//------------------------------// // Saga 3: Magic // Story: The Conversion Bureau: Reality Break // by Fullmetal Pony //------------------------------// I raced to catch up with Dash and flew down when I saw nine figures gathered on the beach. They were all huddled around something that was glowing. “Crap! They must have already started!” I zoomed down and was greated by a chaotic mess of shouting. “There’s nothing we can do?” Rarity cried. “This is a terrible dream right?” Fluttershy had tears streaming down her face. “We can’t do anything?” A red stallion with a black and white mane asked. “私はすべてをしようとしている！” A blue and pink unicorn called out as her horn alighted with an electric blue aura. Japanese? What the hell? I looked for Dash and spotted her next to Applejack. “Dash, what’s...” Dash was crying too. “It’s all my fault! I should have flown faster!” Then I saw what everypony was gathered around. A grey unicorn with a star shaped cutie mark. She was encased in a mix of blue and tan auras. I looked around and spotted the tan unicorn who was producing half of the magic. Her eyes were bloodshot, her mane in disarray, her legs were shaking, and it looked like she had a dibble of dried blood on her lips. “What is going on?” “It’s bad John, really bad!” Dash yelled. “We weren’t fast enough and Twilight used too much magic and... Crud!” She violently kicked the sand in front of her. “Oh god!” I yelled. “This is my fault! I shouldn’t have stopped for food!” “Not your fault mate,” the red stallion said with a distinct British accent as he trotted over to me. “It’s apparently been like this for a few days.” “A few days?!” I cast a startled glance at the two unicorns trying to save Twilight. I noticed Rarity’s horn was glowing now as well. “They’ve been doing this for days?!” “No, I don’t know the whole story, but that tan pony was sustaining Twilight by herself until Pinkie, Rarity, Neon, and I got here...” He awkwardly held out a hoof as he sighed. “Not the best meeting, but name’s Pint.” “John.” I shook his hoof. “Is there anything we can do?” “‘Fraid not.” Pint looked at the unicorns with concern. “Us Earth Ponies and pegasi have already tried to help, but it looks like unicorn magic is the only thing keeping Twilight going.” I looked down at the Element around my neck and his neck as well. “Can’t we use these?” “We tried that too, but Twilight’s already pretty far gone.” His eyes seemed to be sinking into his skull. “I think Equestria might be the only cure.” “Then let’s do it!” I cried as my Element thumped around my neck. “We don’t have magic yet.” “But you said that one unicorn has been sustaining Twilight for two days! How is that not a testament of magic?!” “I don’t know! But she just hasn’t been able to get it to work!” Pint stomped at the ground. “Damn it! Damn it all!” I looked down at the ground and then looked around more. I saw a white pegasus and a green Earth pony standing away from the rest of the group. “What’s their story?” “Non-English speakers. Everypony else is too busy with Twilight to translate for them.” “Shoot! How are we gonna use these then?” I then noticed just exactly what Element Pint was wearing; a gold necklace with a balloon-like jewel in the middle. “Where is Pinkie anywa-” I stopped when I heard a small cry from behind me. Its source was a pink pony with a long straight pink mane. “Pinkie?” “Oh,” she sniffled, “I guess you’re the Element of Loyalty, some good that did us.” Tears rolled down her face. “I just wanna go home and have a party with Twilight. I’ll even read a book with her. Just please... please help her!” She collapsed to the ground and sobbed. “Pint, come on!” I rushed over to the unicorns and stood next to them. “G-g-go away!” The tan one was barely able to mutter. “I... I need to concentrate.” “I’m just here to help.” “You can’t help! We’ve all tried and...” tears started to spill down her face. “I don’t want it to be my fault.” “Lass,” Pint spoke up, “You’ve been at it for two days, that’s more than any of us could handle. We’ll get through this and have a good drink.” He flashed a weak smile. “Heh,” I looked over at Pint, “to make me laugh at a time like this, I must be really desperate or you’re a good jokester.” “Well it’s my Element after all.” “Geez, you had to handle Pinkie. Can’t imagine what that was like.” “Quite crazy, then again this whole thing has been.” “Um,” the unicorn who’d been speaking Japanese spoke up, “could you take it somewhere else if you’re not gonna help?” “Neon,” Pint replied, “We don’t have horns, but we’re still trying to save Twilight.” “You making small talk isn’t helping!” Neon started to cry now too. “Well,” Rarity sniffled, “it does help a little. You making jokes reminds me of when Pinkie got us to all calm down in the forest.” “Question,” I raised a wing, “did Pinkie really sing that time?” “Sing? What an odd thing to do. She just cheered us up and showed us how tacky those trees were, no offense to Princess Luna of course.” Then Rarity suddenly started speaking Spanish, or at least it sounded a lot like Spanish. I turned around to see the green stallion and the white pegasus behind me. “What’s he saying?” I asked Rarity. “He says he saw us all gathered over here and asked if there was anything he could do to help.” Then Rarity started speaking a language I didn’t know to the white pegasus. “Mr. Sky here says the same thing.” “Crap!” I kicked the sand. “We’re all here, why aren’t these things working!? I mean...” I looked over at the tan unicorn. “You kept this up for two days! Bullshit you’re not the Element of magic!” “It...” she stuttered, “it’s more than that... I think.” “Well what can we do to help?” Neon asked. “I’m pouring all my magic into this and nothing is happening! I... I don’t want to lose Twilight!” “None of us do,” I replied. “That’s why we’re here now. If we can’t use magic then we’ll use words! We can do this!” “You remind me how my family thought of me,” the green pony said. “I just don’t want to lo-” I did a 180 on the pony. “You’re speaking English!” “No, you’re speaking Spanish.” “Actually,” the white pegasus spoke up, “you’re both speaking Swahili.” “The bloody hell is going on?” Pint asked. “A second ago, you two were just speaking babble, now you sound clear as day.” “Um, everypony,” Fluttershy whimpered, “I think something is happening.” The tan pony’s tiara was starting to glow. “What?” All five former humans said as the tan unicorn began to float into the air. “Oh my gosh!” Pinkie popped up by us, her hair was back to normal now. “You did it! It’s working.” “But what about Twi-” I stopped when I heard a murmur. “Twilight!” All five of her friends crowded around her. “Ugh, gi... girls?” Twilight’s form muttered. “We’re here sugarcube!” Applejack cried as she hugged her still floating friend. “Yeah, I knew you’d pull through!” Dash exclaimed as she brushed away her tears. “Dash?” Twilight’s coat was regaining color. “Were you crying?” “Well, I mean, I was just...” Dash trotted over to her friend and gave her a hug. “Just scared.” “It’s okay Dash, we all were.” Twilight now looked at the six of us. “Humans, I’m sorry I’ve caused so much trouble for you. But it is time now. You found the spark by encouraging each other and standing strong.” She looked up at the tan unicorn. “Jen, you were brave, braze then I’ve ever been.” “I just didn’t want it to be my fau-” A siren interrupted Jen. “What is that?” “Attention!” The sirens blazed. “Seek bomb shelters immediately! Repeat, seek bomb shelters immediately!” “Oh buck!” What the president had said about North Korea and Iran flooded back to me. “We need to move now!” “Way ahead of you!” Jen said as her horn and tiara lit up. Suddenly, a bubble formed around all twelve us and and we were instantly floating over the ocean. A feeling of weightlessness filled the bubble. “Twilight!” Jen called out. “This the spot?” “Yes!” “What do we do now?” Sky called out. “Focus on your Elements!” Twilight replied. “Search deep in them and you should feel tethering point with Equestria!” I closed my eyes and focused deeply on the Element. The harmonic noise it produced filled my head. But now five other tunes accompanied it. At first they were discordant, but the melodies began to converge and then a grand symphony was produced. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. It was like music, but it was touching every one of my senses. Now if only the light weren’t on in the ci- “Holy crap!” “What?” Neon asked. “I thought only unicorns could feel electricity!” I said as the hum of the city kept bothering me. “It’s probably the Elements!” Neon said as the symphonic sound of the Elements grew louder and blocked out the other noises. “Just focus on the Equestria! We’re close now!” “Geez!” Pint exclaimed. “This is crazy!” “Keep it up!” Sky yelled. The Elements kept glowing bright and brighter. “Almost...” The green pony was starting to sweat, we all were. “NOW!” Jen exclaimed as her flank and her eyes glowed white. I saw a huge beam shoot up into the sky and then everything went dark. ~~~ The first thing I felt was my brain being overloaded. Everything felt too vast and deep. It was like being presented a perfectly white canvas, only infinitely more pliable. “Gah!” I stood up and put a hoof to my head. “Somepony turn down the lights or something! It’s too...” I slowly opened my eyes to see I was standing in an immense field. “Too bright...” The field was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. So simple, yet so complex at the same time. The setting sun only helped in intensify the land’s splendor. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jen slowly got up and trotted over to me. I noticed that the other ponies were all sprawled out in the field. “Jesus, I can’t believe it. Equestria is more amazing than I thought.” “We’re there?” “Yeah, didn’t you see this field in your dream?” “Mine got interrupted before it got to this point.” “A shame, seeing Celestia and Luna and just being here was so incredible.” I noticed that a set of stairs now adorned Jen’s flank. “Oh, sorry, guess our introduction was a little rough. I’m Jen... thought, for some reason, Sun Searcher sounds like a good name. What do you think?” She asked as she held out a hoof. “Sounds good to me. I’m John by the way,” I said as I shook her hoof. “So you didn’t come up with a name yet?” “I...” I backed away a little. “I just want to keep something human about me.” “Hey, I heard your speech on the telly, would have thought you’d be the one most likely to have changed their name. We’re still human inside aren’t we?” I looked up at the stars and slowly breathed in and out. “There are a few names that have come to mind for me.” “I’m guessin ‘Star’ is one them?” Sun asked. I sighed. “Yeah, I always thought it was a good name if I were a pony. Hell, I even made a oc around it. But still, my name is my name... I just want to keep it, for now at least.” “We do not require you to change your name. We have already asked so much of you already.” A loud yet familiar voice boomed. “Oh my god! You’re...” I watched as a blue alicorn descended from the sky. “Luna!” My god, it’s like looking into space! The show didn’t do justice to how amazing alicorns look. Yeah, I’d seen Celestia’s image before, but that’s all it was: an image. Seeing Luna right in front of me was like gazing into a... hmm, I wouldn’t call it an abyss... her form was definitely vast, but it was full of life and magic. Looking at Huble telescope images would probably be the closest thing to how Luna looked. But there was also the immense pressure she exuded. I wasn’t being crushed by the pressure though, just being enveloped by it. Standing before me was a being that could lift the celestial bodies. I was in the presence of an entity far beyond human comprehension. “We apologize,” Luna awkwardly looked at us. “We... I should have just spoken regularly. I’m sure this must all be very overwhelming for all of you.” “Ugh,” Twilight now got up, “did we ma- Princess!” “Oh, hello Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said with a smile.“I am glad to see you and your friends are back.” “Well the human world was definitely a doozy, but if these ponies are any representation of it, I think I’m about to make a whole lot more friends.” “Sister will be happy to hear that.” Luna now turned her attention back to us and looked at the stirring form of the other ponies as well. “You are all probably very tired. We have made arrangements for you. If you’ll come with us.” “Wow!” Sun exclaimed. “This is amazing!” “Surreal is the more fitting word,” I said. “A nice bed does sound go- oh buck!” “What is it?” Luna said with concern. “There was something wrong back on Earth! How do we get back!?” Luna pointed a hoof at the mountains close by. “The edge is right over there. But do not worry, sister i-” I didn’t hear the rest. I rushed over the the mountains and saw the the land just stopped. It was like a scene out of The Truman Show. I saw the sky and the horizon just ending at the ground, like a painting. As I raced towards it, I saw it was sort of soapy looking. I stopped flying and got back on the ground. I slowly trotted up to the barrier and braced myself as I passed through it... and fell right into the ocean. “What?” I sputtered as I used my wings to push myself out of the water. I then saw a dome like thing in middle of the water. It couldn’t have been larger than a small condo. “That can’t be the...” I flew over to the edge of the bubble and stuck my head in it. I nearly fell from the shock I got. I was thousands of feet in the air, or at least my head was. I could see a few little dots on the ground from where I’d woken up. “No way!” I exclaimed as I pulled my head out of the bubble. “Magic is quite an amazing thing isn’t it?” I noticed it was still night outside the bubble, but it was much brighter out than it should have been. I saw the that source of the light was also the voice talking to me. It had the same pressure as Luna. “C-c-celestia!” I nearly fell back into the water. But I saw I was now floating not by my own wings, rather I was encased in a golden aura. “Hello my little pony!” Celestia smiled as she flew closer to me. “Did you not wish to sleep in our arrangements?” “N-n-no!” Her power, my god! It’s more insane than Luna’s! “But there was something really bad happening here, so I had to come back a-” “Ssh,” Celestia held a hoof to my face. “I know my little pony. But it is okay, after all, what harm can a fake sun do against a real one?” “There really was a missile?” Damn trigger happy idiots! “Not anymore,” Celestia gazed at the far off lights of San Diego. “In fact, all those things are gone now. All that shoots, stabs, maims, and harms, I have taken those things away. They would have faded when Equestria came for them anyway.” “I... I see.” “Is something wrong?” “No, just seeing something actually do that... it borders on divine intervention.” “Do not think of me as a god, I am merely a pony that wishes to help her subjects.” “I... I know Princess. It’s just... what you do... what all ponies do. It’s more than any human has ever accomplished before.” “Do not fret over that young one.” Celestia gazed out at the sea and I saw a glimmer in the distance, dawn was coming. “I hope that ponies and humans can all come together and reach new heights.” “Princess,” my mouth gaped open as I saw the sun begin to peek over the horizon, “you’re not...” “No,” Celestia shook her head as she spoke, “that is your own sun. I have no control over it in this realm. It is nice to just watch it rise though. I think it’ll be a nice day today.” “Princess,” the sky was beginning to turn pink on the horizon, “I think you’re right.”