Out of My Element
Chapter 4: 4 Bit’s a Dollar.
I woke up to a knocking sound, and someone yelling “Get up, it’s time to get going, we don’t want to miss the train.”
I yawned, stretched and thought, I am not a morning person. Keeping my eyes closed I rolled out of bed, well, off the cot. Continuing with closed eyes I made my mind aware of my body, yep still a pony. I opened my eyes and looked around the office using the daylight shining through the windows. The room I was in was significantly well built when compared to the barn. I staggered up to the office door and found Applejack hammering away at it, “Yes” I asked as I opened the door.
“Come on, we’re meeting everypony at Twilight's before we head out.”
I shook myself awake, “Okay give me a second, I’m going to see if any of the other batteries for the computer have a charge. Since we’re going to the Capital, I want to see if Jack left me any instructions on that jump drive.” I staggered back in and fumbled about trying to change the laptop battery, one of the spares did have enough charge to get the machine running. The desktop loaded and I plugged the drive in, it was huge a 50 gig drive which shocked me. I found a PDF document, and a Notepad file named Readme, so I did, it was another letter from Jack.
Hi again,
Well I told you about my lab in the written letter, now this letter is for you and you alone. I put it on the drive knowing only you would be able to read it. The lab is hidden under ground with the entry way hidden in the basement of my house. If the house is no longer there ask around to find out where the house in the tree was located. Anyway I have protected the lab, I don’t know what type of pony you will come across as, but you will need to have access to magic, and flight to get through to the lab along with knowledge of our world. So I designed a harness for you, it should simulate magic, and it can allow you to fly. The key is a crystal I have found they’re extremely rare and are known as Potestatum Gems. From what I have seen this world has another innate force in addition to magnetism and gravity, the best description for this new force is magic. The crystals absorb and store the passive magic energy of this world. I have used them to enhance my spells but I think my design can use them to simulate magic. One last thing, be careful who you let find out about this harness it has the ability to shake the social foundations of this world.
Good luck man, I’ll see you in the lab.
Jack
I glanced over my shoulder Applejack was standing there tapping her hoof on the ground. I could tell she was irritated, “Just a second, I’m almost done,” I said, trying to show her I was hurrying. I dug the reader out of the bag; USB included, and plugged it into the computer. I transferred the PDF file over, and I was set to leave with the little reader in my mouth, and the envelope Celestia gave me last night. All in all it took fifteen minutes to get ready and out the door. I looked at the wagon as we left barn, it looked in rough shape but I thought I could fix it.
“Now that we are heading out, I hope we don’t get stuck in the storm now,” grumbled Applejack. I could hear the aggravation in her voice.
I muttered an apology with a full mouth.
She looked at me, sighed and shook her head. “Oh for Celestia’s sake give me that,” she said as she took the reader and envelope placing them both in her saddlebag.
As we approached the town I could see in the rising sun light, pegasus ponies building the storm system over Ponyville.
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“I’m sorry that it took so long for me to get here,” I announced as I walked into the library. Both unicorns were standing in the middle of the library talking. Rarity was in a fancy dress like rain suit and Twilight was placing books in her saddle bag.
The two unicorns looked up at my announcement, “Don’t worry about it, Twilight here is still trying to find books for her library exchange program.”
The little dragon, Spike, I think that was his name, was moseying around replacing books on shelves. “How’s it going Little Zilla,” I asked as he walked by.
“It’s too early I need to go back to sleep,” his bloodshot eyes darted back and forth before he slid up to me and said, “can you get Twilight out of here she keeps making messes that I have to clean up, and I want to get back to bed.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I replied in a whisper. I walked up to the unicorns and began to speak just as Applejack came in through the door, “Ladies from what I have been told we need to head out to avoid the storm.”
“That’s right,” mumbled Applejack, “So when’s the train leaving.”
The purple unicorn looked up, “We’re not going to ride the train, the princess is sending transport for us,” she said with a smile.
I raised my eyebrow, and asked “why?”
“Well she said in her letter that she wanted you to see Equestria from the air, like those pictures you showed us of,” the purple unicorn paused to think. “Chicago” she said with an unsure tone.
I nodded my head as Applejack asked, “Will they be here soon.”
“They should be here any time,” replied the purple unicorn in a singsong voice, barely able to contain her enthusiasm.
“Is she alright?” I asked looking at the other unicorn.
“Yes, she’s fine, and I understand her enthusiasm, Canterlot,” she paused after emphasizing the city name and sighing. “It is the center of culture and sophistication, the creme dela crème of Equestrian society lives there. It would be my dream to live with those important ponies, rub shoulders with the likes of Fancy Pants, he was so kind.”
She continued to ramble at great lengths about the society in the capital, and I took a step back, with an awkward half smile.
She noticed my apprehension and said, “Oh dear, I’m terribly sorry for going on at such lengths. It’s just that I would love to be accepted by those ponies.”
“So you’re not,” I asked incredulously, “after what I have been told you have saved your nation twice, but none of these ponies recognizes you?”
Applejack chuckled quietly and added, “Ah guess those high falutin’ ponies don’t care bout nothing but themselves, and their social ladder. I wonder if any of them figured out that the Elements were the ones that crashed there garden party.”
“Yes,” replied Rarity in a drawn out manner, “However you have to admit that Fancy Pants was very kind to us.”
“I don’t know, at least he wasn’t as stuck up as the rest of them, I still don’t see why you want there recognition.”
The white unicorn grumbled something, and said “Of course dear you wouldn’t.”
“Now what-da-ya mean by that,” demanded Applejack a flash of not quite anger crossed her eyes.
I slowly backed away from the developing argument, and glanced at Twilight, “When is that transport coming?”
“Any minute now,” she looked at the two arguing ponies and shouted “What is going on here.” The two targets of her shout stopped there heated discussion and looked at the purple unicorn. “I thought we settled this at the slumber party?”
The two formally arguing ponies both looked at the ground, embarrassment was easily read on their faces. The Orange one looked up and said “Twi, I’m sorry.” She then looked over at the other unicorn and continued, “Rarity I’m sorry, I have been out of sorts the past few days. I have been having’ a nasty little nightmare, and I haven’t been sleeping’ well. This storm hasn’t helped. I’m gonna lose the first few days of the spring apple bucking season.”
Rarity looked up as AJ apologized “I’m sorry as well; I know the way I go on, that it sounds like I’m ungrateful for everyponies friendship but it is very important to me.”
I stood there throughout their discussion with a half smile and a raised eyebrow. I don’t think I will ever get use to the ease that everyone gets over arguments here. I shook myself back to reality, well this reality. I looked up at Twilight and asked “When you say any minute now, next five to ten minutes, it should be here by now?”
My answer came in the form of a knock at the door; Twilight opened it with her magic and outside was a white pegasus in gold armor. “Ma'am, I’m sorry we are late but when Princesses Luna heard about the storm she insisted that we use her private carriage, it’s larger and inclosed so we needed a larger flight team.”
Parked outside was a large dark blue, extremely ornate covered carriage longer than my wagon. It was attached to a team of six pegasi, all dark blue or black, in similar but darker armor to the one who knocked on the door.
I could tell that Twilight was surprised by the turn of events, not only by what she said but by the fact she had to pull her jaw off the floor first. “Is that the one from the museum?”
The guard smiled slightly, just enough to be noticed then said “No Ma'am, this one is an exact replica; the princess felt that her old carriage was in a far better place, considering its age. Anyway we need to get going Ma'am, before the storm is finished being built.”
There was some general chatting as we walked to the carriage, but I was fascinated watching the pegasi darting around placing small storm clouds into a sheet, it was odd seeing weather treated this way after reading so much on it in school.
Once we were in the extremely roomy carriage, I sat on the low cushioned bench, leaned against the window, and watched the ground fall away as we started moving. Wait the ground is falling away that mean we’re flying, I thought, my eyes widened with my next one, we’re flying without wings. “Umm, how are we flying,” I asked a slight waver in my voice.
“It’s the team of pegasi pulling us,” answered Twilight.
“Okay but how is the carriage staying level, I know it has to be magic but magic isn’t permanent is it?”
This time I was answered by Rarity, “Some is, some is not, it depends on the pony and the magic. Most spells can last as long as the original creator exists. Some have their own energy supply and others draw power from their surroundings until they cancel the spell.”
I relaxed a little, and glanced around at my fellow travelers I spotted Rarity’s cutie mark three diamonds and that reminded me of the letter, a gem what was it called? “Applejack could you hand me my reader please?”
She dug around in her saddlebag and pulled out the reader, “Here you go,” she said in a muffled voice as she passed it to me.
I fumbled with the device trying but not succeeding to find a better way of viewing the reader than laying it on the floor.
“What’s that?” asked the other two ponies.
“It holds books digitally, it's kind of like the computer. It has several hundred books on it right now but I put some notes that Jack left me on here as well.” I continued to answer their questions absentmindedly as I searched through the notes for the name of the crystal. “Ah-ha, here it is,” I hadn’t realized it but I had just interrupted Twilight asking a question, “Oh I’m sorry, yeah you can look at this after we get back, heck I might let you hang on to it once I get some stuff off of it.” She looked confused as if my answer was completely off topic, it might have been, but I needed to ask about Potestatum Gems. “I’m sorry Twilight, my mind jumped tracks and has taken off in a new direction. We can pick this up again if you would like but my whole reason for pulling this thing out was to ask about Potestatum Gems, have you ever heard of them?”
“Oh dear, there terribly expensive and ugly gemstones you don’t want to deal with them. A moon stone would complement you mane and eyes. It would be so much cheaper and more elegant” answered an obviously disturbed Rarity.
“I’m not looking for them for their appearance,” I said with furrowed brows and then I thought, these things sound like there a problem.
“Why would you be asking about them,” asked Twilight her face more serious than I had ever imagined it could become.
“Jack told me in one of his letters that I needed one to get into his lab.”
Her serious tone continued as she answered. “That is going to be difficult, if you don’t already know they are little magic batteries, if used incorrectly bad things tend to happen. They have been used to enhance spells but tend to backfire, maiming or killing the user, unless they have been trained. They were made illegal to possess by the princess when a storage chest blew up in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters, destroying most of the castle. With what the Princess said last night I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t the reason Star Swirl went mad.”
“What do you do if one is found,” I asked, this whole conversation was not going in a direction I had hoped. The idea that common knowledge varied so much from the truth bothered me as well. This meant I didn’t know how much of my truth was true.
“Well most of them are used as appeasement gifts for the more sociable dragons in the land, they seem to view them as delicacies, I think Spike told me he found one when he ran way last year. At least it fits his description of what he ate.”
I hung my head, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Well is there, well no never mind,” I started to say. I looked at the reader and then thought, well, I might as well build the harness I might come across a crystal at some point. I looked at Twilight and asked “Last night you compared my computer to a magi-tech device you used on Pinkie Pie, where did you get that?”
It was like a switch had been flipped in Twilight and everything was back to normal. She was smiling and she answered in a singsong voice. “Oh, I got that at a Magi-shack in Canterlot, I used it when I was a little filly to help me see how my magic worked.”
“Once I hit the bank I’ll want to swing by there, Jack left me some schematics that I want to try to build.”
“Oh, an original Star Swirl schematic, can I see,” she moved closer trying to glance at the readers screen.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I drew back and covered the readers screen, “It’s a tradition that Jack and I have. Only we can look at the design until they’re constructed, it’s kind of bad luck for us to let someone else look. I mean, somepony else, some other pony look, oh god whatever.”
The three ponies found my stumbling over the new vernacular humorous enough to laugh, the two unicorns were polite enough to try to stifle their laughter, even though it was to no avail. I found it irritating that my failure to adapt was turning into a joke, but then again there was some humor in the situation, just not as much as they seemed to find.
We soon had landed in the courtyard of the Canterlot castle. It had been an extremely quick flight, considering that the city was in view of Ponyville it should have been. I gave Applejack back the reader and then stepped out of the carriage to take in the sights of the capital. It immediately made me think Disney Land but that impression soon changed after leaving the castle grounds. There were elements that reminded me of several major cities. There were outdoor cafes, and cobblestone streets. The city had several towering buildings, well three or four stories. The houses made me think of Victorian England, without the chimney smoke from Mary Poppins. I followed the girls as they lead me through the city to the bank, the crowd of ponies made me feel like I was back in highschool so I used the same methods I used in school to follow Twilight and her friends while looking at the scenery.
Eventually I was lead up to a large white building; it had a very Roman style and was very imposing. Above the entrance it had Central Bank of Equestria carved in a calligraphy styled font, there were several ponies heading in and out of the front door.
“Applejack can I have my envelope?” I asked as we walked in.
She began digging for it and eventually found it, only after I began sweating bullets.
I took the envelope and got in line for the next teller. Eventually I was called up to a young blue mare with a light green mane. “Hi, how can I help you,” she asked as I approached.
“Um, yeah so I found out I have an old bank account number here. Well not me so much but a family member had one a long time ago. I have this card,” I pushed the card towards her.
She took it and then did some looking in the books, then excused herself and disappeared for about five minutes. When she came back she was with an older stallion, she introduced him as the bank manager, Green Backs.
“Hello, what was your name, I’m afraid, Mrs. Nickel didn’t remember it,” he asked as he offered his hoof for a shake.
“My name is Steel Smith,” I answered as I shook his hoof.
“Well Mr. Smith, I need to discuss some things with you back in my office.”
“Alright,” I answered slowly, before asking, “Is it alright if my friends come with me.” I gestured towards Twilight and the others.
He smiled and said “Oh yes that’s fine.”
I flagged the girls over and we followed him back to his office. Once inside he closed the door and asked, “Now Mr. Smith what can the CBE do for you?”
“Well I need to know how much is in the account.”
“Surely you jest,” he said with a laugh, “You already know why else would you have three young, beautiful mares with you.”
The three began to object, but I could only make out Applejack, through the blood pumping in my ears, she was saying, “hey, now don’t go making’ assumptions.”
I blushed slightly but didn’t look at any of the others, “I don’t know, maybe because I’m new in the area and they are the first friends I’ve made since moving.”
“Oh,” he said, embarrassed. “Oh,” he repeated just realizing the connotation of what he had said. “I’m terribly sorry,” he looked away from us and into the books continuing to talk. “Well your account has been with us for, well most of the banks existence. Let’s see with the accrued interest it comes out to four point three billion bits, congratulations you’re the fifth richest pony in Equestria!” He glanced up at me smiling.
I stood frozen for a second, my mind reacting to what I just heard, along with the gasps of surprise from the ponies behind me. My right eye began to twitch, my jaw dropped, and the corners of my mouth started to curve into a smile, all before I collapsed onto the floor, blacking out.
“Steel wake up, come on wake up Steel,” I could hear someone calling my name.
“Here I got some water let’s see if this wakes him up,” said Applejack, I’d recognize her accent anywhere.
“What was that he said about needing a robot and a cyclops,” asked the bank manager.
Wait water? Oh no. I thought, as I opened my eyes and started to announce my waking state only to get a face full of water thrown at me.
I shook the water from my face and did my best to clear it form my nose, while Applejack apologized and the unicorns laughed.
It took me a few minutes to get my bearings I was still in the manager’s office. I’m rich, my mind kept repeating over and over again. “So now that I’m rich what do I need to do to use the money,” I wondered aloud to no pony in particular.
The bank manager was still in the room filling out paperwork. He glanced over his glasses at me and said, “That’s what I’m working on we can give you a temporary check book, and then send you an official check book later.”
I shook my head as I stood up, I had always thought that if I won the lottery I would be set, but here I have no grasp on what I want. I looked at the three ponies that came with me, smiled and said “I guess I can now afford to get a bag so I can carry my stuff.”
“Oh, I know the perfect shop for you to pick that up,” said Rarity.
“Well once I’m done here you can show me,” I replied with a smile. As time had passed I had gotten used to her accent and it no longer irritated me. I found these ponies unique and fun enough that I already trusted them. I trusted them more than I trusted myself with my new influx of cash, I always worried that being rich would change me.
We soon left the bank, and immediately I was bombarded with thoughts, I wanted to share this new found wealth with my new found friends. “Hey Applejack, I was wondering if it’s alright with you, I would like to fix up the barn I’m staying in and rent it for a while?”
My question caught her off guard, “Why,” she asked, “why would you want to do that couldn’t you just buy your own house?”
“Yes,” I answered, “but I still want to have a place to work and for now that seems best, plus you let me stay there knowing I had nothing. Now that I have something and I want to make it even.”
“Okay sure, I don’t have a problem with that,” she answered.
“And Rarity, how much would it cost me to have you fix up a few things for me? I know that jacket might be something you’re not interested in messing with, but I would like to find someone who can modify it.”
“Steel, don’t worry yourself, I can fix that old jacket up for you. Just don’t ever bring up what it’s made out of again, and it won’t cost you a single bit.”
“Rarity,” I started to speak.
“No, no, no, I won’t make you pay for my work. After all, being able to claim I have done work for one of the richest ponies in Equestria will be payment enough.”
“Rarity,” I started again before being interrupted, again.
“No, I won’t take it.”
“Fine, I was just going to say that other ponies might need the generosity more than me.”
“That is true, but I help those ponies as well,” she said as she looked up at the storefronts.
“Okay then, I still want to pay you a retainer though,” I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings as I answered and almost ran her over as she came to a stop.
“We’re here,” she said in a singsong voice. "Now if we were back in Ponyville, I would make you the bags but since you need them now and we are here, you might as well pick up several you don't know when you might be invited to a high class soiree."
The store was large and filled to the brim with saddle bags. There were hundreds of styles to choose from, some where large with frames, others small enough that only my reader would fit. I looked around and found a plain brown set that reminded me of a postal bag from back home.
Twilight snickered, I looked back at her with a quizzical face and asked, “what now, I’m I in the Mare’s Department?”
She shook her head and pointed past me; I followed the direction of her gesture and found Rarity returning with several dozen bags and a large grin.
“Aw, nut’s,” I muttered at the sight, “This had better not be what I think it is.”
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The princess of the night, rolled over in her bed, after what her sister had told her last night she couldn't get to sleep, Discord being able to invade dreams. A shiver ran spine, she didn't deal with Discord during his last chaos spree but what she remembered from his fist frolic among the ponies disturbed her. Even worse was that Nightmare could return, just the idea made her sick, and it terrified her like a newborn foal.
The door opened and she let out short scream, before she caught herself. It was only her older sister, returning after she had fulfilled her morning duties. Luna jumped up from her bed and nuzzled her sisters neck, just being in Celestia's presence made her feel safe.
Celestia smiled at her younger sister and asked, "Sister are you unable to get to sleep?"
Luna only nodded her face still pressed against her older sister’s neck.
"Don't fear Discord I will stay and guard your dreams."
Luna stepped back and shook her head, "No sister, Discord is your balance, and mine is Nightmare, that's who I fear."
Celestia stepped forward and hugged her sister, "Now that is something you don't have to fear. I have placed wards throughout Canterlot, it can't come inside the city walls and if somehow it does I will know."
Luna gave a weak smile, "I don't want to go back to the moon again. I know you had to weaken its hold on me but," a shiver ran the length of her whole body, "please don't leave me alone."
Celestia smiled and said in her most soothing voice, "I won't leave you, now why don't you try to get some sleep."
The two alicorns walked over to the bed, the younger one climbed in while the other sat beside her.
"Now go to sleep little sister," said Celestia while she stroked Luna's mane with a hoof. Soon she could hear the soft breathing of sleep coming from her sister. She leaned back and looked up focusing past the ceiling; she had been doing this frequently as of late, getting lost in thought. After seeing her sister’s reaction she wished she hadn't told Luna about her lucid dream. Tonight, she decided, I will have to watch some of the other elements dream.
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It had been exactly what I thought it was, I left the store with four bags, the postal ones I had been looking at, two fancier ones Rarity had found, and an external frame-pack. I wore the frame pack out of the store with the other three inside. Next to the tech shop, I thought as I followed the ponies out into the street.
We followed Twilight as she led our group to the Magi-shack. "Here we are," she announced as we came into a large market place. Buildings lined the edges and small kiosks filled the areas in front. "How about we split up I need to run over to the library, and I know Rarity needs to get some supplies. Why don't we meet somewhere for lunch in about an hour?" As Twilight spoke she danced a little, as if she could barely keep herself from sprinting off towards the city library.
"I know, how about the Sweet Elite Café, I love the coffee there," added Rarity. "It's only a street over," she said while gesturing back the way we came.
"They had better not be serving that hoity-toity stuff that they had at the banquet," demanded Applejack.
"Oh, they do, but they also have food that is more for the working palate," responded the white unicorn.
"And what's that suppose to mean?"
I shook my head and thought, not this again "It means they have food that everyone would like," I said with a hoof on my head.
"Well why the hey don't they just say so," grumbled the orange earth pony, "Well that will work for me, I've got nowhere to go so I'll stick with Steel here until then."
"Alright Sweet Elite in an hour," said Twilight, dropping into a run as soon as the words let her mouth.
"I will be there as soon as I finish my errands as well," added Rarity bowing slightly before she left.
I looked at AJ and said "I guess that leaves you and me," as I approached the store front. "After you," I added as I held the door open for her.
Inside the store felt like home, I had been in several electronic stores in the past and this one felt like an older one, or one from a small town. Very few of the boxed consumer grade electronic dribble, but the pieces to build most of it were there, I was amazed this world felt like a jumble of eras, but if they had what I needed who cared. Applejack followed me silently examining the items like she knew what they were.
"So you know what these things do?" I asked her.
She blushed slightly and shook her head, "No I don't know anything about this stuff, I just was looking' to see what they are. That don't help none though, seen as I still don't know what they do."
"I can help with that," said a voice.
I turned to find the owner of the voice it was an older stallion, walking up to us.
"I have run this shop since it opened thirty years ago. Sometimes I can't believe it's been so long. So what can I help you find?"
"Well, I'm not from around here and I'm not sure how anything you have converts over," I said as I pulled out my reader.
"What's that," he asked.
"Oh it's nothing just a electronic book," I said absentmindedly as I turned on the reader.
"I heard of things like that, down south, way down south, like other hemisphere south. The earth ponies that refused to travel north with everyone else. What do they call it now, aw hay I can't remember."
"Yeah you could say that, down south, I'm going to need some help getting my bearings with your this terminology, I'm lookin' for some of what I call transistors?"
It took most of the hour but we worked out the communication issues and I ended up buying several thousand bits of equipment. With a few thousand more special orders, to be delivered at Applejack's farm. We left the store with plenty of time to make it to the café, where we waited for the others to show up. Eventually Rarity arrived an hour and a half late, looking extremely proud of herself.
"With this trip I should be set for this year’s Gala orders," she said as she approached. Looking around she asked, "Where is Twilight," when she saw our shrugs she added, "Odd that pony is usually incredibly punctual."
"You think she is still at the library," asked Applejack.
"That is the only thing that would make her late, she gets so wrapped up in those books of hers," said Rarity a frown on her face.
"Well lets go find her then," said the orange pony, "if we go get her now we can take the train and be home before sundown."
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Decimal had been working for the chief librarian for as long as he could remember. It had always been an easy job, and just today he was given the responsibility of the spell craft wing. So why was it his luck that a half crazed unicorn would not calm down and was constantly asking him where some obscure volume on subjects that no longer mattered. Defense spells and things that only the Elite Guard ever learned. There was no reason for it, she made little sense and the more books she dug through the harder his job became.
"Miss Sparkle, you know, you can check some of these out and I'm sure that some of the older volumes we could put in the exchange program."
"Oh I know," she replied, "I already have taken care of those," she added while pointing at a large stack of books.
"There is a limit to the number of books you can check out," he said eying the stack.
"I know, that is exactly how many I have, could you take care of those for me. I really am in a hurry."
"Um, right," he said drawing the word out. He grabbed the mammoth stack and headed to the circulation desk. Pushy rural librarian, dealing with such small libraries must give them a complex.
After he had taken care of the books he returned the stack only to find that she had retrieved and referenced eight new books. It was going to take him hours to clean, and organize the library after this lavender hurricane. He sighed, shook his head, and then he heard the sounds of a few more ponies approaching his wing of the library. More work, he thought as he stalked off. As he walked behind his desk he glanced up to see two earth ponies and another unicorn enter the room.
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"There she is," announced Rarity as she bounded forward, "Twilight you missed our appointment."
I shifted my gaze from examining the large granite building to the occupants of the room in front of me. Behind a desk labeled 'Circulation' was an extremely frazzled earth pony, who looked like he was going to have a fit as we walked in. Twilight was very difficult to spot since she had fortified herself behind a wall of books.
"Twi, it's time we got goin', we're gonna miss the train if we don't hurry this up," said AJ shifting on her feet.
"Oh, girls we, oh and um Steel, we don't need to hurry there are so many books to read," replied Twilight her attention divided among three books.
I saw a grin come to the librarians face once we mentioned leaving.
"No Twi, we know how you get sometimes you study through the night," said Applejack her face showing irritation.
"Okay, well can you carry some of my books I have more than I can carry by myself," Twilight muttered her face still pressed into a book.
"Just hurry up," AJ said with a sigh.
Both Rarity and AJ began loading the books, mostly in my saddle pack after I offered it, and soon all the books were stowed.
"Alright Twilight, it is time to go," said Rarity as she walked up beside the entranced mare.
"Come on Twi," added AJ.
"No, I'm almost done."
"Don't make me force this," returned Applejack as she set her shoulders forward. "Come on."
"Twilight, I think she is serious," Rarity added.
"No, I'm busy I need to learn some more spells."
"Alright you asked for it," grumbled Applejack as she took off her hat and gave it to Rarity, while saying "hold on to this for me." She walked up to Twilight and ducked her head sliding under the purple mare and tossing her onto the farm ponies back. "Now let's go."
Twilight struggled trying to hold onto the table but she couldn't get a grip and she pouted with front legs crossed until we exited the library. Once we were outside she returned to her old self and quickly apologized for her behavior and she continued to the entire walk to the train station.
Soon we were on the train headed to Ponyville and I couldn't have been happier, this day had worn me out.
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Rainbow Dash smiled to herself while lounging on a cloud above the storm over Ponyville. She always loved building the storms, almost as much as she enjoyed tearing them down. Both meant she was able to show off her flying skills to others. Looking over her clouds edge she watched the lightning flash between the clouds below, it was inevitable for lightning to occur in the larger storms, there was no way to prevent it. She yawned, she was tired, not physically but mentally. There were several calculations used in building storms, it made her weary, and the nightmare she had last night hadn't helped. Maybe a nap would be best, she thought as she burrowed a cozy little retreat into the cloud, and closed her eyes. Soon she had drifted off to sleep.
The dream was the same as the night before; she was flying with the Wonderbolts, in a uniform out over Equestria. She smiled at the two on either side of her Fleetfoot, and Soarin'. Looking at the ground she saw the land in ruins, black flame stretched out in patches as far as she could see. It made sense for the Wonderbolts to be out, there function in the Guard was to be scouts and perform hit and run raids designed to distract, they were to avoid direct combat if at all possible, that's what the Guard's main forces were used for.
A scream pierced the night and the group banked toward the sounds source. Two ponies, a stallion and a mare were backed into a corner in the remains of one of Ponyville's houses. They were standing between a young foal and three dark ones. The creatures were called dark ones because no one knew what else to call them, other than ugly. She tried to remember where they came from but the memory was too hazy to get any information. She knew they were big, ugly and no two were alike, universally they were dark colored, blacks, grays and browns were the most frequent. There appearance was a mixture of dragon, pony, bird, wolf, ram, and human. They all had wings, sharp claws, muddled faces with elements of all creatures mixed and they stood on two legs about as tall as Celestia. The worst thing about these creatures is what they ate, they ate anything as long as it was meat, but what they favored disgusted Rainbow Dash enough to make her stomach churn whenever she saw one.
The three attacking the ponies below had unique enough faces, the larger, and leader of the group had a canine like face but the muzzle ended with a beak. Rams horns grew out of its wide head, with tufts of feathers protruding out from under its mangy fur. The one to the right was almost completely canine save for the eyes, wings and one arm that belonged to a dragon. the last had a flat face that reminded her of the photos of Steel from his old world, the mouth stretched out and downward similar to her own, its lips were in a constant grimace that bared large dragon like fangs.
Looking back at the three ponies she saw that the mare had been hurt and she knew if they waited to much longer there would be no one to save. By the time they had reported back and an attack launched it would be just to drive the uglies away from their meal. There might not be enough left to give the ponies a proper burial. She was tired of it, not being able to do anything and with a quick glance at her wing-men she could see they were as well.
With a quick nod to her two wingmates, she dived towards the uglies along with the rest of her team. She stretched her body out trying to make herself as streamlined and aerodynamic as possible, the pony family down there didn't have much time. As she streaked downward, she fought the rage in her heart; these things weren't from around here. They weren't from anywhere, they were from the void, at least that's what Twilight and Steel called it. These things were here for the same reason that her friends weren't. The anger fueled her and pushed her, she threw her shoulder forward just before making contact with the uglies leader.
The impact was enough to knock it over the wall and onto the ground. Unfortunately the anger that drove her, had pushed her faster than the rest of her squadron, and her attack had only warned the others. Fleetfoot arrived next only to catch a claw in the chest and she was flung to the ground, four puncture marks in her side. Rainbow Dash was sure that the swipe had punctured a lung, as Fleetfoot coughed up blood.
Soarin' was by far luckier in his attack planting a solid hoof strike on the long faced ugly, there was a sickening crack and the one he struck collapsed.
Rainbow, looked at the family and yelled, "What are you waiting for, RUN!"
The family wide eyed and panicked took off, slower than they could have due to the mare’s wounds. The wolf faced one growled and gave chase. "No," Rainbow muttered as she took off after ugly, crashing into it and tumbling to the ground. By the time she had regained her footing; the leader had let loose a roar and jumped at Soarin' from atop the crumbling wall. It grabbed the stallion by the wings and twisted them, Soarin' screamed as his wings became useless, sharp shards of bone protruding from the broken wings. Fleetfoot had climbed to her feet and dove at the uglies leader knocking it off Soarin' and they both tumbled into a black flame.
This time Rainbow let loose a loud and heart wrenching "No," and flew over the fire looking for Fleetfoot, hoping against what she feared. She must have found a patch within the flames, she thought, there's no way, she wasn't going to lose someone on her first command. Black flame could not be put out, it burnt whatever it touched to a cinder. She scanned the fire pit looking for her teammate but there was no way she could have survived.
The last ugly pulled itself up from Rainbows tackle, it's long limbs made it ungainly in righting itself from when it was attacked. It looked towards the earth ponies fleeing and then at the wounded Wonderbolt. It must have decided that the grounded flyer would have been easier pray because it took off towards Soarin'. It grabbed the wounded pegasus and took off skyward, it's claws digging into the ragged flesh of his back.
Rainbow gave chase, the larger wings gave the ugly greater acceleration but it had a lower top speed. Eventually Rainbow caught up only to have the ugly drop Soarin'. It smiled at her and then flew off to the north.
Rainbow dove, giving chase to the falling Wonderbolt, he was falling faster than she thought possible. She grabbed him just before he hit the ground tumbling across the deserted streets.
"Rainbow Dash," she looked up to see Scootaloo, "Wake up Rainbow there is something wrong with Fluttershy."
"Wait what?" she thought out loud staggering to her feet, "Scoots, what are you doing out here?" She looked around, the world was fading shifting. The greasy blue sky shifted back to the clean blue she was use to. She was back at asleep on the cloud, it had drifted lower to the storm than she liked and she could hear Scootaloo running around below calling for her.
She flew down and was spotted by the little orange pegasus who quickly came over, "Rainbow we can't find anyone else and Fluttershy, she needs help she is acting weird and scaring the animals."
"That doesn't sound right," Rainbow shook her head, "Let's go."