//------------------------------// // 9. Adrift // Story: Dash of Humanity 3: Consequences // by Kaidan //------------------------------//         Given all that had happened lately, my friends were a little reluctant to leave me alone again wandering Canterlot. The hearing had finished and more than anything I felt like getting some exercise to feel better. Dash had come with me to the Canterlot Royal Gardens, and agreed to wait for me at the entrance. This seemed like an excellent place for some reflection and exercise, so I found my way to the statue of Discord and took a seat on a park bench. The bushes here were at least six feet tall and perfectly trimmed. They were all in bloom with an array of orange and red flowers, which I was tempted to taste if not for my past experiences eating unknown flowers. I shielded my eyes and looked up at Discord, whose head was silhouetted by the setting sun. He had caused me a lot of trouble, but had been taken care of in the end, and now I had to pick up the pieces of my life. I wondered if I’d ever get them all back into place, wishing that somepony else could just fix it all for me. I got the feeling that I was being watched and looked away from the statue, noticing Celestia standing in the walkway between two of the hedge bushes. “Hello Dawn, may I ask what you were thinking about?” Celestia asked. I shrugged and looked back at the statue. “Where to start? But I suppose at this exact moment, wondering why someone couldn’t just magic all my problems away for me. But a thought occurred to me before I noticed you there.” “Oh, what was it?” “Well I had my share of problems back on Earth but I never let it stop me. If it hadn’t been for a couple friends with a very high tolerance for pain I’d never have passed my nursing exams for drawing blood.” Celestia walked over next to the bench and sat down, her head still about twice as high from the ground as mine. “So you’re feeling like it’s somehow different here, and your hard work isn’t enough?” “Yeah, I guess so.” I looked over to see how she looked today, and if there were any outward signs of happiness or anything else to help me gauge her mood. She was as stoic as ever, and the multi-colored mane gently waving in the breeze was the only part of her body that moved as she sized me up. “Well, Dawn, you have been through a lot here that’s for sure, and you know I love and care for every one of my ponies. You should know I count you among them, which is why I think it proper to tell you that you’re not trying hard enough.” I continued to stare at her as I pictured and measured my response. Luckily I wasn’t the kind of human who would punch a princess in the face. “Excuse me?” “I think you’ve taken a rather passive approach, blaming our very alien world and laws and the sheer overwhelming nature of the odds against you as an excuse to not act at all… the only way past inaction is to act, and the only way to stop being overwhelmed is to break your problems down into smaller more easily-handled parts.” Celestia offered me a smile and nodded to Discord. “I bring more than advice though, anypony could give you that. Perhaps I can help you get your new life in order by offering to solve one of your problems for you?” I looked to Discord, weathered and covered in a few stains where the bird droppings weren’t washed off in time leaving dark splotches. I returned my gaze to her, a sharp edge still present in my voice. “Oh? And since I can’t handle things myself just what exactly are you going to dive in and help me with after all this time watching from atop your throne?” She kept her gaze forward on Discord, giving me the sense I were having a clandestine meeting in the park and she didn’t want anypony watching from a distance to think she was talking to me, so much as at the dingy old statue. “Just nod your head and tonight Soarin will vanish from prison. He’ll get no statue or memorial, just a little trip to check on Discord for me.” While her poker face left no sign of emotion, mine was the kind that’d scream I’ve got a royal flush! at the top of my lungs. My jaw hung open and my eyes were wide, and beginning to water in the harsh sunlight, as I heard her offer. “Did…. did you just offer to make my problem go away?” “Living for eons can make one very detached, can make it difficult to relate, but let’s say your… circumstances of arriving here got me invested emotionally in a way few ponies can. You could count on your hooves the number of ponies I care about enough to make such an offer to.” I blinked a few more times as I stared at her, a million thoughts going through my head. This could be a trick, some kind of test, and even if it wasn’t what if ponies found out what happened to Soarin? He deserves to burn though, or is that better than he deserves? A quick death? Would I rather him be in jail? Do I want to keep looking over my shoulder wondering if every stallion of the right height and build is him sneaking up on me? “I…. I d-don’t know,” I stuttered. “He certainly deserves it… but how can you ask me that and expect me to just not jump on the opportunity for revenge? It’d solve one problem but create others when I have to explain it to everypony else…” “Mmhmm,” Celestia smiled slightly. “It is easy to think there is a magic solution to every problem that is quick, painless, and leaves everypony happy. Take it from me, no solution is every quick, painless, nor does it leave everypony happy. The cost of choosing my subjects over my sister led me into centuries of depression. I would still do it again, since the only meaningful solutions are the ones you face and come up with on your own.” I sighed in relief at the ethical dilemma diverted. A soft handkerchief floated in Celestia’s magic, wiping away some tears I hadn’t felt as I struggled for composure at all the thoughts Soarin’s name had dug up inside me. “I knew it was a test. You said that just to make me realize I need to tackle my problems myself and not expect an easy solution?” I looked away from her, ”that’s actually pretty fucked up.” “If you can find the strength to resist the instant gratification of watching him burn, you can find the strength to do anything… admit your feelings to Dash and Fluttershy, find a job, raise a foal… you will have a happy life in Equestria, Dawn, and Luna and I will watch over you to prevent any more suffering… but only you can choose to accept and fight for the life you want.” I nodded passively, still not making eye contact with her. “Does everypony here minor in psychology?” Celestia chuckled. “Just so you don’t think I’m all tough love, my offer was genuine... though the lesson learned may have varied. Have a nice flight home, Dawn.” I tilted my head and turned to face Celestia, but she was gone. There was an indent in the grass just off the cobblestone path where she had sat, but that was it. “There you are!” Dash landed in front of me, causing me to jerk backwards in shock. “What?!” I gasped. “We’re gonna miss the train to Ponyville!” She grabbed my foreleg and pulled me forward. “Come on, let’s try to catch it and get away from this creepy statue, I can swear it’s eyes are following me!” She took off, giving me a firm yank forward and forcing me to flap my wings and take off after her, or find out what the grass tasted like. “Sheesh! I’m coming!” We flew off towards the train station, and I could see the smoke stack from across town as the train left the station. “Crap,” Dash stopped in mid-air, and I flew up next to her. “Well we can still catch up to it. Fluttershy got our luggage on board.” “Dash, relax. Let’s go get a bite to eat, then catch the train.” “Hmm,” her stomach rumbled. “Well I am pretty hungry as long as it doesn’t take to long. Fluttershy’s probably wondering why we missed the train… how did you lose track of time anyway?” “Oh, Celestia was feeling talkative I guess.” I shrugged, and looked towards a nearby hotel chain I recognized. “And I don’t think Fluttershy will want what I have in mind. Tell me, have you heard of a BLT?” Dash looked at me and I pointed down to the griffon hotel. She followed my gaze to the hotel, then back to me and we both had smiles slowly spread across our faces. “Please tell me the B is for bacon!”