My mind was drawing a blank.
What is my name?
Everything seemed to spin around me. Who am I? I’m not a pony… I know that… I just don’t remember what’s my name… There’s got to be somepo-someone that knows!
I glanced around, purposely avoiding Princess Sparkle. I just wanted to see the right po- person, but all I could see were the high arcs of rock and the darker stained glass. The castle had rarely felt this unwelcoming.
Calx would know! My whole body seemed to tense with the realization, followed by the other one, that of him being with Pinkie Pie.
Princess Sparkle looked on the verge of calling for help.
I did not need to see a doctor or whoever that would lead me to. I knew exactly which pony I had to look for right now. My little brother.
And hope his head was clearer than mine.
“I… I am fine, Princess Sparkle,” I said with some difficulties.
“Did you even look at yourself?! It looked as if you had an aneurysm!” Her ears twitched.
I would have liked the aneurysm better! “I apologize for frightening you, but I can assure you that I am not in need of medical attention.”
The look she gave me was so flat that the monitor of a patient in cardiac arrest would seem off the chart in comparison.
“Look, Prince Ventus, I am not interested in that bridge to the Crystal Empire you want to sell me too.”
Ouch. “I’d give you a discount?” I tried a shy smile.
She did not look amused. “Prince Ventus! This is serious.”
“So am I, Princess Sparkle.” I straightened out, fighting the overpowering vertigo tilting my balance sideways. “I do not need medical attention.”
“You know I could still call out the guards and ask them to escort you to the infirmary, right?” The lavender alicorn looked definitely unimpressed.
I met her gaze head on, not moved. “I cannot help notice the lack of cries for help on your part at this moment.”
“Don’t hold your breath.” She warned, tensing a little, enough to be clearly noticeable.
Ah come on, I already know what’s wrong. And I want nothing more than to find the one possible cure and it won’t come from a pony doctor… Gotta step up my game or Twilight will not let me go. I sighed dramatically. “I suppose the truth can wait a couple of years, when you are more experienced with your new responsibilities.”
Her whole body froze. With a startle, she came to a screeching halt, eyes widening and iris shrinking together. “A-a couple of years?”
“Well, obviously I will not be able to talk to you if I go see a doctor right now and my brother really doesn’t know all that much about the knowledge you are asking for.”
“B-but why years?” Wait… Was she pouting?
“Well, I intend to return to our home as quickly as possible.”
She took a step backward, ears drooping. Clearly, that one had taken her by surprise. Her voice was rather quiet after that. “W-what? Why?”
The tone alone was enough to make me cringe in shame. I hadn’t intended to hurt her or offend her or anything. A sigh escaped my mouth. “Understand, Princess Sparkle, that my brother was believed to be missing for about a week. I haven’t been able to contact our parents at all and had it not been for the Sun Mare’s convocation, we would already be gone.”
“T-that’s… wow…” Twilight glanced to her left. “I hadn’t thought of it this way…”
I looked down, feeling my ears drooped at the same time. “Yes, but our continued absence must be wearing them both down and we cannot afford to stay much longer.” Lest they… they decide to…
Oh Elders, I was going to be sick.
A warm touch rose my chin up. I was forced to look into Twilight’s eyes. They shone with compassion.
“I understand.” She gave me a gentle smile. “There’s no need to explain further.”
A small spark of fire lit up in my chest, flickering out almost instantly, but the gesture itself had had an effect on me. I was touched that she tried to empathize with me like this. It probably justified that skip in my heartbeat.
Slightly relieved, I glanced in the direction Pinkie had gone with Tom, biting my lips.
“Do you want to go see if Pinkie managed to cheer up your little brother?” She read my mind.
“Y-yes, I would like that…”
With just a nod of acknowledgment, I started trotting toward the place my little brother had disappeared to.
A few moments passed in silence, during which at most, one could hear the echoes of our hooves against the ground.
I did not hate that. Just getting a chance to clear up my head before having to make up another lie on the spot, that was nice too. But… Wait, what lies? That’s how everything’s always been, right?
A pit of unease settled down in my stomach. Part of me knew something was wrong with my mind and the other insisted that I was growing paranoid.
I shook my head, mentally chastising myself. Gee, Ventus, get a grip.
“I-if you don’t mind me asking…” Princess Sparkle’s voice grabbed my attention, making me glance her way. “What was wrong with him? He seemed so… different from usual. So… depressed.”
“I…” The weight of it was just too much. My shoulders slumped and my head hung low. It was beyond my strength to carry on for that much longer. “There is a rather depressing reason behind it.”
Why would Father… it… it just wasn’t right… The rules were a bit severe, that I always knew, but… Eh, did Great-Auntie Lexia blow a casket again? She really needs to -The hell am I thinking?
I felt my breath brutally come to a halt, my eyes widening greatly. The next second though, I clenched my teeth, closing my eyes again, a grunt of irritation building up in my throat.
My head hurt, badly. It was a slow build-up that, I knew, wouldn’t stop anytime soon.
“Prince Ventus?” Princess S- …Twilight asked, her wings almost brushing against my sides.
“I… It is nothing,” I lied.
“Are we doing this again?” She deadpanned.
That elicited a chuckle from me. “No, I apologize. We will not be having that exchange again.” Pretending to be fine, I straightened my posture again and cleared my throat. “The reason for my little’s brother depression is the fact that we are being punished by not being granted access to our home again, until an unspecified date later.”
Her jaw dropped. “W-wha-?!”
My mouth moved faster than my brain could register – and try to stop the phenomenon, to no avail. “Yes, the Elders have decided that it would be a fitting punishment for throwing Equestria out of balance.”
“I-” She blinked.
I wanted to stop, but I… at the same time, I didn’t want to. Celestia’s beard! It was so freaking liberating to be truthful! Every word of explanation felt like a shackle being broken, even if it was on such a minimal lie. “One could call it fair, considering that our succeeding arrivals might have tipped the universal balance enough to allow an abomination into this world.”
She was immobile.
Oh crap… did I break Twilight? Tentatively, I waved a hoof in front of her face, trying not to stare too hard at the popped blood vessels in her eyes. That was rather creepy.
Finally, with one last eye twitch, her brain seemed to have settled on one detail.
She placed her full attention on me and, growling, she pushed me back with a hoof. “Y-you tricked me!”
Well, that wasn’t what I expected… “Did I?” I tilted my head.
“YES!” She almost shouted, her indignation making her frown darkly. “You said that you would be leaving as quickly as possible, maybe quickly enough so that we may not have that conversation! You lied to me!”
“I also told you that I didn’t need to go see the doctor. As you can see, I am still standing.”
For a second, she simply glared at me.
“Fine… I’ll let it slide one last time, but if you get another one of those episodes, I can promise you you will find yourself strapped to an hospital’s bed faster than you can say ‘Apologies, Princess Sparkle’ with that sweet suave voice of yours.”
…
We both seemed to realize exactly what she had said at the exact same moment. My face felt like it exploded with warmth, just as Twilight’s cheeks took on a much darker shade and her eyes started drifting away in every possible direction.
Half amused, half horrified, I could not resist a little dig at her. “You… think my voice is suave?”
“No!” She yelled, suddenly skittish as a squirrel. “I-I mean, yes! Well, no offense, it’s just a nice voice, not a super suave, pleasant-for-the-ears, ‘I would love to hear that reciting the periodic table in my ears’, famous actor-like, voice, you know what I mean?!”
I stifled a snort. Wow, that was surprisingly cute.
“I believe I d-”
She cut me off brutally. “What was that about you not being authorized to come visit Equestria on account of some mysterious balance thingy?!”
The bubbles of carefree joy all popped out at once. That’s sobering.
“Beings like me are not allowed to interfere, not under normal circumstances.” I averted my gaze, feeling more heat spread to my cheeks. My next words were a whisper, but not the kind Twilight had confessed to fantasizing about. “There are things greater than an individual’s feelings…”
I had broken the rules. It was shameful, but true. I had let my emotions guide my actions and jumped right in after Calx, whose disappearance had caused too much inner turmoil already. The fact that our father had discovered one of his most powerful artifacts missing the same day… well, I could remember the look on his face at the moment of the discovery.
“There were moments in your history when hope seemed lost, when the horizon showed nothing but promises of bitter tears, and still, we weren’t able to come down to help you.” A lemon yellow mare, her smiling image superposing itself with that of her face broken by tears of fear. Then, a blade that falls down and an arc of red. “Otherwise, greater disruption could have been born. The world follows a strict rule, enforced by the spirit of Harmony itself. No interference, lest you give your opposite the right to act as well…”
Her body almost jerked forward, a ripple of indignation seemed to go through her. “Y-you were watching? And you did nothing?!”
“The balance mustn’t be upset,” I confirmed with a firm, yet pained voice.
“But this is… it feels…” She looked down, a look of confusion, anger and pain on her face.
A part of me moved my hooves before I could think of stopping them and I lifted her chin gently.
“Heartless?” I supplied the word, but regretted it when she flinched. Her constant dorkiness had just up and vanished… “I’m afraid you misunderstand me.”
“H-how?”
“The Harmony I speak of is not an equal balance. There isn’t an act of evil committed for every act of good, nor is there a death for each birth. That would be heartless.” The impulse to make her happier, to comfort her, sent a lightning bolt through me and my horn glowed with magic in response.
The curtains in front of the nearest window were pushed aside by a breeze that was generated from nowhere. We were allowed a clean view of the azure sky and the multiple clouds above. “What I speak of…”
I lead her to the window, toward the outside world, where the sun touched the gardens of Canterlot Castle. The sight, as it had always been I imagined, was breathtaking. Everything was a delicate yet complex structure of life, plants over stone, ponies amongst the statues.
“…Is Harmony, between Order and Chaos.”
“I’m… not sure I understand. What you speak of sounds nice on paper, but I can’t help think that maybe, j-just may-” My hoof on her shoulder silenced her.
“Do you see these flowers, Twilight?”
She almost jumped at the sudden use of her name.
“I-I do… Ventus…” She squeaked my name timidly, trying to get better used to that level of familiarity. That’s actually kind of cute.
“Those flowers… they are ponies. Just like you and your friends, Twilight.” I saw her gaze lock onto a tall flower, one who was as tall as a pony, with red petals and an orange center. “Alicorns are forces of guidance, of Law, just like that gardener over there. With a little tending to, they grow strong and beautiful.”
Aw crap… that really sounded like I’m flirting with her. Sure enough, a slight blush now occupied Twilight’s cheeks.
“Thank you…” She whispered in her embarrassment, focusing her gaze on the flower.
Face heating up, I cleared up my throat, trying to get my panic under control. “Too much intervention however… and you have a lawn. Practical, but certainly not awe-inspiring or simply as beautiful.” I tilted my head away from the ground, then toward the stone walls and the climbing vines. They were a real mess… “Not enough and everything grows out of control.”
I saw her eyes lit up. I knew she was starting to truly understand.
“Harmony is that state of balance when the guidance is not enough for mortals to grow complacent and when the disruption is just enough to keep them fighting for more out of life. It is not a matter of arbitrary balance, nor of an equal number of good and evil. If twenty alicorns are needed to allow mortals to live good lives, then it will be so. If none are needed, then that is how it shall be. The same… goes for the forces of disruption…”
“B-but then…”
“Princess Celestia is an extraordinary ruler. She has maintained a state of Harmony over her kingdom for a thousand years without major disruption. Even when the events started to move again, she kept the upper hoof until the end. Now, she has made the single most decisive act that will ensure a much greater harmony for her subjects.”
“W-what is that, Ventus?”
My eyes found hers. They were filled with curiosity. I had grown terrified of what wise words I would spout out of nowhere. “She released Discord.”
Her expression was that of pure shock. Suddenly, it was as if dozens of connections were made in her head. I could see the impulses travel behind those eyes. “S-she… you mean…”
“Yes, by converting and convincing the Spirit of Chaos to settle down as much as he did, while still free in your world, Celestia has almost completely ensured that another alicorn could exist within Equestria without creating any conflict.”
She frowned, slowly processing what I had revealed to her. “Then, the ways she wanted him ‘to put his powers to good use’ was so I could…”
Was she mad? Crap! Had I made her mad at her mentor? Great! Now I’m sure cousin Celly will be rea- …cousin Celly? What the buck? Urgh… let’s just hope I didn’t repay kindness with driving a wedge between the two.
“It was so you could fulfill your destiny on better terms.”
“All that… for me?” Her wings clasped harder against her body, just as she subconsciously shrank down on herself.
“I believe my dear cousin finds you most precious to her heart.”
It seemed as if I had stunned her, with just that simple truth. Seriously? Anypony could see it.
For a moment, I just stayed in place, unable to decide if I should try to get her out of her reverie. It didn’t seem like a bad place for her mind to wander to; at most, her eyebrows were slightly furrowed together, as if she was pensive.
So, yeah, on all four, wings retracted, tail twitching, I was sort of waiting for her to snap out of it.
This is just uncomfortable…
The sound of laugher and giggles reached my ears. Instinctively, I perked up, trying to locate its source. I knew it very well too.
It was coming from the very same gardens we had been staring at.
“Come on, Bladey! You can’t catch me!”
Breathe hitching, I almost jumped forward, sticking my head out of the window with my front legs resting on the border. Hearing his nickname being called had pulled my complete attention to the gardens below.
Ignoring the wind that was making my mane whip in my face, I looked down, trying to spot them both.
Green… green… My eyes went from one corner to another. Green… grey… green… AH PINK!
I stifled the cry of triumph, a remnant of decorum somehow still implanted in my brain. Clearing my throat, I summoned the more regal voice I started using in this place, with a nagging part of my brain insisting that Twilight would approve.
“Miss Pie!” I called, a hint of light from my horn ensuring the words were carried away to her.
The effect was instantaneous.
Below, the pink shape of a mare came to a screeching halt, quickly enough to give any observer whiplash. Her mane even stretched like a rubber band, almost zooming past her head.
Eh, at this point, I had given up on the mechanisms of Pinkie.
She turned her head sideways, before a light bulb lit up over her and she looked up. “Hey Ventus! Wanna come down and play?”
Before I had the time to reply though, a little blue form barreled into her. Wincing, I did not need to stretch my hearing to hear the resounding “Gotcha!” my little brother shouted.
“Ooooh, that had to hurt.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. T-Twilight? When did she…?
She chuckled, oblivious to my small heart attack. “Your little brother really likes to play rough, doesn’t he?”
I grinned, only slightly mirked by the comment, but mollified by the fond light in her eyes.
“Should we take Pinkie on her offer? I heard water balloon fights are quite refreshing.” Even as she said it, she couldn’t help glance at her mentor’s sun.
“Ah.” I stifled back a laugh. “I believe this might be quite refreshing indeed, Princess Sparkle. However, I would simply like to ask you if you know who you are up against.”
--
James Miller stared at the billboard in his workplace’s restroom.
He couldn’t explain his need to do it. He just did.
It had been the exact same thing for as far back as he could remember, since the first day he had started working there.
Every day, he had looked at the faces of children and teenagers, sometimes aged up by some computer program and he had felt his guts twist inside with sympathy. At the back of his mind, there had been a cold dread, a healthy sense of paranoia that had made him imagine the worst.
--
“Dun dun…”
Wait…
“Dun dun…”
Baffled, I glanced around rapidly, trying to identify the source of that soundtrack. Well, I was fairly sure it was Pinkie, judging by the high-pitched noise, but still, what the heck?
“Geronimo!”
I barely span fast enough to see it coming. Crap, I was going to get hit!
Psych! I grinned, letting the item hit my wind barrier.
With a wet pop, the balloon exploded from the pressure exerted by its wielder’s hooves and its content splashed all over the mare.
“Oh noooooooooo!” She screamed melodramatically, flailing as she let herself hit the ground limply.
Darn, that was pretty funny. I let out a very undignified snort. “It isn’t about timing, Miss Pie.”
“And…” She gasped, spasm running through her body. “I was so…” Her voice turned into a pained wheeze. “Sure…”
Pinkie’s head fell to the ground, her expression frozen, her eyes now glassy and empty of life. Internally, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
Score: Twilight, Calx and Pinkie: 0, Me: 4. Oh yeah… Still got it.
So far, I was a complete beast. With the exception of a close call from one of Pinkie’s off-screen teleport and a montage, I had been able to deflect each and every assault with a solid wall of air.
To be entirely fair though, Twilight’s anti-magic fields were seriously becoming quite problematic. I had almost gotten hit the first time she used them. Only great reflexes had saved me from an improvised shower.
The memory brought a smug smirk to my lips. Oh, my reply had been great too. “I am afraid I will not be defeated by this kind of – what is the term? – ‘egghead’s trick’?”
My playful banter had shocked her long enough for Calx to snipe her from above. The little squirt had a surprisingly dangerous airborne strategy. Well, dangerous for anyone that didn’t have control over air.
Careful, Ventus, you might burn someone with all the hot air going out of your mouth, I chastised myself… weakly. I was just having way too much fun.
“You’re wide open!” A shout made me jump.
Eyes widening, I swirled around.
Tartarus no! I’m not losing after all that mental bragging! With a snarl, I magically yanked a statue out of its pedestal and forced it into the balloon’s path. However, instead of exploding against the solid stone like logic dictated, purple light suddenly flashed from behind the statue and the next thing I saw was a speeding balloon aimed at my head.
I recoiled backward. I have to-!
Red plastic zoomed right in front of my muzzle, tickling it with its magical aura.
I let out a sigh of relief.
Water splashed all over my face.
For a brief second, I could not breath, liquid going up my muzzle and down my mouth. The impact had been rather impressive.
Soaking wet, sputtering and spitting to get that water out of my face, I turned around wildly, trying to catch sight of the one responsible for that. Most likely Pinkie, if only due to the way it had come out of nowhere!
But no, Pinkie was still lying on the ground, faithful to her role as a fallen enemy until a new game.
“H-how?” I stuttered, blinking and trying to spot Twilight.
“Starswirl’s third principle of spell traces combined with his second theory of restoration.” My heart almost squeezed. One should not be so nerdy when being so smug. “Any and all spell leaves a lingering trace for a duration proportional to the amount of magic put into it. One can use lingering magic to replicate a spell 30% faster than it could otherwise be casted.”
I was torn between indignation and admiration, to be honest. I could admit to having been made to eat my words.
“Impressive, Princess Sparkle,” I complimented, shaking my head to dry it a little. “You certainly are a dangerous opponent with this anti-magic aura of yours.”
“Well, I am the Alicorn of Friendship, after all.” She lifted her nose slightly, quite proud of herself. “Magic is second nature to me.”
“Winning is mine,” I shot back, levitating a hoofful of balloons with just the surrounding breezes.
“We’ll see about that,” she countered, arming herself with some ammunition.
A self-conscious part of our brains brought our attention to our situations. Us, both royal alicorns, threatening one another with water balloons, myself having to move some sticky strand of white hair away from my eyes to see.
Not that Twilight fared much better. Her careful, squarely cut mane was just as dripping wet, but after bumping into a statue, she had decided to tie it up on the side. It was a little cute too.
The staring intensified. If some guard decided to walk in at this precise moment, he’d probably be drowned on reflexes alone.
Neither of us backing down, yet neither stepping up, our gazes locked into the other’s, we waited for a sign of weakness. I almost perked up when I realized the corner of Twilight’s mouth were quirking up. Unfortunately, so did mine. An uncontrollable hilarity was bubbling up in my chest.
Finally, the hilarity of the situation got the best of us, making us topple and fall into the grass, my legs wrapped around my ribs. It didn’t even hurt, nor did the impact registered in our minds, as we were all prey to the delightful numbness of laugher.
I almost fell faint from the lack of air and that irony was enough to prolong my suffering by a few moments. Imagine that: the Alicorn of the Winds suffocate.
Fortunately, I was spared from the ultimate irony when a shadow briefly blotted out the sun for me.
“For Asguard!”
Unable to reign in my hilarity in time, I really could not do anything against Calx’s surprise attack.
Plastic exploded against my horn – great aim there, Bro – and once more, my face became soaking wet.
“YES! I GOT YOU!”
“Does that mean I’m no longer dead, guys?” Pinkie jumped to her feet, shaking with so much excitement none of us had the heart to deny her.
“Come here, you little squirt!” I snarled, mockingly angry and rising to my hooves very quickly.
“Never! The word shall fear the terrible Blade Darkblaze!” He took off, laughing loudly.
I had half a mind to snatch him back with telekinesis, but alas, I was too nice.
“Do spare our champion, Prince Ventus.”
“Yeah! He’s a crucial part of Team Alicorn!” Pinkie chimed in, happily disappearing with a couple of balloons.
It was just me and Twilight in the gardens now.
Our gazes met.
We both smiled, fondly thinking about our respective loved ones being quite into the game. It was almost strange, to be so at peace here. I just really liked it.
However, to my surprise, I caught sight of an intriguing phenomenon from one window looming over the gardens.
A small flash.
And for spending the afternoon with dozens of those going off, I could tell it wasn’t magic this time.