Chapter 22
“What’s happening? Why is the island moving?” Twilight inquired, panic creeping into her voice. She looked at Warren imploringly. Everypony shifted anxiously, trying to get better footing on the ground in case the island lurched suddenly again. “What do you mean, ‘that’s my bad’?”
Warren cringed at Twilight’s tone, but didn’t break his smile. Instead, he released a soft breath and uncovered the egg. “In a nutshell, this is all of Morrigan’s magic. I...” He looked away, frowning. The island righted itself and began drifting more smoothly towards the bay. “I took it from her before she died. I’m the one keeping this island afloat right now. Don’t ask me how, but I’ve been drawing on the magic from the egg instead of what little is left within me in order to keep us afloat.”
Rarity stepped forward. She looked a bit indignant at what had become of her work, but there was a look of concern on her face. “But darling... Twilight told us that the Draconequus’s magic is the only thing keeping you alive,” she intoned. “Surely you’d want more than anything to take that magic back into yourself so that...well...you wouldn’t die!”
He simply smiled at the porcelain-white unicorn. “I would have thought so too, Rarity—I really would have—but you haven’t seen half of the horrors this magic is capable of.” His eyes wandered over to Twilight Sparkle, only to see an uneasy look on her face. “Morrigan’s magic... It’s not right.”
“When I first started using the magic inside me, I didn’t see the malign nature behind it since I hadn’t been able to truly tap it. Even when I realized I was in tune with the plants, that wasn’t a fraction of what was there,” he said, shaking his head. “When I began drawing on it in an over-emotional state, be it of anger or fear, that’s when the malignancy began to come out.
“I only wanted to stop the minotaurs out in the orchard—to bind them. The magic took on a life of its own and slew two of them,” he said, watching Twilight. Again, the mare had seemingly flinched at his words. “Then it happened again with the skeleton—but differently. I’d initially thought it had been my own mind making the suggestion, but now that I think about it, I realize it was the magic within me looking to be used in such a manner. Had that skeleton been a living thing...it would have been beyond cruel.
“No,” he said firmly, shaking his head. “If I took all of this into me...I don’t think it would be me any more. I’d become something...tainted. Even though she’s dead, a bit of Morrigan lives on in this concentrated magic...and in me.”
“Then why not just destroy it outright?” Applejack suggested. “Land this island in the harbor, an’ let me buck it to the moon.”
“It’s not that simple,” he whispered, gazing at the ground. He placed his left hand on the encapsulated magical energy, and stroked it gently. The island began to move smoothly toward the harbor. “This thing is all that remains to keep the portal open to your world. I can’t just break it yet, either. There are things that I must do...some wrongs that I must right-”
“You can’t bring back the dead!” Twilight blurted out. “It’s not natural, and it wouldn’t really be them! Necromancy was outlawed in Equestria for a reason.”
A lump rose in Warren’s throat. “I know, Twilight.” When he looked up to her, his eyes were the saddest she’d ever seen. “I wasn’t even considering it. Even if it was them...what would happen to the life they were reborn into?” He shook his head grimly. “There are still some things that I can do in an attempt to help.” He turned to stare up at the statue of Nightmare Moon.
“Goldenrod, your arm!” Fluttershy exclaimed upon seeing his back. “...and your side! What happened to you?”
“Oh...yeah.” Warren threw on an idiotic grin. “I don’t suppose anypony could help mend a few broken ribs, and reset my shoulder?” When three excitable fillies looked like they were about to volunteer, he coughed and said, “Anypony who won’t accidentally hurt me worse than I already am?”
“I can help with your shoulder,” Fluttershy volunteered meekly. “That is, if you don’t mind.”
To his surprise, Rarity volunteered before he could even glance at Twilight or the Princess. “I’m no medical unicorn,” she said smoothly, “but I can at least help bind your broken ribs. That sash I made for you looks to be about the perfect size.” Then, as if picking up on the unspoken question, she blushed slightly and added, “Twilight and the Princess are simply exhausted. They really did all the hard work.”
Warren looked at the two, and grimaced. “Do it.”
- - -
“Do you really think you can fix the statue?” Scootaloo asked from beside him.
Everypony was up on the lowest tier of the statue’s podium, staring out at the ruined boats on the bay. In spite of an agonizing experience having his shoulder set by Fluttershy and Rarity tweaking his ribs with her magic before wrapping the big bow-like belt around his chest, he had managed to land the island safely enough. They had even brought the statue of Discord with them, not wanting to risk him breaking out and escaping while they weren’t looking.
“Probably not,” he said with a sigh. “I mean, I have the magic to do it...but I’m terrible with fine details in art.” He looked back to the burn mark where Morrigan had once lain. “I’ve gotta give her credit...she might have overlooked some glaring holes in her plans, but darned if she didn’t have a detailed eye.”
Without warning, Rainbow Dash hopped up onto the half-wall that bordered the platform. “Heads up! Those fighter jet things are back.”
Warren gazed upward, and sure enough a pair of jets made a pass by the island. Off in the distance, the USS Wasp was picking its way through the floating graveyard that had once proudly been a fleet. Up on the flight deck, he could just make out an Osprey. At this distance, he wasn’t sure, but it looked like it was getting ready for takeoff.
“Okay...gotta make this quick then,” he said anxiously. “We’re about to have company, and I’d rather we’re gone before they get here.”
Cradling the egg in his left arm—made simpler by the fact that Rarity had also been able to fashion a sling from the belt—he stroked it gently with his right palm. Focusing all the willpower he could muster, he willed the Nightmare Moon statue to break down into its iron and copper components. It began to lose its equine shape. Ultimately, what towered above them was a copper monolith bearing none of the decades of tarnish that the Statue of Liberty had suffered. Words were imprinting themselves upon it as quickly as Warren could think of them.
He watched a falling star at the edge of the world
Now the maiden’s beautiful face is covered in barren earth.
Everyone has to look into the eyes of the truth
In the stone at the base of the copper memorial, a second series of words etched themselves into existence. Sorry I couldn’t fix Lady Liberty.
“That is very poetic, Goldenrod, but you shouldn’t aim to loosen your people’s faith in their deity,” the Princess commented. “It isn’t as though their deity was the one to cry havoc and let slip Discord.”
“No, Princess Luna. That isn’t necessarily true.” He shook his head. “If what Morrigan said was true, she’s behind all of the major religions; she’s the embodiment of the Gods of present. Even if she was lying...God betrayed them by allowing Discord and Morrigan into their universe.” He spat on the ground. “Look at me spouting blasphemy. My mother is probably rolling over in her grave.”
Fluttershy was by his side in an instant, nuzzling his right arm. “I know it may seem like your ideals have come crashing down around you, but it can’t all be completely false,” Fluttershy said softly. “Surely somepony has been watching over you. Just look at you, at all you’ve been through. You’ve faced unspeakable horrors and suffered countless times.”
“Fluttershy’s right, sugar-cube,” Applejack added. “Sure, bad things’ve been followin’ ya wherever ya go, but good things have been coming too. Look at Scootaloo. “ Everypony turned towards the orange filly. “Before y’all came around, the only pony she had to look up to was Rainbow Dash, and ya know she ain’t that great of a role-model. Now the little filly has a big-brother figure, and she even managed to earn her cutie mark.”
“What?” the three fillies shouted. Scootaloo turned her body so that she could get a better look at her own flank, presenting just as good a view for everyone else in the group. Emblazoned on her orange flank was a regal bald eagle, with its wings and talons outstretched in a dive. The three fillies all looked confused.
“It’s cool and all... I guess,” Scootaloo said dejectedly. “... but why a bird? What does it even mean?”
“Maybe it means yer special talent is eagle taming,” the pair said in unison, drawing worried glances from their elder sisters. Rarity in particular looked about ready to scold Sweetie Belle for using the Apple family twang. “... or maybe it’s flying after all?”
“But when would I have had the chance to earn either of those cutie marks?” she complained. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Warren couldn’t help but muffle a snicker with his right hand. “I think I know why its an eagle,” he finally said. “Eagles can symbolize courage and strength, right? Think about it: what did you display when you stood up against Morrigan? It takes a heck of a lot of courage to stand up for your friends, but to be willing to throw self-preservation to the wind when you know your foe is far too powerful for you is displaying courage on a whole other level.”
A bright smile began to work its way across the orange filly’s face. “That makes sense, I guess,” she said, letting uncertainty creep into her voice. “But how does it fit with my name? I’m Scootaloo, not Eagleoo.”
Rainbow Dash trotted up to the filly and mussed her hair with a hoof. “That’s easy, squirt!” she said cheerfully. “To scoot is to move fast, right? Eagles are really fast too!” Realizing what she’d said, the rainbow pegasus put on a smug look. “I mean, you probably won’t be as fast as me, but you could be really fast, with the right training.” She gave the filly a wink.
Keeping his eyes on the filly as she hugged one of Rainbow Dash’s forelegs, Warren moved over to Princess Luna. Leaning is head next to her ear, he whispered, “I don’t suppose you’d be able to teleport us one last time, would you?” He pointed out amongst the boneyard on the bay towards the oncoming naval vessel. “I really don’t know how you all will be greeted, but I don’t want any more interdimensional incidents. I’m sure as a regent of Equestria, you can understand the sentiment.”
“Yes, I can do that,” she replied sadly. “I really wish we had the opportunity to make reparations to the people of this world for what has happened, but we cannot delay seeking aid for the wounded.” Though the word implied Rainbow Dash, her gaze betrayed her concern for the formerly merged Crusaders. Her voice was a low whisper when she next spoke. “What did she do to these poor girls?”
“It’s almost too monstrous for words,” he whispered back. “She made them into one monstrous being. I did everything I could to separate them again, but with the degree of fusion, I doubt they’ll ever be completely the same. When we get back, could you make sure they get the best help possible? Don’t think of it as a favor for me, but instead for them.” He indicated Rarity and Applejack.
Luna only nodded in response. He watched her horn as it began to glow with that beautiful navy aura. Even though it was broad daylight, he couldn’t help but feel it was exactly like the Princess’s mane, dotted with many stars. As a bright light began to envelope the group, he whispered once more into the Princess’s ear. “Thank you.”
- - -
Standing once again before the Legends Bar and Restaurant, Warren couldn’t shake a feeling that his chest was about to burst. He knew he should feel jubilant about their victory and the impending return to Equestria, but a hollow ache in his heart left him the most sombre of the group. On one hand, he was back here on Earth, where he had wanted to return to since day one. On the other, he knew that he was legally dead here on Earth, and that his home was elsewhere now. What would his family even think if he came back into their lives? It’d be horrible to put them through any of this craziness.
There were others that needed him now. He had Scootaloo. More than that, he had an entire clan that showed they at least cared for him. Maybe they weren’t all family, but in these past two weeks, they’d been more of a family to him than his own had been in many years. Even if they didn’t think of it in the same way, they were his family now.
So why do I feel so conflicted about going back? He turned to face the portal. His home was there on the other side with Scootaloo, so why did it feel so difficult to just walk through that portal? He looked down at his feet. Laying there at his feet, there was a cellular phone. When he knelt down to pick it up, he discovered it still had a charge—it wasn’t much, but it was there. As the screen sprang to life, he couldn’t help but laugh at the date. Today’s the fourth of July, huh? Suddenly, that epitaph seems a heck of a lot more patriotic. And fancy that, there’s still a cellular signal to boot.
When he stood back up, he realized that everypony was watching him. Their eyes all darted towards the small rectangular object in his hand, and then back to his eyes. Fluttershy began stepping forward, as if ready to ask a question. “No, it’s alright,” he said. “There’s one last thing I’ve gotta do. Go on through the portal. I’ll be right there behind you all.” He turned his back on the portal, and strode through the doors of Legends.
The interior was dim, lit only by the daylight filtering through the windows and doors. Making his way across the empty restaurant towards the bar, he was already trying to decide which one of his brothers or sisters he wanted to call. He decided it would be best if he was seated at the bar. While he was sure he could stay standing, he didn’t want to test his luck.
Finally deciding on which family member to call, he punched the number into the phone’s keypad. The phone rang four times, and then jumped straight to the answering machine. With a sigh, Warren waited for the prompt to speak. “Hey Billy Bingo, it’s Wimpy. You probably never expected to hear my voice again, but listen. I just wanted you and everybody else to know that I’m not mad at you. I was being selfish when-”
“Hello?” a voice on the other side asked. “Warren, that really is you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, William, it is,” Warren sighed. “Wow, I don’t even know what to say, now that you’re on the line.”
“That’s my line,” his brother responded. “I suppose the most obvious thing to ask is how is this even possible? You’re dead! I saw what was left of you! Dad was devastated by your death, you know. He’s amazingly pulled through and he’s still kicking.”
“Dad’s still alive then? That’s good...” He smiled at that piece of good news. “I know you’re up there in Maine, but surely you know that stuff going on in New York, right?” he replied. “Let’s just say that I was called off my vacation in the afterlife because of what was going on here.”
“What, you’re some sort of heavenly monster hunter now?” Billy laughed. “What, no real hunters made it to heaven?”
“It’s not really like that. I know it’s not quite what you expected regarding the afterlife, but I was reborn into another world,” he said flatly. “The only reason I’m here is because some God wannabes with freaky magic decided they wanted our two worlds to go to war. I had only a small part in this. I’m just the tour guide.” It was a flat-out lie, and he knew it, but he couldn’t tell his brother that he’d almost single-handedly saved the world. He wouldn’t have believed it at all anyway.
“Uh-huh.” his brother said suspiciously. “So... what, you just called to say hi and then goodbye?”
Warren felt dejected. “Look, I know you guys were pissed about my stance regarding Dad. I was being selfish.” He sighed again. “I just wanted to let you all know that I felt bad about what I put you all through. I never wanted any of this to happen. I also wanted to say that I don’t blame any of you either. You are, and always will be my family. Goodbye, Billy.”
Warren ended the call, and threw the phone against a wall. Tears rimmed his eyes. The hollow ache in his heart had lifted, but he still felt even more sorrowful than before. It was settled; he had no place on Earth any longer. Screwing his eyes shut, he sank his head into his palm, and tried his hardest not to cry. He was failing miserably.
The door opened and closed behind him. Two sets of hoof-steps sounded behind him, the heavier set indicating the Princess was one of the visitors. He listened as they picked their way across the floor, admiring the soft clip-clop of their hooves on the tile. Wiping the last of his tears away, he forced a smile onto his face and faced his company—Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna.
“Ladies, can I offer either of you a drink?” he said with a swagger that he didn’t at all feel. “We’ve got a lovely selection of beers, wines, spirits and liqueurs here behind the bar. The power may be out, but I’m sure the ice cooler is still plenty cold.”
“Please, Goldenrod. I didn’t mean to intrude on your privacy. I just wanted to talk before we go back.” Something in Twilight’s voice told him that she wasn’t in any sort of mood for joking. “Those things you said about Morrigan’s magic... do you really think its possible for magic itself to be... evil? Could it actually change who we are?”
Warren thought about it for a moment. “As far as Morrigan’s magic was concerned, yes...there will always be that dark element waiting for users that it can take advantage of.” He leaned back against the bar, looking down into Twilight’s worried eyes. “I think as far as pony magic is concerned, it is the user that shapes the magic, not the other way around.”
“You didn’t see what I did to Discord though!” she cried. “I was of sound body and sound mind, and I blew him apart! How can I just go on using magic knowing that I did that to another living being?”
Letting out a shaky breath, Warren felt a cold look creep into his eyes. “Twilight, what you did was out of necessity, for your safety and the safety of your friends.” He pushed himself off of the bar and walked towards her. Crouching down to her level, he looked her in the eyes and smiled. “You were hardly of sound mind. You were stricken with panic, afraid for your well-being and the well-being of your friends.
“Sometimes the world isn’t just light and dark, but also many shades of gray in between.” He brushed a stray lock of her mane out of her eyes. “Yes, what you did was extremely violent—probably the first violent thing you’ve ever even done. A dark action can have a positive outcome, though. Think. What would have happened if you hadn’t blown up Discord?”
“Fluttershy would have...” she whimpered.
“That’s right.” he said softly, caressing her cheek. “You would have lost one of your closest friends.” He glanced up at Princess Luna. “Now, imagine if Princess Luna—please excuse my using you as an example, Princess—hadn’t become Nightmare Moon. The chain of events that led to you making friends with the others might never have occurred.” He paused, forgetting what he was trying to get across. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that just because something bad happens, or you do something bad, it doesn’t mean there couldn’t be a good thing just over the horizon.”
Twilight stared at him in bewilderment. “So what you’re saying is that my magic isn’t my concern after all, but whatever darkness may rest inside me?”
“Sorta. There’s a bit of darkness in all of our hearts, things we act out upon in moments of weakness. Luna had hers...” He inclined his head respectfully. “I had mine when I destroyed Morrigan’s body. I could have left it, and allowed humanity a chance to find a way to protect itself from magic—don’t ask, human sciences are complicated, but trust me, they’d find a way—in the event of future transdimensional incursions. Instead, my disgust with what she had done and the things her tainted magic made me do blinded me to the good and only allowed me to see the bad.
“No, what I’m saying is that you can’t be afraid of your magic just because you’ve realized the destructive potential for the... first time.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “Instead, learn from it. Think about what you did, and how you can better yourself from it. You may not be wholly comfortable with magic for a while, but don’t shun it completely.”
“While I might not have worded it in such a confusing manner, what he says is essentially correct,” Princess Luna added softly. “Celestia will not be angry with you if you choose to take a sabbatical from your studies of magic. Given what you’ve gone through, she might even encourage it. Remember that a refrain from magic use can teach you a lot about magic as well.”
Though Twilight had never seemed like the hugging type to Warren, right then and there, the unicorn student looked like she could use a hug. He wrapped his good arm around the back of her neck, and pulled her close to him. “I’m sure everypony would agree that you need this hug,” he whispered into her ear. “With all you’ve been through, you deserve it. Go on and join everypony else on the other side. I still need to talk with Princess Luna.”
- - -
“You know, I never got to properly thank you,” Warren said, nursing a glass of Irish cream on the rocks. “For healing me, I mean.”
“Think nothing of it, Sir Warren,” the Princess replied sweetly. “I would gladly do so for any of Equestria’s subjects.”
He nearly choked on his drink. “Wait wait, you’ve knighted me?”
“Well...not officially.” she said teasingly. “Would you rather not, for all you’ve done for Equestria?”
“Your Highness, I’d be rather honored to be knighted, but I’m not completely sure I’d even have a place in your court.” He shook his head. “I’m not even sure what good I’m going to be helping Scootaloo. I’m not a pegasus—hell, I’m not even a pony—so I can’t even help her when she starts flying.”
In spite of his doubts, the Princess smiled. “Maybe you don’t know now what you’ll do tomorrow or the next day, but you’ll find your way.” She smiled even wider. “I find that things in Equestria have a wonderful habit of working themselves out.” Luna inclined her head towards the door. “Now, shall we join the others?”
“I...you’re right,” he mumbled. “I’ll know what to do when it counts.” He smiled at her, and strode towards the door. “They’re probably worried sick.” He snickered. “... what with the time difference on the other side.”
Pushing the door open, he half imagined finding himself staring down the barrel of a rifle. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of bones and ash, and an almost still image of the backsides of everypony on the other side of the portal. Discord’s petrified form was there with them, probably having been carried through by Rarity and Applejack. Holding the door open for the Princess, he allowed himself a gentlemanly grin.
An idea of one last parting gift for Earth struck him when they were only a few steps from the portal. Maybe he couldn’t give the Earth a means to protect itself from magic, but maybe—just maybe—he could give them something else. “Go on ahead. I have an idea.”
The Princess gave him a serene nod. He watched as, without a word, she closed the gap on the portal, and passed on through. Releasing a breath he hadn’t known he was withholding, he took one last look around. This was the end of his story as Warren Ashland. It was also the beginning of the next chapter in his life as Goldenrod.
“Goldenrod,” he said aloud with a smile. “I never thought that name would grow on me. Now though, I kind of like it. Funny how that works.”
He gazed down at the egg shaped construct of magic sitting cradled in his arm. Placing one hand on the top of it, he focused on the egg and all magic contained within. It was no longer an egg holding a barely contained power, but a firework ready to explode. He imagined a minute long fuse, that, when completely burned up, would spread the essence of Morrigan’s magic across the globe, simultaneously dispelling the portal. Like he had with the fire, he enchanted it so that it would continue to carry out this action separate of him until its job was finished.
Content that he was giving humanity a chance at something more, he drew a bit of power from the egg into his arm. With all the force he could muster, he hurled the egg into the stratosphere. It’s up to you now, what you do with this magic. You can become something great—a utopia like Equestria if you’ll allow yourselves the chance—or you can doom yourselves to repeatedly act on the darkness within us all. All that matters is that the choice is in your hands. Goodbye, Earth.
With a happy sigh, Goldenrod stepped through the Equestrian portal to join his friends.
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Scootaloo's special talent is to spread the glory of Amuricah and the Second Amendment to Equestria.
What else could a bald eagle on a pony's butt mean?
993455
Eagle training
Duh
993455
I like your thinking.
So if he turns back into a unicorn, is he gonna be unable to do magic?
Poor Lady Liberty.
I'm gonna have to vote for eagle training.
And now I want to see fanart of Scoots soaring through the sky surrounded by a massive flock of eagles.
Giving humans magic.. interesting, and a great way to set up possible sequels
Though, frankly, I'm not sure humanity would do all taht well with newfound magical abilities, it will be a rough couple of years on Earth, that's for sure.
Scootaloo's special talent is AMERICA!
This was awesome!
Some spelling mistakes you may want to take into account, but other than that, this is me: "
BEST CHAPTER EVA!!!!" Well done! 
993784 I would love to know what we missed this time.
993797
"At this distance, he wasn’t sure, but it looked like it was getting ready or takeoff."
"Or" should be "for".
I think that that was the only one. I skimmed it this time to try and find any other mistakes, but I believe that that's about it.
I'm so happy with how this turned out. Happy endings give me a fuzzy feeling.
...Or that fuzzy feeling could be a symptom for some illness. Oh well.
Is there still an epilogue left to go, or anything else?
993956 We're not even at the epilogue quite yet. Two more chapters plus an epilogue.
Lol just realized Goldenrod sounded like the game Goldeneye
993982
Oh, okay!
Not sure if there's much left to tie up aside from Sweetie Bell and Applebloom's partially fused state, what Goldenrod will do (flower stall is my guess), Goldenrod's knighting...
Fine, so there are still things to write about.
So few people dare to do what you just did in this chapter; so many follow the path of least resistance, wring their hands, and say "poof! Everything back to normal". But the aftermath of a real catastrophe, of a real conflict, is not a return but an ascent; as the old saying goes, that which does not kill me only makes me stronger. The world can never be quite the same after it learns of something so terrible, or something so grand. You went there, and that's spectacular in my eyes.
I was doubtful, before. I argued bitterly over what was to most, I'm sure, an insignificant detail; the ramifications of destroying Morrigan's body, or of leaving it alone, were deeply complex and nuanced, but after everything Warren desperately just wanted it all to end and rushed his judgement. The story could have easily moved on from that, ignored what that action really meant, ignored what the entire conflict meant to Earth in the long run, ignored what the individual characters' responsibilities in that aftermath might be and just move on back to Equestria to deliver a simple and easy happily ever after to the main characters. Far bigger and more celebrated fanfics have done that without any real complaint; people are here for Equestria, that's the draw, that's the focus. Maybe only a few people really care about what happens to the things it touched.
You didn't take the easy way out, though. You acknowledge what happened here, the lives lost, the wanton destruction, the impact that will stay long after Warren and the Equestrians have left, and how even with their strongest magic setting things all back just isn't possible. You didn't leave the issues of the cremation,Twilight's violent use of magic, or the consequences that some actions in pursuit of a helping hand back to the status quo might cause whether that be necromancy, or even just trying to help out in the open where their appearance and nature of their actions could generate a new panic due to what had already just happened. On that second point the characters themselves opted for an easy way out, but to try and navigate the alternative would have been a story all in itself, one that none of them were adequately equipped to pursue at the time.
You didn't leave the personal issues with Warren untouched either; leaving for Equestria for good is not simple or without consequence, particularly for his family, but he faced that head-on, and made peace with the issues that he was previously all too glad to be able to run from as a unicorn.
And as for Warren's last act before his departure, I don't really think I have to say much of anything about the idea of giving magic to humans here; we've already discussed what that could have meant, the good, the bad, and the strange of it that follows every revolutionary change in our abilities and tools. All I can say is, I absolutely love your guts for doing it. The short-sightedness of how he did it makes it all the more interesting: He knew he didn't know what the long-term effects of humanity armed with magic might be, but he also doesn't really know(and neither do I, though perhaps you had something in mind) what the short-term impact of suddenly giving Earth ambient magic in the way he did will be; what might become unreliable or dangerous or prosperous simply because it's there or because of how it arrived? Stuff will happen because of it even before anyone figures out how to use it, things that nobody on Earth yet knows how to predict or explain. Depending on where or how these things happen... well, suffice to say, there is ample room for a story about that all of its own on Earth in the aftermath of Displaced. Once again, I absolutely love your guts for pulling this.
If there's anything I could say I was left wanting here, it would just be in how Luna seems to be taking a back seat to Warren in deciding how to deal with whether or not Earth becomes aware of Equestria, or if they'd be able to help or open up diplomatic talks. Don't get me wrong, staying in one place after what just happened and effectively telling all the people with guns "Hi! You've never met us or anything like us before, but we saved the world and came from the same place that the monsters who threatened it did, and you should trust our word that we just want to help!" would have been stupid and Warren was right to want everyone out of there at the time, but I'm just under the impression that Luna should have been quicker to see that, and to come up with how to move forward in that regard. She is the best authority present on how Equestria is supposed to act towards other nations, after all.
Good chapter, and as always I look forward to what happens next.
I was so hoping he would finish the change back to himself as his Pony form when he stepped through the portal.
Maybe he did... but it's very ambigious.
Well done.
993676 I'd like to see Scootaloo being all mad while Applebloom's riding the back of an eagle (or a Pidgeot), Scoots saying: "Why can't I learn to fly?!"
994757 Story's not done, friend. Note that I haven't transitioned it to Complete. ;P
994821
I find this very relevant
halolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/halolz-dot-com-pokemon-scyther-cannotlearnfly.jpg
Unless that was what was intended, then... Horray for me!
I feel left out because im Australian
well go Australia then
995708 YESS!!! That's actually exactly the comic I was thinking of!
I just couldn't find it... 
"Many shades of grey inbetween" There's 50 to be percise. WHY DID I SAY THAT
I wish to know a little more at the end maybe just a couple of hours after he gets back i guess what i'm saying is it would be nice to have a bonus chapter telling of years later after that incident how hes become accustomed to his new life style....(knowing that he disposed of marrigans magic but wanting to ask anyway) if he ever decides to become a pony again well... unicorn
i mean that would be such a sound ending with such a great conclusion of would become of him...
i also bet many fans of this book like story would greatly appericiate the extra at the end...
1003133
Please read the previous comments. There are still two chapters and an Epilogue left, don't worry this is not the ending
It would be rather ironic if humanity figured out their own way to make a portal, and visited equestria on their own.
1012556
Sequels... who said anything about sequels
1020853 I certainly didn't, even if I was thinking about a possible sequel while doing some chores before bed.
1020853
Not me. Stories always continue in my head. It does not matter how much the author writes. I was not referring to a future story, but just considering the whole world that was created.
Ok, WHY would he spread her magic across the entire Earth, ESPECIALLY when he said it was corrupting and evil.