“Permanent Vacation”
Dawn Breaks
“We shouldn’t do this.”
“We have no choice.”
“But will he—?”
“Uncertain.”
“What if—?”
“A risk we must take.”
“…Forgive us.”
Dull… A dull and muffled rhythmic pulse is all I hear. If I’d have to describe it, it would be similar to ones own heartbeat. The dull pulse gradually starts to come in clearer, being replaced with a steady beeping sound. My eyes slowly open to the harsh and pristine whiteness of everything. I lay still, giving my eyes time to adjust, though my thoughts are still hazy.
I roll my head to the left, seeing some sort of machine there. Its green screen shows a pulsing line and multiple wires run out of it. God, what’s this thing called again… Ugh, it hurts to think. My eyes drift over to a tall pole with a clear bag and a long tube hanging from it. There’s something written on the bag. I squint my eyes, forcing it to come into focus. IV… Come on, Blake, fight the pain. IV… IV… What’s it mean again? I roll my head back, resting it on whatever I’m on.
Forcing my head up a bit, I glance at the white sheet covering me. Laying my head back down, I try to focus through the haze in my head. Ugh… What happened? I remember a rock field and… Diamond Dogs. That’s right. Everything’s coming back now. I got back to Ponyville, found out the Diamond Dogs kidnapped the Crusaders and Elements, went out to rescue them, stayed behind to cover their retreat, and… And… Bled out in the fields with the girls watching. I look at the machine again. No, the dead don’t get heartbeat monitors. But then… How’d I survive? I should have died in the fields… I should have died doing my job.
I look up at the ceiling. Could I have survived? Or is this just what Heaven is, a telling of a story of what your life could have been? But if this is Heaven, then why am I in a hospital and not fully healed and walking up to the pearly gates. Whatever the case, I should at least figure out where I am. I try to push myself up, only to grimace at the pain shooting through my left shoulder. I go limp again, staring up at the ceiling. Right, right, took an arrow there. Well, looks like this is gonna be harder than I thought. There’s gotta be something to help prop me up. I turn my head to the right, and stare.
Sitting in a chair by a window, is Fluttershy. The curtain for the window is pulled across, yet enough sunlight seeps through to fall across her sleeping form. Her hair is a disheveled mess, and the area around her eyes is red and swollen. Why… Why is she here? And how long has she been here? I slowly raise my right arm out from under the sheet and reach towards her. “Shy…” I rasp out, the dryness of my throat now registering in my mind. She doesn’t respond. “Shy…” I try again, straining my voice to be louder.
She stirs slightly, and her eyes flutter open. “B-Blake?” She sees my outstretched hand. “Blake!” She jumps up off the chair and is by my side in an instant. “Blake, you’re alive! Oh, I’ve got to get the girls!”
My eyes widen. She turns to go, but I grab her arm. She stops and looks back at me. “Don’t… Go…” She can’t leave, she just can’t! If she does, she might just disappear from this dream, or if this real, right out of my life, and I can’t face that! The beeping of the heartbeat monitor picks up in tempo. She nods her head, and I release the breath I realize I’ve been holding. I let her go and she pulls the chair to the bedside, staying within my sight. “Water…”
“Okay, but let’s prop you up first.” She goes over to my left side and reaches under my arm. “I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt. Ready?” I nod my head. As she eases me up from my left, I struggle to push myself up using my right arm. I hiss out in pain, but keep going till I’m almost vertical. She lets me go once I steady myself, and then I hear her messing with something on the bed. “Okay, lean back slowly now.” I do as she says, leaning back into the bed so that I’m now propped up.
“Water…” I rasp out. I’m gonna need if I’m gonna be talking soon. Fluttershy raises a plastic cup to my lips, and I take slow, deliberate sips, the ache in my throat dulling. I drink my fill, and she moves the cup away. I relax and stare up at the ceiling. Okay, time to come to terms with this. This all feels too real for it to not be a dream. But again, I have to beg the question of how? How did I survive? I hear Fluttershy sniffle. I turn my head towards her, and see she’s lightly sobbing into her hands. I reach out and set my hand on her lap. “What’s wrong, Shy?”
She shudders a bit. “You,” She chokes out after some time.
“Me?”
She pulls her hands away from her eyes and looks at me. “Yes, you. Look at what happened to you! You almost died saving us! And all because we we’re in danger! It was like watching one of my animal friends die in front of me all over again! All because I couldn't do anything to save you!”
I lightly squeeze her hand. “Hey, hey. No tears now. I did what needed to be done. I’d do anything for you girls, and no force in the world will stop me.” I sigh and close my eyes. “If anything, I should apologize.”
I feel her hand squeeze mine. “For what? It’s not your fault this happened.”
Good, she doesn’t need to blame herself for any of this. “For not being there for you all. I should never have left you alone like that. I’ve done a terrible job of being there for you girls, twice now.”
“But you still came. That’s what matters.”
I open my eyes and look at her. “I came because I wanted to, but I should never have needed to in the first place. If I was in Ponyville when you girls got taken, I might have been able to stop the dogs. Instead, I was off gallivanting about without a thought to your safety.”
“But it’s not your job to save us.”
I sigh. “It’s not my job, but I can’t lose the ones I call my family.”
She smiles slightly. “And we can’t bear to lose our family either.”
I return her smile and let her hand go. I look down at myself. “Man, I must be a wreak. How long was I out for?”
“Umm… About a week now…”
I turn to look at her, an eyebrow raised. “A week? Have you been here the entire time?” She nods her head. “Shy…” Words can’t express how I feel right now. “What about your animals? Don’t you need to take care of them? And what about everyone else?”
“Oh, the girls have been taking care of them and visiting you regularly, even bringing you gifts.” She motions towards the end of the bed. I look, and now notice the balloons tied to the end of the bed, various forms of well wishes inscribed on them. One of them even has a frowning pink pony on it.
I chuckle hoarsely before coughing a bit. Fluttershy starts to move, but I wave her off. “I’m fine, really. Oh, leave it to Pinkie to brighten my mood.” I sigh before looking back at Fluttershy. “And… Scootaloo?”
She looks towards the balloons. “…She’s been taking it hard. She visits you every day, telling you stories and talking about what happened that day. And she keeps mumbling something to you, but I couldn’t hear it very well.”
Not the words I wanted to hear. It pains me to put her through all this, but it’s not like I expected to see everyone again. I smile though. “Whatever is was, I’m sure it was something tough and brave.” I sit there in silence before asking the question I’ve wanted to know. “So… How did I survive, and where are we?”
“Um… After you blacked out, the Princesses came and cast a spell on you. I’m sorry I don’t know much about the spell, but all I understood was something about lock and stasis.”
“I think I know. It was a stasis spell that locked me into my current state. I wouldn’t get any better, but not any worse. Continue.”
“Well, after that, they brought you to Canterlot Castle in its medical wing to stabilize you, which is where we are right now.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Why not the Ponyville Hospital? Surely that was closer than Canterlot.”
She fidgets in her seat and looks at the floor. “I tried to bring that up, but nopony heard me. I would have thought being closer to town would make it easier for everypony to see you.”
Yes, but how many would have actually wanted to see me is the question. “I would have liked that very much, but what matters right now is that I’m breathing again. Speaking of that, how? I should be dead with the amount of blood I lost.”
“Um… About that…” She keeps glancing between the floor and me.
“Shy, go on. Whatever it is, I can take it.”
She sighs and looks at me. “Since you’re the only being of your kind here, we didn’t have any human blood to transfuse. We had to make do with the best match we could find in such short notice.”
My eyes widen. “And that was…?”
“They ran all the tests, and didn’t see any problems, and you’ve been stable since, and we—”
I grab her arm, partly out of fear and partly out of keeping her from hyperventilating. “Shy, whose blood do I got?”
She takes a deep breath and releases it. “Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack.”
Blood from three different donors. Blood that is from an entirely different species. Blood that shouldn’t be in my body… “And they’re positive there’s no negative impacts?”
“Well… They couldn’t see any…”
“But…” Because I know there’s a but to that statement.
“You’re the first human in Equestria. We don’t know exactly how your body is supposed to operate.”
I sigh and look up at the ceiling. We sit there in silence before I finally speak up. “What’s done is done. No need to dwell on the past. I’ve been here a week according to you, and nothing bad has happened to me in that time.” I turn my head to look at Fluttershy. “It’s safe to say I’m fine now.”
She smiles. “And I’m happy to see you alive and well, and I’m sure everypony else will.”
But I think I’ve spent enough time lying in a bed. “When did the doctor say I can leave?”
“Whenever you woke up, but I think you should stay here just a little longer. Everypony else promised to come visit you after breakfast anyway.”
I smirk. “Nonsense, let’s surprise them. Help me out of bed and let’s go to breakfast.”
Her eyes widen. “Are you sure you’re able to?”
“Alone, no. But with you by my side, I’m positive we can do it.”
“Okay, but I’m getting the doctor first.”
I let go of her hand, and she stands up and walks away. I hear a door open and shut, leaving me alone to myself for a bit. After what I’ve been through, what they’ve been through, how can I even face them? What’ll I say? How will they react? It’s not long before I hear the door again. Fluttershy steps into view, along with a caramel colored stallion with slicked black hair wearing a doctor’s coat.
“Well, looks who’s finally awake.”
I smile. “Well, you can’t sleep all your life away, right doctor?”
He laughs. “Too true in same cases. I must say though, it was fascinating to be able to study a different species in a medical environment. But as Miss Shy explained to me, it seems you’re anxious to return to your normal life so I’ll cut right to the chase with your injuries.”
“Lay it on me, doc.”
“You have a couple broken ribs, a hole in your left hand, multiple lacerations along your back, multiple foreign objects imbedded across your body that were removed, and had extreme blood loss. Frankly, it’s amazing you even survived for as long as you did.”
I smile. “What can I say doc, I’m a fighter.”
The doctor smiles. “Well, the good news is that you are free to leave, but I don’t want you performing any strenuous activity till we’re positive everything is back to normal for you.”
“You have my word.”
The doc nods his head. “Then let me just disconnect you from the machine here and remove the IV drip and you should be all set.” He slowly removes the needle in my arm connected to the IV, which I remember stands for intravenous fluid, then he reaches up under my hospital gown and gently pulls the little diode thing for the heartbeat monitor attached to my skin free with a little pop. “Alright, let’s get you on your feet.” He pulls the cover down to the end of the bed. “Take it slowly now, we don’t need you hurting yourself.”
With a grunt, I slowly force myself up and turn so that my legs now dangle over the edge of the bed. I slide forward so my feet now touch the ground. I take a breath, and rise up. I stumble, but the doc catches me. It’s at this point I realize what I’m wearing, or in this case, a lack of what I’m wearing. “Um… Doc? Mind if you do something for me?”
“Of course.”
I glance over my shoulder at Fluttershy. “Would you mind… Um… Helping me get dressed into something… Not this?”
“Oh, Rarity planned for this actually.” Fluttershy grabs a bag I didn’t notice before and reaches in, pulling a bundle of clothes out. “She made you some clothes as a gift for when you recovered.”
I nod my head. “Well doc, will you do it?”
“Well, it isn’t standard…” The doctor smirks, “But then again, you’re not a standard patient. Miss Shy, if you would leave us?”
“Umm… Actually… Somepony is gonna have to take care of you at home too.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Are you offering to be my in house nurse?” She nods her head. I’m pretty sure a blush grew on my face. “Okay then…”
Fluttershy comes to my side and gently sits me back down. The doctor hovers off to the side as she carefully removes the gown. Thankfully someone had the decency to provide me with a fresh pair of underwear. As she works, I finally get a good look at myself. Bandages wrap around my chest, along with a couple here and there along both my legs. I look at my left hand, the one that took an arrow through it. Bandages wrap around it, and my hand twitches, likely due to some nerve damage.
“There, all done.” I was so focused on my injuries that I didn’t even pay attention to her. I will admit, Rarity took into consideration my injuries when she designed these clothes. Not too form fitting, but loose enough that they don’t cling to my skin.
The doctor motions towards the door. “Miss Shy, if you’ll follow me, I’ll go over what needs to be done to Blake here. As for you,” The doctor looks at me, “I’ll get a wheelchair and send you on your way.”
I shake my head. “No wheelchair, crutches will work.” I’m not some cripple, I can still walk.
The doctor eyes me. “Stand up and try walking to me first, then we’ll see.”
Fluttershy helps me back to my feet. I steady myself, and then she lets me go. I slowly turn towards the doctor, putting the pressure on my right leg. I bite my lip at the pain, but press on. I then start making slow, shuffling movements towards him. Putting pressure on my left leg is tolerable enough though. “See? Easy.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Alright, no wheelchair and crutches it is. Follow me then.” Fluttershy supports my right side, and together we follow the doctor out into a hallway that’s drastically different from the room itself. No doubt about it now, this color scheme and architecture screams Canterlot Castle. The doctor turns right and moves down the hall towards what looks like a reception desk. We take it slow in our follow, so much so that the doctor has time to talk to someone behind the desk and get a pair of crutches. I brace myself on the crutches and take a seat on a bench nearby as the doctor talks with Fluttershy.
“Hey, welcome back to the land of the living.”
“Nice to hear from you too.”
“I’m gonna refrain from calling you an idiot till later.”
“I appreciate that. What’s going on?”
“Running some tests, working on a special project, and monitoring your vitals.”
“Good news or bad news?”
“What part of running some tests did you not understand?”
“Right, right. Look, just give me a break. I got a lot of things on my mind right now.”
“I’ve noticed. Look, we’ll talk later once we’re both back up to full speed.”
“Blake?” I glance up at Fluttershy. “We can go now.”
I stand up again, much easier with the crutches now, and walk with Fluttershy. She obviously knows where to go, so I’m gonna stick with her. “Shy?”
“Hmm?”
“Why did you volunteer to take care of me? Not that I’m ungrateful, but why?”
“Because… Well, I couldn’t help you then, and I wanna help you now.”
I have to smile at that. “Like I said before and I’ll say it again, don’t blame yourself for any of this. I did what was needed of me.”
We walk in silence a bit more. After turning a corner, Fluttershy points to two large doors at the end with two guards flanking it. “That’s the dining hall. Oh, everypony is gonna be so happy to see you!”
I chuckle lightly. “Yeah, great.”
She stops and looks at me, her head tilted. “Blake? What’s wrong? You should be happy to see them.”
I stare at the doors, pondering what lies beyond. “I’m happy to see them, yes.” I sigh and glance at Fluttershy. “But how do I even start? What do I say? I can’t just walk in and act like nothing happened. I said those things because I didn’t expect to see everyone again. I caused so much heartbreak and pain that I… I don’t know what to do right now. I don't know if I should face them.”
She cups my chin in her hand and turns my head to face her. “Then just be yourself. This has been hard on everypony, but they still love you from the bottom of their hearts, or else they wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t have cried so hard for you. They love you, and always will. We told you before, we're a family, and family sticks together.”
I slowly smile. “You know just what to say and how to say it, don’t you?”
She smiles back. “It comes with being kind to others.”
I nod my head. “Then let’s greet our friends.” Fluttershy pushes open one of the doors, and the guard closest to it holds it open for me.
“Morning, Fluttershy, you hungry for…” Rainbow’s words die in her throat as all eyes watch me plod into the room beside Fluttershy.
I look at the gathered group of the Elements, the Princesses, and Scootaloo eating breakfast at a long table laden with all manner of breakfast foods. I stop and smile at them. “I’m back.”
“Dad?!” Scootaloo leaps off her chair and rushes me, wrapping her arms around my waist. I grunt in pain, and she swiftly steps back. I glance at her, seeing the tears already rolling down her face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry—”
I fight back the tears in my eyes. Not from the pain, but from seeing Scootaloo again. “I didn’t say stop.”
She latches onto me again. “I’m so happy to see you alive! I couldn’t lose you!”
By now, everyone else has gathered around me. “Blake! I’m so happy to see you and happy to see your happy even though what happened and—”
Applejack covers Pinkie’s mouth. “Glad to see ya alive and kicking.”
Before anyone else can speak, Celestia does. “Now, now, my little ponies. Let’s let Blake get situated before we continue.” Everyone backs off, but sticks close to me. I hobble over to a seat at one end of the table, the chair magically pulling itself out thanks to Luna. I gingerly sit down in it, leaning the crutches against the table. Everyone else takes their seat again, and a plate with eggs, toast, and pancakes is placed in front of me. I nod my thanks to Rarity. “Now, I’m sure Blake has something to say to everypony else first.”
Everyone looks at me. I take a deep breath and exhale. Here goes nothing. “Everything I said to you that day… I meant every word of it. Do I regret what I did? No. But I do regret what it caused all of you. The heartbreak, the pain, the tears. You all thought you were losing a family member,” I glance at Scootaloo, “…And so was I. It pains me to no end to know I was responsible for it all. If only I was there in the first place, I could have stopped this, could have prevented it from ever happening. I’m truly, truly, sorry for causing you so much grief and I pray you will forgive me in time.”
Silence reigns for a bit. “Dear, we never blamed you in the first place.”
I look at Rarity. “Truly?”
“Absolutely.”
“Rarity’s right, Blake. As much as we… Disliked it, you did it to protect not only us, but all of Ponyville too. And even if you were there, who’s to say things would have played out differently? What matters is that you still came for us.”
I sigh, feeling like some weight has been lifted from my shoulders, allowing a smile to cross my face. “It doesn’t excuse from how you all felt after seeing me.”
“What ya said ta us, it was from the heart and true. Nopony could have asked for more.” Applejack sighs. “Ah just wish we could have said more to ya, after what ya said to us.”
“Besides, what an awesome way to go out!” We all just stare at Rainbow. “…What? It was!”
My laughter is what breaks the silence this time. It hurts, but it feels good to be laughing right now. “Leave it to you to say the awkward thing!”
My laughter puts everyone else at ease as they laugh along. “But it really was awesome, like something out of a movie!” Scootaloo says.
I just rub the top of her head and smile. “Except the hero doesn’t normally perish, but let’s not dwell on the past anymore. Let’s eat and just enjoy the now.”
“Good, cause I’m starving!” Pinkie slams her face onto her plate, followed by slurping sounds, then to pop back up with her plate completely licked clean. “More please!” I glance at Celestia daintily eating her food, apparently taking Pinkie being Pinkie in stride. Normal conversation resumes after a light chuckle at Pinkie, smiles and general good will spreading around.
“I must say, Blake,” I glance up at Luna, the fork with some eggs on it halfway to my mouth, “We were surprised at the state of Ponyville when we arrived.”
“I’m curious about that actually. What happened while we were…?” Twilight pauses.
I roll my eyes. “Kidnapped, Twilight. Not a problem to say the word in front of me. But about that, I gave a rousing speech about standing up for yourself and being strong, Trixie and Derpy volunteered to help, everyone started to insult Derpy, then I insulted them, called them cowards, and told them to leave.”
“That wasn’t very nice of everypony involved.”
“I will admit, I didn’t like what I said, but it worked.”
Conversation continues again, with Rarity telling some story about her newest fashion line (Inspired by the heroic deeds of, who else, mwah). While she’s telling it, I scan the table for a thing of butter. Eventually, I spot it out of my reach. “Please pass the butter.” I go unheard, so I try again. “Please pass the butter.” Man, is everyone so enthralled by Rarity’s story that they can’t hear me? I know I don’t want to be treated like an invalid, but my God, I should be able to at least ask for help. One… More… Time… “Please, will someone pass the butter?”
“Woah, woah, don’t pop a blood vessel now. Nice deep breaths, think of the soothing ocean waves.”
Nope, time for my hangry side to show.
“And the latest upcoming fashion trend, according my sources, is for sequins to be chic again.”
I lean forward in my seat and raise my voice a little. “No way!” I try to lace some sarcasm in my voice.
“It’s true, darling. But I believe sequins don’t bring that certain… Je ne sais quoi to any outfit. Too garish and they hide the true beauty of the ensemble.”
Wow, she must really be dense to not notice the sarcasm. I clench my right hand into a fist. “You wouldn’t want the true beauty of your outfits to be overshadowed by something else!”
“Dad…”
“Absolutely, darling! Therefore, I have decided to be one step ahead of everypony else and incorporate gems into my latest fashion line!”
“Gems in outfits?!”
“Dad…” I feel Scootaloo gently grab my left hand.
“Woah, woah! Keep it calm I said! …That’s odd… Actually, stay angry!”
Rarity tilts her head a little and looks up. “Although, maybe it’s too early for me to reveal my line since everypony else is still using lace trims currently.”
I roll my eyes. “Why would they still be using lace trims?! Are they nuts?!”
“Certainly not! After all, lace trim outfits are flying off the racks right now, so to speak! Why, I just got another order for them!”
I tilt my head. “For who?!”
Rarity smiles and looks back at me. “Why, only Fancy Pants and that wonderful mare of his, Fleur Dis Lee.”
I shake my head, ignoring the pain. “You’re kidding?!”
Rarity places a hand to her chest. “Absolutely not! Fancy Pants is one of my best customers! And I know he asked for sequin based outfits, but maybe I should surprise him with a special gem based outfit?”
“This is a nightmare! How will you ever decide?!”
“Dad.”
“I’m not sure, dearie! You’ve taken an interest. What do you think I should do?”
“Please pass the damn butter!” I bang my right hand on the table with each word, pain shooting through it. Everyone goes silent. “Oh, now you all fucking hear me?! Couldn’t get it before when I asked for it three times! My God,” I place a hand to my head and close my eyes, “It’s times like this where I actually wish for the ability to use magic! I could see it now, crystal clear too. The butter would lift up, float over, spread itself on whatever I wanted it for.”
“Blake…”
“Not now, Applejack!” I smack my lips. “And look at that, this rant has made me thirsty! Why don’t I be lazier and pour myself a drink and lift it to my lips!” I take a sip of ice cold orange juice, washing away some of the searing pain in my throat. “Ah… And then, set everything back exactly where it was without so much as bothering anybody!”
“Blake! Beseech this instant!”
The sheer volume, and use of archaic English, from Luna makes me open my eyes and look at her. I look at the faces of everyone, seeing shock clearly written across their faces, even Celestia. I hang my head and stare at my plate, everything I wanted buttered being buttered. “Sorry about that… I tend to get cranky when I’m hungry.” I gingerly pick up my silverware and continue eating, the scraping against my plate being the only sound for a bit. I finally glance back up at everyone. “Whoever buttered everything, thanks.”
“Blake… Nopony did anything.”
I roll my eyes. “And what, Twilight, the magic fairy just came and—” I take a few deep breaths. “No, no, stay calm. Look, someone has to have done it.”
“Umm… Well… What I believe Twilight is trying to say is…”
“You did it, silly.”
I raise an eyebrow at that. Not their claim, but how Pinkie can say something silly and not make it sound so… joyous.
“Yeah? And the next thing you’re gonna tell me is that the sky is green and Celestia doesn’t enjoy eating cakes.” That earns a little giggle from Luna. “Sorry to say it, but now is not the time to mess with me.”
“Blake, we ain’t messing with ya. Ya really did use magic.”
I eye Applejack, looking for her telltale signs of lying. Nothing… “Applejack, you and I both know that I can’t use magic, period. But just for shits and giggles,” I hold my right hand up towards a window, “Let’s try a spell ? Hmmm, I know. Hurlus bombinus!” I squeeze my eyes shut as an agonizing pain shoots through my head.
There’s an explosion sound and the shattering of glass. I open my eyes and look at where the window used to be. The window is shattered, along with pieces of brick from around the window crumbling to dust. My breath catches in my throat as my eyes widen. No, it’s not possible. Slowly, my eyes drift over to my hand. The veins under the skin glow teal before fading in brightness. No… No, no, no! This shouldn’t be possible! I shouldn’t be able to do magic! I’m not like them, and I never will be! Why?! This isn’t real, I refuse to accept that! There’s got to be another answer!
“Woah, calm yourself down! You’re gonna—”
“You shut the fuck up right now! You’re part of the problem!”
“Blake, please remain calm or—”
I scream as what feels like a fire sparks into existence on my skin, burning every part of my very being. The pain is driven back by a soothing wave of cold, numbing everything it touches yet leaving me aware of it all. I hold my hands up to my eyes, and see my veins coursing with teal energy. I blink my eyes once, the world before me reforming into a black void with haphazard shapes emanating auras that move around. I look down at myself, a teal aura flaring wildly around me as tendrils lash out into the void. And then once more, I can feel the fire flare again, only this time, it’s more… Inviting and invigorating. What… What is this feeling, and why is it so… Intoxicating.
I glance up at a very copious golden aura down below and moving slowly towards me... Too close for comfort. I need to push it back a bit. I raise my hand, holding it out towards the aura. A tendril of teal moves from my hand to crash against the golden aura. It wobbles a bit, but keeps moving forward. And for the first time since entering this void, I start hearing something other than myself breathing. It’s too vague and quiet for me to make out. The golden aura moves closer, and I can hear a voice…
“Blake…” I lower my hand and tilt my head. “Blake…” The voice comes in much clearer this time. And it sounds like… Celestia? The girls…
I blink my eyes, and the world returns to normal. Celestia looks up at me… Wait... Up? I yelp as gravity asserts itself, dropping me to the floor below. Before I can hit it, Celestia catches me in her magic and gently lowers me. I look at everyone, the girls slowly moving out from behind Luna’s magic barrier. I turn to look right at Celestia. “What was that?”
She places a hand on my shoulder. “Blake, what you just experienced was a magic surge.”
Magic surge… Like Twilight’s? Wait… No pain from Celestia’s touch. I step back from her, taking off my shirt. I look down at my body. While the bandages remain, the pain is gone, almost as if I was… Cleansed, for a lack of a better word. The veins under my skin glow teal, and it seems I’ve gained some more muscle mass. I stare at myself for some time. “How? Everyone here knows as well as I do that I shouldn’t be able to use magic.”
Celestia sighs. “I’m afraid I do not have an answer for that.”
“Blake?” I glance up at Twilight. “Are you alright?”
“I… Think so?” I prod at the bandages wrapping around my chest, feeling no pain. “Scratch that, never been better!”
“Good, you calmed down. Now, let me explain what I’ve figured out. One, your body has now adapted to use magic. It has also healed any pain you may have felt before your… Let’s call it awakening.”
“The burning sensation from the magic surge?”
“Exactly. Two, much like the Earth ponies, it would seem you’ve gained some of the natural affinity towards the ground, and their strength to boot.”
“And three?”
“You’re still on the no fly list, but you at least got some of the natural weather resistance, cloud control, and weather manipulation of the pegasi.”
“And why do I have this now?”
“Come on, you’re smart enough to figure this one out. You went into battle, nearly died of blood loss…”
My eyes widen as the pieces fall into place. “The blood…”
“What did you say?” Rarity asks.
A smile crosses my face. “Don’t you all see?! The blood is the answer! Begun by the blood, undone by the blood! The magic comes from the blood!” I laugh, probably sounding the tiniest bit maniacal. “Quick, I need a cloud in here!”
“What’s that got to—?”
“Miss Dash, please fetch us a cloud with all speed.” I look up at Luna as she stares at me. It would seem her mind has had the same thought I had.
“Sure thing!” Rainbow flies out the window I blew out as I put my shirt back on.
“Would somepony please explain just what in the heck is going here?”
Celestia glances between Luna and I. “I believe I can offer an explanation. When we performed the blood transfusion, it would seem some of the magic of each of the three races come along as well.”
Rarity’s eyes widen. “You don’t mean…”
“That Blake can use magic because of the blood transfusion because he got some of Twilight’s blood which also means he’s got some of the abilities from pegasi and Earth ponies because he also got blood from Rainbow and Applejack!” You know, I shouldn’t be surprised anymore when it comes to Pinkie, but…
It’s at this moment that Rainbow comes back, pushing the cloud in through the window. “Here ya go!” She places the cloud in front of me, then steps off to the side. “What’d I miss?”
I reach out and touch the cloud. Much like with the poison joke incident, I’m able to physically touch and manipulate the cloud. “No way!” Scootaloo says. I punch the cloud with the intent of dispersing it, which it does.
“Woah, woah, woah. Just what in the heck is going on here?”
I smile and look at Rainbow. “Short version, I got the barest fraction of each of the powers of the three pony races.” I pause, looking over the girls one by one. I then look at my hand, then to Luna and Celestia. “I have a favor to ask from both of you.”
They glance at each other. “As do we, Blake.”
“Let us adjourn to the throne room then. We have much to discuss.” Celestia heads for the door with Luna by her side. I hang back with the girls.
“Do you realize what this means for the future of magic in Equestria?”
I chuckle. “Don’t think you’re going to be studying me just yet, Twilight. I still got to study myself.” I shake my head. This opens up a whole new avenue of magical study then. Who would have thought Equestrian magic comes from blood?
“Does this no longer mean…”
I nod my head. “Yes, Fluttershy. Whatever that magic surge did to me, it also healed me of my pain and wounds.”
“Do you have wings now?!” Scootaloo asks.
I tilt my head at that one. “No, I don’t think so… But…” I pull my shirt up. “See anything back there?”
“Nope, not a thing.” I roll my eyes and lower my shirt. Thank God for that one.
“Ya seem ta be okay with everything that’s going on, Blake.”
I smile. “I need to be, Applejack. What’s done is done, no changing that. Now, I just need to adapt and look to the future, for dwelling in the past can have dangerous consequences.”
Celestia and Luna enter the throne room before us. They climb up the steps to their thrones (Nice to see they gave Luna her own instead of just having her stand) and take their respective seats. The rest of us stop about a quarter of the way from the steps. Luna nods her head. “Blake, would you please step forward.” I do as Luna asks.
Celestia sighs. “Blake, on the day of the Diamond Dog attack on Ponyville, you showed courage for facing them, strength for going through with it, and leadership for rallying an entire town behind you.”
Luna leans forward in her throne. “You put the well-being of others before your own, risking your own life to allow the Elements and your help to escape. You faced insurmountable odds, and still continued fighting.”
Celestia nods her head. “And much like Luna had pointed out to me before, we have been too lenient with protection of the Elements. If you had not been there, or if Spike was unable to send us a message in time...” She shakes her head and leans forward in her throne. “It is why we have come to the agreement to create a guard for the elements… With you leading them, if you choose to do so.”
I look away from Celestia and Luna. On one hand, I was gonna ask them for something similar. On the other, I’m no leader, let alone cut out to be one. But can I really let the fate of my friends and family in someone I don’t know? I turn my gaze to my right hand. With this new power, I might just be able to prevent them from ever facing pain again. I ball my hand into a fist and look back up at them. “When do I start?”
Celestia smiles. “Right now. Please, take a knee and repeat after me.” I get down on one knee and look straight at Celestia. “Let no fellow pony—”
“Let me stop you right there, Celestia.” She blinks her eyes, no doubt startled by me interrupting her. “I will not swear myself to you. There are very few I will do that for, and your sister,” I look at Luna, “Is one of them.”
Luna actually leans back in her throne, her eyes wide. “P-Pl-Please continue then.”
I nod my head, repeating the oath from memory. “Upon my honor I do swear, as both officer and subject, to defend and support the laws of this New Lunar Republic and to serve ever faithfully our eternal princess of the night. I take this oath of my own free will. And with neither fear, nor reservation, do vow to defend all subjects of this realm, be they earth pony, unicorn, pegasi, or any other. May the shadows ever be my cloak, and the night my ally true, as I stand against all who would wish this nation harm. May mine be the spear that shall never break, and the shield that shall not yield that I might never fail nor falter in my duties. With faith and loyalty I make this vow, and so do pledge my life until the day I am relieved of service, or Death takes me to join the stars. I shall live not for myself, but for those whom I hold most dear. My friends! My nation! And my princess of the night!”
Luna smiles and struggles to maintain her composure, and I catch Celestia smiling. And not that fake smile she has plastered on her face most of the time, this one seems almost… Genuine. Luna takes a deep breath and rubs the corners of her eyes. “Then arise, Blake Quinter, captain of the Elemental Guard.”
I stand up as the girls clap and cheer for me, Scootaloo even going so far as to leap onto my back and hug me from behind. I shift Scootaloo up so she can sit on my shoulder. “What do you think of me now?” I ask her.
“Totally cool! Still not as cool as Rainbow Dash, but still cool!”
I smirk. “Is anything I do ever gonna be cooler than her?”
“Nope, and you better believe it, bub!” I roll my eyes at Rainbow’s statement, knowing the she’s making Scootaloo’s day as much as I am. I bend down so Scootaloo can slide off my shoulder.
“After what you looked like, I’m surprised you’re up and moving.”
I turn around to face some more friendly faces. “Trixie, Derpy! Glad to see you!” I hold my arms out to my sides.
Derpy rushs up and wraps me in a hug. “So glad to see you’re okay! We didn’t know what was gonna happen when we saw you like… That!”
I chuckle and pull away from Derpy, rubbing the back of my head. “Yeah, well, I didn’t think you’d see me like that in the first place.”
Trixie walks over, shaking her head. “That was either foolish or incredibly brave of you. Either way, I respect you for it.”
I glance between the two. “What are you two doing her exactly? Shouldn’t you be back working at the post office,” I point to Trixie, “And you get back to travelling?”
Derpy shakes her head. “Nope! After what we did, I was told to take as much time as I wanted to relax. So many ponies are actually respecting me now and treating me different that it feels weird, but in a good way! And it’s all thanks to you!”
Trixie shrugs her shoulders. “Meh, Trixie needs to relax every now and again, and I haven’t been to Canterlot in a while.”
“She’s actually been here every day checking up on you and worrying about your recovery.”
Trixie turns to glare at Twilight. “Quiet, Sparkle.”
I can’t help but giggle at that, as do some of the girls and the princesses. A tsundere Trixie I can totally get behind. I smile at the two before glancing over my shoulder at Luna. “Listen, while it’s good to see you both, I have something else to ask of you again. And what I say here does not leave this room, no matter your answer, period.”
Trixie raises an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“Long story short, the blood transfusion gave me some of the abilities of the three pony races. And based on what happens in Ponyville and how vital the Elements are, a new Elemental Guard was created under my command.” I take a deep breath and steel my nerves. “I’m asking if you two would like to join.”
“Why us? There must be ponies trained to be royal guards that could do this job.”
I nod my head. “True, but you’ve both already proven yourselves to me. You’re both capable fighters and willing to defend others, even if it means putting yourself in harm's way.”
Derpy nods her head. “I’ll do it. We need to protect not only Ponyville itself, but everyone in it.”
I smile and pat her shoulder. I figured she’d jump at the chance, if only to keep her newfound respect alive. Now onto the harder one to convince “And Trixie?”
She idly taps her hoof against the ground. “I don’t live in Ponyville, and I’m a travelling showmare. I can’t make a living or name for myself staying in one place forever. Trixie does have fans across Equestria after all.”
Hmm… How to approach this… I glance over my shoulder at Celestia. I think I know how. “What if your fans came to you instead?”
She scoffs. “And why would they? As much as they adore Trixie, they have no reason to come see me.”
“Then how about we give them a reason?” Trixie raises an eyebrow, which I take as a sign to continue. “Settle down in Ponyville, and open up a magic school or something to teach others what you know. You’re easily one of the best illusionists I’ve ever seen, and I’m sure your fans will want to follow in your glorious footsteps… Err, hoofsteps.”
I can see her eyes light up at the prospect as she fiddles with her cape. However, she sighs and shakes her head. “As appealing as that sounds, Trixie still needs to find her family, and I doubt they will come to me.”
Time for one last sell, then I’ll give up on her. “Why search for something you already have?”
Trixie tilts her head. “What do you mean?” Over her shoulder, I can see Rarity and Fluttershy huddled together and staring intently at us. Sure, sure, why watch a drama when one is playing right in front of you.
I smile and walk towards her. “What you both did for me, rescuing my friends and family, will forever be remembered by me. You both took a risk for me, and for that,” I stop right in front of Trixie. I reach up and take her hat off her head, holding it to my side, “I can, and will always, consider you family. I’d be more than willing to call you both my sisters. Hell, I’d even make it official right now.” I glance over my shoulder at Celestia. “How soon can we make it official?”
“I can have the forms here in moments.”
I smile and nod my head, looking back at Trixie. “So, what do you both have to say to that?”
“I already have a family, but the more the better, right?” Derpy says.
Trixie opens and closes her mouth a few times. Finally, she shakes her head and crosses her arms. “Fine, I suppose I’d be okay with that… Brother.” She smirks though, and I can see some wetness at the corner of her eyes.
I smile. “Who knows, maybe you’ll come to like living in Ponyville, sis? After all, you already got one student under you, ready to learn.”
“Are you referring to yourself?”
I laugh. “Of course! I just got these powers and have no idea how to use them! Someone’s gotta teach me before I hurt someone.”
“I could teach you! Even though I’m still learning, we could learn together!”
I look at Twilight, her smile easily comparable to Pinkie’s, and smile. “Of course. I’ll be coming to you for basic and advanced magic. You know, the standard stuff.” I glance at Trixie. “I would like for Trixie to teach me everything she knows about illusion magic.” I turn around to look at Luna. “However, I would like for Luna to train me in the mystical arts only she knows. That is, if you are willing to take on a student?”
She smiles. “In due time, of course. For now, learn to grasp what has been given to you.”
I nod my head. “And one more thing, directed to Celestia and Luna. Our existence stays a secret. We can’t operate in the shadows when standing in the spotlight. Plus, making it known what we are guarding will bring undue attention.”
Celestia nods her head. “Very well then. Only those of us in this room shall speak of this meeting, and only in private.”
I nod my head. “And Luna? Even though we are called the Elemental Guard, I would like to call us something else.”
Luna leans forward in her throne. “Oh? And what did you have in mind?”
I smirk. “Simple, really. We work in the shadows, are blind to the public eye, and only make ourselves known when we want to. Call us… Specters.”
After that highly important meeting, it was decided that we should resume breakfast, and then return to Ponyville. Why? Well, I do want to get home sooner rather than later, and Trixie needed to pick her location for the school in Ponyville (I knew Celestia would provide the funding for a new educational institution with ties to the crown). Plus, Pinkie wanted to throw a party for my recovery and for officially welcoming Trixie to town.
The walk to the Canterlot train station seemed almost… Normal. Like, what just happened to me was just a scattered dream, or far off memory. Everyone was getting along, even Trixie and Twilight. I would have assumed that some sort of rivalry would have happened. However, they quickly bonded over magical talk that I couldn’t follow.
“That’s going to be me soon, isn’t it?”
“Of course. Magic is both a powerful and deadly construct. You need to understand the theories and concepts before trying to tackle a spell.”
“Even though I wanted to be taught, I still don’t look forward to going back to school. I thought those days of my life were behind me.”
“Knowing you, you aren’t gonna have much trouble. You got three of the best teachers you could find, plus, you got the blood of Magic in you! If Twilight doesn’t have any trouble with magic, then neither should you.”
We get to the station as scattered groups of ponies enter or exit the multiple cars. Picking a car that seems mostly empty, we file in and take our seats, ready to begin the journey home. For me, however, it’s a return to the old, and an adventure to the new. My life can never be the same again, but maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe… Maybe things will work out in the end.