14 - Vacation
Week 32-33, Saturday – Monday
The group made their way back into the Guard training grounds, still quiet after the burial. Twilight kept her gaze focused on the ground, the funeral having reminded her acutely of the lack of time she’d spent with her parents since being accepted to the School for Gifted Unicorns. Looking at her friends she could see similar expressions on their faces too, guessing they were having similar thoughts. Seeing a change in motion out of the top of her eyes, she looked up to see that Celestia had stopped and was turning to face them.
“While I wish I could spend time with you Twilight, I regrettably have a pressing matter which needs to be addressed. Why don’t you and your friends spend a day in Canterlot with Jared, and show him around our capital? I’ll send a message for you later this evening.”
“Umm, Celestia?” Cadance asked, taking a step forward. “If it’s alright with you, might I go with them? I haven’t seen Twilight in so long and would love to catch up.”
Celestia smiled. “Of course my dear, have fun.” She turned to Luna, “I trust you can handle the rest of today’s work by yourself?”
“Indeed sister, provided you come and let me take a break this time.” Luna said with a warm smile before spreading her wings and flying off and over the wall of the castle.
“What are you two working on?” Twilight asked curiously.
“We are at a crucial stage of a project we thought of a few days ago.” Celestia said as she turned to the honor guard. “Cloudhammer, Amber Dusk, Shining Armor and Flare, if you all would please follow me. The rest of you may take the rest of the day off, I believe you deserve some personal time as much as anypony else.” The other unicorns saluted before trotting off towards the barracks. Celestia turned to the others and gave them a warm smile before walking towards the Guard offices.
Watching her go for a few seconds, Twilight then turned to the others. “Well, what do you all feel like doing?”
“Well, we could all go window shopping, I’ve had some marvelous ideas based on some of the human’s designs, but would need some more fabrics to make them work.” Rarity said excitedly.
“That sounds mighty fun Rarity,” Applejack said dryly, “but to be honest I miss mah family somethin’ fierce.” The others all nodded as they realized how long they had been gone from Ponyville.
“Well, why don’t we go back to Ponyville for a day or two, see how everypony’s been doing?” Twilight suggested with a smile, before suddenly remembering Cadance was standing a little to the side. “Would you like to come with us Cadance? I think you’d enjoy Ponyville.”
“I’d love to; I would just need to get my things. I’ll arrange for a train to take us there, meet back here in an hour?”
Twilight nodded, “That would work.” She watched as Cadance spread her wings and took off in a different direction. Frowning as her brain reminded her she’d been forgetting somepony, she realized that she’d forgotten about Jared as well. “I’m so sorry Jared, do you want to come with us too? I’m sure that Celestia will have a room for you here at the castle if you don’t.”
Jared thought about it for a second. “Well, why not? Though I don’t really have anywhere to stay…”
“Don’t worry yourself none; we got plenty of room out at Sweet Apple Acres.” Applejack said.
“Well then, what are we waiting for? If we hurry, we can visit some of the shops before Princess Cadance returns.” Rarity said confidently. “Although, I could certainly use somepony’s help with carrying my bags.” She added, fluttering her eyelashes at Jared.
“Well, I guess I could…” he said, aware of the blush forming on his face and his wings starting to stand up a little. Before he could embarrass himself further, he felt something shove past him and looked down to see Spike shooting him a glare.
“I’ll assist you, my lady,” he said, sketching a bow.
“Why thank you Spike. Anypony else want to come?” She said, looking at each of her friend’s faces and not seeing any acknowledgement. “Very well, suit yourselves,” she said before trotting off, Spike following along with a happy smile on his face.
Leaning in close, Jared whispered to Applejack, “So does he…”
“Oh yeah, you better believe it.” Applejack whispered back.
Shaking their heads, the group made its way into the castle.
---
“I admit, I have always liked this building. It may not be as aesthetically inclined as the rest of the castle, but it conveys a certain sense of stability,” Celestia mused as she stood behind the desk.
The assembled officers didn’t say anything, remaining at attention.
She sighed, and with a small smile waved a hoof. “Please, there is no need for formality here. Make yourselves comfortable.”
The five guards relaxed a hair, but remained standing.
“Anyway, as some of you may have guessed, the reason I have called you here is to address the attack, and how we can be more prepared in the future.” Celestia said, the smile fading from her muzzle. “Consider rank left at the door; don’t hesitate if you have an idea.”
“We need better armor.” Cloudhammer said at once. “Sky Shimmer’s armor didn’t even slow down the ‘bullets’, and from what I’ve heard from the Marines I spoke with, his weapon wasn’t as advanced as theirs.”
“The humans have some incredibly durable metals that they use, maybe see about getting our hooves on some.” Flare chimed in.
“Why not strengthen the enchantment on the armor? Seems more expedient than starting with unknown metals that the forgeponies don’t have experience with.” Shining said, tapping a hoof on his chin in thought.
“But to make it strong enough it would start giving off magic. We’d end up hurting humans around us though.” Ruby objected.
“You do have a point.” Shining admitted. “Has anypony talked to the Forgemaster about it?”
“Somepony did.” All eyes turned to the door as a light red earth pony pushed it open. His body was crisscrossed with burn scars and his pink mane ragged on one side, but his orange eyes still held an intensity that hadn’t faded in the years he’d spent in service. He took a seat next to Cloudhammer, giving the pegasus a sidelong look. “Cloudhammer.”
“Afternoon Gentle Flame, glad you could join us.”
“As for the metal those oo-mans use, I’ve not seen yet met an ore that I couldn’t wrangle into line. Just get me some and I’ll let you know whether it’ll work.” Gentle said with a snort.
“Alright, I’ll speak to President Foster about it.” Celestia said, nodding respectfully to the Forgemaster.
“There is one other thing that will need to be addressed, especially since we’ll be starting construction of the centers where the serum will be administered.” Cloudhammer took a deep breath before continuing. “Our numbers just aren’t high enough to be able to safeguard both Equestria and these centers. We’ll need to drastically increase our recruitment rates.”
“Well, the current system exists precisely because attempting to mass recruit ponies hasn’t worked in the past,” Amber Dusk said with a frown.
“Yes, but we do have an advantage that the Guard of that time didn’t.”
“And that would be?” Celestia asked, her eyes narrowing as she began to get an idea of what the general was suggesting, but wanting to hear it from his mouth.
“The humans have substantial standing armies. I asked around the soldiers while I was in Brazil, and I believe that since we’ll be converting them in the long run anyway, we can ask for volunteers.” Cloudhammer finished with a sigh.
“How many volunteers would you be seeking?” Celestia asked softly.
“After some thought, I believe one of their ‘battalions’ would suffice for a start. Somewhere around one thousand ponies.” The number hung silently in the air for a few minutes.
“Where would we even train that many ponies? The facilities here won’t support more than three hundred ponies at once, and even that would stretch our capacity to overflowing.” Shining pointed out.
“Yes, but there is the neighboring island to the north of Oahu, where our first embassy was. I’ve gotten an aerial survey, there’s next to no dwellings, and several open areas where we can construct some barracks to house the recruits.”
“I… suppose this could work. But what about training them? We still have recruits here who will need to finish their training.” Flare said.
“I’ve thought of that too. Captain Sky Shimmer will continue training the pegasus recruits here in Canterlot under General Arrow's supervision. Amber Dusk, I assume you can still keep an eye on the unicorn recruits?”
“That’s all well and good, but who do you have in mind for the supposed new recruits?” The elder unicorn remarked sharply.
“I propose that Captain Shining Armor take on the training of the unicorn recruits, supported by Second Lieutenants Flare and Ruby. As for the pegasus recruits, First Lieutenants Dawn Breeze and Willow Spark will oversee their training. I will assume overall command.”
“There is one problem, Cloudhammer. If we can’t guarantee that all of the converted humans will be unicorns or pegasi, what will we do with the earth ponies?” Amber Dusk said sarcastically, only for his smirk to fade as Cloudhammer grinned wickedly.
“You let me worry about that.”
---
The sun was nearly touching the horizon as the train pulled up to the platform. Jared sighed in relief as he got to his hooves. “Man, I hope this feeling goes away in time. It’s getting old being wound up every time I’m indoors.”
“I admit, I’m still trying to come up with an explanation. My current hypothesis is that the magic that the transformation infused into you is still dissipating to a normal level, so it could be that it’s causing your excess energy. What do you think, Cadance?” Twilight looked up at the taller alicorn curiously.
Cadance tilted her head. “Well, I’m not anywhere near as skilled at magic as you or Aunt Celestia, but it does make sense. Magic is just energy, after all.”
“Do you have any idea how long it will take?” Jared asked, trying to ignore how good the breeze felt as they walked out onto the platform.
“I can’t honestly say. You are the first human to undergo ponification after all. So really, you’re establishing the baseline for the rest of your species.” She replied with a grin.
Jared opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off as a rainbow blur sped past him.
Rainbow Dash hovered in the air over the station, stretching her legs. “I don’t want to spend that much time inside again. Don’t get me wrong, helping out with the serum was neat, but I didn’t really have anything to do.”
“A’m gonna head over to the farm, looking forward to some of Granny Smith’s cooking. Ya’ll are welcome to come along if ya want. Would be a treat to serve not only a Princess, but the first converted human too.” Applejack said.
“Oh, and maybe tomorrow we’ll be able to show you around Ponyville.” Twilight said with a smile.
“Well, why not? I’ll simply have to run these supplies home first. Spike, might I be able to avail myself of your services?” Rarity asked with a smile.
“Of course!” Spike said, hefting up the bags and following after Rarity with a smitten grin on his face.
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s gooo!” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced past the others, who all started laughing as they followed the pink mare. Jared took the time to look around, marveling at how the buildings looked like something straight out of a storybook or a medieval play. The other thing that nearly overwhelmed him was the colors. From the buildings to the ponies themselves, every color under the rainbow was represented. As they trotted down the street, the other thing Jared noticed was every pony had a symbol on their flanks. Turning his head to look at his own, he wondered at why his was devoid of a mark. Quickening his pace to catch up with Fluttershy, he asked her about it.
“Well, you know how every pony earns their cutie mark when they discover their special talent?” Jared nodded as Fluttershy continued, “I guess that just means you haven’t figured out what your special talent is yet.”
Jared’s ears started to fold back, but he forced them to stand upright, taking heart from the fact that no one seemed to really notice. He also decided that he’d have to come up with a better term for it than ‘cutie mark’.
As they made their way through the town, the buildings eventually came to a stop, a dirt road winding its way along the gentle hills to a truly massive apple orchard, bigger than anything Jared had ever seen before on Earth.
“Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, biggest orchard this side of Equestria, and home of the best apple cider you’ll ever...”
“APPLEJACK! YER HOME!” A joyful shriek split the air as a yellow and red comet hurtled down the road toward them. It impacted Applejack square in the chest and sent the mare sprawling onto her back. Jared jumped backward, wings flared up in worry before he realized that Applejack was laughing heartily, tickling the smaller pony lying on her chest.
“Well hey there yerself Apple Bloom! I swear, Ah turn my back for three short months and ya seem to grow another few inches on me.” Applejack said with a warm smile as she set Apple Bloom on the ground and rolled back onto her hooves.
“So who’s yer friends?” Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head as she peered at Cadance. “Is she a princess?” Not even waiting for an answer, she spotted Jared and her eyes widened as she saw his bare flank. “How come he doesn’t have a cutie mark?”
“Now settle down Apple Bloom, Ah’ll explain everything. This here is Princess Cadance, she’s a friend of Twilight’s from Canterlot. We’re showin’ her around Ponyville for a spell. And ya remember what Ah told ya about humans before I left? Well, this here is Jared.”
“But ya said that humans walk around on two legs and look like bald Diamond Dogs? That there’s a pony.” Apple Bloom protested. Jared folded his wings and tried not to snap at the little mare.
“Well...” Applejack hesitated at this, not sure how much she wanted to tell Apple Bloom about the attack on the research lab, “Jared got hurt really bad, so Twi used her magic to turn him into a pony to save him.”
Apple Bloom tilted her head. “Well, Ah guess that makes sense... but why doesn’t he have a cutie mark? And why doesn’t he say hello like a nice pony?”
“He just hasn’t quite figured out his special talent, and he doesn’t know how to speak Equestrian yet silly! Twilight put a spell on him to let him understand us though.” Pinkie Pie said with a wide grin.
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry mister!” Her ears folded back as she looked apologetically at Jared.
He smiled warmly, then looked to Applejack. “It’s alright, I admit I’d probably react the same way in her place.”
“Don’t worry yourself about it Apple Bloom, now let’s get goin’, Ah’m sure Granny Smith will be wondering where you are for supper.”
“Alrighty then, are ya bringin’ everypony over? Granny isn’t goin’ to like it much.” Apple Bloom said reproachfully.
“Well, Ah’ll explain everything. Ah’m sure that she’ll understand.” Applejack said, though her eyes seemed a little nervous. The others all braced themselves internally and followed Applejack as she led them toward the large farmhouse.
---
Granny Smith had predictably been annoyed at Applejack bringing seven more ponies and a dragon to dinner, but after some grumbling she’d enlisted Big Macintosh and Applejack to fix up extra helpings of her vegetable stew.
“I’ll hand it to you Ms Smith, this is really good!” Jared said with a wide smile as he finished his second bowl. Feeling confident, he tried to pick the bowl up in his hooves to drain the dregs. He almost dropped it, but was able to grab it with his mouth and slurp the rest up noisily. Setting it down with a sheepish smile, he muttered something along the lines of ‘Sorry.’
“Well, Ah still can’t understand a word you say sonny, but don’t worry none about being all fancy at the dinner table. We Apples are hard workers, so we tend to work up big appetites.” Granny Smith said with a warm smile.
“Granny, Ah was wonderin’ if we might be able to put Jared up in tha guest room. Won’t be fer long, we’ll have ta be heading back to Hawaii in a day or two.” Applejack said sheepishly.
Granny leveled her famous stare at her, the farm mare starting to squirm, before sighing. “Well, Ah guess it couldn’t hurt none. Though Ah’ll be expectin’ ya to help your brother with the west fields in the mornin’.
Applejack relaxed and let out the breath she’d been inadvertantly holding.
“Now, let’s get all this cleaned up.” Granny said as she started to gather the bowls.
The others all stood, carrying their respective bowls to the sink.
---
Jared stirred, hearing the bustling noise of breakfast being eaten downstairs. He carefully rolled out of bed, allowing himself a grin as he kept himself from hitting his head on the floor. Tugging the sheets back into some semblance of order, he slowly trotted down the stairs into the kitchen. He could see that the rest of the Apples were already busily eating at the table.
“Plates are right there, grab as much as ya like.” Granny Smith said with a smile.
Jared trotted over, seeing a serving plate piled high with waffles. Serving himself a few, he took the open seat at the table next to Apple Bloom. He started eating heartily, but soon slowed as he felt someone staring at him and turned to see Apple Bloom hurriedly returning to eating. Shaking his head with a mild chuckle, he returned to his own plate.
After finishing up and helping Granny Smith put away the dishes, Jared followed Applejack and Big Macintosh outside. The sun was just starting to climb over the trees, the birds chirping up a storm. He stood there for a moment, taking in the sights and the smells until a familiar voice interrupted the calm.
“Good morning Jared, glad to see you up and about.” Twilight said as she trotted up to the farm.
“Mornin’ Twilight. Y’here to show Jared around town?” Applejack asked.
“Yes, I’m hoping to be able to show him all the key spots before we leave for Hawaii tomorrow morning.”
“Yer leavin’ so soon? But ya just got here!” Apple Bloom said, her eyes watering up, ears folding back, and lower lip pouting out in the best begging face Jared had ever seen.
“Ah know Apple Bloom, but ya know how important this is!” Applejack said, resisting her sister’s valiant attempt.
“Then why don’t you take me with you? I been in Ponyville my whole life, Ah wanna get to go with you sometime!” Apple Bloom stamped a hoof in indignation on the ground.
“No way Bloom, it’s too dangerous there, Ah won’t have none of it.” Applejack said firmly.
“Well...” Twilight said hesitantly. “ She could at least come to Hawaii, it’s safe there, humans can’t survive on the island. And once we leave to return to San Fransisco, I’m sure that the Princesses can arrange for transport to bring her home.”
“Well, that does make sense...” Applejack adjusted her hat anxiously, “but ah just don’t know...”
“Aww, c’mon Applejack!” Apple Bloom pleaded.
“Alright fine, ya can come, on one condition. Ya do exactly what Ah say, when Ah say it. Deal?”
“Deal!” She shouted, only for her jubilant smile to fall into a frown seconds later. “But... what about Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo? Do you think they can come too?”
Applejack smacked a hoof to her forehead as she realized the predicament that she’d put herself in. “That’s not up ta me. If’n Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s parents say they can come, then they can come, alright?”
“Alright.” Apple Bloom said dejectedly, before her ears twitched and she turned her head toward the road, along with everypony else present. An orange pegasus on what could only be a scooter pulled a wagon with a unicorn filly inside toward them at high speed. Skidding to a halt a short distance away, the two jumped off and sprinted toward Apple Bloom, tackling her into a pony pile.
“Apple Bloom! Guess what? Rarity said Sweetie Belle can go to some place called Hawii! My parents already said I can go too! Did Applejack say you could come?” The orange one shouted excitedly.
“She said yes!” Apple Bloom replied giddily.
“Cool! That means we get to be...” the unicorn filly said, the others taking a breath.
“I’d cover your ears if I were you.” Twilight suggested quietly, flicking her ears down. Jared looked at her quizzically, but hadn’t quite gotten his down when the three fillies shouted in unison
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER VACATIONERS! YAY!”
Jared winced in pain, digging at his ear with a hoof in an attempt to make the ringing stop. “They do this a lot?”
“Oh yes.” Twilight said with a laugh. “Now, if you all are going to come along with us, you’ll need to pack your things. The train leaves at dawn tomorrow, so don’t be late.”
“Sure thing Twilight! Ah’ll see you girls later after lunch!” Apple Bloom shouted. The three fillies nodded before sprinting off in different directions, Apple Bloom toward the farmhouse, and the other two toward the wagon and scooter.
“So I’m gonna hazard a guess and say the orange one is Scootaloo and the other one Sweetie Belle?” Jared asked Twilight.
“You’d be right. Now, let’s get going, there’s a lot of Ponyville to see.” Twilight turned and started to trot down the road, Jared following after her.
---
“Alright Jared, I’ll see you tomorrow at the train station.” Twilight called as Jared trudged his way up the road to the farmhouse. The tour of Ponyville had been more exhausting than he’d thought.
First, they’d gone to visit Fluttershy at her cottage, and spent some time helping her take care of all the animals that lived there with her. He’d seen her skills with the chimpanzees, but the sight of her covered with all manner of creatures, including some that on Earth would be hunting each other, was a sight he’d be hard-pressed to forget. He still felt a little nervous about the way that bunny of hers stared at him, like it was as smart as he was.
Next had come Sugarcube Corner, and his stomach still thanked him for the time spent there. Sure, his new taste buds enjoyed hay and vegetables, but there was nothing that could really replace junk food. But the food Pinkie had made for him just tasted… different. He wasn’t sure if he’d say it was better, he’d have to try the equivalent made back home to know for sure, but there was some difference to it he couldn’t put his hand on. Well, hoof in any case. But he’d definitely made up his mind to come back again for more. Whatever they put into their cupcakes here was fantastic.
Making their way further into town, they stopped by Carousel Boutique to say hello to Rarity, who had insisted on Jared posing for some of her ideas inspired by human clothing. That had been by far his most uncomfortable experience so far as a pony. He figured that it must be the reverse of how it was with humans, and wondered if the Equestrians even worried about embarrassing themselves by being nude all the time. He decided that he’d have to ask somepony… someone about it once he’d either learned Equestrian or found a pony doctor that spoke English. The use of the pony slang was something else he’d started catching himself using, and he wasn’t yet sure if that was a problem or not.
After the boutique came Twilight’s library, which fascinated Jared with the fact that it was literally grown into the tree. On top of that, the sheer number of books lining the shelves was impressive, though he regretted his comment about seeing plenty of libraries bigger than hers. She’d immediately launched into a speech about the range of contents the library had. Only about a third of which was in English, fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), the spell had meant he understood every word of it. Although he’d have to ask her what Induced Primary Thaumatic Absorption and Redirection meant later.
Looking up as he saw the farm house coming into view, Apple Bloom waving excitedly at him from the porch, he decided that he would definitely look forward to a return trip in the future. The ponies of the town had been very nice to him, especially one mint-green unicorn that had asked nearly a dozen questions about what it was like to have hands and fingers. His train of thought ended as he climbed the steps onto the porch and trotted inside, the enticing smell of vegetable stew latching onto his nose.
---
Spellweaver trotted along the hallway of the Archives, inhaling the familiar, musty smell of the tomes lining the shelves. She’d always enjoyed visiting the Archives when she was younger, the chance to study magical history by candlelight one the mare could never pass up. She reached the aisle that she was looking for when she heard somepony clear their throat and turned to see a pony standing there, wearing a cloak with the hood up.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked curiously.
“Your name is Spellweaver, right? One of the ponies working on the serum in San Fransico?” The voice definitely belonged to a mare, but she couldn’t make out any of her features.
“Yes... but why do you ask?”
“Can I please ask for some of your time? I promise you that it’s very important.” the strange mare asked.
“Well, I was going to get some reading done, then catch the morning train to Fillydelphia. I really don’t think I have the time...” Spellweaver trailed off as the mare took a step forward.
“Please, my friends and I really need to speak with you. I swear it won’t take long.”
Spellweaver wavered, but the earnestness in the mare’s voice was genuine, and she finally relented. “Very well, where do you want me to meet you?”
“I’ll take you there now, it’s not far.” The mare turned and trotted down the hall toward the side exit, leading Spellweaver along the quiet night paths of Canterlot. Spellweaver noticed that the route the mare followed seemed particularly circuitous, taking them down several side alleys rather than walking down the main street. Eventually, the two found themselves at their destination, a nondescript house in one of the mid-level neighborhoods. Knocking in a peculiar pattern on the door, they waited for a few moments before the door opened slightly, revealing a stallion wearing a similar hooded cloak. “Were you followed?”
“No,” the mare replied.
“Good, it’s pleasure to meet you, Spellweaver.” The stallion said as he opened the door and ushered them inside. He quietly shut the door behind them and led them downstairs to the basement. The space was lit by candles, giving the room a flickering ambiance that set Spellweaver on edge. She could see a large, circular table set out in the middle, with nine cushions arranged around it. Six other ponies already sat around it, all wearing the same hooded cloaks. The stallion showed her to an empty cushion and sat down next to her, while the mare sat next to another stallion across the table from her.
Once everypony was settled, the stallion bowed his head toward Spellweaver. “It truly is a pleasure to have you at this table, Spellweaver. I wish to extend my sympathies for your experience with the humans in San Fransisco. Nopony should have to experience such things like that.” The other ponies all muttered agreement and sympathies of their own. “That is part of what we wished to speak to you about. Every pony here is here because they have either been hurt by the humans, or because of their own goodwill. We have discussed our options at length, and come to a consensus on what course to take.”
“And what course is that, exactly?” Spellweaver asked.
The stallion leaned forward. “We need to ponify all of the humans. As soon as possible.”
Spellweaver almost jerked back in her seat from the intensity of the stallion’s tone. “But that’s what the goal of the project is, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but the problem is that much of humanity is diseased.”
“What do you mean?” Spellweaver asked. She couldn’t remember any signs from the humans she’d worked with of them being sick.
“They are poisoned with hatred, corrupted so deeply by it that they can’t even recognize it themselves. When they’re hurt, they lash out with more hatred; when they’re despairing, they spurn the offers of help from others. They ravage their world in their pursuit of monetary gain, willfully ignorant of the damage they’re doing. But by giving them the gift of ponification, we can save them from their hatred, their despair.”
Spellweaver could hardly believe what she was hearing. “But the most important goal of the project was to preserve the human’s freedom of choice. What you’re suggesting would be a... a xenocide!”
“If we do nothing, we are equally guilty of a xenocide!” the stallion replied forcefully. “We will not deny the humans their choice, but simply sitting and waiting for them to come to one of the centers for their dose of serum is not enough. The revelation of this Human Liberation Front is proof positive that there are humans who will deny other humans their fair choice for ponification. It would be up to us to help ensure that any human who desires the serum can have it. And even if the HLF didn’t exist, we owe it to their world, our world now, to do what we can to help save it.”
“But we’re just nine ponies, there’s only so much we can do, not to mention the serum was just perfected last week.” Spellweaver said quickly, realizing how silly the first part sounded after it left her mouth.
“Well, obviously we would need to recruit more members to our cause. Each pony present at this table has unique skills and abilities that would help us achieve this. As for the serum, once it’s being mass produced we will acquire some and work to replicate it ourselves.”
“Is that why have you brought me here? To steal the serum for you?” Spellweaver asked angrily.
“No, of course not. You worked directly on the serum, you have closer access than anypony else. Once the serum is being mass-produced, you’ll know the method behind it, and can help teach the unicorns among us how.”
“But I’m not part of the project anymore. I don’t think I can go back after what happened.” Spellweaver said softly, forcing the memories from resurfacing.
“I understand your feelings, but you must go back; only you can do this Spellweaver, please.” The stallion rose to his hooves, crossing around the table to stand in front of her.
“But what about Mystic, or Twilight Sparkle? Why me?” Spellweaver said weakly.
“We selected you because your skill with magic is much stronger than Mystic’s, and as for Miss Sparkle, she is too closely monitored to be able to help.”
Spellweaver looked at the floor, trying to decide what she should do. On the one hoof, she absolutely did not want to take away the choice of the humans to undergo ponification. But, on the other hoof, the stallion had a point- there would likely be more humans who wouldn’t accept the serum. She eventually reached her decision and with a heavy sigh, she looked up to the stallion, his face still shadowed under his hood. “Very well, I’ll do it, but on my own terms. I won’t support taking away the human’s choice.”
“Of course. I feel the same way.”
A curious thought sprang to her mind, asking itself before she even really thought about it. “You mentioned earlier that every pony here had been hurt by the humans or because of their own goodwill. Which is it for you?”
The stallion paused for a moment and tilted his head. “I was badly hurt by a misguided human, whose despair was twisted by another human to make him think attacking ponies was the answer.” The stallion removed his hood, revealing his cyan coat, jade eyes, and chestnut mane. “I was consumed by anger and frustration for weeks, wishing for nothing more than revenge on the humans that had decided to manipulate the lives of people and ponies like playthings. Eventually, with the help of my friends and loved ones,” he looked to the mare who had brought Spellweaver here with a smile, “I was able to come to the realization that the humans desperately need our help in order to overcome their own hatred.” Sky Shimmer said, his voice resolute.
Spellweaver’s eyes were wide in shock. She remembered hearing about the attack in Brazil when she was told of the dangers of the human world, but didn’t think to meet the pony who’d been attacked here. “What happens now?”
“Now, you are one of us.” The other ponies all rose to their hooves and surrounded her, lowering their hoods to reveal their faces. “Welcome, to the Ponification for Earth’s Rebirth.”
---
Jared felt his knees shaking as his vision came back into focus, but at least this time he didn’t feel nauseous. “As convienient as teleporting is, I think next time I’ll take the bus.” He looked at the others who were all staring at him and sighed. “Nevermind...”
Luna inclined her head. “I shall be retuning to Canterlot with the Beacon Stone. When you are ready to depart for San Fransisco, there will be chariots to take you to the John F. Kennedy. I hope you all enjoy yourselves, and I shall see you upon your return to Canterlot, Cadance.”
“Of course Luna.” Cadance bowed her head. Luna returned the nod and lit her horn, the Beacon Stone flashing brightly before vanishing.
“Well, what do you all want to do now?” Twilight asked.
“I’ve been dying to hit the beach- I’m not going to let that Star Dancer beat me in wave racing again!” Rainbow Dash said, her wings flared eagerly.
“Ah admit the beach was a lot of fun, though ya ain’t gonna be splashin’ me again Rainbow.” Applejack said, playfully punching Rainbow Dash in the shoulder.
“Well, let’s all go to the beach then. I’m sure we can all find something to do there.” Twilight said with a smile, looking over to where Fluttershy was hovering over Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who were shaking off the effects of the teleportation.
“Tha beach? What in Equestria’s a beach?” Apple Bloom asked curiously.
Applejack gave her a smirk. “You’ll just have ta see fer yourself.”
---
The three fillies stood side by side, mouths agape as they stared at the vast expanse of water in front of them.
“Ah told ya, didn’ Ah?” Applejack said with a smile, taken aback herself despite having seen it before. “So, ya gonna stand here gawkin’ at it or get to playin in it?”
Apple Bloom looked at her friends nervously before steeling herself, breaking into a gallop, and leaping into the water. A second later a wave swamped her and she disappeared under the surface. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle watched nervously before sighing in relief as Apple Bloom spluttered her way back to the surface.
“Come on ya’ll, the water’s fine! It tastes funny, but it’s warm!” She shouted gleefully, splashing water about with her hooves.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other again, before nodding resolutely and charging down the beach into the water, bowling Apple Bloom over and sending all three fillies underwater.
The other ponies laughed at their antics before separating to do their own thing. Applejack and Rainbow Dash charged past the three fillies into deeper water, Rainbow taking flight as she saw another big wave rolling in. Twilight and Cadance trotted across the beach to a patch of shade, settling down to catch up. Shining Armor took off his armor, stacking it neatly in the shade before charging into the water, tossing his head and whooping like a colt just out of school.
“I must admit Twilight, as cute as your brother is, he does get immature at times.” Cadance said with a smirk, fighting not to laugh as Twilight nearly choked.
Twilight got her breathing under control. “I’m still having trouble believing my brother is dating you, you know.” she said.
“And why not? He’s dedicated, hardworking, in excellent physical condition...” Cadance let her voice trail off as she watched Shining surface from under the water, only to start laughing as Twilight playfully jabbed her shoulder.
As the day wore on, the ponies felt the hot sun melting away their stress. Pinkie Pie, Jared, Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders busied themselves sculpting an enormous sand castle, eventually attracting other ponies who were out enjoying the sunny weather. Eventually, the castle towered over the beach, with an archway large enough for even Cadance to walk through.
It was while the Crusaders were showing Cadance around the interior that Shining Armor surrepitously trotted up to where Twilight was using her magic to secure another tower in place. “Yo Twily, you got a few minutes?”
With a final pulse of magic Twilight released the tower and turned to her brother with a smile. “Sure, what do you need?”
Shining dug a hoof at the ground. “Well... can we talk in private? Follow me.” He started to trot off toward a narrow path that led into the treeline. Twilight followed him, confusion written across her face. After a short distance they came to a small clearing, and Shining stopped.
“Shining, what’s going on? What do you want to talk about?” Twilight blurted out. To her surprise, he turned around nervously, glancing over her shoulder before turning his gaze to her.
“Well... I um, wanted to talk to you about...” Shining trailed off and looked at the ground for a second.
“You’re my brother- you can tell me anything, you know that. Though I’m still miffed at you that you didn’t tell me about dating Cadance,” Twilight said with a pout.
“Well, this kind of has to do with Cadance...” Shining swallowed nervously. “Twilight, I...” he took a deep breath to steel himself. “I want to ask Cadance to marry me.”
The clearing was silent for a few seconds while Twilight’s brain processed those last eight words. Then, a single strand of mane popped out of place with a sharp ping and her eyes narrowed. “You... YOU WHAT?”
“Keep it down, Twilight!” Shining blurted out. “I haven’t asked her yet; I was going to a while ago, but then the anti-magic fields appeared, and then the whole first contact thing with the humans... it just seemed like a bad idea. But now... especially after what happened to Autumn Frost... I’ve come to realize that life’s too short to put off the important things.” His eyes softened, “and Cadance is that important to me Twily; I love her.”
Twilight stared at her brother for a second, simultaneously trying to avoid breaking into tears of happiness and tearing her brother a new one for not telling her sooner. Finally she took a step forward and threw her hooves around her brother's shoulders. “I’m happy for you Shining, I really am. When were you planning to ask her?”
He laughed nervously. “Well, I was thinking to ask her tonight. I’d heard stories about this place from the other guards who’d been posted here, and decided I wanted the place I asked her to be memorable, y’know?”
Twilight nodded. “Well, I’m sure she’ll say yes.”
“I hope so too, but there was one other thing I wanted to ask from you and your friends,” he said sheepishly. “There’s a large building in town with lots of shops inside that were abandoned in the evacuation, full of party supplies; I was thinking we could round up some food, some torches and have a nice dinner here on the beach. Then I was thinking to pop the question right as the sun is setting.”
Twilight’s smile was threatening to split her face. “Of course we’ll help; I’ll bring it up with the girls discreetly.”
Shining sagged in relief. “Thanks Twily, I knew I could count on you. I’ll keep Cadance distracted so she doesn’t notice.”
They returned to the beach in time to see the castle come crashing down, the Crusaders apparently having challenged Pinkie, Spike and Jared to a mock pirate fight. Twilight first isolated Rarity, having to employ her sound-silencing spell to prevent the unicorn’s squeal of delight from reaching anypony else’s ears. She promised wholeheartedly to lend her support in making sure everything went together smoothly. Pinkie Pie came next, the party pony thankfully understanding the need to keep this quiet until Shining had his chance. The chance to organize her first ever beach party certainly didn’t hurt either.
Fluttershy was much easier to tell, the pegasus blushing a furious red and hiding behind her mane, but promised to speak with the birds and animals to help make sure the mood was perfect. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were easy too, if only because they were so far out from shore. Applejack promised to work her hardest on making the food, and Rainbow swore to keep an eye on the sky so the atmosphere would be the best it could be
After having some lunch from the abundant vegetation along the treeline, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie went into town, finding the store that Shining had mentioned without any real trouble. They trotted inside, marvelling at the size of the building.
“My stars, the sheer amount of things this store must have sold when it was in operation. A pity that it has fallen into such disuse. I hope that once the people displaced from here can return, these shops can be put back to use.” Rarity said softly, peering into a darkened clothing store with a gleam in her eye.
“Alright now, let’s keep going. Shining said there was a store full of party supplies around here somewhere-” Twilight was interrupted by a pink meteor that raced off ahead of them, skidding to a stop in front of one of the storefronts.
“I found it! You girls won’t believe how much party stuff is here!” Pinkie’s voice drifted back to them as she galloped inside.
Twilight and the others hurried after her, stopping outside the store. There was enough light for them to see a short distance inside, but Twilight lit up the store with a light spell to reveal the interior. Party supplies lined the shelves, from props to balloons to cards and everything in between. Pinkie Pie was rummaging around the aisle that was full of colorful streamers and what appeared to be paper lanterns.
“Are ya sure that it’s ok for us ta use this stuff Twi? It doesn’t feel right ta just take it.” Applejack said doubtfully.
“Well, it was my idea that the human owners abandoned these stores when they evacuated. But here’s what we’ll do - once we finish using it, we can bring it back!” Rarity said with a smile.
“That’s a great idea Rarity! I’m sure the store owners will appreciate it when they come back!” Pinkie Pie chirped.
“Alright girls, we have a lot of work to do to get things set up for tonight. Let’s get started.” Twilight said, her horn lighting with a lavender glow as she started levitating items into the air.
Once they had loaded a basket up with the supplies they needed, Twilight wrote a simple note on a piece of paper she found behind the counter. Exploring their way along the building, they found a store that was apparently for selling kitchen supplies. After searching the interior, they found a couple large bowls for serving, some pitchers and cups for drinks, as well as a large table with folding legs. They stacked everything else on the table so Twilight could levitate it all at once, and started the long hike back to the beach.
---
The sun slowly crawled toward the horizon as the ponies on the beach continued their dinner party. They’d convinced Strawberry Chill at the hotel to help with providing the food, and the table they’d borrowed groaned under the weight of so many filled bowls. Pinkie Pie had somehow found enough berries to make a sizeable pitcher of juice, and then had somehow persuaded Cadance to join her in trying to dance like the humans on a poster she’d seen. Twilight sat next to Shining, her brother sipping on a glass of juice held in his magic. Spike was helping Jared argue with the Crusaders over what his special talent might be, and why he wouldn’t come back to Ponyville with them to join the Crusaders. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were trying to figure out exactly how a pony could stand on a surfboard they’d found abandoned near a beach shop. Rarity was delicately munching on a bowl of salad greens, her eyes occasionally flicking from Cadance, to Twilight, then to the sun.
Once the sun had descended halfway below the edge of the world, Shining nodded to Twilight, who nodded to Pinkie Pie. She timed herself right, then spun away to sit next to her friends when Cadance had closed her eyes. The pink alicorn continued swaying gently for a few seconds before opening her eyes and seeing she was alone. She looked around confusedly, until she noticed Shining getting to his hooves and passing his cup to Twilight.
“If I can have everypony’s attention,” Shining said, rather unnecessarily since everypony present except Jared, Spike and the Crusaders already knew what was going on, and Jared had a sneaking suspicion. “I’m usually not that good at expressing myself, but I’ve had a lot of time to consider this. I first met Cadance when I was still a First Lieutenant, assigned to her escort detail. Now, the usual duties of a Princess escort seems boring to observers, and truthfully? It is. But as time went on, I began to realize that the usual devotion that all guardponies are trained to feel towards our princesses had begun to turn into something... more. At first, I felt ashamed of my feelings, thinking myself weak for letting them develop at all. It wasn’t until we were traveling through the mountains to the north that the opportunity to realize my feelings weren’t wrong presented itself. A band of Diamond Dog raiders had somehow figured out our route and organized a rockslide. I was barely able to bring up my shield spell in time to cover Cadance and myself- my comrades were less fortunate.” He hung his head at the memory, but pulled himself together. “As the rocks finished falling, I realized I was alone against ten Diamond Dogs, odds any guardpony would be uncomfortable with.”
Cadance was even more confused, not quite sure why he was retelling this story now, but she could practically feel the love beginning to emanate from him.
“I’ll spare you the messy details, but by the end of it I was beaten, bleeding from several deep wounds, and tired beyond belief. But the Diamond Dogs had been vanquished. I remember feeling Cadance’s magic catching me as I blacked out, but nothing else until I woke up in the Canterlot General Hospital. Cadance and Celestia, along with Captains Flare and Stardust, were waiting there for me. I don’t really remember much of what was said, but Celestia led the Captains out, leaving me and Cadance alone. She seemed off-put by something, but was hesitant to talk about it until I pressed her. Apparently while she was carrying me out of the mountains, I’d ended up confessing my feelings to her. I didn’t think it possible for me to be more embarrassed, but what she said next proved me wrong.” Shining’s cheeks turned a little pink, and Cadance’s turned darker pink as she remembered. “She told me: ‘What you did back there was by far the dumbest, foolish, reckless... bravest, kindest thing anypony’s done for me. I want to let you know, what you told me on the mountain... I feel it too.’”
By this point Cadance’s cheeks were burning red with embarrassment. She narrowed her eyes, intending to give Shining a piece of her mind for sharing such a personal story in public, but stopped as he turned his head toward the stack of armor next to him, his horn lighting as he levitated a small object out. He turned back to face her, the object held behind him out of sight.
“We started dating soon after that. It was tough going at times, but I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. It’s taken me a lot of thought, but I’ve made up my mind.” He levitated the small box out from behind him, opening it slowly as he spoke the next words carefully. “Cadance, I love you with every fiber of my being. I can’t imagine spending any part of the rest of my life without you. Will you... will you please marry me?” He spoke the last in a rush, almost as if the words had tried to seize up in his throat.
Cadance’s eyes widened as he spoke, her world shrinking to encompass Shining and the box held between them. Inside, a delicate horn ring rested on a soft silk mold, the gold inlaid with several rose quartz gems the color of her coat. She raised her eyes to meet Shining’s gaze incredulously, tears beginning to form in them as a smile spread across her face. She bulldozed her way past the box to throw her forelegs around Shining’s neck.
“Of course I’ll marry you!”
The scene could not have been more perfect to the observing ponies. The setting sun framed Cadance and Shining Armor beautifully, the orange rays lighting his white coat ablaze and blending into hers. Rarity had fought to restrain her squeal of joy as Shining finally asked the question, and now wiped tears from her eyes at the poignancy of the moment. Twilight was fighting back tears of her own, wondering if her heart would explode from how happy she was for her brother. Spike was sniffling; even though he wasn’t related to Shining by blood, the baby dragon considered the stallion his brother in all the ways that mattered. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had abandoned all attempts at holding back tears and were bawling into each other’s arms. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were giggling madly and hugging Scootaloo, who despite her dislike of mushy romance wore a wide grin. Even Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Jared were moved by the scene, all three wearing ear to ear smiles as the couple kissed each other happily.
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Daaaaaaaaaaawwwww
oh shit no the PER!!!!!
Also, because I'm silly and didn't post this sooner, many many thanks go to Silver Tie for proofing this chapter, and to Aegis Exemplar for his help in soundboarding some of the scene at the end
688431 there is no sound boarding in this chapter. Also: Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww!
Sweet!!
I'm ready for more!
Very nice!
PER Needs to die. All of them. Right now. I'm just glad that it isn't the pony race as a whole that wants to alter human's minds. I think I like this the most, now instead of humans rebelling against ponies, some humans can rebel against some ponies.
Fuck em up!
Great chapter! The beach scene made me think of this. Did you, perhaps, draw any inspiration from that?
Anyhow, I'm loving the pace that you're moving at right now, and am looking forward to more!
I share Scotaloo's dislike for mushy romances. But I liked the part with the hooded ponies.
689631 Actually I did, I knew I wanted Shining to propose to Cadance, and he was originally going to do it in Ponyville, but then I thought about making it more exotic and having him do it on Hawaii
And the PER raises it's ugly mug. Also I really can't tell if the stock serum has the same mind-raping qualities seen in a lot of other TCB stories. Because that is one of the things that pisses me off the most about these fics. Ponies are great and hyoomans are teh devil! Yeah because using bloody mind control is not evil when it's cute ponies using it.
Also the destruction of a species isn't genocide, it's xenocide.
"Jared was arguing with the Crusaders over what his special talent might be, and why he wouldn’t come back to Ponyville with them to join the Crusaders."
How does this work if he can't speak Equestrian?
691285 nice catch, and proof why I shouldn't write at 5am. Fixed.
hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng
diabeetus
"But the food Pinkie had made for him just tasted… different. He wasn’t sure if he’d say it was better, he’d have to try the equivalent made back home to know for sure, but there was some difference to it he couldn’t put his hand on. Well, hoof in any case. But he’d definitely made up his mind to come back again for more. Whatever they put into their cupcakes here was fantastic."
oh god please no.. tell me that isnt a reference.....
oh shit son, here comes the third major party!
It I was a normal person in this universe, I probably would join the HLF. That's what I like of this story, the HLF isn't portrayed as heartless bastard from the deepest pits of Tartarus, and ponies aren't represented as paragons of all that is good and light.
dam i love it
691305 You can get a lot across by sign language. Look at Big Mac. Hardly says more than two words at a time.
The PER is ambition though. This is a planet full of humans. More right to it than they do. And they want to dictate what the species must do...
This doesn't end with all humans turned into ponies is it?