This story is a fan-fiction of MLP:FiM. I don't own any of it. It belongs to Hasbro, etc, etc.
Don't sue. Seriously. That would be so uncouth.
Chapter 18
I awoke groggily and uncomfortably to an annoying noise that rung in my head. I sat up on one hoof and a traveling cloak slid off of my body. I slowly rubbed my eyes before almost jumping out of my skin. Where had the cloak come from?!? I took stock of where I was by looking aroun in a large circle. Ok, still in a forest on the outskirts of Ponyville, but it wasn't the Everfree. From where the sun was, it looked like it was a little after noon. So where, or more likely, from who did this cloak come from?
My musings melted away when I heard the trickling of the stream next to me and my stomach growled loudly. I inched towards the water, suddenly feeling very weak and I took a small sip of the water. It tasted cool, crisp, and fresh. I eyed it, wondering if it was truly good to drink, but I forgot about it when my stomach growled again, making me dig my muzzle into the stream and drink deeply. I slowly sat up when I was finished drinking and climbed to my hooves even slower, feeling the hunger take it's toll on my body. I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, two days ago. I walked away from the stream slowly and stumbled before falling to the ground.
I closed my eyes expecting to hit the ground hard, but I opened them in wonder when I didn't. I glanced around and found myself encased in a silver glow.
“Easy there boyo. Don't want you hurtin' yourself so soon.” said a deep voice from behind me. I felt the magic slowly fade, and I caught myself on my hooves. I tried to move quickly to face the unicorn that had held me in his magic, but nopony was there when I did so.
“I know you're out there.” I said to the suddenly quiet forest as I glanced around.
CRRRRUNCH! Went the sound of an apple being bitten into right beside my ear. I jumped and instinctively kicked at the noise. My kick hit nothing but air and I hear the deep voice again.
“Tisk, tisk, tisk. That won't do you any good.”
I was getting fed up with the playing around of the random unicorn. “Come out right now! I know you're playing with me!” An apple core flew out of nowhere and bounced gently off of my head, from right between my eyes. I heard a sly chuckle from behind me and I flipped around and aimed a kick at the voice.
I was caught mid-air in the magical field again, only this time I was completely immobile. “If you can't take the kid from the fight, then take the fight from the kid.” said the voice as I was lowered and re-positioned into sitting on my haunches against a large boulder. My eyes went wide at I saw the owner of the voice who slowly fluttered down to the ground in front of me.
He was a large elderly stallion with a coat of pure white and a mane of silver. He had a goatee of silver as well, but what made my eyes go wide was that he had a large pair of snowy wings AND a long shining horn.
“An alicorn?” I tried to say.
The alicorn saw the look on my face and smiled. “What? You thought your Princesses were the only ones?”
I tried to nod, but was unsuccessful. The alicorn saw this and grimaced. “Sorry about that.” he said as the glow faded from around me and his horn. Then my mouth fell open and I just gawked at him. He looked amused at me and struck a pose.
“I know. I'm magnificent ain't I?” he said mockingly.
I closed my mouth quickly and shook my head as he laughed. “But how is there another alicorn?”
“There is Princess Cadenza Mi Amore.....” said the alicorn, looking at his hoof a little boredly.
“Yeah, but there should only be three.”
Te alicorn cast a sidelong glance at me and shook his head. “Schools these day just aren't what they used to be. Ever read your history book as a kid?”
“I guess...?”
“I'm just screwin' with ya'. Celestia never published THAT history book.” he said rolling his eyes.
“So who are you?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” he said at he magicked the cloak over to himself and pulled out a delicious looking apple from one of its pockets. I eyed it carnivorously and he saw with a flat look on his face. He threw it to me, which I caught quickly as he said “I guess I'll start with the introductions.”
“I am Century Sentry. Alicorn of Time and all that is to be or ever has been. Also older brother to Celestia and Luna and Great-Great-Great-Uncle to Princess Cadence.” he said a bow and gesture of his hoof. I chocked on the apple as he said the part about Celestia, Luna, and Cadence.
“If you're their brother, why didn't you ever visit?” I coughed out.
“Even if I can control time, there are rules. I only meet with my siblings and relatives when the time is right.”
I nodded, not sure if I could trust what he was saying. But then again, he WAS an alicorn.... “So it's like the thing where you can't go back in time and talk to yourself?”
He looked at me and then a large, crazy smile broke out on his face. “Oh buck no! I do that all the time. A past, or future, you make for an interesting drinking buddy.” he said as he looked off into the distance. “Good times, good times....” I heard him mutter under his breath before he faced me again. “So who are you?”
“Aren't you the 'alicorn of all that is to be or ever has been'?” I asked between bites of the apple.
He rolled his eyes. “Great. Another smart-ass. Just because I am all that, doesn't mean I have to know your name. So who in Tartarus are you?”
I pointed to the cloak again. “Another apple please.” Century Sentry sighed and produced another apple, passing it to me with his wing. I took a few bites and Century waited with his head on a hoof for me to finish.
“My name's Crimson. Ex-Captain of Puck Unit of the Lunar Battalion.”
“Ahh, very nice. So how'd you become 'ex-captain'?”
I took another bite and chewed it slowly. “I have a mental disease. PTSD.”
“Bummer.” Century said, making a face that made him look like he had just sucked on a lemon.
“Yeah.” I said before continuing to eat the apple. There was an awkward silence between us for a while as I ate. Even when I was done with the apple, Century didn't start to talk again. Actually, he rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky and started to whistle a song. I looked at him and was very puzzled.
I had just met an alicorn, one of which nopony knew existed, and all I got from him was two apples and an introduction. He was an alicorn, so he could help me, right? I cleared my throat, but Century didn't look up.
“Since you're an alicorn can you.....”
“Was that you a day or two ago?” he interrupted me.
“What do you mean?”
“The earthquake in Ponyville.” he said rolling over onto his side to look at me. He propped his head up on a hoof and asked “Was that you?”
I gulped and shuffled my hooves while my gaze drifted to the ground. “Yeah.” I said guiltily, like a colt caught eating a cookie before dinner.
Century whistled. “Quite a lot of power condensed in one little package.”
“Hey!”
“But a few problems in letting it all out. Probably a stopped up exit.” he nodded to himself as he stood up again. He took a big step away from me and shrugged his shoulders and cracked his neck. “Alright kiddie, come on.” he said waiving a hoof in the universal 'come at me'.
“You gotta be kidding me.”
Century shrugged his shoulders. “Fine. If you're too scared to start this dance, I will.”
I was thrown off of my hooves less than a second later.
I landed on the hard earth and saw stars. I shook my head and Century was hopping in place where I had once stood.
“That was cheap! You used magic.”
“No magic, no wings. I promise.” Century said grimly. “Now come on, we only have a night to do this.” I wondered what he meant, but I stood up anyway. I took up my fighting position I had learned so long ago in my very first Colt Maga classes and readied myself. I was thrown back again.
Getting up for a second time, I growled at Century's attacks. He had to be cheating somehow.
“You need to feel.” he said to me as we squared off again.
“Yeah, and you'll feel this!” I said as I lunged quickly at him. My front hoof hit air as Century sidestepped me and I felt a hoof hit my chest. I felt all the air leave my lungs and I went flying for a third time, but I didn't get up from this one. Century stepped on my side as I gasped for air, pinning me to the earth.
“Tisk. Tisk. Tisk. That's enough fighting for now. I know what your problem is.”
“That. I. Have. Random. Outbreaks. Of. Insanity. And. Destroy. Things.” I said in a staccato breath.
“Sorta.” Century said while he scratched behind an ear with his wing. “It has more to do with your mental thing, but mostly from your magic.”
“What?” I asked as Century pulled his hoof off of me and sat down.
“Sit up. But yes, it all stems from your magic...kinda. Tell me how you got PTSD.”
I sat there and told him about my unit, Puck, about the love of my life, Oakleaf Harp, and about how she met her end, and I met the end of my normal life. By the time I was done, the sun had sunk low in the sky, and from what my stomach told me, it was dinner time. Century heard my stomach and must have agreed with it, since he magicked his cloak over to himself and turned it upside down, pulling one of the pockets open wide, and a rain of apples came out. He flipped the cloak right-side up and I counted fifteen apples from that one pocket.
“Hmmm. Quite the dilemma.” he said while chewing into an apple. I took one and bit into it as well while Century continued to look at the apples, pondering what to do next.
“So it sounds like your problem is the memory of your late-great wife, huh?”
“Counting that I scream her name every time I have an attack, I'd say yes.” I quipped back sharply, not liking how he casually talked about Oakleaf.
“Ok.” he said noticing my tone, but not caring from the look on his face. “So let me guess, a few ponies have told you to 'move on' and other bs like that?”
“Um, yeah actually.”i said surprised.
“Yeah, that's not gonna work to well. You're gonna keep on trying to 'move on' but small things will remind you of her and you'll have an attack again.” he said calmly, eating his apple. “Basically, I'm gonna teach you that you don't need to move on. You can live with her memory and your present life together, in harmony.”
“So you'll help me?”
“Meh, to a point.” he said before he gazed into my eyes seriously. “But first I need you to promise me some things.”
“Yeah, sure. Anything.”
Century snorted. “Careful when you say that. But first, you must promise me that you will listen to and do everything I tell you to tonight, even if it hurts.”
“Ok.” I nodded.
Century pointed towards the way I had come from a two days ago. “No matter what you hear coming from that town, Ponyville, you MUST NOT leave the forest tonight. If you leave tonight, not only will you never be able to beat your disease and master your attacks, but you will die after hurting all the ponies that you love and care for.”
The apple in my hoof slipped and fell to the ground. “What?” I asked shakily.
“Do you promise not to leave these woods?” he asked gravely.
“Yeah.” I said, scared for my life for the second time in two days.
Century sat back. “Good. At least you're not stupid.” He ate another apple and we sat in silence, each taking an apple when we wanted another. We continued until all the apples were gone and the sun had started to set. Century stood up and stretched and motioned for me to do the same.
“You're not gonna be able to move for a while, so you might as well stretch while you can.” His words left me guessing, but I did as he instructed. I felt some of my joints and bones crack and pop and I flexed my muscles slowly, helping warm up my whole body. Then Century took up a stance on the ground and dug his hooves into the earth, locking his legs in place. I continued to follow his lead.
“Remember when I said that some of this stuff might hurt?” he said as his horn started to glow. I suddenly felt very apprehensive about what I was doing in these woods with this relative stranger.
“Now hold still or I might rip your sanity away.”
“Hold up.......AHHHHHH!!” I shouted as Century blasted me with a magical spell.
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I awoke floating in darkness, but like in my attacks, I could see my body in third person. I looked around and saw nothing but pitch black. Then a flash of brilliant light blinded me for a second and Century appeared.
“It always takes a few seconds to get myself in too.” his voice echoed throughout the darkness.
“Where are we?” I asked, my voice echoing as well.
“Just in your mind. Nothing too fancy. Now let's go solve your little problem.” he said as his horn glowed again. The darkness we were floating in exploded into light and color and my past experiences flew past me from various angles. Some were in first person, others in third, and possibly the weirdest of all, some were in the perspective of other ponies and I could see my reactions and facial expressions in each of them.
My past kept flooding past me, the last attack, the party with Ditzy, the couple's arrival, the first attack in Ponyville, my arrival, me first attack I ever had, my time in the hospital, and finally the fight where Oakleaf was killed and my life fell into this cycle of pain. The blur of motion slowed and the scene stopped at the point right before Oakleaf was about to die.
My whole team was frozen, as was that of the unicorn cult, and even the fireball that was about to engulf my love was frozen mid-air. It's heat was visible in my third person view, coiling around Oakleaf and her magical shield. It hurt to see my pained expression along with Oakleaf's sad but knowing one. I turned my head from the sight, but Century pulled me.
“Look. This is where it all started.”
“I know.” I whispered in pain.
Century played the memory for me again and I felt the pain rise in my soul. My heart wrenched to save Oakleaf and to stop this unnecessary pain. However, Century watched intently. Reflected in his eyes, I could see every movement, every breath, scream, and bead of sweat. But I also saw something more. I saw the past of each pony and for some, their futures.
Century looked at me sharply and grabbed my leg with his hoof.
“You ready?” he asked.
“For what?” I said gazing into his eternal eyes.
“To show me what you feel.” he said as he pushed me. I fell from where we were watching and landed into my body. I gazed out at the all to familiar scene as Century's horn glowed again. I saw Oakleaf glance back to me and my world fell apart right there. There was nothing in this world left for me and I knew I would destroy everything until I had her back.
“There!” Century said from beside me. I jumped and the scene froze at the beginning again. “That was when your end began. But we can change it for the better.”
“How?”
“Tell me what you felt right there. When your wife was encompassed in flame.”
Biting back the pain and urge to hit Century I spoke. “I felt like nothing else in the world mattered.”
“And?”
“And that I'd do anything to get her back.”
“And?”
“And that I'd destroy everything until I get her back.” I said realizing what he was trying to get me to notice. “But how does this have anything to do with my PTSD?”
“Do not watch, but feel rather. Close your eyes and focus on what you feel.” Century mentored.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I felt the same pain and anger as the horrible event played out, but I felt something else too. Something I didn't even know I had done.
“I was connected to the earth's magic.” I said with understanding, opening my eyes.
“And?”
“And when my feelings mixed with all the magic, something happened.”
“Exactly.” Century said nodding slowly. “I believe you are familiar with magical feedback?”
“Yeah. It happened to me once, and I felt as sick as a dog.”
“Well it's impossible for earth ponies to get magical feedback.”
“Then...”
“Since earth ponies are always connected to the earth's magic, even when they aren't trying, it is almost impossible for them to get magical feedback. But what happened to you is much different.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling hopeful for the first time in what seemed like centuries.
“As every earth pony knows, the Earth itself is a living thing. You feel when it's best to plant, or where the best metals are to be forged and used as tools. So why do you get sick and have attacks now?”
“It's because I remember this.” I said waving a hoof around at the memorial scene.
“Yes! Now when your emotions and pain mixed with the Earth's magic, it reacted. Its magic is meant to give life and protect, not destroy! So what do you think happened?”
I racked my brain. All of this was so confusing. “I don't know.....From what you say, the Earth probably.....put up a barrier to stop me from using it's magic destructively.” I said. It all dawned on me. The moment my rage and despair touched the Earth's magic, it stopped me from abusing it. So that horrible day so many months ago was when this truly started. The PTSD was just a side effect from the barrier the earth had put on my magic supply. Every time I remembered Oakleaf's death, the precise moment of my destructive impulses, the Earth reacted based on my emotions. The more I remembered it, the more the Earth reacted. It was a big cycle.
“But Century, we can't change it. It was a few months ago....unless you cant take me back int time!” I said excitedly.
“I can do something better.” he said with a sad smile. “But this will hurt the worst.” He grabbed my arm and threw me again, but this time I went sailing across the few yards and landed in Oakleaf's body.
I could feel the heat and the pain the fireball caused, and I could also feel the frantic heartbeats in Oakleaf as she realized she was going to die. But then I felt something magical. She turned her head to face me and I felt the incredible love she felt for me and the rest of the team. Her smile brought happiness and solace to my broken heart and she turned to face the fireball once again. I felt her open her horn's magic up to the power of anything around her, mainly, the power of the earth. I opened up myself to the Earth along with her and I felt the rush of energy, energy meant to protect and give life build up in her and give her the strength to stop the powerful destruction of the fireball by herself.
Her death came swift and I was left with the most conflicted feeling I have ever felt. I was crying not only because I was in pain at her death, but because I was happy too. Her strong feelings of love fought against my pain at missing her. Slowly, my tears stopped and my sobs became hiccups and then my hiccups became laughter. I realized that Oakleaf had been the very essence of what the Earth was. She was protection and life, while I tried to be something I wasn't destruction and hatred. I shouldn't want to destroy and kill the Fire-Eaters or any other ponies. I should only want to protect all my loved ones. That's all that really mattered.
I felt a hoof on my shoulder and looked up to see a smiling Century. I returned his smile with a genuine, happy smile, something I hadn't had in a long time. His horn glowed and we left the scene of pain, but also of love, and possibly redemption.