//------------------------------// // 85. The Promise // Story: Short Shorts // by Coranth //------------------------------// It had been a duel for the ages... but there had been no clear winner, until now... "Hah!" the teenage shit who called himself 'Darth Vulcan' boomed. "I've got you!" That said, he drove his staff deep into my stomach... making me fall forward atop him. "Yes," I rasped, weakly, "but I've got you, too. Go fuck yourself, you little shit..." That said, I slammed a hand down atop the Alicorn Amulet and sent through it the last of my energy in the form of a powerful psionic pulse. That blast of energy entered the amulet, and then through the amulet it traveled directly into Ted's brain. "Y-you... y-you..." He stood for a moment, weaving drunkenly... ... clutched his helmeted head and screamed... ... and then, from within his helmet, there came a terrible, wet-sounding *THUMP*... ... as his head exploded inside it. Somehow I was able to roll out of the way as he toppled to the ground. The final thing I heard before I slipped away was Twilight Sparkle, as she screamed. * * * Sometime later - I'm not sure when - I awakened, my head feeling like it was full of cotton wool. As the feeling gradually cleared and I became more aware, tentatively, I looked about and discovered that I was back inside the Dragon Weyr, specifically inside the Clinic, lying in an outpatient bed in the recovery ward. I couldn't help but smile as I became aware of a purple-furred weight atop my body; little Twilight Sparkle, whom was sleeping quietly, a forehoof thrown over me and her head atop my chest. Without thinking, I buried a hand into her mane and ruffled it! The purple alicorn mare groaned discontentedly at this, and made to swipe my hand away... but when she felt me grasp her hoof, her eyes snapped open, a gasp escaping her. "Y-You... you're awake!" she cried, joyously. "You're awake!" Frantically, she checked me over until - "UGH!" - she accidentally drove a hoof into my still-tender stomach. "Oh, Celestia!" the little mare cried in horror. "Sorry-sorry-sorry-sorry-sorry..." I just laughed and kissed her softly on the nose which made her stop apologizing. "It's okay, sweetie..." I whispered, "accidents happen." A mixture of emotions warred their way over Twilight's face then, before she burst into tears. Despite my weakened condition I just held her close, murmuring soothingly to her. "Y-You... you almost died back there," she said through her tears. "Fortunately, Celestia was able to contact the Weyr and have it - what was the word - ah, yes, she had it recall you here--but even then things were touch and go; you... you did die, twice, before the Weyr was able to bring you back and heal you..." "It's not the first time that's happened..." I whispered. My reply caused Twilight to burst into tears again and I stroked her coat and combed my fingers through her mane; she in turn nuzzled me all over taking in my scent, whimpering, and nickering, so very, very pony. "How... how can you be so... so blase about this?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion. "Because," I softly intoned, "as long as the Dragon Weyr exists - as long as it survives - so will I. The Weyr won't let me die Twilight. I will always be with you, and Celestia, and Luna; all the Little Ponies. Now talk to me, sweetie, tell me about Canterlot. What's been happening?" She sniffled... and then, her expression visibly brightened as she excitedly answered, "Oh, it's amazing! Your Weyr's Probes have been assisting with the rebuilding, and they're putting Canterlot Castle on the ground; apparently Canterlot City's going to be rebuilt around it! It already looks stunning. Uh, I hope you don't mind, but... the Princesses have been using the Weyr Commons as a temporary Throne Room and place of residence; they'll be using it until construction is complete..." "That's okay, they have permission," I replied. "Anything else?" "Well..." Twilight hemmed and hawed for a bit; at this I tickled her and ruffled her mane until she laughed and pushed my hands away. "Okay, okay, you have some visitors!" she said through her laughter. Sitting up in the bed, cuddling Twilight close to me, I said, "Let's have 'em; bring 'em in!" and at those words Twilight nicker-called to whomever was waiting outside. Shortly thereafter I was soon being nuzzled by two more very, very tearful Princesses. Celestia and Luna nuzzled me over and over, thanking me profusely for all I had done and was continuing to do for them. "Oh, come on, now," I grumbled in good nature, as I hugged them both gently, "enough of this; I just did it because it was the right thing to do. To help you. To prove to you that Darth Vulcan was wrong and that not all humans are the monsters he claims us to be. Anything else? What about the Alicorn Amulet?" "We don't know, David," Celestia stated, sadly. Darth Vulcan's - Ted's - body was psychically immolated by the Weyr; then Probes took his armor... somewhere within and--" "ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Solar Diarch was rendered silent as a truly bloodcurdling scream rose up from within the Weyr, soon followed by the feeling of something walking over our graves as a dark, malevolent presence was swiftly and brutally expelled. "--just smelted it down now, along with the Amulet." I concluded. The atmosphere felt... lighter now that the malevolent presence was gone. "Then... then that was...?" Luna stuttered. "Yup," I answered, "that was whatever lurked inside the amulet. Now that the Alicorn Amulet is gone - without the thing's magic to hold it here - that force should naturally be guided to where it has to go..." I lapsed into silence, then, as both Celestia and Luna sagged with relief. * * * Later, much later - after I had recovered completely - I stood, watching over Princess Luna as she laid within the Autodoc, Darth Vulcan's words running through her mind, "Whaddayou think that rinse and scrub cycle you got from her Elements was? That was you getting your personality erased and rewritten into the good little obedient sister she always wanted... Remember what it felt like when that big shiny rainbow hit you? I sure know I do... Like parts of your mind were being hosed away. That's the truth of it. I bet you sit all alone in your bed at night, wondering what other things got purged too. What little disagreeable traits your dear, loving sister's star pupil peeled out of your head... How much of the real you is still left?" Now, at last, she would find out. "... and we're done." I stated. With that, as Luna hopped out of the Autodoc, I brought up the report that she might, at last, see 'how much of the real her was still left.' When it was all compiled and came onscreen, as I carefully scrolled through the reams of medical data and images... my heart dropped into my stomach as I visibly paled. "W-What... what is it, David?" Luna whimpered, "what's wrong?" Sickened, trembling, pale as a ghost, I turned toward her, took her head in my hands and asked, "Are you familiar with the story of Peter Pan, the boy who didn't want to grow up?" At this, Luna nodded - she was more than familiar with that story from the Ihan Archives - and at that I continued, "Well... you're Equestria's Peter Pan, Luna. The... those parts of your brain that haven't been physically scarred have been... altered... drastically... from what they should be. You're thousands of years old physically, but... but mentally? You... effectively, you're... you're a 'mature filly' trapped inside the body of a mare. Negative emotions have been dulled, muted, good emotions have been... enhanced... and entire tracts of memory and the deepest, most fundamental aspects of who you are have either been altered or... or erased..." That said, I helped her look through the report, explaining terms, clarifying images, and letting her see through herself. When at last she was done, she looked at me through eyes blurred with tears. "Can... can you help me? Can you heal me; help me regain what... they took from me?" she asked, with emulated despair. Slowly, I shook my head as I answered, "No, not with damage this extensive..." She wilted. "BUT..." I continued, her expression visibly brightening, "the Protoss might be able to; some of the High Templar. You'd have to return with me to Aiur, and you'd have to stay there with us for... perhaps a very long time. Damage... damage like this can't be fixed overnight..." Snuffling, Luna nodded and buried her head into my robe. "Y-You... you promise?" she whispered. "On my honor - as a High Templar and Citizen of the Protoss Empire of Aiur - I so swear," I intoned solemnly. I would do whatever it took to set this wrong thing right.