//------------------------------// // Reviewing the Past // Story: Parry and Riposte // by armid //------------------------------// I knew It wouldn’t make much sense if I didn’t tell him about Equestria and how it is. So I started from there. Telling him about the existence of another realm filled with ponies and many other magical creatures. And I added that I came from there too. Steely Armor’s eyes were widened. He was not looking at us but it seemed he was deep in thoughts. After a long and awkward silence, he spoke up. “You...are a...pony?” I sighed, “yes. Upon stepping into this world, I...transformed into a human.” I took a deep breath and continued, “I know this may sound very odd and stupid but I swear that I’m telling the truth.” Steely Armor nodded silently. The shock and confusion was still visible in his eyes. I continued. “When I first came here, I was...lost. I didn’t know how I should have acted or how anything worked. But soon, I figured it out. I wanted...honestly I don't know what exactly I wanted back then.” I chewed on my lower lip and continued. “I wanted to show Princess Celestia that she was wrong. I wanted to prove that I was strong and ready for anything. I...wanted to prove...it wasn’t my fault that others didn’t want to be my friends.” I lowered my head in shame and rubbed my own hand. I felt really embarrassed. I hated who I was and I wanted to just let go of it for good. But it seemed it was not the time yet. Twilight put her hand on my shoulder and gave me a sweet smile to comfort me. “Wait,” Steely Armor interrupted our wholesome moment. “So you’re saying the principal Celestia’s counterpart is in fact a “princess pony” and instead of a school she has a big castle and she rules all of Equestria?” “Well, the whole “all of Equestria” thing is not exactly true since there are other kingdoms that have their own rulers. She is the ruler of the ponies basically.” I responded. Steely scratched the back of his head a little and signalled me to continue. And so did I. I continued by telling him how I ended up acting and my whole plan for getting the crown from Equestria for power and my “Evil” plan for mind-controlling all the people to conquer Equestria. I told him about princess Twilight coming to take the crown and how it all ended up with me turning into a monster. I could tell that he was taking it more seriously when I said that. “A monster…” Steely Armor muttered to himself but I heard it. He took notes from what I told him and asked me to continue. Up next were the sirens. They were easier to go through. I think it was mainly because the hard part of dealing with my past was over. The sirens got Steely Armor interested. To him, they were the only other people that had magic other than him, Flaming Star and us. I stated that it was around that time that our magic was starting to get provoked by music. “There ARE others?” Steely Armor cut me in the middle of explanation. “And they all three could sorta...manipulate others with singing?” His eyes got narrowed. “Yes. But, for some reason, we were immune.” Steely Armor just took more notes and continued. “You did say that you were able to take their magic away from them?” He raised an eyebrow. “I...guess?” I rubbed my chin. “We honestly didn't really know what would happen. We just knew it was how I got stopped...last time.” Maybe I spoke too soon about it all being over? Steely took more notes. “What happened after they lost their magic?” “They ran away. But I did see them again at a music festival. Performing, but no magic. They even said that they don’t want anything to do with magic anymore. However, I doubt that.” I recalled the time loop I experienced very vividly. I mean, I was living it for five weeks straight. Of course I do. Anyway, there was something in Adagio’s eyes that spelled trouble. Or maybe it was just her makeup? I wanted to move on but Twilight stopped me. “Hold on Sunset,” she said. And put her hand on my back. “You’ve...done your part. Leave the rest to me.” She gave me another smile. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything so I simply nodded and let her tell the rest of the events. Now that I had just gone through my past and confronted everything I’ve done once again, I could sympathize deeply with Twilight. She went through her past and what led up to the Friendship games and her transferring here. Steely Armor was getting more and more interested in our stories as we went on. I have to say, I was quite surprised he didn’t just freak and leave when I told him I was a pony. I mean, he didn’t take me seriously at first, but now he was invested. “Do you still have the blueprint for your magic necklace?” Steely Armor asked. Twilight looked away for a second before answering. “No. I think I left it in my old room back at CrystalPrep. They probably tossed whatever that was left into the trash can.” She tilted her head. “Maybe it’s for the better it happened.” Steely Armor took more notes. The sound of his pencil scratching on the paper could be heard. After a few seconds, he asked Twilight to continue. She then spoke of her nightmares, how things got weird in camp Everfree and us getting our magical abilities. The last part caught his attention once again. “H-ho-old on a second.” he bright his hands up in the gesture of stop. “You...didn’t have these powers before then?” “No.” I answered. “Up until then it was either holding hands or playing music together that made it all happen. You know, rainbow lasers and all.” I moved my hands in the air. “But I think around the time that Friendship games took place we were starting to “pony up” here and there for some reason.” I rubbed my chin. “The best thought I could come up with was that our magic has grown stronger somehow.” Steely Armor put down his notepad and held his head in his hands and shook it a little. It seemed even he had too much of it. “So you’re telling me, there is another realm that is filled with ponies and other mythical creatures and is somehow a parallel realm to here meaning we all have a counterpart there. Principal Celestia is a princess? Let me guess, vice principal Luna is also the younger princess who turns evil?” I bit my lip before answering. “Actually...yes. That is right on the spot. Though she has been reformed.” I played with my fingers. Steely Armor stood up. The chair made a clink sound as he did. “I...I don’t…” He let out a sigh. “So, you are actually a pony, who came from another realm through a mirror and ended up in front of the school! People turn into demonic versions of themselves! Rainbow lasers! Mind manipulation and more rainbow lasers! More demonic transformation! And after all of that you got your powers?! THAT is more far fetched than an episode of DragonClaw,” Steely Armor rambled that with a confused tone. I took a deep breath before answering. “Look, I know it sounds...dumb and...complicated. And that was one of the reasons I didn’t want to tell you yet. But, it’s true.” I stood up and looked him in the eyes. Twilight too stood up, letting out a clincking noise with her chair. Steely Armor was just looking at us. His eyes switched from one of us to another. Until he looked down on his notepad and picked it up. “I-I need some...time.” I nodded as he took his belongings and walked off, heading out of the library. I let out all the air I had in me. And dropped my upper body down. “Uuuugh!” Twilight helped me hold myself back up. “Well...that was...tough.” I just nodded. We both picked our bags off the chairs and headed out together.