Following Through

by Alaborn

Chapter 5

Following Through

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Chapter 5

---

“I think Jason’s in love,” I said.

Jason was one of my friends who was close enough that we’d actually talk about relationships. Neither of us were particularly exceptional in that aspect of our college life, but we had multiple girlfriends over the years. When it came to relationships, I kept an open mind, but realized a college relationship probably wouldn’t last. Even a strong one might eventually end when two people move to different places after college.

Jason was different. After a few dates, he started to think of his girlfriend as “the one”. That normally led to heartbreak a few months later, but he always bounced back. Whenever he was smitten, he would get this goofy look on his face, the same one I saw when he was with Lemon Spark.

Twilight Sparkle looked at me curiously. “Normally, ponies react with joy to that kind of announcement. But you look worried.”

“The problem comes when we leave Equestria, hopefully forever. I’m sure he’ll move on, so my main worry is that he’ll fight going home. There’s also the weirdness factor. Interspecies relationships only exist in fiction in my world.”

“There are a lot of traditionalists here, and it’s still most common to marry within one’s kind, but even interspecies relationships aren’t seen as that unusual,” Twilight Sparkle said. “What I’d imagine would be hardest for Jason is explaining he wasn’t born a pony.”

“That’s a conversation we hopefully won’t have to worry about,” I commented. “Did you finish your equations?”

“Yes, and Princess Celestia contacted the various observatories directly to request their answer. Because the directive came from her, we should have our answer by morning. Sorry, but I’m not sure how long it will take to get you home. Hopefully, it’s soon.”

“Yeah,” I said. “But there’s something bothering me. We still have no idea who did this, and why.”

“What’s most important is getting you home.”

“No, you’re important, too.” Ugh. These ponies are growing on me. Ever since I stopped treating this whole situation as the universe toying with me, I’ve come to appreciate this world. And that includes not wanting to see them get hurt.

But could they get hurt, with human writers creating a television series involving them?

These are questions I never thought I’d have to ponder.

“I appreciate your concern, but I think the best thing for us to do is turn in, and see what we hear back from Princess Celestia tomorrow,” Twilight Sparkle said.

“It’s still pretty early,” I said. I smiled. “I think you want to get back to reading Harry Potter.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled sheepishly. “Guilty. But I thought of a book that you might enjoy reading.” She levitated a book to me.

Picking it up in my own aura, I inspected it. The cover had a picture of two smiling unicorns, a colt and a filly, and the title Elementary Magic. “A textbook?”

“Yes. I know it’s foalish, but every unicorn needs to start with the basics. But you should be able to teach yourself much faster than a foal, because your horn and magical core should be fully developed. Don’t worry, there’s nothing dangerous in the lessons.”

“Thanks,” I said.

I retreated to my bedroom and jumped onto my bed. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of learning more magic.

And then I looked at the first lesson.

Apparently, there was an entire magical alphabet, each symbol with a name in Ancient Unicorn and a meaning in English. And the first lesson focused on just two of those symbols, light and motion.

Reading the lesson, I recognized those as the two forms of magic I was able to use without instruction. But now I was learning rules, rules that would help me control my energy.

In language simple enough that a child could understand it, the book taught me how to hold and shape the magic within my horn, describing each squink I would feel when successful. Each was matched to a symbol with a second, modifying symbol. The sensations I felt when I successfully channeled my magic were strange, sort of like tastes.

And, like most textbooks, there were problem sets. The exercises were like a cross between performing scales in music and practicing basic arithmetic problems.

By the time I turned in for the night, I was able to make a quill shrink, and change its color. It wasn’t quite what I imagined Transfigurations to be like, but it was a start.

---

I awoke to a pounding on the door. “John, time to get up!” Twilight Sparkle said, a hint of urgency in her voice.

I blinked. The sky was just beginning to lighten outside. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, but Princess Celestia has asked me to come to Canterlot. And I’d like you to join me.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain over breakfast,” Twilight Sparkle said. “For now, go ahead and get ready.”

I headed to the bathroom, where the same challenges faced me. The faucets responded easier to my horn, and when I tried scrubbing myself with the brush held in my magic, I found myself having more control over it. Symbols indicating movement, pressure, and strength flowed from my mind and into my horn, and my magic responded.

I was thrilled, but at the same time I felt a twinge of sadness. If we’re going to Canterlot, then perhaps my time here was about to end, and so was my using magic.

I exited the bathroom and headed to the kitchen. Spike wasn’t present, so Twilight Sparkle was making what appeared to be oatmeal.

“Do you need any help?” I offered.

“No, I’m finished.” Twilight Sparkle lifted the pot off the stove with her magic, and then ladled a gloopy mass of oatmeal into two bowls.

I just stared at the bowl as she slid it to me.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you like oatmeal?” she asked.

“I do, but normally, I don’t eat it plain.” The multipack of flavored instant oatmeal was a constant presence in my pantry as a student.

“Try it,” she said. “Everypony likes oatmeal.”

I lifted the spoon to my mouth. My eyes widened. This plain oatmeal tasted great!

It was also hot, and I needed to cool off my tongue, using the traditional method of inhaling through my mouth.

Twilight Sparkle smiled. “See?” she said.

“So, why did the Princess want to see you?” I asked.

“Well, I got a response to my letter last night. Princess Celestia reported that the observatories analyzed their data, and they were able to pinpoint two and only two portals appearing during the celestial convergence. And the archmages say they should be ready with the portal home by tomorrow.”

“That’s great news!” I said. “But nothing you’ve said suggests you need to speak to the princess today.”

“I also asked about Stalwart Shield, and described the unusual reports the guard made. Princess Celestia told me that nopony knows why he did that. It’s not standard procedure, and his superior officers had no idea this file existed.”

“Then what did Stalwart Shield say about it?” I asked.

“Nothing. He’s missing in action, lost during the changeling invasion,” she replied. “Do you know about that from the cartoon?”

I nodded; it was one of the episodes I watched. “I saw part of it, but I don’t have any idea how accurate it was.”

“It was horrific,” Twilight Sparkle said. “The data in terms of property damage and loss of life are sobering. We were fortunate in that actually killing ponies would run counter to the changelings’ goal, but they were still an invading army, and they were willing to use any means necessary to reach their goals.”

That makes me glad my glimpse of the scene came in a sanitized form.

Following breakfast, we prepared to depart. Twilight Sparkle suggested bringing everything in the files relating to Stalwart Shield. I moved books and stacks of paper with my magic, only to be rewarded by everything falling over. My precision magic still needed some work.

Fortunately, Stalwart Shield’s main report was uncovered by the falling tower of paper, open to one of his diagrams. I had an idea. “Twilight Sparkle, do we have time to see Bobbie before we go?”

“We don’t have time to walk to Fluttershy’s cottage, but we can if we teleport.”

“I’m pretty sure I can’t cast that spell,” I said.

“I can take us both,” she replied. “Are you packed?”

I stuffed Stalwart Shield’s report into my saddlebags and nodded.

“Then get ready.”

---

I never liked the term apparate. J. K. Rowling has a gift with words, delving into the vast history of the English language, coming up with names and terminology that helped make her wizarding world its own unique and wondrous place. But renaming the spell that everyone knew as teleportation just seemed off. I mean, she didn’t change the name of levitation!

Those thoughts passed through my mind as I experienced teleportation for the first time. Perhaps it passed in the time it took to think. Perhaps several seconds passed during my transit between places. Perhaps it was both. But it was strange, going from firmly standing on my hooves, feeling twisted in directions I didn’t know existed, and ending again standing on my hooves.

The pleasant sound of birds singing and the fresh smell of dew on grass greeted me as we arrived outside Fluttershy’s cottage. I let out a breath as I got used to being corporeal again. Then I heard a pleasant squealing.

I saw Fluttershy galloping along the ground. Amber was balanced on her back, the girl turned pegasus filly flapping her wings with glee. Fluttershy saw us, and turned and came to a stop.

Fluttershy lowered herself to the ground. “Now, you go back to your grandmother, Amber,” she told her. “I need to talk to my friends.”

“Can we practice flying again?” Amber asked.

“Of course.”

“Yay!” Amber hopped off Fluttershy, and ran inside the cottage.

“Is she going to be able to fly?” I wondered.

“Probably not. She’s a little too young to control her magic,” Fluttershy responded. “But I’m willing to be patient, and teach her just like my parents taught me.” She turned to Twilight Sparkle. “Does this mean you’re ready to send them home?”

“Not yet,” Twilight Sparkle said. “We’re actually here because John wanted to talk to Bobbie.”

“She’s inside.”

It was easy to find Bobbie. We just had to follow the sound of Amber’s voice to the kitchen.

“And then Fluttershy ran around, and I flapped and flapped, and I didn’t fly, but Fluttershy said to keep trying!” Amber said excitedly.

“Hi, Bobbie,” I said.

“Hi, John,” she replied. “Are we... you know?”

“Sorry, not yet. Soon, we hope,” I said. “I came because I had a question. It’s a bit strange.”

“Okay.”

“What does your television look like? The one that you were watching?”

“It’s nothing special, just an old 19 inch picture tube television. I’ve probably had it for twenty years now.”

I pulled out Stalwart Shield’s report with my magic. That got a curious look from Bobbie. “Does this picture look like your television?” I asked, showing her one of the illustrations.

“That’s pretty close. You’re using magic now?”

“A little. Have you tried flying?”

“No. Fluttershy taught me how to move my wings, but flying just seems so... dangerous.”

“No, it’s fun!” Amber stated.

“I don’t know why I even appeared with wings,” Bobbie said. “I never dreamed of flying. I’ve only flown on an airplane twice.”

“If you change your mind, I’m sure Fluttershy will be happy to teach you,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Now, John, we have to go.”

“Good luck, you two,” Bobbie said.

---

The world disappeared and reappeared again. Twilight Sparkle and I were standing on the platform of the train station. Our method of arrival raised some heads, but then the ponies shrugged it off. Either teleportation is common for unicorns, or they’re used to seeing Twilight Sparkle teleport.

Twilight Sparkle kept our conversation to matters of small talk until the train arrived. We boarded and moved into a private room.

“Something on your mind?” I asked.

“I’m trying to deduce why the appearance of Bobbie’s television was important to you,” Twilight Sparkle said.

“How difficult would it be to use magic to send a message to someone in another world?” I asked. “Could you do that?”

“That would be impossible for me, not to mention completely irresponsible! Using magic that powerful and that unspecific is just asking to cause a disaster!”

“Are there ways to make it safer?”

“Yes. Use focuses for the magic. In the example of portals, using a focus, like a large mirror, is the only way to create a stable link between two dimensions. In theory, that is. Star Swirl the Bearded established the theoretical basis for this kind of magic, but rumors of him actually creating these mirrors are considered just that, rumors.”

“That a specific program was used to contact Jason struck me as strange. But then I saw it in Stalwart Shield’s report. Would it be easier to communicate with a focus on this program?”

“I think so,” Twilight Sparkle said. “It should allow the magic to cohere and anchor on a destination, a necessary step in a ritual of this nature. Well, unless you’re an eternal being like Discord.”

“Is that more evidence that Discord wasn’t involved? I remember his portals just appearing out of thin air.”

“Not evidence per se, but it does strongly suggest it was somepony of lesser power,” she corrected me.

“I just hope we can learn who.”

---

“Right this way,” the guard said as he opened the door.

The corridors of the castle were immaculate, the architectural details stunning, but ultimately most of the halls and doors looked the same. So one of the guards, an armored white pegasus who looked identical to dozens of other guards, guided us to our destination.

The one room I remember in particular from my last visit here was the throne room, which had a grandeur that is impossible to describe in words. The images in the cartoon don’t come close. But this room was very familiar. It featured a long table, chairs, and a chalkboard. The materials were different, but this was a normal, everyday conference room.

Princess Celestia sat at one end of the table, resting on a large cushion. Her greater size meant that even a pony sitting on a chair would have to look up to her. She was sipping from a teacup held in her magical aura; the tea service was at the center of the table.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight Sparkle said, bowing before she entered.

“It’s always a pleasure to see you, my faithful student,” she replied. She looked at me, standing awkwardly outside. “And, please, your dear friend is welcome to join us.” She said the words dear friend with a particular intonation.

Twilight Sparkle blushed. “Princess!”

Princess Celestia chuckled.

I entered the room, and the door closed behind me. I looked around nervously.

“You need not worry about matters of protocol, my little pony who is not one of my little ponies,” Celestia said warmly. “John, was it?”

“Yes, um, Your Highness.”

“I understand you come from a place where you don’t have royalty. In a meeting like this, you are free to refer to me as Princess Celestia or simply Princess. Please have a seat.” She slid a cup over to me. “Tea?”

“Sure,” I replied.

The princess poured me a cup of tea. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say that again. I picked up the cup in my magic; I think I caught a hint of surprise in the princess’s expression.

“Twilight Sparkle, let me thank you for lending a helping hoof to these ponies in need,” Celestia started. “I’m sure you had something on your schedule other than basic research. I thank you again for so generously sharing your time.

“Now, let me state that I share your concern with these unusual happenings. It is... worrisome when something unusual happens in Equestria without my knowledge. Rest assured it is not the work of Discord; the core of his magic is safely sealed.”

“But if it wasn’t Discord, then who is it?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

Celestia took a measured sip of tea. “That I do not know.”

“It can’t be that hard to figure out! How many ponies even knew about the past portal?” Twilight Sparkle said.

“More than I would have wished,” she replied. “Dozens of ponies had direct involvement in the various incidents eight months ago, and though I commanded secrecy from everypony, I hold no illusions that this knowledge was locked away.”

“What about Stalwart Shield?” I asked.

“His actions remain a mystery,” Celestia said. “He was tasked, as all guards are, with keeping the peace around Canterlot. That would include patiently listening to the tales of ponies in need. Guards are taught to look for signs of mischief or deception, but otherwise they take down the report of anypony in custody, no matter how outlandish. But why he fixated on certain details of this human’s story is unknown.”

“And what did his superior officers say?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“They were unaware of this report.”

“And he’s missing?” I asked.

“The guard has seen no sign of him in Canterlot, nor has he been seen anywhere in Equestria,” Celestia confirmed. “We do not know if he is killed or captured, or if he abandoned his post.”

“Can’t you just cast a spell?”

I heard Twilight Sparkle inhale sharply. The look on her face told me I said something very wrong.

Princess Celestia maintained an even expression and tone of voice as she responded. “John, what magic can do is a larger set than what magic should be used to do. We do not wish to track the comings and goings of our little ponies in the physical realm. Ponies have all the skills they need to answer questions like that.”

“Like conducting an investigation?” Twilight Sparkle suggested.

“Exactly. May I suggest lunch in the Guard mess hall? I have notified the Captain of the Guard to expect you two.”

---

“So who are we going to see now?” I asked as we walked through the halls of the castle.

Twilight Sparkle turned red. “I... actually don’t know. I was going to say my brother, but he’s in the Crystal Empire now, and I didn’t research who was named as his replacement.”

“But you know where to go?”

“Yes. I often ate with my brother when I was Celestia’s student and he was in the Guard.”

“They allow that here?” I said. I didn’t hear many stories about the military growing up, but I always thought the bases were closed to the public.

“Of course. Guards are encouraged to mingle with the ponies who work in the castle. The friendships formed help the guards fight for them when they must act.”

“Hmm,” I muttered. Is that more of that friendship is magic at work? Friendship helps magical pony guards be more magical?

“Besides, the food’s really good!”

Okay. That was definitely not the military I knew.

We arrived in the mess hall, which looked very much like the cafeteria in my high school. There was a long line of food serving stations along one wall, complete with serving ponies wearing hairnets. There were rows of long tables with benches for seats. It even smelled like a cafeteria. The main difference was the room was filled with ponies in armor. They had their helmets off and stored under the benches, and unlike the guards I saw on duty, they ran the normal (and unnatural) range of pony colors.

“Hey, it’s little Twily!” someone shouted. A few other ponies echoed the greeting.

Twilight Sparkle flushed with embarrassment. I smiled at her.

“It was cute when I was eight years old,” she said. “Now it’s just... ugh.”

“Looks like they’re treating you like one of the guys,” I said. “Now who are we looking for?”

Twilight Sparkle scanned the room and led us to another pony. He was surprisingly young for a captain of the guard. Comparing him to the other ponies, I noticed something emblazoned on his armor. It was probably his rank insignia, but unlike most of the things in this world, this one didn’t resemble any insignia I knew.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Twilight Sparkle,” the guard captain said.

“Likewise,” she replied. “This is my friend, J-Strange Brew. Strange Brew, this is Silver Lance.”

“Lances? That I’ve got to see,” I said.

“The training drills are open, as always,” Silver Lance said to me. “But I understand you were inquiring about our MIA comrade?”

“We are,” Twilight Sparkle said.

“I’ve reported to Princess Celestia everything we learned in our official investigation, which isn’t much,” Silver Lance said. “But at this table are some of Stalwart Shield’s closest friends. Hopefully, you’ll learn something from them.” He turned to the other ponies. “Now, I’m going to depart, which means I won’t be around to hear about any of your questionable activities. Understood?”

“Yes, Captain!” the table chorused.

“Questionable activities?” I said.

“We recruits make a solemn pledge,” one said. “What we do when off duty never gets back to the captain.”

“Wise decision,” I said.

The ponies introduced themselves, a blur of names that I soon forgot. The group included all three kinds of ponies, as well as both mares and stallions. They looked around the same age, but I still wasn’t clear on how ponies showed their age.

“So you knew Stalwart Shield socially more than professionally?” Twilight Sparkle said.

The group nodded. “We hit the same watering holes and clubs, mostly.”

“And what did you do there?” I asked.

“Drink, play darts and billiards, shoot the breeze, complain about our COs,” another pony said.

“Brag about the mares we picked up,” a stallion added.

“You know, the usual,” a third pony said.

“He was a fun guy to be around,” another said.

“So you knew him well?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

The ponies shrugged. “Kind of?”

“He didn’t really talk about himself.”

“So, like, you didn’t know where he would have run to, if he went AWOL?” I asked.

“I don’t remember ever hearing where he’s from.”

Twilight Sparkle summoned a scroll and started writing. After a minute, she had a simple checklist, and started asking for some details about Stalwart Shield. Home town, family, hobbies, favorite book (that one didn’t surprise me), favorite food, music and art he liked.

After some discussion around the table, the only answers we got to her questions were negative ones. He wasn’t from Canterlot, didn’t care for classical music, stayed away from hard liquor, and the like.

“Doesn’t anypony know something he did like?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

The table fell silent. One of the mares, an earth pony, raised a hoof. “I guess he liked walking in the garden.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“My husband tends the hedges in the garden, and when I mentioned we lost a friend in the invasion, he mentioned that he noticed he hadn’t seen him in the garden recently.”

“The garden?” I turned to Twilight Sparkle. “Is that the place where we... you know, last time?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded.

“I think we should investigate there.”

“I’m pretty sure there’s nothing to be found there,” one of the guardsponies said.

“You never know,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “Thank you very much for your time, fillies and gentlecolts. I’ll make sure Silver Lance knows you helped us greatly.”

---

We departed the mess hall. I held my questions until no other ponies were in earshot. “The gardens were where we fought Discord, right?”

“Yes. Or his malice aspect, to be more specific,” Twilight Sparkle said.

“And he had a stone statue there?”

“He was the stone statue, at least until he escaped. And now he’s safely sealed again.”

“Here, in the garden?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Why here? Don’t you have some kind of magical maximum security prison?” Surely, ponies would have their own Azkaban, right?

“Nothing like Azkaban, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Twilight Sparkle said. “The gravest threats to Equestria are bound in Tartarus, which is a separate dimension only reachable through guarded portals. Discord wouldn’t need to be held there, because at least in theory, the binding from the Elements of Harmony would be stronger than any prison.”

“I still don’t understand why such a powerful creature, even bound, would be kept out in the open.”

Twilight Sparkle thought for a moment. “He was placed in the statue garden. The statues in the garden are hippomorphic representations of ideals: Justice, Victory, Family, Hope, and the like. They are arranged in a long rectangular area, and at the two ends are two opposing statues, Harmony and Discord.

“If they were just statues, then the placement would make sense. Remember, one must make a choice to balance harmony and discord in one’s actions, and so the princess wouldn’t want ponies to forget about discord. But knowing Discord was actually the spirit of chaos and disharmony petrified... well, I don’t know. I hope it’s some very long term plan of Princess Celestia.”

“And knowing what Discord’s done, the princess is still keeping him in the garden?”

Twilight Sparkle sighed. “I really hope Princess Celestia knows what she’s doing.”

We walked straight to the statue garden. On my last trip here, I was so focused on going home that I didn’t take time to appreciate the statues. They were ponies in bold poses, with idealized physical forms that reminded me of Greek or Roman statues. Again, the craftsmanship was wonderful.

And then I saw it.

It was Discord, but it wasn’t the basalt statue that was formed after our battle. It was a lighter stone, and his expression was one of shock, not hate. Thinking back, I remembered something about that particular statue being filled with pudding.

“That’s the real Discord,” Twilight Sparkle explained. “The hateful creature you fought is banished. I witnessed the whole thing.”

“So Discord is in there?”

“Inasmuch as a fundamental force taking physical form can be said to exist, yes.”

“Is it safe to be here?” I asked.

“I’ve studied the spells used to bind him, and asked a few questions of the princesses, so yes. Well, I think so. As far as I’ve learned, Discord can sense the world, but not interact with it, even if you were to touch the statue.”

I sat on a nearby bench and gazed at Discord’s statue. I looked around the area. The statue garden was out of the way, shielded from one direction by a wall and another by the tall hedge wall of the hedge maze. And no ponies had walked through it. It was as if this part of the gardens were an unpopular museum exhibit.

“What if someone wanted to communicate with Discord?” I wondered aloud.

“What? Who would want to do that?” Twilight Sparkle said.

“Stalwart Shield, maybe. He had a strange fascination with our world. What if he wanted to learn how to bring people from my world? He spent a lot of time in the garden, and right over there just happens to be the one creature who knows how to cross between worlds. Judging by the lack of ponies here, he could talk to Discord all he wanted. If that’s possible, that is.”

She thought for a moment. “Some kind of spell that establishes a direct link between two ponies. Any should work to create a connection between somepony and Discord. I can do it right now if you want.”

“No,” I said. “I want to do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Not at all. But I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled out a scroll and quill from her endless supply and scratched some symbols onto the scroll. She sent it over to me in her magic. I recognized the strange unicorn alphabet.

“This is the simplest spell I could think of. It’s a basic empathy spell, mostly used by doctors on nonverbal patients to know where the patient is hurting. Do you think you can cast it?”

I recognized the magical gestures associated with each symbol. “I think so.”

“Test it on me.”

I concentrated, shaping the magical energies in my horn and squinked to Twilight Sparkle. She nodded. She looked around, and then got my attention. I watched as she deliberately placed her right forehoof down on a sharp stone.

As she did that, I felt a pressure in my same appendage, in the... whatever that soft part of the hoof is called. “Ow,” I said.

“No, you shouldn’t have felt pain, just pressure, if the spell worked.”

“No, you’re right. It just looked painful.”

Twilight Sparkle shook her hoof. “It hurts like the dickens.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m ready,” I said.

Slowly, I walked up to the statue of Discord.

Author's Note:

I got to make up a new word! Hippomorphic is the pony equivalent of anthropomorphic.

Next time, John faces Discord once more.

Comments

[Muranuse]

Ohh, the cliffhanger!
I am looking forward to the next chapter!

[Herald of Opera]

whatever that soft part of the hoof is called.

I know that this is deliberate because John doesn't know, but that would be the frog.