Chapter 14: Denial
Lost and Fallen
Chapter 14: Denial
The Pegasi at Cloudsdale…
Repeating to myself what Rainbow had said still made me feel like we were going to have a rough ride. They hid out in their cozy home in the clouds while the rest of their kind were attacked and enslaved. Not exactly a generous group. Still, sitting on the carriage back to Las Pegasus gave me ample time to wonder how the situation would go down.
They couldn't ignore a cry for help from their own kind. From what I could figure out, Equestria was very friendly, and ponies in that environment would assist one another. Of course, if they had remained uninvolved since the beginning, they would probably stay that way. Yeah, it was going to be harder than we had thought.
Sighing, I leaned back against the carriage wall, resting my head as gazed up to the roof. I remembered back to our talk with Rainbow, which mostly consisted of what had gone down in Fillydelphia. Needless to say, Rainbow understood all too well that it wasn’t a walk in the park. Plus, she hadn’t spoken to me directly, or even looked at me, since we told her what had happened to Fluttershy. She probably didn’t want to have anything to do with me. Or perhaps she didn't know what to think of me. Which ever the reason, Rainbow and I were definitely distant from each other, but not like how it was when we first met.
At least I had an advantage that Rainbow could use to get into Cloudsdale: the card Spitfire had given me. I hadn't shown it to Rainbow yet, but I could easily hand it to her when we were safe in Las Pegasus.
I glanced over to Fluttershy, seeing her lying on the bench in the carriage, sleeping gently. Her chest slowly rising and falling caused me to smile. Despite the hardships we might have to go through in the future, I was glad Fluttershy could be amongst friends again.
Then the carriage lurched as it landed, causing everyone inside to jolt forward a bit. Fluttershy shot awake, looking around frantically with wide eyes. With a roll of my own eyes, I silently cursed Rainbow for not being a little more gentle with her landing. AJ was right, she did need to work on those.
Being closest to the exit, Carrot Top pushed open the doors leading outside, and I took a glance over her shoulder, seeing only a handful of ponies, and all of them were ones I recognized. I sighed, leaning back against the wall again as I stared off into space. How was a stubborn city like Cloudsdale supposed to help us out if the ponies here wouldn’t even come near me? Would I have to hide myself away when everyone was out fighting? I did not want to be left out of the action, especially since I had a stake in all of it, but it may have to come to that.
And what if the Pegasi refused to support us? What would become of Fluttershy, or Carrot Top… or Applejack? Maybe I was looking a little too much into it. I couldn’t read the future, so there was no point worrying about something that may never come to pass. Still, I didn’t want to raise my hopes too high and then have them crushed.
A hoof nudged my arm, causing me to blink as I turned my head to see Carrot Top. She had a smile on her face, and that was when I noticed that we were alone. Everyone had gone their separate ways.
“You okay?” Carrot Top asked softly, “You’ve been sitting there for a few minutes.”
I let myself think about the question, wondering if I was okay, but eventually nodded. “A lot on my mind lately,” I replied with a small shake of my head, glancing around the area to see if anyone was in sight. “Where’d everybody go?”
“Well, home,” she answered, her smile still on her face. I was curious as to why she was smiling so much. It made me cautious for some reason, like she was hiding something. I shrugged off the feeling; I trusted Carrot Top as much as she trusted me.
“I guess I’ll head for my own home,” I said with a accepting expression on my face. As I pushed myself to my feet, I could see Carrot Top’s smile quickly turn into a frown, causing my eyebrow to raise.
“Wait,” she said, holding up a hoof, her eyes darting outside before turning back to me, “There’s, uh, something we need to go over at the Headquarters.”
“What is it?” I asked, a hint of impatience in my voice. I was growing tired by the second, and a tad bit grumpy.
“Just follow me,” she explained, her smile returning in full as she hopped out of the carriage. I didn’t want to be rude by blowing her off, so I climbed down from the carriage as well, walking just behind her. It didn’t need to be said that the streets were empty, not a soul in sight. I found it strange that none of the other ponies had asked me what had happened on our mission, but perhaps they were reluctant to bring it up.
Then I remembered Pinkie Pie, and how she was still being rehabilitated to her normal self. The thought of having a ‘normal’ Pinkie was absurd to me for some reason. Never the less, I wanted to know how it was going, and if there was any progress.
“Carrot Top,” I called, causing her to look back towards me, her smile still on her lips. It was making me uneasy. “Did you see Pinkie Pie? How is she doing?”
She was taken off guard by my question, her jaw opening as she tried to think of something to say. “She… she was there when we arrived,” she answered, quickly facing the front again to avoid eye contact. The way she phrased her answer was more than enough reason to be concerned. Not only that, but I didn’t recall seeing Pinkie when we got back.
“And…?” I trailed off, hoping she would catch on. Carrot Top missed a step, and stumbled forward a bit, thrown off by my persistence.
“Oh, uh…” she said, sounding like she was trying to cover something up. It was getting very irritating. “Oh! W-We’re here!”
I looked up, seeing that we were just outside the bookstore. “That’s great and all, but-” I was cut off as I faced Carrot Top again, only to see her slip inside without another word.
At that point, I was just plain confused. Empty streets, ponies ignoring me, not answering all of my questions; it was becoming all too familiar, and I was nervous because of it. If they reverted to their old ways of discriminating me, then that would mean that something had come up. Something that must have really messed up my reputation, again.
Knowing I had to set things straight, I briskly made for the door, hoping I could speak my case. Which would probably happen, since Carrot Top had lead me right to them. With the turn of the knob, I opened the door, noting that the interior was very dark for some reason. As I entered, I wondered if I was tricked into coming there to be trapped or ambushed. And if that was the case, then I-
“Surprise!” many ponies shouted at once, the lights clicking on as I jumped back in mild fright, my hand on my revolver handle. Confetti rained down from the ceiling as I saw balloons and party decorations flood my vision. There were ponies laughing in celebration, though the only ones around were the ones I recognized. There wasn’t a single pony I didn’t know on some level. Trixie, Doctor Styles, Princess Cadance, even Shining Armor, though he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
Of course, I was so dumbfounded that I just stared at them, unsure how to feel about the situation. It was obviously a surprise party, but… it was so sudden! I suppose that would be the point of such a party, but it was still off-putting for myself.
Pinkie Pie bounced over to me, instantly catching my attention as I gawked at her. Her mane and tail were all poofy, like cotton candy, though way more smooth looking. Her pink colors were brighter than the last time I had seen her, and she had a wide smile on her face. She was actually expressing joy.
“P-Pinkie?” I asked, more baffled than I’d been for quite some time.
“Yep, it’s me!” she cheered, bouncing in front of me as my eyes traced her up and down movements. “So were you surprised, Nolan? Huh? Huh? Were ya?”
I calmed down a bit, seeing as it wasn’t some trap being placed for me, “I… yes, Pinkie, I was surprised.”
The words were familiar yet foreign at the same time. Mostly because the surprises I was familiar with were very violent. I didn’t tell her this, though, and why would I? This was a party for others to smile and be happy. Even still, I could only stare at Pinkie like the whole thing was one big ruse to get me to let my guard down.
“That’s what I was hoping for!” she cheered, halting in her bouncing and looking up to me. She saw my frown, causing her to frown herself and lower her head as if she was scolded. “Do you… not like it?”
Shit, seeing a sad Pinkie again was just plain heartbreaking, like Fluttershy. These ponies sure knew how to play with my emotions. I held up my hands, waving them rapidly to dissuade her sadness. “No, not at all, Pinkie,” I said, causing a small smile to emerge from her, “but I guess I didn’t expect you to change into a completely different person, uh, pony in under a week.”
Pinkie faced down a moment in thought, her smile faltering before facing the group of other ponies that were gathering around, some who were both concerned and confused about our conversation. Eventually, Pinkie looked back to her friends, and I instantly understood how she had changed, and I felt foolish for having to ask.
“We helped her,” Dusty announced at last, taking a few steps forward. “We just… made her realize that hope wasn’t lost simply because the humans took everything.”
I stared at Dusty a moment, before I gave a small smirk, “That was pretty intelligent of you.”
He grunted, though it sounded more humorous than annoyance, “Yeah, well, get used to it.”
Everyone got a good chuckle out of that, including myself. I caught Pinkie staring at Dusty with a kind smile on her face before shaking it off, turning back to me. “Let’s get this party started!” she shouted, followed by a yell of agreement from everyone else.
Before Pinkie could trot off to check on the other party goers, I put a hand on her back, as I still had a question. “What’s this party for?” I inquired, gesturing with a hand at the room.
“For a lot of things,” she explained cheerily, “but to make a very long list short, it’s for you!”
I was about to ask what I did to deserve a party, but I stopped myself, remembering the stuff I had done for these ponies. I had to laugh at myself a bit for forgetting that. Instead, I smiled at her, and her own smile grew because of it. “Thanks, Pinkie,” I said, truly grateful.
“You're welcome. It’s what friends are for, right?” she responded, and zipped away before I could give an answer. I suppose it was rhetorical, but I felt like I was obligated to answer, especially to her. She deserved to go back to the way she was, before the humans invaded. It was refreshing to see her so chipper.
And at that moment, I was tackled to the ground, stopping my heart for the briefest moment before almost knocking my head against the wall because of the force. I found Derpy laying on my chest, hugging and nuzzling my neck tightly as she thanked me up and down. I was speechless, wondering what she could be thanking me for. I hadn’t seen her since leaving for the prison to save the foals, and that felt like weeks ago.
“Derpy?” I questioned, sitting up and gently pushing her away from my neck to see her clearly. My chest was slightly sore where she had slammed into me, though I was more worried for her. “What are you thanking me for?”
Derpy simply gave me a blank stare with one eye as the other looked up. I had to admit, she looked kind of adorable with that wall-eyed expression of hers. After a second, her face lit up, like she had momentarily forgotten the reason but had recovered. “Oh, for saving my little muffin!”
“Uh, what?” I asked.
“That’s me! That's me!” a filly cried out in glee, somewhere behind Derpy.
Derpy flew into the air, revealing a small filly with a light purple coat and a mane that matched Derpy’s. She ran up next to me with a large smile as I stood up again, hoping she wouldn’t suddenly jump on me as I did.
“That’s my daughter, Dinky Doo,” Derpy explained landing beside the filly and wrapping a foreleg around her neck. “You saved her with the other foals at the prison.”
It made sense, but it felt odd that Derpy had to wait a long time to thank me. And she was still ecstatic about it. Was she holding in all of her enthusiasm to give her gratitude to me all this time? I felt kind of honored, though I also felt rotten for forcing her to wait. I wasn’t really sure why.
“Don’t hurt him too much, Derpy,” Twilight called with a chuckle, trotting over to my other side. “He only just got back from Fillydelphia.”
“Oh yeah!” Derpy shouted, her eyes wide as if she had forgotten where I had gone. “Did you save any more ponies there?”
Twilight faced Derpy with a smile, “That’s the first thing you ask?”
“Of course,” Derpy nodded, before she frowned, giving Twilight a funny look, “Why wouldn't it be?”
Twilight blinked with a bewildered expression before shaking her head, her smile returning, “You got me there, Derpy.”
I didn’t meet their eyes when they looked up to me for my answer. I could think of something they could have asked first, but I wondered if it was rude to shake their foundations so soon. They seemed to notice my reluctance, their faces growing worried, even Dinky’s.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Nolan?” she asked, making my heart ache. She didn’t need to hear what I had to say.
“Nothing, kiddo,” I said with a forced smile before gesturing towards the CMC not too far away, “I just need to talk to Derpy and Twilight alone for a moment.”
“Oh, okay,” she said before bounding off happily, a skip in her step.
Derpy watched Dinky join the other fillies with a look of concerned bafflement before facing me again. “Why did you send her off?” Derpy asked, and I sighed sadly.
“Something… happened to Fluttershy,” I explained, my hand running through my hair as I tried to word the situation the best I could. Derpy and Twilight glanced to each other, their faces contorted with concern. I opened my mouth, but my mind ran dry with a way to disclose the news. “Fluttershy, she was, um…”
My voice was grave at that point, and my reluctance was very apparent as I suddenly became aware of exactly where my arms were. Derpy and Twilight stepped even closer, their eyes telling me they feared for what would be said. I took a deep breath, “She was sexually assaulted by a human.”
Just saying those words made me cringe, like I was the culprit for the deed. And the expressions of dismay and horror made it worse. “She was…?” Twilight whispered out, falling to her haunches, her brain failing to absorb the news.
“Fluttershy…” Derpy whispered out, her eyes clamped shut. Then, her eyes shot open as she shouted, “Fluttershy was raped!?”
Derpy threw her hooves over her mouth, but the damage was already done. I winced from both her volume and the context as the chatter around the room was silenced immediately. All eyes were facing Derpy, who was breathing raggedly through her hoof with water in her eyes. Everyone’s stares went to Fluttershy, who stood by Rainbow Dash, the latter nervously looking to everyone staring at them, and the former hiding behind her mane. What was worse was that Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Dinky heard Derpy yell as well as they looked over with confusion. They were so innocent that they didn't even know what rape meant.
“Wha- Who…?” Twilight said, still taken by shock. I already knew about what happened to Fluttershy, but hearing it from someone else made me feel worse. My heart clenched as my shoulders sagged. I wished Fluttershy didn’t need to go through that.
“D-Did that human do it!?” Trixie shouted, pointing a shaky hoof at me like I would strike her for it. My gaze was somber by that point as it fell to the ground.
“No!” Applejack said instantly, jumping in front of me to stand defensively. “He had nothin’ ta do with it!”
Though that statement was one hundred percent true, I still had this pit in my stomach, like what Applejack said was also a lie. I didn’t understand it, and I was becoming quezzy because of it.
“I need some air,” I said quickly, making for the door. The eyes of everyone in the room were like pin pricks on my back. It was very uncomfortable, even when I was opening the door to the sunlit outside.
“Nolan…” Applejack called weakly, but I ignored her, closing the door behind me. I stood there for a moment, wishing I could have done something to prevent what had happened to Fluttershy, but I knew there was no way I could. I walked away from the door and towards the wall next to it, leaning an arm against it as I faced downward. Why was I so hung over it anyway? Applejack was raped too, right?
Although, just thinking about what happened to Applejack made me grimace. She had everything taken away, and yet I'm more worried for Fluttershy. It may have been because Fluttershy was meeker, but that didn't stop me from hating myself.
I shook my head, knowing I needed to do something to distract my mind. The empty shooting range suddenly came to mind, and I inwardly shrugged to myself. I didn’t see a reason why not, and I could use the extra practice. I shifted my body to briskly head over to the empty lot, arriving there in no time at all.
It hadn’t changed a bit from when I was there last time, the same empty area with a red and white target at the other end. I took out my revolver, opening up the cylinder to make sure it was loaded. Satisfied, I closed it and took aim, shifting my weight between my feet.
“Elbows slightly bent,” I whispered, “Controlled breathing, and…”
I squeezed the trigger, the bullet firing off and hitting the target in the direct center. I allowed myself a small smirk before firing the remaining bullets in the cylinder. Each time I fired, I thought about why I was helping these ponies, though I wasn’t sure why I was thinking of that particularly. It was just what was on my mind: Getting home, freeing everyone, doing the right thing, helping my friends… and being a hero.
After I fired the last bullet, hitting the center like the others, the final thought that passed through my mind stayed behind, causing me to lower my gun as I reflected on it. I declared myself not a hero to Applejack and the others one time before, but after everything I’d gone through, what I would go through, could I consider myself a hero? I was too modest to proclaim myself as one, but maybe the others would.
“Whoa,” the voice of Twilight said in awe, kicking me out of my thoughts as I turned around with a raised brow. She stood there with an interested look, turning between myself and the target.
“You're so good,” she said trotting up to me as I grunted in acknowledgement, pulling out a handful of ammunition.
“Not really a big deal,” I said somewhat quietly, still a bit put off by the comment earlier as I reloaded my revolver.
“Not a big deal?!” Twilight repeated, her eyes wide as her wings fluttered for a moment in agitation, “I may have only read about humans, but that was unbelieveable.”
“That’s the thing though,” I emphasised, holstering my revolver, “You’ve only read-”
I stopped myself, remembering that Twilight was a bookworm who actually studied humans, albeit in a closed off bunker. She may be smart enough to know what’s wrong with me, though it was weird to think of a pony as a psychologist.
“Nolan?” Twilight asked, tilting her head to the side, but I didn’t reply right away, even though I knew what I wanted to do, for I didn't know how to word my request. “Nolan, are you okay?”
I took a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever may happen next. “Could you help me out?” I asked nicely, and Twilight pulled her head back ever so slightly. My question must have shocked her, but only by a very small amount. Her face had a look of interest, wondering what would bring about my behavior. Hopefully in the next few minutes, she would know what's been going on with me.
I sighed again, lowering myself to the ground to sit down, leaning my back against the sandbags that formed a wall between the streets and the firing range. My eyes traveled to the boundless sky, and before I knew it, I found myself talking.
“There’s been something on my mind since rescuing Fluttershy,” I started, and from the corner of my eye, I could see Twilight walking up to me and sitting on her haunches, listening intently with a caring expression. “I didn’t give it much thought until a few minutes ago. For some reason, I feel guilty for what happened to Fluttershy. Not just her, but everyone: Applejack, Carrot Top, Pinkie Pie. It may not have been me who did terrible things to them, but my own species did.”
My eyes flickered down to my hands, which laid on my lap limply. I remembered how I stared at them when I nearly beat that man mercilessly, remembering how I had lost control. “In my own world, I’d barely blink if I learned someone was hurt by another human. I was so used to our world being so unforgiving and ruthless, that I would hardly care if I learned that someone was murdered on the news. In this world, in Equestria, it's different. Your home was a kind and friendly place, and the humans came and ruined everything.”
Twilight’s face lit up in realization, probably knowing what I was getting to, but she remained quiet, waiting for me to finish first. “Ponies and humans may be similar in intelligence and such, but they’re different in the physical sense. What they’ve done, I’ve basically inherited. I’m a human, just like them, and in a way, it makes me feel like I was responsible for what my species did. It wasn’t a human hurting another human, but a human hurting a pony…”
I finally turned my head to Twilight who was frowning, her eyes glazed over as she faced the ground. “A poor, innocent pony,” I whispered, putting a hand over my forehead. It was ironic; I kept telling these ponies over and over that I wasn’t with the other humans, and there I was saying that it felt like everything was my fault someway. Maybe their constant insults had gotten to me.
"You've lost control..." Twilight muttered, causing my ears to strain just to hear it.
"Control?" I repeated, looking at her quizzically.
"Right," Twilight confirmed with a nod, fidgeting with her hooves as she spoke, "You were part of the law enforcement back in your world, so you're used to being able to handle a situation."
I scratched my chin, thinking over what she said. Unfortunately I couldn't think for long before she continued. "In Equestria, however," she said, a hoof idly hovering over her chest, "You don't have any way of controlling what's been happening, and you feel lost. And you express that through guilt."
I swallowed, my mind instantly going back to how I felt about Emma. I was unable to prevent her death, which would be a form of uncontrollable events. It made sense, especially since I was feeling like crap, just like back then.
"And you don't rely on your friends," Twilight added, hastily turning away from me, attempting to hide a small smile. I balked at her, completely stunned by her words as I stared at her with a furrowed brow.
"Uh, excuse me?" I asked, leaning forward a little to see if I could hear right.
"You don't let your friends take some of the weight off your shoulders," Twilight explained, her eyes glancing towards me before turning to the ground. "I'm willing to bet you were the same back where you're from."
When I thought about it, she was right. After Emma died, I distanced myself from everyone, taking measures into my own hands. It was one of the reasons why I joined S.W.A.T., to not have to worry about half the stuff that I used to. Another reason was so I could kill bastards before they could hurt someone, no exceptions.
“What you need to do is understand that you have no attachment to those other humans,” Twilight summed up, getting back to her previous analysis. “It was those humans that hurt everyone, not you.”
Hearing Twilight say that honestly did make me feel better, causing me to give a ghost of a smile. It had erased a bit of the blame I had placed on myself, though some of it still lingered. But I could play it off. I could use that blame to drive me forward and help everyone else. Nodding to Twilight in silent thanks, I stood to my feet, rubbing my shoulder a bit from having to carry around my armor.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Twilight,” I said sincerely, heading for my shack, “I’m going to catch some rest.”
“What about Pinkie’s party?” Twilight asked with a frantic tone, quickly flying past to land in front of me, halting my movement. “She put a lot of work into it, and she was really looking forward to it.”
Any argument that came to mind was instantly thrown out, knowing how Pinkie was before I had left. With the help of her friends, Pinkie was able to become her old self again, cheery and fun, and I didn't want to upset her because I was tired. Add the fact that she went through the trouble of giving me a party, and it was impossible to refuse. My rest would have to wait.
“Alright,” I subsided before I jabbed a finger at her chest, “But you have to tell me specifically how Pinkie got better. I want to… know how well she was taken care of.”
Twilight gave a bright smile as a response, “Yes, of course. It’s not very long, but I’d be happy to explain.”
Nodding, I whirled around as she trotted up to my side, looking up at me as she spoke. “We first had to learn a little bit about Pinkie herself, which was actually the hardest part. She was reluctant to talk about her family and home, probably because of…”
She trailed off, failing to come up with a good word to use. “Certain events,” I finished, wondering why ponies had to dance around the issue like it was a sore topic for everyone. Sure, it was way too soon to talk about it like it was a normal thing, but everyone acted like it was taboo to mention the invasion.
“Right, certain events,” Twilight agreed, clearing her throat awkwardly like she had realized how ridiculous her beating around the bush was. “Well, we learned that Pinkie had no experience with death whatsoever, not even with her grandparents.”
“How is that possible?” I asked doubtfully, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted with a shake of her head, “But I think it’s because her parents never brought it up, perhaps telling her lies about what actually happened.”
I grunted, “I guess the shock of death at the Crystal Empire didn’t do so well to her head.”
“It must have been horrible for her,” Twilight muttered, her head bowed low. “Fluttershy is at least familiar with her animals dying, Pinkie was completely broken. To see her turn into somepony else…”
Twilight closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves before reopening her eyes. “Anyway,” she said, her voice slightly strained to control herself, “once we learned about that, we told her about death, and how it’s a part of life. She thought that no one really died, like the princesses. It felt strange to explain something like that to a mare of her age. It was kinda depressing too.”
Every pony I had met who had known Pinkie had said how carefree and merry she was. If she didn’t know about death, I wondered how that would have affected her. To not know about death must have been blissful, and then to have it all come crashing down in one fell swoop. Damn, I couldn’t even imagine it.
“What about her split personalities?” I asked, keeping the conversation moving as we approached the library. “Was that some sort of defense mechanism or something?”
Twilight shrugged, “I’m not really sure. It definitely came about at seeing the state at the Crystal Empire, but it seems like it had manifested before we arrived there. It may have been there before we even met her."
We stopped right outside of the building, noticing how eerily quiet it was inside. All I could make out was a single voice speaking to a group. It sounded like Applejack's, but I focused on Twilight with a look of contemplation. “How’s her condition now?” I asked, gesturing towards the door.
“Well,” Twilight stated, facing the door like she could see through it, “Once we explained the concept of death, she calmed down enough. We told her that even though there was death, that doesn’t mean she can’t be her old self again.”
“And then she just…” I said, rolling my hand to come up with the right word before settling with, “changed? Right on the spot?”
“There’s not much logic to it,” Twilight sighed, probably just as lost about the action herself as her head sunk in exasperation, “But it’s Pinkie Pie. As far as I can tell, she’s back to the way she once was.”
I chuckled quietly, “A childish, happy, excitable pony with cotton candy for a mane and tail?”
Twilight giggled at my joke, covering her mouth with a hoof. “I missed that side of her for so long,” she said more to herself than to me.
The Pinkie I had seen before me was the real Pinkie, not the half psychotic, half somber one I had met in that asylum. First impressions were important, because how a person meets someone the first time is how that someone will see that person. I really wanted to believe that the Pinkie not fifteen feet away from me was truly the one and only pink party pony. But this lingering feeling inside of me made me feel like it was a hoax. I didn’t like it, but I had to cover it up, and get used to it.
"Hey, Nolan," Twilight whispered, causing me to look at her, curious as to why her voice was so hushed. She was right next to the entrance, peeking through the crack created by the door. "Come here."
I raised an eyebrow at her behavior, but obliged anyway, keeping my movement slow to keep quiet for whatever reason. I stood behind Twilight, leaning in to see what she was so quiet about. All I saw was the group of ponies standing or sitting huddled together. They were all looking towards Applejack who stood before them, deep into some sort of story telling.
“With the cover of the smoke, everypony high tailed it into the sewer entrance,” she said with a little more drama than necessary. Nonetheless, the statement caused me to move my head back in confusion, wondering what in the hell she was talking about. “But when me, Carrot Top, and Octavia made it, Vinyl was shot by a bullet through the smoke.”
It suddenly clicked in my head that she was retelling the story of the little engagement in Fillydelphia, when we rescued Octavia and Vinyl. How that topic of discussion came to play was probably a distraction for Fluttershy’s sake. I was actually interested to hear Applejack’s side of the story, curious to see from a different perspective. Silently, I lightly pushed open the door, scooting past Twilight as I entered undetected.
“Don’t leave us hangin’, sis,” Applebloom said excitedly, making me ponder why Applejack would tell a kid a story like mine, “What happened next?”
“Keep your bow on,” Applejack chuckled with a wave of her hoof as I crept over to a nearby wooden chair, sitting back into it. “I’m gettin’ to that part. Well, Nolan said he’d get her, and that’s exactly what he did.”
“What happened to Vinyl?” Sweetie asked, stepping forward a bit as her voice suggested she was concerned, “Is she alright?”
“She’s fine, Sweetie,” Applejack said with a wink, “If it wasn’t for Nolan, I don’t think she’d have made it.”
In my seat, I squirmed a bit from the praise, not used to it at all. Not on Earth, and certainly not here. The guilt I had for myself dwindled away even more, and I found myself smiling. “Wow,” Rainbow muttered, bringing a hoof to her mouth as she thought to herself, “When I think about it, I’ve never seen him in combat. I wonder how good he is.”
I rested my head back, the rest of the conversation becoming nothing but gibberish as I continued my smile. Leave it to Applejack to boost my confidence.
“Oh, uh, Nolan,” the voice of Applejack said, causing me to look up instantly. The eyes of everyone else was upon me, but I only looked at Applejack, who was playing with her hooves as she looked anywhere but at me. “How long were you there?”
I kept my voice neutral, even with the handful of eyes on me. “I just got here, actually,” I said, my smile growing a little bit more. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
Applejack cleared her throat, lifting a hoof up to her mouth to help as I saw a faint blush on her cheeks for the briefest time. “Nothing to it,” she said humbly before Pinkie stepped forward.
“So, uh, Nolan,” she said nervously, though I had no idea why she would, as her eyes flickered to the side and back to me, “Did you want to keep partying?”
She sounded hopeful, and the large eyes she had was evidence enough that my answer hinged on whether she would be happy or not. I had already decided before hand, so with my smile still on my lips, I nodded, “Of course, Pinkie. Wouldn’t want to disappoint you.”
Pinkie perked up immediately, jumping in the air with a hoof pump, if that was accurate enough. “Alright!” Pinkie cheered as she landed, whipping around to the other ponies, “Let’s get this party started!”
{~+~}
I was standing outside beside the bookstore, the party having calmed down after a few hours. I had my pack of cigarettes in my hand, contemplating whether to take a smoke or not. It was slightly frustrating, seeing as I had so few that I actually had to ration them out to myself. But when would be a good time to smoke? That was the question that I was debating with myself. I couldn’t ask any of the ponies for advice, since they weren’t even familiar with a cigarette to begin with.
Though I knew I’d feel slightly moody, I slipped the pack back into my vest pouch with a sigh. Maybe I could raid somebody’s room when I visited another city to see if they had a cigarette or two. I wondered if the humans here even had cigarettes. Anyway, as far as I knew, everyone was still inside, partying as much as they could. I chuckled what had happened in that single room: games, delicious snacks, and more than a few conversations. Though the party felt more for kids, it was nice.
The door opened, and out walked Rainbow, giving a long exhale as she looked down to the ground. She looked very tired, and I was sure it wasn’t because of the long party.
“Something on your mind?” I inquired with a raised brow, catching her attention as her eyes glanced up to me before moving over to the door.
“Yeah, just having to deal with the other Pegasi,” she admitted, sitting on the ground. “It’s going to be a pain to have to get them to help us.”
“You have any sort of plan in mind?” I asked, idly taking out my knife to examine it. It was relatively clean, though I was sure there was some dried blood or something on it.
“Not yet,” Rainbow revealed, facing the door with a bored look, “We’re going to talk about it once Pinkie’s party is-”
“Over!” Pinkie shouted from a nearby window next to me. I jumped back, nearly dropping my knife. I whipped my head over to the window, seeing it was wide open with Pinkie Pie leaning out of it with a smirk.
“The party’s over?” I asked, calming my heart down, “Just like that?”
“I know when to end a party, Nolan,” she stated as she leaned an elbow on the window sill, with half lidded eyes. “And now is that time.”
I knew Pinkie was random, so I could accept what she said as truth, I suppose. I looked over to Rainbow, who simply nodded, as if telling me that it was normal. Getting used to this Pinkie Pie would be harder than I thought. Rainbow nonchalantly shrugged at my perplextion with a hidden smile before heading for the door. I followed her, through my thoughts were still baffled. How far would Pinkie go with her shenanigans?
Upon entering the building, I saw everyone cleaning up the mess of balloons and trash that littered the room. They were almost done, what with the room pretty much clean. Many bags of garbage were already piling up along the walls as Shining Armor threw the last bag over to them with a grunt. Everyone glanced around, in case they had missed a piece of trash. Not seeing one, they turned to Princess Cadance, who smiled at all of them.
“I think its time to discuss our next move,” she announced, before turning to Doctor Styles. “Doctor, could you gather everyone that does not need to be here and give us a bit of privacy?”
“Of course,” Doctor Styles answered with a short bow before turning to Trixie and the foals, “Come on, everypony, let’s let them do what they need to do.”
The foals whined but followed him out. Trixie, Derpy, and the Nurse left in a line as well, and before Carrot Top left to join them, she turned to me with a blank look. I looked behind me, in case she was seeing something I wasn’t, but found nothing.
“Uh, what’s the matter?” I questioned, facing her again while waving my hand to gain her attention. She was snapped out of her reverie as she blinked before blushing a bit, hastily leaving with the rest and closing the door in her wake. It was a peculiar behavior, but my mind was pondering something else. Seeing them leave made me think we were kicking them out, like they didn’t deserve to hear what would happen. I was sure that Cadance had her reasons though.
Scratching the back of my head, I made my way over to the table where everyone else was just getting comfortable. I took a seat of my own, deciding to start what we would talk about.
“So,” I said, glancing at everyone, “The Pegasi, right?”
“Right,” Rainbow answered with a nod, “Getting them to help would be great for us, and bad for the humans.”
“That could be said for any other ally you plan on getting,” I argued, turning from Rainbow to Cadance, “Why the Pegasi first?”
“The most obvious reason,” Cadance said with a sigh, “Is because they were, and still are, a part of Equestria. If they don’t assist us, then we will have lost one third of our population already.”
That must have been why Rainbow was a bit on edge. It was very important that the Pegasi help us out. And seeing how I’d only met two Pegasi outside of the residents of Las Pegasus, that must mean that all of them were holed up in one single cloud city. And with the knowledge that they couldn’t grow food up there, provided by Spitfire, they may get desperate and do something they would regret.
“What we’re going to do,” Cadance said, looking quite determined as she paused to make sure we were all listening, “is send Rainbow Dash to Cloudsdale to convince them to join us.”
I raised a brow, “Why Rainbow Dash?”
I saw from the corner of my eye how Rainbow puffed her chest out slightly as Cadance answered. “She’s well known amongst the Pegasi,” she explained with a hoof gesturing to her, “They’ll listen to her, and hopefully she can convince them to join us.”
“But you’re a princess,” I stressed, “Wouldn’t they listen to you more than Rainbow?”
Cadance shook her head, “I’ve been in stasis for most of the occupation. I don’t know a lot of the hardships that everypony had to go through. But Rainbow Dash has been helping the Resistance since the beginning.”
Having Rainbow Dash in charge of diplomacy made me feel like things would turn out bad.
“Should be a piece of cake,” Rainbow declared with a flutter of her wings, her eyes showing that she was overconfident. “But I wouldn’t mind someone coming with me.”
“Why don’t I tag along?” I asked as I looked over to Rainbow Dash.
“What?!” Dusty shouted as everyone else gave me funny looks like I had spoken gibberish, “Are you crazy?!”
I lifted my arms in a way that would show I was dumbfounded, looking at everyone at the table. “Whoa, just hold your-” I stopped myself just in time to change what I was saying, “words… What’s wrong with me heading to Cloudsdale?”
“Are you kidding me?” Dusty said with an irritated sigh, rubbing his forehead with a hoof. Taking a deep breath, he put his hoof down gently as he spoke, “The Pegasi would tear you apart as soon as you set foot there. That is, if you could set foot there.”
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that I couldn’t stand on clouds, but I had to wonder how the Pegasi did. Was it just because they were Pegasi? It would make sense, considering they could fly. Rainbow faced me sympathetically, all cockiness evaporating as she dipped her head down slightly.
“I know you don’t like being put on the sidelines,” she said, “Trust me, I feel ya. But this is just something only we can handle.”
I grumbled to myself, leaning back in my seat. They were right, there was no way I would be able to stand on clouds long enough to utter a single word. Still, being left behind was not something I liked to do. Defeated, I shook my head with a shrug, and Cadance continued with the discussion. “So, who’ll accompany Rainbow?”
Dusty briefly raised a hoof long enough to catch our attention before setting it back down. “I don’t mind,” he announced, adjusting the coat that he wore, “Need to get out more anyway.”
Rainbow nodded in approval, “And we can leave first thing tomorrow.”
“Excellent,” Cadance praised with a beaming smile, glad to have things running smoothly. But as quick as it came, it left as Cadance faced Fluttershy, on edge with what she would ask next. Fluttershy sensed her anxiety, causing her to shrink down slightly, especially when everyone looked to her as well. “There is something else we need to talk about, and you’re the only one who can help, Fluttershy.”
Despite being under some pressure, Fluttershy lifted her head ever so slightly, showing bravery if only just. “W-What do you need my help for?” she asked, her hooves brought up to her chest in a form of protection.
“You were the last one that saw Rarity, right?” Cadance asked kindly, causing everyone to perk up at that, including myself. I had forgotten that Fluttershy and Rarity were a part of Luna’s Company, which I so aptly named for the time being. If anyone would know where the last Element of Harmony was, it would be Fluttershy.
However, with everyone’s expectations rising, it made Fluttershy’s resolve strained as she lowered her head a bit. That wasn’t a good sign at all.
“Sorry,” she squeaked out, her head so low that her muzzle was below the table, “We were separated in Canterlot, after we were captured. I… I don’t know where she is.”
A collective, disappointed sigh was heard from everyone, probably from having a good amount of hope plummeting. I hadn’t raised my hopes as high, knowing that they were in different locations to begin with. And Fluttershy didn’t seem like the type to pay attention when she was afraid. Though, I couldn’t blame her. Especially after what happened in Fillydelphia.
Cadance allowed a short minute to let us think before speaking up. “I believe that’s all we shall discuss for today,” she declared, with a frown, causing Fluttershy to whimper from being unable to assist. “Catch some rest, especially you two, Nolan, Applejack.”
Rest would be nice. Having not to worry about someone sneaking up on me would be nice. But staying behind while someone else went to try to convince an entire part of a species to join us was not nice. There had to be way I could help, I just needed to think outside the box…
As everyone got up to leave, an idea came to my mind, and I stood up instantly, accidentally knocking over my chair. “Twilight,” I called, catching her before she could leave as I made my way over to her, “Do you know some sort of spell that’ll help me go with Rainbow?”
I didn’t need to hear Rainbow’s groan to know that she was growing annoyed with my persistence, and Twilight sighing in exasperation added to that effect. “I do know a spell that can allow you to walk on clouds for a short time,” she explained, unintentionally making my heart leap in not only surprise but delight, “But you heard Rainbow and Dusty, you going to Cloudsdale would only cause a panic. Right now, we need to take things slowly.”
I was growing angry, but they had their reasons, and I couldn’t fight that. Instead, I gripped my hands, trying to drive out the small amount of fury I had while taking a deep breath. There was no way I could get them to agree with me, and I just had to accept it.
“Fine, fine,” I submitted, running a hand down my face. I was getting too tired to make much of an argument anyway. Perhaps I could persuade them tomorrow before they leave, that sounded like a plan.
“Come on, Nolan,” Applejack said, grabbing my jacket sleeve with her teeth, “Let’s get you to a nice bed. How’s that sound?”
I softly chuckled at her motherly behavior, allowing myself to be pulled towards the door. “That sounds good, AJ,” I said as she let me go, turning her body as her head focused on me.
“For ya, it should sound wonderful,” Applejack said, drawling out the last word to make it more appealing. And I had to say, it worked. As I walked through the doorway with her, dragging my feet slightly, I realized how exhausted I really was. I was gone for only a few days, but those days were tense. Some sleep would do me good.
“Nolan! Wait a sec!” I heard Pinkie call as I looked over my shoulder, seeing her gallop over to me. Before I could turn to her, she had ran to the front of me, causing me to halt, Applejack doing the same. The smile Pinkie had on her lips told me she was excited about something. “Did you like my party?”
“Uh, yeah, I liked it,” I answered, feeling slightly unsettled by the question, “Why?”
“No, Nolan,” Pinkie scolded, an annoyed look on her face, “Did you really like it?”
“And I said yes, Pinkie,” I said back, raising my voice from irritance, “Why are you asking?”
Pinkie bit her lip, a hoof pawing at the ground a bit in nervous tension before speaking, her eyes set to the floor. “It’s… It’s the first party I’ve given after a long time,” she explained quietly. “I wasn’t sure if I lost my touch or not. And I’m still not sure.”
“Pinkie Pie,” Applejack said with a smile, shaking her head, “That party was a hoot. You don’t need ta worry too much.”
“Sorry, Applejack,” Pinkie said with a half smirk, “But this was a party for Nolan, and if he didn’t like it, then I failed.”
I was about to say she shouldn't think like that, but the party really was for me. It was up to me whether the party was a success or not, though I wish it didn't hinge on my answer alone.
"Ya know," I said, a hand on my chin, "this would be the first time I've had a party like that since I was eleven or twelve. And being able to enjoy something pretty simple, and to forget my troubles for just a few hours... It was nice."
Pinkie looked up to me, her silence indicating she was waiting patiently for my answer. And with a small smile, I did just that. "It was a good party, Pinkie. It's something I needed here in Equestria, and I'm glad you cared about me enough to give it to me. It's more than I can hope back home."
Pinkie smiled brightly, her eyes closed as she looked up at me. Seeing her so happy made me… Damn, it was hard to explain. Before I knew it, Pinkie hopped up and wrapped her hooves around my neck in a hug, and surprised, I instinctively caught her, putting my hands around her back.
“I’m super duper glad you liked it,” she said, her hooves tightening, “I… Thank you.”
Pinkie put herself into that party, wanting to give me something special after everything I’d been through. It was memorable, I’ll give her that, but it wasn’t because of the games or food or decorations. It was because of how everyone was having a good time. They had forgotten what having a Pinkie Pie party was like, and it just felt right.
“Don’t stop partying, Pinkie,” I said, amazed that I would say something that corny.
I heard a small sob from Pinkie, “I won’t. Not until I die.”
Death. She had learned that concept recently, and for some reason, I was pleased she understood it. If everyone lived indefinitely, we wouldn't appreciate the lives we live. And I had to make these ponies a life worth living, by kicking the humans out of Equestria.
And the only way to do that was to get the Pegasi to get their heads out of the clouds and help us.
Stats
Page generated in 0.024 seconds
Total duration
1,014 users online
1,621,829 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Rape
-it's not rape if they yell YESI'm not gonna say thatWell then good read
AN UPDATE!
I'm so happy to see Pinkie returned to her normal, er, Pinkie-ness. Depressed Pinkie is sad to read about.
I'm just glad I was able to get this chapter edited so it could go up without further delay.
Write on,
Legion
I don't think Nolan quite understands that these aren't exactly the same Humans from Earth, they're Humans from Magicland.
Also with the way things are going I predict a scene will happen where Nolan becomes a pony and lives Happily Ever After after killing all those "evul hyoomans"
I ask you this: If you are ever planning to do such a thing, let me know right now so I can unfavorite this story and stop reading it. :V
That scene. It hurts. Of course, Flutters doesn't deserve it, but I feel really bad for AJ, because always everyone expect from her to be the strong one. Hell, even she expects from herself to be the strong one and is barely showing any signs of weakness, even though her whole world turned into some kind of nightmare. It's kind of funny that when it happens to Fluttershy everyone treat it as if it's the end of the world, but if it's Applejack... UGH. I don't know, it just doesn't seem fair.
Anyway, another great chapter
I was thinking about this story recently, so I was very happy when I saw an update today!
and that card will come in play
4481772 Oh, man, could you be ever further from the truth...
4484022 Ominous.
Hey man, I know we talked about fillers the other day, but I need to tell you that despite this obviously being a filler without any real action, I will say that it was pretty darn good. its been a while since the previous update, yet you still have your touch in that regards, and I will say that I did enjoy this chapter as much as I did for any other chapters from this story. heck, without late chapters, we wouldn't have anything to look forward to. I see what you meant in our chat as well, and I won't say anything here that could reveal anything, but it is pretty nice to know what you meant about progressing the storyline, as I have a few ideas as to what will happen, but other than that, I will still be in the dark. But I do need to ask; did my contacting you have anything to do with this chapter finally being posted? xD
Have a good day/night whenever you read this, and I look forward to the next update.
4481445 That Profile Pic, does that happen to be one of the characters from Angel Beats?
Ahem. Shouldn't it be 'plan'?
4484577
It is
it's Angel herself.
The evil clone one from ep 8 or 9??
Getting a misanthropic vibe here, do you really think that the world is this black and white, that all criminals are evil and need to die? There is good and evil on all sides and you got to wake up and realize that.
4488050 Apparently, you forgot about Alex. Plus, I already knew that, but in a story like this, a moment where you find someone in the gray area is impossible. Those types of people wouldn't even be in Equestia to begin with.
Its hard to fight my fanfiction side from reading this amazing work that I enjoy, and I had a simliar idea about pony enslavement but never wrote it down but I might someday on fanfiction.net anyway enough of that and I hope to read more
Enjoyed it.
Felt the feels.
It was good.
Maaaaaaaan, the feelz in this were extreme.
Nice chapter man, nice chapter.