Goose Fang
“Oh, come on, damn it! Wake up! Please…? Ugh.” In the grand span of about twenty seconds, we had gone from an orchard in some kind of serene rural area back to the city. The problem with that being that the dream or whatever this place is, hasn’t ended. See, shortly after Applejack caught Fluttershy out of the air and tossed her to her friends, she landed face first against one of these crazy trees. Feeling that I could suddenly warp again, I blinked over there to see if she was okay, but that wasn’t the case. Completely out cold, but not a scratch on her, either by some miracle or whatever effects that this ‘sharing spell’ has. Then the world changed. The trees morphed into buildings and the city I grew up in sprawled out around us. The vibrant greens and clear skies turned into a cloudy day filled with all the dull grays, browns, and reds that made up the skyscrapers we were surrounded with all the time. Unsure as to what else to do, I picked up Applejack and made my way back to the others.
“Hey, I’ve got the princess. Sleeping beauty doesn’t seem to want to wake up though,” I called out. It looked as if Fluttershy was stumbling back to her hooves with help from Pinkie, but Rarity turned to me in alarm.
“Won’t wake up? You mean to tell me she’s asleep?” she asked. I nodded. At the same time, I started to feel my teeth change back to normal and my skin return to it’s scratchy texture. She must’ve seen me frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Hey, will you all check to see if your powers are back to normal?” The unicorn blinked from one spot to another, and the conscious earth pony sped from a few spots around the alley we were now in and back. “So uh… you’re the one familiar with magic here, any idea what’s going on?” Rarity shrugged, to my disdain.
“No, not really. This was new territory to begin with. However, an educated guess would say this is a dream or something. At the very least, we’re still inside Applejack’s head. Look over there. Do you remember that sign?” She pointed to a store front on the other end of a street behind us. Sure enough, I immediately recognized the old ice cream shop. One that had closed down almost eight years ago.
“Well, that’s not there anymore.” A bolt of lightning shot through the sky, shaking the ground we stood on.
“Eep!” The pegasus jumped and hid behind one of the dumpsters in the alley.
“Hmm… I don’t like the looks of this.” Rarity said. “I’m no psychologist, but based on the things Applejack has told me, I doubt she has the most pleasant dreams. If we’re still in her subconscious, and she’s not actively controlling it anymore, then there’s a chance anything could happen. We should probably find a place to weather the storm.” Pinkie rolled her eyes.
“Provided we can...” she muttered.
“Hey, now, don’t be like that! So we’re a little stuck, no reason to get down about it,” I said, my natural charisma coming out. My cutiemark just so happens to make me a pony pleaser, even more so than when I was young and didn’t have it yet. Almost without fail, I can provide comforting words to whomever needs them. It’s got like a ninety ten split on working and not working though, and ponies who don’t like me, don’t usually take too well to my silver tongue. Specifically this mare, who has some kinda vendetta against me. She glared at me.
“I’ve been putting up with you. Remember that.” Geez, she needs to lighten up.
“No, he’s right. If we act like the situation is hopeless, then it truly is at that point. I figure we might try to head toward the castle. If nothing else, Central park has weathered every natural or ponymade disaster this city has suffered, so we should, in theory, be relatively safe there. Applejack said that together, we could only keep the spell active for a few hours at best. If we can just wait out this dream until she wakes up, or the spell ends, I think we’ll be okay.” Yeah, that’s about as sound as logic can get right now. Who knows what could happen in a dream? Even more so in this weird magic… However, the quiet mare spoke up.
“I-I’m not so sure about that… I… T-this is what I saw, w-when we were sparring. The sky is the same, and we’re really close to where…” Something must’ve clicked for her because she immediately bolted down the alley and searched around, finally stopping when she looked right. She then sank to a sitting position and stared wide eyed at whatever it was that shocked her. One by one, the rest of us followed. Had I not had an unconscious Applejack draped over my back, I would’ve wanted to sit down too. Breaking through the sky, sitting high above all the other skyscrapers in the Manehattan was a building I hadn’t seen in twelve years. The Trade Center.
“Guys… we need to figure out what time it is. Now,” I ordered. The three mares turned to me.
“W-why?” The butter cream pegasus asked.
“The fight starts at ten. The Trade Center goes down twenty minutes after the fight starts. We are right at the epicenter of where the collapse happens.” Stunned, none of the mares reacted. I remember how this went down… I was here to see it happen. So much destruction in such a short time. This was the day that I realized how destructive super powers could truly be… and this was the day she lost her father… When I looked up and nopony had moved, I figured I was the only one who really knew how screwed we are.
“Well!? What are you waiting for, find a clock! Rarity was right, Central park is the only place that’s going to be safe, so we need to go, now!” Surprisingly, that kicked everypony into gear, and they all looked around for something that had the time on it. That ice cream shop was in the northern district near the corner of 202nd and 161st. That means Central park is only ten miles away. If we can make it there before ten twenty, we’ll be fine. If not, then we risk getting caught in the dust storm that followed the collapse and all the chaos that came with it…
“Guys, it’s nine fifty nine…” Pinkie said as she came back. All around, the sound of a bell rang loud and clear, as if it were being struck right by our ears. One… two… three… four… five… six… seven… eight… nine… Boom! A crash, not but across the street into the Bugle building. Waves of percussion shot through the city, another crash, the sound of concrete erupting through the center of the Bugle. A boom, two figures shot across the sky, one in a bright white suit with a flowing red cape, the other covered in black with a shiny piece on his chest that looked strangely familiar. What was that? Is that guy wearing a mirror? Hmm… if this is at least partially a memory, then maybe…
“Hey, new plan. I’m going to try and get a closer look at this. Take Applejack and get to the park alright?” Before I could give any of them a chance to argue with me, I set Applejack down and bounded up to the top of the nearest building. Now that I was above everything, I spotted the two fighters again. Red Hoof twisted himself around and kicked the other guy in the head, landing him straight into the street. Red Hoof stopped on a building just in front of me. Taking the time to look him over, he was nearly identical to Applejack in stature, if only more masculine. However, the side of his suit has been stained with a red spot that was slowly growing. Good goddess, that’s unsettling. I know he dies in this fight, but… to see the hero bleed…
Another near explosion level of sound shot from the crater the other stallion had been thrown into. The black figure flew through smoke and dust after Red Hoof, and the two took to the air. This is where they first damage the trade center… I followed close by, barely managing to keep up with the unreal speed these two had. Red Hoof landed on the trade center and shot back after his pursuer, stretching out one hoof and close lining the guy in black. Finally, I got a good look at the mirror, if only for a second. There was something different about it compared to the ones I knew. First off, it was still solid. No signs of melding with the user at all. Second, it had a strange shine to it. On top of the weird property that makes them reflect more than they should, this one almost had a faint rainbow of light that glistened around the edge. What in the world? Isn’t this supposed to be her brain recreating everything? How would she have seen all this? Unless… she did see all of this?
I began to look around to see if I could spot Applejack, in whatever form she may have taken right now. Sirens started to whine as the two crashed into a new crater they made in the street, taking my attention back to the fight. A familiar scene came to mind as I watched them from above. They were only in the same spot for so long, as Red Hoof was kicked out and into an apartment complex. Ah, I remember this. Yep, there I am. The apartment that Red Hoof crashed into was the one that I lived in at the time. Sure enough, little me was standing there with my guardian, horrified that a super hero had just crashed into my home.
“Red hood, Murderer!” The other guy yelled. I was lucky enough to turn tail and run as soon as Red Hoof crashed in. Almost immediately after the maid and I escaped, the other guy jumped and slammed his elbow in the bleeding side of Red Hoof, collapsing the entire complex as they sailed through it, my little self watching in horror. My friends, ponies I lived with were still in there, and the building fell apart on top of them. Half of them would die here, and the rest would be wounded, some for the rest of their lives. Then it hit me. This isn’t just her memories, these are mine too… Why is it mixing? Is it because we’re all connected to this magic still? Seconds later, Red Hoof had kicked his opponent away, finally taking the time to look around. Even under the mask, I remember the mortified look he had on his face.
“Murderer… You killed my family!” The other guy jumped out of fallen brick and cement after the hero. The two fought hard, oddly enough now that I could watch it in detail, this looked not too dissimilar to when Applejack and I sparred the other day. Blows were almost match for match, every movement done with a purpose, no energy wasted. The earth shook with every clash, the force of the wind they made scattering dust in every direction. Finally, they both struck each other in the ribs and went either direction. As if compelled, I followed Red Hoof, warping to keep up with him as his body broke windows in an office floor. The hero skipped until he finally made it to the other side and fell into the street. Then I saw her. Just as Red Hoof got up, he froze when his eyes must’ve come across her too. She was so young, no way she was more than eight. But… haven’t I seen her before? Like this? She looks... so familiar. Another crash sounded out through the city and she took a step closer to him. Red Hoof turned his head back to her, and said,
“Applejack, run!” He used her name? She didn’t move. She didn’t even respond. It was like the words paralyzed her. Red Hoof said it again, more volume in his voice this time, more fear. She didn’t move again, her little body completely frozen in place, just short of shivering. Finally, Red Hoof said,
“Jaquline Apple, RUN!” As if she’d been released from whatever hold had her, she turned tail and bolted. I followed the filly, watching her hooves make prints in the concrete as if it were sand. Damn, she’s quick… and strong from the looks of it. Noise boomed through the air in succession and the filly stopped. She turned to look toward the scene again and held still. One last wave of sound was followed by the crackling and snapping of metal and concrete. I saw her mouth the word ‘no’ and she started to run back. The Trade Center fell, and the sky was filled with dust and debris. The filly froze once again.
“No… Ya can’t! Ya can’t do this ta me!” Her voice was little. Truly like it was coming from a filly and not a twenty year old mare. She headed back to the collapsed Trade Center, and then things started to change. The bright gray sky started to fade to a violet and black swirling mess. A figure started to grow out from the fallen tower, a monster of some kind.
“That is correct… He is dead, and you will be next!” The demonic feminine voice said. The creature was some kind of dragon, not unlike what Synchro turned into, but of a blue-ish black color that shined like oil. It had bright blue and violet spines running along its back that seemed to glow in the darkness, and a jagged white crescent on it’s forehead. The creature crushed a building under one of it’s massive hooves. Applejack took a tentative step back, but held her place.
“N-no! Ah won’t! Ah can’t! There are too many ponies who need me!” She yelled back, her voice much closer to normal than the filly’s from before.
“Try as you might, all your efforts are meaningless!” Applejack dug her hooves at the ground and then charged at the monster. What are you doing!? You can’t fight that thing! Her anguished scream filled the air until she finally landed a kick on the monster’s hoof that could nearly be ten times her size. There was a small clack from the sound of hooves colliding, but the monster looked unphased. “Foolish girl, there is nothing you could ever do to harm me! Now, die like your father, miserable and alone!” The hoof started to rise, and Applejack tried to run. She did what she could, but it was almost like she was being drawn beneath it. I have to stop this! I can’t watch her die!
Without much thought in the heat of the moment, I warped just in front of her and tried my best to use that new power. The burning in my hoof was enough to make me want to grab her and run, but I didn’t have time. I had to stop the monster. The power was fading, and the pain was keeping me from charging more. The giant dragon’s hoof came close enough to attack, and little Applejack had just curled into a ball trying to protect herself. The sight did something to me. It was as if the pain was suddenly irrelevant and I felt I could draw in more power. A seething, burning feeling filled me, but not one that I remembered ever feeling before. A primal yell escaped my body as I let go and punched the monster. The bright yellow-green magic exploded from my hoof into the dragon’s, illuminating all the scrapes and scratches of battles long past. The monster reeled back as it’s hoof started to disintegrate.
“Don’t you ever forget! I told you that I would be your super hero if the time came!” In some strange feeling of numbness combined with the power of that magic, my body sprang into motion again. I could feel a change, but I didn’t know what it was.
“Fool! You dare defy me!?” The dragon echoed as if she were speaking directly into my head.
“She’s been everypony else’s hero all this time, dealing with monsters like you and carrying all that weight on her own! If I can step up and take some of that off of her shoulders, then damn it, I will!” I could feel the power building as I ran. In some kind of desperate attempt to stop me, the dragon began to hurl buildings at me, bathed in blue magic. As if it were some kind of movie choreography, I jumped from each building to the next as they fell, gaining more speed and power with each leap. When I was finally close enough, I raised my hoof, the light almost as bright as the sun itself.
“It’s time to wake up! The nightmare is over!” My punch landed square on the monster’s muzzle. The light spread and grew ever brighter with each passing moment. Eventually, it became so bright, that I couldn’t see anything but white.
“Goose?” A voice said.
“Huh?” Everything felt like it was in pain. I didn’t want to move, I just wanted to go back to sleep. I felt so drained, like all my energy had been sapped out.
“Goose, wake up.” The voice said again. A mare’s voice, for sure. I know I’ve heard this one before. Who is it? I finally rubbed the sand out of my eyes and saw the world again. Above me was a blonde mare with an orange coat and concerned green eyes that I don’t think I’d ever seen before. Then they became relieved. “Geez. Okay, he’s up. Everypony’s accounted fer now,” she said to somepony else behind me.
“Very well. I will be taking my leave now,” the other voice said. Suddenly, I remembered everything I just went through and recognized the voice. I turned around and stood up ready to fight, but instead what I was expecting to see, there was just a very tall, very tired, and very annoyed looking princess sitting there. She barely reacted to me, only frowning even more and letting out a sigh. “If ever you attempt to use my magic again, please refrain from doing so without an outside guardian. When next I see Celestia, she and I will have a very long discussion about who is allowed to learn my magic.” She stood and took a few steps back, then her horn started to glow. Blue lightning began to spark in all directions as she was covered by a bright glowing ball of it. One final flash, and she was gone.
“So uh… mind filling me in here?” I asked. Applejack took a seat on the training room floor and let out a sigh.
“Oh, ya know. Ah lost control of the magic and nearly got y’all killed in one of my nightmares.”
“Okay, but what about-”
“She stopped it. Dreams are kinda her thin’, ya know? As it turns out, she picked up on her magic bein’ used and tried ta figure out what was goin’ on. When she couldn’t access our little shared dream remotely, she realized why and warped over here immediately. Had she not shown up when she did, the circle probably woulda drained us all ta death, or the monsters in my head woulda killed everypony.” Applejack stared absently at the ceiling, a tired look on her face. We sat in the empty training room together in silence
“So… do you… remember anything?” Part of me felt like I really did something to stop that nightmare, but if the princess just came in and fixed everything, then what did it even matter that I tried at all?
“Like what?” she asked, never taking her eyes off the ceiling. It was almost like she was looking at something I couldn’t see.
“About the dream.” Because asking about myself probably won’t get me anything I want to know. She let her head fall, and she crossed her forelegs in thought.
“After the trainin’ session failed, it all gets kinda murky. Based on what everypony else told me though, y’all dealt with my usual nightmare up ta a point, but then Luna got everypony out. About where the Trade Center collapses, Ah think.”Where the trade center collapses? But everything important that happened came after that… how could that be?
“Oh… I see.” It isn’t like me to be speechless or disappointed, but everypony gets that way sometimes right? Applejack stood up and stretched herself in some kind of upright yoga pose. If nothing else, this mare can bend in ways most ponies could only hope to.
“Well, now that yer okay, Ah guess Ah can go sleep fer real.” She started toward the staircase, and I just watched her go. It hasn’t happened in a long time, but every now and again, I find one of those mares that I just can’t help but watch. They always stun me to silence and take a piece of me captive to themselves. A piece that I’ve always tried to share, a piece that so many have wanted for themselves that I could never hope to give away because of my cutiemark. It’s only happened once before, a long time ago before my powers ever showed up, before my cutiemark came along. I remembered that moment today and here she is again. Twelve years later, walking away, taking my heart with her, her relentless hold never loosening once. Just as she made it to the door, she stopped.
“Oh, and before Ah forget…” she looked at me with those bright green eyes, like emeralds that could pierce a stallion with a glance.
“Thanks.”
And then, she disappeared.