Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #471-Will,Have, Are

They fed. They feed. They will feed.

So cold. All I can feel, creeping through my mane and coat is cold. The ponies around me, they do not understand. They cannot understand what ravages the world is about to inflict upon them, or already has inflicted. Is inflicting? I have lost track of when I am, where my perception is focused.

They do not listen when I tell them that the spirits of cold hatred are coming. They listen to me speak in three tenses at once, and say ‘That Starswirl, he’s so eccentric’. I know the truth-they think me insane. But as sure as the mark on my flank tells me who I am, I know that time is not nearly as linear as other ponies think it is. Such is my curse.

They came. They come. They will come. We have frozen. We will freeze. We are freezing.

Our hearts grow cold to the pleas of the earth ponies who we trade, traded, will trade with for food. We fear, will fear, have feared the pegasi in the sky, blaming them for the oncoming, receding, prevalent cold. Again and again, I have, am, and will seek the court of Unicorns, telling them of what I see, saw and will see. Time and time again, they push me away, claiming that I have, am or will spend too much time locked up.

Clover, bright girl that she is, understands my plight, though I fear that she perceives me to be as insane as everypony else, though she listens and makes, made and will make me a nice cup of tea to help me calm down, and put a rest to my overactive sight.

I wake. I woke. I will awake, and I feel the cold penetrate the stone and flesh and my heart. Each morn, past, present and future I feel the same thing, and as I look out the window, all I can see is whirling clouds, flying snow and ghostly horses galloping through the storm with screams of wind and cold.

Eventually, today, yesterday, I give up on my quest to convince the Court of co-operating with the other races. ‘We are Unicorn,’they say, ‘We raise the sun and moon. The others should be bowing to us.’ I tell them, told them, will tell them that such a claim is arrogant, that for true harmony to exist, to repel these spirits of cold and violence and hate, we must work together, but they do not hear it, will not hear it, have never heard it.

When the first snowflake falls in the middle of the growing season, far earlier than should be possible, I have, am and will lock myself in my tower. I will only repeat my earlier claim of cooperation, and we shall see if they believe me then.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #471:“Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever”

The Prompt: This great evil. Where’s it come from? How’d it steal into the world? What seed, what root did it grow from? Who’s doing this? Who’s killing us, robbing us of life and light? Mocking us with the sight of what we might have known?

Does our ruin benefit the earth? Does it help the grass to grow and the sun to shine?

Is this darkness in you, too? Have you passed through this night?

Eh.

Comments

[Themaskedferret]

I actually think this is really well done. I like this angle for Starswirl and you keep it very coherent.

[Malandy]

Bioshock Infinite Luteces Ref.? Or just Time Travel Tense Trouble? Whichever, this is pretty cool!