Isaac tossed and turned, moaning in his sleep. The demons around him gleefully whispered into the depths of his soul, unhindered by the purging influence of the Blue One. “No… no, go ‘way…” Isaac moaned, writhing in his bed, unheard by all. The demons were about to infiltrate his very essence, possess him once more, until something stopped them. A photo appeared on Isaac’s chest, showing him and his new Mother, with a shadowy figure where the Father should be. The photo glowed white, and the demons were dispersed back to nothingness.
But the nightmares they had caused remained…
He was himself, facing off against a Mulliboom, who angrily charged him down as he breathed his last…
He was Magdalene, placing a bomb and becoming distracted by an errant fly as she was blown to bits…
He was Judas, hurriedly dodging the stomp of Mom’s foot and just barely not making it…
He was Azazel, confronting his master in Sheol and failing woefully...
He was all of them, every costume he’d ever put on, every death he’d ever had, their million, billion-strong ghostly spirits floating away from the confines of the Basement to join a shining light. At the center of the light was a child… like him, but different. The child had ever-changing hair of purest snow white, and eyes that glowed with power. Isaac stared into those eyes, as they became larger, and larger…
He landed on a grassy field, children all around him. Some had hair of raven black, some blond, some brown and orange.
“Where am I?” he asked. A child laughed, and clapped him on the back.
“You’re in Eden!” the child happily cried, and ran off to play some more.
He looked around – all around him was happiness, and joy. Here he could stay, and play, and know nothing but this place forevermore. He was tempted, that much was certain. It was clear that this place was eternal happiness, perhaps the closest thing he’d get… to a Heaven.
Isaac looked around some more, then down at himself, surprised to find he was clutching a photo. Depicted on it were him, a shadowy figure… and a blue pony, her motherly eyes warmly staring down at him. Who was she? Isaac felt as though he should know. She was important, somehow…
“Excuse me,” he asked the nearest child, who gleefully turned to him. “Do you know who this is?” he asked, pointing to the blue pony on the photo.
The child examined the photo in vague interest for a moment, then shrugged. “No idea, sorry!” he answered, half-laughing. Isaac thanked him, and went on.
This place was different, he thought to himself as he wandered around. There were no doors here, or walls. Just an endless, grassy field, where children laughed and played no matter where he went. Isaac trekked for what seemed like years, never tiring or starving, always feeling as though he were refreshed and reinvigorated. The farther he went, the more he wondered where he was going, and why he was going there.
Eventually, he left the other children behind. They were still visible, as a speck off in the distance, but he was alone. Isaac sighed. He was always alone. He kept wandering, one foot in front of the other…
And as Isaac wandered, away from the laughter and distraction of the Lost Children, he began to remember. He’d been a demon… he’d escaped the Basement on his own… he’d met the blue pony… what was her name? For all he remembered, that simple fact escaped him. Perhaps he’d never know. Isaac wondered what he would do in this place. He could not go back to the others, for he somehow knew that if he did then he would forget once more. It seemed he was to wander for all eternity, then. That was alright. He was used to that.
To his shock, Isaac spotted a door in the distance, some time later – whether hours or centuries, he knew not in this strange place called ‘Eden’. The same white-haired boy from earlier was there, staring at Isaac with some surprise present on his changing features.
“You… wish to leave me?” the boy asked, sounding rather sad.
Isaac stared a moment, before looking down at the photo in his hand. “This place is rather nice… but I feel as though there is something I must do, away from here…” Isaac answered.
Eden smiled. “Then go, child. Go, and may you always feel welcome here, in my Garden of Happiness.” Isaac smiled and nodded, and opened the door. As he did so, Eden put a hand on his shoulder, and Isaac curiously looked over. “Bring him the photo,” Eden whispered, and everything faded to white… and Isaac finally remembered…
“Luna!” Isaac sat bolt upright in bed, shocked at the name that had just come out of his mouth. He remembered… Well, he didn’t remember much. Something about grass? And… he looked down at his prone form, and gasped. There, gently resting on top of his blanket, was a photo. The same photo he’d had in his dream. He held it up, hesitantly. There he was, and there was Luna. They’d never taken this photo, that much he knew. But then, how had it come here? And… who was the shadowy figure on the right? Isaac turned on his bedside lamp, rubbing his eyes as he attempted to discern the identity of the mysterious person. All he could tell was that the person had wings, though he wasn’t sure whether they looked demonic or angelic. Turning the photo over, he was surprised to find a signature, though he couldn’t read it, and a note. “To my son, Isaac: Find yourself.” It wasn’t Princess Luna’s writing… was this his father? But how? And why? Isaac searched the photo with his eyes some more, hoping for answers. Nothing. It was just an ordinary photo…
Just then, he heard the sound of magic one room over, and the sun rose over the hilltops, bathing Canterlot in beautiful orange rays. He could hear Celestia yawning, and Princess Luna saying something unintelligible as she exited her sister’s room. Isaac hurriedly hid the photo, as something whispered in his ear that he shouldn’t show it to anyone just yet. Luna walked into his room, eyes widening in surprise as she spotted Isaac, already awake.
“Oh! …Good morning, Isaac. How was your rest?” she asked. Isaac smiled, unsure of what or how much to tell her.
“It was… good,” he answered. It wasn’t technically a lie, he did remember the dream being a happy one.
“No nightmares?” Luna asked, and Isaac shrugged.
“I don’t remember any,” he answered, and Luna smiled.
“Breakfast is being served downstairs, but Mommy is going to-“ here she stifled a yawn behind a hoof –“going to bed. I’ve been up all night again…” Isaac smiled and nodded, and Luna walked out of the room. Once she was gone, Isaac carefully hid the photo behind a picture he had posted on the wall, arranging it in just such a way that it wouldn’t fall out.
Breakfast was an uneventful affair, and Isaac cautiously helped himself to a meager amount of food, wanting to avoid any surprise appearances of Gluttony today if he could help it. Once finished, Isaac retired to his chambers, where he spent some hours drawing and reading one of the new books Luna had given him.
However, as he attempted to pursue his daily distractions, Isaac was constantly reminded of the mysterious photo. He couldn’t not think about it, try though he might.
Around lunch, he was interrupted from his musings by a knock on the door. Isaac opened it to reveal a Day Guard, who cleared his throat before addressing him.
“Princess Celestia would like to invite you to meet her niece, Princess Cadance, in the Throne Room,” he recited, sounding half official and half bored.
“Okay,” Isaac said after a pause, not sure of how else to reply. Who was Princess Cadance? Isaac vaguely remembered Luna saying something about her, but couldn’t quite remember what it was. He followed the guard downstairs to the throne room, where Princess Celestia was waiting along with a new, pink alicorn and a blue-haired white unicorn.
“Isaac, this is Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza, or Princess Cadance for short, and her husband Shining Armor. They are from the Crystal Kingdom, a land far to the north. Shining, Cadance, this is Isaac, Luna’s adopted son. He is a… human,” Princess Celestia finished, looking slightly uneasy as she glanced at Isaac, who merely nodded. He was human… wasn’t he?
Princess Cadance politely offered her hoof, and Isaac reached up and shook it, smiling up at her. He then turned to Shining Armor. “You’re Princess Twilight’s brother, right?” he asked, and Shining nodded.
“I hope she hasn’t been telling stories about me,” he joked, and Isaac merely hid a chuckle behind his hand in response, which caused Shining to laugh nervously.
They talked some more, mostly small talk about the trivialities of Isaac’s life – and Isaac was sure that Princess Cadance was trying her best not to ask any pointed questions about his entrance to this world. Finally, after half an hour, Cadance took an envelope out of one of her saddlebags, and levitated it over to Isaac.
“We were thinking of inviting you over to the Crystal Kingdom for a day. What do you think?” Shining Armor asked. Isaac stared at the letter, then nodded.
“I’d love to, thank you,” he answered, using the formalities Luna had taught him.
Shining laughed. “Proper little gentlecolt, aren’t you?” he teased, and Cadance nudged him, a smirk on her own face.
“Better than you, Shiny,” she retorted, and Shining chuckled.
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Anyway, train leaves at three, and you don’t need to pack anything – we’ll take care of it.” Isaac nodded, and excused himself.
He returned to his room, unable to restrain himself any longer, and took out the photo, gazing at it with curiosity. This photo, that he’d never taken… what did it mean? Isaac strongly felt as though he should hold on to it, so he tucked it into his pocket.
Isaac met up once again with Cadance and Shining Armor at the train station, having been escorted himself by a Royal Day Guard – though he enjoyed the feeling of being looked after, there was not much to talk about with the Day Guards. They were always much more stuffy than their Night counterparts, always following decorum and never speaking a word unless ordered to. Just as he stepped onto the train, he could have sworn someone had shouted his name – but over the background noise of the train station, it was impossible to say for certain. The only pony that might've said something was a white unicorn with red hair who was staring right at him, and she looked away the moment he spotted her. Mentally shrugging, Isaac took his seat and began his usual process of staring out the window. Cadance and Shining Armor, meanwhile, took their seats next to each other, Cadance leaning against Shining contentedly while the latter smiled down at her.
The train ride itself was uneventful – Isaac had gotten used to the sensation of being in a moving vehicle, and spent most of the trip staring out the window, watching the colorful countryside pass by. Eventually, the bright trees and sun turned to snow and mountains, and Isaac felt how cold the window was getting. When was the last time he’d felt real cold?
They arrived in a massive expanse of crystal, facets glinting and reflecting every which way as the frozen arctic tundra was instantaneously replaced by sun and grass once more. Isaac looked around, startled, as the train came to a halt.
“Where… how did…” he stammered, unable to quite comprehend the rapidity of the change.
Princess Cadance giggled. “Our kingdom is protected by magic from the rest of this area’s climate. Makes it hard for invaders to find us or even reach us… though that wasn’t our idea,” she trailed off, scuffing a hoof awkwardly on the train floor.
They stepped out, and Isaac followed Shining Armor and Princess Cadance to a palace made entirely of blue crystal, somewhat akin to Twilight’s but much bigger. Passing guards and maids greeted the two royals, who amicably waved and said hello back, whereas Isaac merely remained silent. Finally, after making their way up a few flights of stairs, they arrived at a small room.
“Sorry we couldn’t get anything bigger, the castle’s pretty packed right now due to a foreign dignitary,” Cadance explained, looking at Isaac apologetically.
“Not at all, this looks wonderful,” Isaac replied, looking around the room contentedly – it rather reminded him of his old bedroom.
“Anyway, I hope you aren’t planning to settle in just yet, because we have something good to show you,” Cadance continued, and Isaac raised an eyebrow. The pink alicorn motioned for him to follow, and Isaac reluctantly left the room.
“So, what’s it like being Aunt Luna’s son?” Princess Cadance asked as they walked through the gleaming Crystal Kingdom streets. Isaac thought for a while.
“…Interesting,” he finally responded, and Shining chuckled.
“Does she make you talk in that old-timey way?” he asked, and Isaac smirked up at him.
“Verily, only if it doth please the both of us,” he replied, and Shining burst out laughing.
They arrived at a large building, decorated with imposing, streaked white marble. “Here we are! The most extensive human museum in the world!” proclaimed Cadance, gesturing with a hoof to the entrance door. Isaac cautiously walked up, and opened it, wondering what he was to expect – that is, if he even could expect anything. The first thing he noticed was the receptionist, an elderly mare who was staring at him in shock. The second thing he noticed was an entire human skeleton, propped up on hooks, with arrows pointing to different parts of the anatomy.
“Hello, can I… help you?” the mare asked, and her jaw only further dropped when Cadance and Shining Armor walked in.
“Good afternoon,” Cadance greeted, and the receptionist quickly bowed.
“G-good afternoon, your Majesty,” she hastily stammered, and Princess Cadance held out a hoof.
“Please, I am only here on pleasurable business. Three tickets to the museum, please,” she asked, and the mare quickly hoofed her some tickets.
Princess Cadance dug around in her purse, before turning to Shining with a pleading look. Shining gave a mock groan, and fished out some bits from one of his saddlebags. “Honestly, girl, you’ve got to stop spending all your spare change,” he teased, and Cadance pouted. Isaac watched this with amusement, before Cadance levitated his ticket down to him.
Princess Cadance and Shining Armor made their way to the museum atrium, and just as Isaac was about to go, he once again heard somepony calling his name. He turned around to see a familiar white unicorn with red hair approaching him at a fast pace, looking worried. Isaac racked his memory – did he know this unicorn? Coming up blank, he decided to be friendly, and waved hello, a polite smile on his face.
“Do I… know you?” he asked, and Cadance and Shining Armor turned around. The unicorn mare looked up at them, and her face blanched. She took a few steps back, and looked around as though searching for some means of escape.
“State your business, miss,” Shining Armor sternly commanded, and a few guards stepped forward – Isaac suddenly remembered that as Princess Luna’s son, he was a politically important figure.
“I… ah…” the unicorn stammered. Finally, she shook her head viciously, and bared her teeth at them. A second later, Isaac felt himself being levitated along as the mare fled, and looked back at Cadance and Shining Armor in shock.
"Guards! Arrest her!" Shining Armor cried, and three guards immediately began running after them.
By now, a whole flock of guards were chasing after them, but the unicorn who had kidnapped Isaac didn't seem to care, weaving and dodging among them with an almost practiced ease.
"Where are you taking me?" Isaac demanded, unable to move due to the magical force field carrying him along.
"Please, I promise this is for a good reason!" the mare hurriedly answered.
"That doesn't answer my question," Isaac muttered, wondering how he could get out of this.
Some minutes later, they had lost the guards to Isaac's chagrin. The unicorn stopped in front of an old warehouse, and knocked seven times on the door in a distinct pattern. The door opened, to reveal Isaac's strangest sight yet since awakening in Equestria. Was he looking down at a pony demon? It had holes in its legs, and bright blue-green eyes. Insectoid wings buzzed along its back, and it bowed to the white unicorn.
"No time for that, hurry up!" the mare demanded, and the strange pony-like thing quickly moved out of the way, hissing something unintelligible. The mare practically hurled Isaac into the room before closing the door, and turned to face him, her once-fuschia eyes now a bright green. There was a flash of green fire, and she transformed into a taller version of the strange insect-ponies that now surrounded Isaac, clicking and hissing in a language he couldn't understand. "Enough," the taller bug-thing spat at them, and they backed off. She walked up to Isaac, who affixed her with a steely glare, though inside he was too afraid to even help. "My apologies for the scare, I needed you away from... them," the tall one muttered, glancing toward the door as though Cadance and Shining Armor were right outside of it. "I am Queen Chrysalis of the changelings," the bug-queen introduced herself, and Isaac stared up at her. "And..." Chrysalis trailed off, seemingly unsure how to continue. Finally, she swallowed, and looked at him again.
"I need your help."