//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Follow the Leader // Story: The Harmony War // by Ten Speed //------------------------------// “So what are you?” The question caught me off guard. I had thought I'd be the one to break the silence, not Twilight. In a short time we had made it out of Canterlot and into a wooded area where we made our way along the banks of a river. “I'm a human.” It was strange to say. “Well you obviously aren't a pony. Are you a soldier?” the same almost uninterested tone as before. She never even glanced back but kept her focus straight ahead. “Yes, why do you ask?” “I'm trying to figure out why The Elements would choose you,” she said as she picked her way through the brush. “that still doesn't tell me why it matters that I'm a soldier,” I replied gruffly ducking branches Twilight easily walked under. “It doesn't matter,” Twilight replied. I paused for a second confused. “Frankly I don't believe your capable of controlling The Elements but if you're a soldier you can still be useful. You at should at least know how to fight in any case,” she stated dryly. “HEY!” I shouted as my temper flared, “I never asked to be brought here! I want nothing to do with this!” “I already told you, I had no clue who or what that spell would bring here,” she replied calmly. “Princess Celestia sacrificed herself bringing you here believing you could make a difference so why don't you show a little respect.” I sighed and curbed my anger. “I'm sorry.” It wasn't sincere but I didn't care. “Is there anything else you wanna know?” I asked annoyed. “When we first met you said you knew who we were. My question is how?” she asked in a puzzled manner dismissing her previous disinterest, but she still didn't bother to face me. I let out a sigh as I wiped my face. “This will be interesting,” I thought. I told Twilight everything I knew, everything I thought could be relevant. I was from Earth, magic didn't exist there but we had television and that's where I had learned about this place and who they were. She didn't quite understand, and believed that what we had a device that allowed us to observe other worlds or dimensions without being noticed. I explained to her that that's not how it worked and that her world was a fabrication created in someones imagination. She really didn't like that and we argued, but I conceded seeing as I was here and it seemed real enough that I wasn't questioning if I was dead or in a dream anymore. I continued to go into details about the show, racking my brain for anything I could remember, various locations and the things her and her friends had done. Had I paid attention I would have noticed her cringe any time I mentioned the other ponies. “I-I think I understand,” she said bringing a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “Good, now I think it's time you answered some of my questions,” I demanded. “Fine,” she said hotly as she glared at me with contempt, “but we should keep moving.” Again we were moving through dense foliage along a river. “OK, first off; where the hell are we going?” “The Everfree Forest.” she stated bluntly, “We're trying to avoid Ponyville, it's more trouble than we need right now.” “Why?” “You said you had watched us. If you recall Discord had planned to turn Ponyville into the chaos capitol of the world. Well he succeeded,” Twilight replied in annoyance. I could feel my temper rising again. I asked my next question. “Trixie said you couldn't use magic, what did she mean? Why can't you use magic?” This question had been bugging me, I didn't understand how she could help perform a spell if she couldn't use magic. She stopped. “Because my horn is broken!” she fumed as she turned around to face me. Those Violet eyes burning through me. “When a unicorns horn is broken their magic either becomes too unstable to use or they lose the ability completely. Believe me, if I could use magic I would but I can't even turn a page in a book anymore!” “If you can't use magic then how in the hell did you bring me here!?” I shouted back at her. “I told you Princess Celestia sacrificed her life to get you here! The spell we used is kept in a forbidden wing of the Canterlot Library. Those spells are over a thousand years old!” She shouted vehemently, “The reason they're forbidden and locked away is because almost all those spells require two ponies, one being what is only referred to as “The Catalyst”. Somepony to surrender their life as they perform the spell! IT doesn't use normal magic and anypony could use those spells!” I'd taken enough scolding from this little pony. “You know what? To hell with this! I'm done playing follow the leader in this god forsaken place! Why don't you go back to your friends and solve your own damn problems! I don't-” Before I could finish, before I could even react she had bucked me square in the chest. The air rushed out of my lungs as I was knocked to the ground. My first instinct was to go for the knife strapped to my boot but it wasn't there. Instead it was against my throat as Twilight held it in her mouth. Her face twisted in rage as she took heaving breaths. She hated me. I narrowed my eyes at her, daring her to use it but then something happened that I didn't expect. Her impregnable demeanor began to crack. That impenetrable facade melted away as tears began to soak her cheeks. In her eyes... it wasn't hate, it was pain. She dropped the knife as she turned away letting me up. I was still trying catch my breath after being kicked so hard. “Are you alright?” I coughed dusting myself off. My anger was gone and was instead replaced with sympathy and confusion. “She had me dead to rights,” I thought to myself. I had no doubt she could have killed me without a second thought if she wanted to, her grief was something else. “It's... It's just... I..” she stammered as the tears continued to run across her cheeks staining her fur. “I miss them so much!” she blurted out sobbing uncontrollably. She collapsed to the ground and covered her face with her hooves. “They're all gone! I tried! But I just- I just couldn't... Don't you see? That's why we need you!” she raised those remorseful eyes towards me as she sat up. She was utterly broken. For the first time I realized just how angry and selfish I've been since I've lost my daughter. How spiteful I've been since Twilight brought me here. I had lost everything and given up. I didn't believe I had a reason to live let alone deserved to but looking into the sorrow that filled those big lavender eyes I realized she had lost just as much as I had. No... More. Not only had she lost everyone and everything she loved but the very fabric of her world was being torn apart at the seams. Yet somehow she had found the strength to keep on. She hadn't dishonored her memories as I had. My shame was too much to bear and my guilt consumed me. At that moment I vowed I would do whatever it took to help Twilight and make things right. For her, for myself, for my daughter. Of all the promises I've made and broken, this one I'd keep or I'd die trying. I fought back the tears welling up as I knelt down and hugged her tightly. Hot tears stained my shirt as she buried her head in my shoulder. “We'll make this right Twilight. I promise.”