Tales from a lost pony

by Zen Gale

Chapter 4: Explanation

"Wait a minute."

"Hmmm? I thought you were enjoying my tale." Zen remarked with the slightest hints of irritation.

"Well yes, but do you honestly expect me to believe it?" Cheery said flatly.

"Ummm.... Well you're the one who asked for me to retell of what all happened while I was inside."

"And I thought there was an agreement that this would have been a truthfully told tale."

"There is, and I've yet to tell you a lie. Well I might have not been quite accurate when describing the pain of waking up in that store. I might have been doubled over a bit longer, and getting to my feet might have been a bit more awkward and time consuming than I mentioned."

"But that's just it. While it'd be a long shot I suppose I could believe that you did meet the Octavia Philharmonica."

"And traveled with her for some time, and dang did she know how to swing that cello." Zen interrupted without looking at Cheery, his hoof went up caressing a spot on his muzzle.

"Anyways" Cheery said with a look between disgust and confusion, "there's no way you survived that fall."

"Maybe then I'm only a ghost, ooooohh" Zen teased while spinning his hooves in the air.

"Seriously Mr. Gale," she said dully.

"Argh, I really don't care for Mr. Gale. Makes me sound older."

"MR. GALE."

"Yes?"

"How did you end up in that store? You can't expect me to believe you fell from the 50th floor of the magi-tech building."

"Actually it was more like beign shot out of it because of the explosion."

Cheery continued despite Zen's interjection, "Going through multiple walls, one of which was the solid metal door to the freezer, and finally ending up on the floor of a building only to wake up without the slightest lasting injury. It's simply not possible, not even the toughest pony could suvive that."

"And yet that's what happened."

Cheery stared at the pegasus for a while, trying to guage him for some hint of a lie. But he sat there simply returning the look while adding a mocking smile. "How."

"Well, I'm not a true pegasus anymore. Hell, probably not even a real pony anymore."

"Huh?"

"But you'll just have to sit and listen to the rest of my tale to find out all my secrets. So shall I continue?"

Cheery looked at the annoying pegasus for a while. That mocking smirk of a smile never leaving his face. After a moment of thinking how she'd like to just smack the grin right off his face, she heaved a defeated sigh, "Alright, go on."

"Good, now where was I...."

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"My name is Octavia Philharmonica, and despite everything it's a pleasure to meet you."

"If it's such a pleasure, then why'd you hit me with that oversized violin!" Zen nearly yelled still rubbing a sore spot on his muzzle.

"It's a cello." Octavia remarked with barely masked annoyance, "And I thought you were one of them." she made a pointed motion towards outside the store.

"Clearly I'm not though."

"Really?" She paused in her inspection of her instrument, "Have you seen yourself recently? I know I've never met a pegasus that looks like you, assuming you are a pegasus."

"Ugh, is that a compliment?"

She returned his question with a bored stare before pointing towards a section of wall. Zen followed the gesture to find himself looking at a pegasus that was starring right back. It had the same dark blue coat, but it's grey mane and tail had a streak of purple running down them. As the two walked towards each other finer details made themselves apparent. The teeth were all pointed, but fit together neatly. The eyes were a dully glowing gold with pupils that looked like hourglasses. Extending the wings revealed that they'd changed shape as well but it wasn't until one had been brought infront for closer inspection that it revealed why, a draconic wing lay burried beneath the feathers. Even his cutie mark had changed, it still had the wind blown cloud obscurring a circle that was half moon half sun, but now all of it was cut in half with the two pieces shifted away from each other, a set of purple lines where the two halves were once connected. "Umm... Octavia, this is a mirror isn't it."

"Yes, that's why I pointed at it," she replied without looking away from the instrument she'd set about tuning.

"Rrrrriiiiigth, I think I'm about to freak out."

"Please don't," Octavia stated with a slight amount of irritation, she'd set down her instrument and was now inspecting the case. "You might draw somethings attention and personally I don't have the slightest intention of fighting any 'turned' today." All the while she simply continued to look over the case inspecting the claps and ridges.

"How can you be so calm?!" Zen nearly yelled. "The city's in ruins, ponies are dead, and I look like a monster. Not to mention the real monsters, these 'turned', what the hell are they anyways?"

"I'm calm because we're safe enough for now, as for the 'turned', I'm not really sure what they are anymore. At least some of them used to be ponies."

"That thing outside used to be a pony?"

"Yes, I saw it happen to somepony else. I can only count myself lucky that I wasn't outside when the rainbow colored rain fell."

"Rainbow rain?" asked Zen raising an eye brow.

Octavia looked over at the pegasus quizically for a moment before speaking, "yes, it was this rainbow colored rain. It fell right after the explosion."

"There was an explosion?!" His voice raising again.

"Now I know you couldn't have missed that. It came from that ball of light at the magi-tech tower. First that ball of light formed, then it exploded shooting up into the sky." Zen simply stared blankly at the grey earth pony as she continued. "Then a terrible storm formed and started raining this sparkling rainbow colored water. The few ponies I saw get caught in it changed horribly. Then somepony put up that barrier. You say you just woke up? How long were you asleep?"

"Umm...maybe a few hours? I think I remember that ball of light though." He winced as a phantom pain made itself known along his back, "And I deffinately remember the explosion, but it must have knocked me out."

"That was 3 days ago."

"What?! You mean I've been out for 3 days. Oh man I'm so fired."

"That's your big concern? Theres monsters running around and dead ponies lying in the street, and you're worried about some job."

"Hey it wasn't just any job, I was an intern at the magi-tech tower." As soon as he said that Octavia's eyes widened to his surprise. "Heh, not just some job now was it?"

"You were working in the tower. When the explosion went off?"

"Yeah I...I guess I was." Another wince and his hoof rose to rub the side of his head. "I remember, I was going to one of the freezers and ran into Sugar Song. Then there was that wall of light that... it almost got me like it did Sugar, then it shrank and exploded. Oh my god, Storm was still in there!"

"He's probably dead or worse."

Zen looked at her with a mixture of terror and shock, "how can you say that so casually?"

From Octavia's down cast face a quiet mumble escaped her lips, "because I've seen too many die in these last few days. I'm not a cold hearted mare," she said lifting her head. Their eyes met and for the first time Zen saw the saddness that was nestled behind her cold mask. "But when you see ponies you've known for years turn into monsters only to turn around with all the intents and purpose of killing you and everypony around you, well, I had to stop crying rather quickly to be here. It still hurts, but I've got no intention of dying here, and I'm going to assume you don't want to die as well."

"Well yeah, dying isn't exactly a high prioity of mine. Especially after surviving that fall."

"What fall?"

"Well, when I was knocked back by the explosion, I wasn't exactly on the ground floor, and I'm pretty sure I fell through the roof over there when I landed," shrugged Zen while gesturing to the only rubble covered area in the store."

"Hmmm."

"What?"

"Nothing, anyways you'd best get some sleep." suggested Octavia while she began to put her cello back in its case. "And maybe find some clothes to cover up some of your.....changes."

"Why bother, it's not as if the monster's are going to care what I look like."

"True, but other ponies might get afraid and react before you can, and not all of them swing around an enchanted cello case. There were some soldiers from all three guards before the barrier went up. I imagine some ponies have probably grabbed their weapons by now, if the guards aren't dead as well that is."

"Where are we going anyways?"

"The magi-tech tower, it's probably the best place to start getting some answers."

"Why not try to get to the edge of the barrier? Theres probably some ponies patrolling around it. They could let us out, and we're much closer to it that the tower."

"Already tried, there's no pony around, and the with everypony making their way to the edge, all the turned are following right behind them. Those poor ponies end up pinned between an impenetrable barrier and some bloodthirsty abominations."

"Oh, right then. To the tower it is." he said starting to go to the front door.

"Not in the dark. Trust me, you don't want one of those sneaking up while you're asleep. We'll spend the night here and set out in the morning, and like I said, find something to cover up the noticable changes."

"Okay, okay, well I guess I'll be over this way then." And with that Zen worked his way over to the other side of the store to look at some of the outfits as the sun began to disappear behind the horizon.

Finished putting her prized instrument away, Octavia settled about pulling some of the more full dress off the racks and mannequins forming a makeshift bed. Settled in with the sun almost gone she found her eyes heavy after the long days of uneasy sleep. She could still hear Zen rummaging around the other half of the store, but that too drifted away from her as sleep took it's hold.

Meanwhile Zen continued to look through the various outfits and clothing on the racks, but nothing seemed to offer the cover Octavia had wanted him to have. That is until he found a long red coat on a mannequin in the back. Slidding it on, he found it to be a loose fit but it did cover up he cutie mark as well as a chunk of his tail, and if he needed too he could always cut some wing holes in the coat. Looking around there were some tall black boots to go with it, and a wide brimmed red hat resting on a hook on the nearby wall. Slipping these on as well Zen went back over to the mirror to see how he looked. While the outfit portrayed a slightly shady look the bright color easily off set this factor, and as a whole it covered nearly all of him. With a smirk he turned around to ask Octavia her opinion, only to stop open mouthed at the sight of the sleeping mare. Slightly disapointed Zen began the work of construction his own sleeping arrangements for the night. Once his work was done, he wasted little time in getting comfortable, and was asleep within moments. The night, far from peaceful, passed in a eerie quiet that was only broken by the unpony like sounds of what lurked in the darkness and what awaited the two ponies as their journey began.