And there I was, in a new place, resting under the shade of a tree, where I awoke this time. I didn't know where I was, or who I was anymore. I stood up like I normally would, but I fell onto all fours. This was something I would obviously have to get used to, as I lifted my head up to copy what actual ponies look like. It's questionable to why the only animals I saw were ponies. No humans were around. I struggled to walk with my new forelegs, as this was all new to me, but I seemed to get the hang of it after some simple synchronisation. I was much smaller than the rest for some reason, but I felt pretty agile. I trotted into a built up town just past the line of trees I had started from, which was a drastic contrast. Shops were scattered around the area, usually stocking clothes and fashion and such, some sold fine pastries and sweets. The…ponies there were dressed up in the fanciest clothing, and all looked quite snobbish. I wasn't exactly noticed there, as I was too small to be seen, and I probably didn't stand out either.
I returned to the forest and rested under the same tree, as I was too aimless and lost to actually find my way around the place. I just noticed now that these equines were talking to each other in a language that I understood. They seemed much more sophisticated than the ones we had back on Earth. A whole area, world perhaps, devoted to ponies. So where do I start here? I guess a quick rest would be in order. But soon enough, a little white filly with her messy black and red hair, was poking me as I awoke to see her.
I sat there for what seemed like ages until she talked, and I wondered what she would say.
"And who are you?" The filly asked.
The only thing I could do was tilt my head slightly, as I was still adjusting to the whole voice thing.
"Where are my family? Are they alright!? Hello?" The filly nervously kept questioning me, but I had no idea how to answer.
"Do you…do you even speak? Do you have a name?" This foal started to show signs of impatience.
I could finally let out some sound from my mouth. "Uh, hi…?"
"Well, at least that's something…" She replied back.
"I'm kind of new here…I don't know how I got here." I said.
"Oh, well you're on the outskirts of Canterlot. Do you have a name?" She asked.
"Well, no, no I don't have a name. Like I said, I'm new here; this is my first time on this ground." I said, hoping she would understand.
"Your first time here? Weren't you born here or something?" She kept asking so many questions.
I didn't want to confuse her, so I had to lie a little. "No, I came from a far off land. I just happened to appear here recently."
"And, why don't you have a name?" She said.
I had to tell another lie. "I…never got to meet my parents, or they never actually named me, I don't remember."
"That's a shame to hear. Well, my name is Destiny Bond, and I really want to know where my family went, but you obviously wouldn't know…" She replied.
"I could help you find them if you'd like me to." I offered.
"Alright, you seem pretty smart." She complimented.
"Heh, thank you. I guess we should continue in the way that you were going." I said gratefully.
"Okay…you lead the way. You know what you're doing." She replied, and walked behind me, as if to push me onwards.
A narrow path dividing two blocks of trees wound through, so I kept walking on, Destiny close at hoof. Strangely, I'm beginning to become native with the pony culture already. It was then that I noticed a huge, brilliantly crafted city in the sky, with a rainbow waterfall straying off the edge into transparency. I wondered how that city got so high up there…
"You see that?" A voice came from behind me. "That place is Cloudsdale, where I came from."
"Cloudsdale, I see. Do you know how it can just float up there like that?" I replied with a question.
"Nope, I don't like history that much, that's why I skip it in school. Did you go to school where you came from?" She countered with another question.
"Yes, I went to a normal school, and I learned a few things I suppose. Since we're on that topic, my favourite subjects were creative writing and art, as well as IT. How about you?" I slipped up by talking about computer technology, which I hoped that it would get by without being noticed.
"Since where I study is a flight school, I like flying lessons the best. It's a shame I can't use my wings though…" She sighed.
"Yeah, that is a shame. Wait a second, you're not a pony; you have wings!" I was careless to not see those appendages.
"You must be very new! I am a pegasus, compared to you, because you're an earth pony." She explained.
"Earth…pony?" I asked.
"Yeah, earth pony, what you are. It's because you're stuck to the ground, you silly filly!" She giggled in amazement at the lack of knowledge I have for this place.
Eventually, we came to a tree in the middle of a fork in the path. I noticed there was a small fire coming from behind it, so I decided to check it out, but made sure Destiny kept her distance. It horrified me. Under the fire and the debris contained two grown up ponies, and one colt. They weren't alive. What was even more distressing was the fact that they both looked very similar to Destiny. No, they couldn't be…I didn't want to break the news to the innocent foal, so I pushed her quickly down the left fork on the path.
She set herself free from my hold. "Say, what was that about, hey?"
"Oh, it was nothing. Don't pay attention to it. It was probably some hooligans lighting fires or something." I had a lot of lying ahead of me with this filly.
"Oh, well that seems understandable in a way. Let's keep going." She said cheerfully.
"Hmm. It's quite a nice day today, don't you think?" I changed the subject as best as I could.
"Yes it is, isn't it? Not a cloud in the sky so far, apart from Cloudsdale. Say, how about we give you a name? I'll call you Blue, because it's the colour of the sky." She changed the subject again.
"Blue. Interesting, but it needs more to it." I said coolly.
"Ooh, you seem mysterious, like the sky, which could hold thunder somewhere! Your first name can be Electric, and your last name could be Blue! How about it?" She requested.
"Yeah, sounds good, I'll take it. Thanks for giving me a name, Destiny." I replied with a small smile.
The path seemed to go on forever, as I couldn't see anything put the lines of trees in the distance. A rumble came from my stomach, as well as Destiny's. We had to rest for a while, and find some food.
"I'm getting hungry. Blue, do you want an apple?" Destiny offered.
"Sure, I wouldn't mind an apple right now." I said with confidence.
"All you have to do is get it. We're both too small to reach the tree branches above us, so how will we do it?" Destiny examined.
"Hmm, would it be possible for you to climb on my back?" I asked.
"Yes, I can do that, and if I get on your back, I'll be able to reach those delicious apples!" Destiny exclaimed.
I shifted myself just under the apple tree we were close to, and Destiny hopped on top of me. She was pretty light, but you probably had to be if you were a pegasus. Two ripe, juicy apples dropped right in front of me, and Destiny skipped off my back to collect them up.
"Here you go, my friend Blue!" She placed one apple on my hoof, and dug in to her own one.
I took a bite out of my apple, and tasted a most wonderful thing. "I haven't had a flavour as nice as that for a while now!" I shouted with contentment. At least this moment could remove the scarring image from just before. I gulped down the tasty fruit, and waited for Destiny to finish hers.
"Thank you for the good finds Destiny. And do you really think of me as your friend, even though we've just met?" I continued.
"Of course! You're helping me find my parents, and you're a nice pony to be around, so how could you not be my friend?" She said.
"Well, I'm glad that you're my friend Destiny, and I hope I can call you one too." I replied with a slightly bigger smile than before.
The sky began to darken in its slow, usual manner. The sun in front of us lowered, and waved its goodbyes until tomorrow morning came. The blackness of night swallowed us, and everything around us. I could hardly see anything. If only I had a torch right now, but they probably don't belong in this world, to an extent. The ambient noises coming from the trees filled my head with a subtle glee as I walked along the same direction I followed, hoping I wouldn't bump into anything. Destiny still followed close, almost touching me as she didn't want to get lost herself. Ironically, a huge wall appeared in front of us, which
I knocked myself into. I felt around the wall to see if there was a way, but it was just plain, with no holes or gaps.
"Destiny, what do you think this wall is here for?" I asked.
"What wall, Blue?" Destiny asked back, passing through the thing that only I could see or touch.
When I tried walking through it, time seemed to slow down, as Destiny's pace became too steady. Suddenly it sped up again, but it sent me straight to a point in time ages after this event. I witnessed a slightly older Destiny, weeping as I held her.
"Why did my family have to go out like that!?" Destiny cried.
"I don't know Destiny, I really don't know…" I said, holding back the sympathetic tears I had.
I sat there and cradled my only friend for the longest time. How did I suddenly get into this situation though? The sudden jump from walking to an unknown location to here will probably never be explained to me, but that wall had something to do with it. Two larger ponies came up to us, and hugged us tightly.
"It's going to be alright, Destiny. You're safe with us all now." The pair said in unison.
"Yes, you're with us now, and we're going to support you every step of the way." I said, in character.
At that moment I was transported to another later time. I and Destiny were stood on an open plane, overlooking a forest past the cliff edge. Destiny spread her wings as if to start flying, and dashed off the cliff. She fell, but my magic kept her from going any further. My magic wasn't real though, so how could I have suddenly gained that power?
"That was pretty close this time, hey Blue? Lucky you have that spell of yours, or I would have been a goner long ago!" Destiny chuckled.
"Yes, yes it was." I said. "Keep going though, I'm sure you can do it. I believe you can fly, and so should you!"
"Alright, here I go again…" Destiny prepared herself for another inevitable fall, and charged over the cliff. The outcome was negative again. The time seemed to be in fast forward, as I watched Destiny repeat herself over and over again, until night fell. We returned to our home and got into our own beds to sleep. Destiny got up as I was about to drift off though, and went back to train more. The window in our room looked out to the cliff edge, so I watched her attempt to fly. She trudged back up to the same place after her failed efforts, carrying more and more leaves with her. The determination in her was astounding, yet the danger she brought on herself was rising slowly.
Destiny kept shouting "I'll do it for Blue! I'll do it for my family! I don't want to let anypony down!" at the top of her voice before spreading her wings to fly again, or at least try to. I couldn't stay awake for any longer, so I rolled back under the covers to rest.
The next morning, a bruised, dirty, messy Destiny stood over me smiling. I jumped a little bit, but I soon came to recognise her. She pushed her face into mine and whispered, "come see what I've done, quickly now!"
I followed her out onto the cliff. Destiny crouched, and spread her magnificent, but ruffled wings. She reared up, and charged to the edge. Her legs retracted, and then pushed out like a spring, launching her into the air. And there she went, flying, actually flying because of her willpower, and pure need to please who she was closest to.
The next shift in time brought me to a more familiar place, outside the tree house. Destiny and I were scribbling on the rock we came to every day we could, and then we moved up in to the tree house that we built ourselves. This was where we spent most of our childhood days with our surrogate parents, as we had control of the most perfect place in Ponyville. In the tree house contained a computer that I made, and a box of items from friends and family, all for Destiny to keep safe and look at. The walls were covered in pictures that we both drew together, of anything that came to our minds. Destiny's box came with a large, star shaped, yellow fruit, a couple of cute family photographs, some personal drawings, and a note that reads,
"Destiny,
No matter where we are or how far, we'll always be in your hearts. We adored you ever since you were born, and we want the best from you, so that's why we gave you life. You will meet many friends, you will be successful in whatever you do, you will find love, and you'll have good and bad times. But no matter what, we'll love you the most, always and forever.
From Storm Heart, Wind Soul, and Spirit Shine."
Hopefully this was the last shift in time, as I was now waiting outside a carriage, with Destiny.
"So, I guess this is our last goodbye for now, hey Blue?" Destiny said, with great sorrow.
"Yes. I don't want to leave you, but it's for the best. Our family have gone, and you're on the run. You can stay in Appleoosa, as they won't suspect a thing. I'll be back in Ponyville, so send me a telegram or something if you want." I returned, also with sorrow.
"Thank you for all the memories Blue. Thank you for being there for me, when others could not. Thank you for being my best friend, and thank you for being a sister to me." Destiny turned to travel the road to Appleoosa. "And one more thing, I love you the most, okay?"
"Okay Destiny, I love you too. Thank you for everything too, you've made my life so enjoyable, and you've filled so many empty spaces. I'll see you later now." I tried to be as vague as I could, but I couldn't hide my tears for any longer.
"Here, before I go, I want to share this long kept fruit with you. Apparently when a pair take half each of one paopu fruit and eat it, their souls become connected forever. I want to share that opportunity with you, Blue." Destiny said, while passing half of that yellow star shaped fruit to me.
"Alright, thank you. We'll both take a bite on the count of three." I returned.
One, two, three. When we bit into our halves of this little paopu fruit, I felt a totally new feeling race around my body. Destiny had a glowing effect around her, as if she was going to react to this fruit. Just then, her flank shone the brightest, and a long awaited cutie mark started to appear. It was the same fruit we had shared together. This was Destiny's destiny.
We said our tearful goodbyes, and Destiny strolled off into the distance. I got into the carriage waiting for me, and I was soon heading back to Ponyville, so I took a well deserved rest.
I couldn't believe that I forgot my whole past here, but now it's all back in its right place. So, my life flashed before my eyes, in the most important stages to remember. I came back to the present now, in Anne's body. Glais had me tied down to a chair, in what looked like a bunker. Weapons were strewn everywhere, as well as torture devices.
"Right, and now you're awake, let's begin." Glais' cold hearted voice rang out again.
"How…how did I survive the gunshot?" I asked.
"Strangely enough, you didn't. I figured out that you were already dead, as well as I am. You stabbed me with the knife, and I shot you. I apparently bled to death, and you flew to the ground. Five minutes later, we were awake again, so I carried you over here. Someone did both of our jobs for us." Glais explained.
"But how could we have just come back alive again?" I said.
"I don't know…we just did. We also healed while resting, so basically our killings had no effect. Meaning possibly that we're just emergency copies of ourselves." Glais replied.
"Copies!? You're saying we're just temporary images of ourselves?" I enquired.
"That's correct, I'm guessing. But what purpose do we server if we're only temporary?" Glais questioned himself.
"Well whatever we're doing here, I just want to get back to my new world." I said anxiously.
"Ugh, I don't want to be here either, I have a world of my own too." Glais replied. "Here, I'll help you out of those ropes. I suppose we'll have to team up for a while, but don't expect me to warm up to you, I know what you're like."
"Hmm, alright, we can't do any harm to each other anyway. Where shall we start?" I sighed.
"I've heard rumours of the mysterious group called 'The authors', having the answers to any question. When I ruled this world, I had tabs on everything and everyone, so I know exactly where they would be. Shall we?" Glais said.
"Alright, let's go then, Glais." I huffed, and Glais opened the bunker door to expose the red sunlight.