies had told similar stories it had taken only some time until the creature was called "the guardian". At first Rainbow Dash and her friends thought that Zecora was this heroic creature who saved all the ponies. They had been even more surprised and curious when Zecora had told them that she wasn't the guardian. While she thought about the rumor and the tales of the guardian Rainbow Dash realized that it must have been the guardian who had saved her. The light that had fended the monster off as well as this cave and even her treated injuries began to make much more sense to her. Once again Rainbow Dash scanned the cave especially the tunnels while she wondered who and what creature the guardian might be. He or she could be another zebra like Zecora, a griffon or maybe even a pony. For a few moments she thought that maybe Gilda or Trixie could be the guardian. However Trixie would never live here in the Everfree Forest. Rainbow Dash knew that Gilda had once been a friendly, kind and helpful griffon and some years ago it had been possible that she was behind the mask of the guardian. However during the last years the friendly and helpful Gilda had turned into a bully and a jerk. Rainbow Dash could feel a pain in her chest and quickly she banished the thought of her ex-best friend from her mind although she still hoped that Gilda would someday be again the kind griffon she knew. After some minutes she heard that someone was coming out of one of the tunnels. She looked at each tunnel until she saw a growing shadow. When the shadow left the cave she could see that it was the stranger who was still wearing the cloak, just like Zecora when she had come to Ponyville before she had any friends. The stranger looked at her. "I'm glad to see that you finally woke up. I was worried that your injury was worse than I thought." The voice of the stranger was male and it does also sound like he was about the same age as Rainbow Dash. "Yeah thanks for your help and don't worry. I had worse injury during my training. Hehehe Oh and by the way I'm Rainbow Dash the best flyer in all of Equestria. What's your name?" she said in her typical Rainbow Dash way. The stranger was surely surprised by this cheerful young pegasus. "My name is Shiron." Shiron was going to the fire and after he checked the fire he sat near it. Rainbow Dash went also to the fire and sat next to Shiron. "Nice to meet you. You are a pony, right?" A simple nod was the only answer from Shiron. For some time both ponies were silently sitting near the fire but then Rainbow Dash broke the silence. "Where do you come from and why do you live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest instead of a town? Ponyville is only half an hour from here." At first Shiron didn't answer and she thought that he may be asleep but when Rainbow Dash looked back into the flames Shiron suddenly began to speak. "I don't know where I'm from nor if Shiron is my real name. This place is everything I have" "What do you mean by that?" With an almost sad voice Shiron simply answered "It's a long story and I won't bother you with it." However Rainbow Dash looked at Shiron with curiosity. "Come on. Spit it out. Maybe I can help you." Once again this little blue pegasus surprised Shiron and he decided to tell her his story. "If you really want to know…" Shiron made a small brief sigh and looked up at Rainbow Dash "I have only memories of the last year and I can't remember anything that happened before." Rainbow Dash was shocked when she heard that. She knew that some ponies lost some memories when they had an accident but after some days or weeks the missing memories would come back especially with the help of a unicorn doctor. Before she could say something Shiron started to speak again. "My first memory is that I woke up in a meadow. It was a beautiful day but I neither knew where I was nor who I was. I stood up and tried to find somepony else but I was alone. I walked for some hours until I found a lake, then one my memories came back. It was the name Shiron. I decided to keep this name until I remember my own name." Rainbow Dash thought about Shiron's words but she was confused. "If you lost your memories why didn't you talk to somepony? I'm sure somepony could help you." With a sad voice Shiron answered her. "At first I planned to talk to somepony. A day after I awoke in the meadow I saw a group of ponies. I planned to talk to them but before I even had a chance I got another memory back and this memory kept me from it. Every time when I was close to anyone else it was this memory that kept me from talking to them" "I still don't get it. How can a memory make you feel this bad? What is this memory?" When Shiron spoke again his voice became quieter but it was still sad. "It was the sentence: Everyone who is different is a monster. You may not understand it but I'm different than all the other ponies. When I saw my reflection in the water I discovered it. I traveled though Equestria for some months and although I saw earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, griffons, zebras and even dragons, I hadn't been able to find another pony like me. When I heard some ponies who talked about the dark and mysterious Everfree Forest I knew that this was the only place where I could live without the fear that others will see me as a monster. I don't know why but when I saw the Everfree Forest for the first time I had the odd feeling that it was like my home although I don't have any memories about it." Rainbow Dash began to understand why Shiron lived in a cave in this unpleasant Everfree Forest and why he was still wearing the cloak to cover his body. She remembered back when Zecora had come to Ponyville for the first time. Everypony had been afraid of her even Rainbow Dash herself and it had taken some months before somepony had been brave enough to talk to Zecora. This brave pony had been Applejack's little sister, Applebloom. Now Zecora was welcome in Ponyville and she had many friends there. Rainbow Dash knew that she had to help Shiron. She still didn't know how he looked but she knew that he was a nice and helpful pony and she couldn't stand the thought that he had to live in loneliness. He saved her and she even saw a friend in him although she knew him only for a short time. Rainbow Dash jumped off, with a new power and a smile she turned to Shiron. "Don't worry. Some month ago we all learned that nopony should judge another pony by their look. You saved me and even took care of my injuries. I'll never see you as a monster but as a friend and I'm sure my friends will like you, too. When the storm is over we'll go back to Ponyville together." Shiron was trying to say something but Rainbow Dash was faster. "I won't accept a 'no' as an answer. Now take off your cloak. I'm sure you don't look like a monster." At first Shiron tried to convince her that he felt safe when he wore the cloak and that he didn't want to take it off. However in the short time he spent with Rainbow Dash he knew that, in the end, she would convince him. With a last hesitation Shiron took off the cloak so that Rainbow Dash could see his body. Rainbow Dash scanned his body but all she saw was an ordinary pony. He had a white coat and a black colored mane and tail. His cutie mark shows dark clouds in front of the full moon and he had even white wings. I don't see anything strange. He's just a pegasus pony like me and compared to most of the colts I know he's even quite handsome she thought. However she still didn't see anything odd and for her Shiron was just an ordinary pegasus pony. "See? I told you that you aren't a monster. You're just a pegasus pony like me and many other ponies in Eque…" Before she could finish her sentence she saw the reason why Shiron was different and why he hadn't been able to find other ponies like him. ******************************************************************************** 1 year earlier: It was a beautiful day. Birds were singing, butterflies were dancing in the air and all kinds of critters were playing in the meadow. Two young squirrels were playing hide and seek until one of the squirrels found something strange lying in the meadow. The squirrels didn't know what it was and out of curiosity they went closer to the strange thing. When they were close enough they saw that it was a white pony with wings and something else. The squirrels only knew the winged ponies that took care of them and their other furry friends and although they had once seen a group of ponies with horns on their heads they never saw a pony like this one. The pony was lying in the meadow with its eyes closed and since they found it, it didn't move. However before they were able to take a closer look the pony began to move and the squirrels scurried away to their parents. ************************** Slowly the pony opened his eyes and stood up. He didn't know where he was and even worse he also didn't know who he was. He looked around in the hope to see something he recognized or someone he could talk to. Maybe even somepony who knew him but instead he found himself alone. Slowly he turned into one direction and started to walk. He didn't know where he was walking to but he hoped and wished that somewhere he could find some answers. After some time the pony found a lake and before he looked at his reflection he drank some of its cool water. Then he looked at his reflection. For some time he just sat there and stared at his reflection lost in his own thoughts. He tried to figure out what had happened and why he had lying alone in a meadow but he couldn't find a reason. When he prepared himself to leave the lake to search for anyone else he suddenly had a flashback. He couldn't see anything except fog but he could hear a voice whispering the name "Shiron". The pony didn't know the meaning of this flashback but he decided that this could be his name. Until the day he would get his memories back, the pony decided that he would keep the name Shiron for himself. One day later Shiron had already trekked a long way but still he couldn't find anyone else. Although he had wings all his tries to fly hadn't been very successful and the few times when he had been able to leave the ground he had fallen back to it. Suddenly he heard something. It was the happy laughter of at least two other creatures. Shiron ran in the direction where the laughter came from and when he reached the top of the hill he could see a group of ponies. There were two earth ponies, a unicorn and a pegasus pony. From his place he could only see the cutie mark from the pegasus pony, which looked like a flower. Shiron hoped that these ponies could help him and maybe they even knew him or were his friends. The ponies were only 100 yards away and he would only need some minutes to reach the ponies but before he was able to go, Shiron had another odd flashback. Once again he found himself in a world of fog. He was alone but once again the same mysterious voice spoke to him. Shiron tried to talk to the voice but nothing happened. Instead all his hopes were crushed when the voice whispered, "You are different than these ponies. They won't accept you because everyone who is different is a monster." Then he was back in the real world. Without looking back to the group of ponies Shiron turned back and ran away before the ponies could even notice his presence. On this day Shiron's long search for other ponies like him began. ************************** The pegasus pony stopped and looked at the hill but she didn't see anything. For just a moment she thought she saw a pony but now she couldn't see anypony. Maybe her mind had played a trick on her. When her friends saw that she had stopped the unicorn asked her friend "Is everything alright, Sunflower?" Sunflower looked back to her friends and with a smile she said "Yes, I just thought I saw a … never mind. It's impossible that there are more ponies like her." With this the happy little group of friends continued their way to the next town. ************************** Three month had passed since Shiron had started his long journey to find other ponies like him. He had passed forests, mountains and many other places but he was still alone. Although he had found many different creatures like zebras, dragons, griffins and even seaponies he couldn't find another pony like himself. During the last months he had learned how to fly and although his first flights had been very clumsy he was training every day and soon he had become better and faster. It was almost like he was born to fly and the feeling to fly was beyond description. He felt like he was one with the sky and he felt free but also lonely. Every day he wished for someone to fly with, someone to share the sky with but his wishes had been unheard. Thanks to his training he had been able to search more places and he was even able to escape a hydra that had attacked him a month earlier. However during the last months he also had became a creature of the night and most of the time he had traveled only when it was dark. If other creatures really saw everyone who was different as a monster then he couldn't allow them to see him. When he had found places where ponies or other creatures could live he had watched them until he had known what kind of creature lived there. However every time he had found creatures or ponies that weren't like him and before they had even noticed him he had been long gone. Three months he had searched but it looked like he was alone in this world. His search had been a failure and now he was standing at the entrance of a dark forest, which was called the Everfree Forest. Although it was a dark place, unloved and feared by others, Shiron felt an odd connection with this forest. He was unloved just like the Everfree Forest and Shiron was sure that if others would see him they would also fear him. He was a monster and monsters hadn't the right to live in the light were others could see them. They had to live in the darkness … alone and unloved. After some more months had passed Shiron had become one with the Everfree Forest and he knew almost everything about it. The unpredictable weather and the trees close to each other had been the perfect training for Shiron and his flying skills and his stamina had become better and better. Shiron had even learned some tricks while he was practicing his flying skills but just like the months before he found that he still felt the pang of loneliness when he was flying through the sky. The only other creature except of the animals that lived in the Everfree Forest was a zebra named Zecora. She was mysterious and always spoke in rhymes. Unlike him Zecora left the forest every week to go to the village close to the forest and from what Shiron heard the ponies saw her as an evil enchantress because of her appearance. She was different than the ponies of the village and as the result they hated and feared her. One day Zecora somehow had found Shiron's cave. At first he had hide in the tunnels of his cave until she had left but every time she had left a basket with food, tea and sometimes even other things like a book or some candles. One time there had even been a cloak in the basket. However Shiron still hid when Zecora came with a new basket because he feared that she would also see him as a monster. It didn't make much sense because since the day he had awaken in the meadow nine months ago no one actually had seen him but Shiron could still hear the whispering voice in his head. However the next two months were different. On one day he could see the shadows of a group of five or six ponies, which headed to the ruins of the old castle. Some hours later a rainbow colored light illuminated the Everfree Forest. On another day he saw a griffon flying in the direction of the village only to leave it two days later and some days later another group of ponies headed to Zecora's home. Shiron feared that they would attack her although Shiron hadn't seen any kind of violence since he had awaken in the meadow. Luckily Zecora had told him the whole story with the poison joke and that the villagers had apologized for their behavior. Although Shiron had made the first step to talk to Zecora some weeks ago instead of hiding, he still wore the cloak she had given him. Zecora also told him that she was now welcome to the village named Ponyville. However unlike him Zecora had never been a monster because there were many other zebras in towns and villages but no other ponies like Shiron. A week later an explosion caught Shiron's attention and when he looked at the sky he could see a beautiful rainbow colored wave in the sky. Its light illuminated the Everfree Forest and deep in his heart Shiron sent a wish to the rainbow. He hoped that one day other ponies like him would find him and save him from his loneliness but Shiron knew he was alone in this world. He was a lonely monster in his exile. Another month had passed. It was a dark and stormy night when Shiron found a pegasus pony that was chased by one of the most dangerous creatures of the Everfree Forest. Although Shiron had been able to banish the monster the pony was unconscious. She had a pale cyan colored coat and a rainbow colored mane and tail and it looked like she was hurt. Shiron already helped other ponies that had got lost in the forest but this was different because the other ponies hadn't been hurt. He didn't know where this pony came from and thus he brought her to his cave to treat her wounds. This was ten hours ago and now he was standing in front of her without his cloak on. Shiron didn't know why he had taken if off when she asked him to but there was something in her eyes. Those big beautiful, eyes … ****************************************************************************** Rainbow Dash looked at Shiron but she didn't believe her eyes. He was surely different than all the other ponies in Ponyville and Equestria. "You also see me as a monster, don't you?" asked Shiron with sad eyes. Instead of looking at him with fear Rainbow Dash burst into laughter, which confused Shiron even more. It took a while until she calmed down and spoke again. "Sorry, it's just that many ponies would do anything to be like you. You aren't a monster you are an alicorn." Rainbow Dash pointed at Shiron's wings and his horn. "I'm an Alicorn?" he asked confused, hearing this term for the first time. "You mean there are other ponies like me?" With a smile and a nod Rainbow Dash looked at Shiron. With a soft voice she said, "Yep, there are two more - Princess Celestia and Princess Luna the rulers of Equestria. Everypony looks up to them and admire them. However we always thought that there were no other Alicorns in Equestria." Rainbow Dash looked at Shiron and wondered how he felt at this moment. From what she knew he lived all alone for almost one year with the idea that he was the only alicorn and that others would see him as something bad. When Rainbow Dash saw that he was close to tears she didn't know what she should say and so she put a hoof around his neck to make him feel that he wasn't alone anymore. "I… I still can't …believe it. I searched for months without finding other ponies like me and then I find you and you tell me that there are two more ponies like me and that these ponies are even the rulers of this land. Where can I find them?" With his brown eyes he looked at Rainbow Dash and she could see the hope in his eyes. The hope that he would learn more about his origin and maybe Princess Celestia could even give him his memories back. Like all pegasus ponies, Rainbow Dash could sense the cardinal directions and with one hoof she pointed to the north. "They are living in Canterlot, a town in the mountains. You can even see it from the sky. When we are in Ponyville I'll introduce you to my friends especially a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. She is the student of Princess Celestia and she sends her a letter every week. I'm sure she will tell the Princess about you and enable an audience with her. Until we can go to Canterlot you can live in Ponyville." Rainbow Dash thought that Shiron would be happy to hear those words but instead he looked back into the fire before he spoke in a low voice. "I'm not sure. I mean, except of this cave I have nothing and I don't have any money for a home in Ponyville." With a slap on Shiron's shoulder and her usual confident attitude she looked at Shiron "Don't worry. You can stay with me in my cloud house. It's good-sized and there is no better bed than a cloud bed. Besides chilling with a friend sounds like fun not to mention the flying sessions." With a wink she added, "Maybe you even know some new tricks you can show me." Shiron didn't know what he should say. Out of the nowhere he met this confident young pegasus pony that told him that he wasn't the only pony with a horn and wings. Now she even invited him to live with her and her friends in Ponyville. After almost a year Shiron had hope for better days. "Thank you Rainbow Dash." said Shiron who wasn't only referring to her invitation to live with her in Ponyville but for everything she did for him. "You're welcome." she said with a grin. Rainbow looked at the entrance of the cave and then back to Shiron "The storm will at least persist till dawn so I can tell you some things about Ponyville, my friends and me of course. You can tell me something about you like your hobbies or something else." With a nod Shiron said, "That sounds good." Rainbow Dash looked into the light of the fire and thought about her friends. She knew many stories about them, many adventures and all the good times she had with them. After she knew what would be the best way to talk about her best friends she began with her story. "I think I will start with Applejack. Applejack is an earth pony and she was my first friend when I came to Ponyville. She is working on the apple farm named Sweet Apple Acres and just like me she is an athlete although I'm the better athlete. She is a helpful pony and sometimes she is very stubborn but she is one of my best friends. The next pony is Pinkie Pie and like Applejack she is also an earth pony. She is the most cheerful pony I've ever met. You never know what she is going to do next and she loves sweets. Every week she throws at least one party especially when she meets someone she doesn't know." With a grin Rainbow added, "I'm sure when she sees you she will run away to make a welcome party." A flash illuminated the cave and after some seconds the sound of thunder broke the silence of the night. With his magic Shiron put more firewood into the fire and both ponies enjoyed its warmth. After some hot tea and food Rainbow Dash continued. "Rarity is a unicorn and a fashion designer. She is generous but sometimes a bit too girly especially when there is mud or dirt. I don't have a problem with mud or dirt and you can make some good pranks with it. Fluttershy is a pegasus pony like me and she's my fillyhood friend. She also lived in my hometown Cloudsdale before she moved to Ponyville. She is a very shy pony but she can be very assertive when someone needs help. She tamed a manticore; a dragon and she even intimidated a cockatrice with her special power, "the stare". She really cares about all animals and ponies and she is a good friend. However she should be a little bit more assertive. I mean seriously, this pony is even afraid of her own shadow. Well, the last one is a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. She lives in a library together with Spike, a baby dragon who is also a good friend of mine. Twilight and Spike are almost like siblings. Twilight really loves books and science but sometimes she is like an egghead. She has a book for everything you can imagine. When she first came to Ponyville she wasn't interested in making friends, parties or anything funny. It took some time for her to warm up and make friends but now she has many good friends just like me and the pony gang." "Sounds like you have many good friends" said Shiron before he offered her more fruits, which she gladly accepted. "Yeah I'm really happy to have them. Every day with them is awesome and we have a lot of fun together. What about you? What have you done in the last year except from hiding in a cave?" While she watched Shiron she bit into a juicy pomegranate. Shiron started to chuckle and it took her some seconds before she realized that her face was full of the juices from the fruit. For some time both ponies just sit there and laughed. After some time Shiron broke the silence "Well, there isn't much that you can do in the Everfree Forest. In the daytime it's very boring but at night I usually read some books explore the Forest or" Shiron closed his eyes for a moment and with a smile he said "or I fly. There is nothing better than a good breeze through my mane while I fly as high and fast as I can go. At night you can see the star-spattered sky and in the dawn you can see the sunrise and at dusk you can see the sunset. The feeling of the wind beneath my wings and in my face, the increasing speed and the feeling…" "…And the feeling of freedom and peace." finished Rainbow Dash who was also smiling. "It looks like we both love to fly as fast and as high as we can. We have more similarities than I though." After a brief look to the entrance and the discovery that the storm was almost over, Rainbow Dash stood up and removed the bandage. She looked back to Shiron and with a wink she said, "The storm is almost over. How about some fun? Ponyville is only half an hour from here and I can't wait to see how good your flying skills really are." "Sounds good to me." With this both ponies left the cave and took off. Together they flew towards Ponyville. ******************************************************************************** Some minutes after the two ponies left the cave a cloaked creature left the shadows. The gold under her cloak glittered in the light of the sunrise and with her turquoise eyes she looked after the two flying ponies. "Now Shiron you aren't alone anymore, because you found a friend and soon even more." With a smile Zecora went again into the shadows back to her house. She disappeared in the shadows and only a sad melody filled the air while Zecora sang her song.
Shiron	1170	3	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2012-05-10T19:45:28+00:00	2019-12-03T21:14:59+00:00	4,811	Chapter 2: New day, new life The sun slowly rose and its light reached Ponyville to wake its citizens. Smoke appeared over Sugarcube Corner where a cheerful, pink pony baked the first delicacies of the morning and like every morning a purple unicorn awoke in her library after a night full of studying. The "closed" sign in the window of the boutique of a white unicorn with purple mane was switched to an "open" sign and at the edge of the Everfree Forest a shy, yellow pegasus pony brought her little animal friends their breakfast. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and three little fillies with capes left Sweet Apple Acres to find their own cutie marks. The sweet smell of apples and apple pie was in the air while an orange pony with a hat bucked another apple tree to get enough apples to fill her cart. Just like every Sunday she hoped that she would earn enough money for her family. However just like her friends she didn't know that this morning would be different. This day was a special day that would change her life and the life of her best friends. ******************************************************************************** Rainbow Dash was very pleased. Although she flew with half of her speed, Shiron was still close behind her and he was even able to do the same tricks she did during all her early flying sessions. Most of the pegasus ponies in Ponyville weren't able to fly as fast as Rainbow Dash was able to and even less could do tricks at this speed. Now the athlete in her was awake and she wondered how good Shiron really was. "Not bad. Are you ready for the true race?" she asked Shiron with a look back at him. "Sure" he answered with a grin. Rainbow Dash was surprised because the shy and unconfident pony she had met in the cave was now strong and confident. I wish that flying would have had the same effect on Fluttershy like it had on Shiron, Rainbow Dash thought to herself. "Awesome! Let's see if you can catch up to me when I fly at full speed" Rainbow said with a challenging grin. Without wasting more time Rainbow Dash started to fly faster and faster but she still held back her true strength and power. For the moment she didn't want to make it too difficult for Shiron. If he still was able to keep up with her then she would try something special she had in mind for the race. The wind was flowing trough Rainbow's mane as well as her wings and she loved this feeling. Only when she was flying as fast and as high as she could she actually felt free. Memories of the past, thoughts of the future and everything else left her mind. She was one with the sky and only the here and now was important. All her life she had dreamed of someone she could share the sky with. In Cloudsdale it had been her best friends, the Junior Speedsters especially Gilda and … Silverwing. After she had left Cloudsdale because of a certain incident she had found in Stormchaser a new best friend and even a big sister. Rainbow had been able to share the sky with her new flying partner but it hadn't last very long. After Stormchaser had left Ponyville Rainbow Dash had hoped to find a new flying partner but none the pegasi in Ponyville were as skilled as she was and after Gilda's last visit and the disastrous party she had even lost her old best friend and flying partner. Since this day her flying sessions had been less interesting and weren't near as fun as they use to be. Worst of all, the feeling of freedom had changed into loneliness. Not even her friends in Ponyville have been able to see this change in her feelings and it didn't surprised Rainbow Dash. After the worst day in her life she had become an expert in hiding her feelings. However now it was possible that she finally found a new flying partner and someone to share the sky with. When she looked back Shiron was missing. Although he was a better flyer than all the other pegasus ponies she knew he wasn't as good as she was. After letting out a sad sigh she was about to slow down and wait for him when she felt that something or better somepony fly past her. "See you" Shiron said while Rainbow Dash was too surprised to respond. Finally she thought to herself. She put on her goggles, which she had hid in her mane, and licked her lips. The next moment only a rainbow was left behind where Rainbow Dash had been only some seconds before and another moment later she already caught up with Shiron. ****************************************************************************** Pinkie Pie happily bounced through Ponyville humming her favorite melody. It was a clear sky and the pink pony loved the feeling of the sun warming her coat. She also loved to jump into the puddles the storm had left behind. Beautiful little rainbows formed when the sun met the water drops and a big smile filled Pinkie's face. "Speaking of rainbows" she said to herself "I haven't seen Dashie all day". She was about to visit her rainbow colored friend at her home when she got three different, little feelings. Her ear starting to flop, following by twitchy knees and at last her eyes started to flutter. Knowing what her Pinkie Sense had told her Pinkie Pie looked at the sky. Just in time she could see two flying ponies that were heading to Rainbow Dash's training course. Although both ponies were too fast for any other pony to be seen, Pinkie Pie hadn't any problems with it. "Oh, there's Dashie" she cheerful said "but who is this stallion?" she asked herself aloud. Although both ponies had only been visible for a second or two seconds Pinkie Pie hadn't any problems to recognize that one pony was her friend Rainbow Dash and that the other pony was an unknown alicorn stallion. "Oh my gosh. A new pony comes to Ponyville and he's even a pony like Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Maybe he's even related with our Princesses but that would mean that they would also come to Ponyville. I wonder if this will be a surprise but I'm sure they would be sad if no pony would be prepared but maybe they are planning a surprise party but a party without a cake isn't a party but if they're planning a surprise party I would already know that because I love parties and can feel when anypony is planning a party except the time when I forgot my own birthday and I had been so sad when I thought that my friends didn't like my parties and didn't want to be my friends anymore because they made up excuses to not come to Gummy's after birthday party but then I was happy again when I realized that they had planned a surprise party for me but now I can't feel a party coming anytime soon that means the Princesses aren't planning a party and they won't come to Ponyville what means that this alicorn will come to Ponyville without a party and that would make him so sad but I know what I have to do I will make a surprise party for him so he can meet everypony in Ponyville and he'll have lots and lots of friend just like Twilight when she was new in Ponyville" Pinkie Pie said without taking breath. Forgetting the fact that she already had a party yesterday she happily bounced back to Sugarcube Corner to plan a party for this alicorn stallion she had seen. ****************************************************************************** Rainbow Dash flew under Shiron. While she was flying she was lying on her back with her front hooves crossed behind her head. Shiron was still too surprised to see her flying in this position at this speed like it was still a warm-up for her. Rainbow Dash on the other hoof began to love this race more and more. With a grin she just said "Later" before she overtake Shiron Soon both ponies reached their maximum speed while they were heading to one of Rainbow Dash's practicing courses. Rainbow Dash was the first who reached the course and she began to fly in slalom through the trees of the course Shiron was still close behind her but unlike Rainbow Dash he had to slow down while he was following her through the tree course. When he finally finished the course Rainbow Dash had already headed back to the sky in the direction of some clouds. Shiron was summoning all his strength to catch up with his new friend and step-by-step he came closer although he couldn't avoid the feeling that Rainbow Dash was waiting for him. The next course was much bigger than the tree course and it consists of different clouds. Over the whole course were annular clouds distributed and by watching Rainbow Dash who was flying through them Shiron realize that this must been the route through the course. Without wasting time he passed the first circle as soon as he reached it. Although the course started very easy it soon became much more difficult. Many clouds of different size where distributed all over the route. Shiron had some problems to follow the route and avoiding the other clouds without touching them with his wings or loosing speed. It looked like the clouds were randomly distributed and the circles didn't make it easier because Shiron realized that they became smaller after ten circles of the same size ****************************************************************************** Rainbow Dash had already reached the second part of her course. After she had won the Best Young Flyer Competition, she had started to create a bigger and better training course. The first part was similar to the tree course which she had used to practice flying in slalom but unlike the tree curse there were much more obstacles to avoid. Moreover along the whole course were circles distributed to mark the way through the whole course. It had taken her more than a month of planning but it was worth it. The first part was now much more difficult because she had to fly in different ways and not only slalom. Even Rainbow Dash had had some problems to finish the whole course without losing speed or touching clouds but now she was an expert and each time she used this training course she tried to break her own record. The second part of her course consists of six clouds each of them in different sizes. The goal was to fly around the clouds to make them spin just like she had trained for in the Best Young Flyer Competition. At first she had arranged the clouds from the smallest to the biggest cloud but after some time she had rearranged them. Now the clouds were arbitrary distributed and it was more difficult to make them spin because of the arbitrary size of the clouds. When she looked back, Rainbow Dash could see that Shiron was leaving the first part of her course and he was flying in the direction of the second part. She couldn't hide a happy grin because soon she would be able to see if he was able to finish the fourth and last part. ****************************************************************************** After he finally finished the first part of Rainbow Dash's course, Shiron was able to see the second part. It consists of six clouds and he could see Rainbow Dash flying around the last one. At first Shiron was confused because flying around a cloud didn't seem as difficult as the last part but then the cloud began to spin. Shiron almost forgot to flap his wings because of the surprise but after he quickly shook his head, to get his focus back, he headed for the first cloud. It was much more difficult than it looked like and Shiron needed several circumnavigations until he figured out how to make the cloud start to spin. After half of the clouds were spinning, Shiron was able to concentrate on his speed and height to make the last three clouds spinning but he still wasn't as good as Rainbow Dash who had almost finished the third part of the course. With all his remaining strength Shiron tried to catch up with her. ****************************************************************************** It's now or never Rainbow Dash thought to herself. She had the perfect speed and Ponyville was in save distance. The momentum she got from the third part of her course, the looping part, was perfect and she saw that Shiron almost finished the third part. After her last flying session with Stormchaser, Rainbow Dash had never felt this good not even during the Best Young Flyers Competition. All her thoughts were focused and she flew as fast as she could. A vortex formed in front of her as she headed to the second last circle. ****************************************************************************** Shiron had just finished the third part of the course when he headed to the last part. The circles of the third part had been positioned to create different kinds of loops each of them more difficult than the last and more than once Shiron had touched the cloud circles. However now he entered the fourth and last part of Rainbow Dash's training course. When he entered the first circle of the last part Shiron could only see two more circles and the last one was marked with a finish line. Shiron scanned the course and he realized that the three circles had been positioned to create a "V". The first and the last circle of the fourth part were positioned almost at the same high while the second circle was close to the ground. For Shiron it looked like the fourth part of the course was a challenge to decide who the faster pony was. Rainbow Dash was already heading to the ground faster than ever and once again Shiron summoned all his remaining energy to catch up with her but nothing had been able to prepare him for what happened next. When Rainbow Dash reached the second last circle Shiron was too surprised to concentrate anymore and he was even forgetting the race. All he could do was to watch in awe as a loud explosion broke the silence before a big rainbow colored circle was formed. Just like waves the rainbow was spreading in all four cardinal directions. Out of the middle of the rainbow circle Rainbow Dash flew with unbelievable speed to the finish line a big beautiful and glittering rainbow behind her. Suddenly Shiron's mind traveled back to the day when he had seen a similar rainbow. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and while he had watched the rainbow he had wished that someone would save him from his loneliness. Shiron couldn't believe that, from all creatures in all of Equestria, he had saved this special pony that was able to create this rainbow. Was it coincidence or was it maybe even fate? Shiron didn't know it when he watched the beauty of Rainbow Dash and the rainbow she had created. It took him some time until Shiron was able to move again and although it wasn't necessary anymore Shiron decided to finish the race. However although he flew as fast as he could he wasn't able to create a vortex in front of him ****************************************************************************** Rainbow Dash watched Shiron while she was waiting on a cloud next to the finish line. She was surprised and even a bit impressed that Shiron was still finishing the course. She had thought that after seeing her amazing Sonic Rainboom he would just fly to her ignoring the second last circle. However instead of doing this Shiron was finishing the race like a true athlete. He's even better than I hoped but he still needs more training to be as good as me she thought with a happy smile but I finally found a new flying partner. After Shiron passed the finish line both ponies headed back to the ground. Rainbow Dash was the first who landed followed by an exhausted Shiron who was out of breath. Rainbow Dash waited some time until Shiron recovered a bit before she broke the silence. "You're good. I only have a few other friends who are able to fly like this but sadly none of them living in Ponyville" she said with a warm smile. With a hoof-pump she added, "That was the best flying session I had in years." "Same here" Shiron responded. "You're amazing and you're last trick was awesome." "That was my Sonic Rainboom and I'm the only pony that's able to do it" Rainbow Dash said with a proud face. However she was hiding the fact that she still didn't master the Sonic Rainboom. In all her life she had only done three Sonic Rainbooms and she didn't know why she had been able to do one today. "I'm sure you never saw something like this,” she added quickly when she realized that she had been lost in her thoughts for a few seconds. "Well, actually I had seen something similar some months ago. When I had been in my cave I had heard a loud explosion before I had seen a rainbow colored wave that had been filling the sky over the Everfree Forest. Until this day I had never seen something as beautiful as that and today you showed me its true beauty" Shiron said to a surprised Rainbow Dash. "You looked amazing with the rainbow behind you" he added before Shiron realized that he had said the last part aloud. I hope she didn't hear the last part Shiron thought to himself hiding a soft blush. A Sonic Rainboom some months ago Rainbow Dash thought to herself. "Oh, that must be the Sonic Rainboom I had done during the Best Young Flyer Competition" she proudly stated. "…And thank you" she added while she was also hiding a blush. For some time both ponies just stood there blushing and trying to avoid eye contact. "Let's go see Twilight" Rainbow Dash broke the silence after a few more moments. "I'm sure you can't wait to meet the Princesses" Shiron just nodded and together the two friends started to walk to Twilight's library. ****************************************************************************** Rainbow Dash and Shiron were about half way there and in the distance Twilight's tree was already visible. However Shiron hadn't any time to focus on the way before him because of all the other ponies. No matter where Shiron looked he could see ponies that watched him and he could even hear them whispering. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to leave my cave without my cloak Shiron nervously thought to himself when he suddenly felt a wing on his shoulder. When he looked to his side he could see Rainbow Dash with a warm smile. "Don't worry,” she said with a soft voice as if she was able to read is mind. "It's just very rare that an alicorn pony comes to Ponyville and it's the first time that this alicorn is not Princess Celestia or her sister." Rainbow Dash smiled at Shiron before she removed her wing from his shoulder and both ponies continued their way to Twilight. Thanks to Rainbow's word Shiron felt much calmer and as long as she was by his side he also felt safe. Trying to ignore the glances of the other ponies and their whispering Shiron began to scan the village. Ponyville was a beautiful and peaceful looking village. Each house had little gardens with flowers or other plants. There were also many other houses like a spa, a boutique, a hospital and even a big building that looked like a candy shop or a bakery. In the distance he could see some bigger clouds that didn’t looked like weather clouds. Shiron assumed that these clouds could be the homes of pegasus ponies but he wasn't sure. He had already seen a very big cloud castle when he had followed Rainbow Dash to the training course and he still wondered what kind of building it was and who might be living there. Shiron looked back to the street and he could see several ponies with carts selling strawberries, flowers, pears, apples and all kinds of food a pony's heart could wish for. Most of these carts were in the center of the town and Shiron thought that this could be something like a marketplace he had seen in other towns and villages. When Shiron looked back to Rainbow Dash he realized that she was heading to an earth pony with orange coat, a blond mane and tail and who was wearing a cowboy hat while she was selling apples. "Hey Applejack" Rainbow Dash friendly said to the orange pony. Shiron remembered that Rainbow Dash had mentioned this name before. Applejack was one of Rainbow Dash's best friends and once again Shiron became nervous. How would she reacting and would she really like him like Rainbow Dash had promised him? "Howdy, Sugarcube" the farm pony was happily greeting her friend. "Whatcha ya' doin' and who's ya friend? " "That's my new friend Shiron. He saved me when I crashed into the Everfree Forest" Rainbow Dash answered. Applejack lowered her voice and while she was friendly nudging Rainbow Dash she whispered, "Ah didn't know ya had such a cute coltfriend Sugarcube,” pointing at a confused Shiron. Rainbow Dash heavily blushed "W-what? No he isn't…" she tried to correct her friend but Applejack had already turned to Shiron shaking his hoof. "Howdy partner. I'm Applejack and all friends of Rainbow Dash are my friends, too" Applejack said still shaking Shiron's hoof. A nervous "uh Hello? Nice to meet you" was the only respond while Shiron helpless looked at Rainbow Dash who already recovered from the shock Applejack had given her. There he is again Rainbow Dash thought with a sigh and was putting a hoof to her face when she saw that Shiron had turned again into the shy pony she had met in the cave. Looks like I also have to teach him to be as cool as I am. "Hey AJ. Do you know if Twilight is still in her library?" she tried to get Applejack's attention. "Ah think so. She studied all night and I'm sure she has to clean up the library again. Why do ya ask?" Applejack asked after she let go of Shiron's hoof. "It's a very long story. I just need to ask her for a favor" the pegasus pony answered. She hadn't all day and she didn't want to let Shiron wait any longer. One year of waiting and loneliness was already too long. Shiron deserved to get some answers and Rainbow Dash was determined to help him to find these answers as fast as possible. Rainbow Dash was about to leave Applejack and continue the way to Twilight's tree library but once again Applejack was next to her whispering, "Ya don't have to bother Twilight with it Sugarcube. If ya two need some time alone I know the perfect place. It's a quiet and romantic spot at Sweet Apple Acres and …" Applejack couldn't finish her sentence because Rainbow Dash gave her a very annoyed look. Once again Applejack was friendly nudging Rainbow Dash. "I'm just kiddin’,” she said with a wink. "Let's go" Rainbow Dash said with an almost commanding voice to Shiron who didn't know what just had happened. With a giggle Applejack shouted, "Have fun ya two." ****************************************************************************** Some minutes afterwards Rainbow Dash and Shiron had left Applejack who tried to get her concentration back to sell more apples. She couldn't hide a giggle when she thought about Rainbow Dash's reaction when Applejack called Shiron Rainbow's coltfriend. Applejack was sure that her old friend knew that she had been joking. It was almost the same conversation the two friends had already had some years ago. Coconut, an old school friend of Applejack, had moved back to Ponyville after he had lived for some years in Fillydelphia with his family. Applejack had introduced him to Rainbow Dash and she had made several jokes of him being Applejack's coltfriend. However unlike Applejack Rainbow Dash had said the jokes aloud and she had made the colt feel very uncomfortable. For almost a whole week Rainbow Dash had made similar jokes but luckily she had apologized to him before the whole situation had been able to become an even bigger disaster. Thinking of Shiron, Applejack thought that he was a nice pony although he seemed too shy. With his white coat and wings, his black mane and tail and his brown eyes he was handsome and Applejack was sure if he wouldn't be that shy he wouldn't have any problems to find a fillyfriend. Maybe she should introduce him to Fluttershy Applejack thought because she knew Rainbow Dash had locked her heart long ago. After the big disaster many years ago Rainbow Dash had lost any interests in relationships. Many colts including Caramel had tried to ask Rainbow Dash out but in the end all of them had to give up. Applejack knew all too well how a broken heart felt but she also knew that Rainbow Dash's heart wasn't only broken. Cloudburst, this smug jerk of a colt, had shattered Rainbow's heart into thousand pieces and it hurt Applejack to see that Rainbow's injuries still weren't healed. Applejack became angry when she thought about the jerk and although she hated thoughts like this she wished she could make Cloudburst pay for what he had done to her friend. With a sigh Applejack knew that not even the magic of Shiron's horn would be strong enough to heal Rainbow Dash's heart. Suddenly Applejack's eyes widened His wing AND his horn?! She thought with big eyes. ****************************************************************************** "Come on Spike. We have to clean up the library,” said a purple unicorn using her magic to levitate some books to put them back into their bookshelves'. After a whole night of studying the whole floor was filled with books and the unicorn and her dragon assistant had to clean up for the fourth time this week, not counting the times she had to clean up after Rainbow Dash crashed into her library. "Why do you always read so many books, Twi?" Spike asked his unicorn friend while he carried a staple of books that was twice as big as he was. During all the years he was spending with Twilight he hadn't any problems to carry things that were bigger or heavier as he was. "Spike I have to do important studies. Although I'm living in Ponyville I'm still Princess Celestia's student and there are so many things to learn." Twilight said hugging one of her favorite books before she levitated it into a bookshelf. "Now hurry up Spike. This is a library after all and maybe somepony wants to borrow a book today" Twilight added ignoring Spike who let out a bored sigh. Only ten minutes later the library was already cleaned up and Spike ate some of the gems Twilight bought him this morning. Both Twilight and Spike thought that it would be just another day without any great surprises. Usually every Sunday was more or less a day without any special happenings but this day was about to be different. Twilight was still in the kitchen and cleaning up the mess of the breakfast when Spike heard a knock on the door. Spike quickly ran to the door and opened it before Rainbow Dash and a second pony entered the library. "Who is it Spike?" Twilight asked while she was still in the kitchen. It was still too early for any ponies to borrow books and Applejack already gave her a basket with apples earlier this morning. "It's Rainbow Dash with another pony." Spike said back to Twilight. "I'm coming" Twilight said with a surprised voice. "Morning Spike. How are you" Rainbow Dash asked the baby dragon. "I'm fine and you? Who is your friend?" Spike asked her before he turned to Shiron. "Hi, I'm Spike and who are you?" Spike said offering a hand. "My name is Shiron. Nice to meet you." Shiron answered shaking Spike's hand much to Rainbow's surprising that Shiron wasn't as shy as he was when they had seen Applejack. Was it because Spike was also a boy or was it because Shiron was attracted to Applejack? Rainbow Dash quickly banned the thought out of her mind. Shiron isn't attracted to AJ Rainbow Dash thought. That's not possible, is it? she mentally asked herself. "Good morning Rainbow Dash" Twilight Sparkle friendly greeting her friend who had been lost in her thoughts again and didn't even hear Twilight enter the room. After Rainbow Dash had greeted her Twilight turned to the new pony. "Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle" she greeted him but before he had any chance to respond something Twilight noticed his wings. When she had entered the room she only saw his horn but now she almost jumped into the air. "Oh my god you are an alicorn. What's your name and where do you come from? Do you know Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? Are related to them? What can you do with your horn?" Twilight started to ask Shiron one question after another and Shiron hadn't even the chance to answer one of them. "Are you also immortal? And what about…" Twilight tried to continue in her excitement already levitated a tapeline trying to measure the length of Shiron's horn before Rainbow Dash blocked the way to Shiron with her wing. "Wait a second" Rainbow Dash said to Twilight who didn't realized that she made Shiron feel very uncomfortable. Twilight wondered if she had said something wrong. "He has lost his memories and we are here to ask you for a favor" Rainbow Dash continued. "I wanted to ask you to write a letter to Princess Celestia and ask her for a meeting. She's an alicorn pony like Shiron and she's also the most powerful pony in Equestria. If anypony is able help Shiron then she." "You have lost your memories?" Twilight asked with a quiet voice looking at Shiron who nod with a sad face. When she saw this she suddenly felt bad for all her questions and she didn't know what she should do. "If it is ok for you I'll tell them the whole story" Rainbow Dash asked Shiron who agreed with another nod. With this Rainbow Dash began to tell Twilight and Spike how she crashed into the Everfree Forest, the monster and the whole story with Shiron. ******************************************************************************** Almost half an hour later the three ponies and Spike were sitting at one of Twilight's tables when Rainbow Dash finished the story. During most of the story Shiron had just answered some questions or nod. He was glad that Rainbow Dash had told the story. It had already taken all his strength to tell Rainbow Dash the story. After a year of loneliness and isolation he was a bit afraid and nervous around Twilight and Spike and he wasn't sure if he would have found the strength to tell the story himself. However he trusted Rainbow Dash and he was glad that she was by his side since they had left the Everfree Forest. "I see" Twilight said after Rainbow Dash finished. "I'll write a letter to the Princess. I'm sure when she hears about you she'll enable an audience as quickly as possible" Without another word Twilight began to dictate a letter to Spike who had already prepared everything. The letter was about Rainbow Dash being saved by Shiron and about Shiron being an alicorn with amnesia. To keep the letter short Twilight only mentioned the most important parts and not the whole story Rainbow Dash had told her. "What kind of pony is Princess Celestia" Shiron asked Rainbow Dash while Twilight and Spike were still working in the letter. "Princess Celestia is a beautiful, white alicorn pony with white wings and a magical, rainbow colored mane and tail" Rainbow Dash answered. "She's almost twice as big as I am and her wings and horn are bigger than the wings and horns of any other pony. She's also the kindest and nicest pony I ever met and she's always there to support her subjects and I'm not talking about ponies alone. Princess Celestia cares about every creature in all of Equestria and she would never hurt anyone. I mean I haven't even seen her get angry or heard that she had ever been angry." Rainbow Dash continued and she meant every word. She had never met another pony like Princess Celestia and she doubted that there could be ever a better ruler than Celestia. She wasn't like all the other noble or royal ponies that were smug and self-involved like Prince Blueblood. Celestia was more like all the hard working ponies. She cared for others and helped anypony in need. She protected others and more than once she had fought against evil creatures to save Equestria without killing the villains. Thanks to her magic and the Elements of Harmony she had turned many of the villains into kindhearted creatures. However the few villains she hadn't been able to turn to kind hearted creatures she had reluctantly banished them by turning them into stone until she would find a way to erase the evilness in their hearts. In Princess Celestia's eyes everypony deserved a second chance and for her there didn't exist a creature that had a pure evil soul. Princess Celestia also didn't liked boring events like the Grand Galloping Gala although she participated at them for the aristocrat ponies. The Princess preferred parties just like Pinkie Pie's parties but other ponies' sill acted different and sometimes even afraid when Celestia was close to them. Although she tried to relax their mood by harmless pranks or jokes it were most of the time less successful. Rainbow Dash was sure it made Celestia sad when she saw that other ponies were less calm and sometimes even afraid of her although she just wanted to be treated as any other pony when she was participate at a party. After the disaster at the Grand Galloping Gala Celestia had followed Rainbow Dash and her five friends to Pony Joe's and she wasn't even mad at the friends. She had hoped that the friends would be able to liven things up but because of the stubbornness of the aristocrat ponies it had ended in a disaster. However after the friends and even Celestia had left the Gala they had spent several hours together. They had laughed, they had told stories and the seven friends had been able to see a different Celestia. For the rest of the night Princess Celestia had been able to enjoy a night with her friends without the title of princess or ruler of all of Equestria and even without the guards that were always by her side although Celestia thought it wasn't necessary. It had been a wonderful night and by watching Celestia, Rainbow Dash had been able to see that the Princess had enjoyed every second of it. Although the Princess was political and magical the most powerful creature in Equestria it seemed that peaceful meetings like that were very rare for her. However before the night had been over Celestia had asked Pinkie Pie to work out a plan for a new big event similar to the Grand Galloping Gala but less formal, an event like a big party with tons of sweets, laughing foals, games and fun just like Pinkie Pie's parties. At this night the Winter Moon Festival had been born. Rainbow Dash smiled by the thought that it were only two months to the Winter Moon Festival. She would be able to party all night and the event would be also a great way for Shiron to have fun without thinking about his amnesia. Not to mention all the sweets and the games. Pinkie even promised there would be rollercoaster. "She sounds like an amazing pony" Shiron said pulling Rainbow out of her thoughts. "Yeah but soon you'll meet her yourself" she responded with a smile. "The letter is finished and on its way" Twilight said watching the green cloud disappearing. "I'm sure we won't have to wait very long for Princess Celestia's answer" With a proud smile she added "I'm her most faithful student and…" before she was able to continue she was interrupted Burp Everypony looked at Spike who just let out a green flame, which transformed into a letter. The letter was a parchment with a red ribbon and a golden seal. On the top of the seal was a big "C". Twilight immediately took Celestia's letter in her hooves and opened it. After she read the letter Twilight turned to the waiting ponies. "That was fast,” she said. "The Princess is surprised to hear that another alicorn appeared and she wants to meet you as soon as possible" Twilight added with a proud smile. "See? I told you Twilight could do it" Rainbow said to Shiron who was too surprised to respond anything. "Oh, if it's ok I would like to come with you." Twilight stopped the two ponies before they were able to leave. "Princess Luna wants to see me and give me some last ideas for the Winter Moon Festival" "Sure, but I think we should take your hot air balloon" Rainbow responded and together the three ponies left the library. "Spike, you'll stay here if anypony needs a book" Twilight called back to the library before she closed the door. "Oki Dokie" he answered and waited until the door was completely closed. "Finally" Spike said relieved. After a last look out of the window to make sure Twilight and the other ponies were out of sight Spike ran back to his room to do what he always did when he was alone. ******************************************************************************** The three friends already reached Twilight's hot air balloon and made their preparations for their journey to Canterlot. It would still take some more time until the hot air balloon was ready and they could leave. "Oh, silly me" Twilight suddenly looked up and put a hoof to her face. "I totally forgot my notes for Princess Luna. Please wait here. I'll be back before the hot air balloon is ready" she said and left before Shiron or Rainbow had any chance to react. Seeing her friend running back to the library Rainbow Dash let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. ****************************************************************************** Only five minutes later Twilight was back at the library and opened the door. To her surprise Spike still haven't removed the "closed" sign. "Spike? Where are you?" the purple unicorn called but Spike didn't answered. Without waiting for her assistant to respond Twilight began to search for her notes but she couldn't find them. I'm sure I left them here. Maybe they are in our bedroom she thought. A strange sound caught Twilight's attention and she scanned the room. When she couldn't find anypony else in the room Twilight closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Once again she heard the odd sound and she realized that it came from her own room. Was somepony in her room? Maybe Spike? Carefully not to making any sounds Twilight sneaked through the library and climbed the stairs. Putting an ear on the door she once again heard odd sounds inside the room. Using her magic to open the door Twilight was about to enter when she saw Spike. With gaping mouth she watched the dragon until he turned around and saw her. "T-twilight!? What are you…?" Spike said blushing. "It's not what it looks like" Are these Rainbow's sunglasses was everything the blushing unicorn was able to think still with gaping mouth. ****************************************************************************** Spike was still too surprised and shocked to say or do anything except of blushing. For more than a month he was able to hide his secret although Rainbow Dash had looked like she knew what Spike was planning when he had borrowed her sunglasses. He was wearing a white t-shirt, socks and even boxers. In one of his hands he was holding a feather duster while in the background his radio was still playing the CD he had also borrowed from Rainbow Dash some weeks ago. The song was called "Old Times Rock & Roll" and it was one of his favorite songs. Every time when he was alone he put on his outfit and turned the volume of the radio at its limit. He loved to clean the library with a mix of dancing and cleaning and the socks were perfect to slide through the library. Sometimes like today he was so pored over in the rhythm of the music so that he started to join in singing while he used the feather duster as a microphone or a guitar. Still looking at Twilight who had already turned off the radio Spike was able to see her typical "Are you serious?" look. Before Spike was able to say something Twilight broke the awkward silence. "We'll talk about this later…" She briefly scanned the bedroom before her horn started to glow. Some scrolls where flying in her direction and Twilight quickly put them into her saddlebags. Ready to leave the library to meet Rainbow Dash and Shiron Twilight looked once again back to Spike. "…Or maybe not" she added unable to hide a giggle leaving a blushing Spike behind her. As soon as she closed the door Spike blushed even harder when he heard that Twilight broke out into laughter. After he heard the front door was closed Spike was once more alone. He waited some minutes until he shrugged and went back to his favorite music. ******************************************************************************** One hour later Rainbow Dash, Shiron and Twilight had already reached Canterlot. Shiron had watched in awe as the hot air balloon had come closer and closer to the castle carved into the side of the mountain. A big waterfall was next to Canterlot and created a beautiful rainbow. Together with some clouds and the light of the sun it was an amazing look although Shiron had to admit it was nothing compared to the Sonic Rainboom he had seen earlier this morning. As soon as the hot air balloon had landed, the palace guard had guided the three ponies through into the castle. Twilight had become a living history book and told Shiron and Rainbow everything she knew about Canterlot, its history and of course Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The three ponies were walking through a long corridor with many colorful windows. This corridor was one of the four corridors that were connected with the big hall, which leaded to the throne room. Twilight told the ponies that the windows were telling many different stories about the past of Equestria. One of the windows showed a dark mare in front of a red moon. She had the wings and horn of an alicorn but Shiron could feel something odd and somehow … familiar. The following windows showed the same mare until the second last window of this story. It showed six ponies using some kind of magic against the mare. Shiron was to absent and didn't hear Twilights voice anymore when she told them about Nightmare Moon. Twilight told them how Princess Luna and Princess Celestia had ruled Equestria until something evil had taken control over Luna. After almost a year the voice in Shiron's reappeared and it was changing the world around him. He was in a big room. It looked like some kind of old throne room but the whole building was nothing more than a ruin. A blue cloud made of dust and stars. A sun darkens by the moon. The glowing silhouette of a pony darkens the world. A path leading to … "Shiron? Are you alright?" Rainbow Dash asked worried Shiron and pulled him out of his thoughts before the voice was finished. "…Yes "he answered still looking at the window with the six ponies. When he took a closer look at the ponies he saw that one of the six ponies looked like Rainbow Dash. Two other ponies looked like Applejack he had met this morning and a unicorn that looked like Twilight. However Shiron thought it was just a coincidence. Rainbow Dash followed his look and with a knowing smile she said, "These are the Elements of Harmony. When Nightmare Moon had reappeared, we six had to find the Elements to defeat her. Twilight had just arrived in Ponyville but we had been able to defeat Nightmare Moon nevertheless and turn her back to Princess Luna." Shiron was speechless but Twilight confirmed what Rainbow had just told him. Shiron already knew that Rainbow Dash was a very special pony especially after he had seen her Sonic Rainboom but he didn't expected that she was also one of the great heroes of Equestria. Before Shiron and Rainbow Dash were able to say more Twilight showed them the last window of the Nightmare Moon story. In the center it showed both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sitting next to each other on the throne. All kinds of ponies peacefully played together or bowed before both sisters. Above the two sisters the window showed the sun and the moon. Both sisters were smiling because after thousand years they were together again . The friends continued their way to Princess Celestia and soon they arrived in the big hall. Now the only thing between Princess Celestia and the three ponies was a gigantic door with two royal guards guarding the door. The two guards slowly opened the door and together the three ponies entered the throne room. It was a big room with a balcony, pictures of many different important ponies or heroes and a big throne. Fresh flowers like roses filled the air with a sweet scent and the light of the sun filled the room in a beautiful light. Above the throne was a big picture with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sitting next to each other with smiling faces. A big white wing was behind Princess Luna and it seemed as if Princess Celestia hugged her sister with her wing. Shiron looked at the throne and a beautiful, white mare was sitting in it. She had beautiful, big wings and a long horn. Her magical rainbow colored mane and tail seemed as if they were dancing in the air. She was wearing golden shoes, a golden necklace with a purple sapphire and a golden crown with another purple sapphire. With her magenta eyes and a warm smile she looked at them. A warm and soft voice filled the air "Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow Dash. I'm glad you were able to come this soon" Then Princess Celestia looked at him. "And you must be Shiron" After the three ponies bowed before her Shiron looked at Princess Celestia "Yes Princess…uhm your highness" he said vainly trying to hide how nervous he was. "You don't have to be nervous,” Princess Celestia said sensing his tension. With a sweet giggle she added, "I'm not biting" as a joke hoping to calm him a bit. "Twilight. My sister is waiting for you in the garden. When she saw your hot air balloon she went there to wait for you." The princess said to her faithful student before she turned to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash. Would you be so kind and wait outside. I would like to talk to Shiron in private." Princess Celestia had already left her throne and looked back to her two guards before she gave them a nod. Although they seemed unsure what to do and were trying to protest, the guards left the room. "I'm waiting outside for you" Rainbow Dash said with a smile before she also left the room. Then Shiron was alone with Princess Celestia. "Twilight wrote me that you had lost your memories" Princess Celestia said to Shiron looking him in the eyes. "…Yes" he responded even more nervous than before. "I don't know why you hide the truth before your friends" she said with a warm and understanding voice "but you can tell me the truth" she finished. "You didn't lose your memories, did you?" she said still looking him in his eyes. How did she… Shiron thought with a shock.
Shiron	1170	4	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2012-01-17T14:39:49+00:00	2019-12-03T22:11:46+00:00	3,109	<Authors note: Sorry for the delay but here is finally the next chapter^^ This is the first version of chapter 3, in other words it wasn't pre-read yet. However I already sent this chapter to my pre-reader and when he fixed all errors and mistakes I'll update this cahpter with the new version.> Chapter 3: The fate of the alicorns “I don’t know what you are talking about” Shiron said trying to avoid Princess Celestia’s eyes. “You are an alicorn just like my sister and me. Our bodies are different than the bodies of all other creatures and not matter how bad an injury is, amnesia of an alicorn will only last a few days, a week at most” she explained. Princess Celestia tried to keep a soft and calming voice although it became more and more difficult. She didn’t want to make Shiron feel uncomfortable but she felt something strange. The way Shiron acted, the sound of his voice and most important the look in his eyes was somehow familiar to Celestia. She knew she had seen those eyes somewhere but it was difficult for her to remember. “Even if this is the truth” Shiron responded “why would it be wrong if I’ll try to forget about my past?” Princess Celestia realized that the sound of Shiron’s voice had changed. This wasn’t the voice of a nervous pony anymore. It was the voice of a hurt pony. The voice of a pony that wasn’t physical hurt but something even worse. Celestia became even more worried about Shiron because she realized that something had happened to him in the past, something bad. ******************************************************************************** Some minutes after Twilight had left the throne room she reached the royal garden. She had asked Rainbow Dash to join her but her pegasus friend wanted to wait for Shiron. Her loyalty was one of the attributes Twilight loved about Rainbow Dash. No matter if it was a close friend, a new friend or even a pony she didn’t know, Rainbow Dash always cared for anypony who needed help. Twilight was very glad to have such a good friend. While she walked through the garden she felt happy. The smell of the beautiful flowers filled the air and birds were singing. Twilight didn’t love the nature as much as Fluttershy, no pony did, but she also loved peacefully places like this garden. There was nothing better than a quiet and peacefully place and a good book. While she stopped to smell some roses, one of Princess Celestia’s favorite flowers, her mind traveled back to the day she saw the royal garden for the first time. It had been some days after she had entered Princess Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns. She had really love books and learning, just like now, but she had always been alone except for Spike. Although he had been raised and trained by Celestia, they lived together like siblings and now Twilight wasn’t able to think about a life without him. However, during the first days Twilight had felt lost, she had missed her family and the bully in her class had made it even worse. One night she had decided to leave the school and go home. However she had gotten lost in the castle. It had been dark and she hadn’t seen anypony. Then she suddenly had heard an odd sound almost as if somepony was crying. Although she had been scared she also had been very curios. Twilight had followed the sound until she reached a big door. The source of the sound had come from a room behind the big door. Twilight had never entered this room before but she had been too curious to go away. Luckily the door had been ajar. Slowly the filly had entered the room and too her surprise she had found herself in the throne room. Although she had read about the throne room she had never believed that she would someday see it with her own eyes. The throne room had been dark and only the light of the moon had illuminated it. The throne where Princess Celestia sat everyday was empty and for a short time Twilight had thought about to sit down just to see how it felt. However before she had been able to do it she had heard the sound again and Twilight had realized that she hadn’t been alone. She had followed the sound to the big balcony. Alone and with her look focused on the moon, Princess Celestia had been sitting there. Although she had looked as proud and beautiful as ever it had seemed as if she was crying. I miss you Luna she had said but soon I’ll be able to save you. Twilight hadn’t been sure what to do. Maybe the princess is sad and need somepony to cheer her up she had thought. But what if she doesn’t want any company now? Will she be upset? Twilight had decided to leave the princess alone but when she had tried to leave the room she had accidently made a sound. Who is there, Twilight had heard Celestia’s voice. When the princess had caught sight of Twilight the filly had been paralyzed. In her head she had seen the worst possibilities of what might happen. It had started with Celestia being mad at her and it had ended with Celestia banishing her and her parents into the Everfree Forest. Twilight had known that Princess Celestia was a kind princess and would never do something like this but it had been, and still was, in Twilight’s nature to overreact. However instead of something bad Celestia had just said Oh, it’s you Twilight. Can’t you sleep?, with a soft and worried voice. Twilight smiled when she thought back. For the rest of that special night she and Princess Celestia had just sat on the balcony and had talked. She had talked about the bully in her class, her homesickness and that she missed her parents and brother. To Twilights surprise, Celestia had seemed calmer around Twilight. Maybe because the princess had known that the filly wouldn’t use any words against her. Celestia had told her about her past and her loneliness. Twilight had found it hard to believe that Princess Celestia had also felt lonely especially with all the ponies around her and her friends. It had taken Twilight some years until she had realized that many ponies, mostly the aristocrat ponies, just tried to get advantages when they talked with Celestia. Behind her title Celestia had just been a lonely pony with only a few real friends. Later that night Twilight had also told Princess Celestia about her book fortress and when Celestia had started to laugh Twilight hadn’t been able to resist and she had joined Celestia with her laughter. They had talked and laughed all night until it had been time for the sunrise. For the first time Twilight had been able to see Celestia raising the sun in private. Unlike the Summer Sun Celebration this had been much more spectacular and special for Twilight. It had been as if Celestia had raised the sun just for her student. Slowly the sun had raised and when the first rays of dawn had illuminated Canterlot, Twilight had been able to see the light of thousand rainbows awaken in the royal garden. It had been the most beautiful thing Twilight had ever seen. She had been caught by surprise when Celestia had levitated her on her back before she had taken off. The filly had watched in awe when she was able to see Canterlot from above. Celestia had shown her all of Canterlot and after some time they had landed in the centre of the royal garden. The usually shy animals had appeared, happy to see Celestia. A bird had landed on Celestia’s head and had cheerfully sung its song for the princess while Celestia had closed her eyes. She had smiled while she had listened to the song and Twilight was able to see a part of Princess Celestia’s personality she hadn’t expected. It had been one of the best days in Twilight’s life and Twilight had even made a little crown of flowers for Celestia. Over the time, Twilight and Princess Celestia had created a special relationship. Princess Celestia had become more than just a teacher to Twilight. She had become a very good friend and in a special way she had even become alike a big sister for Twilight. Twilight and her parents had gotten invitations to events and had even been invited to more personal events like Celestia’s birthday. Celestia on the other hoof had been invited to parties of the Sparkle family like Twilight's birthday. At first it had been a bit awkward. Twilight’s parents had felt uncomfortable because of Celestia’s status but slowly Celestia had become a member of the Sparkle family. Celestia had even shared some personal stories with Twilight and her parents, stories she hadn’t told anypony for more than five hundred years. Sometimes Twilight had even heard that some ponies had secretly said the name Celestia Sparkle when they had talked about Princess Celestia. Although the aristocrat ponies hadn’t been able to understand that her princess had spent time with common ponies, most of the other ponies had realized something that the aristocrat ponies had never understand. Celestia had been happy because she had finally found something she had lost long ago, a family. When Twilight reached the centre of the royal garden she saw a dark blue mare that was sitting next to some animals. A group of playful animals had surrounded the princess of the night and some birds sang a song for Luna. She’s just like Celestia when we had been here Twilight thought. Carefully not to scare the animals Twilight walked toward Luna. When Luna noticed Twilight she stood up. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE” she began before she realized that she once again used her royal voice. “I mean I’m glad that thou were able to visit us this quickly” she finished with her normal voice. “I came as quick as possible, Princess Luna” Twilight responded after she bowed before the princess. “Thou don’t have to bow before us…me” Luna said. Although she had tried her best to learn the modern way of speaking she still was unused to it. Thousand years and they’re still bowing before us the moon princess thought with a sigh. She had never liked all the fuss with bowing just like Celestia but somehow their subjects felt it was necessary and expected by them. Celestia had given up the fight to tell her subjects that they don’t need to bow before her and although Luna had agreed not to complain when her subjects bowed before her, she didn’t want her friends to bow. After Nightmare Night, Twilight Sparkle had become a friend to Luna just like some other ponies. “…and please call me Luna” she added with a smile. “As you wish Prince…I mean Luna” It felt strange to Twilight to call Princess Luna just Luna. She didn’t want to sound disrespectful. However if this was what the princess wanted, Twilight couldn’t just say no. Twilight sat next to Luna, her notes already levitated in front of the two mares. Soon they were too focused in their conservation that they didn’t see the dark clouds that formed above Canterlot ****************************************************************************** Since Princess Celestia had received Twilight Sparkle’s letter she had wondered why Shiron would prefer a life alone in a dark forest without any other ponies. She had already known that his amnesia was just an excuse. His amnesia was nothing more than an armor that protected him from questions about his past. It had worked on Rainbow Dash and even on Twilight Sparkle because they didn’t know the secrets of how the body of an alicorn works. However, now this armor was broken and Celestia knew that Shiron also realized it. She saw it when she looked him in his eyes. I have to help him somehow Princess Celestia thought to herself. She couldn’t just stand there when anypony suffered and she always tried to help her subjects when they needed her. In her long life she had helped hundreds, maybe even thousands of ponies personally and she would also try to help Shiron. She would never allow that her biggest mistake would happen again. Shiron’s emotions were strong and Celestia didn’t even need her empathic abilities to sense his feelings. Although she didn’t know what had happened to him she could feel that he had the worse injury a creature could ever have, an injured soul, and she would try anything to help this injury to heal. “Shiron” Princess Celestia slowly began, making a step toward Shiron. “I don’t know what had happened to you or why you are trying to hide you past but…” “That’s right! You know nothing about me” Shiron interrupted Celestia with an almost angry voice. “Ponies like you don’t understand anything. You’re just living in your big palace with your guards and your employees and all ponies loving and adoring you” he continued with growing anger. Princess Celestia was standing a few feet away from Shiron. She wasn’t really surprised by his outburst of fury. Since he had arrived she had already felt his true feelings, buried deep inside his heart. She assumed that he had buried all his feelings for several years and not just the one year he lived in the Everfree Forest. However what she didn’t expect was that his horn would be starting to glow. ****************************************************************************** “..and thou think the ponies will like this…how did thou call it? Rollercoaster?” Luna asked still not used to all the new terms. “Of course they will. Rollercoaster are fun” Twilight said. With a grin she added “I think you’ll also like it” Only a few minutes had passed since Luna and Twilight had started to talk about the Winter Moon Festival and Twilight had done her best to explain Luna all her ideas. Although Luna had learned more about this fun Twilight and the farmpony had shown her, Luna was too confused when she had heard all the new terms like cotton candy, rollercoaster, House of Mirrors, Nightmare Ride or Tunnel of Love. How can a mirror be fun Luna asked herself. However she trusted the unicorn and Luna was sure her ideas would work well. “Maybe thou can show me some of the things thou mentioned. I would like to know what this cotton candy is” Luna said with a soft and almost nervous voice. Although Nightmare Night had been a success, there were still many ponies that feared her and that didn’t trust her. Luna hoped that their fear would fade when they would see the Winter Moon Festival. “It would be an honor to me” the lavender unicorn said trying her best not to bow. Twilight wanted to add something when she realized that it had become darker. It had become oddly quiet and Twilight saw that the animals had left the garden. When Twilight looked to the sky she froze. A gigantic, black cloud had formed above Canterlot. The cloud was different than any other clouds Twilight had ever seen. It was moving almost like a slow vortex and by the look of the cloud it seemed that its centre was the royal castle. “That can’t be good” Twilight heard Luna’s voice. Princess Luna had followed Twilights eyes and now she was also looking at the odd cloud that was still growing. “Why? What kind of cloud is it?” the unicorn asked with a worried voice, her eyes now focused on Luna. When Luna looked Twilight into her eyes Twilight became even more worried. “This cloud isn’t natural. It’s full of strong magic and I believe somepony had created it.” Luna responded. Some parts of the cloud began to glow and soon the sound of thunder filled the air. Raindrops were falling from the sky and soon it rained heavily. The two ponies hurried back to the castle while flashes illuminated the sky. Twilight saw many ponies searching for a place to hide from the rain and even Canterlot’s weather ponies were unsure what to do. “Twilight, thou have to wait here. I’ll go to my sister. We have to stop this storm before something happens or anypony gets hurt” Without another word Luna ran into the castle and to the throne room. I have to find Rainbow Dash. Maybe Princess Celestia needs our help to stop this storm Twilight decided and also hurried to the throne room where her pegasus friend was waiting. While she ran she wondered if another villain like Discord had appeared and if they would once more need the Elements of Harmony. ****************************************************************************** Stop it, his brain tried to scream in Shiron’s head. She is a princess and the ruler of this land but the wall that had kept his emotions back for all the years had already broken and his heart wouldn’t hold back anymore. “Ponies like you don’t know how it feels when the own kind fearing and hating you because of your differences” Shiron continued. How dare she, his mind shouted angry. Unaware that his horn started to use magic to create a growing storm above Canterlot Shiron looked back to Celestia. He looked her straight into her eyes. All the years he had buried all his emotions no matter what they had done to him. He had buried his emotions behind a wall to erase the pain but now this wall was broken and all the emotions came back. Shiron had already forgotten who Celestia was and how powerful she was. His emotions had already taken over the control and they didn’t care if Celestia was a princess, the ruler of this land or maybe even a goddess. His emotions had taken him back to his home and the pain had fully returned. “I had never given them any reason to fear me. I never used my abilities for my own advantages and I had never used them to harm them. The opposite is true. I had tried to help them and make their life better.” His horn glowed more and more while the storm became stronger. Tears’ formed in Shiron’s eyes and his pain was almost unbearable. “And what had they done? They had started to hate and fear me. They had said that I was a monster. That I had been sent to destroy them!” A magic wave escaped his horn. The windows in the room became flaws and even the stone columns started to get chapped. An ice-blue aura of magic surrounded Shiron’s body while his magic was out of control. However, he didn’t even realized it. Shiron just looked Celestia into her magenta eyes while his own eyes were filled with tears. “So don’t even try to say that you understand me because you have no idea how I feel!” Shiron shouted at Celestia. ****************************************************************************** All the time Princess Celestia had stood still and listened to Shiron. She had assumed that something bad had happened to Shiron but she didn’t expect this. His emotions had gone wild together with his magic. He had completely lost the control and Princess Celestia felt his pain as strong as it was her own pain. Celestia was about to go to Shiron trying to calm him, making him feel that he was save but then he said something that made her feel even worse. “If they really want to fear me then I’ll give them a reason to fear me” Shiron said still looking Celestia in her eyes while his own eyes starting to glow. When Celestia looked into Shiron’s eyes she was able to see sadness, anger and bitterness. Suddenly she remembered when she had seen those eyes. It was the same look Luna had had more than thousand years ago. In her head Celestia still heard Luna’s words. Remember my words Celestia. If these ponies can’t accept me and my night, then they’ll fear me. Soon my night will last forever! Thanks to Twilight Sparkle and her friends Celestia had finally gotten her beloved sister after thousand years back but now Shiron was standing in front of her. He had the same look in his eyes as Luna and he had even said almost the same words. For a moment she felt as weak as she was after this fateful night but then she remembered the vow she had given herself all this years ago. No, this time I’ll prevent it. I’ll save him from his sorrow. Slowly without saying a word Celestia walked toward Shiron. “Don’t come any closer” he warned her. He moved his horn in Celestia’s direction ready to fight her while he slowly walked backwards like a hurt animal. However, Princess Celestia already reached him and Shiron wasn’t prepared for what she did. Princess Celestia was holding Shiron in her forelegs while she rubbed his back with one hoof. “Everything is ok. You are save here” she whispered to Shiron. “Stop it” he tried to break free from her. In his mind everypony had become an enemy who wanted to hurt him but Celestia still hold him in her forelegs like a caring mother. Slowly his eyes stopped to glow together with his horn. “I’m here for you and no one will ever hurt you again” Celestia said with her soft voice. Unable to hold back Shiron broke out in tears while he hugged Princess Celestia. “It wasn’t fair of them” he said in tears. “No, it wasn’t” she agreed while she was holding the crying alicorn in her forelegs. ****************************************************************************** Luna hurried to the throne room. She didn’t know what was happening but she felt that it was something big. The magic that created this storm was too strong to be unicorn magic. Luna knows that only a few creatures were able to control this kind of magic like Celestia and herself …and Discord. Was he behind this? Did he somehow escape his prison again or was somepony else responsible for this storm? When she almost reached the second entrance to the throne room Luna realized that the magic she had felt all the time started to fade. Confused she looked out of a window. The rain had stopped and sun rays started to break through the cloud. As quick as this cloud had formed it had started to disappear. Only a few parts of the cloud were still visible while a shining rainbow filled the sky. What is going on? Finding no answer Luna continued to run to the throne room and soon she reached the royal entrance to the throne room. Only a few ponies knew this entrance and even less were allowed to go through the golden door. Big red curtains hide the door in the throne room and along the way Luna had used royal guards guarded all doors. The most important rooms where along this corridor just like Celestia’s bedroom, Luna’s bedroom or the room where Celestia kept the Elements of Harmony. These and many other important rooms were along this corridor that was connected with the throne room. Although there weren’t any evil forces that would try to attack the princesses while they sleep or that would steal anything, the leader of the royal guards had insisted to guard all these important rooms. When Luna was in front of the golden door she heard voices from the other side. Carefully she opened the door and entered the room. Hidden by the curtains, Luna tried to look to whom Celestia was talking to. Her big sister was sitting next to another pony, one of her wings on the shoulder of the other pony. “I’m sorry princess” the pony said. It was a male voice and it looks like he was a unicorn. Luna still felt a bit of the magic she felt when the cloud had formed and it seemed that this pony was its source. Luna wondered if all unicorns had become this strong during the last thousand years but then Celestia removed her wing and Luna saw that the pony also had wings. Suddenly she remembered the letter Celestia had gotten earlier this morning about another alicorn. “It’s ok. What happened to you was awful” Celestia said with a calming and caring voice. “We all make mistakes when we’re sad or angry. I know it each time when I look into the innocent eyes of my little sister, Luna”. Celestia let her had hung and continued with a sad voice. “I try to forget and forgive what happened but when she looks at me I know that I can’t forgive.” Tears formed in Luna’s eyes. Why sister? I thought you forgave me. Luna decided to leave. If not even her own sister was able to forgive her how could her subjects ever forgive her. However before she was able to open the door again she head Celestia’s voce again and more tears formed in Luna’s eyes. “I will never be able to forgive myself” Celestia said. ****************************************************************************** “I was an awful big sister. It had been my duty to protect her but I had been too weak. “Celestia’s voice was filled with sadness and guilt. “If I had been stronger I might had save her before Nightmare Moon took over the control but I had failed. Everything that had happened had been my fault and because of me, Luna had to suffer for thousand years.” “That’s not true” a voice suddenly said. Celestia and Shiron turned their heads to the source of the voice. Princess Luna slowly walked toward her big sister her eyes wet from tears. “It wasn’t your fault” she said before Celestia had the chance to say something. “Thou art the best sister a pony can ever ask for and thou were always there for me and helped me. However” Luna looked her sister into her eyes “not even thou have the ability to protect me from life itself. We artn’t perfect and just like any other ponies we also make mistakes. The only difference between our mistakes and the mistakes of our subjects is that our alicorn abilities can turn our mistakes into problems for others. Letting Nightmare Moon get the control over us had been our worst mistake but it wasn’t our last. Making mistakes is a part of growing up and a part of life.” Luna looked at the ground before she continued with a sad voice. “Deep in our heart we had known that our subjects hadn’t hated us or our night. However the more time had passed the stronger the other side of us had become. All the time we had seen how thou had tried to help us but Nightmare Moon had been too strong.” Luna wasn’t able to hold back her tears anymore. Since the day she had returned she and Celestia had tried to avoid this subject. Luna blamed herself for letting Nightmare Moon free and Celestia on the other hoof blamed herself for not being able to save Luna when she had needed her. However none of them had mentioned how they truly felt. Seeing that her sister suffered broke Luna’s heart and she wouldn’t allow this. Celestia had always been kind, understanding and caring. Luna knew that this subject might hurt both of them for some time but in the end it would help them to rebuild the special relationship they had shared before the Nightmare Moon incident. Celestia saw the tears in Luna’s eyes and she felt that tears formed in her own eyes. Without another word she hugged her little sister who gladly returned her sisters hug. For some time the sister hold each other while tears were flowing over their faces. At this moment they didn’t need any more words. They both had blamed themselves too long and they had apologized too often. Nightmare Moon was now nothing more than a sad memory and now Celestia and Luna were finally able to rebuild their sisterly relationship. “Luna” Celestia said after both of them felt better. “You’re right. I can neither protect you from life nor from making own mistakes. However I’ll always be there for you and I’ll help you when you need me.” She turned her head back to Shiron. “The same goes for you Shiron. Don’t be afraid to come to us if you need help or if you just need somepony to talk to. We may not be related to each other but as alicorn ponies we are a family.” Both Celestia and Luna looked at him with a warm smile as if they wanted to welcome him to his new family. “Thank you Princess Celestia and Princess Luna” Shiron said. Only some hours ago he was alone in his cave without any hope to find someone who understands or like him. He had had nothing but now he had friends and even a family. Everything happened thanks to the help of his new friend Rainbow Dash and he was sure he would never find a proper way to thank her for everything. Princess Celestia thought for a while if she should tell Shiron more about alicorn ponies. She knew better than everypony else what that means. She lived for thousand years as the only alicorn and she knew how other ponies saw alicorn ponies. Knowing that Shiron would learn it as soon as he would return to Ponyville Celestia spoke again, hoping that it might help Shiron for his future in Ponyville. “Sooner or later you will see that many ponies say that they also what to be like us. However they don’t know the truth of being an alicorn.” Celestia said to Shiron. Sadly we have to pay a high price for being alicorns she sadly thought. “It’s true that we are gifted with wings, the most powerfully magic and immortally but that’s only the bright side. In exchange we alicorns know the true meaning of sorrow unlike mortal creatures. We are gifted and cursed at the same time. That’s our fate.” “Does this mean that we are the only immortal creatures in Equestria?” Shiron asked not sure if he liked or hated the idea of immortally or powerful magic. He never wanted power, he just wanted true friends and a home. “Well, there is a Draconequus that is also immortal like us. His name is Discord and once he was our best friend. However when he had grown up is heart had been corrupted by darkness and he had become our nemesis. We had hoped that he would become good again but he had crowned himself as Equestria’s new leader. It took more than two years until Luna and I had found the Elements of Harmony and in the end we sadly had to turn our friend to stone.“ For some time both sisters seemed very sad when they thought about Discord. “I hope that I’ll someday find a way to save him from his evilness.” Celestia said and Shiron realized that Rainbow Dash was right. Princess Celestia saw in every creature something good and she would never give up to find a way to save them. During the time in Canterlot Shiron had learned more about himself and what he is than he had ever dreamed of. However, there was still one question left and he hoped to find an answer to it. “Princess Celestia, there is still one thing I don’t really understand. I had searched for months to find other ponies like me but I couldn’t find other alicorns. Moreover, Rainbow Dash and many other ponies seemed very surprised to see a third alicorn. If there should only be two alicorns why am I an alicorn?” Celestia had already expected this question and to be honest with herself she didn’t really know it. There were only supposed to be the alicorn representing the day and the sun and the alicorn representing the night and the moon. “I’m not sure but there is an ancient pony-tale. Long ago before the three kingdoms of Equestria were made there had existed darkness darker than anything a pony can image. To create a better world the creatures all over our world had joined forces to fight the darkness. This new formed unity had been headed by three powerful creatures – the first alicorn ponies. After the final confrontation with the darkness only two of the three alicorns had come back. The third alicorn however had given his life to protect the others. Over the time the two alicorns had passed on but each time when one of them died a new alicorn had been born. However the legacy of the first alicorns had survived until today. Until today many ponies had tried to interpret this tale. Some ponies are claiming that the three alicorn ponies are a metaphor for the three kinds of ponies: earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns. Other ponies interpret the tale as the birth of our world where the alicorns are standing for the sun, the moon and Equestria. Another interpretation is that the three alicorns are standing for the three kingdoms: Equestria, the Griffin-Kingdom and the Dragon-Kingdom. However, I think that the tale was exactly what it sounds like: Three real alicorn ponies fighting the darkness to create peace and harmony. Maybe you are connected with the third alicorn of this story.” Celestia loved mysteries and she had researched many of the ancient pony-tales but none of them had her fascinated as the story of the first alicorns. However this wasn’t the time to think about ancient pony-tales. There were still many things to talk about. Shiron was new in Equestria and he didn’t know how to live as an alicorn or how to live with the curse of being an alicorn. Before Shiron could live a happy life in his new home he needed to learn more especially how to tame his abilities. ****************************************************************************** Half an hour later Celestia realized that it was time to end the conversation for now. The three of them had talked about many things and Celestia was sure Shiron needed some time to fully understand what he had learned today. “Shiron, you have learned many things today but I’m sure your friends are already waiting. Maybe we should stop for today and continue another day. There are still many things you need know about alicorns but for now it’s more important that you enjoy your new life in Ponyville” Princess Celestia said with a warm smile. She knew Shiron’s life had just begun and after what happened to him he deserved a happy life. “Thank you for everything Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” “You’re welcome Shiron. I’ll promise you that you’ll be fine. Your friends and I will help you to heal your wounds” Celestia said hoping to make him feel a bit better. “I don’t think if that’s possible” was everything the young alicorn said “Why do you say this?” Celestia said not quite sure what Shiron was referring to. “’Cause there’s nothing left. I’ve searched in my heart for something, anything, but there is nothing left. No happiness, no dreams, not even loneliness or sadness. My heart is empty.” He already felt less and less good during the last months. He assumed that it was because of his loneliness and his sadness. During his time with Rainbow Dash and their race he had felt a gleam of hope and happiness. However since his earlier emotional outburst he had felt nothing anymore. It was as if his heart was frozen. Shiron let has head hung. “I can’t feel anything.” Both Celestia and Luna didn’t know how to respond. Although Celestia had felt his true emotions and even saw the sorrow in Shiron’s heart she hadn’t expected anything like this to happen. It seemed that his past had an even bigger influence than Celestia had feared but she knew a way how to break this influence. A life in Ponyville was just what Shiron needed. Everything Princess Celestia had to do was to get the ball rolling and everything else would just be a matter of time. “Trust me Shiron, everything will turn out well and this will help you.” Celestia stepped closer to Shiron and moved her head toward his chest. She knew not even she could heal a wounded heart but Shiron didn’t know it. Maybe if he would think she would use a spell to help him it would help him just like the placebo effect could help ill ponies. Princess Celestia’s horn started to glow and a ring of magic formed around Shiron’s neck. The magic grew stronger and soon it changed its form. The ring became a bigger and on Shiron’s chest it formed a crystal. Some moments later the magic faded and the ring of magic had turned into a silver necklace similar to Celestia’s and Luna’s necklaces. On Shiron’s chest the necklace had an oval-shaped ruby. “This is a traditional alicorn necklace. Over the time the necklace and its gem will create a deep connection with the alicorn who is wearing it. The necklace and its crystal are helping and supporting its wearer magically, physically and even mentally. Long go the necklaces had been created to make the life as an alicorn easier.” Celestia explained. Although it was the truth Celestia knew this effect would not be enough help Shiron to heal his wounded heart. Her necklace and more important the amethyst on her necklace had a special effect on her and more than once its inner magic had helped her. Luna had also a necklace with her personal gem and although Luna didn’t talk about it Princess Celestia knew that she also had the same connection with her necklace. Unlike all other gems in Equestria these gems were artifacts from a time long ago and a pony-tale said they had been made from a fallen star. “Moreover these necklaces are connected with each other. I want you to give you this necklace as a welcome gift to our family. We can use its inner magic to talk with each other and to help each other even from distance. Whenever you need any help you can use it to talk to me or Luna.” “I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much Princess Celestia.” “You’re very welcome. As alicorns we are a family and we always help each other.” Celestia said and both Celestia and Luna smiled to show that they really meant it and that he now was part of their family. “However I think we should really stop now. I’m sure Miss Pinkie Pie is already eagerly waiting for you and your friends.” Celestia said with a giggle knowing that the pink earth pony loved to throw parties. Celestia was sure the party pony honored her Element of Harmony by throwing a big welcome party back in Ponyville. Princess Celestia’s horn started to glow and the big door opened. After Shiron said a last goodbye to both princesses he walked toward Rainbow Dash who already waited for him and who saw his new necklace. Although Celestia didn’t know what they were talking about she saw that Shiron acted like he felt happy. She was sure it wasn’t the first time that he had put on a happy mask to hide his true feelings. With a nod Princess Celestia called her faithful student who quickly appeared. “My faithful student, I want you to keep an eye on Shiron” she said to her protégé. Princess Celestia had seen Shiron’s sorrow and she knew that only true friendship would heal the wounds of his soul. In the background she saw Shiron talking Rainbow Dash and she knew there was only one way to help him. “His heart bears deep scars, large wounds that even I cannot heal. Only the magic friendship can heal wounds of the heart. I wish you to help him without letting him know what I told you. I know I can count on you, my faithful student.” ****************************************************************************** Once the three ponies had left Luna went closer to her sister. “Are you sure he’ll be alright?” “I’m sure about this. Everything it needs is a spark and I’m sure his new friends will help him to ignite the spark” Celestia said while she put one wing on Luna’s back. ******************************************************************************** Two hours later Shiron, Rainbow Dash and Twilight had been back in Ponyville. Just like Rainbow had predicted it Pinkie Pie had thrown a big welcome party for Shiron with all ponies of Ponyville. They had eaten cake and other sweets, had played games and many other things. However although Shiron had smiled and had laughed like it had been normal for a party, deep inside he had felt nothing but emptiness.
Shiron	1170	5	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2012-12-04T22:38:05+00:00	2019-12-04T22:41:38+00:00	2,263	Chapter 4: A day at the beach Being a member of the weather ponies wasn’t an easy job although most of the ponies didn’t realize it. For most citizens it was only natural that the sky was already prepared for the daily weather when the sun announced the beginning of a new day. Moreover, pushing fluffy and light clouds or bringing little rain clouds didn’t look difficult either to them. It seemed trivial and so most ponies didn’t even pay much attention to the sky and when they saw Rainbow Dash napping, they just thought the pegasus mare was being lazy again. The truth however, was the completely opposite. Although the main weather for all of Equestria was planned by the weather factory in Cloudsdale, each country had to made their own plans of how to organize the weather of their country. Sunny days, a little storm and even rainbows had to be planned and organized by the captain of each country’s weather team. For Ponyville, this task was part of Rainbow Dash’s job. At the beginning of each week a new plan had to be made to organize the weather of the upcoming week and the tasks of the weather teams. Since the weather ponies of Ponyville are usually divided in groups of five ponies with one leader, it was easier to send them to their fields of application. Ponyville and its adjoining areas were divided in many little areas, so each team of weather ponies could prepare the weather for their own area without interfere in the work of the other teams. Moreover, the teams were also divided in four different shifts, each one six hours long starting with the morning shift, that worked from midnight to 6Am, and ending with the night shift, that worked from 6PM to midnight. In other words, 24 hours the day, the weather was under the watchful eyes of the weather ponies. The only exception of this was Rainbow Dash herself. Although she always organized the weather for Ponyville and its adjoining areas, she always had to inspect the work of her weather teams. It wasn’t rare that her day started one or two hours before the citizens of Ponyville awoke. While everypony else was still in a peaceful slumber, Rainbow Dash usually flew over Ponyville, inspected the work of the weather ponies and also helping them when they had problem with the weather or their schedule. So it was only natural that Rainbow was taking several naps every day although most ponies didn’t see all the hard work she did. However, today it was different and Rainbow Dash was still hugging her pillows while she dreamed heroic dreams of her being a member of the Wonderbolts. Quietly, not to wake Rainbow Dash, Shiron sneaked out of their home. It hadn’t been easy but seeing all the hard work Rainbow Dash was always doing, Shiron had convinced her to sleep in while he would do the first inspection fly of the day. As soon as he left the cloud castle, Shiron took off and started the first inspection fly of the day. Although he was a member of the weather ponies for only two weeks, he had quickly learned the basic skills from Rainbow Dash who taught him everything he needed to know. Of course he still was learning a lot about the weather and wasn't as skilled as the other weather ponies, but Rainbow Dash agreed to give Shiron a chance. However, he was only allowed to do the inspection fly when the planned weather wasn't complicated or when there were no events planned in Ponyville. Today was just a sunny day so the weather teams didn’t have any problems with organizing the weather and, except of a misplaced rain cloud, the first of many inspection flies of the day was finished and so Shiron was able to fly to his new favorite spot around Ponyville. The two weeks since he had left his cave and moved to Ponyville had been wonderful. It still was hard to believe that the big cloud castle, Shiron had seen during his race with Rainbow Dash, was actually her home. The cloud castle was huge and had everything a pony could ask for; two bedrooms with the most comfortable bed Shiron had ever seen, a guestroom, a big room with a flat-screen, a hi-fi system and some different games. The whole building was made of special clouds which won’t just disappear after some time and each of the cloud was enchanted so that solid items like the flat-screen wouldn’t just fall through the cloud. However, the spell wasn’t strong enough to keep earth ponies or unicorns from falling through the clouds. When Shiron and Rainbow Dash had left the party two weeks ago, Rainbow had shown him her home and had even given him his own room. It was huge and although he had said that the smaller guest room would have been more than enough for him, Dash had somehow convinced him to accept the bigger room. During the last year, Shiron had only had what Zecora had given him or what he had found. He had eaten fruits and berries he had gathered and instead of a shower or bathtub, he had had lakes or waterfalls. Everything Rainbow Dash had offered him was a luxury he wasn’t used to. Shiron had almost reached his favorite spot and it were only twenty more minutes until sunrise. Unlike other ponies, Shiron didn’t need a watch or something else to know how long it takes until sunrise or sunset. He couldn’t explain why but deep inside he felt how much time was left before the dawn of a new day or the beginning of the night. While he slowed down and prepared to land he thought back of the changes of the last two weeks. The day after the welcome party Rainbow Dash had introduced him to the weather ponies of Ponyville. They had met at a place next to Ponyville’s main bridge and Dash had offered him a job as a member of the weather ponies. As their leader, Rainbow Dash knew her team and their abilities better than they knew themselves and after their race Rainbow Dash had quickly found the best job for Shiron’s flying skills. She was one of the best ponies to see the potential of other pegasi even if they didn’t know their own skills. Of course Shiron had accepted Rainbow Dash’s offer and for him it was a good way to thank her for everything she had done for him. Although Shiron had to convince her to accept it, Shiron even gave her some of his money for staying with her. Quietly, Shiron landed and went on the top of the little hill. The sweet smell of apples filled the air and the stars still filled the sky for the remaining minutes of the night. Soon the sun would raise and a new day would begin. Even after living in Ponyville for two weeks now Shiron still got more attention than he hoped. Although the citizens of Ponyville seemed to be nice, Shiron rarely walked through the streets because the look in their eyes still made feel him very uncomfortable. It wasn’t the looks of hate or fear he had seen in his home but the ponies looked at him like as if he was some kind of important pony. Shiron knew that it was because he was an alicorn and the only other alicorns, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, were the rulers of Equestria but he was just a normal pony and he didn’t like this kind of attention. He just wished that others would see him as a common pony and not someone special. Moreover, he knew all too well how admiration could quickly turn into fear and ultimately hate. At least Rainbow Dash and her friends treated him like everypony else and although Shiron really liked them, he hadn’t spent much time with them after the party. During the party he had seen the farm ponies Applejack, who he had met earlier that day, together with her big brother Big Macintosh and Twilight Sparkle together with her dragon friend Spike. During the last two weeks he and Shiron had become good friends and Spike was really happy to finally have a stallion to talk to. Being the only male member of the pony gang of Rainbow Dash and her friends wasn’t very easy for the young dragon. Shiron had also met the white unicorn Rarity who loved all kinds of fashion. The last member of Rainbow’s friends who had been able to join the party was the ever-happy, pink party pony Pinkie Pie. She was the most cheerful pony Shiron had ever seen and she knew how to though a big party. All of them had had a good time but although Shiron knew he should have been happy, he had felt nothing. Nevertheless, he was a master of hiding his true feeling, so he had forced a smile to act like he had actually been happy. All of the ponies had seemed to believe his forced smile but there had been something in Pinkie Pie’s eyes, almost as if she had known that something was wrong. Shiron hadn’t had a chance to meet the pegasus pony Fluttershy during the party, so he and Rainbow Dash had visited her the following day. Fluttershy owned a cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest and she took care of many animals. She was a very shy pony and being shy himself, the first conservation between him and Fluttershy had been more than just a bit awkward. For the first minutes both ponies had been too shy, so that the conservation had been a disaster in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. Between short sentences about unimportant subjects like the weather, there had only been an awkward silence except of Rainbow Dash slamming her hooves against her face. It seemed that a simple facehoof wasn’t enough but thanks to Dash, the rest of the conservation had ended much better. At least a little bit. The only pony Shiron saw every day was Pinkie Pie. Somehow she actually had been able to see behind his happy mask and it seemed as if she had taken over the responsibility to make him happy. She always appeared out of the nowhere, she was doing all kinds of silly but funny things and even when Shiron was flying there was no way to escape Pinkie. With her hoof made helicopter, stilts or a trampoline she could even find him when he was on a cloud. It doesn’t matter how fast Shiron was flying because Pinkie always waited at his hideout, even when Shiron thought he found the perfect hideout. However, there was something else he had realized. The cheerful pink pony seemed as if she had a song for everything. No matter if it was a song for making cupcakes or a song for making her friends happy, Pinkie always had a song prepared. However, she wasn’t the only pony that loved to sing. All ponies of Ponyville seemed to have something to sing about and it wasn’t rare that some ponies joined in as a choir or background singer. Even the invincible orchestra seemed to be completely natural to them, not to mention that they knew the lyrics of every song even if they never heard the song before. Shiron on the other hoof had nothing to sing about, nothing worth living for. He had finally learned what he was and he had even found some friends but the big change he had hoped for didn’t happen. His heart was as silent as if he had never left his cave but this time there wasn’t even hope left. Shiron levitated the red ruby Celestia had given him before his eyes. He didn’t know what kind of magic the ruby and the necklace had but he felt something strange. The longer he looked at the ruby the more it seemed as if there was some sort of energy in it. It was hard to explain but Shiron felt that this ruby wasn’t an ordinary gemstone like all the others he had seen laying on the ground. “What do you think? What shall I do?” he asked the magic ruby not expecting an answer. The ruby stayed silent just like expected and Shiron levitated it back into the necklace. The sound of the awaking animals started to fill the air and Shiron looked at the sky. “Ah didn’t know ya are an early bird” a voice said suddenly behind Shiron. He quickly put on his usual face and turned his head to the source of the voice. “Good morning Applejack” he said, remembering that he was at Sweet Apple Acres. “I hope you don’t mind me being here.” “Of course not. Ah’m always happy to see a friendly face. Rainbow also comes here very often. She loves to nap on mah apple trees” Applejack happily responded. The first time Applejack had caught Rainbow Dash sleeping on an apple tree, Applejack had accidently bucked not only apples from the tree but also her pegasus friend. Rainbow’s surprised and confused face had been priceless. Applejack went closer to Shiron and sat down next to him. “Most of the ponies in Ponyville are still asleep this early but Ah’m not. Ah love to watch the sunrise and the sweet smell of apples in the mornin’” the farmpony said, taking a deep breath of the morning air. “What about you?” “I was able to convince Rainbow Dash to sleep in while I handle the early inspection flies today” Shiron answered. “Usually this is one of Rainbow Dash’s tasks as the captain of the weather team. However, even a strong pony like her needs to recover from all the hard work and waking up earlier than anypony else.” With a chuckle he added “Not that Rainbow would ever admit that she is tired or exhaust.” “That’s mighty nice of ya” Applejack said with a warm smile. “It's the least I can do after everything she did for me” he responded before he turned his look back to the horizon. Silence fell between the two ponies when the first rays of sunshine appeared. The dark of the night slowly changed into a beautiful morning sky and the nearly lake sparkled when the light of sun met the water while the sun let the morning dew in the meadow glitter like an ocean of diamonds. The first songs of the birds started to fill the air, just like the sweet smell of apples. Both ponies quietly watched the beautiful sunrise Princess Celestia had just given her subjects but when Applejack looked at Shiron she noticed that there was the hint of sadness in his look. Applejack wasn’t sure if it was because of his amnesia or because of something else but she knew she had to cheer him up and Applejack knew one of the best ways. “Ya know, mah big brother went to Canterlot earlier this mornin’ to deliver some of our best apples and apple cider to the castle, so Ah’m all alone at the orchard today. Do ya think ya can help me a bit by bucking some apples? “. Although Big Macintosh really was on his way to deliver apples and cider to Canterlot, Applejack didn’t really need help. Applebuck season was almost over and the remaining apples were the opal apples but bucking apples always helped her when she was sad and maybe it would have the same effect on Shiron. It was also a good way to talk and to come to know each other better. “What is apple bucking? “ Shiron asked confused. “Don’t worry, Ah show ya” Applejack said with a smile. ******************************************************************************** With a powerful kick, the apples fall from the tree right into the baskets Applejack had placed under the apple tree. Her front legs crossed and with a satisfied smile, Applejack as standing next to the apple tree. “…and that’s everything you need to know about apple bucking” she finished her explanation. “Now it’s your turn” she said to Shiron while she pointed at a nearby apple tree. Slowly, Shiron walked toward the apple tree and went into position. He put his weight to his front legs before he kicked the tree with his hind legs, the apples began to shake a little but none of them fall. Shiron kicked the tree again and then a third time but the apples refused to fall. “Yar kicks are strong but your hind legs aren’t in sync” Applejack said after Shiron’s third unsuccessful try. “Ya have to make sure that both for your hooves meet the tree at the same time” she explained. Shiron nodded and prepared another kick. He concentrated and then unleashed another strong kick, this time Shiron made sure both hooves were in synch, which actually caused some apples to fall into the baskets below the tree. With a pat on the back, Applejack congratulated Shiron for his first successful apple buck. Some minutes later the two ponies continued to buck apples and although Shiron needed at least three bucks to harvest all apples from a tree, Applejack was happy to see that Shiron began to relax. There’s nothing better than bucking some apples to relax Applejack thought while she bucked another tree with one of her powerful kicks that causes all apples to fell into the baskets. Applejack decided that now was the best chance to find out what burdened her new friend. “It has been two weeks since you moved to Ponyville.” Applejack said after some time of silent apple bucking. “How do you like our little village?” “Ponyville really is a nice village” Shiron said, trying to sound as convincing as possible but with little success. “That doesn’t sound very convincin’” she said with a raised an eyebrow. “If somethin’ had happened ya can tell me and Ah’ll help ya. Ah promise that ya can trust me” “It’s nothing” … but the look Applejack gave him seems honest and somehow calming, almost like the first time he talked to Rainbow Dash. Maybe these ponies really are different than them, Shiron thought before he continued,“… well, most of the ponies in Ponyville are still giving me that odd look as if I’m something special or even related to Princess Celestia.” "Hmm....." Applejack said to her herself "Ah think I might understand a grasp of how you feel Shiron. You see, these ponies need some time to realize that an alicorn lives in Ponyville now. For a very long time, there only had been one alicorn in Equestria and that was Celestia. She always was kind, understanding and the best ruler we could wish for. Princess Celestia was like a goddess to us ponies since she was the only known alicorn for a long time. Then, one year ago, Princess Luna appeared and we all learned that she was Celestia’s younger sister” Applejack said before she made a little break. After all the work, the country pony thought that it would be nice to have a little drink together so that they can talk a bit more. Applejack leaded Shiron to bench next to Sweet Apple Acres biggest barn and after she brought some apple pie and something to drink for them, both ponies sat down before Applejack continued. “When the ponies saw that the second know alicorn also was a royal princess with godlike powers, they started to think that all alicorns must be royal ponies with this kind of magic. You’re also an alicorn, so it’s natural that the ponies think that you’re also a member of the royal family. After some time passes, most ponies will treat ya like all other ponies, so ya shouldn't worry that much "Applejack said with a convincing smile. “Thank you” Shiron said. He really hoped that she was right and that the ponies would soon treat him like all the other ponies. However, there was still one thing Shiron didn’t understand. “Can I ask you something?” “Sure, ask away” the farm pony said before she had a sip from her drink. “Why do you, Rainbow and the others don’t treat me like the other ponies?” Shiron asked hesitantly. “That’s easy, ya’re our friend and ya saved Rainbow Dash’s life, sugarcube.” For Applejack it was only natural that they treated Shiron like one of them. “Thank you very much Applejack.” “Ya’re very welcome” the country pony recommended happily. “Ah’m always happy to help mah friends. “ …friends, Shiron thought. Are they really my friends? After everything that happened, he wasn’t sure if he could really trust these ponies and it was difficult to trust them after everything that happened during the last years. As much as he tried it, was still too difficult to trust anyone else, no matter how nice they were. For some more time Shiron and Applejack just sat at Sweet Apple Acres and talked about different subjects like how Applejack and the other girls had met. After Shiron had left to make his second inspection fly, Applejack knew that she had to do something to make Shiron feel welcome. She was sure that her friends would know a good way, so she trotted to meet with Twilight. ****************************************************************************** The sweet scent of fresh made pancakes woke up Rainbow Dash, who was peaceful lying in her comfortable bed. With only one eye open she checked her clock and almost fell out of her bed when she realized that it was already after 10Am. Ponyfeathers, I overslept, she thought while she was flying out of her warm bed. Why didn’t Shiron wake me…, still flying above her bed, Dash started to calm down when she remembered that Shiron had convinced her to sleep in while he was doing the inspection flies today. With a yawn, she considered to go back to bed, watching the Wonderbolts movie last night had kept her awake long past midnight, but the sweet scent was too tempting. One of the pros of living in the sky was, that the wind always leaded the sweet scent of fresh made food and sweets from Sugar Cube Corner to Rainbow’s home. Pinkie Pie made the best breakfast and Rainbow was visiting her pink friend almost every morning. It wasn’t like Dash couldn’t cook, in fact her mother had thought her everything about cooking and Dash also made the best and most awesome cookies in Equestria, but between her job as the captain of the weather team, saving Equestria from crazy villains and practicing for the Wonderbolts, Rainbow rarely had time for cooking. Of course she would never ever tell anypony that she knew how to cook and luckily Fluttershy, the only pony that knew almost everything about her, had pinkie promised to never tell anypony about the side of her ,that Rainbow had hid since the worst day of her life all those years ago. Dash took some towels and flew toward her shower; there was nothing better than a good shower in the morning except of a hot bath. Warm water ran down her head and washed away her weariness when it ran down her body. After she was clean from any weariness and dirt, she grabbed her favorite shampoo. Dash wasn’t as focused on fashion or appearance as Rarity but Rainbow also used some beauty products. After all, she didn’t get her awesome look for nothing; her almost glittering mane and tail, which would make even the brightest rainbows made look colorless, and her sky blue coat had given her many fans, not to mention that a good shampoo made the rainbow trail she left behind looking even more awesome. After she washed away the remaining shampoo, Rainbow dried herself off before she walked to her bathroom cabinet and looked at her mirror reflection. Satisfied with the awesome and beautiful mare she saw in the mirror, Rainbow Dash left her bathroom. She never understood how Rarity needed more than two hours to get ready for the day while she needed less than half an hour, except for special events like the birthdays of her best friends or the upcoming Winter Moon Festival. Although Rainbow would never confess it to anypony, she even owned a perfume which she had secretly bought on her last trip to Canterlot, a smell like a rare and mystic flower, but she only used it for the most important events. Despite everything that happened, she was a mare and sometimes it was nice to be treated like one. Rainbow Dash left her bathroom and followed the resistless smell of fresh pancakes to her living room. To her surprise, the sweet scent wasn’t coming from Sugar Cube Corner today but from her own kitchen where Shiron had made breakfast. “I didn’t know you can cook” Rainbow said when she entered the kitchen. Having a housemate really seemed to be one of the best ideas she ever had especially if the pancakes tasted as good as they smelled. The kitchen of Rainbow Dash’s cloud house had everything a pony could ask for and with a table and some chairs it was also big enough for a little party with her best friends. Sure, having wingless friends made a slumber party more difficult but with a little egghead magic from Twilight, there weren’t any problems her unicorn friend couldn’t solve. Moreover, the enchanted clouds Rainbow’s home was made of also had enough magic inside to prevent all none-living objects to fall though the clouds, so Twilight only needed to use the cloud spell on herself and the rest of the gang. “Good morning, Rainbow” Shiron greeted Dash when she entered the kitchen. “I can’t cook anything complicated but my mother taught me some things when I was younger”. “Awesome, it seems your memories slowly return” Dash said with a smile. After she heard for the first time that Shiron lost his memories she hoped that he would remember about his past and she was happy to see that his memories slowly returned. “Yes, it seems so” he said with a forced smile. As much as he hated to lie about his amnesia, Shiron was convinced that a lie was better than the truth, especially after he had almost lost the control when he was in Canterlot. Only Princess Celestia knew the truth and she had promised him to keep it a secret. “I hope you didn’t have any problems with the inspection flies” Rainbow asked while taking a seat at the table. “It can be a very hard job sometimes” Dash added, trying to hide that she was worried that waking up that early might had been too much for Shiron since he wasn’t used to it. “Today’s weather wasn’t that difficult, so there weren’t any real problems” Shiron said after he placed some pancakes on the well-laid table. With these words Rainbow’s worries disappeared and both ponies started to eat their pancakes. While they were eating, the two ponies talked about many different subjects like pranks, Pinkie’s latest party or just the latest news of Ponyville. After some time, Rainbow noticed some big and boring looking books on the small table in the corner of the kitchen. “Hey Shiron” Dash said with her mouth full, “what’s with these old books?” “I borrowed them from Twilight some days ago” Shiron replied while using his magic to levitate some books closer to Rainbow Dash. While she was looking at the books she read titles like Welcome to Equestria – The guide to live in Equestria, Living as a true pony or Rules and History of Equestria. “Since I’m new in Equestria I thought it could help to read some guides”, he added after Rainbow was looking back at him. Rainbow couldn’t hide a giggle. “Oh come on. That almost sounds as if you’re a star pony.” She put a hoof under her chin thought about her words for a moment before she shrugged “Nah, if you would be one then you would have said something like ‘Take me to your leader’.” “That’s true” Shiron said but couldn’t resist to play along,” but you nevertheless brought me to your leader.” Both ponies laughed at this and while Rainbow played the scared mare “Somepony help me” she laughed “a space pony tries to eat my brain.” After some more giggles she added “but hey, as long as you don't try to impregnate me with one of those little monsters that escape through the chest, I don't see a problem.” When Shiron gave her a confused look Rainbow spoke with an unbelieving voice. “What?!? You don’t know the famous space pony movies with these aliens?” “I don't think I ever saw them” Shiron answered. “Then we should do something about that” Dash said smiling. “I have all the movies and even the special editions. I think we should make a movie night soon.” Grinning she added “I’m sure you’ll love these movies and once we finished them I already have some other movies in mind.” “Sounds good, I guess” Shiron said not sure what to expect from the things Rainbow mentioned about the movies. After the two ponies finished their breakfast they put the used dishes into a rain cloud; even the dirtiest dishes looked like new after a little time in a rain cloud. “I think it’s time for a little flying session” Rainbow said while stretching her wings. A good sleep, a hot shower and an awesome breakfast were the best way to start a new day. Only one thing was still missing to make this morning perfect; a fast flying session. Rainbow Dash looked back to Shiron and with a smile she said “Thanks for the awesome breakfast.” With a wink she added “next time I’ll prepare the breakfast”. With that the cyan mare left the cloud house, a little flying session after a delicious breakfast was always good. With the day off, Dash hadn’t a real plan for today, usually she would be napping by now but since Shiron took care of the first inspection flies today, she didn’t need a nap anytime soon. After half an hour of flying, Rainbow noticed that she was close to Twilight’s library, so she decided to visit her friend. Some minutes later she was standing in front of the door and after knocking the door opened. To Dash’s surprise, it wasn’t Twilight who opened the door but Applejack. “Hi, AJ. What are you doing here?” Rainbow greeted her earth pony friend. “Howdy Rainbow. Ah talked with Twilight about Shiron” Applejack answered. “Ah talked to him this mornin’ and he seemed a bit upset.” AJ continued, not trying to hide that she was a worried about the well being of her new friend. “So Ah thought Twilight might have any ideas to cheer him up”. “Do you think I didn’t notice it?” Rainbow said with a sigh. “He’s trying to hide it but it’s not that hard to see behind his mask if you know him long enough.” Rainbow flew past Applejack and then landed onto Twilight’s couch. “Being alone for a whole year in a dark forest while thinking that other’s will see you as a monster is one of the saddest things I have ever heard and I think it’ll take much more time to show him that we really care for him and that he’s our friend.” Rainbow let her head hung. She was used to hide her feelings when it came to her own life and except Fluttershy, none of her friends knew how she really felt. However, when it was about her friends, then Rainbow showed how she really felt and how much she cared about her friends. It broke her heart to see how Shiron tried to hide how he felt but sadly Dash didn’t know what to do. What they needed was an expert, someone who was able to make even the saddest ponies happy and there was only one pony that could do that. Out of the nowhere Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared with her basket hat on. “Hi everypony” she said while looking at her three friends. Not waiting for her friends to respond she happily continued “I noticed that Shiron still isn’t as happy as he said he is, being alone for a year really would depress everypony, and since all my attempts to make him happy really failed I planned a super-duper-making-Shiron-happy-party.” With the big smile Pinkie gave the three ponies an invitation. “Pinkie, you’re right” Twilight began “but we already had a party and it didn’t work.” The pink party pony happily bounced up and down “Yep, and usually parties are better the more guests they have. However, this time I think Granny Pie’s idea is better ‘Sometimes a party with just the best friends is the best party’ so I’ll only invite you five, Spike and of course Shiron.” Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Twilight looked at each other and then back to Pinkie Pie. They didn’t know if this idea would work but since none of them had a better idea, they agreed that it was worth a try. After all, Pinkie Pie was famous for making everypony happy and if Pinkie planned a party it usually was a success. According to Pinkie’s invitation the party was at the beach of the Ponyville Lake at 4PM, so they still had enough time for planning the party and for inviting the missing guests. Rainbow prayed to Celestia and Luna that Pinkie’s plan would work because she hated to see a friend suffer without a way to help him. Dash wouldn’t give up until they would make him smile a real smile. ****************************************************************************** Saying that Pinkie Pie was an expert at planning and throwing a party would have been understated. Not only that she somehow had been able to find a good place for a private party, which was almost impossible on a warm and sunny day like today, but with the help of her friends, she had also decorated the place in less than four hours. There were tables with all kinds of sweets like a cake, different drinks and juices, towels on the sand, some beach chairs and all kinds of games for every beach party. It wasn’t difficult to get Rarity and Fluttershy to attend the party, most ponies enjoyed the sunny day and since Rarity only had two customers, she closed her shop earlier. Just like the ponies, Fluttershy’s animal friends were also enjoying the day and were either playing or napping. Since today’s weather wasn’t a problem, Rainbow Dash was able to convince Shiron that he should also take the rest of the day off, especially after all the work he had already done today. While the two weather ponies were on their way to the party, Pinkie and the others made the last preparations. Fluttershy, Twilight and Spike had helped her to prepare the food and to transport it to the lake while Applejack and Rarity had prepared the games and the decoration. The most important task however was Rainbow Dash’s. She had to distract Shiron until everything was ready and then had to convince him to take the rest of the day off before bringing him to the Ponyville lake. “I think everything is ready.” Twilight walked to the rest of her friends who nodded in agreement. “Don’t forget the plan. Officially this party was Pinkie’s idea to just to celebrate a beautiful day. If we really want to help Shiron feel happy and secure, then he has to think that his acted happiness worked.” “Ah ya sure that’s the best way” Applejack asked Twilight. “Ah mean can't we just tell him the truth that we know that he’s faking his happiness?” “No, if we would do that then, in the worst case, he might just isolate himself even more.” Twilight explained. She knew that it really could happen since she had been in a similar situation back in Canterlot. “Trust me, if we’re going by the plan then everything will be fine.” “Here they come” Spike said when he saw the silhouettes of the two playing ponies slowly coming closer. “Everypony knows what to do?” Pinkie asked. “Then let’s do this!” she happily said after everyone nodded. ****************************************************************************** As soon as Rainbow Dash and Shiron had arrived, Pinkie had officially announced the beginning of the party and turned on the music. Pinkie’s parties always were the best and Shiron had already attended to her welcome party for him and her weekly party last week, but somehow this party was different although Shiron couldn’t explain why. Just like all the other parties, there were a lot of sweets and drinks, many games that were perfect for every beach party and of course all of Rainbow’s best friends were here. Although this party was private with only Rainbow’s best friends and him, this wasn’t the reason why this party felt different. It almost was as if this party had a deeper purpose Shiron didn’t know. Two hours had passed since the beginning of the party. After some sweets and games with Pinkie and the others, Shiron was laying on one of the towels for a little break. While Pinkie, Applejack, Twilight and Spike were playing with a beach ball in the water, Rainbow Dash was happily swimming. Just like Shiron, Fluttershy and Rarity were also lying on towels - or a couch in Rarity’s case – and were enjoying the sun on their coats. When Shiron looked back at the lake, he noticed that Rainbow Dash was missing. He thought that she might be tired and was taking a nap on her beach chair or a cloud but there neither was a cloud close to the beach nor was she lying on her beach chairs. When Shiron looked back at the lake, he just in time saw Rainbow Dash resurfaces from the water with her eyes closed and her dripping wet mane hanging over her eyes. She was shaking her mane out of her face and the water drops created a little rainbow that surrounded Dash. Dash opened her eyes and looked at Shiron who softly blushed by the beauty before him. Only Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity noticed that and while Applejack and Pinkie Pie giggled because of his cute reaction, the gears in Rarity’s brain started to move. “Hey Shiron” Rainbow called while waving at her friend “Come on in. The water is perfect” “Thanks but I think I prefer the ground for now” Shiron answered, wondering why his face felt warmer. However, Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be Rainbow Dash if she wouldn’t have a second plan. “But I want to show you; something awesome” she said, trying her best to hide a giggle. Shiron was curiously flying to Rainbow not knowing what she had in mind. When Shiron was close enough, Rainbow grabbed one of Shiron’s front legs with her own front legs and pulled him into the water. He resurfaced and saw Dash smiling a cute and innocent smile. “I’m glad you changed your mind and joined me” she giggled. With a dripping wet mane Shiron looked at Rainbow and couldn’t suppress his own laugh. The other ponies and dragon looked at the two laughing ponies and knew that their plan slowly seemed to work. They hadn’t any doubt that they were able to make Shiron feel happy until the end of the party. ******************************************************************************** After Shiron had more or less freely joined Rainbow Dash in the water, one by one the other party guests had followed. As the time slowly went by it hadn’t taken long until the sun had disappeared and the moon had taken over. However, the party still continued. With Luna’s beautiful night sky above them, the ponies and dragon were sitting around a campfire and were eating marshmallows while sharing stories about adventures or other topics. “… and then Gilda and I had dropped the bucket and these three jerks had been covered with rainbow liquid. It had taken them a whole week until their manes had their natural colors back but no one messes with my friends or makes them cry.” Rainbow Dash finished one of her stories of her fillyhood adventures. “I really hope you would have been able to meet Gilda before she started to behave this odd” Rainbow added with a sigh. Fluttershy had knows this story already because it had been because of the three pegasus bullies making her cry that Rainbow Dash had pulled that prank on them. However, what Dash didn't tell was, that she had also been a victim of the bully trio and that these bullies were one of the reasons why Rainbow Dash still tried to hide some parts of her personality. She was the only one who knew Rainbow’s secret but she hoped that Rainbow would someday overcome her own bad memories. “Hey, is everything alright Fluttershy? You seemed a bit distracted.” Rainbow asked with a worried voiced. “Uhm, no, everything is alright” the shy pony answered. “I just wondered when the meteor shower is going to start.” Fluttershy added, hoping it would get the attention away from her. She never really liked to be the centre of attention. “I think it should start in some minutes.” Spike answered. He remembered that Twilight had sent Princess Luna a letter earlier today and asked her for a meteor shower. Twilight and the Moon Princess had became friends over the last weeks after Nightmare Night and she had also explained their party plan to the princess, so that Luna was more than happy to add a little meteor shower to her plans for today’s night. “Then we should find a good place to watch the meteor shower” Twilight announced. While the six ponies started to go to a good watching spot Shiron signaled Spike to wait. For the whole day he had wondered why this party felt different and now Shiron thought that he had found the reason. As soon as the six mares were out of hearing reach Shiron turned to Spike. “Hey, Spike“ he began. “Is it possible that this whole party was for…me?” Shiron asked unsure if he was right or not. “So you found out.” Spike said after a quick look to the girls to confirm that they weren’t able to hear them. “Yes, this party was for you.” After a short break Spike added “but don’t let the girls know that I told you that. They tried their best to keep the reason for the party a secret and…” Spike stopped for a second. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell them.” Shiron assured before he added “but why did you all do that for me?” Spike didn’t really understand this question. For him it was only natural to do something to cheer up a friend. “We were all worried and thought this party would help you to feel more welcome because you’re our friend.” Before the two boys were able to continue Rainbow Dash called for them. “Shiron, Spike. Hurry up or you’ll miss the awesome meteor shower. We all are waiting for you two.” In the background Shiron was also able to hear the other girls agreeing to Dash. Shiron didn’t understand it. They just knew him for two weeks and yet they had done so much just to cheer him up. It was this moment when Shiron realized that these ponies actually were his friends; he felt it deep in his heart almost as if it was a spark. He didn’t know if it was a mistake or not but he decided that he would start to trust his new friends. For the first time after so many years, he felt happy and secure and maybe, they would help him to feel his heart again. Together with Spike, Shiron was following his friends with a smile on his face. This time, it was a pure and honest smile. -------------------- Author’s note: I finally finished this chapter although I’m not that happy with it (especially with everything that came after the breakfast with Shiron and Rainbow Dash). It took way longer than I planned/hoped and I needed a friend who helped me with my writer’s block but here it finally is. I’m sorry that it took that long that some people even thought that I forgot or canceled “Rainbow in the sky”. Don’t worry; I will continue this story until I finished it^^ However there will be some changes. I learned that my current way of writing doesn’t work. I sadly overthink everything I write so that it sometimes ends with a writer’s block. Moreover a friend told me that the beginning of chapter 4 isn’t the same writing style I usually have and he’s right. Just like all writers I need to find my own writing style even if it takes some time. So for now I’ll do what Samsara (an awesome writer who wrote one of my favorite fanfics called “Study buddies”) told me: just write fanfics and without worrying about the outcome. Although it’s both easy and difficult (especially for a writer who is a lot like Twilight Sparkle) I’ll try that from now on until I found my own writing style. As a result you might see different writing styles in “Rainbow in the sky”, since it is my main fanfic, until I found my own style of writing. Once I found it I’ll of course re-write the whole fanfic and add new ideas or delete bad ideas. However that’ll take at least some months or longer until I actually found my own writing style to become a good writer like Samsara or other good writers. Last but not least I also made my own tumblr http://askshiron.tumblr.com/ It isn’t very big right now but I’ll use it for news for my fanfics and projects, asking questions in-character (for now only Shiron from Rainbow in the sky) or out-of-character and of course for fanart^^ I also colored one of the fanart pics and I even drew an own picXD I’ll only publish SFW art and SFW questions so that everyone can follow me without the fear of reading NSFW or Grimdark questions. All NSFW things will be answered with private messages.
Shiron	1170	6	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2016-02-05T05:31:20+00:00	2019-12-05T22:35:25+00:00	859	One week had passed since Shiron had decided to open his heart to Rainbow Dash and his new friends. Although, he still wasn’t sure if he was making a mistake in doing so. At least the past few days after the beach party had been nice. Step by step Shiron, warmed up to his friends and even joined Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash on one of their prank tours. Much to Pinkie’s and Rainbow’s disappointment, Shiron didn’t know how to use magic, except from basic levitation and illumination. To Shiron, the only alicorn ability he actually wanted was to fly as free as the birds and pegasus ponies. Most of the time, he only used his hooves or wings to grab things instead of using magic. Maybe it was odd to not use the abilities that many other ponies dreamt of. From time to time some unicorn had asked him for some magical advices while earth ponies and pegasi asked for some help; may it be a growing spell for their plants or spells or turn weather-clouds into other types of clouds. Young ponies were especially excited when they saw him; always asking him to show them some tricks. It made Shiron somehow sad that he wasn’t able to use magic except from his two or three spells; it felt like letting them down. To him, magic wasn’t that important: it only showed how different he actually was if he was able to fly and use magic. However, he somehow wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing. As much as he wanted to be like other ponies by almost living like a pegasus pony, he somehow was denying a part of who he really was. However, no matter what he tried, he never was able to forget what that voice had told him: ‘Everyone who is different is a monster’. He had never figured out who this voice was. Though, since he was living in Ponyville, the voice had been mute. Today however, he didn’t really care about being an alicorn or that voice. Now he was enjoying his breakfast with Rainbow Dash. Like every day of this week, Rainbow Dash had already finished her first inspection fly. Except for a light rain, today’s weather wasn’t very complicated, so Dash finished her work without any problems. After the beach party, Shiron had been able to convince Rainbow Dash to split the inspection flies between them. Of course, Dash would have never admitted this to anyone, but secretly she was more grateful about this than she showed. Even for her it wasn’t easy to work as the captain of the weather ponies and making an inspection fly every 6 hours. However, no matter how much Shiron tried to persuade her otherwise, Rainbow didn’t split the inspection flies evenly; Rainbow Dash doing two weeks while Shiron did one. Right now, they were sitting together in Rainbow’s kitchen. “Do you have any plans for today?” Rainbow asked Shiron before taking a bite from her apple. “I was planning to give Twilight her history book back. Maybe also borrow some fantasy or action books,” Shiron answered. “How can you like boring things like reading?” Dash asked, not attempting to hide her opinion on that matter. “Come on, not all books are boring,” Shiron responded. With an encouraging smile he added “I’m sure there even some books you would like.” Rainbow blew her bangs away from her eyes. “Nah, I’d sooner break one of my wings than to start like reading...” she said with a disinterested voice. After she finished her apple, Dash continued, “Why don’t you join me today? I was going to a little trip to Cloudsdale and its Weather Factory. Maybe I can even convince them to allow Ponyville to do the tornado duty this year.” “Isn't Cloudsdale your hometown?” Shiron asked. “Yep, it’s also one of the biggest pegasus cities in Equestria. You should totally join me!” Rainbow said with a smirk. “Sounds good, when do you want to leave?” Shiron asked. “Well, I have some last preparations to finish and since you wanted to give Twilight her book back, I would say we start at 1PM?” Dash replied, failing to hide her excitement. Though, why was she so excited? Shiron guessed that she hasn’t visited her hometown for a while. Did she have family there or did she just want to show him her hometown? “Sounds like a plan,” Shiron answered, taking a bite from his apple. “I can’t wait to see Cloudsdale.” Both ponies were smiling while finishing their breakfast. One hour later, Shiron had already brought the book he borrowed from Twilight back to the library. When Spike asked if he was free for an hour, Shiron said yes. After all, Rainbow Dash still needed at least one hour for her preparations. Now, Shiron and Spike were sitting at Sugarcube Corner’s and were drinking some hot cocoa. “…and then Twilight was using her magic to actually lift up the Ursa Minor. I mean, wow, it was as big as a house but she totally lifted it up and carefully sent it back to its cave, can you believe that?” Spike finished another story about the time when two colts named Snips and Snails brought an overgrown astral bear into Ponyville. If what Spike said about the Ursa was true, then the two colts weren’t the smartest ponies in Ponyville. If a random show-mare came up and boasted that they took down a 400 foot tall bear, you would be naturally skeptical, even with evidence. And besides, just because she did it once doesn’t mean she would willingly do it again. “That’s amazing, I didn’t know unicorns can get that strong,” Shiron replied. “Well, Twilight’s special talent is magic. That, and she is one of the most amazing unicorns ever! Sometimes I think that, except maybe Celestia and Luna, there is no pony that has stronger magic than her,” Spike added before looking thoughtfully at Shiron’s horn. Shiron already expected Spike to ask what kind of magic he was able to use, but Spike knew that Shiron didn’t like that topic. He took a sip of his cocoa and asked “So, do you already know what you’ll give Rainbow Dash?” “What I’ll give to her? For what occasion?” Shiron asked. “You know, for her birthday tomorrow? Or did nopony tell you that?” “Tomorrow is Dash’s birthday?!” Shiron asked shocked. “No, no one told me about that and I have less than a day to buy her something...” he added, groaning. His head met the table with a light thump. “Don’t worry; I’m sure you’ll find something. Dash really likes the Wonderbolts and Sweet Apple Acres' cider, if that’s any help.” Spike tried to cheer his friend up. “I know, but there won’t be any cider until applebuck season is finished, and it’s not easy to find something related to the Wonderbolts here in Ponyville…Except...” Shiron looked up with a hopeful smile. “Rainbow wants to fly to Cloudsdale today and asked me to join her. She mentioned something about the tornado duty.” “Sounds good. When will you two start?” Spike asked. “In about an hour,” Shiron answered. “However, I think I’ll have to visit someone before we start.” Shiron quickly added. Soon the two friends finished their cocoa and said each other goodbye. Quickly, Shiron took off and flew to his first goal. He just hoped his plan would work. Almost two hours had passed since Rainbow Dash and Shiron started their trip to Cloudsdale. Usually, Rainbow needed at most one hour. However, today she needed more than twice as long, and they weren’t even at Cloudsdale yet! Although one reason was that Rainbow showed Shiron various landmarks during their trip, the main reason was because Shiron needed several breaks to rest his wings. Since the last break, Rainbow paid more attention to Shiron’s flying style and she noticed why he was this slow. During their race some weeks ago, Shiron had almost been able to keep up with her. It had just been a short race since the Everfree Forest was only some minutes from Ponyville. However, there was a big difference between a short flight through a well positioned training course and a long flight, where the wind and the weather were less controllable. Shiron made the same mistakes young pegasus ponies were making when they were learning how to fly. For example, Shiron wasn’t using the wind to his advantage and ended up wasting energy fighting it. He also focused way too much on flapping his wings instead of using thermals to carry him. It wasn’t surprising that Shiron was doing these mistakes. Rainbow Dash had already guessed that he never had anypony to show him how to fly. Instead he had to learn it by himself. “Looks like I’ll have to be the one to show him how to fly,” Dash thought. She glanced at him pumping his wings furiously and winced at the complete waste of energy. “Properly.” Like every cloud city, Cloudsdale didn’t have a fixed location, but moved with the wind. Depending on the season, ponies had to fly to one of the four main positions of Cloudsdale. Luckily, the pegasus ponies had been able to invent a system that allows them to minimize the distance Cloudsdale moved and build stations at each of the 4 main positions. At the centre of the four stations was one of Equestria’s most important monuments. Rainbow Dash decided that it was time for a break since they almost reached last part of their trip: flying up to Cloudsdale. Rainbow was already able to see her hometown. But before they flew there, she wanted to show Shiron something every pony had to see at least once. Both ponies landed close to the monument which showed Celestia with spread wings in front of four ponies and two griffins. Next to the monument were some ponies that put some flowers at the foot of the monument. Shiron and Rainbow silently walked toward the statue until they were in front of it. “What does this statue stand for?” Shiron asked Rainbow without moving his gaze away from the monument. “This monument was built to remember how Celestia stopped the last war of Equestria before it was able to actually start,” Rainbow answered. “This is a just a copy of the original. There are others outside of Canterlot and the main town of the Griffin Kingdom. This is the third and last copy. The real one is stands close to Manehattan, where the peace treaty was signed,” Rainbow continued without looking away. “Each of the copies were built outside of the main cities of the three fractions of the war: the Royal Defense, the Lunar Rebellion and the Griffin Kingdom.” “I didn’t know that there were wars in Equestria,” Shiron said quietly. “Everything looks so peaceful…” After a while, Shiron said, ”The history book I borrowed from Twilight didn’t mention a war.” He looked at Rainbow Dash and asked, “When exactly did it happen?” Following a short pause, Rainbow answered. “Almost 950 years ago. If I had to guess, that book was about more recent history.” Looking back at Shiron, Rainbow started her story. “A pony who called himself Flag Burner started to plot a rebellion against Princess Celestia. That pony had said that Celestia had banished her sister because she wanted to become the sole ruler of Equestria and that every story about Nightmare Moon had been a lie. He formed an army and then started the Lunar Rebellion,” Dash said. With a sad voice she added, “For the first time since the founding of Equestria, ponies had been fighting ponies. “ “That sounds awful,” said Shiron, looking back at the monument. “How was it possible that a single pony started all that?” “We don’t know, but to make it even worse, he had also used a squad of ponies to attack the griffins. During that time, ponies and griffins didn’t trust each other, so that attack had ultimately added another war to the ongoing civil war.” Rainbow Dash answered before looking at the statue of Celestia. “Somehow, Princess Celestia had been able to start peace talks without him noticing,” she added. “Celestia and three ambassadors met at a secret place, one ambassador for the Lunar Rebellion, one ambassador of her Royal Defense and one ambassador of the Griffin Kingdom. Each of them with a guard." “Wait, the Lunar Rebellion was lead by Flag Burner. How come it was part of the talks?” Shiron asked after mulling it over for a few seconds. “Well, at first the ponies of the Lunar Rebellion had believed in their leader; the lies about Celestia and that he had actually wanted to create a better Equestria. However, after the attack against the griffins, they had started to suspect that something was been wrong,” Dash answered, looking at Shiron. “I mean, why starting a second war if the real enemy had been Princess Celestia?” After a short break, Dash continued “The Lunar Rebellion had sent their second in command, Red Flag to the peace talks for the signing of the treaty. Everything had been working out but somehow Flag Burner had found the place of the peace talks.” Both Dash and Shiron looked towards the statue. “Flag Burner knew he wasn’t strong enough to beat Celestia in a fair battle, so he had attacked the ambassadors; their deaths would have stopped the peace talks, and possibly might show Celestia in a bad light.” “How had Celestia been able to stop him?” Shiron asked, his eyes focused on the statue of Celestia. Since there were statues of the ambassadors with Celestia, surely the ambassadors survived? “Princess Celestia hadn’t enough time to create a magic shield to protect the ambassadors, so she used the only shield she had…” Dash said softly, just loud enough to hear. “...her own body. “ Shiron looked at Dash with wide eyes, but he was too shocked to say anything. “Flag Burner used dark magic to try to ensure the death of the ambassadors. Fortunately for them, Princess Celestia took the full of that hit. Despite her injuries, she defeated Flag Burner before she passed out,” Dash said with clear admiration and respect toward Celestia. “Witnessing that the princess had been risked her life to save them, the ambassadors had realized that that Flag Burner had been the real enemy, not Celestia. Luckily, alicorns are extremely resilient—even to dark magic—so she recovered fully,” Dash finished with a faint smile. When Shiron had met Celestia, he had felt an aura of wisdom and power around her. He felt safe around her; a feeling of motherly protection. Hearing Rainbow’s words, he was once again amazed by the alicorn princess. Had she known that she was able survive that attack, or had she actually been ready to sacrifice her own life for safety of Equestria and it’s values of peace and harmony? Whatever the answer was, Shiron felt deep respect toward Celestia. Moreover, he felt even more honored that both Celestia and Luna saw him as a part of their family, even though they just had met him. Rainbow Dash was able to see that Shiron was pondering about the story. Dash knew that even though it is sometimes boring, it is important to know the history of her home, if only to not repeat the mistakes others have made. It was easy to take the peace and harmony that they live in for granted, but the ultimate price had nearly been payed for it. Should anypony forget about that, there may not be a Celestia to save them. When Rainbow felt that Shiron was listening again, she finished her story, “To remember that day, a monument and three smaller copies were built. It was that heroic act of Princess Celestia that had lead to the deep friendship between the Griffin Kingdom and Equestria. Nopony knows what would have happened if that Flag Burner had been victorious, and thanks to Princess Celestia, we’ll never have to know.” One particular part of that story seemed a bit off... “You said that he called himself ‘Flag Burner’. Does that mean he has another name? Does nopony know exactly who was behind everything?” Dash expected this question. In every class and every history book this question was asked at least one. “Well, no one except Princess Celestia knows who that pony was. She never published his name or what kind of pony he was. Maybe she kept it a secret to protect his family or something like that,” Dash answered. For some time, both ponies were silently watching the statue. “I hope that this story helps Shiron to see what kind of pony Celestia is. Celestia was ready to sacrifice her life for our future and I’m sure that even now she would do the same. That’s why we love Celestia. She not only gives us the day, but she would do everything for her subjects,” Dash thought. “She gives us hope for a better future. Though Luna had once chosen the wrong path, I’m sure she’ll also show Equestria her true self and how much she cares for her subjects.” Dash didn’t know why he would even think that, but she felt that he was slowly coming closer to accepting that he wasn’t the monster he feared others would see in him. Even though he still wanted to be a normal pegasus, he might be able to accept himself being an alicorn someday. Someday... Both ponies stayed a few minutes longer, watching the monument, before finally continued their trip to Cloudsdale. After a few minutes, Shiron could already feel his wings hurt despite his break. It didn’t make any sense; he had been flying for months now in varying conditions and speeds, but he never had this problem. Shiron looked over at Dash, but it didn’t look as if she was having any problems. “I should probably ask her about tha- What is that?” There was a river running down like a waterfall. The first waterfall soon followed several more and all of them were coming from a giant cloud. Normally, this wouldn’t be too surprising. Clouds were made of water, so why shouldn’t rivers fall from them? Because those rivers were made of rainbows. And not just individual colours flowing into one massive rainbow river, but each of the streams of the streams were rainbows. How did the colours not merge and become a black, dirty mess? Thinking about this made Shiron’s head hurt, so he decide to concentrate on absorbing the sights instead. There were many pegasi flying—and the occasional griffon—to or from that massive cloud. Surrounding the edges of giant cloud were a set of piers and docks for hot air balloons and airships. Soon he was able to tell that this was Cloudsdale; the Pegasus Capital. He had seen many other cloud settlements, but none as magnificent or breathtaking as this. How many ponies lived there? Ten thousand? Hundred thousand? More? From the books he borrowed from Twilight, Shiron knew that Cloudsdale was the main city for creating the weather for all of Equestria. Shiron didn’t believe it until he clarified it with Rainbow. Almost all kinds of clouds were made in Cloudsdale and since the whole town was mobile, the whole weather management system was easier to perform. Especially because of the insane amount of water Cloudsdale needed. From what Dash had explained to Shiron, the whole tornado duty was needed to transport water to Cloudsdale’s weather factory. Of course, Cloudsdale wasn’t the only city with a weather factory. Since there always was the risk that something could happen to it, several smaller ones were made, especially close to big cities. They were generally redundant, seeing as Cloudsdale’s was more efficient. They weren’t completely useless though; sometimes emergency weather can take too long to arrive. That way, Equestria was always able to at least manage its weather, even if Cloudsdale was unable to do its job. Shiron was able to see the first buildings of Cloudsdale. It was amazing what pegasus ponies were able to do; a whole city built out of clouds, giving so many ponies homes and jobs. “No wonder Rainbow Dash loves this place so much,” Shiron thought. “I never thought something like this was possible!” Soon, they reached an empty bit of cloud and landed. Rainbow turned to Shiron with a smile but before she was able to say anything, three pegasus stallions landed next to them. “Hey look, it’s Rainbow Crash,” one of the stallions sneered. He had a dark grayish brown coat and his cutie mark was a dumbbell with six weights. “What are you doing here? Being all lameo again?” he added. “Yeah, Rainbow…uhm…Crash!” the second pegasus added with a less intelligent voice. That pegasus had a bluish gray coat and mane covered eyes. His cutie mark was three joofballs. Rainbow didn’t seem very impressed seeing the three bullies. “This again? I thought you quit it after my awesomeness during the Best Young Flyers Competition,” she said with a hint of exasperation. “Yeah, you might have won the BYF Competition and done a Sonic Rainboom,” the third bully shot back, “However, if you really are that good then you would be a Wonderbolt by now. But you’re still the same old Rainbow Crash and the Wonderbolts are still ignoring you.” It seemed that Rainbow knew this three ponies but she never mentioned them to Shiron. To Shiron, it didn’t matter who they where, but if they were trying to bully Dash, then they were making a big mistake. “So, I guess you are so much better at flying, then?” Shiron said skeptically with helping of sarcasm. He looked at the pegasus with the dumbbell cutie mark; most likely the leader of the bullies. The bully laughed mockingly, “Oh, has our little Crash found a loser friend?” He took a step closer to Shiron before he added, “I’m sure you’re also a failure, just like Rainbow Crash here, right boys?” He glanced at his friends. The other two took a step back, realizing that the pony before them had wings and a horn. “Maybe we should just go, Dumb Bell...” one of them said. “Oh come on, don’t be a foal, Hoops!” Dumb Bell exclaimed “You think I’m afraid of a pegasus pony with a fake horn?” Trying to prove that he was right, Dumb Bell took a step closer to Shiron and tried to knock off his ‘fake’ horn. Before Rainbow could react, Dumb Bell’s hoof was already stuck in the air; a faint yellow aura covering his hoof. “Guess you were wrong with your fake horn theory,” Shiron said with a challenging grin, letting go of Dumb Bell after shoving him back with his magic. At first Dumb Bell wasn’t sure what to do. However, his surprise only lasted a few moments before he was back to his original arrogance, “Fine, you have a real horn. Only proves that you are a wimp of a unicorn, trying to look like an alicorn” Dumb Bell laughed again. “Told you guys that this pony is a failure!” Dumb Bell said to his friends, but they were already 200 feet away. “You know–” Shiron said with a dangerous calm, with his wings flared. Dumb Bell slowly turned around “–I don’t like my friends being insulted,” Shiron continued. “I really think you should apologize.” Rainbow wasn’t sure what was happening right now or what to do. Since she knew Shiron; she had see him being sad, happy and even bashful. However, she never saw him being angry. To be honest, Dash never saw any alicorn being angry. The surrounding air seemed icier than it should be at this altitude... “I don’t care if you insult me‒” Shiron stated coldly, taking a step toward Dumb Bell, “‒but I won’t allow anyone to insult my friends.” Dash saw that Dumb Bell started to sweating. It wasn’t a big surprise; he tried to insult and attack an alicorn. Of course he didn’t know that Shiron didn’t know how to use magic except from two or three simple spells. Neither was he a strong fighter. Just being an alicorn seemed to be enough to shake Dumb Bell. “I….uh…I was just joking, right Rainbow?” Dumb Bell asked with fear evident in his voice. Usually it would have disturbed Shiron if someone was afraid of him; he was neither a monster nor violent. Right now, he wanted to stop that bully. Of course Dash was strong and confident and most likely didn’t need any help, but Shiron couldn’t just leave her—well, not exactly ‘to their mercy’, but still... “I’m…sorry if it sounds…like an insult...” Dumb Belle tried to laugh. “Well, I think I hear my mates calling…” he added quickly before flying off. None of them noticed that the crystal on Shiron’s necklace glowing during that entire exchange. As suddenly as Shiron got angry, his demeanor changed back as if nothing happened. That icy chill in the air also disappeared. Maybe it was just a cold front that just so happened to be passing by? “I’m sorry about that,” Shiron apologised, rubbing the back of his neck. “I really don’t like bullies… Admittedly, I got a little carried away back there,” he added with a nervous grin. “Don’t worry,” Dash waved off with a smile. “Those three jerks always try to get under my skin, but it was nice of you to help me anyway.” With a wink she added, “It was also kind of cute!” She barely managed to hide her amusement at his blush. “Ha, he’s way too easy to tease,” Dash thought with an inner giggle. “It’s even easier than teasing Flutters or Twilight!”. Playing a little prank always was fun, even if it’s just verbal. “Well, back to our trip,” Dash quickly announced, changing the topic. “There is still a lot to see come on!” Only a moment later Rainbow Dash was already in the air and Shiron followed her. Moments later, he nearly caught up with her. If Dash wanted to play tag, then he would play it. Despite taking way longer to fly to Cloudsdale than she had planned, Dash still had some time to show Shiron around Cloudsdale. They visited some of the main attractions like the Wonderbolts arena, one of the rainbowfall springs, the museum of pegasus pony and weather history and Cloudsdale’s market square. Just like in Ponyville, the citizens of Cloudsdale quickly took notice of Shiron. It being way larger than Ponyville, there were also more pairs of eyes that stared at him. Seeing her friend starting to feeling uncomfortable with all the attention, Dash tried to restyle Shiron’s mane to cover his horn. It wasn’t perfect, and anypony who would take a closer look would have noticed the horn sticking out of his forehead, but for the time being, it seemed to work. At least most citizens now didn’t take notice. Luckily it was only his horn that made Shiron look like an alicorn instead of a pegasus. As long as he wouldn’t become as tall as Celestia, getting a longer horn or getting a magical mane, it still was possible to make Shiron look like a pegasus pony. Rainbow and Shiron landed close to some older looking buildings, with a cloud being protected by some glass-like material. The cloud didn’t look special but there was a sign next to it with writing that looked completely alien to Shiron. Dash saw Shiron looking at the cloud and said, “This cloud was the foundation of the old Cloudsdale. During the Lunar Rebellion, it got damaged beyond repair. After Celestia stopped the conflicts, both the pegasi and griffons took the old foundation to use it as the foundation of the first version of this Cloudsdale.” “First version of Cloudsdale?” Shiron asked, confused. What accident caused the need for another version? “Yes, unlike most pony buildings, cloud buildings are never really finished; you can always add new clouds” Dash answered. “Oh, so cloud-houses were modular. That actually made quite a bit of sense.” Shiron thought. “For example, our house; when I moved to Ponyville, it only had a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room and my bedroom, all connected with only a small hall.” Dash continued. “Yes, it had been a small house but it was my house,” Dash thought. With evident pride she said “I always worked on it and still am! When I had found a good cloud we didn’t need in Ponyville, I converted it into a structure-cloud and added it to my house. Slowly, my cloud house has turned into a little mansion with enough space for me and my friends. As well as two guestrooms and a second bedroom.” Of course it hadn’t been that simple. Turning a weather-cloud into a home-cloud wasn’t easy, not to mention all that paperwork! Luckily, Equestria’s laws weren’t too complicated and Dash quickly learned what she needed to do to upgrade her home. That also included using her pegasus magic to modify clouds. Depending on what a cloud should be used for, she sometimes even had to buy special potions to protect her home from getting cold, especially during winter, or to help protect the cloud from condensing or evaporating. Dash pointed at some buildings in the distance, “Just like my house, Cloudsdale also changed over the time. From a little village—no bigger than Ponyville—it had become the biggest pegasus city with hundred thousands of citizens, maybe even more! Cloud cities don’t really have a size limit,” With a grin she added “Twilight’s tree has similar abilities. If needed, she could also add more rooms by letting the tree grow. However, tree-buildings do have a size limit. “It even became a popular contest to show your cloud buildings. The next contest is in 5 months if you are interested.” Dash winked at Shiron, hoping that he would see what she was saying. “Some ponies use clouds to give their home special forms. Last year I even saw a cloud house that looked like a sleeping dragon!” Before Dash was able to continue, she heard the bells of the weather factory announcing the time. She silently cursed the fact that there were only 24 hours in the day; there was still so much to see! It was fun showing Shiron her hometown, as little as she managed. With a sigh, she announced, “Looks like we have to stop our tour here; I need to go to the weather factory now for a meeting. Unfortunately, the meeting is only for the Weather Chief’s of each town.” She hated that she wasn’t able to spend more time with him, or take him to the meeting. It felt like she was letting him down. “I hope you aren’t mad...” “Don’t worry, Dash, I’m not mad at you,” Shiron reassured with a smile. “Where is the weather factory? I could wait there after I visited some shops.” Seeing the mild confusion on Dash’s face, he explained, “I wanted to buy some saddlebags for some time now, but I couldn’t find anything good ones yet.” Relieved that Shiron wasn't mad at her, Dash pointed at some odd looking buildings, “You see that building there? The big one, next to some rainbowfalls and a cloud that looks like a giant funnel. That’s the weather factory,“ she said. “I don’t think the meeting will take that long, so I should be finished in, at most, one and a half hours.” After a quick scan of the skyline, he found the factory. It looked kind of weird; the mixture of greek architecture and elements of steampunk, “Ok, thanks. I’ll see you there and good luck,” Shiron replied. “See you later, Shiron” she said before she took off. As soon as Dash had left, Shiron thought what to do. He assumed that he would need about 20 minutes from the shopping street to the weather factory. Despite the fact that he didn’t lie when he said that he needed some saddlebags, he actually hoped that he would be able to find a good present for Dash. “Dash really likes the Wonderbolts,” he thought, remembering Spike’s words. “So, your name’s Shiron?” he suddenly heard a female voice saying behind him. Shiron turned to the source of the voice and saw an older mare with a blue flying uniform and some goggles on. By the look of her appearance, that mare was a Wonderbolt. That, or she was a big fan of them. “Uhm, yes, my name Shiron,” he answered, not sure who that pony really was or what she wanted. “Too bad I missed Rainbow Dash; I would have loved to talk to her again...” the mare said with a hint of sadness. “Well, let me guess: Dash is here to try to get the tornado duty for Ponyville this year?” It seemed that this pony knew Rainbow Dash. Shiron wasn’t sure if she was an old friend or something similar, but he answered, “Yes, but how do you know about that?” “That’s the Dash I know; always trying to get Ponyville and her friends more attention!” she laughed. “I’m glad she hasn’t changed that much.” “So, are you an old friend of Rainbow?” Shiron asked the mare. “Oh, I’m sorry. How impolite of me,” the mare apologized before she put out her hoof to Shiron. “My name is Stormchaser–" she said with a friendly smile, "–and I think we have a lot to talk about.” Editor’s Note: Hi! My name is Muranuse, and I will be this fics editor for now. I wanted to get all of this done by the 5th, but I only managed to get 14/26 pages done. I was originally going to do just a quick grammar and spelling check, but after seeing Shiron’s (the OC’s) character, I realised that he wasn’t Gary Stu we all know and dread, so I did a little rewording, a few additions, a bit of rewriting, and when I checked the page-count, I had only done a quarter of what I thought I had done! Anyway, expect a part 2 soon; Half Term is coming! prepares party-canon Also, anyone else have problems with latency when using a large number of suggestions in GDocs? It's finally finished. It took me a little more than three years, but here is chapter 5 although this is just the first half. (I'll merge the two parts before chapter 6 is finished.) I know it's not as good as the other chapters, but I need to practice my writing style again I'm very sorry for the long wait and I fear I lost most of my fans because of it Hopefully I can finish the next chapters sooner. My goal for now is one chapter per month. It's still slow and I'm not sure if it's possible, but I'll try Moreover, as of now, I changed the main category from [Everyone] to [Teen]. Don't worry, I won't write anything mature but since this fanfic is [Romance] I just want to be on the safe side I hope you enjoyed this chapter nevertheless
Shiron	1170	7	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2016-02-19T20:18:49+00:00	2019-12-06T21:24:03+00:00	687	The sun was already setting when Rainbow Dash finally finished her meeting at the weather factory. She had to pull some strings and redeem some favors, but in the end her request had been checked and accepted. However, until the day of the tornado duty, Ponyville had to prove that they were actually able to complete it. The months preparing for it would be difficult, but Dash knew her team. “My team-mates are stronger than they think they are. They’ll easily manage it!” Dash thought with pride. “Maybe we can even break the record!” Dash smiled when she saw Shiron waiting for her. The meeting was busy, yet boring at the same time, and seeing a friend waiting for her cheered her up. She noticed that Shiron had bought some saddlebags and he was reading a book. “It’s almost as if it’s Twi that’s waiting for me,” she thought, giggling at the mental image of Twilight with wings. “Hey there, Shiron. I hope you didn’t have to wait too long,” Rainbow happily greeted her friend. “No, I just arrived here a few minutes ago,” Shiron replied. He didn’t mention the meeting with Stormchaser, seeing as he promised her to keep it a secret until tomorrow. “I hope the meeting went well,” he said, putting his book in his saddlebags. “Yeah, though it wasn’t exactly a piece of cake. I’ll tell you about that on the way,” Dash answered. She signaled him that she was ready to go, but instead of turning to the direction of Ponyville, she wanted to fly somewhere else. “Aren’t we flying back to Ponyville now?” Shiron asked, confused. “Nope, we are staying here in Cloudsdale until tomorrow,” Dash answered. “Even an awesome flyer like me needs at least an hour back to Ponyville. Although it’s absolutely amazing flying at night, we wouldn’t arrive there ‘till midnight.“ The real reason was that Dash didn’t want to mention that she knew about Shiron’s flying problems over long distances. For short distances, flying at night would be mostly safe, but flying long distances would be more than a little risky. As much as she loved flying, she would never risk the safety of a friend. “We’re staying at my parents’ house,” she continued with a smile. “They aren’t in Cloudsdale this week, but it’s still nice to pay my old home a little visit.” With a grin she shifted closer to Shiron, “Not to mention that I also have some old movies there we could watch.” “Sounds good…I guess,” Shiron replied, not sure what to expect. Before he was able to ask, Dash already took off and waited for Shiron to follow her. Rainbow’s parents’ house wasn’t as big as Rainbow’s, but nevertheless it was something special. It was located a little away from all the other pegasi’s houses, but it still was close enough to the arena and the city square. It had a little fountain, and even a garden with flowers. However, how they were able to grow plants on a cloud was beyond Shiron’s knowledge. “Maybe some weird magic hydroponics? I should ask Rainbow or Twilight someday…” The interior of the house was quite cosy; a decent sized hall that lead to the different rooms, stairs to a second floor and an attic, from what Rainbow told him. There were pictures on the wall of Rainbow Dash two other pegasi: a stallion with a pale, light grayish blue coat, and the same rainbow colored mane as Dash, and a mare with a pale, light grayish cornflower blue coat and an orange and light scarlet mane. “That’s an old photo of my Mum and Dad,” Dash explained when she noticed Shiron looking at the pictures. “This is my Dad, Bow Hothoof and this is my Mum, Windy Whistles.” With a slight blush, she added, “If you tell anypony, I’ll deny it, but my parents’ are even more awesome than me.” Even if they can be quite embarassing sometimes she thought to herself Shiron followed Rainbow through the house. He couldn’t explain it, but somehow this place felt like home. He could almost feel the love of Rainbow’s parents and all the good memories. “A loving and happy family…” He thought sadly, thinking about his own parents. He really missed them. Was he ever going to see them again? Despite all the good times he had since he got here, he still had no idea how he had came to Equestria; it was a complete mystery. “Maybe we should eat something first,” Dash suggested, pulling Shiron out of his thoughts. “After all, I promised you some of my cooking after your tasty pancakes last time.” “Sounds good,” Shiron agreed; which was seconded by his stomach. Rainbow couldn’t hide her amusement, especially after her own stomach made its opinions known. Laughing, both ponies went to the kitchen. “Family,” thought Shiron, looking at Dash. A few minutes later, both ponies were sitting in the kitchen eating hay fries and some mixed fruits bars Rainbow Dash had made. Dash had called her parents’ a few days earlier and asked them if it would be okay if she would stay over with a friend. Of course, they agreed and her mother had even bought some fresh fruits for them. “Wow, these fruit bars are amazing!” Shiron complimented, taking another one. “Told you I can make amazing food,” Rainbow smiled with a wink. “I just don’t like others knowing about that.” “Why that?” Shiron asked confused. “You didn’t even tell the others?” “It’s a bit complicated, but I hope you don’t mind the fact I can cook keeping it a secret,” she replied. With puppy dog eyes she looked at Shiron, “Pwetty pwease?” “Come on, that’s unfair!” Shiron gasped out in mock pain, clutching his chest. “A mare does what a mare has to do,” Dash laughed. Fluttershy got her stare and Dash had her puppy eyes. Of course, she would only use it on her friends, and only in desperate situations. No one else must ever see the softer parts of her personality. She will never let that nightmare see the lights of day again. When Shiron accidently dropped his fork, he noticed that it was embed partially into the cloud. He hadn’t been in Equestria too long, but that was not how clouds worked. When he picked up the fork, there was something odd on it. “What is this?” asked a confused Shiron, holding something that looked like frozen vegetables in his hooves. “Uhm, my alfalfa?” Dash answered sheepishly. “What? I was a young filly who didn’t like vegetables, and since we didn’t had a pet–” “Ah, the old ‘give it to the dog’ trick…” “– I… Well, clouds are a very good place to hide stuff...” she explained, giving a strained smile.. Trying to change the subject, Dash started, “You know; we have the house all for us. No one will disturb us and we have enough time until we have to leave tomorrow.” With an almost seducing grin she looked at Shiron “You know what this means?” she asked while leaning closer to Shiron, who started to blush at both the tone of her voice and how close she was getting to his face. Not to mention the implications… “A whole night of awesome and scary movies!” Together, Shiron and Dash were sitting on Rainbow's old bed in her old room. Although she had moved to Ponyville years ago, her parents had never touched her room. Wonderbolts posters were hanging on the walls together with a poster of Princess Celestia. Shiron even saw a Wonderbolts plushy and a teddy bear which Dash quickly shoved into the floor. It was nice to see that the speed and adrenalin loving mare also had a soft side. He didn’t know why Dash was hiding it from her friends, but he felt somewhat happy to see this side of Rainbow Dash. Dash had made sure that the room was as dark as possible before she started the movie. Shiron wasn’t told what she had started, but it was some sort of space movie with a group of griffins finding an alien spaceship full of odd looking eggs. The griffins had already entered the spaceship when one of them was attacked by some sort of face hugging monster. Shiron knew that ponies usually didn’t like any kind of violence—despite Equestria’s army being the largest of all the nations—but some of the more violent movies and TV shows became quite popular. Of course, most movies didn’t have any alicorns. Especially in action movies. After all, you just fire a magic-death-ray of doom at the problem and it will probably go away. The griffons just had eaten lunch when one of them started to cough, and some creature escaped his chest. Shiron cowered behind the bed, wings over eyes, while Dash silently ate her popcorn. The creature just escaped when Dash announced, “Be right back; need popcorn.” She silently left the room. As soon as Rainbow Dash left the room, she went to the attic. She knew that Shiron loved a good prank, and right now, Dash couldn’t resist the prank she had planned. Last year, she had played the same one on Applejack, and it was glorious. Of course Applejack later played one of her own pranks on Dash in retaliation. Good times, good times... As quietly as possible, Dash took her costume out of the box. It wasn’t easy to put on the costume, but she was sure Shiron would like it. She just hoped that this prank wasn't too much for her friend. After all, pranks were supposed to be fun, not cruel... “Oh well, he’s a strong colt, he’ll be able to take it.” As soon as Dash put on the whole costume, she searched for a mirror and looked her reflection. After all these years, the costume still looked awesome. Even the second mouth of the helmet was still working. With only the muted sound of her hooves on the clouds, she sneaked back into the hall. When she left, she made sure that the door to her old room wasn’t fully closed. “I forgot how heavy this thing is,” she thought, trying to ignore the small ache building up in her back. She used the black mechanic tail to grab the popcorn she already had prepared and entered the room again. She was just in time; one of the griffons had entered the ventilation corridors to search for the creature, but was only able to see a fast moving shadow. Dash saw that Shiron liked the movie despite it being scarier in completely darkness. Rainbow sneaked a bit closer to Shiron; the black helmet almost sparkling in the light of the projector. Just in time, when the alien appeared for the first time, she shouted, “Bwuh!”, whilst using the second mouth. She completely caught Shiron by surprise, and causing him to jump up a good meter in the air. “Gotcha’, Shiron!” she laughed, rolling on the floor, missing the flash when Shiron saw her costume. When she opened her eyes, Shiron was gone. “Uhm, Shiron? Where are you?” Dash asked, taking her helmet off. A second later another flash filled the room and Shiron reappeared; his mane was a mess and he wore a look of shock and confusion on his face. Dash giggled, realising what Shiron just did. She would have to explain that to him later. Looking back at Dash, now with the helmet off, Shiron joined in to the laughter. “You know–” he started after he recovered from the sudden scare “–I’ll get you back for this...” Both ponies laughed and enjoyed the rest of their movie night. It was a lovely day and Applejack had just finished harvesting the last of the apples. In a few hours, they would all celebrate Rainbow’s birthday. Of course, Twilight would have to use her cloudwalking spell on them again. It was a weird feeling, like she had horse-shoes on, but they weren’t there. Carrying all the equipment up to Rainbow's house and enchanting it all to float on clouds took time, and it wasn’t easy to do it discretely. Fortunately, Shiron had been able to distract Rainbow with their trip to Cloudsdale. Applejack was about to walk home when she heard a familiar sound from the sky. It sounds like a sleeping pony, most likely a certain multicoloured pegasus. She searched the sky and her trees for some signs of her napping friend. Soon she was able to see a low cloud close some trees. AJ walked closer to the cloud, ready to wake her when she noticed something else. Instead of a rainbow colored tail hanging over the cloud, there was a black tail and a part of a white wing. “Only a few weeks, and Shiron is already acting like Rainbow,” Applejack thought with a small smile. Of course staying with Rainbow Dash would rub off on him. “It’s nice to see him warm up to us.” “Howdy partner,” Applejack called to her sleeping friend. “It’s time to wake up.” “Urghh…5 more minutes,” was the only answer Applejack got. A very tired answer, she noticed. “No time for napping,” Applejack tried again, “we have to meet with Twilight for the last preparations for the party.” Although it took him some time, Shiron finally got up. After stretching his wings and limbs, he looked down. “Did ya enjoy your little nap?” AJ asked grinning at her sleepy friend. “Sorry, Applejack,” Shiron apologised with a yawn, “Rainbow kept me awake all night.” “Whoa there, lover boy, that’s more about Rainbow and you than I wanted to know.” Applejack laughed at Shiron, who looked confused at her. “What?” Shiron asked, before until his brain finally booted up, and saw the implications. Blushing, he quickly denied, “Oh, no! Nonononono! Not what you think. We only watched some of her movies,” With another yawn he added, “Very creepy movies. “ Shiron looked at Applejack with his eyes half-lidded, “Well, at least my room is now zombie-pony-proofed and aliens-that-lay-eggs-in-your-chest-proofed.” “Let me guess, Dash showed ya’ one of her costumes?” Applejack guessed, already knowing the answer. “Yes, she did.” Shiron answered. “She caught me by surprise, and it seemed that I kind of teleport when scared. Well, at least that’s what Dash said. I didn’t really notice anything special.” “Don’t try to think about that sort of thing too long. Ah’m sure Twilight will help ya’ with your magic when ya’ ask her,” Applejack replied, a little surprised that he seemed to learn a new spell by accident. She didn’t know much about unicorn magic, but she knew that teleporting was a complicated spell. Not to mention dangerous when used willy nilly. “Well, we should get going to Twilight’s now,” Applejack continued. “We might still have some time left, but there are still some last-minute things to talk about.” “I know,” Shiron replied, “luckily Dash is busy trying some new tricks. She won’t be home for some time.” “Good, Ah’m sure she’ll like her party.” she finished before both ponies started to walk to Twilight’s. It was a perfect day for Rainbow Dash; she and Shiron had arrived early in Ponyville, and there wasn’t any work to do. What’s even better was, that today was her birthday and anniversary of moving to Ponyville. All in all, it meant that she was able to spend a whole day with her best friends. Sure, she loved big parties and usually her ‘birthdayversary’, as Pinkie called it, was followed a big party. But this time she just wanted to spend the day with her best friends. It was the first year she was able to spend it with her new friends: Twilight and Shiron. Although she knew Twilight for a reasonable time already—and had a lot fun with her—she knew her for less than a year. Of course there also would be a big after-birthday party this weekend; Dash would never throw away an excuse for a party. Today however, she just wanted some quality time with the most important ponies and dragon in her life. Sadly, neither her parents’ nor Stormchaser were able to attend the party, but she would just visit them soon. Rainbow landed in front of her cloud house where her friends most likely already waited for her. It wasn’t easy to plan a surprise party when your target already knew about it, but it was the thought that counted. “This day is going to be perfect~” Dash sang in her head. Dash reached out her hoof to open the door when she heard whispering. “I think she’s coming!” Although clouds were decent at sound absorption, Dash was almost sure that this voice had been Pinkie’s. “Not too loud, or she might hear us!” another voice whispered; most likely Twilight. When Rainbow opened the door to her house, the whole room was dark. She walked few steps forward, when suddenly the light went on. Dash could see all the happy faces of her best friends. “SURPRISE!” they cheered; smiling at the birthday mare. It always amazed Dash what Pinkie was able to do in less than half a day. Her whole living room had been decorated with streamers, balloons and games. Tables full of food and presents had been placed next to the walls, while the biggest table already had been prepared for the party guests. Before Dash could even thank her friends, they already group hugged her and wishing her the best for her birthday. Rainbow tried her best hold back her tears of happiness, but she failed. The love she felt was too strong and Dash felt the tears in her eyes. They were more than her best friends; they were her family, all of them. “Thank you so much everyone,” Dash thanked, brushing a tear away, “I’m so happy you all are here to celebrate with me.” “Awww, our little Dashie is such a sweetheart,” Pinkie said, making her pegasus friend blush and the other guests laugh. “That’s enough sappiness; it’s time to party!” Rainbow Dash declared. All of her friends cheered with her and soon the room was filled with music and laughter. While Dash went to the table to eat something she was able to see Twilight and Fluttershy dancing. Well, Fluttershy was dancing, what Twilight was trying to do completely escaped her. Either way, it was still funny and kind of cute, all that matters to Dash was that Twilight was having a good time. Dash took a corncob and a mug of cider before she joined Spike, Rarity and Shiron who were sitting at the big table. “I hope you’re enjoy the party,” Dash asked to her friends. “Yes, it is a rather nice get-together,” Rarity answered, sipping on her cider. “A nice get-together?” Spike asked. “This party is awesome!” “Yes, Pinkie has really outdone herself this time,” Shiron agreed. “Yep, if anypony knows how to set up a party, then it’s Pinkie,” Applejack added, who just joined the friends; carrying a tray with some apple fritters and a mug of cider. “And as long as you don’t try to plan a party for Pinkie, everyone is happy,” Rainbow giggled. “But seriously, her parties are the best, and I’m happy all of you were able to come,” Dash added with a warm smile. “We would have never missed the birthday or anniversary of one of our best friends,” AJ said, putting a foreleg on Dash’s back. ”So, how did ya’ meeting with the higher ups go?” Applejack asked. “Well, it wasn’t easy, but if we prove that we can manage the tornado duty, then we’ll get the job,” Dash explained before taking a swig of some cider, “I’ll tell you all later about the details.” When Dash saw Fluttershy, Pinkie and Twilight still dancing to the music, she got a wonderful idea. It was time for some fun. “You know, there may be lots of games,” Dash started, addressing Shiron, “but do you like dancing?” She asked with a grin. “Thanks, but I don’t really dance. I would prefer some games,” Shiron answered, not realising it was a loaded question. “Dancing it will be, then,” she declared with a smirk, “I’m sure it’ll be fun.” Before Shiron had a chance to protest, Dash already grabbed his hoof and dragged him along with her. As soon as Dash left the table with Shiron, Rarity put a hoof under her chin. Silently she started to scheme on the little plan she had thought of since the beach party. Spike gave Rarity an odd look when she grinned like an evil mastermind. After an hour of partying, and some more or less successful attempts of Rainbow Dash to show Shiron how to dance, Pinkie decided that it was time to give the birthday mare her presents. All of them gathered in front of the table with the presents. One by one, Dash opened her presents; a new dress from Rarity, a book from Twilight, a comic about a heroic pegasus pony from Spike, a beautiful blue bow from Fluttershy, a new ball from Pinkie Pie and some new flying goggles from Applejack. “I wonder what this might be,” Dash said when Shiron gave her his present. It wasn’t big, but despite its deceptive size, it actually was quite heavy. When she opened it, she found a book about acrobatic flying written by Spitfire herself! Although Dash wasn’t into reading, she was nevertheless happy. After all, it was the thought that counts and Dash knew Shiron long enough to know that he thought she might like it. “Thank you, Shiron,” Dash thanked, giving him a hug, “This means a lot to me.” “Actually, there is a bit more,”,Shiron said mysteriously, “Just open it.” Rainbow Dash didn’t really know what to expect, but she opened the book she almost forgot how to breathe. “Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!” Dash exclaimed, not believing what she was seeing. Right there—on the first page—was a signing from the Wonderbolts: “To Rainbow Dash; our greatest fan, We wish you the best for your birthday. Never give up your dream, because someday, it will come true. Best wishes, Spitfire, Soarin’ and Stormchaser’” Without warning, Dash assaulted Shiron with a big and happy hug, making both ponies fall over. “Oh thank you thank you thank you!” she squealed, hugging the blushing stallion. “This really is the best day ever!” Applejack couldn’t suppress a giggle while Rarity once more smiled a secret smile. They all knew that Rainbow Dash sometimes forgot to keep her ‘coolness’ and was just being herself without hiding any part of her personality. After Dash recovered from the sheer joy of receiving her gift, she jumped in the air, flying loops chanting, “I’m gonna’ be a Wonderbolt! I’m gonna’ be a Wonderbolt! I’m gonna be a Wonderbolt!..” “Whoa, there! Simmer down there for just a sec. Ya’ still have a long ways to go!” Applejack attempted to calm Dash, while helping Shiron up. “Yeah, but they said that my dream will someday come true,” Dash shot back, still giddy with joy, “I mean, who wouldn’t accept an awesome flyer like me joining the Wonderbolts?” Her friends smiled at Dash’s antics. They all knew how much Rainbow Dash loved the Wonderbolts and that it was her dream to become one of them. Every day she trained to become a better flyer. It wasn’t surprising to see Rainbow that happy by getting a note from the Wonderbolts, telling her to not give up her dream. Once Rainbow calmed down, she looked at Shiron and asked, “You actually met the Wonderbolts? When? I only was away for less than two hours,” she added a little sad she missed her idols. “As soon as you left got the meeting a mare named Stormchaser approached me,” Shiron answered, “You missed her by a few minutes.” Shiron took a letter from the table and gave it to Dash, “She also asked me to give you this.” “Who is Stormchaser?” Twilight asked, “I never heard that name, even though I saw one or two Wonderbolts’ shows back when I lived in Canterlot.” “Stormchaser was the chief of the weather ponies two years ago before she became a Wonderbolt,” Applejack answered. “She was like a big sister to me,” Dash added wistfully. “It’s a shame I missed her. She’s always very busy.” Dash took the letter and read it aloud, “My dearest Rainbow Dash, I’m glad to hear that you have so many good friends. During the last few months, I always thought about you and wondered how you’re doing. To be honest, I even was a bit worried. However, now I know that it wasn’t necessary. I heard all the stories about you and your friends and I was speechless when I saw your bravery at the Best Young Flyers Competition, not to mention your awesome Sonic Rainboom. Neither I nor the other Wonderbolts had ever seen something like that and we all were very impressed. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to talk to you after the competition. However, I promise that we’ll meet again soon. Until then, I hope that you will keep up the good work; I’m sure that this is the best way to become a Wonderbolt in no time. I hope that you’ll have an awesome birthday. Best wishes, Stormchaser” Rainbow wiped away some tears and carefully put the letter into the book she got from Shiron. It was good to hear from her surrogate sister again. She hadn’t seen her for several months now, but as soon as she would be in Cloudsdale for longer than a day, she would try to spend some time with her again. “Thanks, Shiron,” Dash whispered tearfully to Shiron before she looked at all her friends, “Thank you all. I hope you know how much I love you all.” “Awww, we love ya’ too, Sugarcube, “Applejack responded before they all shared a group hug. “You know, the night is still young,” Pinkie announced cheerfully after the hug broke, “Let’s get this party moving!” Everyone happily agreed and soon music and laughter filled the air again. For some hours, everyone enjoyed the party and the company of each other. “Today was amazing!” Dash reminisced, exhausted on her bed. The sheer joy she felt when she got her presents and when she read the letter still lingered in her chest. Sure, presents always were good but all she cared about was to spend time with her friends. Dash spread out her limbs and looked at the book she got from Shiron. Of course she would never admit that she loved to read many years ago, but after that day many years ago, she had never gave books a chance again. Maybe she would make an exception for this one book. Not only because it was a present by Shiron but also because it would be perfect to come up with new tricks. Not to mention that the Wonderbolts themselves had signed it for her. When Rainbow Dash took Stormchaser’s letter, she read it again. She missed her surrogate big sister but Rainbow was determined to make her proud. Stormchaser had taught her everything she knew and Rainbow would never stop to improve her abilities. With a yawn Dash, was about to put the letter aside, when she saw something odd at the bottom of the letter. There were tiny words, almost as if Stormchaser wanted to make sure that only Dash would read them. “Just like old times...” Rainbow thought with nostalgia, remembering all the secret letters they sent to each other for fun. Dash took a closer look and read the secret message. “P.S. I’m happy to see that you found such a cute coltfriend! ^_^” “Wait, she thinks Shiron is my coltfriend?” Dash thought with a blush, relieved that she didn’t read those words in front of her friends. E/N: Welp, this is part 2 done. Sorry that it took so long to complete; I blame real-life, homework, Pones, procrastination and RWBY. Why, Rooster Teeth? Why did you have to kill off Phyrra?! And the second part of chapter 5 I already started to work on chapter 6 but exams and my internship taking a lot time. I hope to finish it next months or after Easter (yay, then I'll have a week holidays )
Shiron	1170	8	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2017-10-21T19:37:27+00:00	2019-12-07T22:38:04+00:00	581	The big day has finally arrived. Months of preparations, changes and planning had been made for this one day. She knew what she had to do today and she also had finished her opening speech but nevertheless she was afraid. Princess Luna sighed and was looking out of the window of her room in the castle. There still were a few hours until the Winter Moon Festival would begin but yet Luna couldn’t help but feel uncertain about today. Would her subject accept her? Would they forgive her for what she had done as Nightmare Moon? Luna walked away from her window back to her desk and tried reread her speech but she wasn’t really able to concentrate. Her mind was too focused on all the bad things that could that tonight. Her ponies might boo her from the stage or no one could come to the festival at all. They could start a revolution and banish her to the wastelands or they… Stop it Luna! she commanded herself before her mind made up an image of a meteor falling from the sky to destroy all of Equestria. Luna left her room and walked toward her balcony. This was an important night for her and she wouldn’t allow her fears, no matter how unrealistic they were, to ruin her best chance of redemption. She had to clear her minds from all hear fears and flying was the best way for her. She closed her eyes and jumped from her balcony, her wings unfolded. With a few flaps of her wings she flew high in the sky while she was enjoying the wind in her face. Maybe it was not princess-like to just fly for no reason but no matter what ponies thought or said, Luna and her sister still were ponies, just like everypony else and sometimes you just have to be yourself and not what others want you to be. That’s what Celestia had taught her long ago. Luna realized that she may have forgotten about it over the years and that it was one of the reasons why she had become Nightmare Moon. She had been too focused on her title that she started to be jealous at the only pony who had always loved her. Luna may have made many mistakes in her life, she may have lost everyone she had known in her old life in the Everfree Forest but one thing would never change. Her big sister would always love and support her. It was this thought that gave her strength and even if today would be a disaster, then she would just try again and again. With Celestia by her side, she would never give up to prove her subjects, and herself, that she has changed. Shiron, Spike and the girls were standing outside of the Carousel Boutique and waited for the two missing members of their group, Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Although today was a party and not a formal event like the Grand Galloping Gala, Rarity had insists to make a new outfit for her friends – fitting dresses for the girls and a tuxedo for the boys. All of the outfits had tiny moons, stars or other elements fitting for the theme of the Winter Moon Festival and the moon princess. It had taken some time to convince her friends, especially AJ and Rainbow, to actually wear dresses during a festival but Rarity didn’t give up until her friends accepted her gift, even if it was with an annoyed eye-roll by Dash. Rarity had already prepared outfits for all her friends but she had put most of her effort in making the outfits for Rainbow and Shiron. Of course she didn’t neglect any of the other outfits but the fashion pony had a plan and no pony was going to ruin it. The Winter Moon Festival was perfect for her plan and, even if they wouldn’t agree with her, Rainbow and Shiron would thank her for everything at the end of the day. Those two ponies just needed to spend some time alone to realize they are meant for each other, even if she had to force them. It will be the most romantic night for them Rarity daydreamt. What worked in her romantic novels would also work in the real world. It would definitely not end in a disaster. “What’s taking them so long?”, Rarity heard Applejack complaining outside. She loved her friend, but AJ really had to understand how fashion and the style of her art were working. Those things needed time to do their magic. “You know how Rarity is. She always wants everything to be absolutely perfect” Twilight added; at least one pony who understood her. Making the last adjustments, Rarity was surprised how professional Rainbow Dash was. For at least an hour she was standing still, just how Rarity asked her to, and didn’t even complain how boring this fashion stuff was, how Dash liked to call it. “You are doing an excellent job, darling”, Rarity compliment her rainbow maned friend. “Could you now please move your head a little to the left?” she asked Dash while levitating the final peace of her friends outfit. No reaction. “You know, I can’t finish if you don’t move, Rainbow darling” Rarity said with a chuckle. “Uhm, Rainbow Dash…” Rarity said, wanting to encourage her Pegasus friend when her friendly face turned blank. The professional Pegasus pony was not standing still because she was patiently waiting for Rarity to finish her work. No, her friend had just fallen asleep. That explained why Rainbow hadn’t complained while Rarity had done all the hard work to make the perfect dress. Resisting the urge to do an unladylike facehoof, Rarity calmly tried to wake her friend up. However, she wasn’t able to suppress a sigh. At least they now were able to go outside to present Rainbow’s new dress. Shiron still wasn’t sure why Rarity had insists on the new outfits since it was more of a party than a formal event, but luckily his outfit and even the dresses weren’t too long, so that they still can do all the fun stuff. The last thing Rarity wanted was that one of her friends’ dresses got stuck in any of the attractions of the Winter Moon Festival. She even was able to add the necklace he got from Celestia to his tuxedo. When the door of Carousel Boutique finally opened, all eyes focused on the last members of their group. Shiron was able to see Rarity but Rainbow was still missing. “Fillies and Gentlecolts” Rarity announced with a satisfied smile before stepping out of the way, “Rainbow is here.” Shiron already saw many of Rarity’s outfits, like the Rainbow’s from the Grand Galloping Gala she had showed him once. It had been amazing just like the outfits she had made for today. However, when he saw the new dress Rainbow was wearing, he wasn’t able to say anything. He was sure he looked silly, just standing there with mouth agape. Rainbow Dash was wearing a beautiful dark blue dress with light blue stars at the bottom. Tiny jewels in all the different colors of the rainbow were perfectly spread in two rows from the back to the end dress, making it almost look as if she was wearing the night sky. On top of that she also had a beautiful necklace with crescent moon. All in all it was the perfect dress, not only for mentally supporting Princess Luna during her speech, but also to make every stallion and mare speechless. When she was walking toward the rest of the group, it almost looked like a scene out of a movie; the stunning mare walking almost in slow motion and by coincidence the wind made her mane flowing while some sort of song was playing in the background. Of course there wasn’t a song in the background, at least this time there wasn’t one, and Rainbow wasn’t walking in slow motion. However, her mane was actually flowing with the wind. If he wouldn’t have been too focused on Rainbow Dash then Shiron might have seen Pinkie Pie using a fan to make Dash’s mane move but he didn’t notice Pinkie at all. All he was seeing was this beautiful mare before him. “So, how do you like my new dress?” Rainbow asked her friends, smiling a cute smile. Seeing all of them, especially the boys, speechless seemed to be the perfect answer to her. “Damn” was all Shiron was able to say. He tried to think of anything else but his brain wasn’t working right now. “Damn” he heard Spike agreeing. Shiron knew Spike only had eyes for Rarity, all of Ponyville knew that, but hearing such a comment proved that Rarity had outdone herself with Rainbow’s new outfit. A last “Damn” was said and when everyone looked at its source, Fluttershy already had covered her muzzle with her hooves, trying her best to hide a blush. If Shiron would have turned around, he would have seen his fellow weather pony friend Thunderlane flying in the background. Well, flying wasn’t the right word, because as soon as he spotted his boss in her new outfit, he had forgotten where he was flying and ended up in a nearby tree. “I’ll take that as a ‘You are looking awesome’ “Dash finally said, satisfied with the reactions of her friends. Watching Shiron’s reaction made Rarity smile. It seemed that her plan was working. Making a pony speechless was always a good sign, especially if you were trying to play matchmaker. What a coincidence that there was a perfect breeze Rarity thought to herself, before she spotted Pinkie hiding behind a bush. “Pinkie, what are you doing?” she silently asked her pink friend who was using a fan. “Well duh, I’m giving Rainbow a stunning entrance to help Shiron falling in love with her” Pinkie said as if it wasn’t obvious. “Wait, could you repeat that, darling, because it almost sounded as if you were trying to play matchmaker here” the unicorn whispered to Pinkie so the others couldn’t hear them. “Of course I am. Didn’t you see how cute they act around each other?” Pinkie answered, “Not to mention that I can throw them an awesome party when they’ll get together” she added with glee. “Not too loud” Rarity tried to keep her friend silence. “but I agree with you. If we team up, we can definitely help them to become a couple. However, we will follow my plan darling, ok?” Pinkie Pie seemed to think about Rarity’s words before she answered “Okey dokey lokey” with a big grin. When Luna peeked between the curtains of the stage, she saw an ocean of ponies. Luna didn’t know how many of her subjects had arrived, but by the look of it, it must have been at least all ponies of Canterlot and Ponyville. She tried to stay calm, but she wasn’t used to stand in front of so many ponies, let alone talking to them. However, when she felt the calming wing of her big sister on her back, she knew that it would work out…somehow. After a last peek, she also saw her good friends Twilight Sparkle and the other Elements of Harmony. The alicorn princess was glad to see the ponies that saved her sitting in the prepared VIP lounge. They even wore outfits with moons and stars, as if they wanted to support her. It feels good to have friends Luna realized. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled to prepare herself. It was time to start. The ponies were happily chatting with each other and waited for the show to begin. None of them actually knew what was going to happen except that their princess was going to raising the moon for them just like Celestia always raises the sun during the Summer Sun Celebration. When the lights on the stage went off, all the glazes were focused on it. Within a minute all of the ponies stopped talking and focused their attention on the upcoming show. Then they heard Princess Luna’s voice from the speakers. “Once upon a time there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the elder sister, Princess Celestia, used her magic to raise the sun at dawn.” The speech started with fitting pictures in the background, the same ones as in the ancient books Twilight had read before Nightmare Moon’s return. “The younger sister, Princess Luna, brought out the moon to begin the night. Together the sisters watched over their land and their subjects. However, one fateful day, jealousy had corrupted the heart of the younger sister – my heart.” Luna said, showing a picture of Nightmare Moon. Some ponies started to whisper but after a brief break Luna continued. “I had started to think that our subjects would only love the day my sister gave them and that they would hate me and my night. My sister had tried to help me but soon my jealousy had changed into bitterness and hatred. In a moment of weakness these emotions had corrupted me and an evil creature was born…” Blue smoke covered the stage and the light of the spotlight focused on the growing blue and sparkling mist. Then the dark alicorn mare appeared “…Nightmare Moon” Luna said with the same voice she had as her evil self. Just as she expected, some ponies started to shriek in fear while others started to whisper. However, just as Luna hoped, none of them ran away. Maybe it was because out of fear or it was of curiosity but Luna still had their attention. With a glowing horn she lowered the sun and it became dark. Right now, neither the moon nor the stars were covering the sky over Ponyville. “As Nightmare Moon I had attack my sister and tried to bring everlasting night. With the power of darkness I had become much stronger. Celestia hadn’t been able to save me from my sorrow and so she had to use the Elements of Harmony. However, the Elements had been to strong and my sister had been too young to fully control their power all on her own. The Elements had banished me into the moon for a millennium and although she tried everything, my sister hadn’t been able to prevent it.” Luna continued, still looking like Nightmare Moon. She took a few steps into the centre of the stage. “Soon I had become a myth, nothing more than an old pony-tale. Everyone had forgotten me and the name Princess Luna.” She said, taking a brief look at her sister, who was waiting at the edge of the stage, sitting in the VIP lounge next to the Elements of Harmony. “Everyone, except my big sister.” “For thousand years she had looked to the moon every night. I was able to hear her voice and I felt her love. For thousand years she had searched for a way to save me and she had never given up her hope. After the time had passed I was freed from my prison but Nightmare Moon had still the control over me.” “However in the hour of darkness, six brave ponies, sent by my sister, found and used the Elements of Harmony and saved me from Nightmare Moon.“ Six spotlights went on, each of them with the color and the cutie mark of each of the Elements of harmony. The six lights moved toward Nightmare Moon and when all six of them encircled the dark alicorn mare, white cracks appeared on Nightmare Moon’s body. With an explosion the evil mare exploded and tiny pieces of the former villain flew into the sky. The stars had just been born and the ponies adored the star-spattered sky. “The evilness of Nightmare Moon had disappeared…” in the centre of the explosion reappeared Princess Luna “…and I had returned as the princess of night, Princess Luna”. In the background the flag of Equestria with the princesses, the sun and the moon appeared. “I know that many ponies still fear me for what I did as Nightmare Moon. I understand them and I don’t expect that you love me as much as my sister.” Luna continued. “Although my sister forgave me, I know that it will take time until you all will trust me and accept me as a princess. I’ll do my best to earn your trust and I hope that someday you all will forgive me my weakness.” Luna took a few steps closer to her subjects” I might be a princess and maybe even powerful alicorn but beyond this, I’m a pony like you. I’m not perfect and, just like everypony else, I make mistakes. However, I’ll show you that I care for my subjects and that I love Equestria. Last Nightmare Night had been the first step to show you the real me and now I’ll give you all the Winter Night Festival. From this day on, on the longest night of each year, I’ll raise the moon for you and open this festival.“ Luna spread her wings and with a glowing horn took off. With only a few flaps of her wings, the moon started to rise and the night has officially begun. “My dear subjects, now I declare that the very first Winter Moon Festival shall begin and I hope you all will have fun.” The ponies started to cheer and Luna couldn’t help but smile when she saw all happy faces of her subjects. It took her all of her might to not start crying out of happiness. Luna left the stage and once again felt the wing of her big sister on her back who hugged her “I’m proud of you Luna and I’m sure that you’ll soon get the love of all our subjects.” “Thank you big sister” Luna answered, no longer being able to hold back her tears. With a grin and a wink Celestia added “See, no giant meteor has destroyed Equestria” and both sisters started to laugh. “Wow, that speech was awesome” Rainbow said when she and her friends left the lounge after a short talk with the princesses. “Yes, especially how Luna used her magic to bring out the stars with Nightmare Moon's body” Shiron agreed. “So everypony, what are we going to do first?” Twilight asked but her grumbling tummy was the first to answer. “Well, how about we grab some snacks” Dash said giggling, looking at her blushing friend while the others joined laughing. Together the friends started to explore the stalls of the Winder Moon Festival. Of course none of them knew about the plan Rarity and Pinkie had. When they arrived at a stall that sold some corncobs, Rainbow noticed that her bits had gone missing. Although she searched for her bag of bits in her new dress, she just couldn’t find it. “I’m terribly sorry darling” Rarity apologized to her Pegasus friend. “I fear I accidently forgot to put your money back when I made some last minute adjustments on your dress.” However, Rarity didn’t mentioned, that she forgot that on propose, hoping that their alicorn friend would turn out as a real gentlecolt. Her Pegasus friend sadly let her head hung but luckily Rarity’s instinct was right. “Don’t worry; I’ll pay for you tonight Dash” Shiron offered his hungry friend when he saw how sad she looked. That quickly made the Pegasus mare happy again and after a quick hug she was happily nomming on her corncob. With a wink to Pinkie, Rarity signaled her friend that their plan seemed to work. Step by step, Rarity and Pinkie were able to decrease the number of their group. If you want to get two ponies closer to each other, they needed to have some time alone after all. Although it would have been fun to spend the time with all their friends, giving to ponies a special night was a difficult task. That’s why Rarity had made some preparations. When the group of friends met Twilight’s parents by coincidence, it wasn’t difficult to convince Twilight and Spike to spend the rest of the night with them. Although Twilight wasn’t sure about leaving her friends, Rarity assured that they would understand if she and Spike wanted to spend some time with their family. After all, it had been some time since the Sparkle family had spent some time together since Twilight had moved to Ponyville. Everyone seemed to believe Rarity but Applejack looked at her with a raised brow, as if she knew that something was going on. Without Twilight and Spike, the group now only had six members left. However, for their plan to work, Rarity wanted Shiron and Dash to be all alone. That meant that Rarity still needed to distract Fluttershy and Applejack, before could actually start the matchmaking with Pinkie’s help. As much as Fluttershy loved to spend time with her friends she still didn’t really like to visit big parties or festivals with too many other ponies. Although Rarity wanted to get her two friends some alone time, she didn’t want Fluttershy to leave the festival without having a little fun. Knowing what kinds of attractions Twilight had planned for this festival, Rarity knew what would make her shy friend happy. Together the group of friends visited some of the more harmless attractions that seemed to be more fitting for Fluttershy, like a slow waterslide or claw cranes with pink, fluffy unicorns and other plush toys. Much to the surprise of all her friends, Fluttershy seemed to have a good hoof in claw cranes and quickly won a plush bunny. As much as she loved to show two ponies that they were made for each other, making her friends happy by sharing a good time with them was more important to Rarity. However, although the night still was young, it didn’t take long until Fluttershy got tired and wished her friends a good night before she walked home. With another member of the group left, it seemed as if the farm pony took notice that most of the things Rarity said might had a special goal. However, not only Rarity’s behavior was different than usual. Pinkie also seemed to focus most of her attention to the other two members of their little group. That’s when Applejack realized what was going on and although she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, she knew that there was no way to talk Rarity and Pinkie out the idea of matchmaking. When it came to love, Rarity was even more stubborn than Applejack herself. Yes, that actually was possible. So Applejack just played along, hoping nothing bad would happen although she had a bad feeling. When she gave Rarity a knowing smile, the unicorn became nervous that her friend would spoil the plan. However, as soon as Applejack saw her brother on a stall, she excused herself, giving the fashionista a knowing wink when neither Shiron nor Rainbow was paying attention. Walking toward her brother, AJ noticed that tonight even the princesses seemed to be able to have a more or less normal night of fun. Right now, Celestia was having a hoof wrestling with Big Macintosh who, by the look of things, was about to lose to the sun princess. Behind Celestia was her younger sister, tasting her very first cotton candy. After Rarity and Pinkie Pie also excused themselves, they tried to guide their two targets to a very special attraction. It was time to start the next phase of their plan. “Well, seems like just the two of us are left” Dash said to Shiron. Nudging her friend, she added with a grin “but hey, more fun for us.” “Yep. So, what do you want to do next?” Shiron asked Dash. The Winter Moon Festival seemed to be a huge success, not just for Princess Luna but also for everypony. “How about that stall?” Dash said while pointing at a stall with many plushies including some Wonderbolts. All the ponies had to do was to throw two balls and make all the cans fall. Of course magic was forbidden in this and similar games and the owner of the stall paid good attention for any signs of unicorn or alicorn magic. After giving Dash some bits she tried her best to make all the cans fall but it seemed that today wasn’t her lucky day, either because of a breeze at the wrong time or because of the sound of a flugelhorn. After she failed a second time, Dash gave up. Usually she would have tried again and again until she would win, but since she wasn’t using her own money, she didn’t want to waste more of Shiron’s bits. With a sigh she was about to leave, when Shiron gave the stall owner some more bits. With his first try, he made half of the caps fall while the other half was still there. More to the left a female voice, which almost sounded like Pinkie Pie, whispered. When Shiron scanned the surroundings for his pink friend, he only saw two barrels next to the stall but no Pinkie Pie. Shrugging, Shiron thought that it couldn’t hurt and aimed a little to the left and, as if the voice had some sort of magic sense, the remaining cans fell and Rainbow Dash was the proud owner of a new Wonderbolts pluschie. Forgetting her coolness for a moment she gave Shiron a big hug, thanking him for the pluschie before she once again tried to act as cool as possible. However, looking cool instead of cute wasn’t easy when you had a pluschie riding on your back. The next stop for the two ponies was a Ferris wheel. Although both friends had wings and were able to fly higher than any Ferris wheel, it still had some sort of special magic. Dash and Shiron were both sitting alone in their cabin and were looking out of the window. The lights of the festival were a beautiful sight and thanks to the cloudless sky, the two friends were also able to see Canterlot in the distance. It was kind of relaxing to sit in this cabin and enjoy the sight. Of course, none of the both ponies noticed the empty cabin behind them although there had been many ponies who wanted to enjoy the Ferris wheel, too. Dash didn’t know why, but being all alone with Shiron tonight was something she could get used to, even if she couldn’t explain why. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy this night, so that she didn’t even notice that there had been a white unicorn horn visible for a few seconds. When the two friends left the Ferris Wheel, Dash convinced Shiron to try the mirror room. Together, the two entered a room with many different mirrors. Some had been enchanted while others had been processed in a special way to make them look bigger or smaller. Laughing, they tried different mirrors until Dash declared “I’m Princess Rainbow Dash, the princess of awesomeness”. When Shiron was looking at the mirror, he was able to see that the reflection showed Rainbow Dash being as tall as Celestia with a blue horn on her head. Next to the new alicorn princess, Shiron was able to see that he now also was as big as Rainbow Dash. Giggling, they inspected the next mirror and Dash fall on her back, laughing. Instead on an alicorn reflection, Shiron was now able to see himself as a mare. “Buahaha, that’s too much,” Dash said laughing, while she was lying on her back “I …. I can’t stop laughing.” It took the two some time to stop laughing and continue their way through the room and all the funny reflections. Some showed them with a different age, pony kind or even a different species like griffins or dragons, while other mirrors made them look taller or bigger. It was fun but like all good things, they soon reached the end of the mirror room. Still laughing, Rainbow and Shiron continued their way through the festival. When they walked pass a tent an old mare spoke to them, “Young ones, do you want to hear what the future holds for you?” The mare was wearing a purple and red dress with golden stars on it. She had chandelier earrings, golden bracelets with rare gems and a golden jeweled necklace around her neck. On hear head she was wearing a long scarf with its tied end hanging down her back. Her tent, similar to her outfit, mostly consists of red, purple and golden fabrics with many golden relics and jewels in it. In front of the mare was a table with a crystal ball. Although neither Shiron nor Dash was able to see her cutie mark of the mare, it seems as if she wasn’t a pony but a zebra. “I’m not sure about this” Shiron said nervous. He didn’t really know what to think of fortune tellers or someone who claimed to predict the future, but he didn’t want to press his luck by letting some stranger figuring out he was actually remembering about his past. Of course he knew he would have to tell his friends the truth sooner or later but not tonight and definitely not like this . Before he was able to say, the zebra mare added “Fear not young alicorn, only your destiny I will predict,” giving him an all-knowing look. Whoever this zebra was, she might actually know about his past. On the other hoof, maybe all zebras had a mysterious charisma that made them look like they knew about everything. After all, Zecora was almost the same. “You know, I don’t really believe in all this fortune telling stuff” Dash responded to the older mare but before she was able to walk away, the zebra answered “My little pony, you don’t have to believe in my words, but maybe it will help you to save a friend.” That got Dash’s attention. If not for herself, she was at least listening to the fortune teller if it was for a friend’s sake. “My little friends, I can see your future as clear as a crystal” the mare started. With a look at Shiron she continued “I can feel ancient magic being sealed inside you, magic as old as the alicorns themselves. While the other two were born from the sky and the magic itself, you were born from the earth.” Looking at her crystal ball, the zebra mare once again raised her voice “A rainbow will decide your destiny while another rainbow will keep you away from it. Only the right decision will lead to your future.” Without giving him an explanation, the fortune teller was now looking at Dash, “You, my rainbow colored friend, will have to be careful. A friend of yours will be caught in nightmares and darkness.” With a more mysterious voice the mare continued “When the darkness will be launched at you, you need to enter the darkness. This, my little pony, will be the only way to save your friend.” “Wait, what do you mean with saving a friend?” Dash wanted to know, but the zebra just answered “I’m merely the voice of the stars and magic. All I know is that, when the time is right, you have to listen carefully.” Realizing that the zebra mare wasn’t going to give any more details, Shiron gave her some bits and the two friends left the tent. He tried to figure out what the old mare meant with her prophesy. He was born from the earth while the others were born from the sky and magic? It was most likely that she meant Princess Celestia and Princess Luna but why the sky and magic? Did she mean the three types of ponies? Unicorns representing the magic, Pegasus ponies the sky and earth ponies the earth. However, Celestia and Luna were sisters, so they had the same parents. The more he started to think about it, the more his head started to hurt and he didn’t even want to start with what the old zebra meant with two different rainbows. Of course, Rainbow Dash changed his life for the better. She gave him a new life and maybe she also gave him a destiny. He didn’t know what he would do with his life, but after this year of loneliness he at least he got back his desire to live. So many things had changed thanks to Rainbow Dash, but why would she, or a second Rainbow, would hurt him? Looking at his confident friend, he could see that she was also lost in her thoughts. She most likely tried to figure out what the fortune teller meant. However, before they were able to talk about the things the old zebra just told them, they ran into Pinkie Pie and Rarity. “Hope you two are also having fun” Dash greeted her two friends. “I know we two have” she added with a grin. “The Winter Moon Festival is delighting darling” Rarity responded, “but I really would have preferred to skip that dreadful Nightmare Ride.” “Oh, come on Rarity, it was fun” Pinkie said happily. For some reason it seemed, as if she was trying to suppress laughter, although neither Rainbow nor Shiron knew why. “You two really should give it a try. Don’t let the swan boats fool you, it really is scary.” “Trust me darling, you shouldn’t” Rarity tried to convince her two friends to skip the Nightmare Ride. “It is dreadful. Horrible. Downright hideous.” With every word Dash’s grin just got wider while Shiron seemed, as if he actually wanted to skip that attraction. What was that? Shiron asked himself when he looked at Rarity. The more exited Rainbow got by Rarity’s description, the happier Rarity and Pinkie seemed to become. It almost looked as if Rarity actually was smiling for the blink of an eye when Rainbow exclaimed that she wanted to give it a try together with Shiron. However, before he was able to say something, Dash already started to run to the place where the Nightmare Ride was. Of course, the exited Pegasus also had decided to drag the surprised alicorn along with her and a few minute later they were both sitting in one of the not so scary swan boats… Damn you Rarity and Pinkie Pie Rainbow Dash silently cursed her two friends as soon as she realized that this wasn’t a scary or dreadful Nightmare Night. Somehow they had managed to trick Shiron and herself into the Tunnel of Love without even realizing it. However, Dash had just been too excited to question the look of the attraction compared to the description her two friends had given them. She knew that Pinkie loved pranks as much as she did but this wasn’t a typical Pinkie Pie prank. In other words, it had been Rarity who had planned this although Rainbow Dash didn’t know why. Rarity didn’t play ponies any pranks since pranks weren’t ladylike to Rarity, but Rainbow Dash hadn’t a better explanation for this. Now she was alone with Shiron and there was no way to escape. They were both sitting in a swan boat in a dark tunnel, in the background she heard some stupid romantic music and wherever she was looking she saw pink hearts and pictures of pink Pegasus ponies with bows and arrows that had hearts as arrow heads. To make it even worse the boat was way too slow for the speed loving Pegasus. Both ponies were silent and avoided eye contact. Carefully Rainbow Dash looked at Shiron. Just like herself, it looked like he disliked this place. He looked at the water but it was too dark for Rainbow Dash to see his face. His strong, white wings were on his body, the crystal on his necklace sparkled in the darkness when it reflected the pink light of one of the few spotlights and once more Rainbow Dash had to admire that Shiron was a handsome stallion; especially in the outfit Rarity had made for him. Hey, it could be worse she thought with a soft blush, wondering where this thought had come from. Shaking her head she quickly turned her look away from Shiron, back to the water, and tried to focus on flying and the Wonderbolts but Dash’s mind had other plans. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh Shiron thought again and again. He had no idea how but somehow Rarity and Pinkie Pie had managed it to trick them. It’s a very good nightmare ride they had told them. Neither he nor Rainbow had guessed Rarity’s and Pinkie’s plan until it was too late. Pinkie trying to suppress laughing, Rarity trying to hide a smile… How could I’ve been so stupid? Shiron cursed himself. A nightmare ride with a swan board… Since they had entered the first room of the Tunnel of Love, no one had said a word. The silence was like a torture and this music and the sparsely light of the pink hearts only made it worse. Slowly Shiron turned his head at Rainbow Dash. Her look was focused on the water but even without looking her in the eyes he was sure that she hated this place. Her cyan coat and her rainbow mane were beautiful, even in this darkness. Shiron loved to watch Rainbow Dash flying or practicing new tricks. Her perfect wings looked like they were able to do even the hardest and most complex tricks without any problem. She was a keen flyer and no matter what kind of trick she was doing, she was always dazzling. The beautiful rainbow she always left behind, her passion for flying or the loyalty to her friends; everything made her absolutely graceful and beautiful. Shiron shock his head to get these thoughts out of his head but this place made it impossible for him. He didn’t know why but suddenly he wished he could look Rainbow Dash deep into her strong rose eyes. In his mind he was slowly moving his hoof to Rainbow Dash’s face. She would look at him with the most beautiful eyes in all of Equestria… …and his hoof would gently touch her face while his brown eyes would look deep into her own eyes. He would stroke her face with a warm smile. Rainbow Dash was deeply blushing by her own thoughts but because of this cursed place she couldn’t stop her brain. In her mind Rainbow was slowly moving closer to Shiron and he put one of his forelegs around her while she would rest her head against his shoulder. He would hold her for awhile and she would feel save. Then she would move her head close to Shiron’s while she would look him deep in his eyes which would be full of love… …and with her soft voice she would say these magical three words. I love you. The swan board had already reached the deepest and darkest part of the Tunnel of Love. The light of the pink hearts had disappeared and the music had become quieter. However, Shiron didn’t notice it. He was too focused on his thoughts about a moment that would never happen. I love you, too he would say to Rainbow Dash. Slowly he would move his face closer to Rainbow’s. His heart would beating faster and faster and just like Rainbow Dash he would close his eyes… … while she would move her face closer to Shiron’s face. Her heart would happily jump when their lips would finally meet. In her mind Rainbow Dash and Shiron were hugging while they were kissing. All the love books she had secretly read as a filly, long before the worst day of her life that made her hate books and love, and all the stories her friends had told her said that the first kiss would be a wonderful experience but that was understated. Her imaginary kiss with Shiron was better than everything she had ever felt. It was better than flying, better than the feeling of doing a Sonic Rainboom, better than the day she got her cutie mark and even better than the whole day she had spent with the Wonderbolts. It was like she was flying with the speed of light while she would do Sonic Rainboom after Sonic Rainboom. It felt like there where thousands of butterflies in her tummy. All of the pain and suffering she had to withstand with Silverwing and Cloudburst would finally disappear. Finally, she was feeling happy and loved by an imaginary kiss that just felt so good… ...too good to be just an illusion. Shocked, she opened her eyes… …when her lips would finally met his, Shiron would feel like he was in heaven. All his pain and sorrow, everything he had suffered would disappear during this magical moment. He would finally find a place he could call home with someone who would always help and support him. A friend he could trust and who would never betray him. He just felt alive while he felt Rainbow Dash’s soft lips on his lips. Wait he thought. He actually felt her lips on his own. With a shock he opened his eyes at the same time as Dash. Still hugging Rainbow Dash he looked her deep into her eyes. It took both ponies a few seconds until they realized that their minds had leaded them to a real kiss. Quickly they broke their kiss and moved back into their own corners of the swan beat, their looks focused on everything except each other while they were both deeply blushing. Curse you Rarity and Pinkie Pie they thought in unity, unaware that the other pony was also cursing their two friends for this embarrassing moment. Just in time Rainbow and Shiron had stopped blushing when the exit and a silly smiling Rarity and a happily bouncing Pinkie came into sight. The two ponies silently got out of the swan boats and tried to avoid looking at each other. Rainbow knew it was as embarrassing for Shiron as it was for her but somehow, it still hurt a little, especially after all the fun they had tonight. However, she was able to understand her friend. “Sooooo, how was it?” Pinkie asked curious, a big grin on her face while Rarity was standing next to her. Both of them were looking as Shiron and Dash. “You know, I’m very tired” Shiron started a bit nervous before Dash was able to say something, “I think I’ll call it a night. I'll....see you all tomorrow”. Before anyone was able to react, Shiron had spread his wings and flew away. As soon as he left, Rainbow just lost it. “Are you two crazy? What the hay do you two think you were doing?” “Darling, we were just trying to help you two,” Rarity tried to calm her angry friend, surprised by Dash’s reaction. After all, she just wanted to help her friend to find happiness after everything that happened in the past. “By what? Tricking us into a date?” Dash asked angrily, trying her best to calm down and by Celestia, it wasn’t easy. She took a deep breath, “Listen girls, it’s nice of you that you try to make me and Shiron happy but something like love doesn’t exist. It’s only a meaningless word that’ll allow others to hurt you.” Looking at Rarity, “At least you should know that after your encounter with your true love Blueblood,” she said more poisonous than she wanted to. “Love is nothing more than a bunch of horseapples,” Dash added, not even trying to hide her bitterness. “Dashie, we know what happed was awful but you shouldn’t give up on love just because of Cloudburst” Pinkie said before realizing what she just said, but it was already too late. She covered her mouth with her hoof but she just had mentioned Dash’s only weakness. Rarity winced when Pinkie mentioned Dash’s old crush. After all, she had been the one who introduced her to her old class mate when he was visiting her. She also had been the one to help Dash to impress him. If she would have known how much he had changed after he moved to Manehatten, then she would have kicked him out of Ponyville when he had visited her. Sadly, she had learned about what happened after Rainbow’s heart was crushed and now Pinkie accidently mentioned him again. Things had just changed from bad to horrible. Taking a step back, Dash’s mind just went blank. She tried to say something in return, anything, but her mouth just opened and closed like a fish without making a sound. Her legs started to shake and tears started to run down her cheeks. She didn’t even notice Applejack who was walking toward them, wondering what was going on. None of Dash’s friends were prepared what Dash said quietly, not fitting the brave and confident Pegasus at all, “I’m done with you two”. Without looking back, Dash took off, leaving her shocked friends alone. When Rainbow was sure that she was all alone, she landed on a nearby cloud, starting to cry. After everything that happened, Pinkie had to mention the only thing that still hurt, even after all the years. She never had been as girly as other mares her age had been, but she was always proud to live on her own terms. No one had the right to tell her how to live her life. Of course, hidden behind her confidence, she had also shared the same silly dream many fillies are having about finding her true love and a wedding in a beautiful dress. However, after her heart was broken twice, she woke up from that silly dream and realized that true love doesn’t exist. Dash had already lost the faith in love long ago and it was unlikely that she would someday believe in it again. It took some time but slowly Dash started to calm down and she used a hoof to wipe away her tears. She was just glad she was all alone right now. She rolled on her back, looking at the stars and Luna’s moon. Trying to recall what had just happened and how a fun night had lead to her saying that she didn’t want to be friends with Pinkie and Rarity anymore, Dash thought back. It all had started harmless with Pinkie and Rarity thinking that she and Shiron would have romantic feelings for each other. So they teamed up and set them up to something like a date. It had been fun to spend the night with Shiron she thought with a weak smile. Somehow, deep inside she even like the whole kissing part, but that wasn’t really why she got mad, was it? Rainbow got up, looking at the direction of her cloud home – she even saw it. Why did she become that mad? Was it, because of the whole matchmaking? Being tricked into a date and a kiss? No, it was something different and she knew the answer. She was afraid. After they left the tunnel of love, Shiron had suddenly left and flew home. She wasn’t mad at him and it would have been unfair if she would have been. No, he was most likely as surprised or nervous as she was. Maybe he also was afraid. Would something change between them? Would they still hang out and spend time together like before or would they start to avoid each other? That though was what she feared the most, losing a friend. Letting her head hung Dash knew that the next few days wouldn’t be easy. Not only because of her kiss with Shiron but also because of Rarity and Pinkie. Most likely her two friends knew that Rainbow was just hurt and didn’t mean what she had said. However, telling a friend to not want to be friends with them anymore still was something you shouldn’t do. They needed to talk things out tomorrow and she also had to talk with Shiron. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t allow that their friendship would end just because of a misunderstanding. Just when she was about to fly home, Rainbow heard a scream. She instantly knew that it had been Fluttershy’s voice and she dashed off to her friend’s home. When she landed in front of Fluttershy’s cottage, she knocked on the door, which slowly opened. Equestria was a safe place, if you don’t count the few villains or monsters from time to time, so the ponies of Ponyville didn’t really need to lock their doors. “Fluttershy, what happened?” she asked, but the room was dark. “I’m coming in” she announced and walked into the house. Rainbow scanned the room. Most of Fluttershy’s animals were still sleeping, while some other’s seemed to have woken up by their caretaker’s scream, looking confused at the intruder. Seeing, it was just a friend of Fluttershy, some closed their eyes again, while others still were focusing their look on Dash. Well, here I have my Nightmare Ride Dash thought, looking at all the eyes of the animals staring at her. When she heard a sound from above, Dash quickly run upstairs, ignoring the looks of the animals. If her friend needed help, she would be there for her. A whimper came out of Fluttershy’s bedroom and Dash opened the door. “It’s me, Rainbow Dash” she said quietly, not to scare her shy friend even more. “D..dashie?” Fluttershy asked, using Rainbow’s pet name. Rainbow saw a shaking blanket and a pair of cyan eyes looking at her from under the blanket. “What happened? I heard you screaming” Dash said with a caring voice. “I….uhm…“the shy Pegasus started but was too scared or embarrassed to continue. “Come on Shy, you can talk to your old buddy Dashie” Rainbow, taking a few steps closer to her. “I had … a bad dream” Fluttershy confessed, coming out from under her blanked. “It was so dark and I was so scared” she added, close to tears. Rainbow knew how easy it was to scare her old friend, so she did the one thing that always helped, embracing her friend in a good, old hug. “Everything is good now. I’ll protect you.” When Fluttershy hugged her back, Dash offered her friend “If you want, I can stay here until tomorrow” which Fluttershy gladly accepted with a smile and a nod. For some reason, Dash had to think of the old zebra mare again - A friend of yours will be caught in nightmares and darkness. Of course there wasn’t any real danger for Fluttershy’s life and there wasn’t any darkness being launched at her. However, maybe the old mare still had been right at all. At least Dash was able to help one of her friends today. Tomorrow, she would try to fix the mess that had happened. While Rainbow Dash was at Fluttershy’s home, Shiron was lying in his bed. As soon, as he got home, he had gone to sleep. However, just like every night, it wasn’t a peaceful sleep. His horn was slowly glowing every few seconds, illuminating the room. Just like every night, the alicorn was caught in his nightmares. Finally a new chapter^^ Some things had changed since last time. Finished my apprenticeship, got a job and, after almost two years, I finally was able to deal with a bad thing. Well, I still hate a certain collection of stories but at least they aren't causing any problems anymore Well, I think I'll try to skip the whole pre-reader thing for the next few chapters. Doesn't make much sense with the speed I'm writing at the moment. Would be one pre-reader for every chapter Now to the chapter itself^^ I tried to write a more or less good prophecy without actually spoiling anything that will happen. Don't know if it worked or not, but I tried my best^^ Moreover, this chapter also marks a special event for my fanfic. The next chapter will be the beginning of the main plot of the first "book" of this fanfic. I just hope you will like the ideas I have planned for the climax of the first book^^
Shiron	1170	9	Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Rainbow in the sky	Rainbow Dash meets a pony who lives in the Everfree Forest. Is he a friend or an enemy?	incomplete	38	3	<p>During a storm Rainbow Dash hurt herself and crashed into the Everfree Forest. When she woke up she found herself in a cave where she met a pony named Shiron. Who is this pony and why does he live alone in a cave in the Everfree Forest? Moreover is he a friend or an enemy? <br/>A new adventure for Rainbow Dash and her friends begin that will change their lives forever.</p><p>edit: This story will take part between season 2 and before the end season 3. That means things like the cutie mark of the CMC, the return Gilda, alicorn Twilight or anything after season 3 will not happen or will be different</p>	teen	2017-11-02T21:16:59+00:00	2019-12-08T21:42:47+00:00	717	Darkness surrounded Shiron while he was running through the forest. He knew this place because he had lived here for several months, but somehow the forest was different this time. Shiron didn’t know why, but he was afraid. Something wasn’t right. There were no sounds of animals, just darkness. He was running away, trying to find his friends, but the forest just disappeared, merging with the darkness. Then he was standing at the edge of a cliff. The ground behind him started to collapse and soon everything, except the spot he was standing on, had turned into a giant and bottomless hole. Cracks formed on the ground under him but when he tried to fly away, his wings just didn’t move. He tried to use magic to teleport but this also was useless. No matter what he tried, he wasn’t able to escape. Somewhere in the distance he spotted his friends having a picnic. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy played with a ball, Rarity was relaxing on her couch and Twilight was reading a book while Rainbow and Applejack ate some sandwiches and drank cider. It was a happy day for them, not knowing what was happening to him. Shiron called their names, but his friends didn’t listen to him. Instead they just continued to have fun. When the ground under his hooves collapsed, Shiron finally was able to spread his wings, but after a few flaps something started to wrap around his hind legs. The darkness seemed to be alive and shadows started to swallow him up. The more of his body was swallowed up, the less Shiron could feel. It felt, as if he was just disappearing. He tried to use magic once more but shocked Shiron realized that his horn was missing. It didn’t just disappear; it looked as if he always had been a Pegasus pony, not an alicorn. For a moment it seemed, as if the darkness stopped to grab him, but then Shiron started to fall. Giving up, he just closed his eyes and accepted his defeat. While the darkness swallowed the world up, his friends just continued their picnic, not caring for his fate. Heavily breathing Shiron awoke with a start, his body wet with sweat. Half asleep, he quickly put a hoof on his head and was relieved that his horn was still on his head. He was shaking in fear when he tried to get up. Looking out of his window he was able to see the moon. It still was night but he knew that Celestia would soon raise the sun. Somehow, he always knew when the princesses raised the sun and the moon. He almost felt their magic. Trying to clear his mind from his nightmare, Shiron slowly went into the shower. Walking pass his mirror he noticed that he just looked awful; a messy mane and bags under his eyes. Somehow, he should have got used to his nightmares by now, having them almost every night, but it only got worse. He didn’t know why he was hunted every night. His whole life had changed after he had saved Rainbow Dash that night. After a long and lonely year he finally got friends. He had learned what kind of pony he was and Celestia and Luna even offered him a family. It felt weird and wrong to call them by their names without using their title - they were princesses after all. How could he, a pony who wasn’t even able to control his magic, be worthy of calling the princesses of Equestria by their names? Not to mention to casually treat them as his big sisters. Shiron shiver with cold when he was walking toward his shower. His room was at the right temperature but somehow it felt as if his room got colder - even his mirror started to fog up. A hot shower, that was what he needed right now. When the warm water ran down his mane, he slowly started to feel better. It wasn’t the first time he felt cold for no reason but maybe it was also some kind of alicorn thing. He should ask the princesses about it next time he sees them. As the water warmed him up, Shiron thought back to the past few days. The Winter Moon Festival had been a huge success and the ponies started to get used to having Luna as a second princess. Her speech had been recorded and shown in almost all of Equestria. Finally Luna was able to live her life without her past as Nightmare Moon. At least he hoped so. Moreover, despite their kiss, his friendship with Rainbow Dash gladly wasn’t damaged. He still didn’t know what exactly had leaded to their kiss, but Dash assured him that it just had been a silly prank by Pinkie and Rarity. Believing that she would only act with the best intentions, he had accepted her explanation; even if he knew that there might have been a different reason behind everything. Dash would never willingly hurt a friendship and if she actually made up the whole prank story, then she had her reasons. However, he had noticed that something had happened between Rainbow and Pinkie and Rarity. Did they have a fight because of the prank? He never got an answer but since things got better after they had talked things out, Shiron didn’t pay more attention to it. After all, the three ponies still were best friends, so it most likely wasn’t something serious. Drying himself off, Shiron left his shower. This week Dash was doing the inspection flies so she already was awake. Yawning, Shiron left the shower and was about to go downstairs when he heard something. It sounded, as if someone was singing. Not one of the usual songs ponies liked to sing out of nowhere but something different. Something like a melody you hum for your children. Following the sounds, Shiron walked downstairs. It was a beautiful, calming melody that made his heart feels warm. A gentle and heartwarming melody. That voice, was it…Rainbow Dash? He opened the front door and there she was sitting. A few birds sat next to the cyan Pegasus pony, listening to her melody. Behind the strong and cool face she was always showing was lying a gently and caring side. An innocent and kind pony, much more sensitive and vulnerable then he had ever thought. He didn’t know why she was hiding it before others, but Shiron felt awful. It was, as if he was invading Dash’s privacy. If she wanted it to be a secret, then he wouldn’t hurt her trust in him. However, when he was about to sneak back into the house, the birds noticed him and flew away. Dash turned around and looked at him. For a few moments, Dash was looking at her alicorn friend. Those few moments before your mind screams at you, telling you to hide your emotions and act cool and confident. She hated it; she was so tired of hiding a part of who she was before everyone except Fluttershy. She was the Element of Loyalty after all, but hiding a part of herself felt like not trusting her friends. It felt, as if she was betraying them. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to invade your privacy” he apologized to her. He always was so nice and friendly. Maybe everything would have been different if she had met him before Cloudburst. Those sweet moments she thought, right before she instinctively put up the wall around her again. She couldn’t fight it. Too long was she wearing her mask. “No need to apologize, I was just thinking about a new, awesome flying trick. Yep, just me being awesome and … stuff” she lied while faking a laugh. Rainbow was so sick of lying and looking at Shiron, she knew she messed this one up. Now he was going to laugh at her. “Ok, ok, you got me. Go on, laugh at me” she said with her head hung. “Why should I laugh it you?” he innocently asked instead. She looked at him standing next to the door of her home, as if he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to come closer. Just once I want to share again she thought, signaling him to come closer. She didn’t know why she did it. Maybe she wanted at least one more pony next to Fluttershy to actually know who she was deep inside. Just one last time… “That was a beautiful song” Shiron said, sitting down next to her. Together they looked at the sky. Light spread on the horizon; signs of sunrise. Silently, they sat next to each other, watching the sunrise. “Thank you” Dash said, not only referring to what he just said. “My mom always sang it for me when I was young” she added. As embarrassing as her parents were, she loved them. To her, they were the most awesome ponies. Dash looked at Shiron, the ruby in his necklace reflected the sunset in a magical red. He was just looking at the sun full of melancholy. She resisted the wish to hug him with one of her wings. “Are you ok?” she asked instead. “Yes, I just” he started, still looking at the horizon, “didn’t sleep very well.” His eyes were full of sorrow. Was it really just because of a bad night? No, she knew him long enough to know that there was more. After their beach party he had actually changed. He was more outgoing, he laughed and had fun. Shiron had actually started to come out of his shell. They all knew that there still was something that depressed him, something other than his amnesia. It was, as if he didn’t want to remember. What had happened to you, she silently asked him. It hurt her to see a friend suffer and she wanted nothing more than to help him. However she knew that, if she would try to find out what was wrong, he would once again start to isolate himself. When he felt that the time was right, he would come to them and they would be there for him. “Could you please…” Shiron quietly asked“…sing you song again?” It was the first time anypony asked her something like that. Probably, it would also be the last time she would allow someone to see behind her wall. She closed her eyes and soon her melody filled the air again. Dash didn’t know why she didn’t escape like usual. Yes, she actually was a brave and confident mare, she always had been, and she liked who she was. She was the awesome and daring Rainbow Dash. However, she was usually also living a lie, hiding a part of herself. Except of her family and Fluttershy, no one she had shown her true self had stayed by her side. Silverwing, Cloudburst and even her old best friend Gilda; all of them had left her one way or the other. After a few minutes, Dash felt something on her wing. Looking to her side she saw that her friend had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful, as if it was the first good sleep he was having in months. Blushing, Rainbow spread one of her wings and put it on her sleeping friend. Without stopping her song, she looked back at the rising sun. Maybe, just maybe, it won’t be the last time she thought, almost wishing. As the sun slowly rose above Equestria, the golden aura around Celestia’s horn started to fade. It would be another beautiful day for her beloved subjects. Standing on her balcony and looking down to Ponyville in the distance, she was wondering how her fellow alicorn was doing. It had been two months now since she had met him. From the day she and Luna had become the princesses of Equestria until the day they met him, she had always thought that there only meant to be two alicorns. Of course, there had been a few chosen ponies who earned their right to ascend to become alicorns themselves, just like her adopted niece Princess Cadence, but those ponies had been turned into alicorns, not born as one. One could think that Shiron also had been something else and then was turned into an alicorn but that wasn’t possible. His magic had exactly the same feeling as her own and Luna’s magic, so he actually was a born alicorn. He hadn’t told her where he came from and she wasn’t even sure if he knew it himself. She had tried to follow his hoofsteps back to the meadow where he had woken up. It hadn’t been difficult because he never learned how to control his magic, so she just had followed the magic traces back to their origin. When she had finally found the place, she was south of Vanhoover and in the undiscovered west of Equestria. Only a few smaller villages were here and nopony had been able to see her. She was just lucky that Luna agreed to hide her absence from their subjects. They both needed to found out why another alicorn had appeared now. Was it because of the return of her sister or was it just coincidence? They needed answers. For the first time ever recorded there now were three alicorns alive at the same time. Sadly, the meadow hadn’t given Celestia an answer but more questions. She had visited the exact place where Shiron had woken up; she still was able to feel the magic. There had been traces of a powerful teleportation spell; a long distance teleportation. However, that was all she had been able to figure out. Teleportation was an advanced spell and a long distance teleportation was even more difficult. Since she still had been able to feel the magic of the spell, it must have been very powerful; too powerful for everything Shiron was currently able to do. Her investigation had leaded to two possible options. Shiron could have used the spell to defend himself; it wasn’t unusual that unicorns used spells they didn’t know when they were in danger or scared. Magic was more than just learning, it was a part of what they were. So their body and mind reacted on their own and, in order to escape or to save someone dear to them, they instinctively used an unknown and powerful spell. Especially parents had this power when their children were in danger. Same worked for earth ponies and pegasi, just in a more physical way; unleashing strength they didn’t know they have. The second option was that someone else had used the spell on Shiron. However, that would lead to the question who was behind the teleportation spell and why it was used. Moreover, where was that someone now and did Shiron know about it? Since the spell was already older than a year, Celestia wasn’t able to extract any information from it and had returned to Canterlot. Although she hadn’t found the answers she was searching for, she at least knew that Shiron had told her the truth. Not that she thought that he was lying to her, but she needed to be sure. She wanted to help him but she also needed to find out the truth. Signing, Celestia returned to her room. Luckily it was Saturday and for the first time in weeks she didn’t have any appointments or meetings. Seems like I actually have a free day Celestia thought when she laid down on her bed. However, no matter what she did, she couldn’t forget what Shiron had said. If they really want to fear me, then I’ll give them a reason to fear me! Almost the same words Luna had used thousand years ago. The same eyes full of sadness and bitterness. The magic he unleashed, it had felt like a storm…a storm? Without realizing it, Celestia had closed her eyes and fell asleep. Back to a dream she had gotten used to. Once more she had to relive all of those memories. Celestia was standing in her old throne room; back at the castle of the two sisters. She was a young alicorn again, looking out of the window. A storm was raging outside and she still could feel the magic her sister had used to raise the moon. As if it was yesterday, Celestia remembered that the nights had become less and less beautiful and Luna, once a cheerful pony that loved to laugh and play pranks, had become a quiet pony shrink into herself. Of course Celestia had seen this changes but she had hoped that Luna just needed some time before she would talk to her. They had been sisters after all and every time when one of them had problems they had helped each other. They had also helped each other when their friend Discord had turned evil and they had to turn him into stone. However, this time it had been different. Luna hadn’t come to Celestia and Celestia had decided to make the first step. In all her life she had never seen her little sister like this. Standing in front of her little sister once more, hearing the same words again. Luna said that her subjects would hate her and her night and that they wouldn’t accept her as a princess. Celestia tried everything to make her sister feel better but when she looked into Luna’s eyes she was able to see sadness, anger and bitterness. Remember my words Celestia Luna said, for the first time calling her by her full name and not a sisterly name like Tia or Celly. If these ponies can’t accept me and my night, then they’ll fear me. Soon my night will last forever! With these words Luna left the room. Celestia tried to follow her little sister, just like every night, but Luna had already used her magic to teleport herself. Despite it being a dream, Celestia still searched for a way to change what had happened. However, no matter what she tried or said, it always ended the same way. The memories continued, unable to change their outcome. For the first time, the sun didn't raise in the morning and the ponies became nervous. Celestia tried to find Luna and bring her back to their castle but being an alicorn herself Luna was able to hide from everypony, including Celestia. Make it stop Celestia begged her mind, knowing what would happen next, but the dream just continued. Some days had already passed and the night had continued. Luna had been able to block Celestia’s magic every time when she had tried to raise the sun. Please, stop this she desperately tried to end the dream. Once more the scene changed. Luna was standing on a balcony inside their castle, crushing the handrail with her front hooves. Then she transformed into Nightmare Moon. A hard battle begun and against her will Celestia had to fight her own sister once more. She tried to talk to the evil mare but Luna’s personality had been buried in Nightmare Moon’s darkness. No, I don’t want to see this again she thought. Without another option left, Celestia’s horn called the Elements of Harmony for help. However, the Elements were too strong for Celestia, who was a young pony again. Instead of saving Luna from Nightmare Moon the Elements went out of control and in the end they had banished Nightmare Moon and Luna forever to the moon. It broke Celestia’s heart when she realized what the Elements had done once more. The royal castle was destroyed and its beautiful forest had turned into the Everfree Forest. As the scene changed once more, Celestia had already forgotten that this was a dream. To her, she had just banished her little sister to the moon. She saw her subjects starting to build a new castle, Canterlot, next to the cliff side of Equestria’s most magical mountain, but like always Celestia wouldn’t leave the ruins of her castle. She used her magic to control the sun and the moon but despite this, she stayed in her chosen exile. She just couldn’t forgive herself. She somehow remembered that her subject were worried. They brought her everything she needed but they weren't able to cheer her up. Why do I have this memories?, she asked herself. Reality felt strange, as if her life was running on fast motion. Is this real or have I gone crazy? It had taken some months and the words of a young filly until she recovered from her grieve. Slowly, the sun princess started to rule again and Celestia decided that she would somehow save her little sister. Caught between reality and dream, Celestia just lived her life on fast motion. This was how reality felt after all, wasn’t it? Years had passed since the banishment of her sister, Celestia had trained all her abilities, she saved her subjects from many threats and she had gained the control over the Elements of Harmony, at least for a short time. Although she hadn’t been able to bring Luna back she had been able to shorten her banishment. Instead of an eternal banishment, Celestia had created an own spell to shorten the banishment to thousand years. Although it still had been very long, Celestia hadn’t been able to shorten the banishment even more. Celestia made a vow that she would never ever allow that one of her friends or her subjects will feel cut off or alone and in the following thousand years, she had helped many of her subjects and made them feel better. She remembered their faces and their names; all of her future friends and subjects. All this memories repeated in Celestia’s mind again and again. Night after night she dreamed about the worst mistake of her life, trading her happy life with the fake reality of her dreams. Night after night she reminded herself what she had done to her own little sister. Although she finally got her little sister back, she just wasn’t able to forgive herself. When Celestia finally awoke from her dream, Luna was standing next to her bed with a worried look. “You had a nightmare again, hadn’t you sister?” the moon princess said. However, before Celestia was able to answer, Luna sad down next to her sister, put a wing on Celestia’s back and said “It’s time that we talk about this.” Shiron felt bad that he had fallen asleep during Dash’s song but somehow she didn’t seem to mind. Despite the initial shock Dash had shown when he had seen her, it looked as if she was happy. He didn’t know why, but it made him happy, too. She was full of energy today, smiling and laughing as if she just found a barrel full of Sweet Apple Acres’ cider. It was already pass noon when he had woken up with a blanket on him and a cloud pillow under his head; Dash really cared for her friends. After they ate together, Rainbow wanted him to show how to fly properly. He didn’t know what she meant with that. He was able to take off and land without crashing, he was able to do a few tricks and he also was fast. Of course, not as fast as Rainbow Dash, but he was a good flyer, wasn’t he? No, he wasn’t. Despite his abilities, he quickly realized that he still had a lot to learn. He never really had paid attention to his own flying style. However, now that Dash mentioned it, he noticed the difference. Unlike Dash, or any other older Pegasus pony, he was flapping his wings like a foal. Dash always needed only a few flaps to fly higher and almost no flaps when she was going deeper. She was using the wind to her advantage while he always tried to fight it. He never realized how much energy he had wasted in doing so. Not to mention that Dash was also using thermals to carry her. He really had to learn a lot and he didn’t even start to learn how to use his magic although Twilight offered to teach him; more than just once. “I’m still amazed that you actually lived in the Everfree Forest” Dash said when they made a break. “It wasn’t that bad” he responded. He had heard many stories of the Everfree Forest but to him, they were all exaggerated. “You wouldn’t believe what wonders you can find there” he added with a smile. “You mean, except poison joke and pony eating monsters?” she asked skeptical. “Thanks, but I pass.” He knew ponies were afraid of the unnatural forest but he knew better. Then he got an idea. With a grin he looked at Dash “Sounds like you are too afraid to let me show you what the Everfree Forest has to offer.” "I’m not afraid of anything” Dash said as brave and confident as possible. “Show me what you’ve got.” It seemed that she accepted the challenge. “I will, but we should wait until it is dark” he said, smiling. “I’ll show you one of my favorite places.” “Oh come on, why waiting for the dark?” Dash complained. She really hated to wait. “Because you can only see it during night” he answered. “Fine” she sighed, “but first we’ll practice some more. I want to turn you into an even better flyer after all” Shiron winced at that. Dash really had a good heart but he was sure that, by the end of the day, his wings would fall off. It was going to be a very long day for the soon to be unicorn. “You know that you can’t run away sister” Princess Luna patiently said while following Princess Celestia. Now she was chasing her big sister for almost the whole day, trying to talk her. Even before she had left her bedroom Luna knew how stubborn her big sister could be. Some things never changed, not even after a thousand years. “I already told you that everything is fine Luna” the sun princess answered annoyed. Luckily, Luna already had a plan B. It was time to duel. Since Celestia didn’t know the truth, Luna still was in play. “You know that I’m the princess of night and dreams, right?” she asked as convincing as possible. When Celestia stopped dead in her tracks, Luna knew her plan could work. “I know about your dreams already” she bluffed, while walking pass her sister It was true that she was able to visit the dreams of her subjects, including her big sister, but since she was freed from her other side, she still wasn’t able to use all of her powers. Rising and lowering the moon was easy, that was her special talent after all, but entering dreams was more complex. However, Celestia didn’t know about this little secret and Luna just had to seal the deal. “Well, if you already know about my dreams, then there is nothing to talk about” Celestia countered. It seemed that this was going to be like one of their old chess games and Luna had to prepare her next turn. “The only reason I want to talk about it in person is because you are my sister” Luna made her next move. It was a risky one but she knew her sister better than anypony else. There only were a few things that could cause Celestia to have nightmares. “but if you prefer, then we will just continue tonight in your dream.” Both sisters continued their way to the throne room. They both were adults now, so the cause of the nightmare weren’t because of the homework Starswirl gave them. Equestria also was a very wealthy and peaceful kingdom, so the well being of their subjects neither was the cause. That only left two options; Shiron and the moon princess herself. “You know that ponies inverted dream catchers, right? That way I can lock my dreams from you” the sun princess said. That really was a weak move Tia Luna thought. “I know about them and although they are meant to protect you from bad dreams, they don’t work” she cornered her big sister. She knew it was true because if they would work, then the Tantabus wouldn’t be in her dreams anymore. Not that it could work anyway. After all, she had created the Tantabus for herself as a punishment for what she had done as Nightmare Moon. However, that was a different story. When they both entered the throne room, Luna gave the guard ponies a signal to leave them alone. Quickly the two royal guards left and the two sisters were alone again. The guards shouldn’t hear or see what would happen here soon. Nightmare Moon Luna thought, knowing that this was the most likely cause for her sister’s nightmares. Unlike Celestia, Luna hadn’t really had a chance to talk to Shiron but it was unlikely that he was the cause of the nightmares. Well, at least not the main cause. The moon princess thought back to the storm he had created by his emotional outburst and the magic he had unleashed. Who knows what would have happened if Celestia wouldn’t have been able to get through him during that moment. However, he was now living in Ponyville, so it was unlikely that this would happen again. His friends would be able to heal his wounds. “Don’t you have anything better to do than bothering me?” Celestia said more offensive that she wanted. Luna already expected something like this and she already prepared herself for the following. “You are the most important pony in my live. There isn’t anything better I can do than helping you” Luna calmly said. The look in Celestia’s eyes changed. Checkmate Luna thought while making her last move. “Please tell me what is actually bothering you” she added, preparing for the impact. She didn’t have to wait for long. “Tell you what? That I have been a horrible sister? That I’ve stole you thousand years of your life. That I took everyone and everything you’ve had away from you?” the sun princess angrily exploded. Tears started to form in Celestia’s eyes and Luna knew that her sister was fighting with her options; trying to escape or staying and talking things out. Letting her head hung, Celestia chose the latter and sat down on her throne. With a glowing horn, she lowered the sun while Luna sat down next to her, a wing on Celestia’s back. Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure what to expect. She had been to the Everfree Forest a few times already and all she had found was a sun stealing alicorn princess, poison joke and a monster that wanted to treat her to dinner with Dash as the meal. Of course she also had found two friends in there, Zecora and Shiron, but all in all, the Everfree Forest was just creepy. At least it was a cloudless night this time. “Are you really sure there is something good in here?” Dash asked Shiron while she was following him. His horn was glowing in a bright light as they were walking deeper and deeper into the forest. “Of course there is. I hope you aren’t scared” he asked her. “Me? Scared? Come on, you are talking to the bravest Pony in all of Equestria” she said full of confidence. A growl in the distance however made her walk closer to Shiron. “There is nothing wrong with being afraid” Shiron responded “I know I was when I first entered the Everfree Forest.” “Sooo, what do you want to show me?” Dash asked, hoping to change the subject. Brave or not, she didn’t want to show when she was afraid. It just didn’t fit the image of the awesome Rainbow Dash everyone knew and loved; especially the younger ponies of Ponyville. “That’s a secret, but I’m sure you will love it” Shiron responded to his curious friend. As much as Dash liked surprises, she preferred to see them at safer places with more light and less monsters. Speaking of safe; Rainbow always wondered how Shiron had been able to survive in this place. Sure, he had wings but he didn’t really know how to use magic. Nevertheless he was able to cast a spell to fight these creatures. “Hey Shiron, how did you learned that spell?” she asked her alicorn friend. “You always try to do things without magic.” Even after two months she couldn’t understand why he rarely used magic. If she would be an alicorn, then her flying tricks would be even more awesome. “I don’t really like to use my magic. I prefer to live like a Pegasus pony” she wasn’t able to see his face when he answered her. “However, I figured this spell out by coincidence during my first week here. Just like you, our little wolfie over there attacked me too” explained, pointing to a moving shadow in the distance. Dash knew that shadow all too well and moved closer to Shiron. “Don’t worry; he only gets aggressive during full moon. The rest of the month he is mostly passive” he tried to calm her but Rainbow still didn’t want to find out if that thing actually was passive right now. “When he attacked me, I wasn’t really able to escape. Then, out of nowhere, my horn started to glow in a bright light. I kind of remembered that feeling and trained to use it. Later I used it to help ponies who were stuck in here.” “You saved many ponies with that spell” Dash said while resting on of her wings on his back “and that includes me.” Before he was able to play down what he did, Rainbow quickly added “and don’t even try to say that it wasn’t a big deal.” “Ok, you won Dash” he answered defeated “I guess I should be a bit more confident because of that.” “Yes, you should” she said, patting him on his back with her wing. She loved to win. “Ok, here we are” Shiron said, stopping the spell he was using. “It’s safe here, so we don’t need that spell anymore” he assured when he saw that she got nervous. Rainbow Dash glanced around and noticed that they were at a clearing. Before them was a big and clear lake with many flowers. However, all the flowers were closed instead of being fully in bloom. The more she learned about the Everfree Forest, the weirder it seemed. “Just sit down. It’s almost time” Shiron said quietly, sitting down close to the lake. She didn’t know what he meant, but she sat down next to him. For a few moments they just sat there quietly; Dash really hated to wait. When she was about to ask Shiron what was about to start, the moon appeared above the trees. As soon as the light of the moon was reflected by the lake, the water started to glow in a soft green. However, not only the lake was influenced by the light of the moon. All the closed flowers slowly started to open and soon they all were fully in bloom. She didn’t know what this was, but she was speechless. Tiny yellow lights came out of each of the flowers and filled the air. Hundreds of lights maybe thousand, no even more, filled the air, flying around. The light of the lake and numberless fireflies filled the clearing. Dash already has seen fireflies, but never that many. It was just stunning. “This is just…wow” Dash whispered to Shiron. Now she understood what he had meant. No matter how unnatural or scary a place like the Everfree Forest seemed, there always was something special to discover. When she looked at Shiron, he once again had a look full of sadness. This time, she just had to talk to him, even if it would ruin this beautiful moment. “You know, if something depresses you, you can talk to me” Rainbow softly said to him. “I’ll always be there for you.” “I…” Shiron started; it seemed as if he was fighting with himself. “Maybe we should go to a different place first. Another place that always made feel better” he said. Was he finally going to tell her the truth? Shiron stood up and walked toward the lake. With his magic he was carefully picking up a flower. An aura of magic surrounded the flower for a short time and then the light disappeared. “It’s a spell I read about in a book. No matter what happens now, this flower will never wither” he explained, showing her the beautiful red flower. Using his magic, he carefully placed the flower in her mane. She didn’t know why, but her heart was beating faster. “It looks beautiful on you” he said and Dash felt her face getting warmer. What was happening? “I…thank you” she said. What the hay is happening? Why can’t I make a clear sentence?, Rainbow Dash thought. It didn’t make any sense to her. “I think we should get going now” he said and together they left the most beautiful place Dash has ever seen. She would visit this place again someday. Celestia and Luna were both sitting on the balcony of the throne room. Stars filled the sky and the moon shone down on them. Although she already knew the answer, the sun princess still tried her luck “You won’t stop to follow me until I tell you everything, will you?” “I think we both know the answer, sister” Luna answered, letting Celestia sigh. Sometimes she understood why ponies complained about their younger siblings. Not that she would trade her little sister for anything in the world but Luna was stubborn sometimes. She can be as stubborn as me Celestia though with a smile. “Fine, you won” she finally said while she saw Luna grin. “So, you still feel guilty about all that happened?” Luna asked and wondered how long it will take them both until they finally can forgive themselves. “Yes, I certainly do” was the answer. “Since the day I had used the Elements of Harmony, I always relive that day in my dreams. I tried to figure out if there was something I could have said or done to prevent it but I failed.” The sun princess looked at the moon as if it would hold the answers she was searching for. “Sister, we already talked about this” Luna began, trying to sort her thoughts. “I know how much you had done for me and I’ve even heard your words when you tried to reason with my other self, but nothing could have changed what happened.” “So you want me to believe that it was our destiny to fight each other? You can’t be serious” Celestia responded doubtfully. “No, what I meant is, that I had chosen my way on my own” Luna tried to explain. “There had been a part of me that just wanted more. More love, more respect, more appreciation for my work as the princess of the night and dreams.” Luna looked at her big sister. “I always knew how much you love me and now, thousand years later, I even kind of understand why our subjects treated me the way they did. It wasn’t because they hated me or my night. They just hadn’t been able to see the night as something different as the end of a day of hard work. It just had been a different age and they needed to learn to see the night as more than just the time to go to sleep.” “Even if you are right then it should have been my duty to help you” Celestia insisted. “No sister, I am the princess of the night. I should have been the one to do something but I just wasn’t ready to admit it. Even now I’m not sure if I would be able to teach out subjects to see the night as more” Luna disagreed with her sister. “You on the other hoof had changed the thinking of our subjects. You helped to create wonders of the night I never thought to be possible.” “It wasn’t easy and I had many ponies that helped me” the older alicorn said, looking at all the light of Canterlot. Even now ponies were playing and having fun although it was night. “However, it still doesn’t change what I have done. If I wouldn’t have found an old spell Starswirl created, you still would be on the moon.” “What do you mean?” Luna asked confused. “You know that we always had used the Elements of Harmony together. However, when I had to fight Nightmare Moon, I had to use them on my own” tears formed in her eyes. “I wasn’t able to control their power and banished you on the moon forever.” “Sister, I…I had no idea” Luna started but was interrupted by her big sister. “I’ve searched for years, maybe even decades, for a way to save you. Purely by chance, I had discovered a secret lab of Starswirl” the sun princess continued, not even listening to Luna. “That’s when I had figured out a spell to use the magic of the four night spirits to create a spell to let Nightmare Moon escape. I had hoped that I could find a way to save you until then, even after I had lost the connection with the Elements of Harmony…” “Stop it sister” Luna tried to calm her hyperventilating sister down. “I didn’t know what you have endured to save me but it worked. You finally have to forgive yourself.” Using her hoof, she wiped away the tears of her big sister. “Luna, I…” she started, but then was shaking her head “you really are the best sister a pony can ask for” she said with a smile. “I love you too, Tia” Luna responded, hugging Celestia. Her little sister was by her side again and Luna had forgiven her. Maybe it actually was time that Celestia forgive herself. However, there was still one thing she had to know. “You weren’t able to visit my dreams, were you?” she asked but her little sister didn’t answer. Well played Luna, well played. She didn’t need to ask Shiron where they were going this time. She knew this place all too well. Here she and her friends had learned about their destiny. Inside this building they had fought their first villain and they had freed Princess Luna from her other side. It was the castle of the two sisters. Shiron hadn’t said a word since they had left the lake and Dash wondered what he was thinking. He seemed, as if he was fighting with himself whether he should tell her what was bothering him or not. She knew that a part of him actually wanted to ask her for help but she was worried about his other part. The same part that always assured that everything was fine even if it wasn’t. This time, she wouldn’t accept that excuse. “I don’t know why, but this place always felt special to me” he finally broke the silence when they entered the castle. The statue where they had found the Elements of Harmony still was there although it looked somehow wrong without the five stone balls on it. “It almost felt like some sort of home to me.” “The castle of the two sisters had once been the home of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna” Dash said. Maybe, if this place wouldn’t have been abandoned for a thousand years, there still would have been alicorn statues or pictures in here. Everything could have been different for him. “It was abandoned after Luna had been taken over by Nightmare Moon and fought her sister.” “The old home of the princesses” he said, lost in thought. “I had been so close to found answers without even knowing.” Together they went deeper into the castle. Rainbow Dash wondered how often he had been here already. So close to all the answers he had been searching for and yet so far away. She didn’t even want to think what would have happened if she wouldn’t have heard Zecora’s voice that day. Would he still live in his cave? Would she and her friends sooner or later have tried to solve the mystery of the guardian? The two ponies entered a big room with broken windows and a collapsed balcony; the last remaining of a once beautiful room. The light of the moon filled the room and Dash knew she had to be the one to make the first step, “You said that you haven’t slept very well.” “Well, I hadn’t have a good night in…I can’t even remember” he confessed while he was standing next to her. “It’s the same dream, night for night.” “What kind of dream?” she asked. The wall he had build around him finally showed cracks and it was time to crush it, once and for all. “I…” he started but still was fighting with himself. It was now or never and Dash preferred the first option. She put a hoof on his back “You can always count on me; you just need to trust me.” She could almost see the hole in the imaginary wall he had created around him. He let out a sign and told her about his nightmares. How he was trying to escape the darkness with magic, with flying or asking them for help. How the darkness always catches him and how he always ended up alone. The darkness most likely represented his loneliness. “It seems like not matter what happens in my life; I just can’t escape the darkness. It’s like I’m falling and there is no way out” he said, letting his head hung. “I know how you feel. There are times when you just want to give up and let your fears and doubts get on your nerves” she confesses, knowing that feeling all too well. She put a hoof under his chin and gently lifted his head so that he was looking her into her eyes “but there is one thing that always helps; my friends. No matter what happens; if you’ll ever fall, I’ll be there to catch you. Got that” she confidently said. “I’m always there for my friends” “Rainbow Dash…I” he looked her straight in the eyes but she still could see his doubts. “Just think of me and crush those nightmares” she said, using one of her fighting poses to crush an invisible wall. She knew how awesome she looked. “It’s not just the nightmares” he responded, turning away from her “it’s everything else.” Now we are going to crush the source of your problems she thought. “One year…you have no idea how that felt.” He was walking a few steps away from her and looked out of the broken balcony. There only were trees as far as the eye could reach. “Then tell me how it was. I want to help you” she almost begged. She wouldn’t let him get away anymore. “What do you want to hear?” he angrily asked her, not even looking back. “I’ve searched for a whole year for a place I could call home and a friend or two. That’s not too much to ask for, isn’t it?” he asked but Dash wasn’t sure if he asked her or himself. “However, all I’ve found was loneliness and isolation at the only place where no one would judge you by your look.” For some reason Rainbow Dash shiver with cold as if the room got colder. “But hey, luckily me, I’ve learned that I can breathe underwater and it seems I’m also immune to poison” he bitterly added, only implying how hard this one year loneliness actually had been for him. Dash didn’t need to ask what he had meant, it was obvious, but hearing what he actually had tried almost broke her heart. If he wouldn’t have been an alicorn; she would have never met him at all. In hurt her deep inside when she realized how close she was to never meet one of her best friends. “All I’ve ever wanted was to fit in; finding a place I could always return to but they’ve kept me from it” he almost whispered. Dash’s eyes grow bigger. “Maybe it would have been easier to become what they’ve seen in me” he quietly added, starting to cry. It was this moment when Rainbow Dash realized the truth. You do remember about your past, don’t you, she thought but didn’t dare to ask. Shiron was just sitting there with his head hanging and his back to Rainbow. Even after all the time Rainbow knew Shiron this was the first time she saw this part of him. No hiding behind a happy face, no fake smiles and no affirmations that everything was alright - just a broken pony with a hurt soul. Dash didn’t say anything when she walked toward him. While she was hugging him they didn’t need any word, Rainbow just hold him in her hooves to make him feel that he wasn’t alone anymore and that he could always trust her. She just was sitting there, holding her weeping friend. As the sun slowly started to rise over Sweet Apple Acres, Shiron felt, as if someone has lifted a burden from his shoulders. He felt warmth in his heart he hasn’t felt like forever. He had actually told someone how he actually felt and instead of turning away from him, Rainbow Dash helped him to feel better. He knew that it was time to tell her everything. As soon as she would come home, he would tell her the truth about his memories. Although she had wanted to stay, he had asked her for some time to think about everything. The person he had been all the years ago was long gone. It had drowned in an ocean of their hate. He had had to choose between one of two ways and both of them had been terrible. Since he hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone by becoming the monster they had seen in him, he had chosen to run away. Even after he had somehow arrived in Equestria and had lived in his cave he tried to escape everything including life but his immortally had saved him. However, now Shiron changed the way he had chosen all the years ago. He had friends and he had Rainbow Dash’s friendship and respect. He was finally able to choose for the life he always dreamed of and he got his desire to live back. Shiron was sure that Rainbow would understand his reasons for lying. There was only one thing he wasn’t sure about. “Howdy, partner” he heard Applejack’s voice behind him. “Good morning Applejack” he answered, trying to figure out if he should also tell Dash about this one last thing. “Is everythin’ alright?” the farm pony asked concerned. “No…I mean yes” he quickly corrected himself. Applejack raised her eyebrow and Shiron knew he had to tell someone. At least he knew AJ would never tell anyone about his secret “Promise me to not tell anyone” he said, looking at his friend. “I Pinkie Promise that I’ll keep it a secret” she answered, making some kind of dance. The same one Pinkie Pie always did when she was making a Pinkie Promise. Looking for any signs of his other friends he let out a sigh. Everything would become much more complicated now “I think I’ve fallen in love with Rainbow Dash.” Woohoo, two chapters in one month I hope it won't stop here I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sooo, this time I tried to write two plots in one chapter. I don't know how well that worked, especially the plot of Celestia and Luna, but I tried my best. I know Celestia's dream might be a bit confusing and I might have messed it up, but I thought that, instead of rewriting it hundreds of times and wasting a year, I should publish it this way I know one or two parts of Shiron's and Dash's part might be a little dark, especially the immortality thing, but I wanted to show how desperate he was during that one year all alone. I will reveal most of his past soon and I’ll reveal what happened in Dash’s past even sooner. Sooo, chapter 7. The climax of the first book has started with this chapter. Rainbow figured out the truth, Shiron wants to reveal his secret about his amnesia to her and he realized his feeling for her. However, there still is a long way for the happy end of the first third of this fanfic. Everything that will happen in the following chapters will take part during the following 24 hours. The big event starts next chapter Thanks for reading and hopefully I can continue to write as fast as right now
JohnPerry	1171	1	Gilda,Photo Finish,Prince Blueblood,Trixie,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Legion of Gloom	Banded together from the remote regions of Equestria, the Legion of Gloom seeks to harm the Mane 6!	complete	126	3	<p>Banded together from the remote regions of Equestria, the Legion of Gloom seeks to do grave harm to the Mane 6! How they will do this without killing each other first is beyond me.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T17:32:22+00:00	2011-10-03T17:32:22+00:00	4,037	Chapter One: The Legion Rises Few ponies ever went anywhere near the Froggy Bottom Bog. There were enough terrifying monsters living in its muck to scare off even the boldest of travelers, and its location in the midst of the Everfree Forest did a remarkable job of isolating it from most of ponykind. As such, it was not the ideal place to construct any kind of building. And yet, a building there was. Rising out of the mud was a domed, ominous structure overlooking the swamp it was sitting in the midst of. And within this building constructed by pony hooves was probably the strangest gathering Equestria ever saw… “The Great and Powerful Trixie will now call this meeting to order!” a boastful voice rang through the large, dimly-lit hall. The sound came from a blue unicorn wearing a flashy cape and pointed hat who was sitting at the center of a long table with several other figures. “Psht. Whatever,” an unimpressed-looking griffon rolled her eyes. She had her front legs crossed and was sitting at the end of the table to the right of the unicorn. “Silence, half-breed!” Trixie screamed. “You should consider yourself thankful to be addressed by The Great and Powerful Trixie!” “HALF-BREED?!” the griffon shouted back, standing up on her hind legs. “When I’m through with you, you’ll be lucky if there’s half of you left!” Three bulky figures who had been sitting between the unicorn and the griffon now stood up. “This not time for fight,” the biggest one grunted. “Yes!” the smallest one squeaked. “Bigger problem to worry about!” The griffon glared at the unicorn for a moment, but then sighed and sat down. “These dweebs might have a point. I’ve got a bigger fish to fry.” “Then The Great and Powerful Trixie will begin this first meeting of the Legion of Gloom!” the unicorn announced, standing up. “Using my amazing feats of magic, I have located all of those who have been wronged by the inferior Twilight Sparkle and her companions! You have been brought here so that we may enact our glorious revenge!” Trixie sat down. “In order to better understand our fellow comrades, The Great and Powerful Trixie will ask all of you to introduce yourself and explain why you have joined this most amazing of organizations! We’ll start with you, creature,” she added, gesturing at the griffon. “You’d better watch it…” the griffon growled, then ran a claw over her head to make her feathers more impressive. “Name’s Gilda. I was an old friend of Rainbow Dash’s, until she started hanging out with that group of dweebs. Especially that lame-o Pinkie. Ooh, when I get my claws on that little pink rat…” she emphasized the point by digging her claws into the table, making a horrible screeching noise. “STOP THE NOISES!!!” the bulky creatures had their claws over their ears, flinching at the sound Gilda was making. “It’s as bad as the pony!” “What is your story then, foul-smelling beasts?” Trixie said to the three creatures. “We are Diamond Dogs!” one of them spoke up. “We wanted the pony to find us precious diamonds, but then the noises she made! It was horrible! And after all we did for the pony, in the end we got no precious diamonds!” Trixie turned to the figure on her left. “And what about you, four eyes?” The very finely dressed pony Trixie was addressing gave a short huff. “I vill be addressed by my proper name: PHOTO FINISH!” She emphasized her name by speaking it extra quickly while making a dramatic pose. “I, Photo Finish, am ze finest fashion photographer in all of Eqvestria! I just point and capture…ze magics!” she added, emphasizing the last two words while holding her hoof in the air. “I vas the one who discovered ze Flootershy! Ah, her grace! Her innocence! I vould have made millions with her working for me! But Flootershy abandoned me to live out a life of…mediocrity!” she emphasized darkly. “Well we are after that deespeecable Pinkie Pie!” a sack of flour sitting on the other side of Photo Finish slammed an appendage on the table. “Yes! We sought to comfort her after her friends abandoned her, but she had the gall to turn her back on us!” a ball of lint sitting nearby said. “And to think! Her hanging out with that bunch of lo-sers!” a stack of rocks shouted. “Completely uncalled for…” a bucket of turnips muttered. However, no one sitting at the table seemed to have heard the four objects. One of the Diamond Dogs gave a confused look at the group of inanimate objects at the end of the table. “Um, why is there a bucket of turnips, a sack of flour, a bunch of rocks, and a ball of lint sitting over there?” he asked, pointing at the objects. “The Great and Powerful Trixie…does not know,” Trixie admitted. “They were not here earlier…” Trixie then stood up again. “Well, The Great and Powerful Trixie’s problems far outweigh your pathetic concerns! For you see, the inferior Twilight Sparkle had the gall to upstage a gifted magician such as myself! After dazzling the simple-minded village folk with the tale of how The Great and Powerful Trixie defeated an Ursa Major, that inferior Sparkle – obviously fueled by jealousy – sought to convince a couple of the simpletons in the village to release a monster and catch me off-guard, to make of a foal of me! I mean…to make a foal of The Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie said, catching her mistake. “And let us not forget the one who made this meeting possible…” a voice from behind Trixie called out. The voice belonged to somepony sitting behind a chair, facing away from the group. “The one who put the money forward to build this secure location and safely transport you all here,” the chair spun around to reveal a white, handsome stallion with a flowing mane of hair. Trixie looked at the stallion with a sinister smile. “Nopony could forget you, Prince Blueblood.” The prince got up and trotted over to the table. “As for myself, I was attacked by that ferocious Rarity at the Grand Galloping Gala! That barbarian and her commoner friends sought to destroy the Gala and humiliate me in front of my adoring public!” “Then let’s kick their flank already!” Gilda shouted, slamming a fist on to the table. “It is not so simple…” Prince Blueblood muttered. “You see, Twilight Sparkle is none other than Princess Celestia’s prized student. Ms. Sparkle and her friends have close contact with both of the princesses, so we must exercise caution.” “Then zis is hopeless!” Photo Finish cried. “How are ve to get to them ven zey are so well-connected?” Suddenly, there was a loud booming noise echoing around the room. Everypony in the room tensed, trying to find the source of the sound. After a moment it came again, and they realized it was coming from one wall at the end of the hall. Trixie approached the wall slowly, reaching up to press a hoof-sized button on the wall. A section of the wall recessed and slid away, revealing the swamp outside. “Special delivery!” a cheerful-looking gray pegasus with crossed eyes was hovering in front of Trixie, holding out a box for her to take. “What the…What are you doing here?” Trixie demanded. “I’m making a cameo!” the pegasus replied cheerfully. “You’re…what? Wait, are you spying on us? Did you hear anything we said?” Trixie growled. “Nope!” the pegasus said happily. “I definitely didn’t hear anypony making evil plans about enacting revenge! Heh, that’d be silly!” “Oh…well…good then!” Trixie muttered. “But how did you find this place?” “It was on the box, of course!” the pegasus said, pointing at the address label on the package. Sure enough, there it was: Legion of Gloom 1 Ominous-looking Building Froggy Bottom Bog, Everfree Forest “Oh…” Trixie said, unsure what to make of this. She was surprised this cross-eyed commoner could even read at all. “Sign here, please!” the pegasus said, holding out a clipboard with her mouth. Trixie levitated the quill out of its holder and scribbled ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ in curly letters on the sheet. “Have a good day!” the pegasus called out, sailing off. Trixie huffed in response before closing the door behind her. “Um, who ordered a package?” Trixie asked the rest of the group. “That’s me!” Prince Blueblood cried. “This is the important component of the plan I told you of,” he informed Trixie, who now had a look of understanding on her face. The prince levitated the box with his magic and brought it back to the table. “You see, I had contact with the guards who visited Ponyville, who informed me that Ms. Sparkle has two companions who assist her in daily chores. One is a dragon who is far too narrow-minded to be of any help to us.” The prince opened the box. “But the other…is with us here today.” At his cue, a brown owl popped out of the box and hopped lightly onto the table, giving a small “Hoo” when he did so. Prince Blueblood backed away a few steps, muttering something about filthy commoner birds. “Fillies and gentlecolts…and common beasts…” Trixie muttered. “This is Owlowiscious, Sparkle’s number-two assistant.” “Hoo,” Owlowiscious said. “Uh, you,” Trixie replied. “Hoo.” “Owlowiscious!” Trixie yelled. “Are you not Owlowiscious?” “Hoo.” “I’M TALKING ABOUT YOU, YOU STUPID BIRD!!!” Trixie screamed, her hat becoming lopsided as Trixie gritted her teeth, breathing hard at the expression-less owl. “Anyway,” Prince Blueblood continued. “This bird has turned his back on Ms. Sparkle, and is now working for us as an undercover agent! He has infiltrated her library and her circle of friends – they trust him completely! With this bird on our side, we can discover a weakness and exploit it!” “A brilliant plan, The Great and Powerful Trixie must admit,” Trixie said, looking at the prince wistfully. “Ah, but not as brilliant as you madam, who alerted me to the source of our ills…” the prince responded, giving Trixie a charming smile. “You flatter The Great and Powerful Trixie! But please, continue…” Prince Blueblood then leaned towards Trixie and gave her what looked like a rather clumsy kiss on the lips. He had his front hooves on Trixie’s shoulders, putting what must have been a painful amount of weight on them. But Trixie was returning his kisses with gusto and the slurping and smacking noises they made echoed through the sparsely decorated hall. “Oh brother…” the Diamond Dogs muttered, flinching. “I do not approve of zis…unholiness.” Photo Finish grimaced, shielding her eyes from the sight. “Get a room, already…” Gilda scoffed, rolling her eyes. Even Owlowiscious, who otherwise looked completely passive, chose to turn his gaze away from the hideous sight.
JohnPerry	1171	2	Gilda,Photo Finish,Prince Blueblood,Trixie,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Legion of Gloom	Banded together from the remote regions of Equestria, the Legion of Gloom seeks to harm the Mane 6!	complete	126	3	<p>Banded together from the remote regions of Equestria, the Legion of Gloom seeks to do grave harm to the Mane 6! How they will do this without killing each other first is beyond me.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T17:37:07+00:00	2011-10-03T17:37:07+00:00	3,017	Chapter Two: All the Really Bad Stuff Happens Sweet Apple Acres was in the full swing of summer. The trees were lush and each was dotted with shiny red apples ripe for picking. Applejack was trotting among the trees, pulling a cart loaded with baskets full of apples. Having just finished her day’s worth of apple bucking, she was now heading back to the barn to store the apples until they were ready to be sold. It had been a perfectly normal day for Applejack, but that was about to change. A low rumbling noise caught the orange pony’s attention. It seemed to be coming from a clearing in the orchard nearby. Applejack unhitched herself from the cart and trotted slowly towards the clearing, trying to identify the source of the noise. She couldn’t see anything, and what’s more she couldn’t figure out where that noise was coming from. It was almost something she could feel rather than hear, like it was coming from beneath her hooves… Suddenly, with a thunderous boom that shook Applejack off-balance, the ground in front of her split open, sending up an enormous cloud of dirt and rock. The Diamond Dogs emerged out of the fresh hole in the ground, poking their heads into the air. “Are you sure this is the right place?” one of them asked. “I don’t know, there’s too many roots down here!” another shrieked. “YOU!” Applejack cried, shocked at the sight before her. “It’s the pony!” the third Diamond Dog said, pointing at Applejack. “Get her!” But in their haste to capture Applejack, the three wound up tripping over each other as they scrambled out of the hole. This gave Applejack enough time to dash back to the cart and retrieve a length of rope. “You fellers chose the wrong pony to mess with!” Applejack announced, fashioning the rope into a lasso. She twirled it over her head for a moment before flinging it at the Diamond Dogs, aiming for the head of the biggest one. But the lasso began to glow and froze in mid-air before it got anywhere near the Diamond Dogs. Before Applejack could comprehend what was going on, the lasso snapped back like a rubber band and wrapped itself around Applejack’s hooves, leaving her lying hogtied on the ground. “WHAT THE HAY?!?” Applejack shrieked. “Quiet, foalish peasant!” Trixie trotted up to Applejack, shoving an apple into the earth pony’s mouth to complete the hogtied look. “As to be expected, you are no match for The Great and Powerful Trixie!” Applejack began making sputtering noises through the apple when she recognized her captor. “We have successfully captured our quarry!” Trixie announced. “Quickly beasts, bring her into the tunnel!” The Diamond Dogs grabbed Applejack and scurried back into the hole, dragging the earth pony with them. Trixie followed them back underground. * At the Carousel Boutique, it had been a quiet day for Rarity. There hadn’t been many customers and she was currently occupying herself by working on some new designs in the back room. At the moment, she was running some fabric through her sewing machine when she heard the doorbell over the shop door ring. Rarity trotted in to the front room of her shop to greet her customer. “Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! I am Rari-“ she stopped and gasped when she caught sight of her visitor. “You!” “Yes, it is I, Photo Finish!” Photo Finish said, posing dramatically at the announcement of her name. “And I have come to see you, Rarity!” “M…Me?” Rarity squeaked, the word getting stuck in her throat on the way up. “Yes! I realized I made a terrible mistake! Your fashion designs and grace and beyond compare! I must capture…your magics!” “Oh my!” Rarity cried. “Are you saying…?” “Yes! I am to make you shine across Eqvestria!” Photo Finish declared, waving a hoof in the air over her head. Rarity squealed and started jumping up and down excitedly, unable to contain herself with the announcement of this news. “I merely need you to step outside with me, Rarity,” Photo Finish said, gesturing to the front door. “Of course!” Rarity cried, regaining her composure. “Anything for Photo Finish!” Photo Finish held the door open for Rarity, offering her to go first. If Rarity hadn’t been nearly bursting at the seams with the knowledge that she was about to become one of Equestria’s most famous fashion models, she would have thought this gesture of kindness was very strange coming from Photo Finish. But it was too late. A yellow claw shot out of the air and grasped Rarity around the neck, pinning her to the ground. Rarity tried to scream, but another claw had placed itself over the unicorn’s muzzle. “Listen pony…” Gilda said threateningly. “One sound out of you and you’re history. Got it?” “Ve have succeeded!” Photo Finish declared, speaking over Rarity’s whimpers. “Frankly, I don’t see why I couldn’t have just gone in and grabbed her myself,” Gilda huffed. “Too uncouth,” Photo Finish said sharply. “Now…we go!” Gilda took to the air, clutching Rarity in her claws. Photo Finish ran along the ground, following the griffon. * Pinkie Pie was cheerfully hopping around her room on the second floor of Sugarcube Corner. It had been another super happy fantastic pony-rific day in Ponyville, and all it was missing was a party! Now Pinkie just had to figure out what to throw a party for… “Got any ideas, Gummy?” Pinkie asked, referring to her pet alligator. Gummy stared back blankly. “I think I have an idea for a party…” a low voice said slowly. “Yes! Let us ceeleebrate the return of your real friends, Pinkie!” a vaguely French-sounding voice cried out. Pinkie stood straight up, her body going rigid. She turned around slowly to see a bucket of turnips, a sack of flour, a stack of rocks, and a ball of lint sitting at the other end of the room. “You’re no friends of mine,” Pinkie said darkly, a sudden and frightening change from her normally cheerful voice. “Now is that any way to address those who comforted you when you were alone?” Sir Lints-a-lot offered. “You didn’t comfort me!” Pinkie shrieked, pointing a hoof at the ball of lint accusingly. “You all wanted to make me a jealousy-jealous pants and leave my friends!” “But we’re your friends, not dat bunch of lo-sers!” Rocky said. “Come back to us, Pinkie…” Mr. Turnip said slowly. “Yes! Join us!” Madame LeFlour commanded. “NO! Stop! What are you doing?!” Pinkie squealed. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Downstairs, Mrs. Cake was looking up at the ceiling with some concern. “Do you think we should check on her?” she said to her husband. “Nah,” Mr. Cake said, pulling a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven. “I’m sure Pinkie’s just playing with Gummy. See, she’s already quieting down!” Mrs. Cake seemed satisfied by this. “You’re right, dear,” she said, returning to a tray of muffins. * Prince Blueblood approached the Ponyville library. Fortunately for him, the area was deserted – it would not do to have any of these filthy commoners coming up to him while he was carried out his mission. Owlowiscious had informed the prince when Twilight would be departing the library to visit one of her friends, leaving her dragon assistant alone at the library. This part of the plan was crucial: they had to cut off Twilight and her companions from their connection to Princess Celestia. The prince tapped a hoof on the door. After a moment, Spike opened the front door. “Hi there! Can I help – what…Prince Blueblood?!” Spike sputtered, taken aback. He had never met the prince, but he had seen him from a distance once or twice when he lived in Canterlot. “It’s customary to bow to royalty, underling,” Prince Blueblood huffed. “I don’t bow to anyone who upsets Rarity!” Spike growled, shoving a finger into the prince’s chest. “What are you doing in Ponyville, anyway? Here to torment Rarity again?” he said accusingly. “Actually, I am here to apologize for my actions,” the prince replied. “I realize I treated Lady Rarity poorly and wanted to come to make it up to her. May I enter your place of residence?” Spike still looked suspicious, but stepped back. “I suppose…” he muttered. “But you better not be thinking of trying anything with Rarity. She’s…already called for.” The prince strutted in through the door. “Here,” he said, levitating a black jewel out of a bag slung around his mane. “I was informed that you like jewels. Enjoy.” he stated, levitating it to Spike. “Hey, thanks!” Spike said. “Maybe you’re not such a bad pony after all…” he popped the jewel into his mouth. “Interesting flavor…what kind of jewel is this?” Prince Blueblood chuckled. “Interesting that you should ask about that. This is a very unique kind of gem…it has been cast with a spell that causes any dragon to eat it to instantly fall asleep. But I see you’ve already discovered that for yourself…” he added with a laugh, looking at the snoozing dragon. Horn glowing, the prince levitated his bag off his mane and scooped up Spike in one swift move before closing the bag. He turned to leave, the bag floating alongside him, when he almost collided with the gray pegasus with crossed eyes hovering at the front door. “GAH! What are you doing here?!” the prince cried. “I think I’m now a running joke! Oh and special delivery, your majesty!” the pegasus said, holding out an envelope. On the address label was written: Prince Blueblood Ponyville Library, 42 Pony Way Ponyville, Equestria “Uh, yes…thank you,” the prince stuttered, taking the envelope. The pegasus saluted before taking to the sky. The prince opened the envelope to find it was a colorful advertisement that said in large, bolded letters ‘FIND LOCAL DRAGON CATCHERS IN YOUR AREA!’ On the other side of the flyer was a similar advertisement, this one proclaiming ‘HOT, ELIGIBLE MARES IN PONYVILLE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!’ “How do they do that?” the prince muttered, marveling at the speed of advertisers these days. * Twilight Sparkle was in a panic. She had left to see Rarity, but found no one at the Carousel Boutique even though it appeared to be open. That was unusual in and of itself, but then she had returned to the library to find the door left open and Spike missing. It was at this point that she ran into Rainbow Dash, who told her she had been looking for Pinkie and having no luck. Dash had since located Fluttershy, but Applejack was nowhere to be found. Twilight was running through the town square for what felt like the hundredth time when she heard a shout from overhead. “Hey, Twi!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were hovering in the air. “Did you find them?” Twilight asked hopefully. “Um…Well, we think so…” Fluttershy muttered. “But that’s not all we found.” Dash said grimly, motioning Twilight to follow. They raced down the street to a spot on the edge of town, where a group of familiar figures were standing… “We did it!” one of the Diamond Dogs cheered. The Legion of Gloom was standing over the bound and gagged figures of three ponies and Spike. Rarity and Pinkie had terrified looks on their faces, while Applejack was struggling with her bonds. Spike had been outfitted with a wired faceguard which prevented him from opening his mouth and breathing any magical fire. “Wait…who collected the pink commoner?” Prince Blueblood asked. “I don’t remember her being part of the initial phase of the plan…and why is she sitting next to a bucket of turnips, a bunch of rocks, a sack of flour, and a ball of lint?” “Who cares?” Gilda scoffed. “We’ve got her and that’s all I care about!” “HEY!” a blue pegasus was approaching the group, followed by a yellow pegasus and a purple unicorn. “What’s going on here?” “Ve have been discovered!” Photo Finish exclaimed. “Well, well…” Gilda strode forward. “If it isn’t Rainbow Dash…” “GILDA?!?” Dash shouted, so shocked that she stopped moving forward. Fluttershy caught up with Dash first. “The Diamond Dogs?” Fluttershy said in a confused tone. “…Photo Finish?” “Prince Blueblood?” Twilight said, looking completely bewildered. “And…Trixie?” “That’s The Great and Powerful Trixie to you, foal!” Trixie shouted. “And soon you will have the privilege of adding Your Majesty to that title!” “Your…Majesty?” Dash muttered, raising an eyebrow. “Yes!” Trixie shouted triumphantly. “I have found an ideal companion in His Majesty, Prince Blueblood!” “Indeed!” the prince affirmed, locking eyes with the blue unicorn. “I shall marry her into royalty. She shall be Her Majesty, The Great and Powerful Princess Trixie!” At this Trixie threw her arms around the prince’s mane, kissing him savagely on the lips again. Spike, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy looked beyond shocked. “Ummm…” Fluttershy said slowly. “…what?” Twilight couldn’t comprehend what she was witnessing. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, looked unimpressed. “Eh, I’m not that surprised. Those two were made for each other.” For her part, Pinkie looked like she was trying not to giggle uncontrollably. Trixie finally broke from her embrace of the prince. “Now behold inferiors, as we, The Legion of Gloom, enact our revenge on you who have dared to wrong us!” at this she threw down a hoofful of powder which burst into a cloud of dust that shrouded the entire area. Twilight and Fluttershy coughed and sputtered, while Dash had the presence of mind to lift into the air and make several swoops at the dust cloud, cutting it apart and clearing it away. But when the cloud finally dispersed, it was to show that the Legion of Gloom had vanished, along with their captives. Unseen to Dash, Fluttershy or Twilight was a well-hidden hole situated at the foot of a tree, which connected to a tunnel leading back to the Froggy Bottom Bog.
JohnPerry	1171	3	Gilda,Photo Finish,Prince Blueblood,Trixie,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	Legion of Gloom	Banded together from the remote regions of Equestria, the Legion of Gloom seeks to harm the Mane 6!	complete	126	3	<p>Banded together from the remote regions of Equestria, the Legion of Gloom seeks to do grave harm to the Mane 6! How they will do this without killing each other first is beyond me.</p>	everyone	2011-10-03T17:43:13+00:00	2011-10-03T17:43:13+00:00	3,091	Chapter Three: FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Any self-respecting brony will be familiar with the Elements of Harmony, the magical power which Twilight and her friends used to stop Nightmare Moon when Twilight first came to Ponyville. These elements – Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty and Magic – when brought together by the spark of Friendship, can face down the darkest of foes. These elements reflect the values held most dear by the good ponies of Equestria. However, there is another set of elements in Equestria, which reflect a pony’s darker nature. These elements are the direct opposite of the Elements of Harmony, and combined they can wreak terrible damage upon the just and innocent. Take the Diamond Dogs. They sought to ponynap an innocent mare from her friends, put her to work at a task she was ill-suited to handle, give no thanks for her hard work, and collect anything she had received without any payment. The opposite of kindness in every way, the Diamond Dogs represent the Element of Nastiness. Or Prince Blueblood. Where the Element of Laughter brings joy to everpony around her and can make the darkest of situations easier to bear, Prince Blueblood has only ever managed to bring pain and misery to everypony he meets, be it the servants he treats so awfully or the young mares whose hearts he has broken. He reflects the Element of Sorrow. And then there’s Photo Finish. Vain and sure of her success, she sought to ignore the wishes of the models who worked for her, seeing them not as ponies of feeling but as mere subjects to photograph and money to be gained. Far from generous, she reflects the Element of Greed. When it comes to honesty, there is no equal to Applejack. And so it is with her opposite, the self-centered Trixie. Always looking for another crowd to exploit and bolstering her name by telling of deeds she never accomplished, she is the very manifestation of the Element of Falsehood. Or take Gilda. Unwilling to accept her old friend’s companions, Gilda chose to abandon Rainbow Dash rather than come to terms with the fact that she was no longer the center of the pegasus’ universe, and may never have been. Her willingness to turn her back marks her as the Element of Betrayal. But the most dangerous element is the last, for it is also the spark that has brought these other elements together. It is the opposite of the order and focus that entails the use of magic. It is reflected by Pinkie’s imaginary friends, for this element is what gave birth to them and what drove the other elements to form the Legion of Gloom, to pursue the dreams of revenge. This last element…is the Element of Insanity. Mind you, I’m only telling you all this because I thought it sounded cool. There’s no magic or powers involved with these elements, like with the Elements of Harmony. And none of the characters in this story know that these elements even exist. I’m only telling you this because it makes the Legion of Gloom sound way more intimidating and unified than they actually are – the elements have absolutely no effect on the events of this story whatsoever. I’m sorry if you were expecting something awesome to come out of all that text, I just thought it would sound neat. My apologies to anyone who got their hopes up, and I hope this doesn’t effect your enjoyment of the rest of the story. We now return to your scheduled fan fiction, already in progress… * “Our plan is working perfectly!” Prince Blueblood cried triumphantly. The Legion of Gloom had returned to their headquarters in the Froggy Bottom Bog and were now standing around the still bound and gagged figures of Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Spike. “Of course!” Trixie said. “What less would you expect with The Great and Powerful Trixie working on your side?” “Frankly, I didn’t think it was going to be so easy…” one of the Diamond Dogs muttered, only for the other two to nudge him sharply and give him a look that quite plainly said ‘Shut up now.’ “Now ve have to figure out what to with ze prisoners!” Photo Finish pointed out. “Well, I know what I’m doing with you…” Gilda growled, approaching Pinkie. “I’m going to give you a little ‘flying lesson.’ I’ll just drop you from above the clouds. Don’t worry, I’ll catch you before you hit the ground…maybe.” However, Pinkie wasn’t paying attention to Gilda, instead focusing on something else in the room. Rarity seemed to have noticed this. “Mmit. My mif mer ahm muck wuv fower, ahm saf wuv rofs, ahm wall wuv mint man ahm vuckef wuv furnis nef to Vinkie?” Rarity garbled through the bandana covering her muzzle, which roughly translated meant “Wait. Why is there a sack of flour, a stack of rocks, a ball of lint and a bucket of turnips next to Pinkie?” “Don’t be getting too rough with the prisoners yet, half-breed!” Trixie yelled. “We need them as the ransom to get the other three! And The Great and Powerful Trixie will not rest until she has that inferior Sparkle!” “Nor I, Photo Finish, with ze Flootershy!” Photo Finish jumped in. Gilda glowered at the two of them for a second before shrugging. “I guess I could afford to wait. There’s still Rainbow Dash, after all.” “Someone call my name?” a confident voice called out from behind them. The group turned around abruptly to see none other than Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash standing at the end of the hall, looking confident and impressive. “What…HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!?” Trixie screamed. “HOW DOES EVERYPONY KEEP FINDING THIS PLACE?!” “Because there was a spy in your midst!” Twilight said dramatically as a brown owl swept up from behind her and landed softly on Twilight’s back. “You thought that Owlowiscious was working for you, but in fact he was a double-agent! The moment you ponynapped our friends, Owlowiscious told us how to find your headquarters!” Owlowiscious gave a small “Hoo!” at this. Even through his mouth guard, Spike was able to mutter something through gritted teeth that sounded an awful lot like “Show off…” “And now,” Twilight continued. “Your days are numbered! Before we left Ponyville I sent off a letter to Princess Celestia, who is sure to send dozens of royal guards here to rescue us within moments!” There was a loud tap on the wall behind Twilight. The unicorn turned around and pressed the hoof-sized button on the wall to open the door. The gray pegasus with crossed eyes was hovering outside. “Sorry ma’am, insufficient postage,” the pegasus grunted at Twilight, giving her a dirty look she obviously reserved only for those who dared to cheat the system (at least, it seemed like a dirty look…it was somewhat undercut by the crossed eyes). Twilight looked at the envelope: Princess Celestia 1620 Highly Dangerous Situation Nightmare Crater, The Moon Under the single solitary stamp was stamped in harsh red letters ‘INSUFFICIENT POSTAGE.’ “Nuts,” Twilight sighed. “And I left my satchel with all my bits at home. Well ponies, I guess we’re going to have to handle this on our own.” “And how do you propose to do that?” Prince Blueblood announced. “There’s eleven of us and only four of you! You’re hopelessly outnumbered!” He paused for a second. “Wait…eleven? No, there are only seven of us…why did I say eleven?” He muttered, scratching his head. “Well no matter, you’re still outnumbered!” Trixie shouted. “Uh…hello?” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Equestria’s best young flyer, Ponyville’s greatest magician, and the world’s best animal expert here!” “Vaht does being an animal expert have anyzing to do with rescuing your friends?” Photo Finish asked. At that moment, there was a massive movement coming from behind Fluttershy. Wave after wave of adorable creatures – small mammals, amphibians, and birds – appeared behind the yellow pegasus, looking steely and ready for battle. Angel the Bunny was wearing a pasta strainer upside down on his head and holding a carrot like an assault rifle. “Now everybody,” Fluttershy directed the animals. “Please don’t be too hard with them, okay? Mr. Hawk, don’t claw anyone’s eyes out again, okay? And Mrs. Beaver, I don’t want to see you chewing off any limbs this time, all right?” the hawk and beaver Fluttershy were addressing looked ashamed for a moment, but nodded. “Everypony ready?” Twilight called. “And…CHARGE!!!” she lowered her head and ran at the Legion of Gloom, followed by Rainbow Dash, Owlowiscious and the dozens of forest animals. It was chaos. The individual members of the Legion of Gloom had dispersed in different directions, each fighting a different battle. Owlowiscious and a few of the chipmunks had already clawed or chewed through the ropes binding Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack, releasing them within moments. A woodpecker was trying to remove Spike’s face guard but not having much luck, much to Spike’s discomfort. Rainbow Dash and a contingent of hummingbirds were battling Gilda in the air, swooping and diving at each other. Twilight was taking on the Diamond Dogs, using her magic against their brute strength, while Rarity was facing down Prince Blueblood (literally – Rarity was screaming in the face of the prince, who had decided to cower against a wall). Angel Bunny was dueling Photo Finish, the rabbit using a carrot while the fashion photographer wielded a tripod she got from who knows where. Trixie was now defending herself against a very angry Applejack and a bunch of frogs. Nopony in the room seemed to have noticed Pinkie shouting at four apparently inanimate objects. “I should have turned you into cupcakes!” she screamed at Madame LeFlour before giving it a mighty buck, ripping the canvas cover and causing white flour to spill on the floor. “And I should have made you into cookies!” she leveled a kick at Mr. Turnip, causing it to crash on the ground and a number of turnips to spill out. Pinkie suddenly stopped and put a hoof on her chin. “Wait, no…that wouldn’t make any sense. Turnip cookies would taste awful! Then again, I’ve never actually tried turnip cookies so maybe I shouldn’t judge before I’ve had some. But how would you make turnips into cookies?” as she was mulling this over she managed to back into Rocky, causing Pinkie to jump several feet into the air. “Oh, thought you could sneak up on me, huh?” Pinkie shouted at Rocky. The stack of rocks was standing next to Sir Lints-a-lot. “And team up to take me down?” Pinkie hollered. “Well, you’d better be ready for my PINK-FU!” she stood on her hind legs and gave a number of sharp kicks and jabs before swiping at Rocky, causing the top two rocks to fall off and pin Sir Lints-a-lot to the ground. Pinkie smiled slyly. “You are a formidable opponent, but you are no match for me!” she said in a vaguely Asian accent, somehow managing to speak it aloud and out of sync with the movements of her mouth at the same time. “What…is…your…DEAL?!” Rainbow Dash gritted through her teeth, diving at Gilda with each word. “You left to hang out with that lame-o Pinkie!” Gilda shouted, swiping at a passing hummingbird with her claw. “I thought we went over this!” Dash cried. “What, am I not allowed to have new friends?” Gilda decided to answer this with by diving at Rainbow Dash, her claws extended and ready to cut, when she was knocked out of the air by one of the Diamond Dogs, who had been sent flying by a spell from Twilight. “-MOST UNCOUTH, DISGUSTING, PRETENTIOUS, VILE PONY THAT I HAVE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO MEET!” Rarity’s scream rang throughout the room, interrupted only by a scream from Trixie as a frog landed on her horn, knocking her hat off. In another corner of the room, a surprisingly loud ‘thunk!’ was heard when Photo Finish’s tripod struck Angel’s carrot. “Zis is the end of the line…for you!” Photo Finish said sharply. Angel gave her a glare that quite plainly said “Bring it, toots.” Nearby, Gummy and Owlowiscious were surrounded by a crowd of animals, but there was no fight here – the alligator and the owl seemed to be taking bets on each of the fights and the animals were placing fruits, acorns, and other items of value to the forest creatures down and going back and forth over the odds of each fighter. And so it would have continued, had Prince Blueblood not backed into the panel of buttons on the wall behind him. “STORY TERMINATION SEQUENCE INITIATED” a loud, robotic voice overwhelmed every other noise in the room. It was accompanied by flashing red lights and repetitive sirens and caused every individual in the room to freeze in place, trying to figure out what was happening. Prince Blueblood backed sharply away from the wall before dashing over to Trixie. “Hold me, my love!” he hollered, attempting to jump into Trixie’s front legs only to pin the unfortunate blue unicorn to the ground. Twilight looked around her. The red lights were blinking faster, the sirens growing more frequent as the entire world seemed to be shimmering slightly at the edges, falling away from Twilight. “This doesn’t make any sense…” Twilight muttered. “It’s almost as if I’ve been…” * Twilight awoke with a start. “…dreaming?” she muttered slowly. Her eyes began to focus and adjust to the light…first she could see the book her head had apparently fallen asleep on, drool forming a small puddle on the pages…then she could see the desk with other books and a set of quills sitting next to a couple of empty cups and a glass bottle half-full of a brownish-red liquid…then the rest of the library…and then finally the windows and the morning sky beyond them. The unicorn groaned and lifted herself off her desk. “That’s it…” she muttered to herself. “I’ve got to start going easier on the apple cider…” her eyes found a plate on the floor littered with crumbs. “And no more Pinkie Pie treats before I go to sleep.” She yawned and stretched for a second before there was a knock at her door. Twilight grunted and got up to answer it. “Welcome to the Ponyville Library, how can I-“ she was cut off when her visitor, a gray pegasus with crossed eyes, thrust her face into Twilight’s, giving her an angry and thoroughly disappointed expression. “Really? Really?! You sunk to the lowest common denominator? The ‘Oh, it was all just a dream!’ set up?” Derpy Hooves demanded. “…What? What are you talk-“ Twilight was interrupted when Derpy shoved a hoof into Twilight’s mouth. “Tsk, tsk. Couldn’t come up with a decent ending, so you reverted to the worst of clichés. Oh sure, the idea of a team of supervillains, well that’s just comedic gold, but when the time comes to actually make them do something you drop the ball! And here I was really enjoying myself!” Derpy removed her hoof from Twilight’s muzzle and turned around in a huff. “STORY! I WANT TO SEE YOUR SUPERVISOR! THIS WILL NOT DO!” she screamed at the sky before taking to the air. Twilight stared at the receding figure of Derpy, mouth agape and unable to process what had just happened. “The ponies in this town are crazy…” she finally muttered to herself before stepping back inside and closing the door. Fin

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