//------------------------------// // Heartache // Story: The 7th Element // by thunderhawk7865 //------------------------------// Chapter 37: Heartache “What!?” Dan was so shocked that he literally jumped back a few meters. “You...you can’t be serious!” Celestia nodded solemnly, “I’m afraid I am, Dan.” The human-turned-stallion Pegasus and the three alicorns stood in a clearing of trees near the Ghastly Gorge where the race had just transpired. Along with Celestia’s somber expression, Luna was looking down and off to the side, closing her eyes. Lunar Eclipse remained stone-faced the whole time. Dan’s throat clogged up with emotion. “But...but why? Why do I have to leave!?” He closed his eyes and tried to hold back the tears. “Right after Dash has the baby!?” “Earth has been suspended in time for too long, Dan...” Celestia shook her head. “If you continue to stay here for any longer than a few days more, your world will freeze...” “WHAT!?” Dan barked. “Permanently, I might add.” Lunar Eclipse added. “There is nothing any pony can do about it once it happens... Not even me or the princesses...” Dan shook his head in disbelief. “I...I can't believe it... It...It seems like yesterday I just got here...” “I understand your sentiment, Dan...” Luna said, looking up. “But you must understand! If you leave, your family and friends will be saved. If you don’t, they will be suspended in time-space limbo forever!” Dan looked down in despair, tears dripping onto the ground. “It’s...it’s so hard...” “What is, Dan?” Celestia said, trying to sound loving and supportive. “It wasn’t hard leaving Earth and I assumed returning when I was ready would be easy too, but—” He sniffed and looked up. “Now, I have family here, too. And friends! Friends that actually care!” He blinked back more tears and turned to face the horizon. “I met the love of my life... I...I fathered a son...an alicorn, no less...” He turned back to them. “I don’t think I can go...” “You don’t have a choice in the matter!” Lunar Eclipse barked suddenly. “If you don’t return, Dan, Equestria will be in danger as well!” “How!?” Dan retorted, flying upwards so his eyes were level. “How, Lunar!?” “The princesses had to tap into the natural energy of the universe to bring you here and give you your Pegasus form!” Lunar glared back at Ace. “You draw constantly from that energy to maintain your form and presence here, Dan!” “I’m afraid he’s correct, Dan.” Celestia stepped forward, sighing. “The time-space continuum here will not hold for long at the rate you are drawing from it...” “It will be as if Discord never was defeated...” Lunar shook his head. “And Equestria will fall into chaos...” “You must return to Earth.” Luna said through a choked sounding voice. “It’s the only way...” “Will I....Will I ever be able to come back?” Dan asked, not caring that tears were slowly rolling down his muzzle. “That...remains to be seen...” Celestia frowned. “I could not say for certain but... The answer is most likely no...” “Why?” Dan landed back on the ground and looked down. “The continuum in Equestria will need to recover. How long that will take in years, I cannot be certain...” Celestia answered. “But odds are you will not be able to return...” Dan was silent. He looked up at all three alicorns, the tears gone off his face. He no longer cried. He just stared at them with a hurt in his eyes that the alicorn royalty would remember for the rest of their lives. “So...” Dan said indifferently. “That’s...that’s it then...” He turned to look at the starting line of the race from where they were standing. He could make out the figures of Rainbow Dash and all her friends talking excitedly about something as the Wonderbolts trotted away. Off to her right were the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were playing with... “Blazing Dawn...” Dan sighed heavily. “If I have to leave, your Highnesses...” He turned around. “I...I want somepony to look after Blazing Dawn as a father would...” He nodded. “As I would...” Celestia and Luna exchanged glances before Dan continued. “What hurts me the most about leaving is that I have to leave behind a family...especially a bastard son...” Dan closed his eyes. “As much as I won’t be able to see my son grow up, I don’t want him to be known as...as a bastard...” Lunar Eclipse’s expression turned from stone-faced indifference to one of pity and sadness. “Poor Dan...” He thought. “He’s so upset that his emotions can’t manifest themselves...” “Dan.” Dan turned towards Lunar Eclipse, who was the one that had spoken up. Celestia and Luna turned as well, a little surprised that the Prince of Death spoke up. “I’ll take care of Blazing Dawn...” Lunar said, a slight smile appearing on his face. Dan didn’t say anything back, but rather, he looked at Lunar Eclipse with a confused expression. “I’ll take care of Blazing Dawn...” Lunar repeated. “I’ll help Rainbow Dash in any way I can in raising him. I will train him the ways of controlling his magic and combat. I will watch over him as his protector...” “Lunar...” Dan managed to say, his throat choking up. “I-” “Don’t say anything...” Lunar crossed a hoof over his chest piece and gave a curt, polite bow. “You have my word as a Prince that I will allow no harm to come to Blazing Dawn or Rainbow Dash in your absence...” He looked up and nodded. “This I so swear.” Dan was not sure how to respond, his throat still clogging up at the meaningfulness of the Prince’s words, but Celestia and Luna were both shocked. “He just gave his word as a Prince, sister!” Luna gasped, her eyes widened. “Lunar Eclipse...” Celestia stepped forward. “Are saying you wish to dedicate your life to watching over Blazing Dawn and being his mentor until you are killed or until Dan returns?” “If I return!” Dan shouted suddenly. “I appreciate it, Lunar, but I don’t want you to waste your li-” “Life? Oh, no, Dan. My life will not have been wasted.” Lunar smiled warmly, which surprised everypony in the group. “It will be a good life and an honorable death, knowing I trained and protected Equestria’s first alicorn in hundreds of years... Just think, Princesses! The first alicorn born in centuries!” Lunar Eclipse turned his attention to the Princesses. “Blazing Dawn will have enemies. I’m pretty sure he already does. They will be coming for him while he is in his infancy! Dan will not be here to protect him or Rainbow Dash! So please, Celestia!” He bowed. “Approve my oath to Dan.” The only sounds that were heard for the next moment or two were sounds of the chattering ponies that were still at the finish line across the gorge and the wind causing the leaves on the trees to rustle. Celestia exchanged one last look with with little sister, who shook her head in disbelief, before nodding. “It is settled, then.” Celestia said promptly. “Rise, Prince of Death.” Lunar Eclipse obeyed, raising his head up. He found he was eye to eye with Celestia. “From this point forward, I hereby appoint you, Lunar Eclipse, to be the trainer and official guardian of Blazing Dawn until death or...” Celestia sighed. “If Dan returns...” “So I swear...” Lunar Eclipse repeated himself, before turning to Dan. “Go, Dan. Be with Rainbow Dash, your son, and your friends for the rest of the day. Let them know you must return; break it gently to them at the same time, if you can.” Dan was silent, clearly thinking to himself of all the loose ends he would have to tie up, all the excuses he would have to make to ponies that didn’t know the truth, and all the heart-rending goodbyes he would have to say. The three alicorns could sense the race of thoughts cascading through Dan’s mind as he stood there, motionless. Finally, Celestia stepped forward and put a warm hoof on his shoulder. “Come to the Canterlot observatory tonight, Dan...” She sighed. “We’ll turn you back to normal...and we’ll return you to Earth there.” Dan gazed up at her. “Thank you, Princess. Thank you for bringing me here.” “Oh you are quite-uh...” Dan suddenly hugged Celestia out of the blue, closing his eyes. Celestia chuckled slightly and wrapped a hoof around him. “You are welcome, Daniel of Earth...” Dan looked up as she said his full name, tears again welling up in his eyes. “We will never forget everything you’ve done for us and Equestria...we’ll make sure no pony forgets that...” Celestia smiled warmly. Dan broke off the hug and sniffed, blinking away the tears. “Yeah...thank you, Princess.” He bowed. “Now go...” Celestia said. “Go spend time with Rainbow Dash and your son...” “Don’t worry, Princess.” Dan smiled sadly. “I plan on relishing every moment.” “Awwww...fo you really have to go, Ace?” Derpy Hooves gave a cock-eyed frown. “I’m afraid so, Ditzy...” Dan used her real name. “I’m needed elsewhere far away...” “Where’s that, Dan?” Derpy stepped closer. A moderate crowd had gathered in Sugar Cube Corner as Dan talked to some of the ponies around town, telling them that he would be leaving that night. As an excuse to the ponies who didn’t know the truth, he said the following: “The princesses are sending me to the zerba nation thousands of miles from here, Ditzy.” Ace sighed and shook his head. “Anansi’s insurgency into Canterlot has the zebras asking questions, and Celestia is sending me to their nation as a diplomat and witness to Anansi’s crimes to prevent war.” The small crowd gasped at this remark, and a light sky-blue unicorn mare rose her hoof. “That’s awesome, Ace! You’re saving Equestria from war just by traveling to the zebras?” “That’s right, Lyra.” Dan nodded in her direction. “I’ll miss you all so much, and I’m sorry I have to go...” “We’ll miss you too, Ace...” Mr. Cake said from the counter behind him. “When will you be back?” “I don’t know really... The zebra nation is really far away... It could be a few months or a few years...” “What about Rainbow Dash and your alicorn son, Ace?” Mrs. Cake said from behind the counter as well. “He’ll be under the protection of the alicorns while I’m gone. Lunar Eclipse will be training him.” He told the truth of the matter regarding his son. “He is also going to protect him and Rainbow from those who would do them harm.” “It’s been an honor to know you, Ace...” The Mayor of Ponyville said, walking in the door. “We will never forget you.” “I will never forget all of you.” Ace smiled, a tear falling down his cheek. “Hey, brony!” Big Mac’s voice rumbled from the crowd as he nudged his way forward. “Ya’ll weren’t gonna leave without sayin’ goodbye to yer bros, were ya’?” Dan gasped when he say Shadow Breeze, Lightning Flash, Blazing Heartbeat, DJ Skully, and Mic Bluez all standing behind him, smiling. “You guys are great...” Dan brohoofed Big Mac. “I’ll miss all of you crazy stallions...” “Eeeyup...” Big Mac sniffed. “We’ll miss ya’ll too, brony.” “Spike!” Twilight Sparkle yelled from her study. “Spike, can you get me more ink for my quil, please?” The purple baby dragon jumped off of the chair he was sitting in, putting down a book he was reading called “The Battle of Canterlot” by a pony named Ink Writer. “On it, Twi!” As he searched around for another ink bottle, he heard a soft knock on the door. He opened the door and saw Dan standing there, holding in his hoof six pieces of parchment that appeared to have writing on them. “Hey Ace, what’re you—MFHM!” Spike started to talk, but Dan shoved his other hoof into Spike’s mouth to silence him. “Shhh!” Dan looked around to see if Twilight had heard him. “Spike...” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I need you to do me a favor...” Dan removed his hoof and Spike nodded. “Sure, Ace... What do you need?” “I need you to send one of these to each of my friends...” He handed over the six pieces of paper to Spike. “Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Twilight and...” He sighed. “And to Rainbow Dash...” “I don’t understand...” Spike cocked an eye. “Why can’t you just give Rainbow Dash’s letter to her—” “Just do it, please, Spike!” Ace hissed. “Spike! Where’s my ink?” Twilight’s voice sounded from her study. “Comin’ Twi!” Spike called back before he inhaled deeply and incinerated all the letters. “There...” He whispered. “Sent.” “Thanks Spike...” Dan bent down and gave Spike a hug. “You’ve been a good friend...” “You...too...?” Spike patted Ace’s back before the musical pony turned and rocketed away. Spike closed the door and shrugged. “I wonder what that was about?” Twilight Sparkle was flipping through a book on a potion she was working on in her study when suddenly a letter came to be right in front of her. “Huh?” She caught it with magic and opened it. “From Dan?” She said quietly. She used her magic to open and hold it in front of her face, and began to read. “Dear Twilight...” She read aloud. “Sorry to disturb you with whatever important thing you are studying, but I need you to meet me at the observatory in Canterlot tonight in an hour. It’s very important that you be there.” She shook her head in confusedness before she read the sign-off. “Your good friend, Dan.” A similar letter appeared in front of Fluttershy as she fed her animals, Rarity as she was working on a dress, Pinkie Pie as she was decorating a cake, Applejack as she was bucking apples, and Rainbow Dash, as she was feeded Blazing Dawn milk from a bottle. “Please Rainbow, meet me and our friends at the observatory in Canterlot tonight in an hour. And please, bring our son. Yours forever, Dan.” Rainbow put the letter down and cocked an eye, wondering what Dan would be doing at the observatory that could be so important that he needed all the Elements of Harmony to be there. “Huh, little guy...” Rainbow tickled Blazing Dawn’s chin with her hoof. “I wonder what daddy wants at Canterlot...” As Blazing Dawn giggled, she narrowed her eyes and smiled, “A new threat has probably surfaced, and it’ll be our job to kick some hind end!” She lunger her free forehoof forward in a punching motion while Blazing Dawn, in her other forehoof, laughing and giggled. “Well, we’d better go get you ready to see dad...” Rainbow put down the bottle and flew into the other room. Dan flew silently over the mountain range that separated Ponyville from Canterlot. He watched as Cloudsdale, the Pegasai city, floated by to his right and he sighed. He sighed, trying to hold back the emotion that was bubbling to the surface. “This is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done...” Dan inhaled sadly before banking around a mountain peak. “Saying goodbye to my new friends...my new family...” Images of Dan’s family and friends in Equestria flashed through his mind then, as did those of his family and friends on Earth. He sighed heavily when the image of his smiling mom, dad, and little brother came into his mind. “My real family... They will support me no matter what...” He banked around a cloud and Canterlot came into view. “My time here has helped me in ways I would’ve never imagined... Now, I don’t care that the world screwed me over back home. I’m a new person because of what has happened here...” Dan smiled, “I won’t let anything get me down again. And my family and few friends on Earth will see that. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll be happier and nicer for them.” Dan landed in front of the castle, and the two guard Pegasai lowered their wing blades and let him pass through the main entrance. “Thank you for making me understand what happiness and love really is, Equestria.” Determined, Dan quickened up his pace as he trotted up the stairs towards the observatory. “And thanks for giving me a reason to want to keep going... To want to come back...” A final image of Rainbow Dash and his son flashed through his mind before he reached the entrance of the observatory. OCs: Mic Bluez (c) Don'tDriveAngry7 DJ Skully (c) Malfatto the Doctor Blazing Heartbeat (c) MilesProwerFan100 Lightning Flash (c) Lightning Flash Shadow Breeze (c) AnonJ31