//------------------------------// // 30 - Where love was lost, Part 1 // Story: Just a day in Equestria // by dave89898989 //------------------------------// *Anne Ultrice’s POV* I sat up from the machine, still with an aching headache, pulsing in agony. I’m sure I didn’t drink that much... “So how’d it go?” Caerula asked me, taking the time device away from the machine to tamper with it. “I didn’t get that far, really. Instead of sending me a thousand and three hundred years back, the device only sent me thirty years in reverse.” I shook my head at my brother, and took the time accessory from him. “What do you think you’re doing? That’s delicate material!” He scolded me, but I was about to re-assure him. “You aren’t the only one with brains here; I know my way around hardware too,” I said, taking a tool set from the counter next to the machine, and unscrewed the device. I exposed the circuits and wires, and immediately noticed a red cable connected to the wrong circuit board, so I moved it to the right place. A bunch of different coloured wires were messed up too, so I fixed them all. “Cae, are you sure you’re not losing your touch?” I chuckled as I gave back the corrected device. “...What exactly did you do?” He asked. “I just made it accessible to go further through time, as your cabling was all wrong!” “You surprise me Anne, you really do.” I looked around the room, but there was no sign of her. “Where’s Rose gone off to?” “Oh, she went outside to get some fresh air. You want to join her? I’ve got to reinstall this thing anyway.” “Sure, I’ll see you later Cae.” “Be careful!” He cried before I left out of the front doors. Anything could be out there, which is a constant worry to all of us. “Hey Rose. Everything alright?” I said to my pale skinned colleague, with the jet black hair and the deep red streaks. “Of course everything’s alright. Why wouldn’t it be?” She turned slightly away from me as she said that. “Something’s wrong if you’re not looking at me, I can tell.” “It’s nothing.” “When people say that ‘it’s nothing’, they mean much more than that.” “Anne, I want to tell you something.” Rose looked up at the stars, which shone back down on our faces. It was night, and the air was cool. It hadn’t been cool for a long time, since all the heating up of the planet happened. “You can tell me anything, Rose. What is it?” She turned to face me this time. Her expression showed deep sadness, like something bad was going to happen to someone dear to her. “I...I used to rule as a goddess, did you know that?” “Yes I did,” I replied quietly. “I was the goddess of destiny and fortune. I had to watch over so many people’s destinies and fates; and viewing passing is a difficult task. With my management of fortune and luck, I witnessed a lot of people becoming more greedy and hateful because of that type of corruption.” She paused for a moment, and then changed the subject. “The gods and goddesses long forgotten had watched over the war, you know. We saw your kind killing each other over and over again; it was unbearable for most of us. We watched you participating in the effort, killing packs of people with your fire team, or just a bunch of shoddy mercenaries. You were in the military, in the rank of captain. But, like most of the Earthlings, you were corrupt as well.” “Why are you telling me all of this, if you made me forget?” “Hush for now. Let me finish what I have to say.” Her voice took a turn to sound more mature and loud. “Glais was one of the first gods to choose mortal life, and he joined the war to fight against you, being the god of revenge he is. But, wars lead to crooked, misshapen people, and he changed in those couple of days. Nuclear warheads were starting to be used, and things were getting out of control, leading to these days now. This war started because the countries and continents had joined together as they were in the prehistoric era. Nobody wanted to be together, so they all fought for power and their own governing forces. But now that the situation is critical, anyone is against anyone else. Families aren’t even working together anymore. It’s a savage place, where humans have desecrated the land with their filth, and the corruption of power. It’s a completely broken land, with broken people doing whatever they can to scrape through another day, but their days don’t last long, not now. I gave you a chance though. I am responsible for the Authors, because I wanted the war to end, through means of stories, and I wanted to teach everyone the error of their ways. Everyone deserves another chance, and you got it.” “I...I don’t know what to say...I’m sorry.” “I know. I could see it in your eyes.” “Why did I never listen to my brother?” “You were too naive to understand the gravity of the war. Joining it was a must, and so you had to do it. Your brother didn’t, because he chose to be a coward instead of dead. Cowards can be the most wonderful of people, because they know the true meaning of life, and love. Fighting would just be a mistake against anyone’s name, but not many people realise that. Caerula just wanted peace, and he wanted to advance the human race to unreachable levels, as he was a scientist, just doing his job. You both wanted to help, that’s a given, but for you, you fought instead of preventing war.” “Excuse me a second...Rose, please?” “You are excused.” I ran back inside, straight towards Caerula. I slammed into him, and wrapped my frail arms around his body. “What’s this for?” He asked me. I looked up at his face with tears streaming from my own. “I’m sorry Cae, for all I’ve done. I’m sorry for being stubborn and going down a terrible path. I’m sorry for being a bad sister. I’m sorry for not helping you. I’m sorry for-” “Stop now, Anne. Your apology is accepted. I understand, and I love you as my only sister. I always have, no matter what you’ve done.” We embraced together, arms tightly holding each other, uncaring that everybody was watching us in the awkwardest of ways. I saw Caerula smile for once, truly smiling this time. He was happy again, and I had helped him feel that. Rose watched us from outside, smiling back at us because of my good deed. This was one of the first steps to redeeming the human race again. They needed to learn love and friendship like they once did, many years ago. “Now Anne, you’re all set to go back to the time you wanted. If you don’t manage to make up that friendship again when the time is up, you’ll be sent to the present day again. But you’ll stay with whoever you made the most progress with, and you can take it from there,” Caerula informed me, helping me on to the machine again. “Thank you Cae. I just hope Destiny will be with me too...” I looked up at the ceiling, in efforts to try and get my friend back to me. “It’s doubtful, but you never know. Good luck!” He gave me a little wave, and so did Rose from the background. The room went black. *Electric Blue’s POV* It was still in the middle of the night. I was in Canterlot castle again, but it looked much different in design. There were more banners and textures draped across the internal walls, and a lot more flags decorated the place. There was a more rustic feel to the atmosphere and decor too. After admiring the scenery, a tall mare briskly trotted past me, with a very pronounced gait. She looked a lot like me, but her hair was flowing and ever so slightly transparent. “Princess Opare!” I called out to the alicorn, but I was ignored. I followed the Princess and called to her again. “I’m sorry, but visitors are not allowed in the royal halls right now. Please, go home,” was the reply I got. What could I say back to that? “What’s wrong with you?” I asked her. “I’m far too busy to answer your questions right now.” She kept the cold air about her. “Maybe I could help you out with whatever you’re doing?” I persisted. I couldn’t have just shied away from the situation, as my place wasn’t exactly in this time period. She stopped and turned to face me. Looking down upon me to scan my features, her eyes widened as she realised how similar I looked to her. “Do I...know you?” “No, you don’t. I am just a lowly peasant from Ponyville. But I know a lot about you; I feel that I’m your most loyal subject!” I laughed good-naturedly, while Opare just stared at me, unsure-looking. “You are a...strange little pony. But if you aren’t going to go easily, you may as well help me with my task,” she announced. “Okay, and what’s that?” “I need you deliver this message to the Princess on the other side of the Castle, her name is Aora, but I assume you know that.” A scroll appeared from behind the tall, pumpkin coloured mare. “I’ll get this to her right away!” I rushed off before the warning of “She’s sleeping, so be careful” from Opare. The corridors seemed to be longer as I felt like I was running through them for a much longer time than in the future. I peeked through each of the doors to see if Aora was in that room, until I came to the fifth set of doors in a row. Slowly, I allowed the door to creak open before stepping inside. Even though I was being as quiet as I could be, I caused Aora to wake up. She truly bore the looks of her latest predecessor, Destiny, if a little different with hair and structure. “Uh...hello?” She spoke, confused about my sudden presence. “I apologise for disturbing you, but Princess Opare had me give a message to you.” I passed the scroll to the Princess of the dawn, and she unravelled it. “What...this scroll is blank. What is the meaning of this?” “Blank?! What do you mean?” I sharply questioned her. “Take a look for yourself...” Aora answered, beckoning me over to her side. She was right, there was no evidence of writing or anything on the message. I hastened my way out of the bedchambers without another word, and became annoyed with what Opare had made me do. She was so busy with a task that had absolutely no point! I paced back the way I came, trying to find the dusk Princess again. I noticed her in a room of study, so I entered, making a fuss as I went. “Why the stupid errand you gave me? Huh?!” “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. I just wanted to make a little joke, and interrupt Aora’s rest for humorous effect,” she stated, chuckling at my expense. “You think that’s funny? Me going a long way away for no such reason at all?” “Oh please, lighten up, young one. You must learn to laugh in this castle, as boredom is not welcome here.” I tried to calm down as much as I could. “What do you mean by that?” I asked. “Even if I’m the more serious sister Princess, I like having fun now and again. We all sometimes play tricks on each other. We may be somewhat pioneers in the activity, you could say.” She gave me a pleasant grin, inviting me to be more friendly with my ancestor. What was on my mind was the way I had become Opare that while ago, with the way that I acted. It was by far the opposite of what I’ve experienced just now. “Come, take a seat, have a cup of tea,” She generously offered. I sat in the surprisingly big, comfortable leather chair adjacent to her. She brought me a small teacup with her magic, and I took it from her. Sipping the tea gave me a warm feeling in my stomach, and the taste was better than any other hot drink I had tasted to this day. “So tell me, what brings you to our castle, at night?” She asked me, drinking her own tea carefully. “Well, Princess, I just...wanted to see you up close, and I don’t really have anywhere to go,” I nervously answered. “Is that so? Hmm. Actually, maybe I can make use of you. You see, my student Luna is having trouble with her training, and I’m not exactly the best of teachers. My sister, Aora, is the sociable one, as with me, I struggle to explain what I am talking about. So maybe you could help me translate what I do for little Luna, yes?” She had the need for my usage in her voice, and I just had to accept this, even if I wasn’t the best at explaining things either. “Uh, okay then. I’ll try my best to support you, your highness.” I gave her a hopeful smile, and she smiled back at me in approval. “We have a guest room available, so you can rest there in the meantime. Everypony’s asleep apart from me and the nightwatch guards, so I don’t have much more to provide for you. You must be tired, so I’ll show you to your quarters.” Opare put her magically suspended cup onto a table, and got up from her seat. I did the same, and I was escorted out of the room, then through the corridors. “Thank you for your generosity, Princess, I’m so glad that you’ve accepted me here.” “It’s my pleasure. Oh! How silly of me, I had forgotten to ask for your name.” “It’s Electric Blue. Thank you for asking,” I laughed softly. The Princess’ ears folded back, and then lifted up again. “And you don’t have to call me Princess. It’s not terribly formal inside the castle walls, so you should feel welcomed. Just address me as Opare, nothing more.” “Okay, Opare. Thanks again for all this,” I said with excitement, as getting to meet Opare was getting the better of me. To think back on this occasion, I’m actually walking next to my ancestor! I didn’t even know I had ancestors in this world, which was strange, as I transferred to this realm; I didn’t come from here. We stopped at yet another wooden door, and Opare opened it with her forehoof. “This is where you shall be staying. I hope it suits your needs?” “Oh yes, more than enough! A bed was all I needed, but guests have to be treated best, I suppose. You’ve been so kind,” I said to the orange alicorn, with a beaming face. “You’re quite welcome, Electric Blue. Aora will greet you in the morning, and perhaps you can watch Luna’s sister, Celestia too?” She said so me as I was already feeling the bed for its comfort. “Sure, I’d be happy to do that.” I got under the covers, and could feel the utter softness from the mattress. “Great. Good night, Blue.” Opare shut the door slowly. She called me by my preferred name on her own, too. Ponies who do that become closer as friends, for some reason, as I’ve noticed. I blew out the nearby candle and shut my eyes, ready to sleep soundly in this brilliantly built bed. Tomorrow I will be meeting the young versions of my current-day ruling princesses. Maybe I can tell them that I’m the real ruler of Equestria? I laughed aloud as I disregarded the idea. I wouldn’t want to be managing a world; I’m not cut out for that. Maybe if Destiny were by my side...Even so, that just wouldn’t happen. After clearing my mind of all the thoughts I had racing around, I settled and drifted off. I sat up from my laying position, seeing the rays of dusty light shine in through the large arch-shaped windows. Sitting in front of me was a pink haired, white coated, teenage looking alicorn. “Hi there, Electric Blue! My name is Celestia!” I rubbed my eyes in order to see better at the young mare. “Oh, good morning, miss Celestia.” Her inviting smile was warming to see, on this cold autumn morning. “Come, Celestia, we have much to do,” The voice of a pleasant Princess Aora said, moving away from the side of me, with the other white pony in tow. “You may join us if you like, Electric Blue, but you don’t have to rush.” I stretched, clicking some bones in my body to provide relief. Celestia used to have just a pink mane hey? I wonder if Luna had different features in her younger form... I got out of the highly comfortable bed, feeling the sudden chill of the air. Conveniently there was a thick black and white checked scarf hanging up on a wardrobe handle, so I took that and wrapped it around my neck. It didn’t cover all of my body, but it was better than nothing. Taking slow chase of the two visitors, I ended up in a partially enclosed courtyard, with a view over the whole of Canterlot and Ponyville, as well as the surrounding areas and forests. The local towns looked smaller and more rustic than in the modern versions, and a lot more trees surrounded them. It was still quite dark, as the sun had not been fully raised yet. “Now Celestia. Raising the sun is the most important task of the day, any day, as ponies need to function properly with the sun gazing down upon them. The sun makes them happy, and content with life. One day it won’t be my responsibility for that anymore, so it will be your turn to keep the ponies of Equestria happy,” Princess Aora lectured the young sun goddess in training. “But, how am I able to raise the sun on my own? It’s surely too heavy to lift!” Unsurety was in Celestia’s voice, as would be anypony’s if they had to lift up the giant ball of light by themselves. I cut in. “Deep within everypony contains a hidden power, stronger than they can ever imagine. One must call and handle that power to be able to use it effectively.” “That’s exactly correct, young Blue,” Aora praised me. “For you Celestia, you must harness that power inside you to control the sun, and raise it. If done right, you should be able to lift it without struggle.” “It just seems...impossible. But I must do it! I have to please you, my mentor.” The white and pink-haired teen mare kept her optimism to its full. She closed her eyes slowly, and stood completely still for a moment, as if she was searching inside herself. The horn on her head started to glow dimly, but flashed shortly afterwards, blinding me instantly. Even when I closed my eyes, the darkness that I would usually watch was replaced by pure light. I had to turn away as they felt like they were burning, but the light just grew even brighter. The sun itself had been manifested in Celestia, causing the heat and the light to flow over the castle, turning it into a shining white object, heating up more by each second. I tried to open my eyes to a squint, and I witnessed the sun soaring higher into the sky. The nearby light started to fade, and when I looked around to see the source, it was coming from Aora’s horn, instead of Celestia’s. “On the fifth try, you almost had it! Your potential was there, but it didn’t last long enough to sustain. It was a valiant attempt though, and so you’re getting there! Well done.” The dawn princess applauded her student by stamping her front hooves on the ground. I joined her, for moral support of the aspiring Celestia.