//------------------------------// // Hesitation (8) // Story: Song of the Moon // by BlackWing //------------------------------// Hesitation I slowly regained consciousness, finding that I was no longer on stage, rather in a bed. Everything was white, as though the room had been bleached by the sun for far too long. Glancing around, I noticed the first thing that wasn't white. A green curtain of some kind. There were shadows on the other side, matching the forms of ponies in beds, much like my own. I lifted myself from the bed which thankfully, my belongings sat at the end. I pulled back the curtain to spy another pony, this one pure white, with a red cross on her flank. Given that the 'cutie mark' symbolizes a special talent, I assumed that this one's skill was medicine. "Where am I?" I asked cautiously, as I knew full well that my presence tends to cause alarm. "Ponyville hospital. You passed out on stage. You really shouldn't be up and about yet, as we don't know what caused your faint in the first place." I nearly had a heart attack when she mentioned hospital. "I know what caused it, and it has passed. I shall be perfectly fine thank you." I replied nervously, hoping to leave as soon as possible. "Well then, just lay there while I bring Twilight and her friends in, then you can explain it to all of us." The pony left, returning several minutes later with the group of six that had been there previously, the pink one still eyeing me suspiciously, but also looking rather guilty. "Thank you nurse Redheart. Lark, you're looking better. Thank goodness. You had us all worried when you passed out on stage." Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah, yes. Well, I suppose I should explain that. You see, I have very sensitive ears. When the microphone fell, whatever that dreadful noise was..... well, it was too much for me to handle. My hearing is similar to that of a dog." "Aww shucks. The feedback from the speakers is what got ya. Winona can't stand that, and you were standing right in the middle of it. I guess we know why ya passed out." Applejack pondered. "Pinkie, don't you have something you would like to say?" Rarity asked her friend, trying to convince her. "Huh? I do?" Ms. Pie was ever aloof. "Yeah. Because you were all suspicious of him, you went and knocked the microphone over and caused this whole thing! If you don't apologize, he won't be able to get out of bed." The rainbow one scolded her pink friend, referring to her own encounter with me. "Oh. Yeah. Um. Sorry about that.........." She said, looking at the floor. "Apology accepted. I think I have spent enough time out of sorts. I'd like to leave the hospital immediately." "Lark, what did she mean you wouldn't be able to get up if Pinkie didn't apologize? Ditzy told me you needed help with your magic, does that have something to do with it?" Twilight asked. "That is no magic, it's more like a code. If I am wronged by someone, I make a point of ensuring they know it. For example, I was knocked down by Rainbow Dash. I refused to move until she either apologized for her mistake, or attempted to rectify it. I find that it makes one more sensitive to the needs of others. If I had simply brushed it off as nothing, then she would not have learned her lesson about attacking strangers now would she?" Rainbow blushed while the others laughed slightly. "That's, kind of strange...... It's funny!" Pinkie exclaimed. Then she remembered to be serious. "I still get bad vibes from you. My pinkie sense says you're trouble, and you're doing everything you can to hide it." "And that is something I need to talk with Twilight about, in private if you don't mind? I will know shortly whether or not she will be able to assist me. I would like to wait until I have reached the library to begin." I was discharged from the doctor's care and left the hospital immediately. I had sought a doctor once, one who claimed to have a cure. Instead, he poked and prodded me, as well as cut me open for examination. Of course, all my wounds would heal once I transformed, but that did not change the fact that the so called practitioner of medicine had used me as a test subject for about a month. He had been grave robbing, trying to piece together a new life from the dead, and needed to know how the body worked. A descendant of the great Doctor. Frankenstien, he was trying to mimic his forefather's work. My resilience meant I was perfect for examining. I went to the church while I still had my scars and reported him. For once, the righteous were for me, rather than against me. They saw to it that he was punished for his crimes. It did however, leave me with a fear of medical practitioners, and a foul taste in my mouth whenever I said the word 'doctor'. Walking down the streets of Ponyville after leaving the hospital, thankfully not having been tested on, the streets were full of clamor, as they should be. My songs seemed to have fulfilled their purpose, and the town is no longer afraid of me. They seemed to be preparing decor of some sort. "Ah, yes. I forgot to ask. Is there a festival of some sort?" "Yes, Nightmare Night is in two days. Everypony dresses up in costumes, go door to door trick or treating, and get candy from the rest of the townsfolk. Then, we go to the statue of Nightmare Moon and leave candy there as an offering. It's really quite silly, as Nightmare Moon is actually Princess Luna. For the past thousand years, she had been possessed by a dark and terrible magic, and confined to the moon. She returned two years ago, when the six of us used the elements of harmony to purge the evil from her and change her to her former self." Twilight explained. "I see. I am interested in this, although I suppose that can wait for a later time. You see, where I am from, we have a time known as Halloween. It is believed that this is when the barrier between our own world and the spirit world is the weakest. We don costumes in order to frighten the ghosts and whatnot back to the afterlife. The children go door to door wearing masks, driving the spirits out of their neighbour's houses. They say, 'Trick or Treat'. At which point the household either provides a treat in the form of sweets, or they decline, which incites a prank from the children they turned away. It's remarkably similar." "Well then, perhaps you should join us for the celebration. Oh, but you do not have a costume." Rarity pointed out. "Worry not, this garb, combined with a jack o lantern mask shall make for a suitable headless horseman." "Don't you mean headless horse?" Dash corrected. "Hmm, it seems we share more legends than it first appears. He is also known as the pumpkin king. While I would not wish to frighten any... pony away, taking part in the local festival seems to be a good way of making myself known." "Ah agree." Applejack added. "Well then, we're here." Entering the library, it seemed to be a still living tree that had it's interior carved out in order to make it into a home. I had to stoop down in order to enter, but once inside, it was quite roomy, despite my larger size. "Now, what did you want to talk about?" Twilight asked intently. Apparently, the prospect of myself, a being from a very different place, having magic intrigued her. "Well, I'd like this to be a private conversation. It is, of some embarrassment to me." I said sheepishly. At that, all the other ponies left the library, and Twilight closed the door with her magic before bringing a parchment and quill before her in the same manner. It was something I would just have to get used to. "Oh, before we start, I'd like you to meet Spike. He is my assistant, as well as a little brother of sorts." She called up the stairs for Spike, at which point, a small, bipedal, purple creature with scales and green spines descended. "Spike, this is Lark. He's, well, I'm not really sure where he's from. I was hoping you'd be able to answer that more thoroughly. Lark, this is Spike, he's a baby dragon." My eyes went wide and I just about fainted at the mention of dragon. I did however, fall off the stool on which I was seated, landing unceremoniously on the floor. "D....d....dragon?" "Yeah, what of it pal?" Spike asked annoyed. "As in, giant, fire breathing, burn the village down and eat the livestock dragon?" I said with a stutter. "Hey pal, just because a lot of dragons are like that, doesn't mean I am." The youngling scoffed at how I was acting. Then I remembered. I was treating him the same way I had been treated when I first arrived. I composed myself, stood up, then bowed. "Ah, um, yes, forgive me. Where I am from, dragons are creatures of legend, and unfortunately none of the stories are good. I of all people should know not to judge by appearances. I'm sorry. It's a pleasure to meet you, um, Spike was it? I must apologize. I suppose this has been quite a bit of a shock for me." "Ah, don't worry about it. Twi, was there something you needed me for?" "Actually, me and Lark need to have a private conversation, do you think you could leave for a little bit. I'm sure Rarity could use some help." The dragon looked angry that he had to leave because of me, but at the mention of the pristine white unicorn, his mood immediately improved and he happily went on his way. I elected to not ask about it. "Alright Lark, you keep mentioning where you are from, but I know nothing of it. Would you care to tell me?" Twilight asked, finally getting to business. "Well, that is a very long story, and it pains me to tell it." "It's alright, you can tell me. No harm will come to you, and everything you say I will never repeat." Now was the time. If I was to be relieved of my burden, I would have to trust. That still did not make it easy. It took me several minutes to prepare myself. "Before I begin, I must ask, are you familiar with curses?" "Well, of course I've heard of them, but they aren't real. They're just an old pony tale." She replied, much to my dismay. "Well, if that is the case, unfortunately, I don't think you will be able to assist me. Alright, now, to begin. I am a wandering musician by trade. Five years ago, I traveled to the castle of a noble to play for them. I felt trepidation at the gate, which I chose to ignore. I should have heeded it. You see, within the dark stone walls resided a foul creature. Upon learning of the villainy, I fled, but did not escape unscathed. When your friend, Pinkie, claimed that I was trouble, and that I was not forthcoming about it, she was quite correct. You see, despite your lack of belief in them, I am quite cursed." "But, that is impossible! There is no such thing as curses!" She stammered. "And where I am from, there is no such thing as unicorns, pegasi, or talking ponies for that matter. Yet, all exist. It is ignorant to dismiss something as falsehood simply because it falls outside your area of expertise. As you are not familiar with curses, I shall not go into detail of the nature of mine. Simply put, my life has held nothing but tragedy since that moment, and so I sought to rid myself of my hex. Eventually, I found the one responsible for it. I defeated them, hoping that with the destruction of the source of the evil, I would be rid of it. Sadly, I was not. In an act of spite, the one who caused my pain sent me to another world, seemingly at random. This is where I found myself." "Oh, I, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You must miss your family terribly, being taken away from them like this." She wrapped her front hooves around me in the pony version of a hug. I brought my hand to my face, and noticed that a tear had escaped my eyes. "I do miss them, but not because I was taken from them. They were taken from me." She stopped for a moment to look in my eyes, finding only sadness within them. Horror donned on her face as she realized what I meant. "Because of me, my curse, they have all died. Misfortune follows me like a dog, always nipping at my heels. Which is why I should leave this place within the next twenty days. That is when the next instance will occur. I do not wish to bring my misfortune onto you." "I, I understand. I have a few more questions for you, if you don't mind?" Twilight asked. "Of course, but first, I'd like a few of mine answered. For example, who are Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and what are the elements of harmony?" After explaining to me how the royal sisters control the day and night cycle, how both are very powerful and that Luna had become possessed, finally being freed by the ultimate magic that is the power of friendship, I found renewed hope. "Well, although I haven't explained my curse in any detail, Princess Luna would be the one most likely able to help me. Now, you had questions about me and my world?" "Yes, how does magic work where you are from? You don't have unicorns, so how does it work?" I didn't have extensive knowledge on the topic, having refused to fall to sorcery myself, although I did know much more about it than the general population. "Well, in my world, we cannot perform magic on our own. One who is skilled is speaking with spirits invites one into their body, and the spirit performs the magic. There are holy men who channel the spirits of the pure and the divine, to bring healing and prosperity to others, and then, there are witches." At the mention of witch, my face became a scowl, and my eyes became full of hate. "There are those who are greedy and wrathful. They openly invite evil, and in return for freedom to do what they wish the the magic given to them, they give their very soul to a demon. Just as your Princess Luna was possessed by a dark magic, witches are as well. They house an evil spirit within their bodies, committing heinous acts of their own free will. One of which is bringing misfortune to others through a curse or hex, which is cast via an appalling ritual that I will not speak of." "That's horrible!" Twilight exclaimed. "Indeed. There are those who seek out these witches, hunt them down and destroy them and their art. They purge our world of the evil that stains it. Unfortunately, the cure to my curse that they would provide is purification by fire." "Meaning?" "If they were to discover that I was under a witches curse, I would be tied to a wooden pole, then burnt to ashes. It is better to die than to be the pawn of evil they would say. I however did not give up searching for a way to cure myself that did not involve death. Which meant that I have been hiding myself for five years." Twilight seemed appalled that such things could happen. Being killed because someone evil put a curse on you, none of which was your fault? It was unseemly. "So, for five years, I traveled. I avoided places that I would be recognized, running from the inquisition, as well as from the darkness that follows me. I finally found the one who caused me this strife, and I killed her. I ended her life and sent the demon within back to the burning hells where it belongs. Even then, I was not freed. In the final moments of her life, the witch Moira cast a spell to send me to another world in retaliation for killing her. I awoke in the Everfree forest four days ago." "I can see why you wished to speak with me privately regarding this. It's horrible, and if I were you, I wouldn't want anypony else to know either. Always on the run, your entire family...... I'm so sorry. The pain you feel on a day to day basis, it must be unbearable. Five years....." Now, Twilight wept as well. She wept for me. No one had ever wept for me. They had always turned away. She had not. I was surprised to find that the first comfort I would get would be from something that was not human. "And now you know why I am on edge whenever there is a mention or use of magic. While I know it's not the same as that evil, it brings back memories." "Hexes and curses. Those are not magic! Magic is something that comes from within! It comes from the hearts of those with friendship and fond memory! Caring for others! What you suffer from is NOT magic." Twilight now spoke with a fire in her heart. To her, magic was always pure and good, used for the benefit of others, never in hate or greed. To her, curses did not exist, because she outright refused to recognize them. If magic comes from being pure of heart and mind, then witchcraft, which was used to harm others, wasn't considered magic. Now I understand. "Thank you Ms Sparkle, for listening, and for giving me hope once more. You may not be able to assist me directly, but the princesses may yet find an answer to my question, and your words have done far more good than I have seen in five long years. It is time for me to go for now." "You don't have a place to stay." She had a sparkle in her eye. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly intrude any further. You have already given me so much, just in an ear to listen, but I must set off immediately. The princesses may yet be able to cure me. I must head to the capitol. I assume it is the castle on the mountainside I saw upon entering town?" "Why yes, Canterlot, although it would take you several days to arrive there, as you would not be traveling by chariot. You should wait here for a few days. On Nightmare Night, Princess Luna herself will make an appearance, and so you may ask her then. Given that what she suffered from is similar to the 'possession' you described, she should be able to help." Twilight reasoned. While that is part of it, it is not the reason why I decided to confront her. If she truly controls the moon, then she indirectly controls me. If any would have a solution, it would be her. "Very well, I shall remain in Ponyville and participate in the Nightmare Night ceremony, and upon the princess's arrival, I shall beseech her aid. As for now, I really should find a place to sleep, and despite your offer, I should not intrude on Spike's territory. I can tell he sees me as a rival. It would make things rather awkward." "True, maybe Applejack will have you. The two of you seemed to get along well enough." Twilight suggested. "Thank you Ms. Sparkle." "Please, call me Twilight." I set off through the town towards the iconic orchard, knowing the way quite well now. Quite a difference a single day makes. Rather than running and hiding in fear, locking themselves up, the ponies stopped to wave at me, all the while with smiling faces. The cheeriness of Ponyville was a welcome change to the dreary and drab of my former life. I would love to make a life for myself here. I approached the orchard, where a stallion, who was quite large in regards to the rest of the ponies, told me to go in the barn if I wanted to speak with Applejack. I hesitated at the door, hearing scuffling inside. I prepared myself for the possible attack, ready to defend. I carefully opened the door to find the interior was pitch black. "Hello?" "SURPRISE!" The light's turned on, nearly blinding me, with their sudden shout making my ears ring momentarily. After I collected myself, the previously stern pink pony was bouncing up and down in front of me gleefully. "Hi! I know we got off to a rough start, so here, let's start over! Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and I threw this part just for you! I wanted to welcome you to Ponyville and say sorry for being a big mean meanie pants. Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya?" She squealed hyperactively. "Why, yes, this was just about the last thing I expected. Thank you, Ms. Pie." "Oh silly! Ms. Pie is my mother! Call me Pinkie!" She replied with mirth. A massive smile threatening to tear her cheeks. "Very well, Pinkie..." "Well! Come on! There's no reason to just stand there at the door! Come on in!" There was a very large number of ponies mingling, chatting, and playing various games. I elected to avoid the games and instead head to the food table. I passed over the various foods, most of which seemed to be made with hay or wild flowers, before finally coming to the baked goods. Pies, cakes, and such were everywhere. I settled on a piece of apple pie and several vegetables with a creme based dip. "So, how you liking the pie partner?" Applejack asked. "It tastes of joy and fond memory." "Ah, that's the zap apples. Normally, we make jam out of them, but we decided to make pies this year. That good huh? By the way, Twilight told me ya needed a place to stay, and you're welcome to lay over at the farm as long as you want. We'll just call them coins ya gave me before rent." She said happily. "If you don't mind me asking, just how much were they worth?" "Are you sure ya wanna know?" "I lost them fairly, and besides, I will find out eventually, as I have a great deal more that I will need to exchange." "Ya mean you have more?" Her eyes began to shake. "Why yes, why do you ask?" She whispered into my ear just how much those coins I had given her were worth, and when I told her that I had about five times that value in my coin purse, she spit out her punch in surprise. "I assume that it's a lot?" "Humena, he, mu, wa, uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggggg." And she fainted. Rainbow Dash came over worriedly, concerned about her friend. "What happened?" She asked. "Well, I had given her a fair amount of coins previously as thanks for her assisting me, not knowing how much they were worth. Were I'm from, they were worth a fair amount, although, here they are worth considerably more." "How much more?" Twilight asked. "Well, according to a rough estimation of value, I have one million 'bits' worth of gold in this bag." I should have remembered to keep my voice down, as everyone in the barn promptly spat out their drinks, causing several of them to become soaked in fruit juice. "Judging from everypony's reaction, it's a lot?" "It's enough to buy half of Ponyville........." Rarity said before she fainted. "And she was worried when I gave her two hundred gold denaries that I wouldn't have enough to find a place to live." "Wait, you GAVE her two hundred thousand bits worth of gold?" Fluttershy fell over on her back like the goats do when they are afraid or shocked, even letting out a small bleat as she did so. "To be fair, I didn't know how much they were worth, but even if I had known, she did unintentionally save my life. I wanted to thank her, she refused, and so we hoof wrestled over it. I won, so she kept the money." "That's it, you and me, right now, come on!" Rainbow Dash pulled a stool over to where I was sitting, placing her front leg on it in the typical fashion. Twilight counted down, and on three, I simply waited for a second before casually slamming her hoof to the table. "I er, wasn't ready....." She stammered. "Again?" Beginning again, I let her push me back a little ways before overcoming her just as quickly. It was getting old rather fast. Having been beaten so easily, the blue pegasus had a look of shock on her face, as did the rest of the party. "Well, it's a good thing you're the civilized sort. If you were some manner of monster we'd all be helpless against that kind of strength." Twilight said, causing me to swallow hard, feeling guilty for deceiving them. "Well, enough of that! How about some music?" As I reached for my violin Pinkie put her hoof on my arm, stopping me. "No no, we can't have you doing the entertainment at your own party! Let us handle the music!" At which point, she put on a pair of dark glasses, a hat with the brim backwards, and a chain with a large letter 'P', hanging from her neck. She stepped up to a strange looking record player, tapped different parts of it with her hooves, and music began. Various songs, such as the 'Pony Pokey' and other similar, equine related tunes were played, recorded by the phonograph with instruments I was not familiar with. As the night came, eventually those who had lost themselves due to shock had recovered and enjoyed the rest of the night. After the party ended, I began to clean up, but was halted and informed that Pinkie would perform that duty in the morn. I brought my belongings to the guest bedroom, wished the Apple family a good night, and looked up at the sky. "Odd, the moon was full not two nights ago, and now it is already a waning crescent. Does the lunar shift occur more quickly here? Or, is it at the whim of the goddess and princess, Luna? I shall make sure to ask, come Nightmare Night."