Rise
“Dreamin’ On!” my headphones blared as I turned at the apex of the hill and then back down the road. The marathon’s course had not changed over the past five years but I still always dreaded this detour that took me up away from the straight path to the finish line and into a sharp incline of a hill between two red rock passes. I’d switched from podcasts to music at mile 13 but even that did little to suppress the flames licking at all my muscles and utterly consuming my legs at this point. I knew what awaited me at the end of though, so I maintained my pace and moved forward.
Every year since I’d moved out and things had settled down, it was nice to go through this part of town again. I still had memories of it as a child with the zoo and the mountains whose erosion had left them resembling swiss cheese. It was a chunk of nature smack dab in the middle of several towns.
And it was indeed nature, not just a cultivated patch of land. As I ran by, I saw shapes on the mountains. As I kid, I had known they were bighorn sheep or maybe a coyote, but now I was not sure. There were precautions on the road to keep regular wildlife out, but there were still struggles dealing with what now might be on the hill.
Something glinted to the right. Even with my shades, a spot on one of the peaks’ many crevices shown too bright for me to look at for too long. There was nothing on the mountains to reflect the sun like that. The blazing glow rose into the air and darted off, leaving a fiery trail in its wake. The spot it had appeared still glowed bright but I could make out a large rounded mass that smoked but did not catch aflame.
Do they always have to nest in extreme wildfire danger areas? I pondered before Eagleheart started.
“Oh hell.” I never skipped this song no matter where it played during a race, but it revved me up to the point that my pace could increase by a whole minute.
Concerns about the phoenixes and the other newfound wildlife melted away. My vision narrowed. Even the dull ache in my side that had never seemed to fully fade ebbed.
Down the road I went. There were cheerers everywhere along the path. Every year it seems like there were a few more with hair that, a decade ago, you would have assumed was dyed or a very convincing wig, but that assumption was no longer reliable. If you saw the way they walked and the way they greeted others, you might get a better idea of where they were visiting from, but for now they were just figures in a crowd.
Except for the young woman with mulberry and rose hair. As the song reached its climax, I raised a fist and banged it against hers. Then, I was gone.
~~~
“Well, that sucks,” I said between bites of a sandwich. The caprese from a local shop tasted even better than usual after the race.
“Eh.” A woman with short purple hair shrugged. “There’s always the Running of the Leaves.”
“See you’re still following after Dash and Applejack,” I chuckled.
“Following is definitely the right word,” said a third woman, this one with vibrant crimson hair. “They’ve still got us beat.”
“I hope Trixie is okay,” said the woman with mulberry and rose hair. “It seems like she gets caught in a Fall every year.”
“I think we’ve worked out the major kinks in the system,” I said. “She might want to lay off the disappearing acts. From what you’ve said and I’ve seen, that seems to be the trigger.”
“You know how Trixie is,” Apple Bloom sighed.
“Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever actually spoken with her.” I stroked my beard. “Probably for the best at least when she first Falls. And we now get y’all back home so fast there’s really no time to talk.”
“Oh!” Sweetie Belle slapped her hands on the table by the pool in the middle of my apartment building. “Maybe you can talk with her at the reunion on Friday…” She glanced over me, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. “You sure you’re not going to be too sore by then?”
“Eh, I’m used to the soreness and crossing The Divide shouldn’t be too rough. I’ve done it plenty of times at this point.” And yet I still almost always manage to trip over my hooves every time. “As to Trixie, not sure what more I can offer.”
A few years back, when we were still working things out, there may have been doors I could have opened and connections I had that would have sped up the process. My credentials in that field were not earned by any sort of educational background, but by the hands-on experience that luckily only very few humans had experienced. Now though, there were official channels of both pony and human variety, a reporting system, and transport that got anything sapient back to the other side. That is, assuming they do not want to enjoy some trans-dimensional tourism.
Thinking back, my side and arm ached. Those first few days of April nearly ten years ago seemed so quaint now after the Second Fall and the Shattering. Just as it had seemed return was within the ponies’ grasp, all hell had broken loose with Discord chucking us to who-knows-where. Maybe it was the meds or getting shunted across universes but my recollection of the day is still a mess.
And the chaos that had broken out at camp was quickly doused by the nightmare I, Scootaloo, and Fluttershy had found ourselves in. How we had managed to survive the labyrinth keeps me up at night sometimes. I still largely credit Fluttershy for preventing the local giant spider population from killing us and guiding us out.
“Oh yeah, was so focused on getting here in time for the race and then getting ready for it, forgot to ask, any news from that side?” Scootaloo asked.
“I spot a white spider every now and then, but it’s probably too much energy to send anything else right now.” I had managed to find Earth’s “reference” source on the world we had been thrown into, but that accuracy was always suspect. “That world will take a while to recover.”
As the first Fall had proven, the multiverse did exist, but crossing it came with serious issues if proper care was not taken. Done by say, an embodiment of chaos with no preparation or care for safety, the energy conversion of sending over just a single individual body and soul together could be the cosmic equivalent of a 300-pound sumo wrestler cannonballing into a kiddie pool.
As I’d come to learn, only sending a part of a person, namely a soul, mitigated some of these risks but the trans-dimensional migration still packed even souls alone with enough energy to make them a highly coveted resource. Of course, that was only if you knew [i[how to obtain that energy and, so far, I’d only met one individual that could successfully do it: a very powerful spider. I lopped Discord and an insane elf bastard as making sloppy attempts but ultimately failing. It reminded me of the tale of a boy scout that had tried to build a nuclear reactor.
It had been a struggle and we barely avoided getting caught up in a damn war, but it had worked out in the end. Our end at least. I never did learn what fully happened to that world. The excess energy we’d built up was given and Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and I found ourselves smack dab in my parents’ backyard in April 2013. Needless to say, they nearly killed me once they were done crying and thanking G-D I was back.
Other portals were found. Reunions were had and, ultimately, we achieved the Rebuilding. It’s not clear why, but while the other worlds remained locked off, one other universe remained open. There were several theories but, given Discord remained at the center of it, a solid answer would probably never appear, even if he was now on friendlier terms with reality. All that I knew from my end was that while Falls did still occur and that the environments were trading back and forth between worlds, civilizations had learned to deal with it. It seems both ponies and humans share a trait of being really good at adaption.
As a de facto expert, I had been a highly sought resource for the five years following my return. I still got calls and emails every now and then and there were always talks about interviews and book deals, but I’d still wanted to finish my education and get a solid job. Yes, even when Crisis on Infinite Earths decides to pay reality a visit, you still have to pay your taxes.
“How your folks doing?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Still a bit sad Oxford passed but moving on. Other than that, doing okay. Still obsessed with Peloton.”
“Oh.” Apple Bloom frowned. I imagined she was thinking of Winona.
“I still don’t get why humans buy all those machines,” said Scootaloo. “Can’t you go outside to exercise?”
“That’s right,” I chuckled. “You never have been here in the summer.”
~~~
I leaned back in my chair. The boat was too big and too steady for me to feel the waves against it, but my soreness from the race combined with the rush to get as much work done as I could before jetting off to the west coast made my eyelids heavy. Add to that a few dinners with the Crusaders and family earlier in the week and I was ready for a very long weekend.
“You look like you’re ready to hibernate,” said Apple Bloom.
“By the way, no one’s turned into a bear, right?” asked Sam. He had finally accumulated enough PTO and scheduled things for a trip. Neither of us had saved up enough for Japan but thanks to my connections, any venture to our current destination was free once we made it to the coast.
“Not that I can recall.” The conferences, interviews, and certainly the examinations regarding that issue were all still vivid to me. A lot of the terminology was lost to me given its scientific nature but the gist was while there were rare non-pony variants that resulted from crossing The Divide, it was always a sapient creature. “Although surprises seem to be the theme this week.”
Scootaloo scratched her head. “Sorry.”
“I’m not mad.” I’d lost count how many times I’d said it by now. “I get tunnel vision at trials and the courts are open to the public… it’s just some nasty stuff you had to hear.”
Sweetie fidgeted in her seat. “I still don’t understand why humans put all that bad stuff in their bodies.”
“A mystery of time immemorial,” I mused before veering the topic away from work and the vagaries of law. For the next few days, I had no interest in it. Thoughts of my post-Bar stint flashed through my mind. “We are the species that invented Worchester sauce after all.”
“Even Pinkie was stumped how y’all came up with a combo like that.”
We kept up the small talk for a bit. Sweetie focused on a stallion she had her eyes on, Apple Bloom mentioned how she was helping out a bit at the farm, and Scootaloo, after getting a guilty look for Apple Bloom, noted a little extra work was no big deal.
“Good to hear the agency’s branch in Appleloosa is doing well,” I said.
Scootaloo grinned. “Incorporating Buffalo rights was tricky, but it all worked out. Plus, the way they’re able to find human Falls really helps out a lot.”
Though incredibly uncommon, humans could also Fall. It raised the question of what being “spirited away” in the past actually meant. At least now, like with ponies, there was a system in place, with the Crusaders as one key point in it.
As I reminisced on their accomplishments, which seemed far greater than mine just based on the fact they were ongoing, the PA whirled to life.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” came the captain’s voice. “We’re in the final stage of our approach to The Divide. Please remain seated. Regulars will be allowed to move once we’re fully over and the seated sign is turned off. New travelers, please stay seated until registration is complete.”
I glanced out a starboard window. The light that streamed in cast two shadows, Given our approach, there were no bow-facing windows. The crew probably did not mind the constant glare of The Divide but even with shaded windows it would probably bother a passenger. If you just wanted to see The Divide though, there were other ways. On a clear day, you could even see the great glowing prismatic barrier from the shore. Anyone from San Diego to New Zealand could.
The light outside grew brighter. Hairs rose up on my arm. A glistening ethereal wall pushed through wood and steel to appear before us. Sam tensed up beside me. I closed my eyes as The Divide washed over us.
There was a brief sense of freefall. It was as if my head detached from the rest of me. Had I kept my eyes open, I would have been momentarily blinded anyway so no one ever exactly knew what crossing over looked like. It was probably for the best. I had endured enough bodily issues.
It only took a second, and then I felt the seat underneath me. I even felt it more so than before since I had shifted around so a greater portion of my body now took up the seat. That, and there were no longer any clothes between the seat and my hazelnut brown fur.
I gave my neck a crack and flexed the wings at my back. The power of the written word was now a hotly contested topic, but my form on this side largely matched with the avatar I’d crafted from that self-insert when I had just thought ponies were for fun. Like most fanfic authors, I looked on my early works with a bit of nostalgia and cringe. That it had partially become reality made me feel sympathy for Ainz Ooal Gown. At least, tales of the future like his were still highly skeptical on their implications for reality and the multiverse.
“Oh, my stars! You did become a bear!” Sweetie exclaimed before blinking and rubbing her eyes. “Wait…”
I spun to my side and was met with a great hulking figure. Sam was a big guy, but the creature next to me was another story. I didn’t even reach its shoulders. Thick shaggy fur covered it and horns protruding out of its head. Hooves rather than paws marked the ends of its legs. Its beard had grown in size but I could still recognize it.
Sam shook his head— it was not uncommon for first timers to get disoriented. He brought a hoof to his head and, feeling its hardness, pulled back and blinked. “That is freaky.”
“And you win the lottery,” I joked. “Congrats. You managed to become a yak.”
“A what?!”
~~~
Since it was a rare transmogrification, Sam’s registration took a bit longer. Yaks manifested magic through strength though, so dealing with new yak arrivals was not too difficult. I had heard some horror stories about dragon, hippogriff, and changeling arrivals that made a trip to the DMV sound delightful.
While he was being registered, I’d gotten up and still managed to nearly trip out of my seat and headbutt Apple Bloom. An orange wing caught me.
Scootaloo kept me upright and, with my footing secure, followed me outside. Apple Bloom and Sweetie decided to stick with Sam. Going out to the deck, I took in the air. I wasn’t sure exactly what happened to seawater that passed through The Divide, but it had a different scent that I could not describe fully. That or my nose had shifted. Looking ahead, I saw mountains poking over the western horizon. We had been at sea for a few hours. Anyone from a decade ago would assume the captain had gotten seriously lost on the way to Catalina or the sight would have made no sense.
“You didn’t want to ask Sam any questions?”
“You should know how pegasi are by now.” Scootaloo gave her wings, still small for her age, a stretch while I rotated mine around. There were a few other passengers coming out as well, many of them winged. Similar to the cheerer situation, I had a sense of where the passengers came from by the steadiness of their gate. A mare having to nearly swat her colt out of the air was also a good indicator. A natural colt that age would know not to fly but kids often got too excited. It's why any ships crossing over had a special reinforced section for families. It wasn’t quite a brig but in the grand scale of things it was better than having a dragon unfamiliar with fire control light up the boat or an untrained unicorn blast through the hull. I still remember the news stories.
~~~
“Oh, my dear!” Hooves wrapped around Sweetie. Rarity pulled her in and did not seem intent on letting go.
A similar scene played out nearby between Applejack and Apple Bloom.
“Hey, heard you had an unexpected participant in your race,” Dash chuckled while draping a wing across Scootaloo’s back.
“I’m guessing Trixie is already back on the road?” asked Scootaloo.
“Well, all her stuff is still in Las Pegasus.”
While the Crusaders reunited, I pulled double duty on mine and Sam’s luggage. I did not mind much since Sam couldn’t carry anything right now anyway. Apple Bloom had offered to show him some techniques while we were here.
A hoof tapped against my shoulder. “Um, do you need any help?”
Fluttershy still had a knack for sliding up close without notice and did not look that much different a decade older. Then again, any ponies’ exact age and the conversion to human years was another mystery still being explored. Naturally, as a gentleman, I was not about to ask.
I hefted my bag over to her since I had exactly what I needed while I guessed from his bag’s weight that Sam had overpacked. “Thanks.”
“It’s really nothing.” Just as Fluttershy took my bag, I saw Angel poke out from her mane. Once again, age was a great mystery since he should have at least appeared elderly at this point, but the bunny appeared spry and there was still a fire in his eyes. He never really had warmed up to me, but I still marked the strained “Thanks” he had whispered to me upon seeing Fluttershy again as a high point in our relationship. “It sounds as though things are well… I was sorry to hear about your dog though.”
“He led a good life,” I sighed. “Anyway, sounds like things are good here. Pinkie still on the mend?”
“Not if I can help it!” a voice exclaimed behind me. I turned and was met with Pinkie… and a bundle around her chest with a tiny yellow head full of bright pink hair sticking out. “Say hi, Little Cheese!”
The foal babbled up at me.
“She’s adorable… do hair genetics work the same for ponies?”
Pinkie shrugged. “It’s funny, Dougie asked the same question.”
“Oh good, he made it…” I glanced over at Sam. “I do now have to wonder why he didn’t end up as a yak too.”
“I do—” Pinkie inhaled sharply. She scooted over to Sam, taking care not to jostle Cheese too much. “A newbie! Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie!”
Sam raised a hoof in a stunted manner. Pinkie grasped it halfway. “Uh, nice to meet you… man that is still weird.”
“I get that a lot. Once you work out all the weird stuff, it’s fun to be a trans-dimensional celebrity!”
“Well, we’ve got plenty of stuff planned and catching up to do, so shall we be on our way?” said Applejack, having hoisted Apple Bloom’s luggage onto a nearby cart. I saw that Rarity and Rainbow Dash had done the same.
“Yep!” came a unified chorus.
As we got into the cart, I watched the Crusaders ascend. On this side, it wasn’t an issue (or I’d at least come to terms with it) so I couldn’t help but notice the sun shine on their marks. A spiderweb partially comprised of feathers for Scootaloo, a human hand holding out an apple for Apple Bloom, and a fusion of a musical note and an olive branch for Sweetie Belle. In the end, we had all been so relieved just to get them back to Equestria it hadn’t been until the morning after that the Crusaders had noticed their marks.
We’d all mistaken their screams of delight for Discord having decided to renege.
I imagined that until a decade ago, such cutie marks could not have existed. After all, what had brought them about did not exist in Equestria.
At that dawn, all of us who had been through the Fall noticed our flanks as well bore images. I still get a chuckle from the irony that while the Crusaders’ were literally marked by their ventures across worlds, the set of wings cradling a star on my flanks probably wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows unless asked about.
“I’m not barging in on the reunion, am I?” Sam asked while Applejack helped him into the cart.
“Bit late to be asking that,” I said. “You’re a friend, Sam, and I don’t think anyone here would have a problem with that.”
Feeling in the mood for it. I kicked off the ground and briefly took to the air. That first feeling of defying gravity still got me. It ended after a glide into the cart, but I knew some full flights lay ahead of me. “So, just lean back, take in everything and enjoy your time here.”
“Wow! I am so stealing that line!” Pinkie exclaimed.
As the cart set off, I looked over its occupants, thought over all that we had seen and been through, and smiled. There had been more struggles than I could count. Times when it seemed we were at a dead end. Yet, we had pushed forward, endured the hardships, and had managed to form a bond that spanned worlds. I still recalled the dawn of that first day here and I saw not just the home the Crusaders had so desperately wanted to return to, but a future of endless possibilities. With the wings at my back, the sky’s the limit.
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It's surreal to see a Ponyfall fic update in 2022. Nice to get some closure after all this time though
I think a Q&A would be awesome. Thanks for closing out the story for us.
5768027
https://youtu.be/6EBuKP-uc94
Nice art
11220965 Alright I was waiting for this. Well, I just lost this story and I am just glad to I found it again. Thanks for writing this story.
Well this is a blast from the past. Thanks for finishing this off.
11220953
It's the first Ponyfall update of any kind that I have seen since 2020.
A decade? This story may be good (I sincerely forgot if it was good or not) but you made chapters for a couple of years and then forgot about it for the rest of the 'decade'
Oh, oh shit. An ending to a fic from MLPs golden age. Cool. Thanks you for coming back to do this.
Glad to another ponyfall story finished would love to see a q&A or at the very least just an explanation of the time gap between the two chapters.
Man, ten years. I don’t read pony fics anywhere near as much as I used to, but this is definitely one of the ones that got me into it. I’m glad to see this get some kind of closure after all this time.
A fantastic way to draw the saga to a close. Given the choice between summary and nothing, I know what I'd pick every time, especially one as intriguing as this. Thank you for it.