The starry mane of Luna billowed over me as I woke in her bed. Somehow I had in my sleep wrapped around her and now I felt trapped by her weight on my arm. If it weren’t for the growing weakness in it I would have sat there content to leave it be but instead I hastily pulled myself free. Light gently filtered in through a window and some how I had not managed to wake Luna so instead of sitting there waiting till I somehow did I scrambled off the bed and to the balcony that I had somehow missed the night prior.
My head felt so much more clear this morning than it had but new questions came from that. Yesterday I had used Persephone as my name but I knew that hadn’t been the one yet I couldn’t remember my actual name. The lesser half of me had never had a deer save for as Miss Deer. I wished those simple memories weren’t clearer than the memories of the steel and concrete city of my other’s birth. My head started to ache as I delved deeper into my memories trying to right them by assigning names to everything organizing them. The strain proved too much and I collapsed on to the floor of the balcony. Surges of the other worlds that I passed through started to run through my head though the one stood above the rest. A fiery place of nightmares and I felt its heat pulse through me again as if I was passing through once more. It had been the one to melt my form into the shapeless orb that it had been and I knew I was lucky if that was all it had done. The warmth spread up my head and into my horns which a glow started to emanate.
“Help,” I screamed as another pulse of heat wracked me with pain. “Luna.”
She woke immediately and jolted up. Still sleep clung to her as she looked around the room and I knew she was too late. A final burst of heat erupted through me and out of my horns as a ball of mana. It grew till it was larger than even my form when it started to take shape. Luna no longer stood struck by sleepiness and instead charged at us. The ball of fiery mana coalesced into a large goat as it turned green and a horrid laugh rang through the air. My hearts stopped as the bleating laugh echoed in my ears and I felt every muscle in my body tighten to the point of ripping. Luna shook the sound off and fired a bolt of energy at the beast but a wave of energy pouring out of the beasts horns blocked the blast. With a flash of energy the goat was gone and Luna rushed up to me. My heart started beating again but another burst of heat came forth pushing another burst out of me. This time the pain caused me to scream and but thankfully it was briefer than the previous one. The orb was smaller and Luna surrounded the thing in a bubble while she did some strange magic on me. A cleansing cool ran through my form just as another pulse of heat started up but Luna’s magic held the pulse at bay. I panted as my body screamed in pain from the excursion.
The bubbled orb started to shift and change form into a small child like form. It reminded me of my days from my more jumbled half as it had bare skin but that is where the similarities ended. The red of its skin made way to two leathery wings and long wispy hair that fell past the creatures small cloven hooves. Two pair of yellow eyes opened on the small ones face as it took the shape of a babe no older than four. Terror was all I saw in the eyes and I tried to push myself up to the poor frightened creature. Luna’s magic however held me down preventing me from tearing my muscles further. Her bubble popped by her will and she engulfed the child in her magic. The little demon seemed all the more frightened and started to wail though none of the vile energy that had come with the goats bleating poured off of it. Luna’s horn brightened to the point of being blinding to look at and soon faded with her face relaxing. She pulled the beast from the air and into my arms where she levitated the two of us to her bed. The child took up much of my torso but she clung to me tightly.
“Stay and rest,” said Luna. “I must go make sure that the Goat’s roar didn’t take the life of my guards. I shall return in a moment.”
Luna hurried out of the room to tend to the guards who were struggling to their feet just outside the door. My limbs couldn’t move but I rested my head against the small child's brow letting my warmth comfort her. She nuzzled closer taking my lead as invitation and soon the child was gently snoring while wrapped around me. She was warmer than I was and my flesh started to sweat where we were pressed together but I didn’t mind. Not for the strange being born of that flare. Somehow I knew the child had no past.
Luna returned after several minutes with another larger pony in tow. The second was her opposite in all things yet the two clung to each other like family. There was an aura of calm that projected of the white mare and her pastel rainbow hair. She lit her horn sending a pulse of magic over both the child and I and I felt the pain in my limbs ease as it healed me.
“You are right the child is no threat but this Goat sounds like Grogar. I banished him during your time away, sister,” said the new white mare. “If he has managed to use this strange creature as a medium for his return then we have grave times a head of us indeed. Please sister I must go prepare the elements and their bearers for this new threat.”
“I will stay and watch these two guests. Send Captain Armor if you see him. I need help finding them boarding. He knows this castle as well as you do,” said Luna. “I want somewhere secure but quiet for the two of them. I don’t know of Persephone is up to being a mother but the child needs one now and she has the right to it first.”
“I will do my best though I don’t know how,” I said. “I feel connected to her. My little Pandora.”
The name came from the same memories as my name and it felt right considering her origin. Still I couldn’t help but wonder why those memories were the clear ones left from that time in the steel jungle. Stories of a mountain and the strange folks who lived on it seemed to be all I had with any clarity. Still it gave me something to work with.
“We will support you as best we are able,” said the white mare. “I am Princess Celestia of Equestria. I welcome you to our land and hope that you may find some semblance of home here. Sister, I shall send Captain Armor and his wife your way as soon as I am able. I think Cadence may be of help here and she has been complaining about her lack of official duties. Babysitting has always in the past kept her busy, I’m sure she would gladly pass those skills on.”
“Thank you sister. I will watch the dreamscape for any intrusions by this Grogar,” said Luna. “Please the sooner we banish this creature again the better. No more should die at his hoof.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” said Celestia. “Stay safe and if you see anything do not hesitate to summon me via magic.”
“I shall,” said Luna.
Celestia headed out of the room leaving the three of us alone while a group of new solders rushed the old guard away and replaced them. Luna closed the doors of the room and got on the bed with us. I was more able to move and I shifted to lean against her which she returned the gesture by draping her wing over my lower torso. I felt so protected with her there and soon I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
I awoke later to the door opening and two ponies half the size of Luna walking in. One was a white furred blue maned stallion and the other a pink and purple winged mare. The both had horns though the pink one had a much larger horn. There was something wonderful about the pink one that I couldn’t place but I knew she was radiating energy like Luna and Celestia did. There was something about the Alicorns that stuck out to me. Though that may have been sheer coincidence as three wasn’t much of a sample size.
“Auntie,” said the pink one as she came up to us. Luna stretched her neck out to touch their noses together and then bowed their heads to each other. “It is so good to see you. Sorry I haven’t made the time to see you since our return from our honey moon but I’ve been rather busy.”
“It is understandable, though I do hope you have the time to help me out,” said Luna. “I have a new mother here strange as the circumstances are and I can’t think of anyone better to help her play catch up on preparations that under better circumstances would have been done ages ago. Please don’t be frightened by her or little Pandora they are from another world and now are a part of ours.”
“The visitor you mentioned last night before you left the castle?” asked the other. He was wearing armor like the rest of the guard and I felt a strong sense of control from the way he moved. It was both like water and ridged like ice. Still his eyes had as much love in them as the pink mare’s did. “Strange indeed but that isn’t a problem to a true Equestrian. Princess Celestia mentioned needing quarters set up and proper security?”
“Ah yes. Straight to work as always,” said Luna. “I think they should stay in the castle for the time being but I would prefer them to have something away from more prying eyes where they can take their time in getting used to this world and our customs. Somewhere safe.”
“No where is safer than the castle,” said the stallion. “But there is a set of quarters that are recently open. With me moving in with Cadence, my old quarters would be secure and private enough for the two of them though the furniture may need updating. I don’t know what the small red one needs in bedding but my old bed would be too small for our larger guest.”
“Can you make sure that gets taken care of and maybe any other things that Cadence thinks would be of use for a new mother and a toddler,” said Luna. “May I introduce Persephone and her daughter Pandora. Sadly I have pressing issues to deal with at the moment and I must focus my energies in the dreamscape. You are welcome to stay here if you are quiet but I must concentrate. Sorry to dump this on you so suddenly.”
I shifted to my feet and stumbled off the soft bed laying Pandora down on the bed while I took my raggedy tapestry and tied it around my upper torso. I wasn’t about to go walking around without it and I wrapped Pandora up in the second one. Cadence came and leaned over my arms to get a close look at Pandora before leading us out of the room. Luna had closed her eyes though her horn was lit with a strong magic. I could see some of the details in the spell but I didn’t comprehend any of them.
Whence we stepped out of the closed door Cadence said, “Forgive our manners, I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza or Cadence for short, and my stoic husband here is Prince Shinning Armor, Captain of the Day Guard. We live in one of the towers of the Castle though it is more of a apartment than a tower. Lets go head to Shinning’s old quarters. The thing is only a one bedroom but you could if you want convert the office into another bedroom.”
I nodded and tried to keep pace with them. They were both quicker than I was with Pandora and I was starting to tire from her weight. Whatever healing Celestia had done hadn’t given me any fortitude back with it. The other two noticed my slowing pace and stopped for me to catch up before slowing their pace to met mine. Cadence lifted Pandora out of my arms with her magic and carried the heavy child for me for a while. We finally came to the door way though I hadn’t been paying attention to how we had gotten here. The quarters was sparsely filled with a table and kitchenette that looked pristine and unused but the door to the office had tell tale signs of having been slammed one to many times as it hung limply on its frame. Shining Armor was right I wouldn’t fit on the bed but Pandora fit more than well enough for the moment and I propped her up in the bed. I would have to find blankets that would work well for her in this world so much colder than she was but for now this would work. Her little tale poked out of the bundle of tapestry and twitched in her dreams. I kissed her forehead and walked back to the kitchen living room combo.
“Strange in form maybe but she seems so peaceful. I can tell you two are already very connected to each other,” said Cadence. “I think the two of you will be fine additions to Equestria in time. I hope you come to love it as much as I have.”
“Where are you from?” asked Shining Armor.
“I don’t rightly know the name of it,” I said. “My memories are all jumbled but I remember legends from there of a place called Olympus and the creatures that ruled that land. Of a God of the Sky who flung lightning when he raged and of a God of spring stolen away by her love for half the year while her mother wept bringing winter. A legend where my name comes from but were they legend or reality I don’t know. I know I came through many places to get here but none lasted long enough for me to tell you of them but then I also am from here as well or at least half of me is. I am the fused form of a deer of your world and a thing from another that had its shape stolen by forces I can’t imagine even after seeing them first hand.”
“That is above my pay grade,” said Shining Armor. “Probably should tell anyone except for the Princesses about that. Might make someponies freak out.”
“Not that there is a problem with your origin, just that we aren’t used to such strange journeys to our land,” said Cadence. “Either way welcome to Equestria.”