//------------------------------// // Time // Story: Trapped // by Gylden Glor //------------------------------// I take a deep breath as a gentle breeze comes through, caressing my shoulder as it gives its condolences. I nod to the silence as my hands rest in my pockets, staring at what has become, for me, a happy reminder of the past, a dark insignia of the present... And a foreboding obelisk of the future. "Daddy?" I'm brought out my reverie by the small voice. I turn and give my best smile to the young colt. "Yes, Ezekiel?" Ezekiel, my son - a part of me, quite literally - gulps as he casts his eyes between the tombstone and myself. I wait patiently for whatever it is that he has to say, as I understand that the five-year-old mind has a hard time wrapping itself around the idea of death, and even worse, the idea of absence. He has his mothers' eyes - a passionate red with flecks of lighter and darker shades. His mane and tail are both short and neat, just like his mother always liked him to look, especially since the gentle red hue his hair sports seems to flow from the blue of his fur when it's cut nice and neat. "Is...is Mommy happy?" He asks, softly, his voice barely a whisper. I smile as I kneel down towards him, and take his hoof in my hand, my suit rippling as I look him in the eye. "When she looks through her window and she sees you, she's always happy," I say, softly. He smiles at me. "But at the same time, she's very angry at me." "Why?" Ezekiel asks, his eyes full of concern. "Because your mommy is a very, very impatient mare," I respond with a smile. Ezekiel giggles a little, and I kiss him on the forehead as I stand, bringing him up with me so I can carry him. "And right now, wherever she may or may not be, she's waiting for me to go get her." Ezekiel smiles sadly. It's something I've been telling him for a long time now - "one day, I'm going to go get Mommy, and she's going to be so glad to see you..." I only wish he believed me. And at the same time, I only wish it wasn't true... "And wherever she is, she's also wishing you a very happy birthday," I say softly. "And what do you do when somepony wishes you happy birthday?" Ezekiel sad smile grows bit. "We say thank you," he respond. "Exactly. Now, go thank Mommy." He nods, and turns to his mothers' grave. He sits down before it, and stares at the name as he says, "thank you, Mommy. I love you..." The wind rubs against my ear drum, and I smile as I hear the message it has for me. "She loves you, too," I announce. "She just told me." Ezekiel stands as he looks to me with a small smile. "Daddy, stop joking - Mommy can't tell you..." "Yes she can," I respond with confidence. "Really?" I nod. "Really." "Thennn...what does she think about my flying?" He squeals as he hops into the air, unfurling his wings to keep him aloft. I chuckle lightly as the wind whispers. "He says that it's impressive for colt so young, but that you've got to work on moving forward," I announce. Ezekiel giggles as he lands, and bounds over to me. "Yep, that's Mommy alright!" He exclaims. I pick him up, and smile at him as we begin to walk. "See? I told you." He giggles lightly, and I stop as we come to the group of ponies that had waited for us. I nod to Twilight Sparkle, whose crown glints in the sunlight as I place Ezekiel down next to her. "Now, you be a good boy," I order. "I've got to go say one last thing to Mommy, alright?" Ezekiel nods, and I smile to Twilight. "Go on," she says, softly. "We've all had our turns to speak to Rainbow. It's time you do, too." I nod, and turn on my heel as I return to the cyan Pegasus' grave. I sit down before it, producing a rainbow-colored flower from within my sleeve with a flourish. "I've been genetically engineering this flower just for you," I announce. Silence. "It's a special flower, you know. I could pick it, and then grow a new one with nothing but a single petal. Each petal is actually a seed - that's why the petals shine like rainbows. The seeds are made out of a certain material that reflects the light chromatically, and -" The wind rustles, informing me that it finds the information boring. I chuckle lightly as I place the flower down on the mount of dirt that is the grave, and proceed to pluck off a single petal, which I then shove into the loamy dirt. "I can't believe it's only been five years," I announce with a wistful smile. "It feels like just yesterday that you kissed me on that bench, behind the hospital..." The wind responds, recounting how I had pushed her away after our first kiss. I nod with a chuckle. "Well, I was stupid," I announce. There's a lull in conversation, during which I stare at the name, as well as the dates below it. A tear forms as I place a single hand on the image of her Cutie Mark. "I miss you, Rainbow," I say softly. "I know you're there, but...every night, I miss you, so much...not being able to hold you, not being able to wake up to you..." The wind wraps around me, and I nod. "I love you, too, Dashie...what I wouldn't give to go back and see you one more time..." A whisper. "I know, I'll see you again, but...I wish I could see you in the same way we always saw each other, before the Changelings captured me, before my powers were awakened, before everything became so...threatened, so...serious..." I pause to take a breath. "I wish we could just be blissful lovers again, Dash..." A breeze, so light that I can barely even feel it, brushes against my cheek. I smile as it continues to flow. "I just...I..." My words are stopped by a second breeze. A breeze that carries with it three words. It is time. I look to the sky, and the sun agrees, its rays sending my retinas the same signals. The moon agrees, its gravitational pull causing the water to wave in excitement as it agrees, as well. The grass beneath my fingers agree, tickling my palm with the sense of purpose, and the sense of time. I look up with a grin, and run my hand across the tombstone. The words are wiped away, and all that is left is her Cutie Mark. I stand, wiping a few tears away as I turn and walk back to the group. I stop before them, and they perk up as they see my stature: I haven't stood so straight in four years... "Ezekiel," I announce, beckoning the Pegasus over. "Yes, Daddy?" He asks, approaching me with a smile. I kneel down as I look into his eyes. "You're going to have to stay with Aunt Twilight for a while," I inform him. "I've got to go away for a long time, alright? When I get back...I have no doubt that you'll be all grown-up." "Why?" He asks, tears starting to fill his eyes. "I don't want you to go, Daddy..." I smile. "I don't want to go either," I inform him. "Then why are you going?" "Because if I don't...then nothing I ever do will ever matter." He sniffles, wiping a few tears away with a hoof. "Where...where are you going, Daddy?" "To a place where they can't follow," I respond. He frowns, and I smile sadly as I pull him into a hug. "I love you so much, Ezekiel...I'm sorry that it has to be like this, I really am. But I have to go..." He nods, and I kiss him on the forehead. "I love you," I repeat as I take a step back. "Don't ever forget that." He nods again, and I squeeze my eyes shut. When I open them, it is to a world of darkness. I take a deep breath before stepping off of the single light of this realm, and starting my trek towards the only thing that is here for me. I'm coming, Rainbow Dash... Five Years Earlier... I look over at Rainbow Dash, who is standing at attention as Celestia considers the Griffon General before her. I take a deep breath, and Rainbow nudges me in the leg. "What's up?" She asks as I kneel down to hear her. "Celestia's just been staring at this guy for, like, a half hour..." "She's trying to break into his mind," I whisper in response. "It's not going very well, though - pretty soon, he's going to be able to block her out entirely..." As if on cue, Celestia breaks her eye contact with the Griffon with a sigh. "You have clearly had a great amount of training..." "Yes, your Highness." I frown. "Then...I am afraid we must resort to torture." The Griffon nods. "I'm afraid we must." Celestia pauses. "You're very brave," she announces. "But I will have answers." "Nothing you could do will break me," he responds. Guards come to escort him, and he silently allows himself to be escorted to a jail cell. "Now, Gilda...if you would, please gather the rest of the rebel Griffons. I wish to house them here, at the castle." Gilda, the leader of the new Rebellion, salutes. "Yes, ma'am!" She cries, before flying out the window. Celestia now turns to Rainbow and I, and nods. "Well, Peter, I'll have to call you up here to get answers out of him sooner or later," she announces. "But until then, I think that it would be best that you two return to Ponyville to relax. Your town just experienced an attack, and I have no doubt that there are wounds, both physical and emotional." Rainbow and I nod. "Yes, your Highness." Celestia dismisses us, and I prepare to teleport both Rainbow and myself back to Ponyville. However, as I do, a sudden wave of nausea overcomes me. I double over in pain, falling to my knees as my limbs shake. A sudden pressure, like a hammer being driven into my stomach, causes me to retch, spitting up blood and stomach acid that leaves a terrible taste in my mouth. "Peter!" I hear Rainbow Dash cry. "Are you alright!? Ugh, of course you're not alright - where's the hospital!?" I'm vaguely aware of Celestia and Rainbow Dash's presence above me before I pass out, tears streaking down my face from the intense pain.