//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Journey to Equestria // by Aldrigold //------------------------------// The clouds had covered the moon hours ago as the night stretched on toward a cloudy morning. His parents slept nearby, their forms dim in the pale morning light streaming in through the thin tarp. Blue stared at the banner that lay on the floor—the two princess ponies, Luna and Celestia. The rulers of a land of free ponies. His grandfather had spent hours telling him about Equestria, and the words swam in his mind. Equestria. Free ponies. Pegasi who could fly whenever they wished, taking to the sky as easily as they walked. Unicorns had magic that those here could only dream of, and the earth ponies grew so much food that everyone had more than they could eat. And they had something called cutie marks, a symbol of a pony’s special talent. Blue looked at his own flank, the coat a deep blue. He wasn’t sure he believed his grandfather about that last one. He had never seen a pony with such a thing here. Then again, under the gryphons’ control, nopony was allowed to explore their own special talent. Blue sighed at the sound of a piercing eagle screech overhead. Meal time. Then a long day—of what, he wasn’t sure. Today would have been his shift, but since he had cleared clouds yesterday, his schedule may have changed. The gryphons would surely tell him. He wished he could check on Brown and the filly, but his friend would probably be working in the fields. Earth ponies were always working. He rolled up the banner before his parents could wake, stuffing it under his moth-eaten bedding. The swirling ponies stayed in his mind as he left the tent. The winged, horned ponies…the break in the fence. He shivered, his Grandfather's words just before Blue had gone home the night before echoing in his mind. “Do you know why I am telling you this, Blue? It’s because you have to leave. You have to escape. Go north. Find Equestria. Save us.” His heart thudded. There was somewhere to go. At least, there was a chance. And he had a whole day to plan. The air was heavy on his coat, the sky overhead the deep, colorless grey of storm clouds. Their efforts yesterday had been fruitless—that or the atmosphere was messed up due to the unicorn’s magic. Blue liked to think so. The last revenge of a heroic unicorn. Blue’s grandfather’s tent was easy to spot in the daylight—it always leaned a bit to one side, as if constantly blown by a breeze that didn’t exist. He hurried over to it. Grandfather might forget to eat if not reminded. His grandfather burst from the tent entrance as Blue approached. “The sun has been raised!” The old pony pranced in circles. “What a wonderful day!” Rain plopped on Blue’s back as he trotted closer. Right. A wonderful day. “So, tell me more about Equestria,” he said under his breath as they headed together toward the breakfast troughs. “How do I get there?” His grandfather stared at him, his eyes dull and unseeing. “Equestriwhat?” *** He had forgotten. Of course he had. His grandfather was old, much older than any other pony Blue knew of. Most of the time he didn’t even make sense. Equestria probably wasn’t even real. The banner could be anything—maybe someone had sewn it. Maybe his grandfather made it, with all the free time he had. “Blue.” Blue didn’t look up—there were plenty of Blue ponies clustered around the feeding troughs, gulping down the thin mashed hay—until Brown nudged him. The earth pony stared at him with worried eyes. “Blue, are you working today?” “I…I don’t know.” He looked around, but the gryphon guards at the feeding troughs were currently screeching at someone else for talking. Blue’s ears lowered. “Maybe,” he said more quietly. “Come with me after breakfast,” Brown whispered. Blue nodded, shoving his head back in the trough as the gryphons looked up. Good thing their hearing wasn’t as good as their eyesight. As soon as they had grabbed their last mouthfuls, Brown led him to the fields. The ground here was churned to mud by the hooves of earth ponies who had been hauling carts of food, and further on Blue could make out careful rows of plowed ground. Bits of green stuck out of the dirt in the distance. Further on, they made it to the earth pony tents, set far apart from each other. The gryphons did not like ponies to congregate in large numbers, and when they did, like at the meal troughs, they weren’t permitted to talk. Brown’s tent was mud splattered, but it smelled strangely of mint. Inside, there was only one blanket. Brown’s parents were dead, though Blue didn’t know what had happened. Overwork, probably. His mother always spoke of earth ponies who died of overwork, the gryphons quickly putting down those who injured themselves and became a hindrance. Blue realized at that moment how lucky his grandfather was that he had his children to take care of him. “Greenie!” Brown’s voice interrupted his thoughts and Blue frowned, instinctively checking for gryphons. Even using a small name change like adding an endearment could be worth a beating if any gryphon heard it. Brown didn’t seem to care as she darted inside the tent, looking around until she saw the small green unicorn filly huddled under a blanket. “Blue, help me out here.” Blue sighed and pulled the blanket off the filly while Brown lay down next to her. “C’mon, Greenie, you have to go with Blue. His grandfather will watch you.” It clicked. “Wait, Brown…” “What? It’s a good solution. Your grandfather doesn’t work, and she’s too young. She has to hide. If she doesn’t, they’ll dehorn her, or worse.” Blue winced. The filly didn’t react. “What about the other unicorns?” Blue asked. “Can’t they—” Brown stood up, not censoring her words in front of the filly. “Her mother is dead, and her father is catatonic. If she stays with the other unicorns, the gryphons will find her immediately. They’re probably already looking. We’re the only chance she has.” “But…” Blue’s protests died as he stared at the filly, who rested limply on the ground. “Has she eaten?” “Nothing. Not since yesterday.” Blue sighed. “Fine. Come on. Quickly!” He raised his voice, and the small filly got to her feet, the group heading outside the tent. “I’ll introduce you to my grandfather. He’ll…take care of you.” Blue wasn’t certain his grandfather was capable, but if he couldn’t do it, Blue’s mother could when she wasn’t in the fields with the earth ponies. He wondered if there was a punishment for hiding a unicorn, then put it out of his mind. It wasn’t like they were escaping with her. The thought brought back the story of Equestria. If it were only real…he ached to tell Brown about it. Then enormous wings blocked the grey sky, and Blue froze as Rikarr dropped to a landing in front of them. He had replaced his ruined talon extensions, and the metal glittered. “How odd, to see an earth pony, a pegasus, and a unicorn all together.” Rikarr’s eyes were narrowed, the gold irises flicking from one pony to the next. Then they settled on Green. “Ah, I’ve been looking for this one. How nice of you to find her for me.” Blue's stomach dropped. Rikarr lifted a claw and beckoned with a talon. “Come with me, Green,” he said in an eerily inviting voice as he towered over the ponies. “I promise this will be quick and painless.” Green blinked and took a step back, the first sign of emotion Blue had ever seen from her. The images from yesterday’s dehorning flashed through Blue’s mind. The unicorn’s eyes glazing over, life bleeding out of his would-be protector’s torn flesh… If Rikarr had his way, it would happen again, and to a filly too young to live on her own. His heart pounded, his jaw tense. There was nothing they could do. Brown met Blue’s eyes for a brief moment before looking back to Rikarr. “Please have mercy, sir,” Brown pleaded, stepping defensively in front of Green, who sank to the ground, staring at a blade of grass and shaking. “This Green has done nothing wrong.” Rikarr slowly tapped the ground with a long talon, staring past Brown. “It is true that she has not yet committed any crime. However, both of her parents had great power as well as the desire to use that power to attack our society. It is likely that their filly contains these traits as well, and it would be a disservice to both ponies and gryphons to allow this threat to persist. I am not going to hurt her, merely remove the source of that power which is a danger to us all.” Blue hated the gryphon all the more for his flowery words, the steel cruelty obvious beneath them. “Please sir. I’ve seen unicorns after a dehorning, and that’s hardly a life worth living.” Brown slowly lowered her head and knelt submissively before Rikarr. “Her parents have already paid for their crime. I’m begging you, don’t punish Green for their transgressions.” Her voice broke as she spoke, and determination flared in Blue's chest. They had to try. Rikarr paused, and Blue wondered if he should also bow. He was about to, when Rikarr spoke up. “Yes, you might be right,” he said softly. Blue froze. Had it been that easy? “It does take time to recover from a dehorning,” Rikarr continued. “Green has lost her mother, and her father has just begun the healing process.” Green flinched, and Blue almost snorted. There was no healing after a dehorning. “There is no one to help her get back on her hooves. It would be too cruel, wouldn’t it?” Blue couldn’t believe it. He immediately lay his forehead on the ground before Rikarr’s talons. “Thank y—” “You are right to protest my judgment,” Rikarr said, tossing Brown a thoughtful look. “As you say, a life like that is hardly a life worth living. In this particular case a mercy killing would be kinder.” Blue couldn’t help himself. He rose quickly and jumped back, his wings flaring in shock. Brown maintained her posture but quivered slightly, in fear or in rage he could not say. “Wait,” Brown yelped, still kneeling. “We could take care of her, help her recover from the dehorning. That may still be more merciful.” “You’d both be too busy with your duties to give her the attention she would need,” Rikarr said with a dismissive wave of his talons. “Blue’s grandfather,” Brown cried. “He’s too old to work. He could watch her.” “You care for this Green, don’t you?” Rikarr asked, gesturing towards the filly with an open talon. “Ye-yes sir. Please…” “Then…” Rikarr tilted his head. “Why don’t you two accompany her? You can comfort her, help make the process as painless as possible. I’m not unkind. I would not let a filly die alone when she could be in the company of friends.” “Sir?” Blue spoke up, his stomach twisting into knots. “Yes, I insist. You two should come too. Tell her it will be all right while I do what must be done.” Rikarr met Blue’s eyes. “Reassure her that it will all be over soon.” Rikarr would have sounded soothing were it not for his words and the cruel light that danced behind his eyes. Blue’s mind raced. His eyes fell to the filly, trembling behind Brown. If she really did have amazing magic powers, now would be the time to use them. This was more that he could handle. There had to be some excuse. Any excuse. Blue thought of the hole in the fence. Even just a day would be enough. Think! There had to be something. A drop of rain landed on Blue’s nose. “I can’t do that now sir,” Blue said, breathing deep and willing his heart to stop pounding so hard. “My weather shift is about to start.” “I give you permission to take off,” Rikarr offered. “After all, we did give you an extra shift yesterday.” “But today is my scheduled shift, sir," he said desperately, "and from the look of it they really need my help.” The rain grew heavy, matting down his coat, and lightning flashed in the distance. “It would be, as you often say, a disservice to both ponies and gryphons if I don’t help clear this.” Seconds dragged on, Blue's heart pounding. Brown didn't move from the ground, water dripping from her mane into her eyes as the rain built into a steady rush against the grass. Finally Rikarr broke the silence. “Very well. I see no reason to rush this. I will meet all three of you outside the meal tent after breakfast tomorrow. Don’t be absent. I don’t enjoy having to deal with ponies who disobey.” He stretched forward, as if waking from a nap, talons and long lion’s claws on his back legs digging into the ground. Blue could hardly stand, his legs shuddering violently. Fear. Anger. Hatred. Relief. All blended together inside him such that he could not tell them apart. “Blue,” Rikarr calmly spoke his name. “Y-yes sir?” “Don’t you have work to do?”