//------------------------------// // Act I: Chapter Eight: Under Moon and Star, Part 2 // Story: Innocent // by Puzzle Piece //------------------------------// Of all the days to ruin with a rainstorm, why did it have to be as perfect a day as this? Jason watched the azure sky begin to fill with dark patches as the Pegasi brought in the clouds that would give the land around Ponyville its quota of rain. Most of the ponies on the ground were busy pulling in lawn ornaments or closing up windows. Umbrellas were closed and brought inside, tables and chairs were moved out of the wind, and fillies scrambled about frantically collecting toys from the yard under the stern direction of their parents. Jason watched them as he passed by. But then, when one controls the weather to a T, he supposed they would have their pick of perfect days. The Pegasi flew in pairs as they dragged tufts of cloud into position. Jason watched in fascination as each one was plucked from its place in the sky and pushed to another. They obeyed without resistance and stuck where they were placed. Otherwise, they were completely inert. He walked down one street and turned a corner to keep a particular group of Pegasi in view while they worked. Without the Pegasi to control it, he supposed weather, and thus all of nature, would cease to function. Unlike his own people, who were protectors of nature’s balance, nature in Equestria depended completely on the ponies that cared for it. It took a dedication of a different kind. While they might have accepted it as the way of life just as his people had, it required them to maintain every aspect of their world without fail. He wondered suddenly if his people were as essential to their world. Would it fall into chaos without them? Could it survive without its wardens to protect it? It was a troubling thought. If the answer was no, would that mean that their service to nature was unnecessary? He shuddered to think of all that had been sacrificed to the Oath when it might be a trivial thing. He took a deep breath and pushed such thoughts from his mind roughly. Now was not the time to dwell on his world; he needed to take in every bit of beauty this world had and hold it close for the return to his world. He didn’t want to forget even one detail. It was at that moment that he detected an odd sound. His ears perked up automatically as he tried to pinpoint the source. He found it a moment too late. “Oh, no! Look out!” The sound of wings trying and failing to regain control of their flight was cut off as their owner braced for impact. Hit from the left by a soft body that carried an unusual amount of weight, he was thrown off his hooves and slammed into the side of the nearest building. With a grunt, he slumped to the ground, stunned. Dimly, he was aware of hooves rushing over to him and voices from nearby. “Oh gosh! Oh dear! I’m so sorry. Are you alright? Can you hear me? Please say something!” Another voice joined the first and Jason caught hostility in the words that surprised him even through the ringing in his ears. “What have you done now? You’ve gone too far this time Derpy. You’re a danger to society.” “I’m so sorry. Please, it was an accident! Oh no, oh no, oh no. Please be okay,” the other pleaded desperately. “You are a disaster on wings. It would be better if you just stayed on the ground forever. Although you’d probably still find a way to mess things up, wouldn’t you?” The venom in the second voice drew a sob from the first. “Don’t blame her. I wasn’t paying enough attention,” Jason said as he struggled to make his head stop spinning. “Oh, thank Celestia!” the first voice gasped with relief at his response. “I tried to level out but there’s this odd package and it threw me off. It was an accident, I swear.” He managed to raise his head and looked at the two ponies that stood over him. The first mare had a blue mane and yellow coat. Her heavily styled mane curled around her horn in a manner that could only be called pretentious. Her stance over the Pegasus mirrored that impression. The mare speaking to him had a blonde mane and a gray coat with wings that were tucked tightly against her body. Her mouth remained open, trying to form the words she meant to say but only managing to stare at him in a mixture of worry and apology. A tan satchel hung from her side, stuffed with envelopes and parcels. A blue cap rested on the ground just behind her, obviously dropped during their collision. Her eyes were yellow…and pointed in nearly opposite directions. “It’s always an accident with you,” the other pony said harshly. “In fact, you’re an accident all together.” The Pegasus stopped pleading for Jason to say he was uninjured and blinked at her accuser. Her eyes shifted independently as they attempted to focus on her. Tears welled up and her jaw snapped shut in mortification. Her lip trembled and she looked down at the ground to avoid seeing the anger on the other’s face. “Ease up,” Jason said. “It wasn’t her fault.” “Not her fault?” the other snorted. “This kind of thing is all too common. She needs to just stop failing at everything she does!” At that point, Jason had had it. He sprang into a standing position despite nearly blacking out. He fixed the Unicorn with a withering gaze and advanced on her. “I said stop talking!” The Unicorn’s eyes widened in surprise and she took a step back. Then she took another because Jason didn’t stop moving toward her. “If you say one more word to her, I will show you how much damage intentional harm can do! I don’t see you trying to help the situation. All you’ve been doing is condemning her. At least she’s worried about the one who’s hurt!” The Unicorn opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. Jason came within a foot of her and stopped. He scowled deeply. “Why should anyone care what you think of anything if you are so hostile and apathetic?” The Unicorn scurried backward away from him before turning and running away at a gallop. Jason snorted at her retreating form once before turning back to the Pegasus. She flinched and cowered under the hard glint in his eyes. He realized that she probably thought he was angry at her too. With a guilty glance at the few nearby ponies that had stopped to look, he leaned down to the Pegasus. “Are you alright?” he spoke softly. “Huh?” She looked up at him with what might have been confusion, but with her eyes so lopsided, it just ended up being cute. “I know I’m not hurt that bad.” He shrugged at his injuries despite the fact that his head was still throbbing. “But what about you?” “I…I wasn’t hurt really,” she muttered, refusing to completely meet his gaze. “I’ve kind of gotten used to it.” She rubbed her shoulder with a slight grimace. Jason was reluctant to mention her eyes, figuring she’d heard it all before. He chose to ignore it because he knew enough on the subject already. “Your name is Derpy?” he asked, recalling the name the Unicorn had used. The Pegasus winced. “Yes and no.” She looked away. “I’m sorry? How so?” “Well, they call me Derpy Hooves. But my name is Ditzy Doo.” She looked at him bitterly. “Do you know what ‘derpy’ is supposed to mean?” Jason thought for a moment. “I know of several implications. I assume you’ve been subjected to the more negative of them?” Ditzy nodded. “Well don’t listen to any of that.” Jason glanced at where the Unicorn had run off. “What they have to say doesn’t matter. If it did, they wouldn’t be saying such harsh things.” “Thanks, that’s kind of you.” She tilted her head to one side. “You aren’t angry with me for running into you? Not even a little?” “Are you kidding? Of course not,” Jason said, batting the air lightly with a hoof. “This is how I’ve met half of my friends here in town. It almost seems like a customary greeting.” Ditzy giggled. “I almost wish it was. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about it.” Jason rubbed the side of his head. “Maybe, but only after we make helmets the standard headwear.” They both laughed again. Jason picked up Ditzy’s hat with telekinesis and set it on her head again. She tossed her head to adjust it to a preferred position. “I should finish delivering these packages before the storm.” She glanced at the sky, which was now completely grey and turning darker. “You don’t mind if I tag along do you? I was just walking around aimlessly.” “No, I suppose not.” She turned down the street. “I think I’ll stay on the ground now anyway. Wouldn’t want to get mixed up in a thundercloud, you know?” “You aren’t part of the weather team?” Jason asked as they set off. “No, I’m a mail courier. I was part of the weather team once and I still help with Winter Wrap-up, but I guess I put one too many lightning bolts in the wrong spot.” She laughed nervously. “So now I deliver the mail. It’s not a bad job and it keeps the mouths at home fed so I don’t mind.” “How many mouths are there?” Jason asked. “There are three of us. Me, of course, and my little muffin, Dinky. And then there’s the Doctor.” “Doctor…who?” Jason pressed. She laughed at him for reasons he couldn’t fathom. “He’s called Dr. Whooves.” “Ah. So he’s your husband then?” “Um, no.” She looked away uncomfortably. “We’re not married. Not yet at least.” She brightened up again. “He helps me take care of Dinky. I honestly don’t know how I’d manage without him. They get along so well that it just seems natural having him around the house. They call him Dr. Whooves because he’s living with me, seeing as I’m called Derpy Hooves. The difference is because we aren’t married. His real name is Time Turner.” They stopped at a house and Ditzy slipped a parcel into the mail slot. Jason hesitated before speaking tentatively. “He’s not the father is he?” “No,” she said, hanging her head. “But that foal will never be half the stallion the Doctor is. He’s been so patient with me, so understanding and helpful. And Dinky just loves him. He might as well be her father.” Jason puzzled through this strange twist. It was one thing to have a pony ridicule another for making mistakes, but to hear of them abandoning a mare with foal? He’d never have thought it possible. Not from what he’d seen of this place. They walked in silence for several minutes as Ditzy delivered packages to various houses. When ponies greeted her, they usually used “Derpy” and she would just smile back at them. Jason took the time to observe the ponies more closely. Their chatter was still cheerful and the smiles they offered were all sincere. He didn’t see anything more sinister than mischievous laughter shared between friends. Yet it seemed that they were just as capable of malice as any of the races from his own world. The thought put a damper on his view of this world. This place was still a breath of fresh air after all of the hostility in his life, but it was less crisp now, so to speak. After a long while, Ditzy glanced over at Jason. “Um, I’m nearly done with my route.” She let the statement hang there, waiting for him to catch its meaning. “Yes, well,” he cleared his throat. “It’s been a pleasure. I may be leaving town soon, so I suppose I’ll say goodbye. Take care of yourself Ditzy.” “Thank you. It was nice. And it’s too bad you’re leaving. I’m sure you and the Doctor would have gotten along wonderfully.” They arrived at her last destination and Jason blinked twice and then he laughed. “What is it?” “Oh,” he said after his laughter died down. “This just happens to be where I needed to end up.” He walked up to the door and knocked. The stallion who answered it looked down at him with disdain. “Do you have business here?” his voice rumbled. “Yes, we are here to deliver an important parcel.” The stallion glanced at Ditzy and nodded. “Very well. Bring it in.” Jason looked at Ditzy expectantly. She pulled the package out and Jason took it with his telekinesis. He nodded to her in parting and she smiled and waved back. Jason walked inside and shut the door. “Who was that,” Zacon asked once they were back inside the library. “The local mail courier.” Jason looked around for an open table to put the package but none were available. Every desk and table in the room was occupied by metal stands. More were anchored to the walls or hung from the ceiling. Magnifying glasses, reflective panels, and crystals were fitted into the stands at various angles. On the central table, several crystals had been placed tightly bunched together. Twilight and Spike were making adjustments to one of the reflectors while Cor checked the positions of the others against a notepad he carried with him. Zacon took a seat where he had obviously been waiting the whole time. His armor and all of their weapons lay next to him, although the axe floated erect a few inches above the floor. “Ah, Jason. You’ve arrived,” Twilight greeted when she noticed him. “We’re just finishing our second triple-check and if the third one doesn’t turn anything up, we’ll be ready to go.” Cor looked over in mild surprise. “A third? Really?” “We don’t want to miss something, do we?” Cor sighed and began walking around the room again, rechecking everything. “So how’d your meal go?” Jason asked Zacon. “I found it edible at the very least. How was your walk around town? Anything worthy of a poem catch your attention?” Zacon rolled his eyes. “No, nothing as sentimental as that.” Jason paused to reflect. “But I was acquainted with some less than ideal aspects of this world.” “Something in this world isn’t one hundred percent perfect all the time? You don’t say?” Zacon snorted and sat down. “Well, what was it that didn’t meet your standards?” “It started when I ran into the mail courier, Ditzy. Or more accurately, when she ran into me.” Twilight looked over. “You’re not hurt are you?” She walked over when he signaled that he was well and took the package to inspect it closely. She opened it to reveal an intricately shaped prism. “This doesn’t look damaged either. That’s lucky. Ditzy’s track record isn’t the best. And there just had to be an incident the time a key component is involved.” She set the prism in a stand in the exact center of the arrangement. “On the subject of her track record,” Jason continued. “Our little mix up attracted the attention of a nearby pony that had some colorful opinions of Ditzy. I was shocked to say the least that ponies displayed such hostility.” “Some ponies are like that,” Twilight shrugged. “You meet some good ones and some not so good ones.” “It just seemed strange to me after spending time with you and your friends.” Twilight smiled. “I guess you got lucky to have met kinder ponies. I know I was. My friends remind me of how wonderful ponies can be to each other every day.” Zacon made a gagging sound. “She also mentioned…” Jason hesitated. “…some personal situations that seemed unfitting. Can your world really be as good and happy as it seems and still have examples of such infidelity?” “Of course. Ponies I know tend to be happy but that doesn’t mean we all have to be.” Twilight smiled again. “Life happens, you know? What did you expect?” “I guess this world is so much more peaceful than our own that I forgot that it wasn’t perfect.” Jason looked at his hooves and shuffled them despondently. “Perfect? Not hardly.” Twilight shook her head. “What’s your world like that makes you say that?” Cor and Jason looked at each other for a moment. “I think we’d rather not go into it.” Cor said. Jason nodded grimly. “Okay, if you say so,” Twilight said and dismissed it. “Since that last piece is here and everything is in its proper place, I think I’ll go through what I’ve planned.” They all gathered around as she flipped through a notebook. “I was looking over a set of calculations I had done and found that I could increase the output of each crystal by almost two hundred and twelve percent. I had already planned on using mirrors to reflect the energies back through the crystals but saw that I could also use the crystals themselves to reflect into each other at close range for greater effect.” She gestured at the formation on the center table. “They will be the focal point of the whole thing. When they are charged, they will also begin charging each other. The power will build up faster and reduce the chances of overheating. I’ve set up chilling devices to further reduce that risk. I’ll produce the beam from over here.” She walked over to a stand that held the cushion that would hold her aim steady. “You three will be in the middle since you will be the target of the reaction. I’ve prepared a few protective spells as well, so don’t worry about anypony else getting caught up in this.” She smiled reassuringly. “What do you think?” “I think we’ve left some things unfinished.” Jason looked out the window. “Like what?” “For one, Rarity was making us those outfits. I feel guilty leaving her hanging like this.” “Don’t worry,” Twilight said. “I’ll explain it to her. She won’t mind too much.” Cor looked at his hooves. “I told Fluttershy that I would continue our discussion if she had time.” “She’ll understand that you had to go home. I’ll take care of any business you leave here,” Twilight said solemnly. They all looked at Zacon. “What? You think there’s something here that I’m not glad we’re leaving behind?” He walked over to his armor and tapped it with a hoof. It swung up and latched itself into place. “Let’s just go.” “Alright. I hope you didn’t suffer too horribly while you were here.” Twilight bowed sarcastically to Zacon. Then she continued more seriously. “It’s been an honor to meet you three. I’d like to think we might meet again someday. Here we go,” She said as she took her position. Jason stood perfectly still, watching her every move. Cor glanced more than once at the crystals next to him. He chewed his lip nervously. Zacon sat alert. His eyes were intense with expectation. Twilight took a deep breath and set her horn to the stand. “Maybe this isn’t the best idea,” Cor said suddenly. Twilight let her breath out and stepped away from the stand. “What? Why?” She looked around, trying to detect the problem. Jason looked at him curiously. “I was under the impression that this was the only idea. How could it not be the best?” Cor shifted from hoof to hoof awkwardly. “Well, I was thinking…What if we just got lucky last time? What if it was a fluke that we ended up here?” “What are you saying?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What I’m saying is,” Cor stressed the words impatiently. “We don’t really know how this works. For all we know, we could just be getting ready to blow ourselves up. And even if we’re right and this will teleport us, how do we know we’ll be sent home? If we’re off by just a little bit on just one tiny detail, we could be sent somewhere completely different.” “Are you saying you don’t want to do this?” Twilight asked incredulously. “I’m saying that if something goes wrong, we might not get another shot.” Zacon walked over and shoved Cor back on his haunches. “I’ve had enough waiting around. If this is the way home, I say we get a move on and find out. If not, then there’s no use standing here getting our hopes up talking about it.” Twilight regarded Zacon intently before speaking. “As odd as it may sound, I agree with Zacon. Nopony needs to tell me twice about how iffy this whole thing is. But we’ve prepared for everything we could think of. It’s time to see if we were right.” Cor started to argue but realized it was pointless. There was nothing else to gain by waiting. He nodded to Twilight and she took her position once more. Her horn lit up as she took aim and a beam of purple energy shot forth. It struck the prism and split into multiple beams that danced between the reflectors around the room. The beams passed through the surrounding crystals and redirected back into the formation in the center. The crystals began to pulse with energy and glow brightly. The center of the reaction was a brilliant ball of magenta light. Cor actually had to close his eyes against the brightness. Jason and Zacon squinted through it. Twilight gritted her teeth in the effort to press more power into the beam. The whole room began to pulse with the energy. The walls of the library resonated with a deep humming sound that increased in pitch as energy poured into the crystals. Through it all, a dark spot appeared in the focal point. It grew until it enveloped the center table. Jason took a half step away as its event horizon reached out to him. He looked directly into it and thought he could see light different from the blazing purple around him. All at once, the dark sphere collapsed back into its center and all sound stopped for the span of a second. Then the crystals cracked audibly and the whole reaction spiraled into chaos. Waves of energy pulsed outward and the beams twisted in their wake. Twilight gasped and tried to stabilize the energy’s flow but the crystals burst into fragments, releasing their stored energy. The reflectors shattered all around the room and the stands that held them flew apart. Bands of violet energy cascaded from the ruptured crystals. They scorched the walls and floor and burned furniture into matchsticks. Twilight abandoned her attempt to stop the reaction and dove for cover. Cor just stood in the middle of it all, staring in shock at the destruction until Jason tackled him out of the way and rolled them both behind a desk. Zacon stood facing the conflagration with his axe held before him like a shield. One of the bands raked the place where Twilight had hidden. There was a sound like glass shattering and Twilight shrieked in fear. Zacon was pushed back against the wall by the waves of energy and the desk hiding Jason and Cor ignited, causing them to back away from it quickly. With a bang like a cannon, the crystals stopped spitting fiery energy and crumbled to dust. With all of the light and sound suddenly gone, the room seemed to stand still. Bits of debris littered the room. Smoke rose from dark trails in the floor and small fires on pieces of furniture. Every window had been blown out and chunks of the ceiling had fallen in. Not one of the books was damaged, although a good many of them had fallen to the floor. They slowly crept out of their concealment. Cor and Jason stood side by side as they stared at the shallow, black crater in the center of the room. Twilight peeked from behind an overturned desk timidly before walking out to inspect the damage as well. Her mane and tail had been scorched and a good deal of it was missing all together. Zacon’s axe and armor sizzled with heat but otherwise he was untouched. “I…I…,” Twilight tried to speak but was interrupted by the back door opening sharply. Spike stood framed in the doorway. His jaw dropped halfway to the floor at the sight before him. “What the…What happened?” They all looked at each other and then at Twilight. “I…,” she tried again and cleared her throat. “I’m not sure. Remember that you said the crystals that sent you here exploded too. I’m just not sure how….” She looked disconsolately at the library and trailed off. “I step out of the room for a few seconds and everything goes to pieces,” Spike grumbled as he started sifting through the wreckage. “So that’s it? We failed?” Cor looked at his hooves dejectedly. “No.” They all looked at Zacon. “No, damn it! I will not spend the rest of my life in a world that looks like a rainbow cut itself open and bled out on everything. I’m going home!” He advanced on Twilight. “Send me back!” “I’m sorry.” Her ears flattened themselves against her neck as she backed away. “I don’t know how. This was the surest bet we had. I simply don’t know enough about the mechanics of inter-dimensional travel.” Zacon towered over her and glared silently. He glanced at his axe, and then back at her. His eyes had a fevered glint. He worked his mouth in an attempt to form words but couldn’t manage it. Without warning, he turned, grabbed his axe in his mouth and kicked the door off its hinges. He trotted off without looking back. Cor looked between Twilight and the departing Zacon several times. “I’m going with him, if only to keep track of him.” He ran off in pursuit. Twilight sank to the floor. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Jason was silent for a long time, just observing. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said at last. Twilight looked at him and nodded even though she looked like she might have been on the verge of tears. Jason looked around for something to say and found several books in a disorderly pile next to him. “How did these survive?” He flipped one open to see the sharp writing on the crisp, clean pages. “I put protection spells on them. There were a few incidents here before and fireproofing them was a logical precaution.” “How about yourself? Are you alright?” He gestured to her mane. “It’s just a little singeing. My shield spell blocked most of it.” She looked back at the room, still unable to grasp it all. “It just wasn’t quite enough to block it all.” Jason stared at the hole in the center of the room. “I thought I saw something right before it all collapsed. It was like I was looking through a keyhole.” “Really? Then maybe we didn’t fail. Not completely anyway. We just didn’t quite make it all the way.” He looked at her doubtfully. “Are you suggesting we try it again?” “Unless you want to look for a different way back, and that would be going back even farther than the drawing boards.” “So, we just set it up again then?” Twilight’s ears fell. “Um, actually…” She looked at the wreckage again. “It’s not going to be that easy. I had to have several components made specially and I’d have to replace them. On top of that, I’ll need to get another set of crystals. That will take some time since these were all of them I could get my hooves on.” “Oh. But then we can try again?” he asked hopefully. “Yes, but…,” She sighed. “I can’t think of what we can do differently. I mean, what if the spell that set off the original reaction is important to how the transportation effect worked? I have no way to know. We might end up getting the exact same results if we don’t know what we did wrong this time.” “You’re making this sound impossible.” Worry lined Jason’s face. “I’m not trying to say that, I’m just being honest about how hard this is.” She stopped to breathe a moment and smiled. “I’ll gather what data I can from this trial. And then I’ll look over the information you gave me again and see if there’s anything I missed.” She put a hoof on his shoulder. “I’ll do everything I can.” “Yeah,” he said simply. His jaw tightened as the weight of their failure settled over him. Their only idea had literally blown up in their faces. The possibility of not going home was now more real than ever. “I…think I need to take a walk. Alone.” “I understand.” Twilight nodded and watched him leave. Then she turned to the rubble-strewn library behind her. Spike had already moved the broken desks and shelves into a pile and was sorting the books into stacks. She walked over and ruffled his spines affectionately. “What would I do without you?” She smiled down at him. She joined him in cleaning up….or she would have if ponies hadn’t rushed in through the ruined door and swarmed her with frantic questions. ~*~*~ Jason walked without looking where he was going. He didn’t even glance at the ponies that crowded around him. Their words fell on deaf ears and he pushed past them without pausing. His head hung low and his mind was filled with the faces he might never see again. His family, his friends, the officers under his command; they all flashed before him, like a long line turning up to say goodbye. He couldn’t accept it but he couldn’t find a reason to deny it either. He would likely spend the rest of his life here as a Unicorn. A sudden thought occurred to him. Was he still immortal? Elves were, but he wasn’t exactly an Elf now. Would he age and die like any other moral race? The idea had never occurred to him before. Now, he wasn’t sure if it scared him or comforted him. To live forever removed the worry about not achieving all that you hoped to before the end. But all that he hoped to achieve was in another world. To come to the end of one’s life was a bleak prospect because it means leaving behind your loved ones and all that you enjoyed in life. But it would mean rest at last; rest from his long and painful life. But would he find rest? If he died in this world, would his soul find its way to Ilarinel? Could he enter the Kingdom of the Light if he was not an Elf? He shoved those thoughts away roughly. The Lord of Light would not forsake his faithful followers no matter how far they roamed. He looked up at the sky. So why do I feel like we’ve been abandoned here? As if in answer, a raindrop hit his face, causing him to flinch. The dark sky had been filled with its quota of clouds and they were fit to begin their work. Jason watched them for a moment as the drops fell faster and thicker around him. His mane was soon slicked back on his neck and he could hardly look up for the drops falling in his eyes. He started walking again. All of the bright colors around him, which had so infatuated him when he’d first arrived, were dull and lifeless. The sound of the rain falling in the dirt around him was a rhythmic tapping at first, but as the ground became saturated, it turned to an unpleasant splattering. It seemed that the world was painting his mood and then rubbing his nose in the canvas. A splash nearby broke his stupor for a moment. Pinkie was bounding down the street and jumping in any puddle that had formed in the short span of the downpour. Her mane was still inexplicably poofy but the rest of her was drenched and mud stained. Every time she scattered a puddle, she would giggle and snort at it and bounce on to the next one as carefree as could be. He almost smiled as he watched her. But he didn’t. Even her unquenchable enthusiasm wasn’t enough to lift his spirit. He kept walking without a destination in mind. He didn’t even look at his surroundings. He just put one hoof in front of the other because he couldn’t stop. If he did, he might not ever find the will to start again. It seemed to him that no time had passed but when he finally took stock of his location, he found that he’d ended up at Sweet Apple Acres. He walked to the house and lay down on the porch. He looked back into the curtain of rain and tried not to think. It proved to be impossible. Thoughts of home would not let him turn them away. He felt an aching in his chest at the thought of his mother, being told that he wasn’t coming home. He missed his brother, Arlan, and that reassuring arm around his shoulders. He closed his eyes and he was a child again. He was watching his brother leave for war. He was afraid of never seeing him again. But Arlan just smiled and promised to be back. That was all it took. Jason never doubted him. And he kept that promise too. No matter how uncertain or difficult things were, Jason could always count on Arlan to make it right. He wished he could be here now, to tell him it was alright, that it would be just fine in the end. The sound of thunder rolled over him and he looked up to watch the clouds light up. It was just a gentle thunderstorm, only a necessity of nature. It had felt so oppressive when it began, but now it was soothing. The patter of rain on the roof above him and the flicker of lightning in the distance relaxed him. He bowed his head and felt the rumble of the thunder pass through him. He felt the minute vibration in the boards beneath him and the change of light through his eyelids. The rain blended into a single sound, soft and cool. It drowned out the troubling thoughts and filled his head with its simplicity. He lost himself in it so completely that the voice behind him made him jump. “What are ya'll doin’ out here?” Applejack stepped through the door and stood beside him. “You're soaked. I’ll get you a towel and you can come inside by the fire.” Jason settled back down. “No thanks, I’d rather stay out here.” She frowned at him in confusion for a moment before following his gaze out into the yard. “Is somethin’ the matter?” “No,” he answered almost automatically. He’d just managed to stop thinking about it and he wasn’t inclined to start again. Applejack settled herself next to him. “I always liked to listen to the rain. It was such a steady sound that I’d just fall asleep to it.” “Hmhmm,” Jason nodded and let his eyes close again. Applejack looked over at him and studied him closely. His mane was smoothed down by the rain and his coat shimmered where the dim light caught it. His breathing was slow and even. As calm as he appeared, she couldn’t help but notice a certain vulnerability. His posture was rigid as opposed to his usual relaxed stance. His brow was tense and sometimes clenched as if in thought. He was struggling with something. He’d seemed down when she’d first met him but she knew why now. Judging from his reactions, this was different, worse somehow. And he was hiding it. She decided to try talking to draw him out. She wouldn’t ask him to share his troubles directly but she felt like she should try something to reach him. “This one time,” she began. “There was a big storm. Not too long ago either. The weather teams were behind on the rains that week and they had to have a big ol’ thunderstorm to make up for it. Rarity and I got caught in the middle of it.” Jason nodded almost imperceptibly. “We had to take shelter at the library with Twilight. We’d had a bit of a disagreement so it made things interesting to be cooped up together. We were both a little at fault but we found a way to see eye to eye in the end. But it was such a bad storm that a tree was knocked over and half of it ended up comin’ in the window. It was the most adventure I’ve had in a library, I’ll tell you that.” She waited for Jason’s reaction. His lip curled up slightly and she thought she heard him chuckle once. He made no other move and she was at a loss for what to try next. She figured she’d just talk and hope for the best. “When I was just a filly, I was woken up by a storm. The thunder and lightnin’ was so close ta the farmhouse, the windows were shakin’. I was scared senseless and started crying…this was back when I was really young, mind you…anyways, I could hardly hear myself over the storm, but somehow, they did.” “My Ma and Pa, they came in to my room to calm me down. They said it was just thunder and it was nothin’ to be afraid of. But the glass kept rattlin’ and I just couldn’t believe them. So my Pa walked over to the window and told me to stand next to him. At first I wouldn’t go, but he told me to trust him, so I did.” “We looked up into the sky and we saw the storm clouds above the farm. In the middle of it all, there was a group of Pegasi. The weather team was up there keepin’ it under control the whole way. I saw them pushin’ and buckin’ them clouds into place and dodgin’ in and outta the lightnin’. It was amazin’.” “My Pa said they were up there makin’ sure it was all safe for us ponies on the ground. They were doin’ their jobs so we didn’t have to be scared. We watched them at it for hours. I wasn’t afraid no more, and now, I’m hardly afraid of any stormy weather. It’s even kind of fascinatin’. I’ll always remember that night, though. My Pa was always teachin’ me lessons about bein’ strong and brave and he’d teach me by showin’ too, not just tellin’.” “My Ma was the same way. She taught me to be gentle and to care for things that couldn’t care for themselves and to treat other ponies kindly. They didn’t keep my brother and me from getting’ into trouble, and when we did, they always made sure we learned what we’d done wrong. They didn’t fix it for us either. They told us the right way and made us stay at it ‘til we did it right.” “I owe them almost everythin’ I know; everythin’ that makes me the most dependable pony in Ponyville. I miss them sometimes. I really miss them.” Applejack realized she’d started crying at some point and that Jason was now watching her intently. She sniffled and looked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get all gloomy like that. I guess I just opened my mouth and forgot to shut it.” She felt Jason’s hoof on her shoulder and looked back at him. What she found was understanding clearly etched in his eyes. “What you said; that you owe who you are to them? I know, for that reason, that they are proud of you.” He wiped her tears away with his hoof. She smiled at him and nodded. “I know what it’s like,” he said. “My father was killed in a border skirmish with one of our enemies.” “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Now it was Applejack’s turn to offer a sympathetic hoof. Jason looked out into the rain again. His voice was flat but still echoed with a shadow of pride. “Don’t be. He died defending our people. He was a shining example of our people’s devotion. He’s the inspiration that prompted my brother to join the army, which in turn was mine. I was very young when my father died. It was my brother who taught me most of what I know.” “It looks like we have more in common than ya’d think, bein’ from different worlds and all.” Applejack had felt a connection to Jason from the start and now she could put a reason to it. “Why, I’d reckon there’s more to make us similar than we’d find that’s different.” “I don’t know about that,” Jason smiled. “But I’d bet it would be enough. You know, if you hadn’t offered to let me stay here, I don’t know if I’d have been able to handle this. I know I’ve been doing this constantly, but I need to thank you again.” “And I told you before; it’s my pleasure to offer a helpin’ hoof.” “But now I really mean it. This might be all I have.” She processed that for a long time. “You're feelin’ stuck here aren’t you? You want to go home.” “Yes.” “You're gonna get there soon. Ya’ll are workin’ with Twilight after all. She’s got a knack for this sort of thing. She’ll work it out, just wait and see.” “That’s just it, Applejack. She thought we were ready today. We tried to go home and,” he looked down at himself. “It didn’t work.” “Oh.” Applejack hadn’t expected that. “But that was just one try, right?” “It was the best we had. It was the only real idea we’d managed to come up with.” “Jason,” she said, cutting through the dark path his words were starting to take. “There was a way that brought ya’ll here. There’ll be a way back. You just have to find it. It’ll take some time, sure. But you can’t give up just ‘cause it’s hard. I know Twilight; she ain’t gonna give up easy. And if ya’ll are willin’ to stick to it too, I have faith that you're gonna find the way.” “You sound so sure. I just wish I could share that conviction.” Jason sighed heavily. “I don’t mean to be such a defeatist. I just keep thinking of what it would mean to never go back.” He looked at her directly. “You really are the reason I can cope with it. I don’t know what I’d have done if not for you. Thank you.” She could feel her cheeks turning red. The light was still dim and she didn’t think he noticed. They lay beside each other for a long time and just watched the rain. Shallow pools of water had formed in the yard and a gutter sputtered somewhere out of sight. The lightning had let up and the storm had faded to a gentle shower. The porch creaked comfortably as a slight wind brushed past the house. Jason caught a sprinkling of rain that swung in on the wind and Applejack’s face was tickled by a few stray drops. Jason turned his face into the rain and smiled fully at last. Applejack found herself smiling too. The grey curtain was beginning to thin out as the clouds released the last of their contents on the lands below. The sun found its way through just above the horizon. The rain drizzled to a stop and a flight of Pegasi began sweeping the sky clean. In the fading light, everything was glazed with crimson and gold. Long shadows stretched across the lawn, creating sharp contrasts of blazing orange and damp blue. “It always seems so bright and beautiful after a rainstorm,” Applejack observed. “All them colors comin’ back sharper than before and all. Even though it was dark and grey just a short while ago, the whole world brightens up and shows you how rich it really is.” She looked at him pointedly. Jason got up and stepped off the porch. “You’re right. This storm is over and the world is brighter.” He smiled at her. “I needed to hear that. I appreciate it. I’m going to stay out for a while still. I’ll see you in the morning then?” “Of course. ‘Night, Jason.” She stood and trotted back inside but paused in the doorway to watch him leave. He glanced around a few times before picking a direction and walking off at a leisurely pace. His mane was nearly dry and had started to shift back into its usual state of disorder. It made him look almost fuzzy the way it stood halfway up. She giggled behind a hoof and closed the door. ~*~*~ When Jason finally picked a spot, it was fully dark. He came to the top of a hill looking down at the border of Whitetail Wood. A small pond at the forest’s edge and a formation of stones near the crest of the hill were his only company. He sat there, looking up into the depthless sky. The moon was almost full this night and the stars twinkled brightly. They were totally detached from the world and yet so much a part of it. His breathing had become as rhythmic as the soft sounds of the evening and was just as subtle. Jason let himself detach from his own troubles. The sense of solitude he felt was so complete that he almost believed he could stay in this feeling and leave his worries forever behind him. If it weren’t for his exceptional senses, he would have thought he really was alone. The rustle of wings, even as graceful as their bearer was, could not escape his detection. The voice, when she spoke, was what caught him off guard. “What do you see?” The sound of her voice rolled over him with the smooth ebb and flow of a tide and the soft caress of silk. There was a power hidden just beneath that was unmistakable but the gentle tone kept him at ease none-the-less. Without looking at the speaker, Jason responded. “I see a vast, open canvas, its shades of darkness sprinkled with pinpricks of light. The emptiness and quiet encompass the whole world in a blanket of comfort and peace. The moon in particular radiates an exquisite beauty. Though it is the crown jewel of the sky, it does not intrude or impose. The soft light reflected off its face illuminates the world in such a way that it dulls all the sharp edges. It is a grand masterpiece the likes of which I cannot hope to do justice to with my words.” Silence followed. A soft breeze stirred Jason’s mane. The crickets raised their chorus to the stars before dying back down to a vague hint of sound. “Is that really what you see?” she spoke at last. She sounded doubtful. Or perhaps hopeful. “Yes,” he said, turning his head to respond. He had intended just to glance at her, but found that he was unable to look away. Standing just to his right was the night sky. At least that was his first impression. She had a coat of deep indigo and eyes of aquamarine. Her navy mane seemed insubstantial like thick mist and billowed gently but against the breeze. Contained within it were thousands of sparkling points of light like stars. A mantle depicting a crescent moon hung around her neck and a pitch black crown rested behind her horn. Her wings were folded against her sides. An Alicorn, he thought. He squirmed awkwardly as he realized whom he was addressing. His previous words seemed imprudent somehow. “There are not many who share that sentiment.” Luna considered him curiously. “The night is often overlooked by ponies. They do not see its beauty. Just as they once did not see the beauty of winter…” She trailed off sadly. After a moment, she shook her head slowly to dispel some troubling memory. “I have seen you and your friends in the day, marveling at the beauty of this land by daylight. Yet you are the only one who partakes in the splendor of the night. Why is this?” Jason looked at her but was unable to form the question adequately. She answered it unbidden. “I know that you are not of this world. Your dreams are not that of a pony.” Jason remained confused, if not more so now than before. Mercifully, she elaborated. “I can see into the dreams of those who sleep under my moon. Yours are not of the making of a pony mind. That, and my sister and I have spoken of your meeting.” “Oh,” he said simply. “As for your question, I can’t answer for my friends. What I can say is that I deeply appreciate the beauty of silence and the smaller sounds that are missed by those too busy to listen. I trained myself to feel and hear and see all that is around me. There are many simple joys in life that others overlook. I just take the time to pay them due attention where others do not.” The Princess of the Night was silent for a long time, considering what he had said. “It would do everypony some good,” she said at length. “To slow down enough to see what wonders they miss all around them.” “That’s funny,” Jason chuckled. “Everyone I know says I’m the fastest person they’ve ever seen. And yet I’m the one to appreciate slowing down the most. It was part of my mentor’s teachings, actually. He said that in order to reach true speed, one must master true stillness. I haven’t mastered anything yet, but he was right. The more I learn about the silent and the still, the more I understand movement and quickness.” “I wish I could teach such lessons to my subjects,” Luna mused. “I often feel my night is overlooked when it should be enjoyed and valued for what it is: Peace and quiet and rest.” “If the night is for peace and rest,” Jason looked at her inquiringly. “Isn’t it right that ponies sleep soundly at night?” “Yes,” she conceded. “It is fulfilling its purpose in that respect, but not one of them seems to realize that it is so. Were it to vanish, they would plead to bring it back. But until then, they would go on as if it weren’t there. There is simply no recognition for it.” “Not all things need to have high praises sung for it,” Jason countered. “Some of the kindest deeds are never seen by those it helps. In some ways, that makes the deed all the better. If there is no reward expected, why should one do anything? Because it is for the good of others, that’s why. I’ll bet that, if asked, ponies would have many kind things to say about the night. If they think about it, they are sure to realize what a masterpiece it truly is.” Luna let her head droop slightly. “Still, it would be nice to hear it myself once in a while.” Jason thought for a moment before standing and facing her. “May it be noted that I truly appreciate all that the night stands for and that it is the model of subtle, graceful splendor.” Luna half-smiled. “Thank you. But now it is time for you to find the rest that the night has to offer. Let it wash over you and carry you to the brightness of tomorrow.” Her voice drifted away and Jason’s entire body felt heavy. He blinked his eyes once and struggled to open them again. He tried to find Luna, but she had vanished. He was vaguely aware that he had settled back to the ground. His eyes blinked shut again and this time they did not open.