One Word Titles Look Cooler
An infinite sea of ink devoured the sky above Canterlot, its endless waves seething with writhing darkness as they pushed in on the protective glow of thousands of lamps. Behind the uneven shield stood stoic unicorn guards whose horns thrummed with eldritch energy. Their morale was bolstered by the addition of pegasus and earth-pony troops, who had been equipped with blazing torches once I’d testified their effectiveness to Princess Celestia. Despite light both magic and mundane, all I could see was two teal eyes reflected in a window that may as well have been covered in a sheet of black paint.
The hall had a name, a long and frilly name I couldn't remember since Celestia only mentioned it once and it sounded really boring. Towering windows flanked by satin curtains covered one side of the hall, gold and onyx weaving through the soft cloth in a myriad of patterns. While the windows themselves were more or less identical, no two sets of curtains boasted the same design. A few of the patterns looked Celtic, but with how many windows there were… well, you know what they say about monkeys and typewriters.
Twilight was crushed she couldn't be here to help, but her mentor reminded her Ponyville needed protection as well. Then she jokingly added that it was especially true since I wouldn't be there to patrol the streets like I had the night before. There hadn't been much time to talk afterwards as the sun needed to set, and whatever malevolent energy plagued Equestria made it far more difficult to move the star unless she was at the balcony outside of her personal quarters. Apparently, having these as her quarters for so long had either created or attracted—Twilight made certain I knew it was heavily debated—a ley line smack dab in the center of the room. Don't tell either of them I said it, but Twilight is far better at teleporting additional ponies.
Two guards, a pegasus and a unicorn, unblinkingly watched me from their positions next to the regal doors emblazoned with Celestia's cutie mark. It only took a minute or two to get bored of making funny faces at them. They made no reaction to the faces or me tapping out a tune on the polished, veined marble tile and feigning anger over them not playing the chorus. There was a chuckle heard over my groans when I underestimated how much traction hooves had and ended up sprawled on the ground when I attempted to slide after a running start. They only truly seemed to notice my presence when I quietly brooded at the window, and their eyes bored into my back from the moment I sat down.
With the darkness came the voices, whispering poison to me and me alone. My ears twitched instinctively, even though they weren't responsible for hearing the words. They wouldn't break me. Once we’d taken care of my nightmares, there would be no time of day where those things would be safe. I would be waiting with a blasting rod for each pony they’d taken, and I wouldn't be alone. The light steel-blue pony's face smirked with me, matching my resolve tit for tat. Her eyes flicked to something behind me.
I snarled and spun around, dropping low and preparing to launch myself like a maned bullet. The two guards started towards me, but Celestia halted them with a single look. When she turned back, she found me submissively hanging my head and exuding near-palpable shame.
She looked out the window and frowned at the oppressive sight. "It will look much better after tonight."
"Shall we go meet Princess Luna?" With a soft pearly wing, she nudged me down the hall. She turned back to the two guards and calmly spoke. "It is just nerves. You two may leave, I need to speak with Sterling Gears alone." They nodded and reluctantly vanished without a word of protest.
"I'm sorry." No matter how calm she acted, it always felt like I was walking on eggshells. This darkness had taken some of her ponies, and it was my fault it was here in the first place.
"I know. This isn’t your fault. Would you like to speak about what you've been hearing?"
"I don't understand."
She chuckled, the sound clear over the strangely soft clopping of hooves on stone. "Pony ears are not just for listening, they are also one of our biggest ways of expressing emotions."
"They were twitching."
"Yes, but that is just the first thing I noticed. You're exhausted."
"I feel fairly awake, but I doubt you mean physical exhaustion."
"You have an earth pony's stamina, that is certain. Neigh, what I was referring to is emotional."
I mulled over her words and found I couldn't quite figure out what she meant. Hopefully, none of my frustration was evident in my tone. "Care to elaborate?"
Celestia nodded and smiled. "Of course, my little pony." Every time I heard her say that one phrase, my heart warmed without fail, and my worries ebbed temporarily. "Fortunately, you haven't hidden your past from yourself—you know full well what you've gone through and don't delude yourself into thinking it was something it wasn't. However, I fear you've only managed this by sweeping it under the proverbial rug."
"I think I know what you're getting at. What does this have to do with the voices?"
"Everything and nothing." She tittered at my deadpan expression. "I don't believe the voices are the result of your trials. I'm quite certain they are related to this darkness, and you perceive them because of the anguish permeating your entire being. You must face your troubles. Like I said earlier, you haven't hidden your past, but you have ignored it in hopes of it vanishing on its own."
"I need to keep looking and moving forward. The past is the past."
She was silent for almost too long. "That is true, but you've sped past it instead of truly seeing it. The past may be behind you, but remember it is merely the path to the present. If you don't look upon the path already travelled, there's nothing to stop you from getting lost and travelling the same steps again."
I’d already heard that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, but how did that apply to me? I hadn’t started the apocalypse, I’d defied it. But this was Princess Celestia, and she was definitely giving off that wise ruler vibe. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Every time I stopped to think, everything threatened to overwhelm me, and I couldn't let that happen. Facefirst to victory had gotten me this far.
"What do I need to do?"
Celestia smiled with pride and draped her wing over me. Whether it was her raw power or her ties to the sun, the area right next to her was a few degrees warmer. "You've already taken the first step by stopping. Now you must turn around and confront your fears and emotions." She chuckled and turned me back around. "I meant figuratively turning around, but I admire your readiness."
"Thank you for your help, Princess Celestia."
"Please, just Celestia. It's a formal title for formal occasions."
My smile felt more genuine than ever before. "I can do that. So, have you been messing with time while you looped the corridor?"
"I'm glad you noticed. You're more observant than you act."
"Not intentionally, that's for sure. Things just stand out sometimes, like the fact we've passed the doors to your bedchamber like fifteen times."
"Sixteen actually, but who's counting? We've walked this hallway just once. I've placed us at the beginning of the hall and the minutes we spent in it each time we neared the end."
Damn, that was pretty sweet. "That sounds really magic intensive. Just how much power do you have?"
"I have enough."
"For?"
"For what I need it for." Fine, be that way, Celestia.
Even though it was frustrating that was all I'd get out of her, I laughed until we approached a pair of thick doors decorated with Equestria's emblem: the two royal sisters curved around a sun and moon. Although the emblem was placed in the center of the door, the wood had been shaped so each sister would be accompanied by the heavenly body associated with them, and when closed they would seamlessly mesh together once more.
Celestia spoke as we entered a moderately sized room. Well, moderate for the few I had glimpsed in the castle, it was about the size of half a small house. A marble fireplace gently crackled at the opposite end, bathing the room with its warm glow. Various vases and other objects of interest sat on pedestals up against the wall, and above them were many beautiful paintings. The paintings were all of landscapes, except over the fireplace hung one of Celestia and Luna sitting side by side on their thrones.
A table covered by a cloth so clean and white it almost hurt to look at occupied most of a scarlet rug with golden borders. Along with the table were ten high-backed chairs—four on each of the two longer sides and two grander chairs at the ends that could only belong to the princesses. The chairs were low to the ground and set just far enough from the table that a pony could barely walk in front of them yet still be able to reach their meal if they were sitting. Plush cushions matching the rug adorned each chair.
"Please, help yourself. You will need the energy." She gestured towards a heaping pair of fruit bowls, whose sizes were only eclipsed by their variety.
She didn’t need to tell me again, and I dashed to the table, where the cushions quality momentarily stunned me. I actually felt bad for sitting on it, but that thought was lost as I snatched my first victim. Pinkie’s breakfast cupcake was my most recent meal, but with the anxiety of being around Celestia, the hunger went unnoticed until that first juicy bite.
"I don't think I've ever seen a pony eat a kiwi fruit that fast." She sat down at one end of the table and waited for me to messily devour an orange before she spoke again. "You've adapted to your new body quite well. A new species and gender is radical, to say the least. You don't appear troubled by it at all."
"Because I'm not. I love being a pony. Sure I had to deal with becoming quadruped, losing my hands, and learning to use different muscles, but why would I let that stop me? Because I switched genders? Looks like all the other mares are doing fine, so it can't be too bad. I may not have gotten a say in my new form, but I feel healthier, stronger, faster, and just all around better than I used to.” I blamed magic and a steady diet. “Well, my dexterity seems to have taken a hit, but that’s all I can think of. And it would be nicer without everyone thinking I should be freaking out."
"Imagine other… beings in your position. I doubt many would take it near as well as you have. Would you mind discussing your old world until my sister arrives?"
"Go ahead and pick my brain all you want, but don't forget Twilight will probably send whatever notes she writes straight to you." I grinned. Bouncing information off the librarian turned princess was something to look forward to—it would help fill in the holes dotting my general knowledge of Equestria.
"Very true. There will be substantial reading material in the near future. I hope you understand what you've gotten yourself into with your promise to her," she said with mock pity. "Just the barest overview then. What was your world like?"
"Cities choked with poisonous fumes, rampant crime and violence, and each person's main concern was getting themselves as far ahead as they could, no matter the cost. Our population outgrew everything we had."
"I meant before the catastrophe." Celestia frowned, straining not to remember the death toll I'd mentioned earlier.
"So did I."
Shocked silence followed my retort and her frown deepened. "I see. Surely that couldn't have been the case for every person, as anypony can easily see you have a good heart."
"Yeah, I guess there were some that stood out as good people, but it was rare to find them in positions of power. Charisma trumped morality." I snorted derisively. "You know what they say: one bad apple makes the rest of the bunch look like psychopathic asshats. There were more good people than how it sounds, but it was hard to notice them—there were just too many. Overall, humanity is pretty meh.
“In the end it didn't matter if you were good or evil. It was the living versus the undead, and the truly dead watched from the sidelines. It's funny in its own way—going extinct was the closest we ever came to worldwide peace."
"And what about you? What were you like?" Celestia had an expression I couldn't discern beyond it being negative.
"I existed, I guess. My one goal was making it to the next day, but back then my survival was dependent on working myself to death so I could afford my apartment and food." Two jobs and taking any odd job that came my way wore me down fast, and I felt like a husk in the crowd, just like the rest of my species. Life was dismal, and even the dullest grey was more vibrant than each day. "Celestia, from what I’ve seen, Equestria is a beautiful country, and each pony I've met carries more happiness than the entire country I used to live in." No matter what I told myself though, I couldn't bring myself to hate the world I used to live in. I didn't want to miss something that'd never return.
"Thank you. I'm glad to hear you are more than content with your new life. Welcome to Equestria, Sterling Gears."
"No, thank you. What else do you want to know?" I was ready to ramble while we waited for Luna. Celestia's calming aura also had the effect of making me feel more open, not that I had honestly considered withholding anything specific.
"Did you have a different name before you became a pony?"
My words caught in my throat. “Give me a moment.” Why should I bother? It was useless information, especially since the IRS hadn’t followed me to Equestria. I was Sterling Gears now, right? There was no sense in having any other name tied to me, especially an old one from a dead world. "Yeah, but sorry, I'm going to have to refuse. That human is gone, and there Sterling Gears sits in his place. I think it's something I can and should let fade away. It’ll be a part of me I can’t forget, but that’s all. It’s a life I can’t go back to."
To my surprise, she beamed. "Of course. It is good to know you are able to let go. I am thrilled to see you've already taken to heart what I told you earlier."
Had I? But I’d thought I was doing the same thing to my memories. Then again, I wouldn't have been sitting in that chair if I'd actually let them go. And speaking of chairs. "Why do pony chairs have backs? Sitting with your back against them is just awkward."
"They're far more useful on benches where you can lay against them. Other than that, it's simply traditional to add them as decoration. Is there anything else you'd like to know? It's rather entertaining to think of new ways to describe things I've taken for granted." She laughed and took a bite out of a pomegranate. I hadn’t seen any pomegranates—I wanted a pomegranate. One of her ears twitched and she sighed. "I'm sorry, but your questions will have to wait. Luna is almost here, you see."
"Princessy telepathy?"
Celestia rolled her eyes and smirked. "More like she still hasn't gotten the hang of this decade's style of royal footwear. Listen."
My ears twitched as well when they picked up a clatter steadily growing louder. The noise halted just outside the door moments before they burst open, and in strode a tired-looking Luna.
"My apologies! I lost myself in ensuring I had properly drawn the circle." While Celestia's voice was simultaneously commanding and gentle, Luna's had a barely hidden energy hiding behind it and sounded far more melodic. It was both relieving and disappointing to not be deafened by the Royal Canterlot Voice. Causing hearing damage is just how she shows she cares. "I take it this is the one thou hast mentioned?" She clenched her mouth shut and sheepishly looked at her sister.
"Yes, this is the pony necessary for tonight. And sorry, my dear sister, I did notice. Two words, two bits."
"Blast," she muttered. She turned to me and politely smiled. "Greetings to you, Sterling Gears, I am Princess Luna of Equestria. I trust you are well?"
Bravely fighting a bout of confused chuckling over their small exchange, I nodded back. "Yep, thanks for asking. This fruit is amazing." I chomped down on a juicy grape to emphasize my point.
"I'm sorry to rush you, but I wasted enough time double-checking everything. We need to get started as soon as possible. I can't keep everything stable from out here." Even though she looked ready to pass out, her legs nervously twitched as if she were aching to run after being immobile for months.
"Nonsense, you're not rushing me. I had plenty of time to stuff my face." I climbed out of the chair and gave Celestia a slight bow. "Thanks for everything, Celestia."
Celestia smiled while Luna arched an eyebrow at her for my informal tone. "Of course, my little pony. Keep her safe."
"Sure," I said, though I didn't know how much help Luna would need from me. Well, I did have the experience at least.
Simultaneously, Luna said, "Certainly."
The two of us glanced at each other and then looked to Celestia for clarification. She merely smiled and glided out of the room, chuckling.
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One Word Titles Look Cooler (But I Didn't Use One Anyway.)
And now we must look forwards to the upcoming Luna shenanigans.
2955469
Yeppers ^_^
... enough to move around celestial objects on a daily basis ...
2955584
I believe that falls under her answer
revisiting memories of zombie apocalypse... I hope luna's prepared
Lyra insisted. :P
Forsooth, the fun hath been doubled!
Man this is really awesome story, can't wait for more.
I DEMAND SHENANIGINS IN THE FORM OF EXPLOSIONS!!!!(also where did dave go or is he going to show back up anytime soon?)
2956406
Don't worry, I didn't forget about Dave or explosions.
2957968(rubs hands maliciously) GOOOOOD GOOOOOOD
I await the glorious shenanigans to come....
By the way Lab, gotta say I'm liking the direction you're going in with this story. If I could fave it again, I'd do it without hesitation.
Also, Luna, I hope your body is ready...
Good chapter, but one little thing really ticks me off about it, the Kiwi is a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand, so by saying Gears ate one, you're implying ponies are omnivores in this fic. I think that what you were looking for was the Kiwi fruit. Hope you like my constructive criticism, and remember, I know where you live.
2966008
I know there is a bird and a fruit called kiwi, but I thought the context made it clear enough which I was talking about.
EDIT: did some research and have decided to change it to kiwi fruit. It is shortened to kiwi in some parts of the world, but it's technically incorrect. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. As an extra note, it's acceptable as kiwifruit or kiwi fruit, but the latter is typically associated with British English like grey or colour.
2966168 You're welcome, and if you ever need some really advanced sounding, most definitely planet killingly overpowered weapon, you know who to ask.
... Me, it's me, ask me for ideas on those.
"Our population outgrew everything we had."
False. We have always had more than sufficient resources, space, and food. It is just that tyrants, despots, oligarchies, and bureaucratic fools have caused mankind grief in obtaining them.
Also, Eldritch is BAD. As in, Slenderman, BAD. An Eldritch Abomination? An old, POWERFUL, EVIL creature. Like the Lich. The Lich is a perfect example of an Eldritch. An example of Eldritch power is summoning the dead, un-dead, or half-dead, or anything-dead to fight, slay, murder, more-synonyms-to-destroy your enemies. You have it all wrong, man. Arcane would be a MUCH better term.
At least celestia and luna seem nice.
My misanthropist senses are tingling...
...Well, every story gets three strikes, and your only at one, so... I'll let this pass.
Oh sure, when you say the negatives you can make anything look bad. We have brought together multiple countries to fund and build a machine with a circumference of 27 KM that's sole purpose is to smash particles together to discover just what the universe is. That trumps all the cons of humanity alone. We have flourished as a species, and we have recently within the last hundred years become more and more secular.
We are becoming beautiful, and anyone who studies history knows that the average life of people in first world countries is much better now than in first world countries only three centuries ago.
The main character was so great as well, but I guess even the most interesting people have massive flaws that make you want to punch them.
I personally think humanity holds grudges very easily. And in my experience atleast, everything bad usually overshadows other things. If I don't force myself to forget a horrible memory I will remember it for atleast 10 years and always reach to the memory.
It may be different to other people but I find humanity judgemental and holding grudges very easily.
And this both includes good and bad stuff about us.
Also interesting fact. A human would be able to keep following a pony for hours untill the pony ran out of energy.
Although you'd have to be energetic And not lazy.
This has been my weekly talk on genetics.
Also humans can eat grass without being sick. We'll just starve to death.
So edgy, I cut my eyeballs looking at that.
It's hilarious seeing all the comments raging because gears made humanity look bad. Apparently they are surprised an insane, paranoid, pessimistic apocalypse survivor is not singing the praises of soup kitchens.
I don't know how you go on writing with such clueless feedback all the time, but I'm glad you do.
7240406
7296678
Hey. It's an accurate, if unfortunate, description of us.
Darn it, I'm too proud of being human to fully appreciate this chapter.
7296678
Being eLMOE has nothing to do with being an idiot.
Two hundred thousand years of history went down the shitter and he blurps about how he sucked at life before the zombie apocalypse.
That's just immature.