Entry 2, End (... that you're all...)
My apologies for this slight interruption in my retelling, but a thought now occurs to me. Since I was unable to do this previously, due to the circumstances surrounding Entry One’s original creation, please allow me to start this chapter properly.
It’s just not a diary without these classic two words.
~Dear Diary~
Boy that’s satisfying to write.
This will technically be Entry Two in the grand scheme of things, though it will be written first canonically. Entry One will be written second and inserted into this book in it’s correct order afterwards because it was stupidly written in another dimension and needs to be rewritten as a result it’s complicated. While I’m moving things around, I believe I'm going to take the time and rewrite the chapters I wrote in Equestrian previously too. I’ll translate them into English, and then reattach them to the book in their proper order; that way The Poisoned Barb will be one solid language through and through. I feel that the more consistent I am in this, the easier this book/diary will be to read for those who take the time to translate it. It will also give snoopers and others unable to read this, like Dusk, less chances to figure out that I’m the author. My claw writing is very easy to spot when I’m recording things in Equestrian, you see, but not so much in English. Every layer of deceit helps, I feel.
But I also feel that you, dear reader, are not interested in the logistics that goes into producing this book. With this little intermission now concluded, allow me to continue where we left off. The sun had just risen, and the boys had returned victoriously. It was a joyous occasion for sure. Despite the excitement in the air, and the overwhelming sense of relief flooding every inch of my body, I treated my reunion with Dusk Shine like the mature adult I occasionally remember I am.
I assure you that I was the spitting image of a respectable lady of class.
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“DON’T DO THAT AGAAAAAIIIIINNN!!” I blubber loudly over the party music as I use Dusk’s chest as a giant tissue. “I-I-I was so s-s-scared that you were, w-were, D-d-d-deeeaaaddd!!”
Dusk winces at my waterworks, and at the mucus hanging from my nose, but he impresses me greatly by not backing away and instead hugging me tighter. “It’s okay Barb,” he coos gently to me, patting the back of my head reassuringly. “Really. I’m fine. We’re all fine.”
He then uses his hoof to gently direct my eyes towards his (I’m so happy I can now properly call them this) friends.
“Right, guys?” Dusk asks the boys, his smile large and cheerful.
“Right,” Butterscotch softly nods his head, as numerous critters run up and down his large frame. A small white rabbit can be seen crying into his beard.
“D-darn tootin’,” Applejack tries to comment, though he’s finding it hard to do so while Red Gala is sobbing loudly in a one sided embrace.
“Indubitably,” Elusive answers proudly unabated, save for Sweepy Belle quietly leaning against his hindquarters in a touching display.
“You know it!” Rainbow Dash hoots as he performs several victory loop dee loops in midair. I spot Scooteroll gazing intently from the shadows, mouth agape. His eyes are full of stars.
Bubble Berry bounces up and down in place, beaming the largest grin ever for all to see.
“I almost died of blood loss!” he reports happily, with the same enthusiasm one would use to say they had won the lottery. “Twice!”
Rainbow Dash slaps him upside the head for this, glaring angrily.
“I-I mean yup yup yup!” BB quickly corrects, excitement never waning. “We're all okily dokily!”
Dash nods his head in approval.
I stare open mouthed at first…
… only to swiftly come to the realization that it doesn't matter. They’re all here. They’re all okay!
That’s good enough for little, old, unfaithful me.
Dusk is forced to resort to his magic in order to pry myself off of him, as my grip was too great for just his hooves. He removes me just in time for the two of us to spot a second royal chariot now descending from the sky. Upon it is the sight of a familiar alicorn… and a not so familiar one too.
Next to Prince Solaris stands a much smaller pony than the one who had scared the crap out of me days ago. Nightterror Nebula’s true form, that of Solaris’ little brother Prince Artemis, lacks most of the features I’ve come to expect from alicorns. Though he bears both horn and wings, his solid blue mane lacks the same energy his brother’s autumn red one exudes constantly. His stature is also not unlike a common pony’s, and in fact I’d say that he’s about the same size as Elusive. To top everything off, he doesn’t even have a beard! His light blue chin is as bare as Dusk’s, and overall it makes him look much younger than he actually is. His body language also reminds me of a shy child’s; one who was just caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. He sticks close to his brother as the two depart the chariot and approach the gathering. As everypony, including Dusk, his friends, and I dip our heads low to bow towards our royalty, Prince Artemis blushes in embarrassment and quietly tries to disappear behind Solaris’ outstretched wings.
Normally I would say this is cute, but I’m still just a teeny tiny bit peeved that I almost died of hunger and or dehydration from sleeping for three days, so it’s overall effect is diminished on me.
… Or maybe I would have been okay, since dragons can apparently sleep for hundreds of years…
… Either way, I think I’m within my right to be angry at him.
Despite this ire, I still find myself a little happy when I watch a pair of pegasus colts fly by him and place a wreath of flowers around his head in a show of forgiveness. I think most of the ponies here can tell that this ‘mysterious’ new alicorn is the same one that tormented us not too long ago, but as this world’s history has taught me time and time again; ponies are a quickly forgiving bunch. You can call it naive if you want, because I can't say that it isn't.
But I'll, meanwhile, will call it admirable instead… at least a little bit.
This peace offering perks up the saddened stallion’s mood quite a bit, but Solaris and I soon spot another pony’s mood dropping for a completely unrelated reason. Turning away from his returned kin, though still keeping him very close, Prince Solaris addresses this pony with a tone full of an equal amount of concern and warmth.
“Why so glum, my faithful student?” he asks Dusk, who raises his head to meet his mentor’s gaze. Solaris turns his head as well, so that his left eye is now facing him and so that his disarming smile can be more prominent. “Are you not overjoyed that your quest is complete, and that you can return to your studies in Canterlot?”
This fails to raise Dusk’s spirits, as he quickly looks away in shame.
“That’s just it,” he explains for the prince, his words laced with a deep inner sadness. “Just when I discovered how wonderful it is to have friends, I-I have to say goodbye to them...”
And damn it all; upon hearing those beautiful words I can’t help myself any longer.
My eyes begin to mist over.
Even as my vision blurs, and even as my heart does cartwheels of jubilation in my chest; nothing on this planet is going to prevent me from missing my next cue. Five lovely words; I’ve been waiting many long and painful years, just for the chance to hear five heavenly words. Despite everything that has happened; despite my failures and mistakes and all of my many missteps, all I need to do now is glance at Solaris in order to tell whether or not we’re on the same wavelength.
With a grin aimed towards me, I can totally tell that we are.
“Barbara,” Prince Solaris declares loudly, granting me the opportunity to smile brightly now too. “Take a note, please.”
With pleasure, my ‘liege’. Hehe.
From my purse I procure a ready quill, and a blank piece of parchment. With a nod of my head, I confirm that I am as ready as I’ll ever be to record these next set of orders.
“I,” he begins, being as formal as ever in order to make this as showy as possible. Theatrics aside, my quill dances across the page all the same. “Prince Solaris, hereby decree that the unicorn, Dusk Shine, shall take on a new mission for Equestria.
“He must continue to study the Magic of Friendship.
“He must report to me his findings from his new home… in Ponyville.”
And there is much celebration. Surrounded on all sides by friends, both old and new, Dusk can't help but cry. “T-thank you, Prince Solaris!” he vibrates in elation, fighting the tears now in his eyes. “I’ll study harder than ever before!”
And I don’t doubt that one bit.
As the group bunches up together, burying Dusk in what I'm betting is the manliest pony pile that has ever existed, I roll up my scroll and turn my sight towards Solaris... only to blink in surprise when I see that he’s actually gone. Walking about in a circle, snapping my eyes all around, I quickly spot him and his brother trying to leave towards their chariot. Taking one last look back towards Dusk I confirm that he’s still busy, so I use this opportunity to begin sneaking my way over to the two Princes' side.
By the time I reach them, Artemis is already seating himself down on the cart’s interior. Before Solaris can join in, I call out to him. “Sir?”
Blinking, it takes a moment for the ruler of the sun to notice that I'm trying to speak with him. He swivels his head back and forth for a bit as a result, before thinking to look down. “... Barbara?” Solaris ponders aloud upon spotting me with one of his eyes. "Wha-"
“Prince Solaris!” rudely interrupts Mayor Mustang, who emerges from the crowd of celebrating ponies next to us in a rush. His louder voice captures Solaris' attention quickly, and drags it away from me with ease. “Your majesty! Please wait! I need answers for my citizens concerning what just happened!”
"..."
From my spot, I watch as the Prince’s focus rapidly shifts from me, to the Mayor…
… until lastly settling on a single chest lying in wait on the back of his royal chariot. Tilting my head to the side, I can see that the lid of this mentioned chest is slightly ajar. Now slightly curious over its importance, I lean forward to try to catch a quick peak. From where I stand I can just barely make out... what looks like a collection of colorful gemstones! Those must be the Elements of Harmony!
… But it doesn’t look like they’re attached to golden necklaces and a tiara, as was the case in the show. I can still see the yellowish metal, but it's clearly now been warped into a much different design. It almost looks like…
A guardmare places a hoof on the lid and closes the crate fully, preventing me and others from seeing anything more. Well… darn. Better luck next time, I guess. Solaris breathes a sigh of relief upon seeing this, before returning his focus towards the Mayor.
“I’m terribly sorry, Mayor Mustang,” he apologizes, bowing his head down lowly. “But I do not have much time to dwell here. I must return to Canterlot and inform everypony of what has transpired here, post haste.”
“But!” The Mayor tries to argue, pushing himself up closer to the Prince. "I can't just tell everypony nothing!"
This action... actually makes Solaris seem uncomfortable, strangely enough. His ears even wilt briefly as he takes a step back from the much smaller stallion vying for his aid.
“I-I will be sure to send you a letter as soon as I can, detailing everything there is to know,” Solaris surprisingly stutters as he tries to reassure the earth pony. To my further shock, he proceeds to gesture a hoof in my general direction. With eyes still locked with the Mayor, he explains, “Once the letter is complete, I will have it sent via our dear friend Barbara here. With the use of magical seals, she is able to send and receive messages almost instantaneously!” Hey! Don't advertise that without my permission, jerk!
Now having been made the target of the Mayor's scrutiny, a mischievous look enters the pony's eyes as he slowly turns to acknowledge me.
“Reeeeeaaaally?” Mustang inquires evilly, rubbing his chin as he wickedly grins. Maybe it's just my imagination, but it looks like shadows are now engulfing his face and sucking all of his features away; only his single monocle is now visible for me. “Think of how... helpful that would be in my line of work…”
~Gulp~
Thankfully, Solaris saves me just in the nick of time (from his own mess, I might add) by quickly scooping me up onto his back with the use of his wings.
“I-I’m afraid it is limited to just her family and myself though, my good sir!” he explains, discouraging any tomfoolery that was about to transpire. He nervously laughs. “Perhaps she can make an exception for you if you ask her nicely? What says you, Barbara?”
Ignoring the Prince for a moment; from my new perch atop his back I contemplate the pony's suggestion by scratching my own chin. I really don’t want to be turned into a mail-dragon full time, obviously, and as they say; if you give an inch…
... But if he can provide the hard-to-craft and expensive magic seals himself…
“... I can do it a few times for you if you’d like, Mister Mayor,” I explain. I guess I do owe him quite a bit for the attempted rescue. I grant the old stallion a small smile on top of this. “It’s the least I can do for you for listening to me earlier, and for trying to save my friends.”
Though he’s clearly disappointed at not having been granted around-the-clock access to Equestria's version of emails, the Mayor still gives me a large grin all the same for my generous offer.
“Think nothing of it, dear,” he replies, waving a hoof dismissively. “It's what Ponyville does for it's own, which I'm now happy to say includes both you and Dusk Shine! I do hope we can feel like home for you two soon... Reach out to me for anything. I insist.” The kind old stallion then turns to bow lowly to the Prince, offers a few thanks for his time, and then disappears into the crowd.
This leaves me with the two Princes; both the talkative and the not so talkative one.
“... I’ll be right back, Artemis,” Solaris whispers kindly to his brother. “I have one last task to complete before we can depart.”
At this, Prince Artemis wobbles slightly in his seat; his fearful eyes wandering to the massive amounts of ponies partying all around him. After a moment of false starts and jitters, he shrinks even further into his chair and finally mutters out the first words I’ve heard from him since his arrival.
“If thou sayest so… We beseech thee, though; please return w-with great speed, dear elder brother.”
... Woooowww.
Now that's a one hundred and eighty degree personality flip if I've ever seen one!
What the hay happened to that Warlord persona from earlier? He sounds like Gleaming Shield when she's trying to role-play in Ogres & Oubliettes (Equestrian D&D. She plays a paladin, naturally... I play a wizard)! N-not that I'm complaining at all, mind you, but still... What the hay was Nightterror Nebula in the first place? A possession? A split personality? I better ask either Dusk or Solaris about this later; they should be able to explain this to me. I'm honestly curious.
With a sad sigh, Solaris uses a wing to gently hug his scared sibling. They hold their position for a short time before the elder brother separates from the embrace and starts trotting off into a nearby field…
… with me still planted firmly on his back.
My first thoughts are that he's forgotten I'm still here with him, but this is swiftly proven false as he next lowers himself to the ground, in order to allow me to easily depart. Now alone with him, far far away from the rest of the town, I stare up at Prince Solaris as he rises back to his full height before me. That's strange; he usually uses his magic for such minor things as moving me around... Weird.
“Phew,” the Prince breathes loudly, now turning to properly address me. “W-well, little one, I think it’s safe to say that this has been the most interesting Summer Sun Celebration I've ever experienced! Wouldn’t you agree? Haha...”
I continue to stare.
“... Thankfully my little ponies were just fine on their own, it seems!” He goes on, ignoring my silence. “T-true the sun’s absence most likely caused a few hiccups, but I’ll be sure to address them all it short order! Haha…”
Still I stare.
He's acting... odd.
… Well odder than usual, at least. He’s a manipulator by nature, I know from experience, and a natural jokester. But… it feels like he's being a lot more forceful than usual with his words, and he’s sweating...
“Is… Is everything okay, Sir?” I ask him honestly, now worried.
Unflinching, and with another laugh, Solaris brushes my concerns aside with a waving of his foreleg. “Oh Artemis will be fine, Barbara.” He explains without a care, turning to keep an eye on the mentioned pony in the distance. “He just slips into the Royal We when he’s nervous. I’ll be perfectly frank; it’ll take a long time for him to heal completely… but at least now he has the opportunity to heal at all! Haha!”
Again he laughs in a joyful manner.
I’m not buying it for a second.
“No, my Prince,” I repeat, causing the stallion to halt his chortling. “I meant... are you okay? You're acting strange...”
“...”
“...”
… Solaris refuses to look at me, and instead continues to stare at the distant chariot.
“... Didn’t you have a question you wanted to ask me, Barbara?” he inquires, tilting his head to his left slightly and towards me. I’m still only seeing the back of his head. “Before the Mayor arrived? Y-you should ask that now before I must depar-”
“I was just going to ask for a ride so I can pick up mine and Dusk's things from Canterlot,” I cut him off to explain. I then take a single step forward. “But Solaris, please; why aren't you talking to me? Aren’t we... friends?”
This causes him to wince.
I wince as well. Maybe I’m overstepping my bounds here. “I-I’m sorry.” I speedily apologize. “I’ll just take the train inste-”
“I’m worried.”
Solaris’ words silence my own.
After a momentary pause, he finally turns to face me. A frown now adorns his muzzle.
“I’m worried,” he parrots himself. “And… s-scared, Barbara.
"I’m scared for the future.”
A shiver runs up my spine.
“W… w-what?” I ask him, completely startled. “But… you’re a Seer!” I try to point out, hoping that this is just another one of his sick jokes. “The future is the last thing you should be worried about! Ever!”
“... True... Yet… I am,” the Prince admits, looking down in shame. “This night, Barba-, no… Barb. Barb my friend... This night, Barb, was too close. The two of us, you and I… we both foresaw this night coming in our Visions.
“Together we both knew the major players involved.
“Together we both knew the overall outcome of their adventure…
“... But we both almost lost so much regardless!”
I’m taken aback by the shout, and by the anguish in his voice. W-what is he talking about? Dusk won in the end... right? He completed the prophecy! Everything went down almost exactly like the show! He's Equestria's hero now! I-I don’t have anything to fear…
… Right?
“Y-you still shouldn’t be scared, Solaris,” I pathetically try to convince him, as well as myself. My words ring hollow, as I lack confidence in them, but darn it all I'm not at least trying. “Dusk and his friends found those Element things, right? We’ve got nothing to worry about!”
I try to laugh for the Prince, in order to get him to join in.
But it fails, and he remains quiet.
“... I… wish I could believe that, little one,” he speaks bitterly after a time, my attempts having failed. “But there was so much about this event that my Vision failed to warn me about… It was the same for you as well, correct?” He asks me, now setting me on guard. “I feel that I am not being too bold to assume as much...”
My knee-jerk reaction is to look away, and to clam up. It doesn't take me long to realize how foolish I'm being, however, so I just as quickly turn right back around. “No... Your assumption is correct,” I answer truthfully; no point in lying about it now. “I-I saw the future Element bearers heading through the forest without issue... I did not see The Nightterror zapping the foals and I into the Dream Realm, and I also didn't see the journey taking four days in total.”
“So our visions are failing us,” Solaris concludes from my admittance, grumbling angrily to himself. “Perhaps a dark force is to blame, or the machinations of a wayward spell... I worry for what this could mean for what's to come.”
A feeling of anxiety starts to creep up within me. I’m now worried too. Very worried. If my show knowledge isn’t going to be one hundred percent accurate anymore, and if even Solaris’ future sight can’t predict everything... how are we going to proceed? What should I be doing? How will we know we’ll be safe?
How will I know that Dusk will be safe??
…
…
... Suddenly, the answer becomes crystal clear in my mind.
It's not perfect... but it's the best we can do.
“We just have to have faith, Sir.”
Solaris’ inner reflection halts due to my words, and soon he returns his gaze towards me.
“We just have to have faith," I repeat, solidifying the idea into my soul. "I-I didn’t have faith in Dusk today,” I reveal, the guilt evident in my voice. “I was so wrapped up in my fears, and so wrapped up in what I thought I knew... that I forgot what I already did. Regardless of what we ‘saw’, Solaris, and regardless of what actions we deemed were for the best; tonight was really not our story to tell. It was Dusk’s, and we should have known from the get go that he was up to the task.
"All we needed… was a little faith.”
“...”
“...”
“... Heh,” Solaris laughs quietly, his mood visibly improving. He then grants me a tiny, honest smile. “You never fail to impress me, Barbara The Dragoness. I dare say you and Dusk were cut from the same, wondrous cloth.”
My own smile grows a tiny bit thanks to this. I politely bow my head slightly in appreciation. “Thank you, Solaris.”
He waves a hoof at my display. “Now there’s no need for that, dear. I should be thanking you! I greatly appreciate that you are now more willing to speak to me as an equal these days. Though I clearly do not deserve such kindness, I still highly enjoy our talks…” His smile unfortunately turns back into a frown before my eyes. For the second time, he turns away in shame. “... But I should not be this forward with matters concerning the future, especially with one as young as yourself. It should be the burden of the adult, not the child, to prepare for what's to come.”
“No worries,” I shoot right back without a thought, waving off his concerns with a claw. In an attempt to save that dying light of hope, I fire a more hopeful looking grin at Solaris and declare that, “Us Seers have to stick together, right?”
To my great surprise... my small attempt at levity actually works. The Prince loudly laughs in response; not in great guffaws, but at least in tiny snickers.
“Hehe... I thank you again, Barb" the Prince answers, now appearing more like his usual cheerful self. "Thank you for lending me your ear today.”
“Anytime,” I reply to the alicorn. Though under the surface he’s still clearly worried, and obviously I am too to a similar degree... I think this is as fine of a place as any to leave this subject for now. Things aren't all doom and gloom, after all. There's still plenty to be happy about right now; like Dusk's new friendships and Solaris'...
Suddenly, a thought occurs.
“... But you don’t have to confide just in me anymore, Solaris," I helpfully start to point out, smiling brighter. "Remember… you have Prince Artemis by your side again now too! I bet he’s eager to reconnect with his big brother after all these years!”
For the second time, I receive a response I was not expecting. I was thinking that Solaris was going to respond to this in good mirth, and that such a response would in turn ease my own worries as well. Instead…
“That… may still take quite awhile, little one.”
Instead I think I only made him even more depressed.
Me and my big mouth...
“The void between us is still vast,” the ancient stallion explains for me. He then turns his head away, simply to check that Artemis was still waiting patiently for him. “And much effort will be necessary, from both of us, in order to return to what we once were…”
“But... he’s back now,” I try to point out once more, in a vain attempt to raise his spirits again. “Surely that has to count for something!”
“... Barb…” the Prince responds, turning again to address me. His words sound weak and defeated. “It saddens me greatly to admit this, but the actions from both of us this night have only resulted in the continual expansion of this mighty gap; not it's shrinkage. And... t-there are things that, once lost, can never be truly returned again...” In correlation to his words, the Prince sheds a single tear from his left eye.
I can’t help but stare at the overly dramatic display…
... And I can't help but stare even more as the ground beneath the pony is assaulted by not one, but two separate teardrops. Huh? Where the heck did that come from??
What happens next… confuses me even further.
Firstly, Solaris notices my staring and gasps as a result; becoming self-conscious of his crying. Secondly, he locates the tears still on his face and proceeds to wipe… both his eyes with a single foreleg. Lastly his right eye…
...well…
... I guess the best way for me to describe it is that the mere contact caused it to... wobble… like gelatin…
…
What the actual hell.
“Ahem,” the Prince breathes with a blush, trying to ignore my shocked reactions by speaking with himself. “I-I suppose this will not be a long term solution. Good to know.”
I’m… still incredibly confused. Sensing my confusion, Solaris nervously rubs his beard for a moment in deep contemplation. A solid minute passes before his attention returns to me.
“Barb,” he starts to say, trying to pick his words carefully. “There is… a reason why I’m thinking these thoughts and feeling this fear. I had intended to keep this a secret from my little ponies as long as I could, because it is quite personal… but I now feel that you have earned the right, as my friend, to know the truth.
“You should know why it is I’m afraid for the future.”
Unsure how to respond, I watch in silence as an intense magical aura bursts into life around the alicorn’s entire horn. This yellowish aura soon appears over the Prince’s right eye as well, and it proceeds to cause the surface of the face to ripple like it was made out of water. The pony then lowers himself to his knees in order to better show me that the area in which the eye... I guess we can describe it as ‘flows’... is beginning to shrink…
… and underneath the fading glamour I can now see the color red, standing in clear contrast to the Prince's all white coat.
It's red like a fresh scar.
It's red like dried blood.
A horrific sense of deja vu envelops my mind, and proceeds to drag me backwards to four days ago.
_______________________________
… In it’s defensive garb it gives off the appearance of a lion’s tail, one that swishes back and forth uninhibited by the plating. At its tip lies a blackened bundle of fur which completes the lion comparison, but it’s also here in my visual strip-down where my heart just about leaps out of my throat.
Attached to the tail’s tip is a one sided warblade.
On the tip of the blade drips fresh blood.
_______________________________
“No,” I can’t help myself but gasp, even as my claws cover my mouth.
Prince Solaris smiles in a sad, poignant manner, before allowing the illusion to once again settle over his new… deformity.
“It takes a lot out of me, just keeping this spell going,” he explains for me with words sounding as tired as he appears. “And, as I’ve just demonstrated, it’s unable to hide wayward tears. It’s certainly sufficient enough for a quick fix, but it leaves me hoping that nopony notices my sudden lack of advance spellcasting. Even the rescue flare from earlier was pushing my new limit a bit, h-hehe.
"... Please do keep this from Dusk, Barb. I promise I will tell him the truth in time, but I'd rather he not be distracted from his new companions right now."
I'm left completely and utterly speechless; both in voice and in thought.
“... Though I wish this conversation could have been had under different circumstances, I am content that you now know the risks of being a Seer, dear little Barb.” Solaris speaks truthfully, once again rising fully. “While the beginning and the end of the story may be crystal clear in our Sights, the middle act will most certainly be filled with much unknowable strife... So do be cautious, please,” he tries to finish lightheartedly; going so far as to chuckle and pretend that everything is still fine.
It doesn't work.
With claws still planted tightly over my quivering lips, I find myself now crying uncontrollably. “T-that's… that's…” Sniff~
With a reassuring pat on my head from his armored hoof, the Prince tries once more to comfort me. “There there, child. Do not weep. I am quite certain that I will be the only one-eyed monstrosity in the foreseeable future. Mine is just a cautionary tale; nothing more.”
“I'm not crying for me,” I choke out at last, as I try to wipe my eyes. “T-these are for you… and your brother."
Now it's Solaris' turn to be silent.
"That poor pony is full of too much grief already," I go on. I feel the internal anger I once held for Artemis now vanishing little by little. "I can see it. I may not know what the full story is about him yet, but... I can at least see that he's not the same pony who hurt me earlier. N-not completely, at least... And I don't think he's the same one who hurt you either, Solaris... Please don't let this ruin his second chance," I sniffle as the last of my tears dry.
Another moment of silence soon follows. All that can be heard between us, as we stand and think, is the sound of the distant party still raging in Ponyville none the wiser.
"..."
"..."
"... Hahaha..."
Catching me completely off guard, the Prince abruptly gains a completely jovial grin as he proceeds to playfully noogie the fins atop my head. “H-hey!” I whine, trying to bat the hoof away with my claws.
But Solaris only beams larger in response.
“Equestria is most fortunate that this strange power was granted to one with a heart such as yours, Barb,” he laughs bombastically. After having his full of teasing me (at least for now), Solaris eventually eases up on me. “Trust in it, little one, and it will be your guiding key.”
“What the hay does that mean?” I fume as I work on fixing my look. Rude.
“It means you have my blessing to continue what you’re doing,” the royal pony reports proudly as he turns to face the chariot one last time. He slowly starts to trot off. “It’s obviously working… Oh!" He then shouts, stopping in place and turning to focus his one good eye on me. "Before I forget; in regards to your original ride request, Barb, I'm afraid my chariots will be much too full of guards to accommodate another at this time." Resuming his trot yet again, he calls out his final plans for me as he departs. "I will be sure to send for another chariot to come grab you as soon as possible. I will also have a guard assigned to assist you in the task. I already have one pony in min-”
“Wait!” I interrupt; calling out to him before he can leave fully. “M-may I have an audience with you when I return, Prince Solaris?”
Halting his retreat yet again, Solaris turns to me for our final conversation.
“Well… certainly, dear… but whatever for?” he inquires, now granting him time at being the confused one for once. Better him then me. “True there are many things about Dusk’s new arrangements I’d like to go over, but they can be easily covered in a single scroll… What would you like to discuss?”
Pausing, I think my next words over with the utmost care I can muster. In the past I would have avoided Solaris like the plague, fearing that he may uncover the truth about me. Upon becoming a ‘Seer’ in his eyes, I wanted to see him even less. I didn’t want to really share with him what I knew, under fear of changing the timeline…
… after what’s happened though, and what Solaris has lost… I don’t think I have the right to keep my knowledge to myself anymore.
Faith is a welcomed guest... but plans will always get top billing in my book.
“I’d like us to prepare early for the next storm, Prince Solaris,” I state plainly and without jest, making sure that he understands that my next words are dead serious.
“We have to be ready… for the Lord of Chaos’ return.”
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Well now. That's certainly a dramatic way to share that news.
Woah, just look at all these nails flying out of horseshoes. That's gotta be dangerous.
Absolutely stellar work, you've really one upped your already high standard with this.
Surely Barb means the "Lady of Chaos".
Edit: Ooh, ooh. Idea! Instead of "Discord, Lord of Chaos", it could be "Eris, Dame of Disorder".
Also, there are two "you're"s in the chapter that should be "your". ("you're quest" and "You're assumption".)
9130066
Thanks for the heads up! Like last time I will make the corrections... except for the lord one. I love your suggestions, but this 'mistake' might have been intentional ;)
9130076
Makes perfect sense that Barb wouldn't know who the female version of Discord is. Though, splitting it up into another paragraph made me believe it was Solaris' line at first. I hope future chapters will have Barb spend more time with the princes since the 'behind the scene' stuff is usually more intriguing, and we've pretty much confirmed the end-result of an episode will remain the same.
Loss of blood; Bubble Berry's only weakness.
There's salt in your eye.
Focus
Yikes.
I suspect this newfound weakness will be Solaris' downfall against Male Chrysalis Metamorphosis? Pharate? Crypsis? Eclosion? amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/ 😉
Did Celestia also get hurt or is that a thing unique to this world?
9130626
Before the third season, I don't recall ever seeing both of Celestia's eyes at once. She always seemed to have her flowing mane covering one.
9131016
There's this once against Chrysalis I think.
Nice to see that Barb will finally have this long due conversation. And probably going to insist in stone training for them too.
9132017 Thank you. I can excuse Artemis because of his archaic upbringing, but if there’s one thing that Bubble and Pinkie suck at, it’s making rational decisions. My only beef with Bubble is his borderline-illegal alcohol obsession, while my beef with Pinkie is her utter insensitivity to other’s feelings. I can’t dislike them for being impossible because that’s part of their character, after all.
So, almost-no-magic thing is just the result of that very, very inefficient illusion spell, and not connected to his injury?
9137567
Yup, just the spell. An original draft of the chapter was going to use it as the justification for the animation glitch that caused Celestia's tail to appear as though it was coming out of her Cutie mark for one scene. It was kinda hard to describe that organically in writing though
9137935
Speaking of justifications, Spike in the show have pair of interesting one-off abilities:
Minor pyrokinesis (Season 1, Owl's Well That Ends Well):
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/5/14/324496.gif
Either small item summoning or magic hammerspace storage (Season 3, Spike at Your Service):
orig00.deviantart.net/5a8a/f/2018/240/3/b/spikespell_by_vcsajen-dclf8ys.gif
9138543
The magic storage bit was the best part of that episode. My oc dragoness in another one of my stories was set to take advantage of it at some point during her own tale. It will most likely make an appearance during this story as well, though what it will hold is a mystery even to me. The bursting feather will probably show up too, probably as a joke.
... As a side note, I am NOT looking forward to the mental gymnastics I'll have to perform to justify Barb's actions during both these two episodes
I've got a gameplan for that Owl's Well one, but At Your Service... *shivers*
I can't wait for the Eris arc
10070924
Spoiler tag only because of stuff that happens later >>>Me too ^_^
I do hope this isnt the only reason as justification of Celestias and Solarises weakness. Maybe Barb can help heal him? I hate what happened no matter how plausible it seems.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR THE KINGDOM HEART?!
11128266
Hey hey HEY...
...
... We keep things Simple and Clean around here, you get me?