//------------------------------// // The Return // Story: Equestria Digital // by DeltaChevron //------------------------------// When I started seeing again I was pleased to find that I was in Golden Oaks library in Ponyville. What didn’t please me was that my head felt like it was about to split in half. This was without a doubt the worst headache I’d ever had in my entire life. Lord Clear Psyche was on the ground in front of me and winced as he sat up. “Headache?” I asked humorlessly He nodded “Side effect caused by you taking over the spell. They’ll clear up in a few minutes.” He stared at me “What?” “I’m sorry, it’s just…you’re very different from what I imagined you’d be. I’ve never met one of the quote unquote ‘visitors’ before from what I’d heard some of the most notable ones are extremely violent. But rather than fight you ran.” “It’s called disengagement by acceleration. It is a valid and useful military tactic.” He nodded “I’ll remember that. So long as you remember that there are some enemies you won’t be able to simply run away from.” “Thanks for the advice.” There was an awkward pause “So…how did you get involved in the…what did you call it again?” “The Eden Initiative.” “Yes, that.” “It wasn’t really my choice. My family has been part of it for several generations now. To be completely honest I’ve been considering withdrawal for several months now. I’ve just been too much of coward to make the decision until now. So thank you, for giving me the push I needed to make the right decision.” He offered his hoof which I took. I smiled “You’re welcome, and thank you. If you hadn’t used that spell a lot of useful and helpful information would have remained buried in my memories for who knows how long. Now would you please wait outside or something? I don’t mean to be rude but I have confidential matters to discuss with Princess Luna.” He gave me paw a friendly shake “I understand, if you’re ever in Canterlot please come and stay at my family’s villa. We have several bedrooms that are currently going unused.” With that he exited the library; he would probably be outside the entire time we talked. Princess Luna can in from the kitchen followed by Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight and last a slightly battered Spike. He must have tried to keep Clear Psyche out of the library. I would have to try to find a way to thank him. Princess Luna opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off. “Before we start can you cast a spell to keep anyone from hearing what we’re discussing in here? I’d rather be safe than sorry, especially with this information.” “But didn’t he tell us that.” “I know what he said. But I still don’t want to take any chances. There might be other ponies listening in.” “I think you’re being just a little paranoid.” Twilight said “Considering what has happened tonight I believe a little paranoia may be in our best interests.” Her horn glowed “Anypony attempting to eavesdrop, whether by scrying or listening, will see and hear nothing.” “Good, I want you all to Pinkie promise that what I’m about to tell you will only to be repeated to Princess Celestia and no one else.” It took a few minutes for all everypony to agree, mostly because of Twilight. In the end her scholarly curiosity got the better of her and she agreed. I gave a brief explanation about who I was and how I had come to be part of The Mancers. Then what happened with the bird monster and finally my arrival in Ponyville. “I think I’ll have to speak with Prince Blueblood when he returns to Canterlot.” Luna said “It’s fine; if he tries to cause me any trouble then I’ll deal with him. Now onto the real reason I’m here, the thermonuclear warhead The Mancers have in their possession. Right now it’s being incased in lead shielding, I don’t think its leaking radiation but I’d rather not risk anyone’s safety by leaving as is.” “What is exactly is this device you’re talking about?” Twilight asked “I mean, I understand that whatever it is its dangerous but what is it supposed to do?” “Destroy things.” “And?” she smiled, an expectant look on her face I scowled “Why is it that everyone I meet seems to think that if an object worries me it’s safe. I wouldn’t worry about something that’s relatively safe or harmless. It’s a weapon of mass destruction. Its only purpose is to destroy anything and everything within a very large area and that’s just the initial blast. What follows is a poisonous cloud of hot air and material that leaves an even larger area uninhabitable for decades, depending on the wind it can be spread over hundreds of miles. That’s your and. Princess Luna; do you have any way to do what I asked in my letter?” “Before I left for Ponyville my sister and I checked for any spells or devices that may have the potential you are looking for. I regret to inform you that we could not find anything that would do it safely.” I sighed “Then I’ll just have to try and find a safer place to store it until we find a way to get rid of it.” I stood up “I’m sorry to have dragged you out here for ended up being nothing. Applejack, would you please lead me back to the B&B? I don’t think I can find my way in the dark.” “Sure, after everything you’ve been through you could use a good night’s sleep.” “Not just yet,” Luna said “there is still the matter of the Key. You-” “Don’t,” I interrupted her “just don’t. The Key is going with me so I can try to find a way to return it to its rightful owner.” I stepped outside “I’ve been thinking and I’ve finally placed most of the important ponies and villains into power categories. At the Ultimate level is the Elements of Harmony in about the middle of the tier. Next is the Perfect level at the top is Discord, below him is Nightmare Moon, I’d probably fall at about the same level as her. At the bottom of the Perfect level is where you and Celestia sit,” I glared at her “powerful but not nearly as strong as me. Next is the Adult level which is where full grown dragons sit. Below that is Child level where normal ponies like Twilight and her friends sit. There are two actual levels below that but they aren’t even worth mentioning because they’re strength is so low.” Luna took a fighting stance “Are you threatening me?” I shook my head “I’m not threatening anyone. All I’m saying is that if you want The Key you’ll have to take it by force and that will put everyone in Ponyville at risk. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to kill you, but I can injure you to the point that you’ll be stuck in a hospital for a long time. Please, don’t make me do that.” “You’re lyin.” Applejack said “About?” She scowled “Not being able to the kill the Princess. Your talk with Pinkie Pie was in one of the piles I went through. I might not have understood all of it but if that Key really does work the way you said it does then you could kill everypony here and you’d barely need to lift a hoof to do it.” I nodded “I could, but I wouldn’t. Not unless it was to save the world or something and even then I’d exhaust myself trying to find another answer before I did that.” She nodded “You don’t want to kill anything.” “I don’t really even want to fight anything if it can be avoided, having said that if it can’t be avoided I’m not afraid to kick my opponent’s ass so hard that they never pick a fight again. All I want to do with the Key is return to its owner and if I can’t do that then I’ll figure something else out.” AJ stared at me for a minute before she nodded “I believe ya. I don’t really want you take it but I think you’re tha best person to keep that thing safe.” Luna huffed “I suppose I really have no choice in the matter do I.” she relaxed “Celestia will not be happy about this. I must return to Canterlot, Lord Clear Psyche and I have much to discuss.” The walk back to the B&B was quiet and uneventful. A welcome change from what seemed to have become my regular life since arriving in Equestria. I said good night to AJ and went to my room. I spent the next twenty minutes writing down all the important things I had remembered and the new ideas they had helped me come up with. After that I went back to sleep and this time there were no dreams. I woke up just after sunrise; my legs ached from my run the day before. The only time they hurt that much was after the first race of the season. I limped my way down to a breakfast of fresh fruit and vegetables. One of the ponies at the table saw me limping and asked if I was okay. It was a kind and appreciated, if unnecessary, gesture. After breakfast I went back upstairs to my room and got my bag before heading out. My first and only planned stop was Carousel Boutique to visit Rarity. The weather was nice with just a few puffy clouds in the sky. Imagine my surprise when I found Pinkie Pie there telling Rarity about the incident with Clear Psyche. More importantly she was telling her some of the things she had learned about me while we were sorting my memories, including the fact that I had been a guy. “Pinkamena Diane Pie!” they both looked at me, I was probably blushing through my fur “I shouldn’t have to tell you that anything you learned about me last night shouldn’t be repeated to anyone.” “But-” “No, no buts! I thought it was implied that I didn’t want anything you learned about me repeated.” Rarity spoke up “It’s alright darling. She didn’t say anything embarrassing. Unless you find your preference for laying a sunny rock over a lounge chair is embarrassing.” “Oh…is that all she told you?” “No, all she really had time to tell me was that that you hadn’t been born…like this. All things considered you seem to have taken your change rather well. Would you be willing to tell me more about it while I do the final fitting for your dresses?” “…Ya’ll Pinkie Promise not to tell anypony, anyone, or anything?” They smiled “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” I sighed “Well since you promised I’ll tell you.” I stood on a platform and Rarity levitated the dresses over so we could get started. I spent the next few hours telling them a little about my life. I told them about where I lived, what I did, and my family. They seemed genuinely interested about everything I told them. Then I got the part about the fight with my mom that sent me to the mall and ultimately to Equestria. “It sounds like you had a pretty good life back home.” Pinkie said I frowned “Yeah…I…I guess I did.” I was quiet for a bit “I guess…finding a way to go home, at least for a visit, is now a priority.” Rarity finished pulled the last pin out of the final yellow dress. She gave me a one legged hug “Oh don’t worry, I’m sure if anyone can do it, it’ll be you, especially with that Key.” I put the finished dresses in my bag and took out my sack of bits “I’m not going to use the Key if I can help it. But if it works I might be able to help some of the other people who came here. Where do you want me to put the money?” She sighed as she levitated the agreed upon amount out of my paw “I still can’t believe you managed to talk me out of giving these dresses for free.” I laughed “Free stuff is nice but I know there are a lot of costs involved in owning and running a retail business. Besides, even if you’d given it to me for free I’d still have found a way to get the money to you.” “Why are you limping?” “I made the trip here from Trottingham in several hours, on foot. I’m just a little sore that’s all.” Before I could reach the door I felt magic tugging on me. “Oh no you don’t, you're going to the Spa so you can get some help with those sore muscles. You are going to make the trip back to Trottingham on foot aren’t yes? Then you’ll need to have your muscles relaxed and recovered before you leave.” “Fine, but I’m only getting a massage.” She smiled “But I’m paying for it myself.” She sighed “Oh fine.” After several hours at the Spa I got I was finished and went back to the B&B for lunch. After that I went for a walk and took note of all the important landmarks around town. I sat down at a statue and started working out the details on a few of my ideas from the night before. The main problem that Equestria seemed to have was a lack of high speed transit. With my memory straightened out I had identified a few more things that The Mancers had in storage, things that might prove useful if we could find a way to power them. With my sketches finished I re-packed my bag and lay down on the sun warmed statue base. I removed the Key from the bow and admired it in the afternoon sunlight. There was absolutely zero reason for Nocturnal’s artifact to be here, which also meant there probably wasn't a way for me to return it to her. That also meant I wouldn’t find any information about a location for The Ebonmere were the key would belong. I really didn’t want to use the Key, with my understanding of semantics its potential abilities were only limited by what I was willing to risk. “Nothing ventured…” I touched it to my horns as I formed my thoughts “nothing gained.” I turned it “…damn it” Nothing, I got absolutely nothing from using the Key. This could mean one of several different things. First, and most likely, there wasn’t a way for me to return it in this world. Second, the Key may not work for information. Third, it may only work for something you have the potential for. I could think of a way to test that possibility right now. I tried again wanting to know about the nuke we had. It was safe, no leaks, no damage, and not armed. I wanted to try something else so I rearranged my thoughts for what I wanted to know and tried again. It was possible for me to return to the human world. I just had to travel through the Looking Glass Kingdom and then the Digital World, not hard at all. I even knew how to enter the Looking Glass Kingdom. I fought the urge to use the Key again and put it back in my bow as I sat up. “I thought you weren’t going to use it.” Pinkie Pie was smiling at me “I said I’d avoid using it if I could. But I didn’t know of any way to return it and no, I’m not telling you what I learned.” “But you turned it three times! Will you at least tell me what you used it for?” “To learn how to return it, the status of the…’device’, and” I smiled sheepishly “how to visit home.” “Oh…”she blinked “I didn’t actually think you would tell me.” I tilted my head “Why not?” “Well, after this morning I thought…” I giggled “Oh that. Well you have information that is extremely personal, the kind of stuff that I don't want shared with anyone. So, I’m gonna guess that it’s time for the party.” “Thaaaaaaaaaaaat’s right!” I stood up “Lead on then.” The party was fun…sort of, like I told Pinkie before parties aren’t really my thing. I did enjoy getting to meet new people for a little while. I’d be lucky if I managed to remember even four of their names. I caught myself giggling and laughing for what seemed like no reason at several points. After about the tenth time I decided I’d partied enough and slipped out when no one was paying attention. I had dinner at the B&B and went to bed early I had a long run ahead of me tomorrow. I woke up early and told the owners I would be leaving within the hour. They were nice enough to give me some food for the road which I insisted on paying for. The walk to Sweet Apple Acres felt shorter than the walk into town. The run back took a little longer but I stopped at about the same places to eat and rest. It had now been about a week since my arrival in Equestria. Hopefully that meant it would be only a day or two before Prince Blueblood went back to Canterlot. I slowed down as I neared the train station there seemed to be an argument going on. I approached the station without digivolving, if there was a problem a certain level of intimidation could be helpful. The voices got loud enough that I could make out what they were saying. “It’s for her own good. She needs to grow up surrounded by a positive influence.” That sounded like Blueblood, I picked up my pace “She isn’t going with you. She doesn’t even like you!” that was Blue Serenade “Mom, I can’t go to Canterlot! Inaba still hasn’t come back yet!” Rosy they were on the other end of the building “Hopefully that thing won’t ever be coming back.” I jumped “She’s not a thing! She’s a Lopmon and my friend!” THUMP! I bent my knees as I landed behind Rosy who was behind Blueblood and his remaining guard. Rosy squealed as I swiftly pulled her into a light one armed hug. Before she could react I placed her safely between my ears. As I stood up I felt her hug one of my ears tightly. I brought a smile to my face as I looked down at the startled ponies before me. “Monster!” Blueblood yelled “Half right. Now, what exactly am I interrupting? It looks and sounds like a foalnapping in progress.” “That’s exactly what it is Inaba!” Rosy pointed at Blueblood “Bluebutt was trying to take me to Canterlot! He keeps saying weird stuff like ‘I need to be raised like a proper noble’ and ‘you need to spend time with your father.’ He.is.not.my.father! There is no way I’m related to a pony like him!” I frowned “I see. Well, it doesn’t matter if wants to take you he’ll have to go through me first. Blue can you make sure Grey Main has enough food for me at dinner tonight?” “I challenge you to a duel!” Blueblood immediately looked like he regretted saying it. “Blue a little help? The only duels I’m familiar with are pistols at ten paces and swords to the death.” She smiled “Swords to the death huh? That’s old, very old. Um, as far as I know since he challenged you, you get to set the rules, time, and place for the duel.” “Oh…hm…right here and now. Listen up Blueblood if I win then you have to leave Blue Serenade, her family, friends, and anyone else she holds dear, you have to leave them all alone. No legal action, no more harassment, no sort of covert actions nothing. If you do, I’ll snap your spine and paralyze you from the neck down.” I wouldn’t actually do that “And if I win, you leave Equestria forever.” “Fair enough, I’m thinking of a number. You can pick any number between one and ten. You have nine tries to get it right. Go.” He smirked “Seven, it’s the most common number.” “Nope, that’s strike one.” “Then it’s one because you must think yourself my better.” “Half right, I know I’m better than you. But the number is wrong.” “Eight?” “No.” “Ten.” “Ugh no.” His smirked slipped “Three?” “No.” “Four?” I raised an eyebrow “Not even close.” He frowned “Five?” “Now you’re just reaching.” “Two?” “Strange that’s how many tries you had left, now it’s one.” “Six! It must be six!” “Beep! Beeeeeep! Nope, and that’s game.” I couldn’t see it but I had the same Cheshire grin as Alice from two nights before He was furious “You cheat! You must have changed your number!” “I didn’t cheat. I picked a number; I never said my number was between one and ten just that those were the numbers you were restricted to.” “Guard!” the Pegasus looked at him “deal with this…this thing.” The guard looked at me nervously “But, sir she is correct. As far as I know the laws concerning duels don’t account for something like this.” “How about Global Thermonuclear War.” “What?" “Where I’m from it’s a game. There is only one way for anyone in the world to win, even those who aren’t eligible to play, is if no one plays at all. Now if you’ll excuse us I need to go see a pony about a memory altering jellyfish monster.” With Rosy still on my head I walked away from Blueblood and his guard, after a few seconds I heard Blue follow behind me. The Prince and his Pegasus guard stood there sputtering as we walked away. We made it halfway to the South Gate before somepony finally spoke up. As it turned out it was Rosy. “What’s a jellyfish?” Wanna thank my new beta-reader Flamester for his help. Also I'm gonna be SUPER busy this month, White 2, Dishonored, and Forza: Horizon are all out this month. Oh and I have mid-terms and I'm starting a new job but who cares about that. New video games WOOOOO!