Chapter 2: Warm Welcomes
“Unbelievable...” Dan muttered to himself as he flew over the town of Ponyville, gazing at everything new that was around him.
Dan found remembering how to fly as easy as riding a bike after so long; it felt like instinct. He was overjoyed to be flying again, but his mood quickly changed when he laid his golden eyes on the now “city” of Ponyville down beneath him.
The dreary weather only added to the musky feeling of the city below. The care-free, fun-filled thatched roof houses he used to know were now gone, replaced with modernized versions. They still had cheery personal touches here and there, but the fact remained the overall look had completed changed.
“15 years sure is a long time for these ponies...” Dan muttered before arching his body downward and beelining towards the town square.
Dan landed down in the street and folded up his wings. He watched the ponies hustle by in the street. They looked normal as well, and there were a few faces he could’ve sworn he remembered from fifteen years ago, only they were older and more or less defined by their age.
Dan walked down the middle of the road along with a few other ponies, and was puzzled to find that none of them even recognized him. He left a legend on Equestria, after all.
“I’ll have to ask somepony about that...” Dan thought before a loud beeping noise behind them startled them.
“Get out of the way, you lousy ponies! Move, I said!” A loud obnoxious voice sounded from behind them. With screams, the ponies on either side of him jumped out of the way. Dan merely turned and gasped. A crude 1920’s looking automobile screeched to a halt in front of him and a pony in a top hat leaned out of the window, shaking a forehoof, “Hey, you stupid cud-head! Can’t you see I’m driving here?!”
Dan shook his head confusedly and took to the air, stuttering, “Oh! I-I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean—”
Before Dan could finish, the snide pony was off, blowing smoke in the Pegasus’ face from his exhaust port.
Dan coughed violently, shaking a forehoof in front of his face as he hovered there. He flew above the smoke and scowled as the car drove off, “Cars?” Dan wondered aloud, putting a forehoof to his chin in thought, “They have cars now?”
As Dan continued to hover down the road, he looked off to a large factory that was placed neatly where he could’ve sworn a few thatched-roof houses used to be. A large sign on the front said “Filthy Rich Musket Exports”.
“Muskets?” Dan asked himself as he stopped and stared at the large factory, “They have...guns now, too?” He rubbed his temples with his forehooves and sighed, “What do they even look like? How do they use them?”
To answer his question as if on cue, two police ponies, dressed in the garb of policemen on Earth, trotted by. Holstered on their sides were crude revolutionary era musket pistols. Dan flew past the officers, who peered at him strangely, as if they thought they recognized him from somewhere.
Dan could feel their eyes on him as he flew past them and into town square. He shuddered at the feeling as he flew along, but quickly recovered when he saw the town square. The sign on the metal archway leading to the square said “Historic Ponyville Town Square.” Everything remained the same in the town square for the most part. Sugar Cube Corner, the Town Hall, and fountain all remained the same.
The only difference was a rather large red building that had appeared along the edge of the square. It had a sign with an apple on it, and it still maintained the old Ponyville architecture.
Dan heaved a sigh of relief as he trotted into the town square. “At least some things never change...” He thought to himself as he looked around. “Okay, Dan...clearly, the ponies have advanced a lot since you left...” He rubbed his goatee with a forehoof as he took to the air, looking around. “I really wish one of my old friends was nearby...I don’t recognize any of these ponies...I have so many questions...and...” He sighed. “And I need to track down Dash, too...”
“Excuse me, sir?”
Dan emerged from his pool of thought and whirled around to whoever spoke to him. It was one of the police ponies, the partner of whom was flanking him.
“Crap...” Dan gulped and mustered an awkward grin. “Can I help you, officers?”
The two police ponies exchanged glances before narrowing their eyes at Dan. “You new in town, sir?”
“Well, kind of...” Dan said, twitching slightly. “I’ve been gone a long time. Perhaps you know me? Ace? Or Blue Bass?”
The police ponies burst out in a fit of laughter, the second one collapsing in the road. This drew the attention of several ponies walking nearby.
“What’s so funny!?” Dan barked.
“Woo! Ahahahaha! Woohoohoo!” The pony of the ground stood up, wiping sweat off of his forehead. “What’s funny is that you think you can impersonate a legend with a longer mane and shorter build than you, pal!”
“Yeah! Hahaha!” The first police pony managed through his fits of laughter. “Ace did not have a goatee!”
Dan growled, “Maybe he grew up a little...”
“Maybe he doesn't even exist!” The second police pony said, causing both of them to erupt in a fit of laughter again.
A blush of embarrassment appeared on Dan’s face as the other ponies who had gathered around finally discovered what the commotion was about and joined in on the laughing, the pointing of hooves at Dan, and the muttering to each other.
“What a warm welcome...” Dan muttered angrily as he pushed his way through the crowd, “I remember friendly, outgoing ponies, not total snobs...”
“Ace...is that...really you?”
“That voice...” Dan whirled around in the direction of the voice. “A-Applejack!”
Sure enough, the orange cowmare and owner of Sweet Apple Acres stood in the middle of the street, eyes glued on Dan. A basket of apples she had obviously been carrying in her mouth lay at her hooves as her mouth hung open. Applejack had grown slightly in height, her mane was longer, but the same style, and her cowpony hat still sat proudly on her head.
“Applejack!” Dan didn’t care that other ponies were watching. He galloped over and embraced A.J. in a tight hug. A.J. smiled and closed her eyes when he did so. “Ah...ah can’t believe it...yer back...”
“I’m so sorry!” Dan released her and stood back, smiling. “It’s so good to see you! I’ve been gone for so long, and I forgot everypony and everything, and-OH CELESTIA!” Dan shook his head in sadness. “Poor Dashie...”
“Ace...Ace...quiet down, ya’ll...” Applejack patted his back, looking at all the ponies who were watching, “This ain’t the place te’ have a proper conversation. Folla’ me...”
Dan followed Applejack to the new building with the sign of an apple above it. Applejack explained along the way that it was the convenience store her and the family opened up five years ago after the Nightmare incident.
“Nightmare incident?” Dan asked aloud as they entered the store, the double wooden doors swinging shut behind them as they entered the store. “What are you talking about?”
Applejack looked down steadily as they walked through an aisle of goods towards a door at the back that read “Office. Employees Only”. She sighed, “That’s something ya’ will have ta’ take up with Rainbow and yer kid...”
“I...” Dan sighed. “I see...”
Applejack opened the door to her office and quickly shut it behind Dan as he trotted in. “Take a load off, Ace...” Applejack sat down behind her wooden desk and rested her forehooves on it, looking up at him. Dan could see the disbelief that lingered in her eyes that he was back in her eyes. “Ya’ll probably have a ton a’ questions...”
“That I do...” Dan sat down in the chair across from her, “Has it really been-?”
“Fifteen years?” Applejack closed her eyes and nodded. “Yessiree, partner. Can hardly believe mahself...” She turned and looked at picture on the wall on her in what Dan assumed was the family car, “Ever since Gear Grinder done started his technological advancements with his flying’ machines, Equestria’s science ponies, including Twilight, went nuts. Inventin’ these moving wagons...” She gestured her hoof up at the picture, “Guns, factories, ‘an all manner o’ machines...”
“Interesting...” Dan stroked his goatee again. “That’s all very fascinating...”
“Yes indeedy...” Applejack continued looking at the picture. “Also, the government’s changed as well.” She frowned. “There’s a bunch o’ stuck up rich ponies representin’ the three kinds o’ ponies in a heira-thingie...”
“Hierarchy?” Dan sat up, alarmed. He was well read on his history on earth, and hierarchies were never good. “That can’t be good for anypony...”
“Well, it done happened...” A.J. sighed. “The princesses caved ta’ the petitioners, and gave equal representation...”
Dan shuddered suddenly, “How is...Rainbow Dash, anyway?”
Applejack turned and smiled at Dan, “She’s a Wonderbolt, Ace...”
Dan couldn’t help but smile as well. “I knew it! I KNEW she’d make it!”
Applejack’s smile quickly disappeared upon seeing Dan’s reaction. Clearly, that wasn’t what she expected. “Okay, ‘nuff small talk, Ace.” She leaned forward. “Where in the hay have ya’ll been?”
“Pardon?” Dan looked confused. “I’ve been on Earth. I...I thought you—”
“Ah know where’s ya’ll have been!” A.J. snapped suddenly, her face burning with anger, “Ya’ promised her, Dan! Ya’ll promised her that’d you’d be back as soon as possible!” Dan flinched when A.J. used his real name, “Ya’ promised yer son! Ya’ promised US!” She looked up, her green eyes filled with sadness, “Yer friends...” She leaned forward, staring Dan down, “How in the hoof is fifteen buckin’ years as soon as possible!?”
Dan was silent. He looked down at the floor, rubbing one forehoof with the other. A single tear fell from his face as he continued looking at the floor. “I forgot, A.J...”
Applejack’s expression instantly changed from that of anger and sadness to that of concern. “Ya’ll...fergot?”
“I did...” Dan said, sniffing. “As I tried to tell you outside earlier, I...I forgot everypony...Dashie...Blazing Dawn...you...” He looked up, his golden eyes glowing as they used to. “I forgot this world. I forgot that I saved it...” He looked off to the side. “I...forgot everything....”
“Ah...ah see...” Applejack said. “Then...how did ya’ll get back?”
“I...I was doing a talkshow...” Dan sighed. “And everything was fine, until the host asked me a question no one bothered to ask me these fifteen years...”
Applejack leaned back in her chair and tilted her head. “What was it?”
“If I had a family.”
The two ponies sat in silence for a moment, before Applejack spoke up, “It came rushin’ back to ya’, didn’t it?”
Dan simply nodded, “Like a giant wave crashing down over a city...” Dan sat still, twiddling his hooves for a while, before continuing, “Celestia...came to me in a dream...saying that because I remembered, I could come back...that I had to come back...” He looked up, his golden eyes glowing, “She said Equestria would need me again...” He shrugged, “Then I woke up in the same place I did last time...on the outskirts of what’s left of the Everfree Forest.”
Applejack looked down at her desk, shuffled some notes around, and then looked back up, “Well, we sure ain’t in the best shape we was in when you were here last...” She smiled, “We could sure use an honest pony like yerself in these troubled times...”
“So I can see...” Dan chuckled lightly, “Celestia told me to come and see her as soon as...” His voice trailed off. His face changed from that of reflection to that of sudden realization, “Dashie...” Dan floated into the air off of his chair, “Applejack, it’s been great, and you have no idea how overjoyed I am to see you...” He nodded. “But I need to go see Dashie...”
Applejack stood as well, “Ah understand...it’s been a long hay of a time...”
“Does she still live in the same place?” Dan asked.
Applejack nodded, “Yep, right over that there hill. The tree has grown a lot bigger, lemme tell ya’...”
Dan flew forward and embraced his old friend in a loving hug, “I missed you Applejack...”
Applejack blushed slightly, forgetting how his hugs felt, “Ah...missed you too...Ace...”
Dan released her, flew to the door, and opened it. He looked back over his shoulder at her, “Thanks for everything...”
“Anytime, Ace...” Applejack waved a hoof at him before sitting down behind her desk again, “And...it’s awful nice ta’ have ya’ back...”
With that, Ace shut the door and was gone out of the convenience store as fast as a speeding bullet.
Applejack leaned back in her chair and sighed, “Ah really hope Rainbow has it in her heart ta’ fergive him...”
Dan gulped as he flew through the air, “Here goes...”
The blue Pegasus down to the familiar looking hill with the now huge willow tree resting on top of it. As soon as his hooves touched the ground, he sighed, “Good times...” He looked down and kicked a small pebble off the hill. He turned and watched the thing roll down the hill for a moment before he craned his neck upward slowly and closed his eyes, holding back more tears as he saw that it was still lazily floating in the same place it had fifteen years ago.
Rainbow Dash’s cloud looked exactly the same as it had fifteen years ago, with the addition of what Dan guessed were rooms for Lunar Eclipse and Blazing Dawn. Dan wiped away the tears and slowly took to the air, wondering all the while what had become of Dash. A series of thoughts flooded into his head, “What if she’s found somepony else? What if my son hates me or doesn’t know who I am?” He gritted his teeth, “What if they don’t remember me at all?!”
He let thoughts like this pester him until he felt the fluffy clouds beneath his hooves. He gasped a looked down at the cloud surface beneath, forgetting how weird it felt to actually perch on a cloud. He craned his neck back to it’s upright position and gulped. Her front door was ajar, which meant...
“She’s home...” Dan mustered a small smile before he started forward. Foot by foot, inch by inch, he progressed down the cloud pathway to her front door. In his mind, the thoughts the flooded into his mind on the Leno show came back. He saw some new ones this time, though. He saw Blazing Dawn, at about the age of ten in alicorn years, he guessed, charging up energy with golden aura exploding around him. He saw him blast an enemy that looked suspiciously like Princess Luna. And he saw...himself? Standing behind Blazing Dawn as he did so.
Dan gasped. He found himself standing directly in front of the slightly open door. He gulped, inhaled deeply, and rose a forehoof to push open the already ajar door.
“I’m gonna be late! Crap! I’m coming!”
Before Dan could even touch the door, however, the door was yanked open from the inside and a speeding cyan blue blur slammed headlong into him, sending them both spiralling along the path until they came to rest not far from the edge of the cloud.
Dan growled in pain and shook his head, opening his eyes. He gasped. He saw her. Rainbow Dash, in a Wonderbolts flight shirt.
“Hey, why don’t you watch where you’re goin—!” The cyan mare who had ran into him stopped talking when she saw who she accidentally rammed into. Her magenta eyes glinted briefly in the sun before she jumped off of Dan and jumped back in shock, her mouth literally hanging open.
Dan sighed, used his wings to lift himself up and land on his hooves. He brushed himself off, blushed, and looked up at his lover from long ago, “Hey, Dashie...”
“D-Dan...”
The two Pegasi stood staring at each other for a few moments. Dan had a quiet smile on his face as his golden eyes glowed in the sun. Dash had a shocked, though neutral expression.
Dan took this opportunity to examine the older Dash. She was taller, her mane and tail were more flowing, and her muzzle had developed a little more.
Dan flinched when Dash suddenly took a step towards him. Another tear emerged from his right eye as he watched her slowly advance toward him.
Before Dan could do anything, she was in front of him. She rose a forehoof and touched the side of Dan’s head, as if wondering if he was real.
“Dashie, I—ARGH!”
A sharp explosion of pain occurred on the side of his face, and he found himself looking down and off to the side. Rainbow Dash’s forehoof was extended past his head. She had just punched him. She was panting heavily, her eyes slanted in an angry look at Dan as he rose his head back up and shook his mane.
“I guess...I deserved that...”
They stared at each other again for a few more moments before Dash’s anger turned to sadness; she started crying, and she leaped at Dan.
“Dan! DAN!”
“Dashie!”
She tackled Dan to the surface of the cloud again and forced her lips onto his into a passionate kiss. Dan wrapped his forehooves around her torso as they rolled around on the cloud, closing his eyes. He opened his mouth and let her tongue into his mouth as they continued to kiss on the cloud.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they parted. Panting, Dash looked down and nuzzled Dan, “Dan...” Tears streamed out of her magenta eyes like a waterfall in full force. “D-Dan...I can’t believe it...it’s...” She smiled, “It’s like...a dream...”
“You’re...” Dan started crying as well and pecked her lightly on the cheek. “You’re not dreaming, Dashie...” He smiled, “I’m really back...”
“Oh Dan!” Dashie nuzzled him again, “Do you have any idea at all how long it’s been?!”
“Fifteen years...” Dan looked off to the side as he lay there, “Yeah...I do...”
Both ponies still laid on the cloud, looking into each other’s eyes, “How?” Dashie asked simply, “How did you come back? How did you remember? I...I thought you had forgotten me and Blaze forever...”
“How...” Dan looked up at her in surprise, “How did you know?”
“Celestia let me...” She chuckled, more tears falling from her face, “She let me see you five years ago after the Nightmare incident...” She nuzzled him again, “You were praying for us...but...you had forgotten us...”
Dan was silent. Dash laid down next to him, plopping down right next him on the cloud, wrapping her forehooves around him. Dan finally sighed, “I did...I don’t know how, but...I did...” He turned to face her, “And...I’m really sorry...”
Dashie had to resist just lunging at Dan again and kissing him as his golden eyes glowed intensely at her. She smiled, wiping away more happy tears, “It’s okay, Dan. Celestia explained it all. She said because your world was frozen in time for so long, your human mind couldn’t process what happened any more. All the memories here were buried deep inside your mind...” She shrugged, “Or...something like that. I never really paid attention...”
“That’s my Dashie...” Dan said, stroking her mane, “Just how i remember her.” Dan smiled, “I’m glad you haven’t changed...”
“I’m glad you haven’t changed, you gimpy stud...” Dash chuckled and Dan playfully shoved her, laughing at the fact she actually referenced that moment that happened fifteen years ago.
“How did you get back?” Dashie asked after recovering from the hit and cuddling up to him again.
“Celestia came to me in a dream after I remembered you on a talk show...” Dan sighed, looking up at the sky, relishing in the fact that has was back with his lover, “She says I’m needed again, and then...” He shrugged, “I’m here...”
“Odd...” Rainbow muttered, “The princess brought you here?”
“Yeah, only last time, she brought me to Canterlot first...” Dan sighed, “There was...something different about this time...”
“What were you doing on a talkshow?” Dash asked, her magenta eyes glinting with inquisitiveness.
Dan chuckled, loving every moment of the conversation. “I’m...I’m an actor, Dash...”
Dash widened her eyes and fluttered her wings excitedly. “You are!?”
“I am.” Dan angled his head in your direction. “And you’re a Wonderbolt...and you’re late...”
Dash scoffed. “Screw that...” She smiled, “We...” Dash started, but more tears welled up. “We both achieved our dreams, Ace...”
She embraced him in a hug again, and Dan sighed, “We did...” He looked up at the sky, “Just a shame we couldn’t be there for each other...”
“Yeah...”
Dan and Dash both looked up at the sky, watching the clouds and the birds, before Dashie kissed him lightly on the lips and cuddled him again. “I’m glad your back...”
“Dear Celestia...”
Dash and Dan both were shocked to hear a familiar powerful voice resound around them. They both flapped their wings and got to their hooves, only to find themselves standing face-to-face with the alicorn Prince of Death, Lunar Eclipse, with a mixed look of anger and shock on his face.
“You!” Lunar Eclipse pointed a forehoof. “You’re back!”
Dan awkwardly smiled, confused at the alicorn’s angry attitude. “Yeah, Lunar! I am! How are y—”
“Leave, now!” Lunar rushed up to Dan and growled, baring his teeth a little.
“What?!” Dan barked, clashing his head with Lunar Eclipse’s, whose horn started to glow. “I just got here!”
“I don’t know how the HAY you managed it, but you can’t stay!” Lunar growled. “He’s not ready to meet you! This will only cause remorse! And sadness! And confusion!”
“What the hell are you talking about!?”
Rainbow’s face suddenly turned to that of shock, “He’s right, Dan! Leave for now! Quickly!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking a—”
“Mom! Lunar! I’m home from Applebloom’s!” A lower-tenor voice reverberated around the three ponies who stood on the cloud, followed by the beating of wings.
Then it hit Dan, “My son...” He said aloud, mentally slapping himself for forgetting.
Unable to stop what was about to happen, Lunar, Dashie, and Dan all turned to face the dark blue alicorn who had just landed on the cloud with a confused look on his face. He was a little bit shorter than the adult normal ponies, had a pale blonde punk-rock mane, and Rainbow’s tail. Emblazoned his flank was his Cutie Mark, a golden symbol of fire with a circle surrounding it.
Dan welled up. This was his son. The alicorn. Words could not express how he felt at this moment. Dan returned to reality when the young alicorn broke the silence, “Mom? Lunar? Who’s this?”
Lunar and Dash exchanged looks of worry while Dan kept staring at his son. Dan stepped forward a little and wiped away another tear that fell from his eye, “Son?”
Blazing Dawn’s eyes widened, “You...”
“Blazing Dawn?” Dan took another step forward, “I-It’s me...” Dan smiled, “Your father...”
Dan took another step forward, and extended a forehoof. Dan stopped short this time, however, because Blazing Dawn had retreated in the opposite direction a few steps. His face was that of anger and sadness, tears welling up in his eyes.
“So...fifteen years? Fifteen years gone and now you decide to show up?!” Blazing Dawn’s teenage voice echoed around the cloud as he yelled at his father.
“What do you mean?” Ace looked over at Dash and gave her a ‘you-didn’t-tell-him?’ look, “Look son, I couldn’t—”
“Couldn’t what!?” Blazing Dawn growled, advancing on his father. “Couldn’t bother to check up on your son, the first alicorn born in centuries, who was constantly being attacked by dragons, demons, monsters, and Nightmare Moon’s evil spirit!?”
“So THAT’S what the Nightmare incident was...” Dan thought before shaking his head and desperately trying to remedy the situation, “Son, you don't understand!”
“NO! YOU don’t understand!” Blazing Dawn roared, stomping up to his father, who at this point was still at he yelled at him.
“Son, please, let him explain...” Dash tried to intervene, but Blazing Dawn stood his ground.
“YOU weren’t here for my first steps!” Blazing Dawn’s assault on his father continued, “YOU weren’t here for when I learned to talk! YOUweren’t here for when I learned to fly! Or use magic! Or to protect me!” A single tear fell out of each of Blazing Dawn’s angry eyes, “The point is, YOU WEREN’T HERE!” He bellowed vehemently at his father.
Dan just stood there, trying to process what his son, who he hadn’t seen since he was a foal, tear him a new one for something that wasn't his fault.
“Thanks for dropping by, but you can leave now...” Blazing Dawn said stiffly, sniffling angrily before pushing past his father, who just stared into the distance, and going into the cloud house.
“Son, please...” Dan heard Dash say behind him, “Please, listen to him...your father didn’t mean for these things to happen! It’s not his fault!”
Dan felt a hoof on his shoulder and he turned his head to see who it was. Lunar Eclipse stood proudly behind him, looking off into the distance as well, “I’m sorry, Dan...” He looked down, “I tried to warn you...”
More tears fell from Dan’s face as he nodded, “You...you sure did...”
He saw Blazing Dawn rush past him again and fly downwards towards the hill down below, carrying a familiar-looking blue Canterlot guitar with him with magic.
“Blaze! Please come back!” Rainbow ran up beside Dan, tears streaming from her eyes as well. She turned to look at Dan, “I’m so sorry...”
Dan wrapped a comforting hoof around his lover as he watched his son fly off. “It’s okay...no need to apologize...” He sighed, “I’ll go and talk to him...”
“But...Dan...” Rainbow started.
“Go to work.” Dan said, taking to the air, “I’ll...I’ll handle this...”
Dan then took off into the air down to where his son had landed on the hill below.
Lunar sighed, “What an incredibly inconvenient time for him to return...after all these years...”
Rainbow wiped more tears away, “I just can’t believe he’s back...”
Lunar smirked, “I told you he’d be back...”
The sun shone brightly over the human city of Los Angeles, the rays of which reflected brightly off the window’s of Dan Sessions’ penthouse suite. The fire from the night before was still burning and the glass of Mountain Dew had made a stain of the carpet floor.
“Awwww...” A male computerized voice yawned, “What a night. Get a wink of sleep thinking about that bloody girl, Dan?”
No answer. Wheatley’s cameras showed no Dan on the couch.
“Dan? Dan, where are you, mate?” Wheatley’s AI frantically searched over all the cameras, “You sleepwalking again, mate?”
Still no answer. Wheatley poured over security cameras throughout the entire building. Dan’s car was even still parked in the parking garage.
“Dan?! Oh my God...” Wheatley panicked, “Dan’s missing!”