//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 - A World of Pure Imagination // Story: Magic on Sweet Apple Acres // by Blade Star //------------------------------// I blinked a couple of times as the wind caught me in the eyes. It was a hot day, the sun above me beating down incessantly. The book in my hooves was warm to the touch, as was the soft sand beneath them. The few trees nearby gave me some shade from the harshest glare, but other than that, I was quite exposed on the rocky crevice on which I sat, looking out into the valley far below. Sound familiar? I thought not. This wasn’t Sweet Apple Acres, it wasn’t Ponyville, it wasn’t Appleloosa, or even the Badlands. I was currently looking out over the Wadi Rum, a vast protected desert area in southern Jordan. From here, I could see Palestine, all the way across to Saudi Arabia, and north to Syria. I was lying down on all fours reading T.E Lawrence’s ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’; a book everyone should read at some point in their lives. I was dressed in Bedouin garb to keep the sun off, with a red and white chequered shemagh, a sort of head scarf, wrapped around my face, with only my horn and eyes exposed. Now, how was I here? Had Time Turner or those lunatics at Torchwood stabilised the rift and got us all home? Was I dead and in the afterlife? Or had I gone mad and lost touch with reality? Actually, it was nothing so grandiose; I was presently projecting an illusion with my magic. It’s one of my favourite spells, and actually quite a complex one too. It actually does push my limits from time to time. The spell forms a small sphere around me, somewhat like a shield spell. But unlike a shield, it acts as a sort of canvas, allowing me to project my mind’s eye onto it. Within reason, I can go anywhere I want to, without ever taking a step. I often find myself using this spell whenever I have some free time to myself. It lets me remember Earth, keep the memories alive. An Equestrian I may be, but I’d rather I not wake up one day and find I can’t remember too much about my old home. You’d be surprised how much you forget when you’re completely cut off. The great thing was how much detail I could create. If I ask you to remember a place, a person’s face, or even something as simple as a pen, you might recall some of it, but unless you’re a savant, you’d be hard pressed to get a perfect image in your mind. Thing is though, we do have that image, only we can’t access it under normal circumstances. The illusion spell overcomes this little niggle. So any place I’ve seen, at least that memory of it, can be recreated perfectly. It is almost like you’re actually there. It isn’t just an image either, there’s scent, sound, touch; all the senses are tied into the spell. Sometimes I almost forget that I’m just in a bubble. Of course, there is one drawback; people. I can create the most perfect landscapes, with weather, sunrises and sunsets, stars, clouds, everything. But I can’t add in living things. People and animals are a lot more tricky to create than an image of a place. So the big drawback is that there’s no one to talk to, or even any animals. The best I can do is put in the soundtrack of such things. Say I create New York, as seen from the top of the Empire State Building. There’ll be no people, but I can add in moving lights to represent cars, and the sound of engines, horns, and people. It’s a halfway decent compromise. And of course, you can’t really move around too much. I tried it once, and found my illusion of Paradise Falls interrupted by an apple tree bursting into the frame. So most of the time, I just sit down and relax in the environment I create. At least everything is tangible though. I can even ‘eat’ the fruits of a tree. Albeit it won’t do much good for my stomach. Yes, there may be some faults, but it was good enough for me. I’m sure Twilight or the princesses could create a huge projection with ponies, animals, and even hold conversations with them. But I left Earth several years after the advent of HD, 3D and Smart TVs, and I was still quite happy with my old vacuum tube system even then. So I have no problem with my ‘limited’ ability. I turned my attention back to the book I was reading. I was currently reading about the successful capture of Aqaba from it’s Turkish occupiers. And all achieved with the loss of only one camel (Lawrence, in his excitement, accidently shot his own mount, a racing camel and gift from Fiesal, through the head as he drew his revolver). I was about to continue on, when I was startled by the arrival of a certain filly. “Hey there, Bones,” said Apple Bloom, startling me out of my thoughts. The problem with these spheres; ponies can just waltz right on in. And from their perspective, I’m just sitting down with the air slightly shimmering around me. “Apple Bloom!” I exclaimed, a little crossly. “What did Ah tell ya ‘bout sneakin’ up on ponies like that.” The little filly deflated and pawed at the ground with a hoof. “To not to,” she replied, now sounding glum and not looking at me. She’s lucky I’m a big softie. I smiled. “Ah’m sorry, AB,” I said, more kindly. “C’mon, sit yourself down and talk for a bit.” She sat herself down next to me, her sharp eyes quickly spotting the book that I’d been reading. Of course, she couldn’t read it that well, given how Equestrian and English have different alphabets. Although to be fair, you can often work out the gist; they can be quite similar at times. “So what have y’all been up to, little lady?” I asked as she settled herself. Apple Bloom looked up and me and grinned, her pink bow bobbing slightly in the desert breeze. “Me and the Crusaders were playin’ with Dinky,” she replied. “We’re tryin’ to help her find her cutie mark. How ‘bout you, Bones? What is all this? And what are you wearin’?” She gestured to both the scene and my odd gettup. “It’s an illusion spell, AB,” I explained. “Ah can use my magic to visit any place Ah can remember seein’. This is a place Ah went on vacation with my folks back on Earth.” The young filly looked around at the vast landscape. “It’s beautiful,” she said after a moment. “Like Saddle Arabia. Miss Cheerilee showed us pictures in class last week.” Well, good to see that the filly was growing up cultured. Ponies could be remarkably closed minded at times. After all, most maps of Equestria seem to just stop once you pass the Badlands. And there’s no way there isn’t something further south. But it’s all restricted. Not even weather pegasi or the Royal Guard fly that far south. That would come to bite us on the rump a few months later. “Want me to show you some other places?” I offered. I love spending time with Apple Bloom. As a rule, I don’t get on with kids too well. Most of the time, I’m too serious, or boring depending on who you talk to. I just don’t click with them that well. But I get along with Apple Bloom, and the other Crusaders too. Applejack has said that sometimes I act like a father around her. Mum’s said the same thing too. I’ve no intention of treading on Bright Mac’s horseshoes, and Big Mac does a pretty good job already. But I do find myself caring for her more than I would others. Heck, the last thing I said to Tirek before he took my magic was that if he laid a hair on Apple Bloom, I’d take a large pair of steel pliers and...do something deeply unpleasant and painful to his lower orders. Anyway, Apple Bloom certainly seemed interested in going exploring and nodded excitedly. So I picked up my book and brought my magic back into play. Maintaining the illusion isn’t difficult; like tickover in a car’s engine. Creating or changing the illusion does take a bit of work though. Letting the illusion cease, we found ourselves back on Sweet Apple Acres. Now came the difficult question. “So, where would ya like to go first?” So, you’re presented with the opportunity to go pretty much anywhere, any when. All you have to do is pick one. I think that would take me at least a few hours. I might even make a flowchart. When I first mastered this spell, I went to a hundred different places every day. I actually ended up getting just a little bit addicted to it. My first choice was my old home, back in the Midlands, before my family moved out to Wales. I have been back there every now and then, but as the old saying goes ‘you can’t go home again’. The home I remembered had quickly changed and now existed only in memory. So, for the first time in just under twenty years, I was able to go home; my old house, my old room, school, the high street, the Corner House cafe, the chip shop, the post office, the common; I went gallivanting all over the West Midlands of the late 90’s. Conversely, my favourite place is the old Golden Oaks library. For the longest time, my project was to try and restore that old place to its former glory, undo the damage one deeply ignorant centaur caused. But that was not to be, and so it too, now only exists in memory. I spend a few hours there whenever I can, reading up on my magic theory, researching, or just enjoying a good book. But enough about me being a sentimental old sod, let’s turn our attention back to young Apple Bloom. Just as it was for me, the filly was deep in thought. She had hundreds, if not thousands of choices to sift through. Still, she managed to reach a decision far quicker than I had. Not having my wistful and nostalgic mindset, she picked the first place that came to mind. “Oooh, how about Manehattan, Bones?” she suggested eagerly. The little filly has heard plenty of tales about the city from her big sister. I think she’d like to visit someday, although her home would always be on the farm of you ask me. “Alright,” I said, smiling down at her. “Manehattan it is.” I powered up my magic and concentrated on the image I wanted to create. I decided to set up a view from atop the pony version of the Statue of Liberty. I’m actually not sure what the version in Manehattan is called. I must look that up later or it’s going to be nagging at me all day. Sweet Apple Acres disappeared from sight, and for a moment, we were surrounded by a white void as the spell formed up. It was actually a little like being in a dream with Princess Luna. A moment later and the projection kicked in. The sky above turned into latticed metal frames and rivetts. The grass changed to the feeling of steel, which was quite cold to the touch and prompted the two of us to stand up on our hooves. And in front of us was one of the best sights on the eastern coast. We were looking out of the crown of the statue. From this high up, you could see across the harbour, see the main bridge connecting the city to the mainland (Manehattan itself is actually an island you know) and ahead of us was the sprawling city itself. With its skyscrapers and shining lights. I could see easily enough through the many openings in the crown, but Apple Bloom was a touch too short. So i let her climb up on my back to get a better view. She let out a gasp at the sight. “You’re impressed than, Ah take it?” I said with the ghost of a smile. Apple Bloom was rendered speechless. So I decided to point out a few features of interest. “See that patch of green down there?” I said, pointing out with a hoof. “That’s Manehattan Park. And just over there is Broadway, where all the theatres are. And if you squint, ya might just be able to make out Rarity 4 U.” “This is amazin’, Bones,” Apple Bloom said, still perched on my back. “It’s just like real life. Ah can even feel the wind and smell things.” Amusingly, she wrinkled her nose at that. Still, if you ask me, Manehattan smells a damn sight better than New York. The two of us stayed there for a little while. I even managed to conjure up a few ships in the harbour, and the odd airship in the sky. Apple Bloom doesn’t often get to go anywhere outside of Ponyville, so it made for a nice change of pace for her, and like I said before, it was good for her to see the world beyond Ponyville. We stayed up there for a good quarter of an hour before, once again, we were interrupted. Apple Bloom found herself on the receiving end this time. You don’t actually hear anything when somepony enters the projection, although they do create a visual distortion. But if you enter directly behind somepony, you’re not going to notice them. Unless of course, it’s the other two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both came trotting into this little slice of Manehattan and quickly made themselves known, startling the hell out of both me and Apple Bloom. After we both sufficiently recovered from our fright, I let Apple Bloom down off my back. “What brings y’all here?” Apple Bloom asked her friends curiously, tilting her head in that adorable way. “Well, you weren’t at the clubhouse,” Sweetie Belle explained. “So we thought we’d come looking for you.” “We’ve got a new cutie mark case to crack,” Scootaloo added, her wings buzzing in excitement. Apple Bloom’s ears wilted at the news. I know she enjoys her new vocation, it is her special talent after all. But she had been rather enjoying our little outing. I decided to lend a hoof. “C’mon guys,” I said kindly to the pair. “It’s already, what, almost supper time. Ah reckon there ain’t much sense in startin’ your investigations this late. Why don’t ya join me and AB for a bit?” Apple Bloom quickly explained to them the spell that I’d been using. The two fillies eagerly jumped at the idea. And it wasn’t long before they were shouting out suggestions over each other, Apple Bloom included. Sitting down, I let Apple Bloom jump off me and held up my hooves in an attempt to call for silence. “Alright, alright, one at a time!” I shouted over the din. “Apple Bloom, you had your turn going to Manehattan. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo should get a go.” Concentrating for a moment, I created a single bit coin and took it in my hoof. Even in Equestria, a coin toss was a well recognised way of settling disputes between warring parties. “Call it you two,” I said. “Heads!” Sweetie Belle chirped. “Tails!” added Scootaloo. I flicked the coin up in the air and watched it land on the steel floor at my hooves. I saw the face of Princess Celestia, smiling maternally up at me. “Heads it is,” I declared. “Where do ya wanna go, Sweetie Belle?” That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. I first took them all, as per Sweetie Belle’s request, to Vanhoover. Then, when Scootaloo’s turn came, we went sightseeing around Luna Bay. After that, I decided to get a bit historical again, and took them up into the Hindenburg, as it made its way across the Atlantic. Naturally, we all jumped ship before we reached New Jersey. The Crusaders quickly got interested in extra-Equestrian destinations. So I took charge for a little while. I showed them London, Paris, Moscow, Bulawayo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Rome in the days of its empire, and Egypt when the pyramids were first being built. I took them on board the Titanic, the Orient Express, I even took them up to the International Space Station and let them look down on Earth below, pointing out the continents, and the foggy little island I once called home. I even took them up to the Moon, to the old Apollo 11 landing site. The three of them had great fun on the abandoned moon buggy. And I have to admit, I shed a little tear as Scootaloo got to ‘fly’ thanks to the lower gravity. We spent hours going all over the world, without ever leaving that peaceful orchard on Sweet Apple Acres. The company certainly improved the experience. Don’t get me wrong, I do use this spell sometimes to brood, when I want to be on my own. But it was also great fun to have the three fillies along, and even more so with the opportunity to show and teach them about Earth. It was about half past seven when our little excursion finally came to an end. We’d just finished touring the Alamo, and I let the illusion slowly fade, to be replaced by the familiar trees and barns of my farm home. “Well, there we go,” I said, pushing my hat back on my head a little. “Ah reckon that’s enough explorin’ for one day, you three.” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, we’ve got a new case to work on tomorrow,” she reminded us. “And it’s a doozy too,” Scootaloo added. “Who is it anyway?” I asked, a moment later adding. “If it’s alright for me to ask.” “Dinky Hooves,” Sweetie Belle replied. “She’s been trying to find her cutie mark for months now with Time Turner’s help. But she hasn’t been having much luck.” “What’s givin’ her a hard time?” Apple Bloom asked. “We’re not sure,” Scootaloo replied. “She thinks her special talent might have something to do with time. But she’s not sure how to find out.” “She keeps saying how Time Turner told her she needs to go to the academy or something.” That caused me to prick up my ears and pay attention. It was true, I suppose. Dinky was a pony/Timelord hybrid, with two hearts and an incredible intelligence. But she only had her teachers and Time Turner to help her learn. If I remember my Whoverse correctly, children fit to be Timelords were taken from their families at the age of eight, and sent off to the academy. It was there that they were shown the Untempered Schism; a gap in space/time letting you see the vortex with your own eyes. If you ask me, that was where their curriculum went wrong. Few adults can stare at that thing, never mind a child. You can see why more than a few went mad as march hares. She’d never be able to go to the academy of course. We’re in the wrong universe for starters. Plus, I’m not sure I’d really be comfortable with the idea. Like I said, look what happened to the Master, or the Doctor for that matter. Neither of them were right in the head. I’d hate to see little Dinky Hooves go bananas and end up a target of the Elements. Still, it did give me an idea. “AB,” I said, getting the attention of all three fillies. “How ‘bout you bring Dinky down here tomorrow, after you’ve had a go at helpin’ her out? Ah reckon Ah might be able to show her somethin’ to help her.” The Crusaders quickly pressed me for questions, but I decided to remain cryptic. It’s not often I get to be all mysterious and clever, so I was rather determined to milk this opportunity for all it’s worth. In any case, the Crusaders agreed to bring their newest client tomorrow afternoon. It would certainly be an interesting way to spend a Sunday afternoon. With that, the three fillies left on their merry way again. Apple Bloom headed back to the farmhouse to help Granny Smith with dinner, Sweetie Belle headed back to Carousel Boutique for the evening, and Scootaloo, after briefly stopping by the clubhouse to pick up her scooter, headed back to her home to see her aunts. I spent the majority of Sunday visiting my parents house. With my job on the farm, Dad’s position as legal advisor for Celestia’s court, and Mum employed full time again at the school, we rarely have time to chat together. So whenever I can, I do my best to stop by and say hello, have a cup of rosie lee, and catch up with. I found the two of them at home, as you’d expect. Mum was busy doing the ironing when I arrived, and Dad was working on some case notes for next week. It was actually a little strange, walking in and not suddenly being accosted by Charlie. But their changeling disguised as a pet dog was long gone. The three of them had sat down, talked and come to a decision. It wasn’t fair that he should still have to hide as he was. So they allowed him to go back home with Thorax and the others after the peace agreement was signed. They both seemed a little sad for his absence though. Luckily, I’d brought Winona with me. They’d been this way the last time I’d seen them, so I thought the collie might lift their spirits a little. What is it you sometimes hear about, therapy dogs? We all ended up going out to the park for the morning, playing fetch with Winona and enjoying lunch on the grass by the lake. It’s always nice to do something like that; it reminds me of my childhood, and I do find myself missing those summer days on Pelsall common. I had meant to check in on Lizzie and Fluttershy as well. But time somewhat got away from us, and before I knew it, it was time to head back to the farm. The Crusaders would be bringing Dinky with them, and I had quite the show to offer her. And this evening, I was planning on surprising AJ by cooking dinner for the lot of us. So, leaving Mum and Dad to their afternoon, Winona and I headed back toward the farm, the collie bounding around me excitedly, snapping at a few bugs that strayed through the air. Winona may be a good working dog, and great for helping herd sheep and cattle, but by Celestia she can be a nutter at times. More to the point, it’s my turn to give her a bath on Tuesday. All I say on that front is thank goodness for my magic. Otherwise I’d never catch her. Walking along the dirt paths through the seemingly endless rows of apple trees, I watched as the fading light turned the sky a mixture of reds, purple, and blue. Sunsets on the farm were always beautiful. Even on a cloudy evening, the sky would light up and glow as the sun slipped below the horizon. It certainly helped get the right images into my head. Stepping off the path, I threaded my way along a well known route, which ultimately led me to one of the most isolated spots on the entire farm. It was here, I found the Crusaders’ clubhouse, actually, Applejack’s old treehouse from when she was a filly, but now restored and repurposed. Listening, I could hear three...no, four fillies chattering away inside. Walking to the foot of the small ramp that led to the entrance, I called up. “Crusaders? Y’all ready in there?” I asked. My question quickly caused the chattering to cease, and a moment later, four little fillies came bounding out. I was quickly overrun. Apple Bloom ploughed straight into my chest, while Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle each latched onto a foreleg and hugged. Only little Dinky gave me some space. “Bones!” Apple Bloom exclaimed happily. “We were just tellin’ Dinky about your plan.” I quirked an eyebrow at that. “Oh were you now?” I asked knowingly. Activating my magic, I levitated the three fillies off me and set them down with their companion. “Well,” I said, as I dusted myself off. “Ah suppose we ought to make a start then.” I led the four of them to a spot of open ground near the clubhouse. Like I said before, while I can create an illusion, the boundary of the world isn’t solid. If there’s anything nearby, it can end up phasing into the illusion. And the last thing I wanted was for Dinky’s experience to be ruined by an out of place apple tree. I sat myself down on the grass like a dog, with the four fillies gathering around me. A quick blast of my horn formed the spell around us. I made it a little larger than usual, so it wouldn’t be too cramped and the foals could explore a bit. But I held off on actually creating the illusion for a moment. “Now, Dinky,” I said, turning my attention to the young Timelord. “AB tells me you’ve been spendin’ a lot of your days with Time Turner.” The filly nodded. “He’s been showing me around the TARDIS mainly,” she explained. “I even helped him realign the blue flight stabilisers.” Oh, at last, he remembered about those, I thought to myself. “Well then,” I said. “Ah’m sure you know that Time Turner’s been to lots of other planets.” Again, she nodded. “How ‘bout Ah show you Time Turner’s favourite planet in the whole universe?” Dinky’s eyes lit up at that. And just so you know, I wasn’t talking about Earth. Smiling at her reaction, I lit up my horn and began to form the world around us. It’s funny you know, I formed that illusion, and yet I still find it difficult to describe. I suppose I should start with the first thing I saw as the illusion formed and took shape. It was the sky...that incredible, burnt orange sky, made up of thousands of shades of gold, amber and crimson. The wisp like clouds hung high, doing little to block out the rising of the second sun in the south. The star peaked slowly over the beautiful snow capped mountain ranges...making them seem to glitter in its light. And the trees...the leaves were silver, and only intensified the effect. It was like the Northern Lights, or the magic of the Crystal Heart. The twin suns refracted through them, splitting the spectrum into a shimmering rainbow, and reflecting the sky above. For a moment, the strange trees looked to be ablaze with brilliant light. Beneath our hooves, was the soft, ruby red grass, flowing in an alien meadow as far as the eye could see...just rolling plains of a dull red reflected in the sunshine, waving slowly in the warm breeze of the morning. Off to one side, not too far from the forest, you could see the shores of a lake. The water was a light brown colour, but still quite clean, the colour came naturally, not as the result of pollution. It was amazing how such a lush world could at the same time appear so barren. I hadn’t felt so in awe of something for a long time. Perhaps when I saw Luna raise the moon firsthoof. That might have come close. I had that same feeling of peace and serenity. It had the same effect on the Crusaders and Dinky. They were all rendered speechless by the sight. Gallifrey in the early morning. “It’s...it’s incredible,” Dinky whispered. “But it feels...sort of...familiar.” I smiled sadly. That was her hybrid nature talking. She had the memories of her father. She could fly a TARDIS, perform impossible calculations, and even came close to understanding the magic of harmony itself. But she was also burdened by memories of a world she would never see. I mulled it over for a few moments. Was it really my place to tell her? She knew what Time Turner was, but she didn’t know who. Could I tell her about her paternal home? Was it my place? I’d suggested she come along because it was an amazing sight, and in a way connected to her. But now that she ‘remembered’ in a way, did I go on? No, I shouldn’t. Time Turner wanted to keep his relationship to Dinky a secret, and I Pinkie Promised. Besides, what could I tell her, that the odd stallion who help her learn about science was actually her father, and the last surviving member of his race, and that he was responsible for their destruction? “That’s called deja vu, Dinky,” I said quietly. “I’d love to come back here tomorrow.” Ah, here was an opportunity to do a nice thing for her. “If ya like, Ah can teach ya the spell. All ya have to do is remember, and you can come back here. Shoot, y’all are probably better at it than me.” Dinky smiled up at me. I ended up widening the spell to as far as I could, so that Dinky and the Crusaders could go tearing around the fields, playing. Once again, I found myself feeling nostalgic. Nostalgia for a world I’d never known, never set foot on. This illusion probably didn’t even hold a candle to the real thing. Looking to the north, I could make out the city far away; the Citadel of the Timelords. A strange race, like humans, with many faults. But I liked to think that they were ultimately on the side of good, most of the time, apart from the crazy ones obviously. They’d been there for eons; sworn never to interfere, only to watch. A hard life for anyone to lead. I still can’t imagine it; being taken from your home at only eight, and told to look into the time vortex. Just the world left me inspired and wistful. To think, all that I saw, it was all gone now. The lakes, the fields the foals were playing on, the shining cities, even that amazing sky...all burned up. Any fool could see why Time Turner was the way he was. For Celestia’s sake, even Dinky served as a reminder for all he’d lost, and yet he continued to help her and look after her. I finally brought things to a close a little before sunset back in Equestria. The foals were all sorry to leave, but quite glad to hear that Dinky could replicate the spell as well. She was quite good at it too, although like me, living things were a bit beyond her reach. Still, damn impressive for a little filly. I let them all head on their way home, each foal causing the world to ripple slightly as they crossed through the edge of the bubble. I stayed for a little while longer, my gaze still locked on that beautiful sky. As I deactivated my magic, the illusion faded. The Citadel was replaced by the homely image of Sweet Apple Acres. And with that, I headed inside.