Time Lord: The Story of North Star

by Thrawn1800

Chapter 2: Friends and Wings

Chapter 2

When I woke in the morning, I felt well rested. I stretched and rolled off the couch. I looked around. It must have been early morning, because the sunlight was still faint, and the coals of last night’s fire still glowed softly in the fireplace. No one else seemed to be up yet. I wondered what I should do while I waited. It only took me a few seconds to figure that out, considering where I was. I walked straight over to the bookshelves and started browsing.

I found a lot of interesting books. I came across a series about someone called “Daring Do”. I took down the first one, and started reading. To my amazement, it only took me just over a minute to finish the book. I guess that was one of the more pleasant side effects of being a time lord. I’d enjoyed the book, but it had also hurt my head a little. Some of my missing human memories were trying to surface. I sat still, pushing hard on my mind, trying to force it. Nothing came of it, except for a light headache and a few more tears shed.

I continued to read the series, going through the books quickly. When I’d reached the twenty-third book, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I stopped turning the pages, and looked over my shoulder. Twilight was behind me.

“How long have you been up?” she asked.

She was staring down at the book in my hooves. I glanced down and saw the page number, 276. I looked over at the clock on the wall, then back at her. I smiled nervously.

“Um… thirty minutes?”

“Which one did you start with?”

I hesitated. “The- the first one.”

“But you can’t have! Nopony can read that fast!” She picked up one of the books at random. “What happened in… chapter three of Daring Do and the Jade Temple?”

I thought back for a second. “Daring Do just found out about the theft of the Jade Sphinx. The curator is asking her to retrieve it.”

“That’s-” I continued talking, interrupting her.

“She’ll later discover in chapter… nineteen that the curator is the one who arranged the theft. He’s hoping for a ‘nice, fat payoff from the black market’.” I quoted the last part word for word from the book.

She flipped through the pages. “But… but that’s exactly what he says… and right in chapter nineteen?”

She stared at me. “How are you doing this?”

“Um… when does Pinkie Pie get here?” I asked, trying to change the subject. The door burst open.

“Don’t be silly Northy!” said Pinkie, bouncing in. “You can just call me Pinkie!”

“Hi Pinkie.” I said, glad for the interruption. “How are you?”

“I’m great!” she said. “And I brought some friends!”

Surprise. “You did? Who?”

“Them!” she pointed behind her. Four more ponies walked in, among them Rainbow Dash. She raised a hoof in greeting. All the others were mares too, and they were all different colors.

“N-nice to meet you.” I said. “I’m North.”

“Nice to meet you North.” said one. “Ah’m Applejack.”

She was an earth pony, light orange coat and a blonde mane and tail. Her mane and tail were restrained by red ties. She spoke in a noticeable southern accent.

“Nice to meet you Applejack.” I said. She nodded.

“This is Fluttershy.” she said, indicating another mare. A cream pegasus, with a long pink mane and tail.

“Hi.” I said, trying to be friendly. She squeaked and hid behind Applejack. I looked back at Applejack, who just shook her head. I understood and dropped it. Shy was in the name.

“And this here is Rarity.” she said, finishing her introductions. The last mare stepped forward. A white unicorn, her purple mane and tail were fancily styled.

“Pleased to meet you.” she said. Her voice was refined, like the ‘high class’ ponies of Everfree. I modulated my voice, making it refined like hers. I’d learned to do this around the snootier inhabitants of the city.

“As am I to meet you.” I said. “I do apologize for my appearance. I had little warning of your arrival, so I was unable to make myself more presentable.”

“That’s alright.” she said calmly, though I saw her eyebrow raise slightly. “I understand that our arrival might have been abrupt. However, you need not worry. Your appearance is more than satisfactory.” I kept my face straight, but an ear twitched. Was she… flirting?

“Thank you. Pinkie, why did you need to be here so early?”

“We have to set up for the party!” she said.

She reached behind her and pulled out… a cannon? She pulled the string on the top, and a wave of pastel colors rocketed out. The colors resolved into party decorations and… food? It spread itself across the area in front of the cannon, all of it landing neatly in place.

“All set up! On to the pre-party party!”

“The what?”

“Just go with it.” said Rainbow Dash, who had made her way over to me.

Pinkie Pie streaked to a table, where a gramophone was sitting. She started up some funky dance music, then she streaked back over.

“Come on everypony, let’s par-TAY!”

Everyone else started socializing, but I was still frozen in place. How did that cannon work? Then I realized exactly how much like Starswirl Pinkie was. Unpredictable, unexplainable, absolutely no use trying. Thinking about Starswirl was painful, so I pushed the thoughts away. I walked quietly over to a table, and served myself some punch. The punch was fantastic, but it tasted familiar. Starswirl had thrown a party once, and his punch had tasted like this. I sat down, trying to force the memories away. I watched Twilight, who was dancing. She wasn’t a very good dancer. May Breeze hadn’t been either.

“Are you alright?” someone said. I turned to see Applejack standing next to me.

“Yeah,” I said, “just… just some painful memories.”

“Ya want to talk about it?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m not ready for that yet.”

“Okay. You enjoying the pre-party party?”

I thought about it. “I guess, but I don’t really dance. I’ve always preferred slower dances.”

“Really?”

She said it in a way that caught my attention. I turned to see her walk over to Pinkie. She said something to her, and Pinkie grinned. She ran over to the gramophone and messed with it. A slower piece of dance music started. Applejack walked back over.

“May ah have this dance?” she asked, grinning roguishly.

“Um… sure.” I said, nervously.

We walked over to the dance floor, which Twilight had vacated. We took up our positions, and danced. We started slowly at first, allowing the two of us to adjust to each other’s rhythm. Soon, the two of us were engaged in a passible waltz. I laughed, the sound and feeling of it pushing the memories away. When the music finished. I bowed to her, then walked back to where I’d been sitting. She followed me, and everyone else was watching us.

“Thank you.” I said.

“Yer welcome sugarcube.” she said, sitting next to me.

I looked up at the other five, who’d converged on us. I didn’t feel claustrophobic like I usually did.

“It was nice of you guys.” I said. “You helped me feel comfortable. Thank you.”

“Group hug!” shouted Pinkie.

“Oh Fine! Go ahead!” I said, opening my arms wide.

They converged on me. I restrained my minor panic attack, and we had a nice collective hug. They pulled away after a few seconds, smiling. They all told me it’d been their pleasure.

Naturally, at this point, something weird started to happen. Faint prismatic light began to surround the six of them. We all froze, watching as the shimmering colors converged on Twilight. From her, a brilliant white light extended towards me. It approached slowly, and when it was close, a golden light surrounded me. It wasn’t like regeneration energy; it was just light, not flames. The white light made contact with the golden light, and it flared brilliantly.

I felt a stabbing sensation in my shoulders, which caused me to arch my back painfully. The pain intensified, and I was forced to my knees. The golden light converged on my shoulders, and a few tears of pain escaped my tightly shut eyes. The light reached painful brightness, then it faded away. I sat down, then straightened up. After a minute, I regained enough energy to look up. The six of them, and Spike, who must have just come down, were staring at me.

Applejack was the first to speak. “Um, North… yer bleedin’.”

“I am?” I said quietly, my voice still recovering. “W-where?”

“Well…” She turned to Twilight. “Could ’ya…?”

Twilight nodded and cast a spell. A mirror, teleported from somewhere, appeared in front of me. I turned and looked at my shoulders. I was bleeding, but for a good reason. A pair of wings had appeared there. Judging by the blood and the pain, they’d grown, not appeared. I stared at them, my mind numb.

“Wings!” said Rainbow Dash, running over. “Cool! A new flying buddy!”

She tried to extend one of my wings, but it remained firmly locked in place. I could feel her hooves as they brushed my feathers. I twitched, they were very sensitive to touch. She stepped away from me.

“Can you move them?” she asked in a concerned tone.

I tried, but I couldn’t figure out how. I shook my head. “No.”

“Are you okay?” asked Applejack.

“I don’t know.” I looked over at Twilight. “You can put the mirror back now.”

She teleported it away, probably back to where it’d come from. I turned my attention to Pinkie.

“When do the not pre-party party guests get here?” I asked.

“It should be any minute!” she said, pulling a giant pocket watch from somewhere. One of my ears twitched. Starswirl had always been pulling things from unknown places.

“Is there somewhere I can clean up?” I asked Twilight.

“There’s a bathroom upstairs.” she said.

“Thanks.”

I walked slowly upstairs, thinking. I could feel their eyes on me, so I ran up the last few stairs. I found the bathroom, and walked inside. I closed the door behind me, and turned to face the mirror. I stared at my reflection. The other night, I hadn’t taken in the full extent of the change. My senses had all been scrambled by the regeneration. But now, I noticed several things. For one, I was taller, though I seemed to be the same weight. Also, the shape of my eyes was slightly different, but not very noticeable. I turned slightly, staring at my wings. I still couldn’t move them. They seemed to be a bit longer than any other pegasi I’d ever met, but not nearly as large as an alicorn’s.

I washed the blood out of my coat, then I returned downstairs. I felt very uncomfortable, but I stood my ground.

“Pinkie, when will they be here?” I asked. She was bouncing around the library happily. She hopped over to the door.

“Right… Now!” she said, as someone knocked on the door. She opened the door, and the party began. Or, the ‘not pre-party party but actually the post-pre-party party’, as Pinkie put it.

___________________________________________

During the party, I managed to have a good time. Pinkie kept us all well supplied with games, food, and hilarious antics. The last one only reminded me of what had happened to me. Somehow, Pinkie seemed to pick up on this. She tried to calm it down, but she was mostly unsuccessful. It was just too much a part of her nature.

I met a lot of ponies that night. Pinkie introduced me to a friend of hers, named Pokey Pierce. They had a common energy about them, but Pinkie was definitely more hyperactive. I also met Big Macintosh, Applejack’s brother. He was quiet, and didn’t talk much, but I could tell he was listening carefully to everything that was being said. Clearly, he was a deep thinker.

I was engaged in conversation by several pegasi, including one named Thunderlane. At first, he seemed to be a lot like Rainbow Dash. But after a while, I could sense something else about him, though I wasn’t sure what. All the pegasi I talked to were interested in my wings, and questioned me about them. They all wanted to know what my top speed was, what my favorite time of day for flying was, how strong my wings were, etc. I managed to deflect these questions with a combination of feigned modesty and an inordinate amount of luck (its scientific name is Pinkius Pie-acus).

By the time the party ended, it was well after midnight. The last of the guests had left, and I was helping clean up. When we’d finished, only the six mares, Spike, Big Macintosh, and I remained. Now Twilight’s friends were saying their goodbyes. Applejack and Big Macintosh lingered, and they seemed to be having a whispered conversation. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie had left, and I was talking with Fluttershy. I’d managed to get her to open up during the party, and she was a pretty interesting pony.

“Say, North?” called Applejack.

“Yes?” I said, turning to face her.

“Would ya like ta come stay the night at Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Why?”

“I just thought you’d like a bed tonight.”

I glanced over at Twilight. I didn’t want to insult her. She jerked her head, which I took as an indication of her indifference.

“Sure, that’d be nice.” I said.

“Okay!” she said. “You should say your goodbye’s, we need to leave.” I did so.

When I reached Rarity, she said, “Oh, not just yet. We’re going the same way.”

“Then, might I escort you home?”

“You may.”

I took up a position beside her, and proffered my foreleg. She stared at me, and I lowered it, blushing. Another human slip-up. They were all watching me.

“Let’s go.” said Applejack. She must have seen how uncomfortable I was.

I turned to Twilight. “Bye.”

“Bye.” she said, watching me closely.

We walked out the door, and started on our way out of town. I talked to Rarity, and she told me all about what she did. She lived and worked somewhere called ‘Carousel Boutique’. She created outfits for clients, and her hope was to gain a contract from the wealthier clients. I listened politely, absorbing all the details I could.When we arrived at her place, she said goodbye, and walked in. We continued along the road, passing by a dark forest.

“What forest is this?” I asked, curious.

Applejack laughed. “Yer jokin’, right?”

“No.”

“That’s the Everfree North.”

“But it can’t be!” I exclaimed. “The Everfree is a lot bigger than that!”

“Well, it is the Everfree. And it’s not exactly small.”

“If you say so.”

We continued on our way, and soon the dark forest gave way to grassy hills. Then, the grassy hills were lined with rows of tall apple trees. The were bare right now, but I was sure they were loaded with red fruit in the fall. The path was now lined by a wooden fence. After a fairly long period, we reached an arched gate. We passed through, and started to ascend the hill on the other side. As we approached the crest of the hill, a large red house and barn came into view. Several smaller buildings were also present. We walked up to the front door, and Applejack knocked.

“Granny!” she said. “It’s us, we’re back!”

“Granny?” I asked.

“You’ll see.” she said.

The door was opened from the inside. But instead of an older pony, as I’d assumed, a little yellow filly with a red mane and tail stood before us. Her mane was tied in a large bow.

“Applebloom?” said Applejack. “What’re you doin’ up so late?”

“Ah wanted a bedtime story.” she said. Then she saw me. “Who’s that?”

“Applebloom?” said Applejack.

“Sorry. Who’re you?” she asked, this time addressing me.

“I’m North.” I said, leaning down to her leve. “And you’re Applebloom.”

“Yes.” She extended a hoof, which I shook.

“Come on in North.” said Applejack, passing Applebloom and walking in.

Big Macintosh followed her in, and I looked behind me. The stars were shining brightly above. I followed him inside, closing the door behind me. We were in a kitchen, and the walls were lined with counters. A large table sat to one side. We continued through to what appeared to be the living room. A couch and two chairs faced a low-lying table. Applebloom turned to face Applejack.

“Can ya tell me a bedtime story?” she asked.

“It’s a little late, don’t ya think?” Applejack said. Applebloom looked disappointed.

“Um… I’ll do it.” I said.

“North, you don’t…” Applejack started, but Big Macintosh interrupted.

“A.J., if he wants to, let him.” he said, then he turned to me. “Go on.”

Applebloom ran up the stairs, stopping halfway. “Come on!” she said.

I looked back over at the two older siblings. Big Macintosh waved me on, so I ran after her, grinning. I followed her up the stairs, and she led me to her room. It was lit by a small wick lamp. She jumped into her bed, and I pulled her covers over her. She rolled over to face me.

“What kind of story do you want?” I asked, sitting down next to her bed.

“Somethin’ adventurous.” she said. I thought for a moment, then I started talking.

__________________________________________

When I’d finished, she was almost asleep. I waited until she was fully asleep, then I extinguished her lamp. I stood and walked to the door, then I looked back at her sleeping form.

“Good Night.” I whispered.

I walked out of her room and closed the door softly. She didn’t strike me as a filly who was afraid of the dark, and the night sky illuminated her room anyway. I walked downstairs, to find Applejack and Big Macintosh in hushed conversation. They heard my hooves on the stairs, and turned to face me.

“She asleep?” Applejack asked. I nodded, restraining a yawn.

“I’ll show you to yer room now if ya like.” she said. I nodded again, and she started to stand.

Big Macintosh waved her back. She sat back down. He stood, and motioned for me to follow. We walked back upstairs. He led me to the last room on the right, opening the door for me. I walked in and looked around. The room was similar to Applebloom’s, but the colors were completely neutral.

“Thank you.” I said, turning around to face him. “Um… why did you stop Applejack?”

“Ah wanted to talk to you alone.” he said, closing the door. I flattened my ears nervously.

“Ah’m not going to hurt you.” he said, noticing. “Ah just wanted to ask you what’s wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“Somethin’s botherin’ you. Ah thought maybe you’d like ta talk about it.”

“I…”

“Ah won’t tell anyone else if you don’t want me to.”

I studied him. I was terrified of telling anyone, like it would be acknowledging what had happened. But I also knew that I could trust him. I sat down.

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“Ah won’t.”

So I told him my story. I started slowly at first, but over time I gained confidence. He didn’t interrupt or question me, he just listened quietly. When I reached the more painful parts, I did my best to restrain my tears. However, when I reached the part about Luna, I couldn’t anymore. I finished the story, tears pouring down my muzzle. When I stopped talking, I broke down sobbing. I felt an arm wrap around me. I looked up to see Big Macintosh.

“I’m sorry.” he said. “That’s a lot for a pony ta go through.”

I nodded. He helped me stand, and guided me over to the bed. I climbed in, and he pulled the covers over me. He felt like an older brother at that moment. He said goodnight, then left, closing the door quietly behind him. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the day’s events.

__________________________________________

Later that night, Applejack was woken by strange noises. She rolled off her bed and got blearily to her feet. She walked over to the door, and stuck her head out. The sounds were coming from the room Big Macintosh had given North. She walked slowly down the hall and opened the door. Inside, North was convulsing on the bed, his face twisted in a grimace of pain. His eyes were shut tight, and he seemed to be crying. She ran over to him and tried to wake him. She got no response, so she grabbed his hoof, holding it tightly. A surge of energy like a static shock zapped her, but she didn’t release her hold.

He gasped loudly, stiffening. His eyes flew open, and his body relaxed against the bed. He laid panting, and his eyes found hers. He closed his eyes, still breathing hard. After a minute, his breathing had slowed, and he seemed to be asleep. She let go of his hoof, and sat down, watching him. He sighed, his mouth opening. She watched in shock as a glittering cloud of golden something drifted out. Blown by his breath, it floated through the air, slowly fading away. She watched it go, then she stood.

During the party, Twilight had told her what she’d seen. She left the room, lost in thought. She returned to her room, and climbed back into her bed. She pulled her covers over her. She stayed awake for a long time afterward, trying to figure out what to do. She finally decided it would be best just to wait and see what happened. After arriving at that conclusion, she fell asleep.

__________________________________________

In the castle at Canterlot, Celestia and Luna were in the throne room. A trail of smoke blew in from an open window. In a green flash of light, it resolved into a scroll. Celestia caught it with her magic, and removed the ribbon that bound it closed. Together, the two sisters read it:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Something strange happened today. Rainbow Dash found an earth pony stallion in the woods. She brought him to the library on Pinkie’s suggestion. When I checked him over, he seemed to have two hearts. Weird, right?

The two sisters exchanged a glance. The next line was even more surprising.

Later, when he woke up, he told us his name was Polaris.

Luna turned to her sister. “Could it be?” she said.

“I don’t know.” Celestia said. They returned to the letter.

But afterward, he started acting strange, and told us his name was North Star.

“Why would he do that?” said Luna quietly. “Why would he tell them his name was something different?”

He seemed very upset about something. Pinkie threw him a party today. The thing is, during her ‘pre-party’ party, it was like our Elements of Harmony were still with us. The magical energy caused him to grow a pair of wings.

They stared at the last line, both wondering the same thing. How could this have happened? The Elements of Harmony were back with the Tree of Harmony. They finished the letter.

He’s sleeping at Sweet Apple Acres tonight. Do you know what happened?

Twilight

P.S. Say hi to Luna for me.

“I don’t understand.” said Celestia.

“What is it?” said Luna

“When… when the Doctor took him, he said we’d never see him again.”

“But then… why is he here?”

“I don’t know. But I think it is best that we don’t respond. At least for now.”

“Why not?”

“I think that seeing you again so soon might be dangerous.”

“But it has been a thousand years!”

“Not for him, it hasn’t.”

Luna looked down at her hooves. “Very well.”

Celestia wrapped the scroll back up, and the two sisters sat in silence.

Comments

[Bad_Seed_72]

3606651

This site blog post shows you how to do so with the new feature.

[Bad_Seed_72]

With the wings, for a second I thought he transformed into Soarin. Then I realized that the colors were different.

I thought of Pinkie immediately when you introduced Starswirl in the last story... Guess I was right!

And looks like Luna hasn't forgotten about him after all.

[damnaion]

hummmm dam and nice chapter