Echoes of the Ancient

by Wandering Axioms

Act 1.2

It was a few rays of the sun’s light and the realization that Heartstrings was no longer on his lap that caused Aiden to awaken. He looked around to see the little unicorn on the other end of the cave entrance, apparently testing out her injured leg. She looked over in his direction and smiled as their eyes met. She trotted over to him happily. “Good morning to you, sleepyhead!” She laughed.

Aiden returned the smile. “Good morning to you too, Heartstrings...” he replied with a yawn and a stretch with all four of his limbs. “How is your leg feeling?”

She raised the hoof she had injured last night for him to examine. “It’s feeling much better; I think I’ll be able to walk now.”

“That’s good,” Aiden said standing up. Heartstrings gasped and took a step back, still astonished at how tall he was compared to her; she didn't even come up to his waist. “So, Heartstrings,” he looked down, his teal eyes meeting her yellow.

“Y-yes?”

“Where are you from?”

“Canterlot,” the unicorn replied. “It’s the capital of Equestria and the largest city!” She paused for a moment. “What about you?” Aiden couldn’t get over how similar the name sounded to Camelot.

“I was born in Washington D.C. the capital of the American Republic,” he had explained to her the previous night on how humans were not unified under a single banner as ponies (and apparently other animals) were. “It’s not the largest city, however, that honor goes to New York.” He crouched down to her height. “But you learned just about everything I know about my world in our little interview last night, didn’t you?” He smiled. Heartstrings chuckled as her normally mint colored cheeks flushed a slight red color. “So what’s this Canterlot like?”

Heartstrings sighed and trotted over to the mouth of the cave and set herself down. She looked back, clearly waiting for him to join her. Aiden obliged, sitting legs crossed Native American style right next to his new filly friend. He looked down at the unicorn’s face and pulled his gas mask further down so it rested against his chest. Heartstrings wore a frown on her face as she heaved a heavy, depressed sigh.

“Well, I was born in Canterlot...the city itself looks nice, but there are a lotta snobs all over the place. And my parents...well.” She traced a hoof along the ground, trying to find the right words. “I, um...I guess you could say that my parents are included in that group.” Aiden nodded for her to continue. “My parents; Lyrica and Septimo; they’re Earth pony and unicorn, respectively,” She looked up to see Aiden’s blank stare. “There are three types of ponies, unicorns,” she pointed a hoof to herself. “We can use magic, then there are the Pegasi; they have wings, and can control the weather.” she said pointing towards the sky. “And Earth ponies, they help with crops and stuff.”

Aiden’s head was spinning again; not only did this fantasy world have magic, but it had pegasi that could control the weather? Aiden again motioned for her to continue.

“Anyways, I lived with my parents, Lyrica and Septimo, who are both really famous musicians, and I lived with my sister, Octavia, also an Earth pony. ‘Tavi learned how to play the cello not too long ago, and earned her cutie mark from it.”

“Why the sad face then, Heartstrings?” Aiden asked.

Heartstrings sighed. “Well, not long after ‘Tavi got her cutie mark, I got mine from playing a lyre. Both of my parents said that we should follow in their footsteps...but I actually wasn’t as interested in a career in music as my sister was.”

“What were you interested in?”

Heartstrings’ ears dropped to the sides of her head and she mumbled something that Aiden couldn’t make out.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that, Heartstrings?”

“Humans...” The unicorn whispered in a just barely audible tone. Aiden probably wouldn’t have heard it if he hadn’t gone through such rigorous survival training in his earliest days as a Network Asset.

“Humans?”

“Yeah...” Heartstrings kicked a hoof at the dirt. “When Dad took me and Octavia to the library to learn about music, I snuck away at times into the section on old pony myths and stuff. I read most of the books in that part of the library in the first few visits...but then dad caught me, and said that humans don’t exist...I tried to explain to him the old legends passed down over the generations about tall, proud, bipedal creatures that once ruled the entire world...but he wouldn’t have any of it.”

“So your parents were basically forcing you into a musical career that you hated?” Aiden asked.

Heartstrings waved a hoof in the air. “Oh no, no, no; I don’t hate playing music. I like it as a hobby,” She hung her head. “But I don’t think I have the guts to go on stage in front of like, a hundred zillion ponies and perform! And besides,” she looked up at him with an innocent smile. “I think that the old legends of humans are a lot cooler than most of the books of music lessons I read.”

“So I assume that you didn’t give up on your passion?” Aiden asked hopefully.

Heartstrings shook her head. “Nope! I started sneaking books out of the library on our visits. I wanted to learn everything there was to know about humans, so whenever Mom and Dad were out performing, I slip the books out and read through them over and over. Octavia once caught me, and I forced her to promise, not to tell...” Heartstrings sighed.

“Did your sister keep her promise?”

“I didn’t really wait for her to answer before I forced her out of my room. That night, Mom and Dad were in my room, waiting for me,” her voice began to quaver. “They said that I had to give up on this obsession, they said it was pointless chasing a fairy tale...” She began to shake, and Aiden could sense that the little filly was on the verge of a breakdown. “I got kinda angry; told them that humans are more than a myth; that I wouldn’t ever give up on my dreams and that I didn’t want to go into music...”

“Were they angry?” Aiden asked, inching closer to his unicorn friend.

He heard her sniff as tears built up in both of her eyes. “No, they didn’t really seem upset with me...but the look of disappointment I saw in their eyes...I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep again. Dad said nothing and Mom only bothered to say ‘Goodnight, Heartstrings’ and then they left me in my room.”

“What did you do next?” Aiden hated to pry, but he was anxious to find out why a young foal would be out in this dangerous forest in the first place.

“I...” her voice cracked, she was clearly trying to hold back her tears, but to no avail. “I ran away!!” The next thing Aiden knew, the filly had her fore legs wrapped around his chest, she buried her face into his clothing, soaking it with her tears in moments. “I’m such an idiot!!” He heard her rebuke herself. “Why did I have to be so stubborn!? My parents hate me now!!”

“More like I’m an idiot...” Aiden hated himself so much at this moment for pushing the foal to the edge. He returned the embrace, stroked her mane, shushed her, everything he could think of to try and calm her down. “I’m so sorry, Heartstrings,” Aiden whispered, he himself felt on the verge of crying. “I didn’t mean to upset you...” Heartstrings didn’t respond; she only cried at a slightly steadier pace.

For what seemed like forever, he held the crying filly in his arms. It was at the point when the sun was higher in the sky; probably around nine in the morning; that Aiden placed a finger under the filly’s chin and gently pushed up so that she was looking him in the eyes. She was no longer sobbing, but tears still streamed down her face.

“Heartstrings, are you still going to pursue your passion?”

The mint colored unicorn looked up at him with a curious face. “I dunno...” she softly mumbled. “If I go back into studying music, maybe my parents will be happy with me again...”

Aiden stroked her mane. “Heartstrings, listen to me carefully.” She looked up at him, waiting anxiously for what he was going to say. “Where I’m from, we have an organization called the Network. They’re made up of good people, who go around the world solving problems that are caused by nature or other humans. I joined the Network at age fifteen, despite my stepfather’s protests.”

“Stepfather?” Heartstrings asked. “What about your real parents?”

Aiden frowned. “I, uh, never knew my real parents.” The unicorn returned the frown as sympathy filled her eyes. “So, anyways, my stepfather did disapprove, or at least he was cautious about me joining the Network; he was a member of it as well, and I really wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

“So you wanted to join just to follow your dad?” Heartstrings asked.

“That’s half the reason, the other half is because of a promise I had made to a man I had met only a day prior to asking my dad if I could join. This man’s name was James, and he was actually a good friend of my stepdad’s. My dad and I were visiting an outpost for the American military on the Western border of our country with the Western Expanse. There were reports that a special type of mutant that we’ve called the Ashen have been sighted moving outside of the Exclusion Zone in the Mojave Desert. After an attack on one of our patrols, James journeyed out by himself into the Zone. But before he left, he gave me his dog tag, and said this: “Aiden, it was no accident that you were found by your stepfather. This may be my last adventure, but today, your journey is just beginning...”

“Wow...” Heartstrings had ceased crying, as she was now enveloped in Aiden’s story. “What else did James say?”

“He said that I should join the Network like my stepfather...he said that there was something special about me; that I wasn’t just your average kid.” Aiden frowned. “I didn’t understand what he meant by that; I still don’t entirely; but I was determined to keep my word to him.” He looked back down at the filly. “So, Heartstrings.”

“Yes, Aiden?” The unicorn asked.

“Promise me that you’ll never give up your passion, in spite of the protests of those who say that you’re trying to accomplish the impossible.” He paused and smiled. “Besides, I think you just did accomplish the impossible.”

“Huh?” Heartstrings was clearly confused.

“Your friends and family keep saying that it was impossible for humans to exist?” He laughed. “Well, you’re talking to one right now.” Heartstrings only smiled as she dove into his chest for another hug. Aiden had absolutely zero experience with children, let alone lecturing them, but he knew that nothing else needed to be said.

Around an hour later, Aiden and Heartstrings set out from the cave they used as a refuge. It was impossible to hide the growling in both of their bellies. Without saying a word, Heartstrings trotted off to a few nearby trees. Curious, Aiden followed to see what she was doing, to see her returning with several dandelions in her mouth.

She laid three of them down at his feet, and proceeded to chew on the ones she still had in her jaws, a content look on her face. Looking up to see Aiden’s confused face, the unicorn filly swallowed and raised an eyebrow. “Do you not want yours?” She asked. She then smacked her face with a hoof. “Oh, duh, of course humans don’t eat flowers...” She took the ones at his feet and consumed them within a second or two. “You eat meat...humans are c-carnivores...right?” She seemed to cower away from him slightly.

Aiden frowned. “It’s true that meat is part of our diet, but not all of it. We eat fruits, vegetables, grains; humans are omnivores.” He opened his mouth as wide as he could to show her his sharp canines in the front; he then traced a finger back to his molars. “We just can’t eat flowers...at least not that I know of.”

“Right, well, um...” Heartstrings sat by his feet, trying to think of something to say. “You have to get something in your belly, Aiden. And the fruits that grow on these trees aren’t exactly the most...trustworthy.”

“Is there any town nearby?” Aiden asked crouching down so that they were at eye level.

“Oh! I think Ponyville is in walking distance from here!”

Ponyville? You’ve gotta be kidding... He wanted to facepalm so badly right now. “Where to, Heartstrings?”

“Last time I saw a map of Equestria...” She put a forehoof to her chin. “East! Ponyville is East of the Everfree forest!”

“Then East is where we’re headed,” Aiden said, going in the direction of the rising sun, almost at its peak in the sky. “Let’s go, we’re burning daylight!” The mint colored unicorn happily followed her human friend.

Following another two hours of walking and trivial conversation, Aiden asked his filly companion: “Hey, Heartstrings...”

“Yes, Aiden?” The unicorn looked up at him with a wide grin.

“Would you mind if I called you by a nickname?”

The filly stopped and looked at her friend with curiosity. “A nickname? Well, I guess it’s alright, though it depends on what it is. What did you have in mind?”

“How does a human name sound?” He asked. Heartstrings had an anxious look on her face. “I’ve been thinking; you see, there’s a small constellation in the night sky back on my world in the shape of a lyre, called Lyra. Seeing how you’re so interested in my race and my world, and how your...cutie mark, is of a lyre, I thought it would be fitting.” He crouched down to the filly’s height. “So, Lyra, what do you think?”

Heartstrings pondered the nickname, repeating it to herself several times. “Lyra...Lyra...Lyra Heartstrings!” She smiled at Aiden. “I love it! It sounds really cool!”

“And catchy!” Aiden added. He extended a hand. “So, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lyra Heartstrings!” The newly nicknamed unicorn gazed at the appendage. She knew exactly what to do. She smiled as she offered her foreleg and they shared a perfect hand/hoof shake.

The gathering of buildings in the distance must’ve been this “Ponyville” that Hearts...Lyra, was talking about. It was only a few small houses, what Aiden guessed to be a market in the center, a windmill off to the town’s South side, and what seemed to be a town hall. It was on the outskirts of the town itself that they noticed a group of two of these “Earth” ponies that Lyra had described. Aiden stayed behind in the trees.

“Hey, Lyra,” the filly looked back at him, confused. “There’s no telling on how these two will react when they see me, so it’s best that you approach them.”

“Me?” Lyra asked pointing a hoof to herself. “Well who knows how they’ll react when a random unicorn approaches them? Won’t they think that’s a bit creepy?”

“Tell them that you’re lost...and that you’re hungry, and that, uh...try to look cute and sad!” He paused for a second. “Well you got that first one covered at least...” He smiled as he got a few laughs out of the unicorn.

“Okay, Aiden,” Lyra smiled. “I guess it can’t hurt to try.”

“Alright, I’ll just stay back here. I wouldn’t want my devilishly handsome mug to ruin any appetites.” More laughs from the unicorn.

The Earth ponies appeared to be male and female, a pale yellowish color and a cream color respectively. The stallion had a short brown mane, blue eyes, and a cutie mark of a spatula. The mare had a mane of two colors, a deep navy blue and a bright pink, and dark green eyes; her cutie mark was that of a silver cooking tray. “Seems like these two are really into cooking...” Aiden thought as Lyra continued her approach.

Lyra put on the best fake sad face she could as she approached the two conversing Earth ponies. She heard them conversing.

“Well, Chikki, what do ya think?” The stallion asked his companion.

“Oh, well, Praline,” the mare looked away and blushed. “I’d love to go on vacation to Trottingham too, but, who would take care of Bon Bon?”

“We could ask the Cakes to do it!” The stallion named Praline said. “Sure they’re our main competitors, but they’re also our friends!”

“Oh, I don’t know, do you think Bon Bon is ready to be separated from us for a whole week?”

“She’s almost ten years old, Chikki, I think she can handle the fact that we’re going on a second honeymoon...”

“Um...excuse me.” Lyra’s words break into the grown ponies’ conversation. The couple look down to see the frowning mint green unicorn staring back up at them. “Uh, I’m kinda lost...can you guys help me?”

The mare frowned with genuine concern. “Oh, you poor dear! Where do you live? Where are your parents?”

“Canterlot,” Lyra mumbled in a barely audible tone.

The stallion gasped. “You sure are a long way from home, young mare, why is that?”

“I...” Lyra traced a hoof against the ground. “I...ran away...”

“Well, that’s not technically a lie...” Aiden thought as he listened in on the conversation.

“Now, young mare,” the female named Chikki said. “You should know that running away from your problems never solves anything! Maybe you should come stay with us until we can get word to your parents that you’re okay?”

The next thing he knew, the two ponies were leading Lyra away to wherever their house was; Lyra gazed back in his direction and motioned for him to follow. “Alright, best try to stick to the shadows; don’t want any pedestrians noticing me...”

“Well, Lyra,” Praline said as he and his wife led the filly into their house. “Welcome to Everfree Sweets! My wife, Chikki and I run this little bakery here in Ponyville.” The aroma of sweets and baked goods hung heavy in the air. It was around six or seven, as the autumn sun was almost completely sunk behind the horizon. It was a tad creepy, true, but Aiden waited by a window outside, listening in on the conversation.

“Sweetie, you can stay in our guest room for tonight,” Aiden heard Chikki say to the filly.

“Um, do you guys have a daughter? I heard you mention a name...”

“Yes, Bon Bon is her name,” Praline replied. “She’s a wonderful little filly; she’s spending the night at a friend’s house, however. I think that she’ll like you!” Lyra smiled meekly at this.

“Is there anything we can get you, dear?” Chikki asked as she led the unicorn up to the guest bedroom, her husband not far behind. Lyra shook her head. Aiden took this opportunity as the back door was clear to slip into the bakery home. He may not have exactly been Spec Ops material, but he gave himself a mental pat on the back for staying out of sight as he followed the couple through the heavily crowded town.

He stops, just barely peeking his head over the top of the steps to see Praline go into what he assumed to be their bedroom. Chikki lead Lyra into the room that was across from it, most likely the guest bedroom. Aiden snuck into the room right next to it to hide. This room he assumed to be Bon Bon’s. It certainly looked like a little girl’s room. The wallpaper was a light blue color with a paler blue heart pattern. There was a small bed right next to the window overlooking the street outside. On the nightstand right next to it, sat a crudely made doll of a pony. Outside, he heard Chikki still talking with Lyra.

“Are you sure there’s nothing you need? You're not hungry or anything?”

A short period of silence.

“Um, I guess I could go for some carrots or something,” Lyra said. She must’ve remembered that he still needed something to eat.

“Ok, dear, just wait right there, and I’ll be back up with something.” Chikki then headed downstairs to their kitchen. Aiden took this opportunity to sneak by the room Praline was in and opened the door to the guest room. Lyra sat on the center of the bed, and offered him the warmest and most innocent smile he’d received from her yet.

“Hi, Aiden,” she whispered so as to not attract the attention of her new caretakers. “I made sure to ask for things that you can eat, no flowers or hay.”

He returned his friend’s smile. “Thanks, Lyra,” he moved towards the spacious closet to the left of the bed. “But, I’d rather not be in sight when she gets back.” Lyra nods in agreement.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you when it’s safe!”

Just at that moment, as Aiden closes the closet door, he hears gentle hoofsteps enter the bedroom, and something is laid onto the bed, just barely making a sound. Cracking the closet door open slightly, Aiden sees that Chikki had set a metal tray in front of Lyra, on it, a small banquet of various fruits, vegetables, and pastries. Having not eaten in nearly two days, Aiden simply couldn’t suppress a loud, guttural growl from his stomach. Needless to say, Chikki’s attention was caught.

“What was that!?”

“Oh! Um, that was just my stomach!” Lyra nervously laughed. “I haven’t eaten anything more than a flower or two in the past day, you see, and I’m starving!” The unicorn exclaimed trying to cover for her not-so-stealthy friend.

Chikki seemed to buy it...sort of. After casting a glance in the direction of the closet, she shrugged and left the filly to her meal. Lyra happily got up from her bed, closed the door, and locked it. She breathed a sigh of relief as Aiden stepped out of his hiding place. “That was just too close, Aiden! What if she found you?”

Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, Lyra, it’s just that I haven’t eaten a thing in days...and when I saw all of this...” he motioned towards the feast on the bed. Lyra waved a hoof.

“It’s okay, Aiden, just so long as you can tell that stomach of yours to keep quiet from now on, I think we’ll be fine.”

The next hour or so, was spent with the two of them eating and exchanging more details on each other, being sure to keep their voices down. Lyra demonstrated some simple magic, which fascinated Aiden to no end. He in turn explained some of the advanced technology that humans had developed over the centuries (he left out the more horrid ones such as nuclear and biological weapons), which Lyra in turn was also enthralled by. They concluded their evening with some discussion on music, of all things.

“Did you ever play any instruments, Aiden?”

“Sometimes, yeah,” he replied tossing one final apple slice into his mouth. Apples in this strange place tasted different from the ones back on Earth; they were sweeter and juicier. Swallowing, he continued. “I played the piano at times; you know what a piano is?”

“You mean that weird looking thing made of wood that you sit on a bench to play? With the white and black rectangles on it?”

Aiden nodded. “I played that a decent amount, mostly some of the twentieth century musicians.”

“Did you ever...write your own?” Lyra asks.

“My own music?” She nods. “I...I did try, but,” he rubbed the back of his neck and laughed. “I simply don’t have the patience. I also played the guitar a lot.”

Lyra looks at him curiously. “What’s a gee-tar?”

“It’s a string instrument.” Aiden explained. “It’s sorta like...a lyre! They’re really similar.” Lyra smiled.

“Did you enjoy playing music?” She asked, her eyes clearly showing how tired she was.

“Yes, it did help set my mind at ease whenever I was troubled...” he reaches out and strokes her mane. She actually leans in to get a firmer feel of his hand. “But I think it’s getting late, how about we turn in for the night?” She doesn’t respond, but her closed eyes and soft breathing as he begins scratching that sensitive spot behind her ear is the only answer he needed.

It was raining heavily outside Fort Keystone. Aiden had just arrived and was at the administrator’s desk. A pale skinned man with short, black hair sat at the desk. He looked up as Aiden approached, carrying a suitcase with his belongings. “Welcome to Fort Keystone,” he greeted in a bored tone. “First time here?”

Aiden only nods in response.

The man begins typing away at his computer. “You can leave your belongings there, I’ll make sure that they’re sent up to your quarters.” Aiden obliged by dropping his case to the ground with a loud thud. The administrator then picks up a yellow folder to his left. “Alright, in this file, you’ll find the names, ranks, backgrounds, and positions of all your new teammates. I suggest that you get to know them.” He then went back to typing at his computer.

Aiden held the folder in his hand as he heads down the hall leading to the mess hall of the fort, looking through the names of his teammates. “Alex Rey, Mary Willis, Leon Caine, Logan Somers, Emily Benet, and David Bern...” he runs the names through his mind. He decided that it would be best to get to know these six people as he starts reading through their background checks...