Drocsid

by flutterspin

Open Book

"I see you."

I woke up in a fright. It was a dream. No, it was a horrible nightmare. His bright eyes burned in my retinas. The voice echoed through my head. No matter how far I ran, I could still feel his presence. His very shadow changed the way I viewed myself. His actions caused me to question everything. Why did he have to slither into my peaceful life?

A cool breeze nudged against my door. The wind tickled the tips of my ears. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I listened to my heart pound through my chest. The beats raced like an enthusiastic drummer on opening night. The sound of rustling leaves grabbed my attention. I opened my eyes and looked above my home. The giant tree branch covering over my place moved alongside the wind. The sun peered through the clouds and brought warmth to my face.

My thoughts cleared as I reminisced around the room. My prized collection of history books were held in a wooden bookcase to my right. The rickety staircase I carved inside the tree's interior followed the wall up to the second floor in front of me. My grandmother's quilt placed on top of the crudely-designed chair by the window to my left.

My dainty home may not have appeared glorious, but it contained all the possessions my wagon could carry. Leaving my comfortable home behind was more difficult than I ever imagined. Nothing tore me apart more than the hug my mother gave me before I departed.

The clouds covered up the sun, and a cold wind tore through my house. I braced myself against the force of the wind. The door slammed shut, and a few of my books fell off the top shelf. One of the books broke open on the floor. The wind turned the pages to the center of the book.

"Moonlight."

The voice rang through my ears again. What I heard in my dream echoed in my room. The cloud's shadow casted fear in my heart. Facing the unknown challenged my wits. Being alone in the darkness made me uneasy.

The silence outside meant that the wind dissipated, but the unusualness of there being no sound at all made me twitch. There were not any crickets chirping or birds singing. Not even the sound of leaves falling to the ground. I leaned backwards in hopes the tension would release. The creaking floor below broke the silence.

I forced my heart to be at ease. My imagination must have been playing tricks on me. It had to be the sound of the wind brushing up against something. It only sounded like the calling out of my name.

I picked up one of the books that had fallen off the shelf. The unique engraving on the cover revealed it to be The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.

I reached down to pick up the opened book when an electric shock forced me to retract. Electricity sparked through the outer rim of the book.

"Sonata."

The voice called out to me in a louder tone. This was not the workings of any concept I conjured up. There was definitely something happening in my home.

I hesitantly asked, "Hello? Is some pony there?"

Lightning shot out of the book. Small circular lights resembling stars in the night sky appeared at the end of each strike. After the sixth one materialized, it became apparent they formed a symmetrical oval pattern. The image of the room between them distorted beyond recognition until the color black was all that was left.

The voice grew louder and entertained me with a riddle.

Ponies sealing me away was a big mistake.
Opening my prison will be a piece of cake.
Not even The Elements of Harmony will be able to stop me.
You will be the last thing I need to set me free.

I stepped backwards as sweat poured down my face. "No. It can't be."

The sound of the voice agitated my nerves. It paralleled the voice I tried to forget. The cry could have only belonged to the spirit of disharmony, Discord.

An image of a town came forth out of the blackness above the book as vigorous typhoon engulfed inside the room. The strong current pulled me towards the portal. I gripped my hooves into the ground in an attempt to fight against the suction. Alas, my best efforts were in vain. The gust flipped me into the air and dragged me along with the book I dropped on the ground into the abyss. The sight of my room shrunk until it disappeared entirely.

I rapidly spinned around in the darkness. The dizziness made my eyes grow weak. The rotating book in the emptiness was the last thing I remembered before I lost consciousness.

I arose to the loud sounds of heavy chatter. My head was throbbing, and my back ached. I moved my legs in an attempt to stand up, but my body was too weak to hold any traction. I could feel the roughness of wood splinters underneath me. When the ringing in my ears subsided, I was able to distinguish the words spoken around me.

"Where did he come from?"

"I wonder if he is alright."

"He just appeared out of nowhere!"

I felt woozy. My head continued to spin. I opened my eyes and saw a crowd of ponies standing a few feet in front of me. They talked among themselves, trying to piece together what really happened. Behind them were small buildings with a couple market stands setup. Beside me were indeed long flanks of wood with a large bushel of apples that had poured out. There were a few cuts and bruises visible on my legs, but nothing too serious.

What happened? Where am I? Why are there so many ponies around me? Was I pulled into a book? What happened to my room? Is this a dream? Was that really Discord?

Questions flooded my mind. I was stunned and overwhelmed. There was no clear explanation to what was happening. The severe pain felt too real for the whole thing to be a dream, yet it was clear I was no longer in my own house anymore. A couple of the ponies spoke out of the crowd.

"Are you ok? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"What in tarnation is going on here?"

The latter pony's voice grabbed my attention. I carefully watched the pony step through the crowd. She wore a brown hat and freckles on her face. She demonstrated a powerful look in her eyes as she viewed the debris at the scene.

"What happened to my stand?"

"He fell from the sky, Applejack!"

"Well, he ain't a pegasus. He can't fly."

Applejack is what the pony referred her as, but it couldn't be the same mare from my book. She didn't demonstrate any form of magic or was highly esteemed by the other ponies. She seemed normal like any ordinary country girl I've met before.

Applejack stepped forward and spoke in a caring, yet disconcerting tone. "Are you alright, hun? Care to explain how you ended up on top of my apple stand?"

Words escaped me. Too long had it been since I last spoke to another pony. Even when I was young, my mother always informed me to watch what I say to others. She also warned me never to say anything that may be regarded as offensive or leave a bad impression. What I said could either be encouraging and uplifting or possibly tear open a wound. Her words I kept in my heart and respected ever since.

Applejack extended her leg to help me up. I fumbled my leg out of the debris in response. With all her strength, she pulled me up to my hooves. The large smile on her face gave me comfort.

With me up on my legs, I saw Applejack's face up close. Her blonde hair was nicely braided to her left side. Her ears lowered underneath her hat in an agitated state, but her green eyes showed sincerity. A small patch of dirt clinged to her chin. A lime saddlejack laid over her back. Her face glowed under the sunlight.

Without putting too much thought I said, "You sure are pretty."

Applejack eyebrows lowered. "What you say?"

"I mean..." I quickly said while gathering together a more proper introduction.

A small pause filled my speech. Nothing came to my mind in what to say to Applejack. I played with the dirt below in hopes the whole situation would go away.

Applejack lowered her head down so I could see her face. "Let's start with a name."

"I'm Moonlight... Moonlight Sonata," I said in a more confident tone.

"Well Moonlight, are ya' new to Ponyville?"

My mother and I actually lived on the outskirts of Ponyville. We only visited the town on special occasions. I rarely initiated a conversation to its residents. I lacked the courage.

I was more concerned with why I was in Ponyville. The distance must had been a day's walk from my current home. "I really don't know how I got here."

Applejack asked, "What is the last thing you remember?"

"A voice. I'm pretty certain it was Discord. He said something about the Elements of Harmony," I replied.

"Discord?" Applejack exclaimed, "I think you bumped your head a little too hard there!"

Despite being a little disgruntled at Applejack's response, what she said might have been the truth. Without fully understanding the situation, there was no telling what really happened. Still, there had to be a reason why I ended up in Ponyville.

Something grabbed Applejack's attention down beside me. "What's this?"

She picked up the book that drifted with me in the darkness. The book held mostly together, besides a few torn pages hanging outside the bordering. Applejack opened the book and glanced at the title. "Elements of Harmony?"

"It's one of my favorite books. It references the ponies' qualities that help inspire me."

Applejack lifted her chin up and blushed. "Well shoot. That means a lot to me."

"You mean?" I asked with a blatant look in my eyes.

"You lookin' at the element of honesty. Figured every pony knew that by now, but it's not something to be worked up about," Applejack responded.

Applejack returned the book to me. I repeatedly glanced between the book and Applejack. My original assumption proved wrong. The pony conversing with me represented the Element of Honesty. She stated it herself.

"Were you heading to the library, Moonlight?" Applejack asked.

"The library? Why do you ask?"

Applejack pointed at the book. "If you were interested in knowing more about the Elements of Harmony, you can visit Twilight Sparkle. She knows more about them then the rest of us ponies."

I asked with a grin on my face, "The Twilight Sparkle?"

Applejack said, "Well, you know Twilight. She's probably catching up on her reading, heh, like she usually does."

Twilight Sparkle was the pony that inspired me to seek out my own courage. I was there when with the other ponies during the Summer Sun Celebration when Nightmare Moon arrived. Her glaring eyes and booming voice terrified me. Twilight Sparkle was the only pony I saw that stood up to her. Her determination of bringing an end to Nightmare Moon's reign brought chills down my spine.

Because of Twilight, I made the decision to leave my home in search for that same type of courage. Even after months in isolation, fears still weighed heavy in my sleep. In my heart, I knew it would be impossible for me to ever return. Maybe it was time to talk to some pony about my concerns. Perhaps Twilight could further assist me.

My eyes searched on the ground for my next line of thought. "Wait, I don't know where the library is."

"You don't know where the library is?" Applejack grabbed hold of her hat. "Well, I guess I can help you with that."

With the book still in my grasp, my eyes scanned for a solution to my predicament. "Do you have room in your bag to carry my book?"

Applejack reached out for the book. "Sure."

She slid the book into her bag and turned towards the crowd. Applejack stepped up to the crowd and motioned me to follow. My poor legs could only manage one step at a time. The ponies dispersed as Applejack and I departed from the wreckage.

Applejack waited for me to come closer to her side before proceeding any further. "Where are you from?"

No affirmative answer left my mouth. The warmth Applejack displayed to me may have cheered up my spirits, but my timidity kept me quiet. Yet the more she interacted with me, the more she became trustworthy. Eventually as I learn more about her, my personality would blossom.

Applejack never did ask me for compensation. She seemed more concern with my well-being. My consciousness bothered me. "I'm sorry about the apples."

Applejack looked past me at the destruction of her apple stand. "That's ok," she sighed, "Applebloom should be coming back with more apples here pretty quick. Not sure what I'll do with the stand, though." Applejack squinted her eyes. "Where is that gal anyways? She should have been back by now."

Ponyville's charming qualities remained intact. Smiles shined from every pony's face. Maybe if I focused less on my own personal problems, the negativity residing in my heart wouldn't appear so threatening. Instead, my critical assumptions of worst-case scenarios always overcame me.

The joyous nature of the town's conversations peeked my interest. Observing and listening to how every pony reacted to each other was always a redeeming quality I kept to myself. The subtle ways they moved their legs or bobbed their head revealed more than the words they expressed in everday dialogue. Of course when I talked to ponies up close, I primarily focused on my own actions. Never would I be overcritical or highlight another's faults.

My only problem with analyzing others had to come forefront when their reactions exhibited a form of randomness like the next pony I encountered. This pony's curly hair exploded in all directions. Her gestures spontaneously bursted out in her speech. Her head never stayed in one place. It moved in sequence to what she said outloud. Even the pink pony's speech hinted to the unusual fast processing power of her train of thought.

"And then I came up with a brilliant idea. Instead of having to choose between a cheesecake or a cupcake, why not combine the two? It will be a cheese cupcake, or wouldn't that be a cup of cheesecake?" The odd pony spotted us from the distance. "Hey Applejack!"

Applejack waved to the pony. "Well hey there, Pinkie Pie. Aren't you supposed to be at Sugarcube Corner?"

"Only when I want to."

Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and smiled. Bounteous amount of energy gushed outward as she hopped over to meet us. After she stopped bouncing, her eyes opened as high as they could go. "Can it be? A new pony?"

Applejack placed her hoof out towards me. "Yes, this is-"

"Hold that thought! I'll be right back!" Pinkie interjected with utmost excitement.

Faster than a blue bird in flight, Pinkie Pie dashed around the corner and reappeared with a pink wagon. Balloons were drawn on the sides, and there was a giant red button in front. When she pressed the button, a dramatic carnival display popped out from the wagon's top. Flags twirled and trumpets blared.

My mouth progressively widened as Pinkie Pie broke out in song.

Welcome welcome welcome
A fine welcome to you
Welcome welcome welcome
I say how do you do?
Welcome welcome welcome
I say hip hip hurray
Welcome welcome welcome
to Ponyville today

As Pinkie said the last line of the song, she slid on her legs with open arms. After a brief pause, Pinkie said, "Wait for it."

Nothing happened. After a couple seconds passed, Pinkie's and my patience ran out. She bowed her head low and jumped to her hooves. She turned around and scratched her mane. "Huh, I was for sure it wou-"

That moment, the wagon erupted in a huge explosion. Cupcake pieces flew out in all directions. There was no telling where the rest of the wagon went. There wasn't a wagon piece left.

Pinkie Pie stretched her front legs in the air. "Wow! That never happened before. I should do that more often. That was the best finale yet!"

Although Applejack was rightly concerned with our safety, my only response was to applaud Pinkie Pie's performance. If a pony could find joy in something so explicitly destructive to their own possession, how could they fault with any of my actions. Besides, the sheer chaos that exploded in front of my eyes exhilarated every fiber of my being.

"That was great!" I limped towards Pinkie Pie and hugged her. "You are awesome."

Pinkie Pie responded, "I told Rarity my cupcakes would be a big hit!"

I retracted my arms and stared her in the face with specks of cupcake all over. "Oh, Pinkie Pie. You sure are one funny goose."

"No silly, I'm a pony."

Applejack asked, "You know Pinkie Pie?"

The awkward situation I placed myself in disclosed a new revelation I never thought possible. For a moment, all my fears faded away. No active pondering or careful planning. My reaction pushed through effortlessly. My feelings and emotions pulled me to do something out of my element.

I wandered helplessly alone in my house seeking guidance from the books I read a thousand times. My days became dull and boring. I chose to be an outlaw in the wild running in circles for the truth. Perhaps chaos was what I desired, or maybe I craved the attention of the destruction it created. On another note, generating long-lasting friendships with ponies like Pinkie Pie could potentially fill the void in my life.

"Well, no." I relaxed my legs. "I'm sorry if I overreacted, Pinkie."

"Sorry? For what?"

Clearly, clueless Pinkie did not find my hasty affection as offensive. She probably admired my feedback. Unsure about Applejack's feelings on the matter, I verbalized my emotions. "You two are just so welcoming. It has been awhile since I felt this way."

Applejack said, "Aw shucks. Don't you worry your little head."

Pinkie licked the pieces of cupcake off her face. "And if you ever want more suprises, all you have to do ask!"

Applejack tightened the strap on her saddleback. "Now let's see about getting you to the library. It is just over this hill."

Pinkie asked, "Oh, are we throwing a surprise party for Twilight?"

I wiped the dust off my leg. "How about you come with us, Pinkie?"

Pinkie exclaimed, "Oh, tell me, is it a surprise party for me? That would be awesome!"