////
On the Way Home
////
“And then we floated down from the sky,” Alex explained, having just finished telling everypony what had gone down between him, Alpha, and Dax, “The magic I used was incredible.”
Everypony sat with him on the train, listening to his explanation, from the brainwashing, to his accidental murdering of the changelings, by liquefying the machinery around him, and collapsing the entire sub-structure.
“That magic…” Celestia said in disbelief, “You’ve managed to unify chaotic and harmonious magic.”
“Wouldn’t that just make all of it harmonious magic?” Twilight asked, “Since he harmonized chaos?”
“Not quite, Twilight,” Celestia explained, “The harmony amplified the chaos. It’s like multiplying a negative with a positive.”
“And that makes powerful magic?” Pinkie asked.
“That’s an understatement, dear,” Celestia said, “If Alex so chose, he could dispatch both my sister, and I in an instant.”
Everypony gasped, and then looked at him.
“I’m a frickin’ human!” Alex complained, “Why is it the HUMAN that becomes a magic powerhouse? Why not a pony? This just sounds stupid.”
“Regardless, Alex,” Luna said, “You must promise us that you won’t try to take over Equestria.”
“Okay?” Alex said.
“Wonderful,” Luna smiled, content with that.
“Is he even stronger than the elements of harmony?” Twilight asked.
“No,” Celestia answered definitively, “They are still much stronger than he is.”
“Good!” Alex sighed, leaning back in his seat, “At least you guys can stop me if I go ape-shit crazy.”
“Alex!” Rarity said angrily, “Watch your language in front of royalty!”
“Sorry,” Alex quickly said, “It’s just this whole ‘Dax,’ merger- thing.”
“I understand.” Celestia said. “This must be a confusing time.”
“How do ya’ feel?” Applejack asked.
“Well,” Alex said, scratching his head, “I felt pretty crappy until I stuck it to Dash in the hotel room while everypony was packing.”
Dash gave him a shocked look.
“I said that out loud, huh?” Alex said, wincing a bit at his lack of control, “It’s him.”
“Well, we’ll give you a break for now,” Celestia smiled, winking at Dash.
“I’m going to another car...” Dash squeaked, her face burning red as she flapped off, and went to the next car back.
“Nice job, Alex,” Spike laughed, “I don’t know how you get away with that. Rarity doesn’t even want me talking about how we make out sometimes.”
“What?!” Everypony said at once.
“Spike!” Rarity said quickly, “It’s not polite to… To lie to everypony!”
Catching on, Spike winked at her very noticeably, and then looked back to his friends, “I’m sorry for lying everypony!”
////
Since they were in no rush to get back to Canterlot, everypony decided to make a stop-over at Appleloosa so Applejack could visit some family.
Once everypony got off the train, Alex stepped into the previous car, to see if Dash was still here, and if she was mad at him. It was understandable. He had pretty much lost his filter, on top of becoming MUCH more vulgar.
“Dash?” Alex asked, looking around the train car, “You in here?”
“Yeah,” She said in monotone, showing her mood off.
“Sorry about all that,” Alex said, “I’m not myself right now.”
Dash kept silent.
“Dash?” He asked, “You listening?”
“Are you ever gonna be yourself again?” She asked suddenly.
“Huh?”
“Alex,” Dash began, a little quiet, “He’s changed you.”
“You mean the lack of filter?” Alex asked, “That’s just something that I need to work on!”
“It’s not just that,” She continued, looking for the right words, “You told me you fused with Dax. Became the same pony.”
“Yeah, so what?” Alex asked.
“Dax was a whole different person than you,” She explained, “He may have been you at the core, but he didn’t have your attitude, and feelings.”
“I know,” Alex said, trying to comfort her somewhat, by placing a hoof on her shoulder, “He’s changed me. But--”
“If you two are fifty-fifty in there, then how do you know that you aren’t going to end up a totally new person?” Dash asked, holding her breath for some kind of promise that he would remain himself.
“Dash, let me tell you something,” Alex said, sitting down next to her, “Dax and I weren’t all that different.”
“Huh?” She asked, confused.
“He was right, when he told everypony that he was a manifestation of my suppressed feelings,” Alex explained, “He may have acted differently from me, but he thought the same as me.”
“Really?” Dash asked, surprised.
“Yes. Dax truly was me.” He said again, “Sometimes I would think something, and he would say it. It’s how we were able to execute our plan so well against Alpha. We knew what each other would do.”
“So, what you’re saying is—“
“Is that I’m not all that different,” He smiled, wrapping his arms around her, “Just a bit more of an ass now.”
“I can deal with that,” Dash said, clearly cheered up, hugging him back.
“This is nice…” Alex inhaled and closing his eyes.
“Just don’t go feeling me up,” She said, expecting it a tiny bit, “I just want this to be innoc—“
“Am I doing it?” Alex asked.
She nodded.
“Sorry!”
////
“Well, it sure was nice for them to give us all these pies!” Spike said, starting his second one as they walked back on to the train.
“Well, they seemed happy that I was able to solve that small problem with the buffalo,” Luna smiled.
“Well, considerin’ you moved the WHOLE town thirty feet over!” Applejack said, still amazed at her powers.
“It was quite smart,” Celestia agreed, “I should get the recipe for this pie, as well.”
“Apple family secret,” Applejack said, quickly, “Sorry ‘bout that.”
Celestia pouted uncharacteristically, “Okay…”
“Ah’ can make ‘em whenever you want though!” Applejack offered.
“I just might take you up on that,” Celestia laughed lightly, seeing that her plan had worked.
“Is everypony on board?” The conductor asked.
Taking a quick head count, and calling to Alex and Dash, who were still in the back, they told the conductor to start heading home again.
“I’m tired,” Luna yawned, “I’m going to take a nap. Wake me when it is time for me to perform my duties.”
Nodding, Celestia watched her walk off into the next car, and realized just how tired she was herself.
“Perhaps I’ll get some sleep as well,” Celestia said, walking past everypony, following her sister, “We’ll both be in the back car if you need anything, feel free to ask any of the guard.”
“Did my brother come?” Twilight asked suddenly, “I mean, if you called in the entire guard, he’d be here, right?”
“He stayed behind,” Celestia said, “He’s protecting Princess Cadance while she runs Canterlot.”
“Wow!” Twilight said, “I remember Princess Cadance! I wish Shining Armor would find a nice mare like her.”
“Oh,” Celestia said, realizing Twilight had no idea that her brother was already romantically linked with Cadance, “Well, maybe someday!”
Yawning herself, Twilight realized that all of them were probably exhausted from the entire day. They had all been up over the night, and she was sure that they all could use some sleep.
“Maybe, Princess,” Twilight said, yawning yet again, “But I’m going to get some shut eye, so I guess I’ll see you in a few hours?”
“Of course,” Celestia smiled, stepping off the car, “Please, relax until we get back. You’ve all earned it. For real this time.”
////
3022966
There is no sequel really. Just the offshoot story lines, that take place in the middle of this one.
Chasing the Rainbow comes after The Short Road.
The Fall of the Night comes after A Sudden Journey.
And Haven Station comes after Dog and Pony Show Part 2.
Off the Record is still being written, and will be for a few more weeks.
Random time jump anyone? This left me so confused , was this a troll chapter of some sort? Or like a Prologue of what's to come?
3022986 Ok cause the last two updates not counting this one made it sound like there was a Sequel of sorts.
3022993
There will be, just not right away.
Well, thats one way to solve the buffallo problem XD
Wait "For real this time.”? Did Cele just admit to purposely sending off the mane 8 into danger again?
3023000 You sir, have just made my day. *Squee*
3023673 I'm guessing that that'll come up in the next chapter or somthin' like that.
I am very, very, VERY confused. Like, you don't even know. Why, why why, why, why why why, why, Why, WHY WHY WHY, WHY do you keep making offshoots?!?! It's not like they are irrelevant! You can see it in these comments, people are CONFUSED! Why not put them in this fic, instead of making a billion others?! I DON'T GET IT
Nice work, as always :D
3029814
Well, it started with Chasing the Rainbow. So much work went into that, and before i knew it, the first part of that story arc was 10,000 words. So, instead, i just finished it all in chapter. Then, when it came to releasing it, i realized that i had put a TON of work into it. So, instead of just posting it, and getting normal favorites, and reviews, i made it a new story, which sat on the front page for a while, and even reached the featured box for a few hours. As a result, i got 10x the number of favorites, giving me a boost in popularity.
Then, when i did the same thing with Fall of the Night, it got me about 20x the favorites, and almost a whole day on the featured box.
Haven station was the same.
That's why i do it. I like seeing new readers, and the best way to have them showing up, is to post a new story. But i'll only do that with the main story arcs i work on, that aren't directly related to the episodes of the show.
3030286 *grumble grumble grumble* Fair enough. But I suggest next time you put a message THIS BIG in the chapter following the offshoot so you don't get people confused (Yeah, yeah, I got confused. Don't judge me), as well as one chapter before like you already do
Finally got around to finishing Haven Station and this chapter, and as always, you didn't disappoint me.
3022987 There was a offshoot or where a section of this story is put into another but by now im to late to tell you ;_; *SADFAIC*
3030309 I don't judge unless asked to...
I love how self aware this story is