.
I had gone to bed the other night just like I used to, that is as far as the commonality went this time.
As I woke up, I realised something was off, and in an unusually strange way. First thing, it isn't my bed and it isn't my body, or is it. I'm lying in bed, just as if nothing had happened, which feels good.
Maybe it had been time to move on, I had grown tired of stalking these people anyway. Just taking pictures, recording voices, and imitating them in order to make them kill one another off. How many more did I have to trick, before my revenge was done and over with.
As it turned out, now I am a white Earth Pony. That would be a fresh start for someone like me. I still did recall I had been a man, back where I came from, but something told me I'm a mare now.
As I slipped the quilt off of my body, I could clearly see the room around me. It's barren in a very Spartan manner. I apparently do have a bed, and an empty bookshelf. The light comes from glowing crystals embedded in the wall, how curious.
Before I open the heavy wooden door, I notice something curious, a mark on my white flank, an image that would look as if it is a short strap of bandages. The same kind of bandages that had covered my face, from the fateful moment in my lab and until now, all these years. What I couldn't see is the bandage pattern on my entire face. Apparently her these bandages will be linked to, and referring to a special talent for healing the flesh of ponies and others.
Maybe it isn't a sign of a curse here, but an honour of the healer. I didn't know, but that is to become clear to both me and others soon enough, just as I was to learn.
Before I actually did get to the door, I noticed it was opened, and a guard in a shiny armour stop just outside of my room.
“Greetings and welcome to the royal castle of Celestia and Luna of Equestria. This is going to be your home from now on, Dark Mare. I have been instructed to guide you around, and the first place will be the dining hall. I hope you're hungry!” the stallion pronounced.
The guard stepped aside as I approached and promptly stay on my side as he leads me through corridors, until we finally did reach the promised dining hall. He had been quiet the entire walk, not that I had challenged his silence, maybe I didn't feel like asking anything right now.
“Greetings, Dark Mare!” came from an uncommonly large Pony, apparently the Princess by the name of Celestia I had been promised earlier.
“Greetings, Princess!” I responded, as I looked at her, then around the room, looking for the breakfast I had been promised earlier.
Something told me they actually did respect her, something I had seen all too little of, actual true respect. I had been force-fed the view of what was to pass for respect, when it had in fact been fear. The difference is only too obvious, when you can compare it with the true respect I just witnessed.
“Would you care to join me, and share breakfast with me?” she enquired in a royal tone I never had heard before, a tone to require respect, but also a tone that made me realise, she was to listen to me, before she was to pass her just judgement.
“I'd be honoured!” I responded, simply in a slightly lower voice.
“Yet, the delight would be on my side!” She responded in a simpler tone.
“Since I'm your guest, that would please me too. I'm just a bit new to the life I woke up to, not that I would complain. I just realised, I had enough of the life I lived before I ended up here!” I continued.
“From your mark, I could see how you are going to have an important place at the Equestrian castle!” she pointed out.
“The bandages on my flank?” I suggested, in an earnest enquiry.
“We all have a mark in Equestria, it signify who we are, and our talents. You would be a great healer, with a mark like yours. My task is to raise the sun each morning, and lower it each night, thus creating the cycle of DayLight!” She pointed out.
“You're raising the Sun, each and every day? For how long have you been doing that? I can't even begin to imagine such a task. I was a simple scientist, bent on trying to create something good, a means to help people, that almost cost me my life. That bent me on a cause for revenge, I finally escaped. It was a curse!” I responded.
“Yes, revenge is a cruel curse. I hope you can finally know peace!” she said, in a simple, yet sympathetic voice.
“Since you so graciously granted me a new life, I have a chance, since none of what bought the pain and rage to me followed me, to the best of my knowledge!” I continued.
“Don't mention it, I'm just happy to have you with me. I'm sure I can find good use for a talent like yours. I can never have too many healers on my side!” she teased me.
“I guess you're right. Though we only need one raising the sun. Does your sister raise the Moon too, then?” I threw a chance guess.
“Some Pony has to be charged with the task. Sadly, it caused her pain. Thankfully, she seems to have gotten over it, even if it was at a horrendously high cost!” Celestia explained.
“Now you made it sound as if it pained you just as much as it hurt her?” I enquired.
“I was forced to live with both the failure and the loneliness, since I have been without her for a millennia. She only returned most recently, which spare me from the loneliness, but the original failure will stay with me for time to come!” she pointed out in an increasingly sad tone of voice.
Thankfully, this is when the Unicorn came with a bowl of salad. It was starting to be too sad, and I did not want to interrupt her, but I couldn't quite keep this line of discussion going either. What truly saved the moment, is the small detail my eye caught, just as the Unicorn placed the bowl before me. It wasn't much, just enough to chance my talent. I just placed a hoof on top of the cut, for the briefest of moments, feeling the effect of what my talent did to her.
“Thanks!” she responded, almost out of shock, but with a touch of gratitude.
In a sense it had been a chance act. I'm new at this since I had only woken up to be a pony this morning. The cut had been covered over with new skin, and her coat now as good as new, even the pain was gone, by the look on her face.
“You're quite welcome. Besides, it's my pleasure!” I responded, in earnest truthfulness.
Naturally, there had been no reason to lie, and I had enjoyed to do it for her, even though I did not know her, at least not yet. It had offered me a welcome interruption, in a discussion that did not lead either of us to happy thoughts.
“That is exactly the point, and what I said earlier. Looks like natural magic for an Earth Pony, just like yourself!” she just pointed out, in an amused tone, as if the event was almost a joke, but still not rubbing it into my face, which caused me to chance a brave smile.
“I guess this is exactly what all my hard work was meant to lead me to. Now I can finally help others. Not for the glory of fame, just for the joy of helping her!” I responded.
“You were meant for this world. Do I really need to see more?” Celestia pondered, as if she was speaking to herself about me.