Gliding over one of the palace’s towers, Celestia pulled herself upright and flared her wings. With a few powerful flaps, she controlled her descent and landed gracefully on the castle’s front steps. About a minute later, Luna trotted up to her from inside the castle. “Shining Armor is scrambling a squad,” she stated upon reaching Celestia’s side. “They will arrive by chariot in three hours.”
“Then we’ll be at the Galloping Ghost islands by dusk’s time,” said Celestia. “We may be in for a long day.”
“I understand,” Luna nodded. “Do you think Stephen will be okay?”
Before Celestia could answer, Stephen’s voice cried out, “Closing my eyes didn’t work!” from beyond the courtyard wall. The princesses exchanged surprised glances for a split second before bolting towards the castle gates.
Stephen’s world spun and he toppled over. A moment later, Earnest’s voice entered his ears. “Buck up, my boy. You’ll be alright,” Earnest chuckled. “But this is where we part ways. I wish you the best of luck.” There was the sound of an electric pop and Stephen no longer felt Earnest’s presence beside him. After a few seconds, Stephen put his legs under himself and was about to stand up.
“What hadst thou done!?”
“Aah!” Stephen shrieked painfully while clasping his head and rolling away from the blaring megaphone that had been placed against his left ear. Ringing ears were added on top of his pounding head, crossed eyes, racing heart and shifting stomach as he lay down and covered his head for protection. Peeking up through forelegs and unfocused eyes, he saw a tall white figure loom over a slightly shorter blue figure, causing the blue figure to shrink a little. Something was said, but the whole world sounded like high-pitched buzzing.
After a second, the ringing died down slightly and Stephen’s eyes focused in on Celestia as she leaned forward. “Are you alright?” she asked compassionately, sounding as if she was speaking from a distance. Stephen tried to reassure the princess by nodding. But nodding was a motion that his light head wasn’t ready for and he ended up plopping his muzzle into the ground.
“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen~ Nobody knows but me!” Stephen unconsciously sang into the grass.
Luna’s eyes shot open. “Sister, he’s under mind control!” Her horn lit up. “I shall retrieve him through his dreams.”
Celestia stopped Luna and shook her head. “Just give him a minute. Long distance teleportation takes a little getting used to and I don’t think he was in great shape to begin with.”
“We’re here, Princess! When do we leave?” Twilight’s voice came from behind them. The princesses turned around to see the six ponies galloping towards them only to stop when they saw Stephen sprawled out and motionless on the ground.
Wide eyes and gaping jaws came to most of their faces. Fluttershy looked away while Pinkie Pie inched forwards. “Is he…?”
“We believe he’s had a rough trip from the Galloping Ghost islands,” Luna said reassuringly.
A muttered, “I can do this!” came from Stephen’s direction and he began to stir. The pegasi rushed over to help him up. Shaking his head, the last of the ringing cleared from his ears although his head still ached and his eyes were still slightly fuzzy. This was probably going to be a part of him at least until he could actually get some sleep. “Which one of you had the megaphone?” he asked dizzily.
“My apologies,” Luna said in a quiet and compassionate voice. “I was nervous for the situation and forgot myself.”
“That’s understandable, I guess,” Stephen said, a hint of ire escaping unintentionally. “What was your question again?”
“I meant to ask if you had turned the key.”
Stephen could feel all eight sets of eyes fixate on him. “So you know about that?” he asked before shaking his head. “No, I didn’t.”
The whole group breathed a sigh of relief. “You were taken before we could explain what you were wanted for,” said Celestia. “I was afraid he might’ve convinced you to help him.”
“That guy is out of his mind if he thinks I’m going to help him.”
“We were just about to head out after you,” said Twilight.
“Did he tell you what he’s up to?” Rainbow asked.
“Yeah,” said Stephen as he stood up. “He wants to amass an army of titans to help him build a hundred-square-mile palace for the princesses.”
Seven sets of startled and confused faces turned to Celestia, who closed her eyes and gave a reminiscent huff. “But...why?” Twilight asked.
“Or how?” Rarity continued as they tried to grasp the implications.
Rainbow spoke up. “We’ll worry about that later!” She turned back to Stephen. “So who’s butt needs to get kicked for all this, Stephen?”
Stephen turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie, remember last week when we met a unicorn named Earnest?”
Pinkie nodded happily. “Of course I remember him. He’s the adventurer pony with the bright green eyes and the candy cane hair!” she said, fluttering her eyes and pulling back her mane into a shape similar to Earnest’s before letting it spring back to it’s original form.
“Actually he’s the dragon pony that robbed three museums, dropped me in the Everfree forest and took us for a ride a few days ago.”
“Really?” she asked curiously. “I wonder why he didn’t talk to you about it when we met him in Ponyville.”
“I know, right?” Stephen groaned.
“So what’s the plan now?” Rarity asked.
“We leave as soon as Shining Armor gets here, right?” Twilight asked.
Celestia shook her head. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning. In the meantime, is anypony ready for lunch?”
Six heads nodded in reply as they began to follow the princesses towards the castle. The mention of lunch made Stephen’s stomach growl. “You have no idea. I could eat a–” Stephen caught himself just in time by covering his mouth and faking a cough to hide it. He had no idea if Equestria had any figures of speech like that, or what sort of implications they might have if they did. But he wasn’t going to risk it, especially in the presence of royalty.
Rarity and Applejack turned around. “Were you about to say something, dear?” Rarity asked.
Stephen cleared his throat one more time. “Nevermind me,” he said as nonchalantly as possible. Applejack gave him a questioning look before shrugging and continuing into the palace.
The princesses led the ponies into the dining hall where they took their seats at a long table. Celestia sat at the head with Luna on her right and Twilight on her left. Stephen sat in between Luna, Fluttershy and Rarity with Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sat across from them. A dark blue unicorn waiter in a suit took their orders with a floating quill and notepad. Though he had noticed the food between the two worlds were similar, the fact remained that Stephen ate a wild flower sandwich two days ago. Not entirely certain what to order, he asked, “What do you have?”
“Anything you desire,” the waiter responded in a posh tone.
Stephen’s stomach growled in a language the only he could understand and he decided to try his luck. “I’d like a bean burrito; stuffed with lettuce, red peppers, cheese, sour cream and lots of hot sauce.” To his surprise, the waiter simply nodded and wrote down the order.
“Anything on the side?”
“A big, leafy salad with ranch dressing.”
“Of course. And to drink?”
“A glass of milk.”
The waiter nodded again. “Coming right up, sir.”
“That’s quite the appetite you have there, Stephen,” Celestia said gleefully.
Stephen chuckled nervously. “Sorry if it was too much. Eating a lot helps me keep my energy up.”
“Not to worry. The cooks here are very capable.”
Twilight nodded in agreement before turning to Stephen. “Did you learn anything else about the thief?” she asked.
Stephen responded by looking to Celestia. “According to him, he was your first apprentice, Princess Celestia.”
Twilight gave her mentor a curious look. “Is that true?”
Celestia let out a small sigh. “Yes. His name is Earnest Stalwart. He was the top student in my first class at the School for Gifted Unicorns. He designed Canterlot and personally oversaw most of its construction.” A series of bewildered reactions filled the room. “While him and his assistant did a lot of good, he was obsessed with expansion and advancement. Eventually, his ambitions grew too big and I had to relinquish him as my student. I haven’t seen him since. I had assumed he was gone forever.” Celestia turned to Stephen. “Did he tell you how he managed to live for so long?”
Stephen nodded. “He fused with his sister’s heart and gained a dragon’s longevity. It’s like a big gemstone in the middle of his chest.”
Celestia lowered her head and gave it a disapproving shake. “Evalrog was such a sweetheart before she matured. Earnest told me he had buried her.”
“I guess all but one part,” said Stephen. “He said it’s what she wanted. But if you don’t mind my asking, your highness; what exactly is Tartarus?”
Celestia nodded sagely and began speaking. “Before my sister and I became princesses, Equestria was ruled by Discord – the master of chaos.”
Stephen raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like it was much fun.”
“It certainly wasn’t,” said Luna. “He would twist the land, the weather, the food, the animals, even the celestial bodies into anything he wanted. He was at his worst towards the end of his reign when he started creating monsters that would destroy anything in their path.”
“When Luna and I discovered the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia continued. “We stood up to Discord and turned him into stone. Order was restored to nature but for a time, Discord’s monsters ran free.”
“So Tartarus is their prison?” Stephen asked.
“Yes,” said Celestia. “But there’s more to it than that. With help from many of Equestria’s greatest magicians, we were able to create the magical amplifiers that Earnest now possesses. The Stone of Sisyphus was essential in the creating of Tartarus and overpowering the monsters. The Eye of Coeus saved us much time in hunting them down and rounding them up. The Globe of Atlas was the key to making sure their bonds in Tartarus were permanent.”
“Excepting the one you kept unlocked,” Luna said with a hint of irritation in her voice.
“Ah yes,” Celestia smiled. “Cerberus was relatively easy to train considering the headaches all of the other monsters gave us.”
“He’s just a big cuddly puppy,” Fluttershy spoke up. “I can’t imagine him being any trouble at all.”
Luna deadpanned. “Believe me, you do not wish to know what training him was like. I wanted to put him in Tartarus with the others and be done with it. But Celestia insisted we keep him.”
Celestia rolled her eyes. “I thought he was cute and saw potential for good.” Then she smirked at Luna. “Was I wrong, dear sister?” Stephen tried to keep his eyes from bugging out in confusion. That giant three-headed dog was cute?
Luna answered her sister with an exasperated sigh and then continued the story. “Anyway, after we trained Cerberus to round up the monsters should they escape; we had the magicians create an enchanted key that would seal the gate and make it almost impossible to open. Once the spells were written, we enchanted the key several times. Each time adding more conditions that must be met in order for the key to be turned. What were those circumstances again, sister?”
“First, the pony must be willing to open the gate. Most ponies at least know what Tartarus is and know the destruction to Equestria would be devastating should the titans be freed. Second, they must be of sound mind and body. This makes sure the key can’t be turned by ponies who are malicious, insane or under mind control. Third, they must be an Earth pony. Since only a unicorn would be able to cast the spell on the artifacts to break the seal on the gate, if they are unable to turn the key, their efforts would be for nothing.”
“Then we hid the key in the most desolate part of Equestria where few ponies would venture,” Luna added proudly. “In a hidden chamber under a pyramid, cloaked with invisibility and placed on an altar that would collapse were it removed. Truly the many enchantments were an act of cunning!”
“So…how’d Earnest know where to go and what to look for?” Applejack asked curiously.
This time, Celestia gave a disappointed sigh. “Earnest had the Eye of Coeus to locate it for him. But he wouldn’t have known to look for the key if Merlin Lulamoon had refrained from writing down the plan like I asked him too.”
“Merlin was quite boastful about his contributions,” Luna added sagely.
“His father was like that too. It runs in their family,” Celestia groaned. “But I found out that he didn’t listen to me when news came out fifty years ago that somepony had found his journal and now bits of it are in history books across Equestria. I already had them believing that the powers of the artifacts were merely legends. So I convinced them that Merlin was the one who originally wrote the story after being really proud of some sculptures he made.”
Celestia stopped talking when four waiters brought rolling dinner trays into the dining halls and served the orders. After the princesses started eating, everyone else began as well and conversation was low until Rainbow Dash asked, “So why are we waiting to get this guy?”
Celestia set down her levitating fork. “I still believe it’s important that we take as much time as we can get to prepare. We can only guess what defenses Earnest has put up around his home and it’s best if we’re ready for them.”
Stephen hastily swallowed a large bite before speaking up. “Pardon me, your highness. But I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Earnest gave me a tour of his fort. I didn’t see anything except a twenty foot cobblestone wall.”
“Have you seen a single weapon since you came to Canterlot, Stephen?” Celestia asked.
Stephen took the time to think with another bite. “No, ma’am. I haven’t,” he said after swallowing.
“The outer walls of Canterlot are laced with defenses against invasions and the palace is riddled with traps that can be magically activated during an emergency. Barring a few exceptional circumstances, most threats wouldn’t get close to the throne room.”
“But they’re all perfectly concealed?” Stephen asked.
Celestia nodded. “I have no reason to believe he wouldn’t rig his home in the same way. Without my guidance, I doubt they’ll be as tame as Canterlot’s defenses. So I’d like to take plenty of time to make sure everpony is well fed, rested, debriefed and ready before we go in.”
Stephen looked down at his meal. His salad was gone and there wasn’t much left of his burrito and milk. He was feeling pleasantly full, even if still exhausted. “I don’t think we can all be well rested. But this food is delicious so being well fed shouldn’t be a problem at all.”
“Why would we not all be well rested?” Luna asked.
“Stephen hasn’t been able to sleep since he first came here,” said Fluttershy.
“Is that true?” Luna asked.
Stephen nodded. “I had trouble following Earnest’s explanation but I think it has something to do with my mind being conscious while connected to both of my bodies.”
Luna took a thoughtful expression. “If you’re still around after dinner, come find me. I might be able to help you.”
“Anything would be welcome, Princess. Thank you.”
“Please, call me Luna.”
Stephen nodded and with that, everyone continued their meals. When they were finished, the waiters came and took their plates. The princesses excused themselves and the other ponies got up to leave the dining hall. Stephen was entertaining thoughts of taking a nap under the cherry tree where he had conversed with the princesses when a pair of pink forelegs gingerly wrapped themselves around his neck. Stephen lost his balance for a brief moment when his head was pulled into Pinkie’s chest, turning his neck at an awkward angle.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“You said that the spell was going to be broken from you. Who knows when you’ll poof away from Equestria?”
“That is a good question,” Stephen said while trying to gently tug away from Pinkie’s embrace before his neck strained itself.
Pinkie held her grip. “This is your ‘thanks for giving us an adventure’ hug. Just in case you don’t get one before you leave.”
Stephen tugged again to no avail. If her grip was a little lower, this would be the perfect choke hold for Earnest, Stephen thought to himself. “I’m glad you enjoyed my company.”
“It’s not often I have a reason to stay up with my friends for two nights in one week. Or get to teach somepony how to dance. Or get a run for my bits in card games.”
Finally, Pinkie released him and started bouncing out. Stephen followed as he pulled the kinks out of his neck. “You girls have been way too kind to me. But it seems like you do this type of thing a lot.”
“Yep we do. But you’re the first to come from another world to join us.” With an extra high bounce, Pinkie turned to face Stephen. “Oh! What should we do while we wait for Shining Armor to get here?” she asked, walking backwards down the hallway.
“Actually, I’m still reeling from all the travelling I’ve done today. I think I’ll go rest for a little while. But if you’d come find me when the cavalry arrives, that’d be great.”
With another bounce and turn, she landed next to Stephen and walked by his side. “Okey Dokey Lokey. Let me show you where the guest rooms are.”
Stephen took the next couple of hours to rest and recuperate. This time, he tried keeping his mind to more positive things such as memories of good times with his friends. Inevitably, Selena occasionally passed through his mind. As much as he didn’t want to, he’d have to move the thought along before he dwelled on the fact that she wouldn’t be there when he got back. It would just have to be something he dealt with when this was over.
Surprisingly to him, some memories of his time in Equestria helped him smile while he rested. Despite everything that went wrong, parts of it were funny in retrospect. To think that at any moment, he would wake up back on Earth, never to see them again and not able to tell the story to anyone else – it was an interesting thought. After all they’ve done for him, wouldn’t it be rude if he were to suddenly disappear without a proper thanks or goodbye? Not that he could ever properly thank them for everything. But something had to be done before it was too late.
Now that he had thought about it, Earnest was certainly taking his time with breaking that spell. Was it a complex process? Did something go wrong? What if something happened to his body on Earth? As far as he knew, he had been laying in his bed for over three days. Does his body go into stasis when he’s in Equestria? What if it doesn’t? Of all the horrible implications that thought carried, the worst was easily the thought that he might have dehydrated himself to death. A dozen more questions ran through his mind, each scarier than the last. Remembering what Earnest said about this type of magic still being experimental, Stephen realized that there was probably no way of knowing the answers to these questions beyond speculation. He would just have to roll with it and hope for the best. In the meantime, he had to properly thank his friends for helping him.
Just as he was about to get up, there were three taps at his door. “Come in,” he called while hopping off the bed.
The door swung open and revealed a bouncing Pinkie Pie on the other side. “They’re here so I’m coming to get you like you asked!” she chimed happily.
“Sounds good. I was just about to get up.”
Stephen followed Pinkie out of the room, through the castle and onto a balcony where the group, the princesses and several soldiers were standing at attention as several pegasus-drawn chariots pulled off into the sky. Each soldier had a shimmering brown coat and steel armor, except for the unicorn leader standing in front. The leader had a plain white coat and gold-trimmed purple armor. Two-toned blue hair spiked up the top and down the back of what would otherwise appear to be a Trojan helmet.
Stephen was momentarily surprised when Twilight trotted up to the leader and embraced him. But then he realized that this must be Shining Armor – Twilight’s aforementioned brother who specializes in defensive magic. It gave Stephen a bit of comfort knowing that they were having a squad of trained soldiers accompanying them. Perhaps Earnest wouldn’t do so well when he is the one being ambushed.
When Celestia approached, the squad removed their helmets and bowed. Shining Armor was the only one to rise and greet her. “Princess, we came as fast as we could. We’re ready to go whenever you are.”
“Thank you, but there’s been a slight change in plans.” Celestia looked to Stephen. “Stephen, would you step forward please?” she asked gracefully.
Stephen nervously walked towards the squad. “Yes, ma’am?” he asked.
“This is Stephen. Until just before Luna wrote to you, he was the only one who could turn the Tartarus gate key. But he has refused and will return to his home soon. We’re safe for now. So please follow me and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
Luna spoke up. “Once we have drawn a strategy; you and your soldiers may rest from your journey and prepare for tomorrow.”
Shining Armor nodded before twice clapping a rear hoof against the floor. His squad came back up to attention and barked, “As you wish, Princess!” With Celestia at the point, Shining Armor marched his squad into the castle.
The next few hours were spent mingling with the group. Rainbow Dash had taken to practicing tricks in the garden. Fluttershy was wandering about and looking for some animals. Rarity went into the city to do some shopping for herself. Twilight took the opportunity to further practice her new shield technique and Stephen found himself conversing with Pinkie Pie and Applejack.
At one point, Rainbow Dash invaded Twilight’s space and started zipping around her head like a fly. “Rainbow, what are you doing?” Twilight called out.
“Heads up, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash shouted back before diving straight towards Twilight with a full speed kick.
Twilight threw up her plow shield at the last second. Rainbow bounced off the shield. With an aerial turn, she adjusted her angle and charged Twilight a second time. When Twilight deflected her again, Rainbow flipped back and went for a rear attack. Twilight blinked away at the last second. Reappearing a few feet behind where she had been standing, she took a ready stance as Rainbow skidded to a halt against the ground.
Applejack reared up and cheered for her friends and Pinkie bounced while shouting, “That was amazing, you guys!”
Rainbow chuckled and trotted up to Twilight. “Nice moves, Twilight! Your brother wanted me to make sure you were quick enough with those shields.”
Twilight sighed in relief. “That’s good but you could warn me next time.”
“That’s not a good way to practice, Twiley,” Shining Armor’s voice came from behind Stephen. He turned around just in time to see the captain walk past him, naked but wearing a big smile on his face. If it weren’t for the hair colors and voice, Stephen would have guessed him to be a completely different pony from the one he saw leading the squad. “You won’t get a warning when you really need a shield.”
Twilight ran up to her brother to greet him. “How did the meeting go?” she asked happily.
“It was a lot to take in, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. Looks like you’re getting ready too. Been learning some new shield spells?”
“Yep,” Twilight said proudly. “It’s designed to redirect all blunt force so it glances off without taking it head on.”
“Sounds cool. Can I see it?”
Twilight nodded and threw up the mana plow formation. Shining Armor glanced over it before tapping it a couple of times. “What do you think?” Twilight asked.
“It looks pretty good. Mind if I try it out?”
“Go ahead.” Twilight turned to her friends. “You all might want to get behind me,” she said as Shining Armor took several steps back. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Stephen rushed to get behind Twilight. Stephen found himself standing at her right flank with a view of Shining Armor through the purple shield’s ethereal veil.
Shining Armor’s horn started glowing brightly atop his head and he pointed it at them. Stephen’s eyes were drawn to the apex of the shield. Is that where he’s aiming? Stephen asked himself as his eyes traced the angle of the shield and followed a path towards the sky. There was the sound of a flaring Roman candle as Shining Armor launched a small magic blast. Stephen looked down in time to see it strike the the angled point of the shield with a heavy metallic sounding ding. The blast zipped about twenty feet diagonally over their heads where it popped in the air like a bottle rocket.
“Now let’s see if it stands up on all sides!” Shining Armor called out as he formed several similar blasts in a line. They seemed to be aimed towards each of them through the shield and Twilight braced for impact. Stephen looked at a point on the shield directly in front of his face and his eyes glanced back at the top of a tree on his right side. The sound of shots being fired brought Stephen’s attention back forward in time to see each blast ricochet off the shield in front of the others where they would fly off in various directions and pop a few feet away. Stephen watched as the one that was aimed for him slid up the curve of the mana plow’s form and displaced a few of the tree’s leaves when it exploded.
Twilight’s friends cheered and hugged her while she banished the shield and Shining Armor galloped up to them. “Good job, Twiley!” he cheered and gave her a playful punch.
“What were those?” Twilight asked.
“Practice blasts,” Shining answered. “They mimic the weight of high powered magic blasts without being as explosive so a cadet’s defense can be tested safely. On most shields they just explode but I’ve never seen them slide off like that. I might just have to borrow that spell from you. Did you come up with that all by yourself?”
“Some of it. The shape was actually Stephen’s idea.”
“Really?” Shining Armor looked to Stephen curiously.
“We were expecting to face a unicorn that could break Celestia’s barriers with brute force. It was just a suggestion,” Stephen replied as plainly as possible, praying that he wouldn’t be the next of Shining Armor’s tests.
“That’s pretty awesome. Sounds like you’ve got a knack for that type of thing. Ever consider joining the guard?”
Stephen shook his head. “I only just recently learned how to keep my feet under me and I’m no good in a fight.”
Shining Armor chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m just pulling your leg.” He turned and started trotting away. “I’m going to go find a snack. Catch you all later!”
Not long afterwards, dinner was served. It was just as good as lunch but Stephen spent most of the meal in a daze. Either the rest he had taken a few hours earlier had not been enough or he had been going for so long that it was losing its effect. He was getting anxious to see what Luna had in mind to help him out.
After the table was cleared, Luna beckoned Stephen to follow her. Out of the dining room, down several corridors and up many flights of stairs, Stephen did his best to keep up with the princess. However, between his much shorter legs and generally slower pace, he found himself falling behind yet again.
After the third flight of steps, Luna stopped to ask, “Are you going to be alright?”
By now, Stephen was sweating, panting and felt like he had to sprint in order to keep up with Luna’s long strides. There wasn’t any point in trying to hide it anymore. “Honestly, I don’t know.” He leaned against a wall and tried to catch a second wind. “I’m just…so exhausted,” he spoke in between breaths.
Luna backtracked down the steps until she was next to him. “Allow me to help. There’s only twenty steps to go,” she promised, holding out a foreleg. Stephen wrapped his foreleg around hers and leaned on it. With a tug, Luna helped him up to the next step and continued to do so towards the top of the tower.
Eventually, they reached the top of the tower and walked through a glass door. Stephen found himself on the balcony that overlooked the garden. Catching his breath, Stephen sat down and leaned against the railing. There, he caught sight of Celestia standing on the balcony of another tower on the west side of the garden. He wondered for a moment what she was doing before Luna tapped him on the shoulder. Looking up to her, he saw her horn was glowing.
“Please relax and accept this as thanks for not turning the key,” she said as she lowered her head towards him.
“Wait, what’s going on?” Stephen asked, uncertain of Luna’s advance. Luna’s head tilted down further and her horn touched the top of his mane. Suddenly, Stephen found himself unable to move as a warm sensation flooded him from head to hooves. A faint electric tingle ran through his body and he felt blood rush to his cheeks. He wasn’t certain how long this went on for. But it was the type of strange sensation that he didn’t want to stop. Eventually, Luna removed her horn. It took a moment for Stephen to process everything. But when he did, a wide smile came to his face. His eyes were clear and focused. His head no longer swam, felt weighted or ached. He sprang to his feet the same in a manner similar to that of a child getting out of bed on Christmas morning. With a stretch and a big yawn, Stephen felt awake for the first time in over a week.
“Feeling better?”
“I feel amazing! What did you do?” he asked excitedly.
“It’s a high level rejuvenation spell,” Luna replied. “You looked as though you may soon succumb to your exhaustion. So I gave you a little energy.”
“How?” Stephen asked curiously.
“As Princess of the Night, it is my duty to guard my subjects from nightmares. So I too must occasionally go a night or two without rest. There is magical energy everywhere in Equestria, even in the sky. Those who know how may borrow that magical energy so long as we do so without greed. The energy I’ve given you will only last a day. But it should be all we need to ensure that you make it through the trials ahead.”
Stephen was at a loss for words for a moment. He had no idea anything like this was possible. But there was no denying how much better he felt. However this world worked, he was starting to like it – regardless of whether or not he could understand it. “This is awesome, Luna. I can’t thank you enough.”
Luna gave him a smile. “Now then, would you like to see something truly awesome?” she asked.
He briefly wondered what could possibly be better than what just happened before declaring, “Certainly.”
Stephen watched as Luna turned around and looked towards Celestia. She waved for a moment and Celestia responded with a wave of her own. When Celestia put her foreleg down, her horn started glowing. At first, it was faint in the distance. But soon it grew in intensity until it was like a shimmering star that could very clearly be seen from across the garden. Stephen watched her intently, trying to figure out what she was doing. But then something seemed off.
Taking his eyes off Celestia and looking around, he could see the shadows of the towers growing long towards the east. This brought his attention up and his eyes as close to the sun as he could get without burning them. Shielding himself from the light, his brain almost completely refused to believe what he was seeing as the sun rapidly descended towards the west. Shaking the spots out of his eyes, he turned and looked back at Celestia, who had lowered her horn so it was pointing towards the ground.
The humming sound that always came with Twilight’s magic filled Stephen’s ears. He turned around again and saw Luna standing tall, eyes closed, horn aglow and wings stretched out wide. Suddenly, she crouched and Stephen flinched when she leapt over his head. He watched in fascination as she dived towards the ground, only to sharply pull up a few feet from landing. Her wings flapped rhythmically as she rose straight up over the tower, muzzle and forelegs stretched towards the darkening sky. The sun disappeared over the western horizon. Stephen’s mind blanked as stars became visible in the sky, only to be slightly drowned out by the light of the enormous moon rising from the east. For a moment, Luna’s flapping figure was perfectly silhouetted in the center of the celestial body, high above the tower. Then, as if it were nothing, she glided back to the balcony.
“What do you think?” she asked with an expectant smile.
Stephen’s mouth was starting to get dry from hanging open for so long. “I think I’ll never get over how different this world is from mine. But that was definitely the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said as soon as his eyes adjusted to the new lighting.
Luna’s smile brightened. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She gave him a small bow. “But now I must tend to my duties. Go rest and see to it that you don’t squander your energy. Tomorrow shall be most eventful.”
Stephen returned the bow. “Thanks again, Luna,” he said happily before turning around walking through the glass doors. As happy as he was to be awake, he still felt a need to thank his friends for everything they’ve done since he had forgotten to do so at dinner. It took a bit of self-discipline to heed Luna’s directions and not bound down the steps with all of his new energy.
While Stephen didn’t misspend the energy, he didn’t waste it either. As he was strolling through the castle, Rarity had returned from her ventures in the city with bags of fabric in tow.
“Hey, Rarity!” he called out to her.
“Stephen,” she called back. “You’re looking rather chipper. Are you feeling better?”
“Much better. Luna’s magic worked wonders.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Say, since you’re feeling better, would you like to help me get these supplies to my suite?”
“Certainly,” Stephen responded happily. Rarity levitated a couple of her bags over his back and led him through the castle. They spent the next hour or so conversing about her day and having her teach him about the different materials she’d bought. Stephen silently noticed as she talked with him how much more clear his mind seemed and how much easier it was to hold interest and pay attention to what Rarity was saying. As the conversations came to a close, Rarity gave a comment about beauty sleep and sent him off. Stephen made sure to thank her for everything in case he didn’t see her again and continued on his stroll.
In the garden, he found Twilight and Fluttershy and joined them in their conversations while they walked. They shifted from the different types of plants and animals in the garden to telling Stephen stories of past experiences here – all of which were hilarious. As Twilight finished the story of having one of her birthday parties here, they noticed a pony’s figure sneaking away from the gardener’s shed.
“What’s going on!?” Twilight called out. A startled gasp from a raspy voice responded. Twilight lit up her horn and caught Rainbow Dash in the light. She was carrying full saddlebags.
“Is something wrong, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked.
Rainbow flew up to them, holding out her front hooves and shushing Fluttershy. “Quiet!” she said in a loud whisper. “I’m trying to sneak up on Pinkie Pie.”
“Umm…Why?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
“I need to outdo that prank she got me with last Monday and I’ve got the perfect idea,” she said deviously. “In fact, I could use a little help!”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Ugh! I don’t want any part of this. It’s getting late.” Twilight turned to walk away.
Rainbow turned to her other friend. “How about you, Fluttershy?”
“Oh, thank you for considering me but I’m really no good with pranks,” Fluttershy said softly. “Twilight’s right though. It is getting late. Just be careful and you can tell me all about it later.”
“Ah! Alright!” Rainbow gave a disappointed sigh. Then she looked back up at Stephen. “What about you? Wanna help me?”
“Are you certain this is a good idea?” Stephen asked.
Rainbow scoffed. “We do this type of stuff to each other all the time. Come on, it’ll be fun!” She exclaimed as she tried to tug him along. When Stephen didn’t follow right away, Rainbow turned and held her forelegs out to him. “Please!”
With some thought, Stephen figured that Rainbow’s prank was innocent enough and followed along. After all, it was just one more fun thing to do during his last night in Equestria. “Alright, as long as it’s nothing too bad.”
“Don’t get in too much trouble, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out as she was walking away.
“Oh, hang on just a second.” Stephen zipped over to Twilight and Fluttershy to give them the same thanks he had given Rarity. Once they welcomed him and bid him goodnight, they were back on their way and Stephen returned to Rainbow Dash.
Armed with the tools that Rainbow procured from the gardener’s shed, the two made some minor adjustments to the showerhead in Pinkie’s room. After a quick test to see that their plan would work, Stephen and Rainbow attempted to flee the scene.
However, they were stopped at the room’s doorway when Pinkie appeared with a delighted, “Hey, Dashie! What’cha up to?”
Rainbow hovered just over Pinkie’s head and her eyes were looking at everything but Pinkie. Scratching the back of her head, Rainbow stammered out, “Oh…you know…Just looking for some…more shampoo…Yeah! My bathroom’s out of it so I thought I’d borrow some of yours. But I couldn’t find any here either.”
Pinkie giggled. “You’re silly,” she said. “If you needed some, all you had to do was ask.” Pinkie happily trotted into her room.
As soon as she turned the corner into the bathroom, Rainbow scooped up Stephen and flew out the closest window. “Hey!” Stephen let out a startled gasp only to be shushed by Rainbow. She plopped them both down just under the windowsill and waited quietly with their backs against the wall.
“What are you talking about, Dashie? The shampoo is right here!” they heard Pinkie call out from inside. “Rainbow Dash?” she asked a moment later. “Where’d you go?” Another second passed and Rainbow Dash said nothing. “Oh well!” Pinkie chirped. “More for me.”
Rainbow stifled a chuckle and peered through the window. Stephen looked up too and saw Pinkie trot into her bathroom and close the door. A wide, devilish grin came to Rainbow’s face when the sound of water jets came through the door. “Wait for it,” she chuckled.
Stephen kept his eyes peeled for about ten seconds. Just as he was starting to wonder if he should be staring at Pinkie Pie’s bathroom door, a shrill scream and Rainbow Dash bursting into laughter interrupted his thoughts. The bathroom door burst open. From a cloud of steam came a raging and soaking wet Pinkie Pie that was now sporting a sky blue mane and coat from her head to the middle of her back. As much as Stephen wanted to laugh, he figured it would be a good idea to let Pinkie calm down first. He tried to get Rainbow to hide again, but she was too swept up in the hilarity of her prank. Stephen’s attempts at shoving her back into hiding had no effect. But the sudden, “Rainbow Dash!” coming from inside the room instantly gained her attention.
Still cracking up, Rainbow jumped up and spread her wings. Stephen scrambled to get away. Before either of them could get far, a blue and pink blur snatched Rainbow out of the air and brought her down on top of Stephen. The tangled mess of fur and feathers rolled a couple of times before unraveling itself with Pinkie Pie holding down her friends, a front hoof on each of their chests.
“How could you guys do this to me?” she asked, staring into them with wide eyes.
“That’s what you get for giving me those cupcakes baked with hot sauce and switching my milk with watered mayonnaise!” Rainbow shot back in mid chuckle. “It took all day to get that taste out of my mouth!”
“But I’m Pinkie Pie! I can’t be Pinkie Pie if I’m blue! What would that make me?”
“How about Blueberry Pie?” Stephen blurted.
Pinkie froze for a moment. Stephen and Rainbow exchanged worried glances just before Pinkie snorted and then burst into laughter. She fell over next to Rainbow Dash and tried to catch her breath in between peals. “You guys are too funny!” Rainbow started laughing with her. Seeing that no harm was done, Stephen relaxed and started laughing with them as well. Eventually, Pinkie let out a loud sigh and got back to her feet. She tried to shake herself dry while Stephen and Rainbow got up as well. “Looks like you got me.”
Rainbow let out another chuckle. “Don’t worry, Pinks. That dye will wash out in the morning.”
“This one’s going to be hard to top, Dashie. You’d better be ready.”
“I’m always ready,” Rainbow boasted. “But for now, I’m gonna hit the sack. See you two later.”
“Rainbow Dash, wait!” Stephen called out before she could take off.
Rainbow stopped and turned around. “What’s up?”
“I’m actually surprised I’m still here,” said Stephen. “So in case I go back home sometime tonight, I just wanted to thank you all for all the help you’ve given me.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Rainbow said confidently while holding out a hoof. Stephen reached out and bumped it. “I told you we’ve got your back. Good luck if we don’t see you!” with that, Rainbow took off and Pinkie gave him another hug.
“Maybe Twilight will let me use her bath,” she said with a giggle. “See you in the morning, Stephen!” she called out as she bounded away.
The next friend he found was Applejack. She was walking back to her room and balancing a dish of small pastries atop her hat. “Hey, Applejack!” Stephen called out. “Getting yourself a snack?”
“You bet,” Applejack smiled. “Nothin’ like a good snack before hittin’ the hay. You wanna grab one for yourself?” she asked, lowering her head.
“Certainly, thank you,” Stephen grabbed one of the pastries from the plate and bit into it. It was a small apple pie, like the ones served at fast food restaurants, but tasted way better. “I’m feeling more alive than I’ve felt in weeks and just got done hanging out with all the others. Is there anything you want to do?”
Applejack chuckled. “Sounds fun, buddy. But I’m plum tuckered and itchin’ for some shut-eye. You gonna ride out with us tomorrow?”
“I haven’t really thought about that. Honestly, I don’t even know if I’ll still be around. So if you’re going to bed, I should probably say goodnight and…”
Applejack raised a hoof to stop him. “Don’t you worry none, sugarcube. I already heard about you going around and gracin’ us with your thanks like ya ain’t gonna see us again. If ya wanna thank us, do it by makin’ sure you get home safe. Sound good?”
Stephen wasn’t certain why, but he didn’t entirely agree with Applejack. However, Applejack wanted to go to bed. So instead of pressing the issue, he simply nodded. “Sounds good, Applejack. Sleep well.”
“Thanks. Ya’ll might want to stay rested too.” With that, Applejack walked into her room, waved goodbye to Stephen and shut the door.
Stephen wandered back into his room and laid down quietly for the rest of the night. At first, his thoughts started out down another path of what had become of his body back on Earth. But this train of thought only lasted for a little while before he realized that unless his body had gone into complete stasis, there is no way that this would end well.
Sparing himself the crippling suspense of not knowing what was going on, Stephen switched tracks to what he was going to do in the morning. Part of him wanted to stay as far away from the battle as possible. But there was a small part of him that wanted to go, just to make sure he saw Earnest get detained with his own eyes.
As he thought about today’s conversation with Earnest, a strange feeling rose within him. He could feel his muscles clench and his heart rate pick up slightly. The only other times he felt anything similar to this was when he faced the timberwolves and during the ambush at the pyramid. But this was different. This feeling wasn’t as intense or nerve wracking. This feeling brought Stephen a level of determination and focus that he had never felt before.
Was it because Earnest’s ambitions set into motion a series of events that caused Stephen incredible pain and loss over the last few weeks? Yes, but there was more to it than that. Was it because Earnest’s ambitions were misguided and destructive on top of plain ludicrous? Yes, but these reasons were still insufficient. Was it because as soon as the spell wore off of Stephen, he would go home? But why would that be a problem? As soon as Stephen goes home, he has to go about rebuilding his life – a task that could very easily prove more arduous than anything encountered in Equestria. Putting those thoughts aside, Stephen remembered that Earnest knew what went wrong with the Spirit Traveller spell and would not likely make the same mistakes again. As soon as Stephen goes home, Earnest will bring another human directly to his fortress and have them turn the key. That person would be sent on their way and wake up thinking it was all a dream, just as Stephen had done initially. Meanwhile, Equestria would be destroyed by an army of ancient monsters.
That was it! That is why these new feelings of righteous indignation were swelling up within him. This went beyond Stephen’s problems or even the risk of having Earnest do the same thing to someone else. If Earnest isn’t stopped, Equestria will be torn asunder and all the efforts that his friends have put into him will have been for nothing.
The memories of how Stephen froze when he came face-to-face with a timberwolf flashed through his head. The pang of guilt rose up again as he remembered how his complacency almost cost Applejack her sister. Stephen might never live that down in his own heart. It would be impossible to carry the guilt of an entire nation destroyed by his selfishness. The timberwolves weren’t even really his fight! But Earnest had practically handpicked Stephen as a test subject in his deranged plan. He was the true victim here. This was Stephen’s fight more than anyone else involved. Regardless of what the consequences may be, he would make sure that he was the only victim.
Stephen chuckled and chided himself. Why did he think that the quality time he spent with the group today and the goodbyes he gave them would be sufficient as thanks by itself? The only way he could properly thank his friends would be to try to help them as much as much as they have helped him. Even if he weren’t much of a fighter, even if it was just for moral support, he would be there and do his best.
Not just feeling more awake than he had felt since the ordeal began, but feeling more awake than he had ever felt before; Stephen hopped out of bed and walked out into the garden just in time to see Celestia and Luna take their posts on the castle towers. This time, Celestia was on the east and Luna was on the west. Stephen watched as Luna lowered her glowing horn to the west and Celestia flew up into the sky. The princesses dragged the celestial bodies across the sky with their movements. It was just as amazing as the first time he had seen it about eleven hours previously and he could still hardly believe it.
Breakfast was eaten with his friends, the princesses and Shining Armor’s squad. Stephen filled up on strawberry pancakes and fruit salad. Once the table was cleared, the princesses led the group to the same balcony where the soldiers had landed the day before. They waited and engaged in light conversation for about an hour before Shining Armor and his squad appeared, armored and ready to go.
“Is everypony ready?” Celestia asked. The group nodded. Shining Armor and his squad saluted. Celestia signaled them at ease and then turned to Stephen with a curious glance. “Have you decided to join us, Stephen?”
Stephen narrowed his eyes, smiled confidently and puffed out his chest. “Your highness, count me in!”