//------------------------------// // 35- J. Blade // Story: Blazing a Trail to the Past. // by Daylight_Dreamer //------------------------------// Jerry, You have a job to do. Everything you need to know is in journals like this. There are 4 in total. As well as a knife, a set of blueprints and the final piece is with the zebras. You'll know it. They don't. I know you'll succeed. Sincerely, J. Blade -- Gilda was off chillaxing with Rainbow Dash when I got home so I figured it was about time I actually read the first journal. I was hoping to learn more about this J. Blade of the past. I had read that note over and over afraid to turn the page, but I knew putting it off wouldn't do me any good at this point. I had to know the rest of the story. I took a toke off my pipe, closed my eyes, and turned the page. I was right to brace myself. -- The first thing I want to say is, I'm sorry, son. I wish I could tell you, but I have to let you figure it out on your own. I hope I did a good enough job raising you to make up for it, but it is your plan after all. All I can do is the same as any father. Teach you how to live in my world and prepare you for anything that may come up. -- I nearly fell out of my chair. This whole time that I was racking my brain about who J. Blade was, I never once considered the fact that my father's name was Jeremy... -- I hope you figured it out by now that you were once a pony, your name as I write this is, Daylight Dreamer, if your mother isn't opposed, I plan to name you after private Sharpe. He is my best friend. You asked us to write these journals explaining our own part of the project. For the most part, I really don't know what my part is aside from agreeing to take that crystal with me and letting you be my firstborn son. At least that's how I understand what's going on. You said you would explain that in your journal so the pony that summoned you knew what to expect. I want it on record that if you are really reading this, and the whole plan worked. You are also sitting next to me as I write it. You have a bad habit of reading over people's shoulder. I also want it on record that I totally caught you right there. I hope you don't have that problem as my son. It's rude. The others seem to look to me as a leader. Private Keen seems to think I'll make lieutenant if we aren't listed as deserters, but he's the one that came up with most of the plan, so I think he's just being nice. -- It was actually starting to come together. It was my namesake in the grave. I just never saw his name written out. How was I to know there was a silent 'E'? What did he mean by 'the others' though? Who is this Private Keen? Only one way to find out. -- I guess the most useful thing I could do is explain how you dragged us into this mess. We were stationed on a base in the Mid-West, waiting to hear if we were going to be deployed overseas. It's probably the most underfunded base in history. They still maintain a fleet of jeeps from WWII because they can't find the funding to widen up the trails through the woods to fit a Humvee. I didn't mind, I actually really liked driving them and they had custom roofs and doors made so the weather stays out. Private Sharpe and I were helping Private Keen get his jeep unstuck when I saw something fly overhead. I swore it looked like a black horse. I couldn't help myself, I ran off into the woods to see what it was. I finally saw it land by a stream. Sneaking in closer I saw that it really was a winged horse. I knew the others wouldn't believe me so I dug my old 35 mm out and tried to get a picture, but I couldn't get the shot. I crept in closer being as quiet as I could, and was about to get a perfect shot of him sitting by the stream with his wings sticking straight up, but I stepped on a twig. He shot up and looked right at me as I pushed the button. That's when I noticed he was wearing a flight jacket and had a blue mane with a matching beard. I was about to run when he tackled me and started talking. It was you, well Daylight you. You told me you came from another dimension. That you had to get back the same day, but you came looking for help. Pony kind had taken to war and had no idea how to end it. You apparently found a way to bring yourself to earth to seek out someone who knew more about the subject. Time doesn't work the same here though. You told me you were sacrificing the better part of a month just to spend a day on earth. You told me it was about a 1 to 20 ratio. One day on earth is 20 in Equestria. -- I nearly dropped the book. That explains how a guy that's just a little past 25 could have lived 600 years. Granted I was a little bit off, it doesn't take a genius to know that 30x20=600. I was beginning to wish I had read the book sooner, so many of my questions had been answered. However, part of me knew, I would have never kept reading if I didn't already know who I really was. Finding out this way never would have worked. The only thing left was how I became my father's son, and I wasn't talking about 'when a man loves a woman, or they both get drunk.' I had to know more about that crystal. Apparently, I had left that detail in the journal that said to bring me. I figured it was safe to guess that was the one Twilight had. The one that was half burned and half soaked. Would have been a fitting end if I didn't still need it. I looked back to the journal I did have. -- I agreed to help you out. I figured it was either a dream, or I could do a greater good than I could ever imagine on earth. So I gave you a sample of my hair. You said I would be pulled into Equestria in the middle of the night. So I figured all I had to do was not go back, and I would be reported as missing rather than a runaway. When I got back I could just rip my uniform a little and make up a story about getting lost in the woods. I would only be gone a week or so in earth time. I tried to explain this to the others, they were obviously skeptical. We weren't having any luck getting the jeep unstuck so I told them to just leave me with it. I said to tell the guys back at base I didn't want to give up. They were worried about me, so they decided to stay with me. We got bored so we sat in the stuck jeep and tried to get some sleep. We woke up to the whole jeep being pulled through some kind of portal. The force behind it must have been incredible. We could not get that jeep out with two other jeeps and a winch. Yet it flew through this portal like it were a paper airplane. You were on the other side waiting. You were shocked to see Private Sharpe and Private Keen, but delighted when they agreed to help as well. Jerry and Jordan will undoubtedly explain things from there better than I. They may call me the leader, but I'm more of an organizer. I'd be lost without them. The only thing I'll add is that you had better be careful with the contents of that bunker. There's a reason we sealed it away. I still think ponies need to see their own dark side, a look in the mirror can be good. You know more about that kind of thing than me though. The rest of this journal is encrypted, feel free to read the others until you find the code. It's in the bunker, and if you are back in Equestria, that's where you're headed. Take care of yourself this time around. You deserve a retirement after two lifetimes. Especially if one is in my family. Your old man, Jeremy Blade -- I felt like I should tell Twilight, but at the same time. I had to be careful about this whole thing. I still wasn't sure I wanted her to know the door she found led to a bunker filled with things I and my father hid from ponies. That was between me and the Crafting family. Possibly Night Echo and Scootaloo, but I had no idea what was in that journal. Then it dawned on me that I could only account for journals one, two, and four. Who had journal three? I was so tied into this web I thought it should have turned up. I mean, I lived on the property of Apple Seeds descendants, was best friends with those of Sculptured Stone, I partied with Drum Beats family, had a talk with Kizzy's kin, and had now adopted my own great times-I don't even know how many times-granddaughter from the family I started with Feather Touch. Who could possibly have that journal? It's been six hundred years. Could it be lost?