Tale of Soarin McLighting
Chapter 4: Morning Party with a Twist
Author Note: Soarin McLighting’s name will appear as Blue when both Soarins are around.
“Pinkie Pie, what the hay is going on in here?” called out a voice from behind the doorway.Soarin, Rainbow Dash and Blue turned to see Twilight emerge from the passage leading to her study, along with Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Spike. A sudden silence fell across the room as she entered.
In the middle of this, Pinkie Pie was stood with a massive grin on her face, after welcoming Blue to the good morning party she had set up for him. The standoff seemed to last forever. No pony on either side moving an inch, waiting for somepony to release the tension in the room...
Blue couldn't stand like this forever, so he decided to make the first move. “I believe it is a breakfast party in honour of me. I am in a pretty sour mood and I do need a bit of cheering up so I say we should enjoy this bloody party and have the Q and A later on.” He walked into the library, limping with each step, trying to avoid putting too much weight onto his still painful right hind leg.
“I’ve got to agree with Blue on this one, I’m starving and the breakfast table Pinkie set up looks pretty awesome.”
Blue look to the pot of... “Is that tea?”
“Oh yes it is!” Pinkie Pie snapped out of her pose and bounced over to him. “It’s nice and hot! You want some?”
“I would love a cuppa,” Blue replied as she poured the tea into a cup, before adding milk and two sugars. “I would ask how you know that, but it’s probably best not question a mare who can pull out a mountain bending megaphone from nowhere...” He put the tea and a small selection of sandwiches on a tray.
“Here, let me carry that for you Blue,” Pinkie offered.
Blue gave a grateful smile to her. “Thank you, Miss Pie, you’re very kind.”
Soarin trotted over and look around at the table. “Apple fritters? Mmmm they look nice.” He took a plate full of them and a cup of apple juice. “Are you lot just going to stand there gaping, or are you going to join in?” he asked, looking over to the girls and dragon. “This food’s not going to stay hot forever.”
Twilight snapped out of her trance, shaking her head a few times. “Erm right... this is just weird... I’ve never seen Pinkie Pie set up a... well, this type of party before!” She pointed accusingly at the table.
Pinkie Pie allowed Blue to sit down and place the tray on the table before him. “Of course silly, this is my first! I really must think of doing more of these!” Pinkie Pie turned to Blue. “Comfortable?”
“Yes indeed, thank you.” Blue took the cup with his hooves, giving a sniff, followed by a sip of the tea. With a sigh he spoke. “Now this is a bloody good cuppa, enough to wake those sinuses.”
Soarin looked over at him with a frown. “He sure looks like me but at the same time he’s nothing like me at all, I can't stand that stuff, coffee any day for me, please.”
“Well, I hate coffee myself, can't stand the stuff.” Blue replied, after a paused look at each other they both burst out laughing.
Pinkie Pie started to play the music, seeing them laughing made her smile. “Oh I love making ponies smile! And I did!” She giggled. “Tea, Rarity?” She bounced up to her, balancing a cup on the end of her nose.
Rarity was staring at Blue. “Sure, Pinkie Pie,” she took the cup with her magic. “Thank you darling.”
“I wouldn't think about it Rarity, he’s got a special somepony already.” Rainbow Dash said as she collected her breakfast. “Right, Applejack.”
“Eeyup, ah heard him speak her name last night, Mist, ah believe.” Applejack replied, taking a bite out of a piece of her daisy sandwich.
Rarity nodded and took a sip of her tea. “All as well, handsome stallion like him should be so lucky.”
Spike ate some of the gem snacks that Pinkie gave him. “Yeah, but Twilight saw her in a photo, she said the mare was snow blue with a really dark orange mane and tail, also something about sapphire eyes.”
“Really?” Rarity glanced at Twilight, who was eating her meal. “Is that true? This Mist is a pegasus as well?”
Twilight swallowed. “Yeah she is, what’s strange is why good perfectly healthy ponies that could fly under their own power would need flying machines.” Twilight glanced over to Blue who was happily talking to Fluttershy. He had pulled out the photo from his pocket and pointing at it and talking about some of the ponies in it. “Pinkie, what do you know about the flying machine?”
“Nothing much, I did get a crazy shake of my tail before it appeared, but that was for three whole days! I thought the sky was going to fall, my tail was non-stop shaking!” Pinkie Pie said, holding her tail between her legs and rubbing it with her front hooves.
Rainbow Dash chuckled. “I think it kinda did, especially with all that metal raining down, and that couch!”
Twilight turned to her. “Couch? What couch!?”
“Oh please... you saw those pieces of wood and fluff all over the place right!?” Rainbow Dash saw Twilight shake her head. “Oh brother... you can't be serious? I told you this when we went looking for the stupid plane!”
“Plane?”
“Yeah that’s what he called it, the flying machine.” Rainbow Dash answered.
“Plane... I like that, it’s simple, and gives meaning to the machine.” Twilight beamed and trotted over to Blue.
“Egghead...” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
Blue was still talking about his friends in the photo to Fluttershy as Twilight came over. “And Ruby here has two dogs, Lucky and Charm. They’re brother and sister, black alsatians with brown snouts and lower legs. They’ll try to lick you to death too, I might add.” He chuckled lightly.
“Oh they sound cute, I would love to see these alsatian dogs.” Fluttershy was enjoying her chat about his friend's pets. “Do you have any?”
Blue chuckled “Once, when I was very young, she was a parrot called Storm Whiz, she was called that because every time a storm came by she'd unhook that cage, fly to the window and cry out hours before it hit. 'Storm is here incoming! Storm is here incoming!' And wham! The storm comes two hours later, lightning and all. Her next word be. 'I told ya so! I told ya so!' I would just laugh as my father walked in, soaked by the downpour, muttering, ‘Damn it, Storm Whiz...” Blue laughed, recalling that memory.
“Oh she sounds sweet.” Fluttershy put her hooves together with a dreamy look in her eyes.
Twilight listened to them speak and decided to speak up. “It sound like you two getting along.”
Fluttershy turned to the purple alicorn. “Hello, Twilight, we are, he’s such a sweet stallion, he was speaking about all his friends and mare friend’s pets, each of them are so wonderful and full of character.”
“That is nice to hear, is it ok if I talk to him alone?”
“Sure, Twilight.” Fluttershy turned to Blue. “Nice meeting you Mr McLightning.”
“Same here, Fluttershy,” he replied, she went over to her friends to get herself something to eat. “You’re about ask me how I am so calm, right?”
Twilight stared at him with a frown. “And what makes you think I was about to ask that?”
Blue sighed, “I already explained this to Rainbow Dash and Soarin, I need you to do something for me first... I will answer every and all reasonable questions once it’s done.” Blue pulled out the device. “I want you to write down everything that’s on this device, it’s a recorded device that stores everything I say to it.”
Twilight look to it that was held in his hoof. “Wow, it really stores what you say on it?” Blue nods “Amazing! I know there are such things at studios for music discs such as the ones Vinyl Scratch uses but never seen one so small and... thin.”
“Luckily, it changed to be hoof friendly... or was it already hoof friendly? I am rather confused on that but it doesn't matter, all you need to do is press the button with the triangle on it. I already set it so all you need to do is press play.”
Twilight took it from him. “You’re putting a lot of trust in somepony you don't know...”
“Oh I know you well enough Twilight Sparkle, and I’d trust anypony who would sing so beautifully for their brother’s wedding.” Blue smirked
“H-How do you know about that!?” she shrieked in shock.
“Remember my deal,” he replied calmly and drunk some of his tea. “Do we have a deal?”
“Oh of course but what about your plane? Aren't you wondering about it?” Twilight asked.
Blue closed his eyes. “I am, Twilight.” He opened them, looking towards the window. “But I saw the bubble from on top of the hospital, I am gathering it’s protected?”
Twilight was surprised by this yet again. “Wow you really saw the shield that was put over the plane?” he nodded. “Princess Celestia personally put that up. You’ve got to thank her for that.”
“That I will, my plane and what I’ve got with me is all I have of a once... almost perfect life...” Blue sighed heavily.
Twilight eyes darted to her study, then back to him. “Erm... could you answer one question? Just one?”
“Sure...”
“Were you going to propose to Mist? Soarin McLightning...” Blue’s eyes instantly locked on to hers with shock in them as he eyes showed tears welling up, she had whispered this to him so no one heard. “Sorry... I...”
Twilight turned to leave but he put a hoof to her front leg. “It’s ok...” he whispered. “To answer your question, yes... you found them, didn't you...” she nodded silently. “Keep them safe... and keep it to yourself please... I don't want anyone to worry about me... my life is in shambles and I don't want to drag it down among your friends... especially when this has all been set up for me.” he whispered before returning to his normal voice, “It’s a bloody great party, never been to a breakfast party or even knew there was such a thing, I’m really enjoying it.”
“I am glad you are” Twilight smiled softly. “If you will all excuse me, I’ve got some a diary to write out for Mr McLightning.” Twilight Sparkle left and headed up to her study.
A few hours later the party had come to an end. Applejack was helping with the cleaning up, looking at the sleeping form of the light blue stallion on the chair. “After bein' in a coma for week yer’d think he’d have had enough sleep.”
Soarin was placing some of the food waste into the bags with help from Rainbow Dash who turned to Applejack. “I thought he would have fallen asleep sooner, even with the food and drink he’s had, he just came out of a coma.”
Pinkie Pie slowly raised Blue's right hind leg up and placed it gently on a leg stall with a cushion on it. “Nicely down sugarcube.”
“Thanks AJ, doesn't he look cute?” she giggled.
“Ah’ve got ta admit, he does,” Applejack chuckled. “We’d better finish up and leave him to rest.”
Spike raised his claw hands “Whoa... you can't just leave him here!”
“Spike, would you like to be in the hospital or resting here?” Rainbow Dash crossed her front hooves hovering just over him.
Spike sighed. “Fine, he can stay...”
Rainbow Dash took the bag outside and turned to the door “Come on Soarin, since Mr Sleepy Head is in good claws, how about that trip to Winsome?”
Soarin smirked, “Sure thing, Rainbow Dash.” He tossed the bag into the wagon. “Let me just get my flight...”
“Just leave it here, you don't need it on.” Rainbow Dash said to him, taking the flightsuit out of his hooves and placing it on the rack back in the library. “Or aren't ya coming?”
“Ok... I'll bite... let’s go.” He took off into the sky and Rainbow Dash joined him. “So, which way to Winsome?”
Rainbow Dash pointed “This way Soarin,” as she flew off with more confidence he turned to the library once more.
“Well, be seeing ya, Soarin.” Soarin liked that Rainbow Dash was a lot more confident now over this little flight trip, he was going to enjoy this moment of freedom from his grilling work as a Wonderbolt Co-Captain. He turned back and flew off after Rainbow Dash towards their destination of Winsome Falls.
Applejack stepped outside of the library with Pinkie Pie. “Let’s get the trash to the waste disposal.”
“Sure!” Pinkie Pie was happy to lend a helping hoof. They picked up the rubbish and also left the library, heading off to the Ponyville Waste Disposal centre.
Back in the library, Fluttershy decided to stay as Rarity said her farewells and made her way out. She put pillows behind Soarin McLighting, gently and carefully, so as not to disturb him from his sleep. “Fluttershy are you staying?” Spike asked as he swept the floor with the broom.
Fluttershy turned to him “Oh yes, he’s just woken from a coma and he shouldn't be left alone.” She took a look around. “Erm, where does Twilight keep the bed sheets?”
“Oh they’re just up those steps over there.” Spike pointed to the open side stairs. “In the cupboard on the left.”
Fluttershy flew up and opened the door to find a selection of neatly folded sheets. “This one should do nicely,” Fluttershy took it and came back down, placing the sheet over Soarin. “There, he’ll be nice and warm now.”
Spike was staring at him. “Maybe you should have taken that jacket off him first.”
“Oh my, I couldn't do that Spike... I might wake him up, and that would be rude...” She turned to Spike and trotted quietly over to him. “Is Twilight going to enter the Running of the Leaves this year?”
“Yeah, she is, even being a princess now she still wants to enter.” Spike replied, as he continued to clean up the remaining confetti and streamers on the ground. “If it’s ok, could you give me a hoof with the cleaning?”
Fluttershy took a rubbish back. “Sure, I’d be happy to,” A knock came from the door of the library.
“Oh, hold that thought.” Spike walked over to the door and opened it. “Hi sorry we...” he paused with a gulp. “P-Pr-Princess Celestia...”
Fluttershy dropped the bag with a gasp “Oh my... Princess...” they both bowed before her instantly.
Celestia walked in, followed by two guard ponies. “Please, don't bow, there’s really no need, I heard from Rarity that the pony found in the flying machine was here in the Library.”
“Oh he is, he'd been here for the good morning party Pinkie Pie made for him. It was an amazing breakfast party.” Fluttershy said to Celestia. “But he’s sort of asleep at the moment, I guess waking up without much strength got to him.”
Celestia turned her gaze to the stallion sleeping on the chair. “I see, at least we’ve found where he is, has he told you anything about where he from?”
Fluttershy nods. “Oh yes, I talked to him for a little bit, we were sharing stories about pets and animals, he’s from some sort of kingdom called the United Kingdom, but it’s also called Great Britain, that’s made up of four countries united under one flag, that’s the marking on his jacket.” Fluttershy explained to Princess Celestia.
Celestia was a bit taken back. “My, he was that open? Just like that?”
“Hmm mmm. Soarin is really sweet Princess, he doesn't want any trouble, in fact, I think he’s in more pain of sadness then anything. It’s strange that his name is also almost the same as Soarin’s here. His full name is Soarin McLightning but it’s spelt weird.” she look at the banner still hanging.
Celestia listened to Fluttershy and took a look at the banner displaying his name. “Sometimes names are spelt a little differently to how they sound, Fluttershy, but he looks exactly like the Co-Captain Soarin of the Wonderbolts, and I believe he is from another world. One that is somewhat similar to ours and yet completely different at the same time.”
“That would explain the plane, pegasi flying those machines instead of their wings, it’s really strange.” Spike piped into the conversation. “To them dragons are just myths, so he was slightly unsure how to speak to me at first.”
“Interesting, at least we know the name of the machine in question.” A guard walked in with the log book.
He raised it to Celestia “This was found left in the hospital, I believe it is a log book for the flying machine.”
Celestia nodded. “Yes, I am aware of the log books, Twilight has all the paperwork found in the plane here in the library for safe keeping, speaking of Twilight, where is she?” Celestia looked around for her former student.
Spike shook his head. “She’s in her study writing out everything stored on that diary device thing that Soarin had, he also said we could call him Blue when our Soarin is in the same room, but he wasn’t very happy about it.”
“Does he not like the name?” Celestia’s eyes trailed over to Soarin.
Fluttershy answered this. “Oh that’s because it was a nickname his marefriend Mist gave him, it’s sort of a personal thing and he finds it a little embarrassing.”
“Hmm, I would like to speak with him when he awakes,” Celestia walked up to Soarin. “He has so many answers we seek, the arrival of him is one thing, the other matter is knowing his intentions and why he came to Equestria...”
The sound of hoofsteps made them all turn to see Twilight looking at all the papers around her as she walked. “Spike this is really strange, I was going over the recordings when something strange happened, the words started changing themselves... first it was mix of two of the same voice then the new one completely overlapped the other. I’ve never seen or heard of such a thing before, so I kept the notes of both versions to see what I could come up with... I wonder if this has something to do with what Rainbow Dash and Soarin told me about him feeling his mind was being rewritten, and that he was not a pony before he came here...”
They watched her walk over to the table and place all the papers down as she continued to talk about her findings. “It’s really strange, I’ve never heard of magic doing such a thing, it’s almost as if in coming to our world his whole life experience is changing, his view on the world he lived in, minor details here and there, the plane, the device, the photo... everything down to the smallest detail, not even Discord would have the magic to pull a stunt like that. This magic has to be careful, slow and patient to alter the physical form first, then the mental and internal side over time, which I believe is why he was in a coma. The magic did it and sustained his life...”
“Erm Twilight... Princess Celestia’s here...” Spike finally said to her.
Twilight turn around quickly. “Oh my gosh! Princess! I didn't even...”
“It ok Twilight, but your findings are troubling...” Celestia looked at the device and used her magic, in a flash she gasped. “There is a magical force inside this, it very strong and localised, I believe I can pull it out.” Celestia summoned her magic and pulled a small little orb of yellowish energy out of the device. “My word... this is impossible... the magic around this is greater than anything I have ever felt... this little thing is...” suddenly it exploded, causing everything and everyone to be thrown off their feet and hooves.
Soarin woke, finding something was on top of him, he looked up to see Celestia’s snout against his. “Gah!” He quickly got off, yelping in pain with his hind leg. “Wh-what the hell!?”
Celestia blushed and got up. “Sorry... the magic inside the device must have caused it to explode when I pulled it out...”
Soarin turned to see everyone was on the ground, groaning. Twilight was sprawled on top of one of the royal guards. “AHHHH!” Twilight teleported and appeared back at the desk. “That never happened!” She burst out at the guard.
“O-of course Princess... wasn't exactly my fault...”
“I know... sorry but that was just, well, embarrassing! So please keep it to yourself!” Twilight pleaded.
The guard nodded as he got up onto his hooves. “You have my word, Princess Twilight.”
“Thanks,” she sighed then looked at the papers, “Now I got to sort this mess out... but before I do...” she turned to the device. “I’ve got a idea...”
She took a small step back and began to summon her magic, her horn glowed purple and she released a bright beam of magic at the device, encasing it in a violet aurora. “It worked!”
“Can somepony explain what worked?” Soarin groaned as he almost fell over, but Fluttershy caught him and helped him up.
“I just used a memory spell on the device, it restored the true memory within it but it kept the new ones too... that’s not good...” Twilight turned to Soarin. “If we remove that magic in your head, if I am right that is, you would have two memories in your head... two versions of you... same life.. same past... same everything... I think you would have two souls within your body and they would fight for control...” Twilight summarised what she saw and came up with a theory. “This isn't any magic I have seen before... it is much more powerful...”
Spike ran in with a jar. “Twilight, you should use this, it should stop that orb thing from exploding when you get it out of his head!”
“Spike that perfect!” Twilight looked at Soarin “I am going to remove it...”
Soarin gulped. “Erm... what?”
“Celestia, we need to hold him down, this might take some doing, it’s now or never... if it completes it’s work then Soarin, you will lose who you truly are. We need to work fast.”
Soarin looked at Celestia, “She is correct, we caught on to the magical lights, they might increase the process you’re going through... it has already changed you in and out... it’s attacking you mentally as we speak.”
“It’s ok I'll be here.” Fluttershy said, reassuringly.
He sighed... “Do it...” Celestia used her magic to hold him in place as Fluttershy stood by him for support. Twilight stepped up and used her magic to try and locate it.
“Whoa, you’re right Celestia, it’s moving around, changing parts of his memories as I speak. I keep trying to locate it but when I do, it moves on...” Twilight could see the pain in his eyes, it was doing damage to him. “Ok, one shot... that’s all I’ve got...” Twilight closed her eyes and with all her focus, she found it and...
ZAP
She grabbed hold of it and pulled it right out of his head as he screamed out in pain, it was, struggling, fighting her magical hold but after a few moments it was out. Twilight quickly put it in the jar and closed the lid, using her magic to seal it. The yellow glowing magical light was going crazy, moving around trying to escape or even explode, it could do neither. But it didn't stop it from trying.
Soarin collapsed from the pain, unconscious. Twilight moved up to him, “This will be his fight... all we can do is wait...” Twilight used her memory spell on him, restoring his true memories but as she feared, the other new ones was still there...
Celestia knew only one pony that could help. “Twilight, my guards will stay here and aid you in whatever you need, I am going back to Canterlot right now to ask for my sister’s aid.” With that she was gone in a flash of light.
The guards helped Fluttershy put Soarin into the guest bed, she stayed with him as the guards stood just by the door while Twilight looked at her friend. “Guards, Fluttershy most likely will need help, whatever she needs you get it, ok?”
“We understand Princess” the unicorn saluted.
“Good, I am going to find out what the heck that magical thing is! That thing was powerful, it was highly focused on completing its task. I was just lucky it was more focused on that than on me pulling it out.” Twilight looked at the jar. “Spike, that jar of yours really came in handy.”
Spike smiled with pride “See I told you it wasn't a waste of money!”
“And I won't question you again about it... Good work Spike... Good work” Twilight hugged him with a smile. “You really are the best dragon that anypony could ask for, the day I hatched you was the best moment of my life.”
“Thanks Twilight, no need to get mushy.”
“Indeed, we’ve got work to do...” She look to the room where Soarin McLighting was in. “One, we wait for whatever Celestia got going and two, we are going to find out why somepony would go to great lengths to place a poor soul like Soarin in some magical fog for three days...”
Spike listened to this with a frown. “You make it sound like somepony was preparing him for arriving here.”
“Or it’s not the first time this has happened.” Twilight turned to Spike. “I want all the books on anything that is mysterious or strange in the last 700 years, anything to do with strange things ponies came in. Anything that had ponies out cold for almost a week or more as well, anything that matches that Spike.”
Spike didn't like where this was going. “Twilight you’re making this sound like it has happened before...”
“I have a very bad feeling it has, not only once but quite a few times.” Twilight stared at the jar's contents. “What secrets are you keeping?” She whispered.