//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Set In Stone // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// Sandow pondered his new near field manipulation shoes. Magic shoes that would allow him to hold things with his hooves and manipulate objects with near field magic. He was still utterly baffled about this concept. All he had to do was think about it a little bit, focusing his will, and the magic from the shoe would react. Objects could be held. Moved. Twisted. A spoon could be held in place. Knots could be tied. All manner of useful tasks. It would take a bit of time to learn, just like reading and writing. It was a marvelous age to live in. He had seen a movie. He couldn’t remember the name, but watching the moving pictures had fascinated him. He prefered real life, but the movie had been interesting. A film about a pioneer pony who had settled the prairie. A pioneer pony with perfect teeth, perfectly coifed hair, and not a speck of dirt to be found anywhere on her hide. Sandow had spent most of the movie laughing, braying like a donkey, and annoying others. The others being Applejack, her five friends, and the entire theatre. Sandow could not find one single spot of realism anywhere in the film. The pioneer mare had magic shoes and everything… Something that didn’t even exist during the golden era of expansion. Also, the mare kept bursting into song constantly. For the life of him, Sandow could not figure out why anypony would burst into song when a massive thunderstorm was rolling up over the prairie. Seemed far more sensible to secure the wagon, get some means of shelter, and prepare for the storm. But no. The mare had stood there, standing in the rain, her wet mane slicked to her neck, singing about her hope to find love on the prairie, a loving gentle stallion that would tend to her every need, making her a complete mare. She didn’t even have the common horse sense to come in out of the rain. What stallion would have her? He wouldn’t. He supposed other stallions might find a use for her, however unsavoury those uses might be. She had found her one true love, another pioneer pony, almost as perfect as she was, living amongst the buffalo. They met, kissed during a swell of music, sang a song together about destiny, and fell madly in love. And then a bunch of words rolled down the screen. Horseapples. He heard his name being called, it was time for supper. He snorted and headed down the stairs for dinner. Love never happened that suddenly. As he entered the kitchen, he realised there was a guest for dinner. Flickershine. He paused in the door frame for a few moments, feeling suddenly self conscious, and then slowly made his way to the table. Granny Smith was off visiting relatives. Big Mac and Applejack were already sitting down, and three crusaders sat at one side of the table, looking at him with faint smiles. Sandow eased himself on to the bench, sitting next to Applejack, and across from Flickershine. Big Mac sat at the foot of the table, and each of the crusaders sat on the bench with Flickershine. Applejack began to load up his plate with spaghetti and mushroom balls. He wasn’t quite sure what he thought of pasta just yet. It was something new and different. Applebloom had helpfully shown him how to slurp noodles. He debated about trying to use a fork with his new shoes, and then dismissed the idea. He had no idea how to use silverware just yet. He dove his muzzle into his plate and began to devour his food noisily. After several moments of scarfing food, he paused, realising it was strangely silent. Flickershine, and everypony else, was watching him with faint smiles. At that moment, he wanted to sink through the floorboards and take refuge in the dirt below, in a nice grave, never to be seen from or heard from ever again. “I like to watch a hungry colt eat.” Flickershine said, still smiling, maybe even smirking, her eyes narrowed. “Enthusiastic eaters always have so much passion.” Sandow froze, trying to remember a word. Something that Applejack had tried to explain to him. Something about throwing sex through a window. Sex in yer window? Suddenly, he was keenly aware of it. Something inside him ignited and began to blaze brightly. A noodle, clinging to his nose, suddenly slipped off and fell to his plate. Applejack tittered. Sandow bravely lowered his muzzle back down to his plate, trying to eat as delicately as possible. He rolled a mushroom ball into his lips with his tongue, his ears ablaze with inner fire. “So, Flickershine," said Applejack, “we’ve told you stories about us. And about Sandow. We’d like to know a bit more about you.” Applejack shoveled in a forkful of noodles, capped off with a mushroom ball and began to chew noisily. “Yeah!” Sweetie Belle said, her face covered in red sauce, a stray strand of noodle clinging to her ear. The other crusaders nodded, Applebloom chewing with her mouth open, dribbling bits of noodle and sauce all over the table. “I love spaghetti.” Scootaloo said, gnawing on a mushroom ball, marinara dribbling down her chin. “And Applejack makes the best.” “Eeyup.” Flickershine chewed her bite, looking around the table, swallowed, and spoke: “I graduated from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. After I did, I didn’t go home. I began to wander. Earned some coin. Bought a wagon. Taught ponies how to dance. I get to see the world now, go from place to place, meeting nice ponies and having delightful dinners.” She took a bite, chewing thoughtfully, and then swallowed. “Like this one.” “Don’t it get lonesome somethin’ awful wanderin’ the roads and never goin’ home?” Applejack asked, her mouth still full of noodles. “Yes.” Flickershine replied. “Been noticing it a lot more lately. I’d like somepony to walk these roads with.” She gave a glance to Sandow and took a bite, her noodles twined carefully around her fork. Sandow paid no attention and focused on his food, slurping noisily. “I’ve been all over Equestria. I’ve watched the sun rise from Horseshoe Bay, and I’ve seen the sun set in Vanhoover. And almost everything in between. There is a big world out there.” Flickershine said. “I intend to see all of it. And then see it again. And then go back and check for things I might have missed.” She took another bite. “I’ve been all over. But that was before the world changed.” Sandow said. “Then you have a unique perspective.” Flickershine said, delicately chewing a bite. “You should go back to all of the places you have been and see what has changed.” “Eemaybe.” Sandow blinked at Big Mac, raising his eyebrow. “Just sayin’” Big Mac said sheepishly. Sandow looked around the table, keenly aware that every eye was watching him. Three fillies smirked under masks of marinara. His ears felt like a furnace. Something was up. Sandow had lived as long as he had by knowing when trouble was brewing. Like now. His eyes darted around the table, eyeing everypony, trying to decide what to do next. He did the only thing he could do in this situation. He bolted. He fumbled free of the bench, nearly falling, almost knocking the table over. He cleared the room in a single bound, hit the door with a bang, causing the door to snap open with a crash, and then was out the door in a hurry, running away, still unable to fly. And run he did. He ran until his lungs burned and his sides began to cramp. And then he kept going, tearing through the orchard, his hooves leaving divots in the grass. He finally came to a lurching stop near a small lake, more of a large pond, full of croaking frogs, the moon reflecting in its surface. He drew a few ragged breaths, his sides heaving, wing joint aching. He sat, enjoying the solitude, watching the reflection of the moon ripple in the water. There were crickets and frogs. And no meddling family. This was pleasant. It took a long while for his breathing to calm, but he finally was able to draw breath with out his wing joint feeling like it was going to pop out again. The night was beautiful. “What troubles you, Sandow Rotten Apple?” A voice said, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin. He turned. He saw a tall blue figure. She was regal looking, and had a horn and wings. “Out enjoying my night?” She said, gesturing at the moonlit pool before her. “You…” said Sandow, “you’re Celestia’s sister.” “That I am. I am Princess Luna. I ask that you call me Luna.” “Yes, Princess Luna.” Sandow said in a worried tone. Luna regarded him with a raised brow. “Luna. Just Luna. No more, no less.” Sandow nodded. “You and I have much in common Sandow.” Luna said. “I’ve been watching you for a long while. Like me, you are a pony lost in time.” Sandow stared at Luna in confusion, realised what he was doing, and then dropped his gaze. “I was exiled for a thousand years. And, like you, I came back to find the world had changed. I had to adapt. I had to change. I had to grieve everything that I had lost. And most importantly, I had to move on or else the world would have left me behind once again.” Luna said softly, watching the ripples in the pond. She sat down near Sandow, gesturing for him to come closer to her. He did, against his own better judgment. He could feel heat radiating from her body. She looked at him, her eyes full of stars and sorrow, timeless eyes, eyes that bore a hole in the core of his being. “I see your dreams.” Luna said. “I know your heart. And I understand some of your pain, Sandow Rotten Apple.” Sandow gulped and nodded. “I know what you have lost.” Luna whispered. Sandow nodded again, still silent. “And if you are not careful, you will lose something else. Something of great value. I know your heart still aches, but you must find the courage to move forward.” Luna said, wrapping a blue wing around Sandow, pulling him closer. “Let it out. Before it breaks you.” Sandow blinked, trying to hold it back, not wanting to let anything out. Especially not sitting next to the Princess of the Night. And yet, something inside of him broke, a little crack at first, and then it crumbled. The tears came, slowly at first, and then in a flood. Luna sat there with him, holding him, quiet, patient, looking first at Sandow and then up at the starry heavens. “You feel conflicted.” Luna said, after a long period of crying. “You feel a longing for another, but you feel that you betray the memory of those long gone. It is not an easy feeling. And your family, meaning well, lacked tact. They placed you in a very uncomfortable situation, doing so with good intentions.” “How do you know this?” Sandow asked. “I see your dreams.” Luna said. “All of them. And all of you have pranced oh so delicately around this issue, in much the same way that Flickershine dances.” “I don’t know what I feel.” Sandow said. “I’ll admit, I like what I see. But I don’t think I could act upon it. Wouldn’t be right.” “And what does that accomplish?” Luna demanded, her tone becoming somewhat impatient. “To wreck so many dreams, including your own?” Sandow shrugged. “I don’t think I am ready.” “Sometimes Sandow, opportunities come along, whether we are ready or not. Sometimes, we must embrace the pain of moving forward, no matter how painful it might be to separate from the past. You were set in stone. I spent a thousand years locked in the moon. The past isn’t just gone from us, it is dust. Distant memories.” Luna said. “Easy for you to say.” Sandow said bitterly. “You still have your sister. I don’t want to hear it and I don’t need no lecturin’ from no princess about the wisdom of the ages.” Sandow’s drawl experienced a massive growth spurt. Luna sighed in frustration. “Fine then.” She said. “The hard way. Tell me Sandow, tell me what your beloved Bluebelle and Azalea would want from you in this situation. What did they do all those years ago when you fell into your stony slumber? Did they have the luxury of pining away like you do now, or did the harsh realities of life force them to move on?” “Oh piss off!” Sandow spat. “We have all night.” Luna said, her tone somewhat irritated. Sandow rose to leave and found that he couldn’t. He squirmed, struggled, and found he could not move, the wing around him as stiff as stone. After several moments of struggle, he went still. “Damn you.” Sandow muttered. “Not many ponies have the nerve to speak to me in such a manner.” Luna said. “Well maybe more should!” Sandow said, nearly sputtering. Luna fell silent, waiting patiently. Sandow struggled to control his emotions, still feeling the sting of Luna’s words. Bluebelle and Azalea wouldn’t have had the luxury of prolonged grieving. He had left them huddled under a fallen tree in freezing rain. And he had vanished, leaving behind one foal and one more on the way. “You are young. Your entire life stretches ahead of you. You have a fresh start. A family that loves you and means well. The stone has been removed from your flesh, now remove it from your heart. Leave the past where it belongs.” Luna scowled as she spoke. “It still hurts.” Sandow said softly. “Back then or now, it still hurts.” “I know.” Luna said, nodding. “But you can tell me about it. We have all night.” “Have I succumb to the lax behaviour of this age or am I grieving the way I would have back then?” Sandow asked in a low whisper. “Does it matter? It did not happen back then. It is happening now. And what you are experiencing is in some ways reflected by what goes on around you.” Luna replied. “Back then I would have been forced to pick up the pieces and move on I suppose.” Sandow said, still puzzled. “I don’t know anything anymore.” “Untrue and your self pity does not do you credit.” Luna said. “There is much that you do know and your questions prove inner depth.” The two sat in silence for a time, watching fireflies, listening to frogs and crickets, watching the moon rise higher into the night sky. “I must be going.” Luna said, a faint smile appearing on her lips. “You are about to have a visitor. I wish you the best of luck.” Luna vanished into a wisps of shadow and was gone. “Sandow?” Flickershine said. “Is that you?”