Applejack was exhausted. She laid on her stomach on a pool float made of some driftwood covered in fabric. Although the air far above was cold, the water was warm, and hot air rose from it, creating a serene experience for relaxing and thinking. Moments before, she had been playing with Applebloom, but having felt finished and needing to attend her tutoring, she went back inside the palace, leaving AJ to her thoughts.
Her hooves weren't sore or overworked, and were only slightly tired from pool play, but rather, they felt heavy and weak, as though all life energy had been drained out of them. For brief, blissful moments she could forget her circumstances, relegating them gnaw at the back of her mind, but as soon as the play was over, they returned in full force, tiring her core and weakening her body. So she simply laid on the float.
She was glad to be away from all the palace guards and servants. Whatever general her brother was, she figured he was akin to royalty.
This is wrong. She thought, her gaze falling down into the water in front of her chin. I'm sittin' here, in this pool, while heavens' knows what is happening to my friends. 'Applebloom needs me' – ponyfeathers! You're livin' like a king, Big Mac, you don't need me here, but I dunno how Sweet Apple Acres is gonna make it through a season without me! She moaned to herself.
Scarlet was so distraught when she thought I was gone, or thought I might leave again, though. Maybe they got all these riches here, but... This place is nothin' compared to the love at Sweet Apple Acres. There's no Granny Smith, here, or me. So I guess I'm sorta doin' what she can't.
She sighed.
I guess ma and pa aren't here in either world, cruel fate. If it's not a farm accident in Equestria, it's dying as a soldier, in this world.
Did I do the right thing, though? Ah, forget that – what should I do now? That's more important. I don't have the slightest clue where Twi, Rares, or Pinkie could've gone off to. I guess I could start searchin' the city for Pinkie... Yeah, that's what I should do.
She looked up, and at the edge of the pool, stood a near-black unicorn adorned in Nightmare Moon's armor and a sparkling, nightly cape. Applejack fell backwards off the pool float in shock, falling under, then jumping back up to the surface. She found herself immediately by the edge of the pool, being pulled out of it in the magical grasp of the terrifying unicorn.
But something else stunned her even more – the feel, the color, the specific sensations that came with the magical grasp – could it be?
“Here.” The unicorn said, a warm towel floating to Applejack in her lavender, telekinetic grasp.
The voice. She knew it. It was more croaky, arrogant, aloof and bored, but it was the same voice.
“Twilight!” She yelled, and threw her into her hooves.
She felt every muscle in the unicorn's body tense up under her embrace. She squeezed harder. Applejack heard and felt a single half gasp, half sob break from the unicorn's mouth.
“Twilight! I can't tell ya how much I missed ya! It's not the same here as Equestria – I can't stand this never-endin' night,” Applejack herself started sobbing as it all spilled out uncontrollably, “-an' no green hills, no apple trees, no love, no friendship, no blue skies, no nice wooden homes with tile rooves or thatched rooves, all the orchards are underground under weird lamps – Twilight – can we go home? I don't even know if I should – ah need ya to talk me, Twilight! I got this other family here an' Big Mac says Applebloom here needs me, an' I love'em to pieces but my family at home -”
Another shortened gasp escaped from the frozen unicorn. But she remained still.
“- they need me, too, don't they, Twilight? An' maybe this world is rougher an Applebloom needs me here, but what about my family back in Equestria? They got Granny Smith and are in a much better world full'a friendship, but here it's all awful but Big Mac is royalty – but what does that count when compared against Friendship? - Ah Twilight, just tell me somethin' that makes this all okay! Tell me some kinda' twist that will make it so I can go home an' wake up from this nightmare!”
She finally stopped, shocked at how much had just spilled out. And yet another terrifying feeling came over her. Her pupils shrank to dots as her eyes went wide. “T-Twi... ...light?”
The unicorn was shaking underneath her embrace. The cruel tone was still in her voice, but it shook even more than her - “Y-you – IDIOT!”
A blast of magic sent her flying back into the pool. She immediately recovered to look back at the unicorn. Sweet Celestia – this ain't Twi – this is this world's version of Twi!
The front of her armor and gown were wet where Applejack had hugged her, but so were her cheeks. AJ hadn't touched her cheeks.
“This. IS. Our. HOME!” In a blinding flash, she vanished, leaving behind the towel she had previously offered.
AJ simply looked on, speechless.
* * *
Astilbe's sick stomach had turned to a knot in her chest. To think she tried to accuse me!? Aren't they tired of death!? Don't they love anything more than watching ponies die, and causing bloodshed, and – ARGH!
A shiver went down her spine as she walked home along the frosty cobblestone sidewalk.
How many have to die before they realize how horrible this is? - Their acts! How many innocent, good ponies have to suffer before the rest of them realize that their actions are wrong? How can they be so blind when the innocent are literally hanged right in front of them!?
She kicked the ground with a huff as she walked.
Don't they know this world could be so much better? That all it would take is for them to just... Just stop it?! Stop accusing, stop killing, stop... She sighed, her shoulders slouching. Stop fighting.
She looked around the streets, walled by aged brick and stone buildings. Few ponies were on the streets, though most wore coats as ragged and large as her own. The news-post bore announcements of heinous crimes committed by unicorns and Ceruleans, the heroism of Order “guardians,” or soldiers in their “valiant” efforts against “the anarchist menace,” and the latest executions of those deemed most evil. In her mind's eye she could still see the group of ponies talking around it, eager to throw stones at the latest spectacular.
A slight smile crept on to her face. They got to throw their stones, but I carried that innocent pony out of there! Hah!... The victory quickly faded from her features, though, and her lips' edges fell back to a solemn frown, and exhaustion landed again on her eyes. But Rosewing still died, and so many others did in preparing for this. Maybe I saved that one pony, but ultimately... a lot of ponies died because of that operation.
A single, rare snowflake fell gently in front of her. She paused. For a brief moment she looked at it as it fell blithely from the black abyss overhead. She found herself lost in its intricate crystalline structure, a maze of fractal patterns of diamond. It landed gently on the ground.
She leaned in to admire it a moment longer; it was a small, precious glory in her stone and cold surroundings. In her thirst for its beauty, she leaned in until her nose almost touched it, but in her next breath, it was washed in warm, foggy air, and quickly melted.
She sighed, feeling as though she'd left her heart behind as she stood up again. What if we “just stopped?” Wouldn't The Order have less executions if there actually weren't an enemy? I mean, I know they hunt unicorns, but... What if all this winter is from conflict bred from our hatred, not from them killing unicorns? What if we could just... Make peace without fighting for it?
She pulled herself back towards her house, slouching as she resumed her walk.
But so many of them enjoy the executions, the banners, the music... They love to paint somepony as evil and watch them hang. How can you appeal to that? How do your argue with somepony that thinks they're some sort of crusader against evil? They think you're selfish and cruel the moment you disagree with them, and that your ideas are evil and should not be allowed to spread.
Can ponies ever have a peaceful society? Are the ponies of this world simply beyond saving?
She found herself at her door. Turning, she looked back down the street. With an icy sting to her heart, she felt an answer to her mental question when she saw one of the ponies who had earlier been so eager to sharpen stones. But nopony was looking her way, so she returned to her door and walked inside.
She found her house just as she had left it, except the door to her bedroom was open, and her lookalike was lying on the floor, asleep in the doorway, her mane still halfway deflated. Astilbe approached with a raised eyebrow, then nudged Pinkie a few times. She snorted awake, looking up at her.
“Why are you sleeping in the doorway?”
She lowered her head back to the ground. She spoke in an exhausted monotone, “I finally had to get out of bed to use the bathroom. Then I thought I'd make cake or something, but I was too tired so I just went back to sleep.”
“You slept all day?”
“I guess so.”
“It's nine o'clock. Aren't you hungry? Did you drink all the water I left?” She walked over the prone pony and peered at the nightstand. The glass of water was empty.
“Yeah. I'm still pretty thirsty. And hungry. I don't feel like getting up, though.” She sighed.
“Oh, you'll get your energy back, you're probably just getting worn out from healing. I hope you're not getting an infection! How does that feel, anyways?”
“It's been hurting. A lot.”
“You poor thing! Here, I'll get you back to bed and we'll get that dressing changed, and I'll get you a good dinner. Sound good?” She offered a hoof.
“Yes, but uh...” Her ears flopped and she blushed a little. “Help me to the bathroom, first? It really hurts to walk, and I guess I must've fallen asleep hours ago, 'cause I need to go again...”
“Of course!” She beamed a grin at her, “I'm your official helper-nurse while you recover, after all.”
“And I'll be your new best friend?” She asked, a little hope creeping into her voice.
“Of course again!” She helped Pinkie off the floor. Pinkie beamed and threw a hoof around her shoulders in response.
Astilbe helped her to the room, left her to her business while she got another glass of water, helped her back into bed, and began changing her wounds' dressings.
“So...” Pinkie checked the room, glancing side to side, before leaning in to her friend in a whisper; “Did you do it? Did you save Twilight?”
Astilbe beamed. “Yep! And I'm going to save you, too.”
“Save me? I thought you already did?” She glanced down at her wound as Astilbe removed the old dressings.
The Cerulean shook her head; “No, you're still in a lot of danger, here. They're looking out for pink curly-maned ponies like us.” A smile crept over her face. “I love how my mane goes all poofy when I get 'in the zone', though. It makes me harder to recognize. My coat even gets brighter, too. In fact, I look exactly like you...”
Pinkie gasped, “Do you think you're my long-lost twin!?” She threw a hoof out, grabbing and pulling Astilbe in for a close hug; “Like my secret sister I never knew I had!? Are you a PIE!?”
“You have a long-lost twin?”
“No!...” She let go of her caretaker so she could face her, “But I COULD!”
“Well, I'm afraid the wound doesn't look so good...” She paused and sighed. “I'm sorry. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if the room were cleaner... But it's not too bad, and we'll be able to get some antibiotics very soon. You should be okay... So, were you born in the Rambling Rocks area?” She began applying clean dressings to the wound.
“YES!”
Astilbe paused her wrapping. “Hmm.” She eyed her guest for a moment, and opened her mouth to ask another question before getting interrupted.
“-Wait, how do you know about Rambling Rocks? I thought we were on another time lice.”
She paused yet again, having barely unfrozen herself. “Time... lice?”
“Yepee! I think Twilight said something about them being like things that could've happened but didn't? Have you ever heard of them? I haven't.”
“Do you mean 'timelines'?” Astilbe perked an eyebrow.
“No...” She put her hoof to her chin. “...Maybe...” She furrowed her brows, her gaze going to the ceiling as she thought back. “...Yes! That makes a lot more sense. She said something about things being different back at the first 'Hearth's Warming Eve'.”
“Well, I don't know what 'Hearth's Warming Eve' is, but... Are you saying you're from a completely different world?”
“Right again! You're a smart pony!”
Astilbe chuckled as she worked the bandages. “Lift your leg.” Pinkie complied, allowing her host to wrap the clean bandage around it. She felt too worn to try to argue sense into this pony, so she played along. “I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, what with your spectacular entrance with that unicorn and all. I'd just assumed you were other Ceruleans...”
“Ceruleans?”
Her ears flopped down as she quickly glanced sideways. It's best she not find out until I take her to them... It's not safe... “I'll explain later... Just don't say that word around anypony. We could get in trouble if you do.”
“Why would we get in trouble for being blue?”
Astilbe chuckled again. This pony. “It's not for being blue. It's... A group. We're trying to save ponies like Twilight.”
“So... You took Twilight to them?”
Astilbe nodded. “And that's where we're going, too, in the morning – though the ponies in this dome would want to kill us if they found out we have anything to do with the Ceruleans.”
“That's no very nice! Agh – is this like they were going to hurt Twilight just because she's a unicorn and they think they're evil? Also – We're in a dome?”
The caretaker leaned back in surprise. “You... Didn't know we're in a dome? And yes, it's just like that. They're a big bunch of meanie pants. They say they do their mean things to protect us, but it's really so they can make us work for them.”
“Soo... If you're a freedom fighter, then why is your cutie mark a plant?”
“Oh-” she glanced back at her flank “-that? That's an, well, an astilbe. It's just it's not in bloom.” She finished her work with the bandages. “There, all done, but I want you to keep lying so that leg is above your head -”
Pinkie nodded.
Astilbe sat next to her and continued, “-I remember the first time I saw the gardens at Rambling Rocks... My da let me see them with some sort of permission he'd worked months to get. They were beautiful. I wanted to share them with the world, to make the entire world just full of all those beautiful plants... I spent a lot of years wondering how I could ever fulfill my destiny and do that, before I learned the truth about the Ceruleans, what we stand for, and what we'll do. I'll make it happen... I'll live to see this world bloom.” She smiled, warm memories and hope filling her chest, only to be stopped cold by a terrible, vicelike realization that crushed her hope; I'm not going to be an operative after this...
“But... Wouldn't it make more sense to be a gardener, then?”
She looked at her guest with surprise, “I am a gardener, actually. I don't see how that would make the outside world bloom, though...”
“Well duh, just plant outside!”
She just deadpanned at her.
“...What?” Pinkie asked.
“You... Really believe you aren't from this world at all, do you?”
“Nopelutely! I thought I said that, like, two times already...” She glanced sideways with a small hint of annoyance.
“Well, I'll have to explain a few things, then... I just... You think you're from somewhere that's already bloomed?...” A glimmer of humor caught her with a sly grin, “Do you think you can take me there?”
“Sure!... We just need to find Twilight. And you said we're going to her, right? So you can just ask her about it! She's the one who does all the magic and who's really smart.”
“I... I definitely will...” She paused for a moment, taking in what she'd heard. Looking at the innocence in Pinkie's eyes, she decided to entertain her guest. I... I would kind of love to hear about this fantasy world... “So, tell me about where you're from...”
* * *
Astilbe looked around herself in awe. Overhead was a clear blue sky that shone with light, and all around her were massive gleaming walls of glass, brick, marble and concrete that scraped the sky, as though she were deep in a canyon. Yet, it was a canyon of life and equine creation and artifice.
The sidewalks were hardly visible under the thick crowds of earth, pegasi and... unicorn ponies all walking about their days in peace. None of them wore warm clothing – the air itself was warm – many of them even wore large hats and loose, beautiful gowns. She looked at one rather proud looking pony in awe – she was dressed like a governor for a formal occasion, yet there were so many dressed like her, she couldn't help but think that mere ordinary citizens could afford such luxury and prestige.
Looking up and down the crowded, sunny streets, she saw countless more dressed as extravagantly as uniformed generals – with ties and suit coats – almost as common as a pony may wear a cape.
She found her hooves carrying her through the crowd – she had no trouble, somehow she felt herself gliding through it with ease. Looking up and down the streets, she saw beautiful stores – no loose brick or wood walls, but smooth marble, granite and polished glass, the materials of a royal palace adorning the front windows, walls and floors of even the humblest of stores.
What is this place?
She soon found herself standing in front of a building with granite pillars and spires. The capital of the city...
There were no palace walls, no iron gates, no luxurious private gardens closed off to the outside world; instead it was surrounded by a large, open, grassy park bathed in sunlight, open air, and patched with shady trees.
Tears welled in her eyes as she wondered again; what is this place!? Bastion may be a haven, but this place knows no fear!
She stood on the balcony of a massive tower overlooking an airport. She turned around to see the tower was surrounded by enormous slanted windows, and inside was a control room of uniformed ponies – once again, of every kind. She stood in awe as she heard them talk so seriously and professionally – yet without a single remark about any military operations or rank. She turned back to the paved paths and runways below.
Massive monsters of airplanes rolled around by the dozens with military efficiency, expert skill and engines of unknown technology roaring with power, yet not a single one of them had a weapon of any kind. Instead of bomb bays and logistical supplies, sat families in air conditioned comfort. A father, a mother, a young daughter and a son sat next to eachother, settling into their soft seats and draping a blanket over themselves. Soon the mother and daughter would be napping, leaning on eachother, while the father read a book about gardening and the son drew in a sketchbook, using his telekinesis.
In mere hours they would travel the entire continent to visit other family members for nothing more than fun and reunion. Cargo holds were stuffed with bags of clothing, stuffed animals and personal goods rather than coats, ammunition and weapons. No officers barked orders, instead airplane maids gave out snacks and drinks and told passengers how to be safe in case something went wrong.
She stood in a grassy park, thousands of miles away, yet it was the evening of the very same day. The same family sat picnicking, watching a sunset as children – an earth pony, two unicorns and a pegasus – played together in the field. The unicorn freely used her magic to tickle another filly, and the other jumped at her, returning the attack, the two falling into a pile of laughter. The unicorn son and pegasus laughed at the sight. The parents sat on the picnic blanket, enjoying idle chatter in-between siblings and in-laws as they munched on fruits Astilbe had never seen before, and drank oddly-colored bubbly drinks.
Astilbe looked on from her distance. She somehow knew they couldn't see her. She wasn't actually there, yet she stood there, looking in awe and shock.
It was only then that she felt the sun call her attention. After so much shock and awe, she could could scarcely comprehend that something could be even greater still. Yet, in defiance to her imagination, stood what she knew had to be the sun. A disc of such light and warmth that it burned to look at, and she was forced to avert her eyes, though hungry for its beauty, she fought to see it... just a little more. It turned to a cool orange as it set, filling the brilliant cerulean sky with rays of different colors of orange, yellow and deep blue.
It was the most beautiful painting she had ever seen, the most marvelous dress, the most renown garden, yet far more than all three. It was alive and glowed, shown with light and bathed her in gentle warmth. Tears came down her cheeks as she simply stared at it as it gently set and bid the world goodnight.
Yet the ponies all around continued about, scarcely aware of the beauty that had kissed them goodnight. She felt a twinge of wrath that they could be so oblivious to a glory that she would give her life, to be nothing more than a tiny part in bringing about – to bring this exotic fantasy a hair's breadth closer to reality. And yet in open defiance and mockery of her awe and tear-stained face, they were blithely unaware of the beauty around them.
But she couldn't feel angry. She was too enamored with the glory of this living world. She let out a single pitiful sob at her surroundings.
And it still wasn't over. She froze as warmth wrapped around her, like a wind... But warm and gentle, like a loving blanket wrapped around her, telling her it was all alright, and with it, the warm breeze carried a gently sharp smell, sweeter than any flower she had ever planted, gentler than her mother's perfume. The smell of grass...
She shook. I... I can't take this... This is too much... And began sobbing. It hurt her mind like the beautiful glory of the sun had hurt her eyes. She looked to it one last time as it slowly hid itself behind distant, majestic mountains. No, please... Please don't go... Don't leave us again!...
My little pony... It will come again. A voice spoke to her mind.
She felt something call to her, so she turned her head.
Another ghostly figure stood far away, invisible to this world. She was almost as bright as the sun, and her mane rippled and flowed like a majestic banner in slow motion, yet glowed with pure light.
Do you see it, now? This is the future you fight for. Do you believe it is possible? The thought entered her mind as she looked on.
“Yes, I... Do.” She gently, and solemnly replied with a bowed head.
Then go.