//------------------------------// // Chapter 41: Spring's Pardon (STORY 2 STARTS HERE!) // Story: The Bridge Between Worlds // by Artemis Orion //------------------------------// The Bridge Series - Book II Winged Warfare ======================================================================================== Spring's Pardon "You're failing in school, you're failing in life! All you care about are your stupid surrealistic dreams!" "For christ sake, Dad, you're overreacting!" "Really? Am I?! Will I be overreacting if you drop out? If you never make it to college? If you never get anything in life? "You make it sound like I'll never do anything!" "At this rate, son, you just might! And that's what worries me and your Mother! So guess what, Keith? In case you haven't realized, your strange mindset is getting you nowhere! Stop dreaming! Because it will never happen! You're going to have to do something with your life worth the benefit. So tell me; what do you want to do with your life? ======================================================================================== *Fwumf* "Urgh!" I felt something come slamming down onto my face, knocking me out of my dream. It was soft and cold, but I didn't bother to open my eyes to see it. I rolled over to my side, attempting to return to my slumber. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Before I could sleep again, the cold soft object was brought down on me again three times, accompanied by the voice of a playful, rainbow-maned, cyan pegasus that I knew all too well. "Rainbow Dash... leave me alone... lemme sleep..." I mumbled into my pillow. Groggily pulling up the sheets in defense of her constant slamming of pillows. "Another day pally!" She pulled my pillow from my grasp and floated above the bed. "Anytime, but today!" Rubbing bits of sleep from my eyes, I came into eye contact with the insensitive, yet friendly pegasus. She bore an overexcited expression, shaking in midair. She chucked my pillow right at my face. "Why not today?" I groaned. "Don't you remember anything, Keith?" Rainbow Dash landed by the side of the bed. Only then did I realize she was accompanied by another pegasus. A kinder, more plainly coloured pony. Fluttershy stood quietly at the side, leaving Rainbow to do the job of waking me up. It wasn't in her nature to do something like that. "Remember what?" I slowly propped myself up against the back of the bed frame, trying to recall anything that may have gotten this pony so exhilarated. "And how did you even get in here?" Rainbow Dash held my house keys in one hoof. With the extraordinary ability given to all ponies to curve their hooves so differently from the hooved animals of Earth. It was something I had come to accept, and what else could I expect from a cartoon world in the first place? "If you didn't want any of us breaking in, you wouldn't have told us where you hid your spare key." She flung it onto the bedside table. "And seriously? Under the doormat? Think of something better before all of your stuff gets stolen!" Rainbow Dash said cockily. From the window above the bed, a beam of sunlight pierced the circular window like a pillar. I could tell that the day had just begun, and the sun was just rising. Dawn's light wasn't as bright as the morning's, and had a thicky orange hue. Fluttershy came to the other side of the bed, putting her front two hooves up on the mattress. "Don't you remember, Keith?" Fluttershy spoke for the first time that morning, and it was definitely more soothing than her brash friend. "A few weeks ago, just before the Winter Wrap-up? We told you what today was." I tossed off the quilt, sitting up on the side of the bed Fluttershy was at. "Today... what event happens in the beginning of Spring?" I searched my mind for the answer. The past Winter season seemed to go so quickly. It was the first Winter I experienced in Equestria, and having lived in a tropical region all my life, snow got me more excited than anything. It felt it all ended far too quickly. I had taught them many things about human traditions and so have they... at least they were traditions that were not seen on the show. I also found it a little strange that they accepted the fact that they were being watched by children and men alike, but they couldn't care less. "I got it!" I said, snapping my fingers. I knew of only a few things that got Rainbow Dash so excited, and it definitely wasn't a Wonderbolt's audition. "It's the Young Flyer's Competition isn't it?" "And it will be awesome!" She exclaimed, taking to the air a second time. "But why? You don't even compete anymore." I stretched up, and could physically feel the expansion of the plasmic substance that connected my back. The scar was faded, but still visible. "Why the hype?" "Because, dummy, I'm the guest of honour!" Rainbow Dash bit my pillow and flung it at me, again. "How could you forget?" "Calm down, Dash!" I chuckled. "That's what you get for asking me questions when I just wake up anyway." "Well then get going! We've got places to go!" "Uh, not me!" I chimed in. "In case you've forgotten, I can't leave Ponyvilled until Summer?" The probation was meant to last for exactly one year, from the day I registered for citizenship. Not that I regret the decision. There were always events in Ponyville that made the quaint little town all the more interesting. "Is that so?" Rainbow Dash smiled menacingly. "Well, if that's the case, then I guess you wouldn't want to see this Royal letter you just received in the mail then?" "Royal letter?" I perked up, making me just a little excited as well. "Where? When?" "I intercepted it this morning... or rather, I just took it from your mailbox." She shrugged. "Show him, Fluttershy." The pink-maned pegasus nodded and pulled out a scroll from under her wing. "And itth from Prinshesh Sheleshtia!" She said with the scroll in her mouth. I plucked the scroll from her grip. I inspected the Royal red seal, tied to the letter by a bright red ribbon. Every offical letter had a seal, and this one boasted the symbol of Canterlot Royalty. The seal was broken, and I assumed that Rainbow Dash had read it already. I eagerly pulled off the ribbon, taking guesses at what it held. I read its contents aloud to the pegasi. Dear Keith Conway, Salutations from Canterlot. I hope this letter finds you well. We've been a little distant, since last year. Rainbow Dash has graciously requested that your probation be lifted early, along with the appeal of friends. Since I see no wrong in this matter, and you are no suspect in more negative matters, I find that we shouldn't deny you this freedom. Another letter has already been sent to the Mayor of Ponyville informing her on the matter, so you need not worry. What I do request, however, is that you don't draw too much attention to yourself. The word of mouth can be a poisonous one. Do enjoy yourself, Keith! Equestria awaits! Yours sincerely, Princess Celestia I looked up from the letter to Rainbow Dash, who looked a little smug. "You actually asked the Princess for a pardon?" "I'm the Element of Loyalty! I got privileges!" she grinned. "Aww... thanks, Rainbow Dash. I'm touched to see you do something like this... and it doesn't benefit you." "Well that, and the others are a little busy so I'm short of a cheering squad." "Why do you even need one? You're not participating!" I joked. We both laughed for a short moment, and then she threw a punch at my arm. "Ow..." "You've yet to see a Sonic Rainboom too. I'd take this opportunity if I were you!" In a way, it did benefit Rainbow Dash. It boosted her ego and self-esteem, having her friends cheer for her. And she certainly enjoyed showing off to begin with. I didn't tell her that for obvious reasons. "Come on, Keith." Fluttershy gently placed her hoof on my hand. "The show is not for a couple of hours, but Rainbow Dash has to be there early." "Alright, alright." I playfully ruffled Fluttershy's mane, destroying her hairstyle. "But for Celestia's sake, let me wash up first!" I was sitting on the bed in nothing but my boxer shorts, hair disheveled and a rancid taste in my mouth. The two pegasi laughed as they left the bedroom. "Weird humans; They have to put clothes on to go everywhere!" I heard Rainbow Dash tease from the hallway. I shut the door behind them, and trudged the toilet. Right in front of the mirror, I stared myself in the face. I still looked like I was in a daze, but that would soon fade. Today was going to be more eventful than I expected. ======================================================================================== I proceeded down the spiraling staircase of my new home in Equestria. It was now fully completed, and I was more than satisfied with the results. There was a nice little feature at the top; a spellbound peg connected to a rope ladder that lead to a cloud. From there, I had access to the sky. My room on the second floor was the first to the stairs, seconded by the study, followed by the spare room and the armoury. The whole house looked like a gigantic layered cake of stone from the outside, but I didn't mind that. From the second floor, I could see my two friends in the living room. Rainbow Dash was snooping around the flatscreen television while Fluttershy merely stood at the side and cautioned her. The wasn't much point of it actually. I only ever used it to play video games, and there was no satellite or cable as far as I knew. Not that it mattered, as I was barely home. "Dash! 'Shy! We goin'?" I reached the foot of the stairs, now fully dressed in a brony shirt and black jeans and hoodie, I was ready to go. "Coming!" The two pegasi flew back to the center of the house. Rainbow Dash pretended to not have poked through anything. "We're grabbing breakfast first." said Fluttershy with a smile. "We're meeting the others before we go to Cloudsdale." "Sounds good." I slipped on my new pair of white-striped Adidas shoes. The old pair was literally torn from last year, most of it caused by the founding of the lost civilization. I barely delved in the matter now. "Weird humans; They have to put on shoes wherever they go." teased Rainbow Dash a second time, as I opened the frosted glass double doors that lead to the outer door. As I did, I left the air conditioned confinement of my home to the cool Spring air. The scent of new flowers of trees already filled our noses. After locking up, I opened the outer door, putting the new season in our view. It was beautiful; everything looked vastly different since Winter.As the rising sun brought a mix of orange and purple to the sky, a myriad of vibrant colours painted the picture of Ponyville as we stood atop my hill of residence. Every trace of the Winter Wrap-up was now gone; every cart, plough and pair of skates, stowed away until next year. The blanket of snow that covered the town now more than a couple of weeks ago was replaced by a luscious sea of green, wavering in the flower-scented breeze of the season. Flowers were blooming, trees were beginning to grow again, and I knew somewhere at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Big Macintosh were planting the seeds of their trademark apple trees. It was also the first Spring I was experiencing in Ponyville. Needless to say, it was breathtaking. Rainbow Dash inhaled a deep, Spring-perfumed breath, before she casually announced. "Ya gotta love Spring." ======================================================================================== "Yes!" The Griffin exclaimed almost at a level of a lion's roar. "Finally! It's done! Now we can remake our land the way that it should be! And without anymore major obstacles to stop me-er... us!" The Griffin's beak turned up into a smile, chuckling to himself. It echoed around the pillars of the cold chamber. It was the house of the King, the King which was now overthrown. "Sir! What of his Majesty?" Another griffin respectfully addressed his new leader. "His 'Majesty'?" The leader mimicked the word with distaste. "He's no longer his 'Majesty'! Take him away! Into the depths of Avia's deepest prison! Go!" He commanded his minions with annoyance. At this, two Griffins came up to the sides of their fallen leader, lying unconscious on his front, defeated and stripped of his power. He was bigger than the two, but that wasn't enough to hinder their efforts to drag him away. As the two griffins left the Royal chambers, more entered to take their place. "Now..." The leader stood in the center of the circle of revolutionaries. They were his subjects, soldiers and servants, all under the same idea, moral and creed. After years of planning, strategizing and waiting, they finally succeeded. "Our efforts shall not go to waste. We shall reshape Avia to how it is rightfully meant to be; we'lll be creatures of power, of strength, of a presence that strikes fear into our neighbouring lands!" The leader clenched a taloned paw at his vision. "Sir, the nearest neighbouring land is Equestria. You don't mean..." "Yes, comrade. Yes I do. They've grown far too powerful!" The leader paced around the circle. "They've gone far with their magic and knowledge, but we'll surprise them. Something they wouldn't see coming." He stopped, looking out of the Royal chamber's tall, arched balcony into the endless sea of clouds, in the direction of Equestria. "And our first target? Well..."