//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Troubled New Home: What's Old Is New Again // by SolvableSphinx //------------------------------// “Mwuhahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Luna laughed from her perch on top of the stone ring. “Are you done yet demon?” Vinyl Scratch asked drolly. “Hmm…. Not yet. HAHAHAHAHAHA!” “Ugh… not again…” Twilight muttered, blinking the spots from her eyes. Even as she still trying to oriented to her surrounds, she began to ask questions. “What happened?” “You got knocked out, the demon showed up, teleported us to an arena, and now we’re about to die,” Vinyl Scratch said. “That’s… brief…” Twilight said confused. “The ‘about to die’ part does that to folk,” Vinyl replied, looking down at Twilight. “Come on, get up. As long as there is life, there’s hope.” Twilight nodded, looking around. The fallen princess manically laughing was new, but not wholly unexpected. The ancient stone arena they found themselves in was. The walls were scortched clean of the vines that made them home, though for the most part the weeds in the actual pit itself remained. Some strange poles were still up, as well as what appeared benches with holes and extension the length of a leg. It was at that moment that Twilight Sparkle realized that she was in a scene from a Daring Doo novel. “Hahahahahahaha! Oh, I have you now, my little ponies. We abolished blood sports long ago, but the facilities here were just too good to pass up,” Luna said with a wild grin. “So is this the part where you monologue?” Twilight asked. “Oh no. I’m not going to monologue. By definition, your participation makes this conversation a dialogue,” Luna replied. “I was going to toy with you, but the yellow one killed me.” The two mares in the pit looked at each other in confusion. “Oh, not me myself. Not I. But a peace of me. A small part of me has died right now because of the yellow one. And now I’m afraid I might not be well,” Luna said with a dramatic sigh. “If you were even well to begin with,” Twilight muttered. “Are you going to antagonize the demon holding us against our wills?” Vinyl asked. “Maybe,” Twilight replied. “And the worst part is that the yellow one didn’t even kill the right part of me,” Luna continued to rant. “And that makes me sad. But I know something that will make me happy. Oh minions~!” At that moment several creatures jumped into the ring. They were somewhat familiar to Twilight. Canis minors, Leos, and even a small Scorpio. “These asterism beasts were not around in my time, but they make such great pets!” Luna said gleefully. “So you’re going to use constellation creatures to do your bidding?” Twilight asked incredulously. “No… I’m going to use asterism beasts to do my bidding,” Luna replied. “The proper term is constellation creature,” Twilight said. “I of all ponies should know.” “’I of all ponies should know.' Yet another sun follower shows their ignorance of the liberal science of basic astronomy” Luna mocked, before beginning her lecture. “Constellations are arbitrary division of the celestial sphere, which itself is an arbitrary projection based on our position in the galaxy. Asterisms are the patterns pony associate with the nighttime sky. Out of all the royalty out there, I should be one to know.” “That’s just… that’s not even wrong! I’ve never even heard of an asterism before now!” Twilight yelled. “It’s like you’re living in a different objective reality then I am!” “Listen, I know you’re not a believer, but could we please not antagonize the demon possessing my god’s body? She personifies the moon and stars. She would probably knows this sort of thing,” Vinyl said. “Can’t just drop it and focus on, you know, getting out of here alive?” “No. Because Princess Luna here is being so gods damn petty! Weren’t you all regal before this?!” Twilight yelled. “Oh, that’s probably the mental trauma. But it’s okay! My new pets get some meat, and I extract my admittedly petty pleasure from the act while plotting my revenge against the yellow one,” Luna replied. “So you’re just going to sit here and watch?” Twilight asked. “Oh no. I’m going to watch from the safety of my bedchambers, in case you get any ideas or somehow escape,” Luna replied. “Not if I can help it!” Twilight yelled, firing off a magical bolt at the self-proclaimed monarch. It passed harmless through Luna, the image of her fading. “Oh pets~,” Luna said. “Keep the white one alive. She’s observed basic courtesy, and I would like to promote that behavior in my subjects.” The creatures began to approach the duo slowly and warily, showing that they had an intelligence more advanced then basic preditors. Vinyl Scratch looked nervously at Twilight. “So… what now?” the Mennonite-like unicorn DJ asked. “Now I have to figure out how to save the day really, really quickly,” Twilight replied. “Fulfillment of prophecy seems to be a big thing right now. Any ideas?” "Not right now," Vinyl replied. "So, which one is the yellow one?" "Probably Applejack. She's always been one of the fighty one," Twilight replied. Rainbow Dash flew over the forest, quickly finding the source of their troubles down stream. A long purple dragon, a water serpent Rainbow Dash quickly remembered, was having a crying fit. Which in itself was bad, but the fact that dragons are as a species somehow tied to concepts in a similar manner to the royals tended to complicate things further. “Hello?” Rainbow Dash asked. Since there was no response, she yelled a little louder. “Hello?!” The serpent looked down to her, still crying. For some reason the first thing Rainbow Dash noticed was it’s amazing moustache, as well as its full head of red hair. Which was strange. But then again, she had seen stranger while adventuring with Rarity. “Good sir dragon, I am humbly referred to as Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow Dash began in another language, polyglot. It was one of a few useful things that she picked up in her travels, a language which was reproducible by most species capable of conventional speech. “I ask of thee if you can understand the manner of my speech, and if it current form is thusly acceptable to one of your stature?” “Oh, honey, you don’t need to speak so formally,” the dragon replied. “I can understand you just fine, it’s just… nobody understand me!” he replied, before he began to cry again, churning up the river. “Thank God for that,” Rainbow Dash replied, before quickly “Because she left me!” “Hey,” Rainbow Dash said. “Hey buddy! I can’t exactly give you a comforting leg around your shoulder. I’m willing to listen and help if you’d ACTUALLY TALK, okay?!” The water serpent sniffled. “Okay.” “Okay. So, relationship troubles?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yeah,” the water serpent said despondently. “Who… what… was it?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Oh, another dragon. Her polyglot name is Draco. Awfully masculine if you asked me, especially for someone who is so pretty. Beautiful as the stars. And then…” He began to sniffle. “And then that evil mare walked into our lives and beguiled her away. What if it’s my fault? What if… what if I’m the one who ruined dragons for her? Oh what to do what to do?!” “What’s your polyglot name?” Rainbow Dash asked, aware that the name actually given to him was probably not pronouncable by ponies. “Steve,” the purple water serpent replied. “Okay then, Steve,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m decent with kids. And might be able to do something about this relationship.” “Oh, you can?!” Steve replied, seemingly starried eye. “Now hold the applecart there!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I said might. It would be a long shot.” “… but it will still be a shot right?” Steve asked. “Only if you promise to let go if it ends up not working out,” Rainbow Dash replied. “But…” “Promise!” Rainbow Dash said, now eye level with Steve. Steve flinched a little bit by the surprise and the suddenness of the action. “Okay then. I promise,” Steve said sullenly. He then looked at her. “Thank you. This is more then most beings would offer me.” “No problem,” Rainbow Dash replied with a grin. “Now if you don’t mind my asking… mind helping a couple of friends of mine across the river?” The group of four ponies quietly made their way through the dense forest. Lyra was the one holding the hoof cannon with her magic, her aim much more precise then the other ponies with her magic in theory and it was her turn to be the gun bunny. Bon Bon seemed to be most aware of her surrounds, eyes darting to unseen threats as she was on point. Derpy brought up the rear, her one good eye doing much the same as the younger of the Pie triplets continued to pray quietly. “You think that’s going to do you good?” Derpy asked. “Do you not believe in the creators?” Pinkie asked. “Oh, I believe in the creators. It’s you’re Princess Luna that I doubt,” Derpy replied. “Everything will go according to the prophecy,” Pinkie said, before looking doubtfully to the side. “It has to.” “Well, right now the best thing for you to do is keep your eyes forward. You’ll never know what’s going to…” it was then that the militia sergeant screamed. A yellow and red shape, much like that of a pegasus, blurred out from the woods. Lyra attempted to fire the hoof canon, but was kicked in the ribs and lost control of her magic. Bon Bon began to charge, only to quickly stop when that shape held the canon to her face. “If I were a predator, you would all be dead now,” a gentle voice, like steel wrapped in velvet said. It was Fluttershy, to everyone’s surprise. She didn’t seem entirely aware, a vaguely vacant look in her eyes. When she looked down at what she held in her hooves, dropping it with a horrified scream. “Ranger Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked, concern quickly overwhelming her voice. “I… I… I don’t... I tried to be… I just don’t know what went wrong,” Fluttershy whimpered, before she began to sob, collapsing to the ground. “Hey, hey, I’m here,” Pinkie said, giving the other a gentle hug. “It’s okay. It’s okay. What’s wrong?” “I didn’t mean to… I was so messy. They weren’t real ponies but… I don’t know. I don’t know,” she was quietly crying right now, the militia ponies looking between each other and then the pair. All three of them were particularly sympathetic. They have all seen battle sickness, after all, or even experienced it themselves. The horror of the trenches, the aftermath of artillery, the wounded from posse skirmishes… the militia ponies had all seen horror. But not like this. What Fluttershy was going through seemed more feral… more veseral. And it frankly scared everyone a little. “Nothing’s pure in this world,” Fluttershy said softly, somehow seeming like the loudest thing in the forest. “Everything has been tainted. Even near Ponyville. Especially near Ponyville.” The group looked between each other, while Pinkamina continued to comfort the sobbing pony. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Things will work out.” “No they won’t,” Fluttershy said. “Yes they will,” Pinkamina said. “No they won’t,” Fluttershy replied. “They will,” Pinkie ground out. “They won’t. Too many bloodlines have been tainted,” Fluttershy said, sounding like a completely different pony. She then laughed bitterly. “Yet yours remains pure, despite your desire to serve your defiled god. How ironic.” “Fluttershy,” Pinki began. “You’re a good pony and you do Ponyville and Equestria a great service, so I won’t hold what you say against you right now but you need to SNAP OUT OF IT!” Fluttershy began to cry again. Pinkamena hugged her again. “I’m sorry Fluttershy. But ponies need you right now. We’ll sort everything out later. Okay?” The yellow pony finished crying, slowly standing up on her own hooves. She wipped away the last of her tears, unknowing spreading red in a streak across her face, before looking at everyone with a renewed determination. “Alright,” she said quietly, steel in her voice once more. “I’m good at tracking. What are we trying to find?” “What’s this thing?” Applejack asked, pointing to one of the mask. “A valued friend,” Zecora replied, flipping through a couple of pages, before putting it into her own saddle bag. “And these things?” Applejack asked again, pointing to another shelf, this one filled with a variety of small bottles labeled in a language she didn't seem to understand. “Potions of love unending,” Zecora replied again, taking a few of the said potions and putting them in special velvet lined boxes, before putting those relatively small boxes into the saddle bag as well. “And this thing?” Applejack asked, pointing to the cauldron at the center of the room. “… words are failing me,” Zecora said flatly, before going back to packing. “Oh, come on,” Applejack said flatly. “You aren’t going to tell me what you are doing straightwise, right?” “Another day is passing by, Yet the ponies know not better, Things that are rushed end badly, Yet planning brings misfortune, Especially to the cursed. Preparedness must be our way, For time is short, lives also, Especially in peril, So heeding danger we go, Into a forest unknown, Save for the evil that lives there.” Applejack stared at the zebra for a few moments, huffing a little. “I liked it better when you were speaking in word puzzles.” “Do you wish to see your friends?” Zecora asked. “You take care of family and friends,” Applejack replied. “Then come with me, see this adventure through to the end.” With that Zecora finished packing, and began walking into the forest. Lacking anything better to do, Applejack followed along behind her. “RARITY! RARITY! WHERE THE MOTHERHUMPING BUCK ARE YA’, RARITY!” Rainbow Dash yelled out as she flew over the Everfree. It wasn’t that she disliked flying. When you’re a pegasus, flying came as easy as walking. But it just didn’t seem to feel right sometimes. Her own pegasus magic had been directed towards traditionally Earth pony ends, and she felt closer to the ground and the trees then the air and the clouds. And this forest… it just didn’t feel natural. Not to Rainbow Dash. Every instinct was screaming that things were wrong, that the natural world around this area needed to be managed and she just didn’t know where to begin. But it was worst then that. There was wild beyond being overgrown. Strange magic that seemed to be drawing from some other plane, where this place served as an intersection between this world and another one. Rainbow Dash shook her head slightly, deciding instead to land closer to the ground. She was surprised by how philosophical she could get as a farmer, scientist, and gentlemare adventurer. As hooves touched dirt once more, she realized that to find Rarity she would have to do something she was loathed to do. Rainbow Dash would have to think like the gol darn girl. “Now, let’s see…” she began. “Rarity likes to go around pretendin’ to be all fru fru an’ stuff, but she’s just as much a country girl as ah am. She just likes to wrap it up different since she got that fancy piece o’ paper from Bale U. So she’s gonna’ get all antsy and hot headed and decide that she should go ahead and get in a scrap then leave me be, even though ah got this. “Which means she would follow me, and this ain’t exactly her first rodeo. Least not since I dragged her to a couple, or that strange sort of rodeo that’s really a fertility festival the cannibalistic reindeer mares of darkest Occidentia had that we escape from a few years back. And she has that walkin’ killin’ machine with her, so… “She’s gonna be right where I was, ain’t she?” “Oh, poor dear,” Rarity said, as she patiently listened to Steve’s tales of romantic woe. “Oh, I just know,” he said, sniffling a little bit before going to ground level. “The rainbow one said that she would help, but…” “Our little zap apple just doesn’t understand matters of the heart,” Rarity said, gently patting the water serpent’s clawed hand. “Your love sounds like a professional girl. I’m not sure if trying to woo her would be worth it for you.” “But I have to try,” Steve whined. “I know dear. We all do,” Rarity said. She then raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been told this, but you have a magnificent moustache.” “Oh, isn’t it just,” Steve replied. He stood up as proudly as a creature supported by an unnatural river could. “It took forever to get it just right. You just don’t know how hard it is to get the right conditioners all the way out here.” “You have to tell me, just which one do you use,” Rarity asked. Steve looked around. “Can you keep a secret?” “Of course, dear,” Rarity replied. He leaned in, quietly whispering something into the uniformed pony’s ear. Rarity’s expression told it all as she widened her eyes. “I can’t believe it,” she quietly said. “Oh, I was the same way at first too, but honey, it is just perfect,” Stephen said, back to his usual posture. “It’s firm enough to hold everything you want, but it doesn’t crust over and it’s good for skin and scales. You know how Princess Celestia and the She-King God of the Diamond Dogs get their mane and hair to just look divine.” “I will have to investigate this further,” Rarity said, before noting the cursing fit that came from the forest. Rainbow Dash stumbled out of the bramble, landing on her face with an ‘oof’ before looking up, peaking an eye through her cowboy had. “You could have waited for me dear,” Rarity said mildly. “Funny, ah thought ah would have told ya’ the same thing,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Couldn’t you have flown back?” Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash mumbled, incoherent except for a few curses. “What was that,” Rarity asked, playfully flicking an ear. “Ya’ coulda waited a few. I just felt like walkin’. Don’t care if pegasi live up in cloud cities, it just ain’t natural to be up in the air all the time. Even birds stand on the ground from time t’ time, ya’ know?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Would you mind giving us an escort, kind Sir Dragon,” Rarity asked in the most formal tone she could. “Yes. Would you kindly escort this pain in the flank Princess for me,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’d be a real load off my shoulders.” “I thought we agreed never to speak of that again,” Rarity ground out. “An’ ah thought ah told ya’ not t’ go wanderin’ off,” Rainbow Dash pointed. “Ladies, please, don’t fight,” Steve said, hands held up in a placating manner. “I’ll be happy to guide you out. Where do you need to go?” “We would like to find our friends,” Rarity said mildly. “Hmm… well, I know a few monsters who know a few hawks who might know where they are. Let’s start there first.”