//------------------------------//
// Chapter Nine: Collision 
// Story: A Tail of Two Ponies 
// by Lilyheart 
//------------------------------//

🎂
I dashed behind a tree to get away from the green bat pony. Should I run away? I can keep her away just by going in circles around the tree–
“Aww, is the little unicorn scared?” asked the batpony.
But can a unicorn outrun or dodge a batpony? Since this was Lilyheart’s body, the one I helped create, she ought to have the same stats as I would choose. Like a video game. So, I’m probably high speed, stamina, and mana, but with ridiculously low physical defense and attack.
“Do you really think you could hide from a batpony?” she hissed. She was directly behind the tree now.
I probably do have decent stealth. But from this close? I darted into a bush. Then behind another tree.
“Oh, don’t be scared,” the batpony said musically. “Just give into Mother Night’s embrace. Accept that you’re one of ours now.”
What the heck are you talking about? There was something else I was good at. At home, it was the only thing. Debating. Distracting people from the important points just to evade answering an unfortunate question. I took a breath and stepped out from behind the tree.
“Aww, accepting your fate! How lovely!”
Let’s play, Bats.
“Not exactly,” I said with a grin. “What sort of fate are you talking about?”
Bats hovered there with a confused look. And then she laughed. A raspy laugh. “Why, only the greatest fate known to ponykind!” she said with a pointy grin. “A chance to become an adoptive child of Mother Night!”
“And who exactly is Mother Night?” I asked. It can’t be Luna, Midnight would have said some–
Bats was looking at me with complete shock. Even anger. “You mean to say that you don’t know who the Walker of Dreams is? The Queen of the Night? She who will bring an end to sunlight and usher in an era of eternal darkness?”
Okay, that sounds a lot like Luna. What the heck is going on? “Oh, that Mother of Night. See…” This could get me in trouble. “I kind of get her confused with Princess Luna.”
Bats blinked. “You dare?” she hissed. “Luna is pathetic. Luna is weak. Luna was incapable of doing what was necessary!” Bats was getting uncomfortably close. I don’t like how clearly I can see her canines. Wait, what if she can bite me and drain my blood?
My smile cracked a little, but I forced it back. “Okay, okay; take it easy!” I stepped backwards while waving my right foreleg. “I always thought Luna was overrated. But before I agree to become a child of Mother Night, you have to tell me more about this. Like, what does that mean?”
“Why, it means being infused with her magic, of course! You would make a goo… well, a decent reemicorn. And we do need more of them.”
“And what is a reemicorn?”
“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough…” Bats was hovering ever closer.
“Please, tell me more about Mother Night!” I said while taking another step back.
“Why explain, when I can show you?” said Bats with the widest grin she had shown.
Our conversation was interrupted by what sounded like a sparkler. There was a strange pressure just above my forehead, and a little warmth.
Bats leapt at me, only to slam into a translucent, turquoise, heart-shaped shield.
And then it was gone, and Bats fell to her hooves.
“Stupid unicorns and your magic,” she grumbled.
“Huh?” The strange pressure faded away. And then came back with increasable force. Painful force. Suddenly, I had the strangest floating sensation.
“Put me down this instant!” Bats barked.
Oh, I was floating. And so was Bats, encased in the same translucent turquoise. Small pebbles and twig branches circled us in the air. But more than just seeing them, I could feel them. Their texture. Their weight. Bats thrashing about. Sensations flared through my mind.
I whimpered with a grimace, clenching my jaws and eyes shut tight. It reminded me of when I was a child sitting in the backseat of my grandma’s car, and the sun was simply too bright, even with my eyes closed, so I had to throw a blanket over myself. Or when grocery shopping and there were just too many people, and I felt like screaming at anyone who got within a foot of me. Or when I was trying to do homework and the neighbor was playing EDM, and I could feel the bass echo in my ribcage; and I couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t focus.
It was something I had witnessed many a time when I worked in special ed: sensory overload.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Burning. Fire. The top of my head was on fire. Turquoise light flashed through my shut eyelids.
“Lilyheart!” Midnight’s voice. I could feel him, too. His strong legs and mighty wings. Each delicate feather. All in my telekinetic grasp. “Lilyheart, you have to regain control!”
“I… can’t,” I mumbled through gritted teeth. “H–help…” Flame. Sore. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
I could feel Midnight’s expression. Shock, fear… concern. And the squirrel I awoke, his little heart almost beating out of his little chest. And the frail twig as it… slowly… bent… and snapped in half. Each little splinter. I snapped it in half. Sizzling. Bubbling pain.
“What’s wrong with you, foal!” shouted Bats. She was afraid, now. Her body was cold. “Get control of your magic!”
I could only suppress a scream in response.
“You, do something!” Bats.
“Do I look like a unicorn? What am I supposed to do?” Midnight.
Rattling leaves as I ripped them off the branches of the closest tree. Each little fiber curling up. And then pulled tighter. Tighter. Until squished into leaf mush. Wet, like finger paint.
Something broke through my bubble of control. A hurling comet. Faster than I could sense. Faster than I could grasp. Collision into my side. I let out a gasp, and then–freedom. Everything… gone.
I slammed into a trunk and fell to the ground. The top of my head felt numb. Something smelt burnt.
“Where’d you come from?” asked Bats.
My vision was blurry. Headache. Hammer in. Hammer out. Hammer in. Hammer out.
A starry shadow shot into Bats, sending her into another tree. Midnight… Bats disappeared from view.
Hammer in.
A grey figure seemed to be stumbling about. Robin?
Hammer out.
Strange colors crisscrossed over everything I saw.
Hammer in.
“I think…” I mumbled.
Movement. People were working; going about their busy lives. The urge to wake up struck me–but no, I don’t have work today. I can rest. I can sleep…
Swing up, swing down. Swing up, swing down. Someone was pushing me on the swing. I was sitting in a way that would make Lyra proud. My tail dragged on the foamy ground underneath.
“Little pony, arri arrò,” sang a singsong voice. Each beat at the end of the swing’s arc.
“Little pony, arri arrò,
Little pony, arri arrò,
Eat the hay that I give you,
Follow the reins that I pull you,
Down to Mr. San Francisco!
Little pony, arri arrò!”
A small unicorn was pushing me; a foal, coat white as snow, and her mane, a subtle silver. Slender, white ribbons tied into her tail and mane, decorated with little star beads. Her eyes were a deep indigo, and upon her flank was a singular white lily.
“At my lil’ monastery,
Three nuns workin’ weary,
Sew-ing, snitch-ing,
Strawhats, they a’makin’!
Little pony, arri arrò
Little pony, arri arrò!”
“I like your cutie mark,” I said simply.
“I like yours, too!” she smiled. “Kick your legs when you come towards me! That’s how you learn to do this yourself!”
“I know how to swing myself.” But I did as she told me anyway, kicking legs from her hooves, and bending my knees as I got farther away. Knees? Is that what you even call them?
“Sunshine, sunshine,
Ladybugs awake!
Clap your hooves,
And do a little shake!”
The little unicorn pushed me with particular force upon the word shake, starling me for a moment. I giggled.
“That’s Cadance and Twilight’s thing,” I told her.
“Well, they’re basically sisters. It could be our thing, too.”
I looked down at the unicorn, curious. She turned to her side, and for the first time, I noticed her right hind leg was gone. Instead was an ethereal, swirling mist of light.
How could I have missed–
I slammed my hooves into the ground, looking at the young filly in the eyes. She was grinning, now, a grin I knew. A face I knew! Eyes, expression, pony or not, I knew!
“S–sister!?” I spluttered.
“It’s time to wake up now, little sis,” she said while gently booping my nose.
Darkness. Voices. Tired. So tired. I want to go back… But maybe… I think I need to be awake.
My eyes fluttered open.
Two blue pony legs danged below me, a mossy ground passing underneath. There was a rhythmic swing back and forth. I could make out Robinwind’s charcoal-colored right side. He was carrying me on his back.
“Want to explain how a fully-grown unicorn hasn’t learned how to control her magic?” Midnight asked.
“It’s something we’re trying to figure out. That’s why we’re going to Ponyville,” answered Robinwind. I could feel his voice rumble through his back into my chin and belly.
“How long has she had this problem?”
“Not long…” mumbled Robin.
Good one. A lie by telling the truth.
My horn still felt sore. I hope I didn’t damage it. My thoughts drifted back to what had happened. So, I could use magic. But even thinking about what happened was disorienting. Nearly being eaten by a rattlesnatcher, being ponified, batponies, whoever the heck Mother Night is, and…
My dream! Antonietta! My sister! My dear sister!
Was that really you?
It was just like her. Mischievous. Charismatic. Clever. She always knew how to pull a joke that would make even the person tricked to laugh. But she could be introspective, too. Caring and humble. And brave. So, very brave…
Pain gnawed my heart. I want to go back…
“What’s your special talent? Your cutie mark, I mean…” asked Robin.
“I’m good at flying. Nothing more to it,” curtly answered Midnight. “How long have you two been friends?”
“A few years…”
“And where did you two meet?”
“Um… we met in…”
“San Filliesco,” I mumbled, my vision-dream still on my mind. “More like the outskirts, really.”
“An-n–n-l-Lilyheart! You’re awake!” Robin halted.
“Can I sleep for five more hours?” I really wouldn’t mind it. So few things are as comforting as waking up, realizing you don’t have to do anything, and laying there, dozing. But I doubt I could fall back asleep.
“If you really need to, but I’d rather you get off my back. If you can.”
“How?” I said while wiggling my legs to make my point. Robin bent his neck and withers downward suddenly, causing me to roll off into the dirt.
“Wah!”
“Sorry! I didn’t think you’d fall that fast!” He looked down at me.
“No problem!” I said from the ground. We were still in the forest at night. Midnight looked at me almost seeming bored, while Robin with concern. “So, what happened, anyway?”
“Midnight is leading us to Ponyville. You blacked out after… I guess after your magic went haywire?”
“Yeah, I remember that part…” I tenderly placed a hoof on my horn. It was sensitive, but it didn’t feel like anything was burnt. I could feel a subtle pulse in it. “So, you two met each other already? No fair! I didn’t even get to introduce you!”
“Hurry up, you two are wasting my time,” answered Midnight as he began walking off.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m absolutely peachy! Thanks for being…” I trailed off when I saw what was on Midnight’s back. Or, more specifically, who.
Thrashing about uselessly was a dark green mass tied up with vines. Bats.
“Mrhrrrrm!” she glared at me. A collection of thorny tendrils were wrapped around her mouth.
“Nice to see you too…” I mumbled.
“Are you okay?” Robin asked me.
“I think I’ll be fine.” I rolled over and stood up. “I don’t feel dizzy. No flashing lights or anything. My horn’s just sore is all.”
“Good,” answered Robin. “You scared us.”
“Speak for yourself!” called back Midnight.
I coughed in laughter. “Oooh, Robin, you’re soo going to have to tell me what his reaction was when I went out! I can imagine it now…” I brought one hoof to my chest, swung my other foreleg for emphasis, and closed my eyes. “No, Lilyheart, don’t die! My first friend can’t die like this! You will suffer my revenge, oh batty minions of Mother Night! Wait, how long was I out, anyway?”
Midnight swished his tail like an annoyed cat. His figure was growing more distant. Robin and I trotted to catch up. This is normal for Midnight, isn’t it? Waits for no man nor pony! Except when he does.
“Is she always this annoying?” Midnight asked Robin.
“Yes. But normally only to me.”
“How insulting! I’m at least annoying to a few others! Let’s see here, first there’s–”
I suddenly found a hoof in my mouth, and I was unable to speak. Midnight’s hoof.
“Please. Quiet. This has been a long night. It was so much quieter before you woke up. And. That. Is how. I like it.” His voice didn’t sound angry. Just… tired.
Was I always this talkative? I mean, sometimes, but–
“Please?” Midnight asked again.
I nodded. Midnight removed his hoof. It was a weird feeling, like pulling magnets apart. Except, I was one of the magnets. And now my lips now had a strange taste on them. Blah.
Robin was looking at us with wide eyes as Midnight continued on through the forest. I tried making expressions with my face to ask why, but he only shook his head and walked on.
“Mrrrhm!” mumbled Bats. Well said, my friend. Well said.
I estimated we walked for another half-hour. The amount of times I wanted to say something… but I held my tongue. Torture. Can I be knocked out again? I still have questions! I have more jokes to make!
The world around us became brighter as we stepped into a clearing. The forest stopped abruptly, replaced with a scattering of a completely different species of tree. Simpler, nicer, somehow innocent looking trees.
The sky was turning a gentle shade of purple. We were evidently on a slope, because we were overlooking a valley. Little lights sparkled down below us. City lights.
Ponyville.