Dragonshy
The eerie ambiance of the Everfree Forest was exactly how I remembered it. Wading through the foliage on an easy path, safe from witnesses, I bite into an apple with no mind for my manners.
The produce of Sweet Apple Acres deserved praise. After a week since being picked and bucked my way in weaponised fruitiness, it still retained its juicy perfection.
I didn’t savor it for long, swallowing to savagely bite over and over until a thin core remained. There were more in my saddle bag anyways. I’ve yet to buy anything else.
One may think I would get sick of apples for breakfast and apples for lunch, but the alternative was a diabetic nightmare. That, and the boxie weight in my saddlebag was too much to eat alone.
I held onto to the core until the path led to an natural adjacent ditch. I tossed the core in, where it joined the dank smell of its rotten brothers and sisters communing to become fertilizer. I wiped my sticky hoof onto my saddlebag’s underside and trotted on.
A wing felt over the scar along my forehead, almost like a ritual, a reminder of the risks I would face going out alone into the wild. I sniffed the air, and nature’s moist chill greeted back. No horrid stench, and the memory of my first night in this world slept on. Feeling safe, I resumed my trek.
I entered a clearing where the fresh sun shined. And by the appearance of light, the ominous ambiance ceased. In its place was the twinkling of the glistening dews on the grass and the glowing sand on the ground, like a spotlight over grains of gold. The light warmed my coat, cooled instantly by a slight draft. I heard the grass and bushes rustling.
But that wasn’t from the wind.
A hollow thud and a brush of air sounded, and I turned just in time to face the icky red insides of a wide open maw.
Revisiting Lessons: Chapter 8
Season 1. Ep 7
Dragonshy
Zecora took a cookie from a box laid out on the humble table and ate it whole. After swallowing the vanilla-chip goodness, she giggled. “To endure such loving attention is quite a task. How did you missed one as big as Manny, I must ask?”
On the other side, I was wiping myself of manticore saliva with a spare towel I kept handy. My preparation proved fruitful—literally scented of apples—but barely enough to clear off the gooeyness that drenched me from mane to tail. The firepit in the middle of the room made it worse, warming the saliva thick and sticky.
I swiped an icky brow with a sigh. “By ‘attention’ you mean fascination of my misery? He’s learning fast. I’ve been able to dodge him but lately he figured out all my blind spots. Troublesome cat.”
“Could you not hear him? With your ears, you could keep your fears thin.”
In an attempt to figure out if my music perception was normal for this world, I once portrayed it to her as a heightened sense. I figured the knowledge and wise Zecora might have a clue, but I never told her of my exact ability to perceive background music, dropping a few hints. To my disappointment, no reaction like the first time I mentioned it.
“Sometimes, there are things I’d rather not hear. Like an alarm clock.” I chuckled bitterly. “Being snapped back to reality isn’t pleasant.”
“A dangerous mindset to have. If I were you, I wouldn’t laugh.”
Unfortunately, a certain someone rejected her advice. Outside Zecora’s hut and through a glassless window, Manny laughed in deep grumbles over a plate of cake. I frowned as I saw his smug face.
“Shut up and enjoy your cake Manny!” I shouted through the wall. “Jeez…” I dipped my cookie into a wooden cup of tea Zecora respectfully offered. It was soggy but crunchy and leafy-tasting enough to blunt the sheer sweetness that pulsed within.
Zecora did the same, dipping a cookie into her own tea cup. She hummed by the taste. “Once again, you’ve trotted much soil—with more delights for this lonesome mare you spoil.”
“The sweets I keep collecting can’t eat itself. I just thought it’ll be a waste to leave it lying and uneaten,” I said. “Besides, I’m having a holiday and felt like walking for the relief. The Everfree Forest is quiet compared to Ponyville.”
“To relieve?” Zecora merely smiled. “Is that what you want me to believe?”
Gilda’s words in Zecora’s voice made me prematurely bite into my third helping, and large crumbs fell to the floor. Annoyed, I finished the rest before cleaning up my mess.
“Forgive me if I don’t believe you,” Zecora continued. “It’s empty in every street I’ve been to.”
“Then you should see the ponies.” I stared into another cookie, feeling up its texture with a hoof. “From Nightmare Moon and an Ursa...it’s been nonstop. In two and a half pony weeks since the Summer Sun Celebration, I’ve found myself in the middle of more trouble than it’s worth.”
“You’ve told a story or two. Quite fantastic if true.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. My hoof hovered over another cookie but stopped. Instead, I chewed the side of my cheek. ”Say... Can I bother you with another story? I’d like your input on…” I paused. Frowning, I felt silly. ”Never mind. I know long conversations with me tend to make my listeners fall asleep.”
“Oh?” The zebra raised a brow in amusement. “Try me, my friend. I’ll stay awake from beginning to end.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s rare of you to willingingly share detail, a fresh treat in these long, silent trails.” Zecora placed a humble hoof over her heart. “So to listen, I will not fail.”
By the zebra’s warm encouragement, I was reminded of all the days she took care of me, how her patience seemed unending. I stared up at the tribal masks near the ceiling. One of them said hello. I felt the warmth of my teacup and sighed after a sip. Throat wet, I began my tale.
“It started with a dragon who slept in a mountain…”
--Yesterday--
“Be sure to feed the birds in wide open space. They don’t like to crowd over their food.”
“Uhuh.”
“Oh! And Mrs. and Mr. Mice are quite sensitive. Keep the volume low.”
“Yeah.”
“And, um, let the bunnies out by playtime for their exercise.”
“Got it.”
Fluttershy, my soft-spoken employer, hummed into a hoof. “Um, what else? Oh! And don’t forget to—eeep!” She mewled when a purple glow encompassed and levitated her.
Fluttershy receded from the front porch, revealing Twilight with a sheepish smile and smartly garbed in saddlebags.
“Let’s go, Fluttershy,” Twilight sternly urged and walked off with the animal caretaker in tow. With a glance, she smiled at me. “See you later, Tori.”
I had no idea what to feel about Twilight adopting my nickname.
However, Fluttershy frantically flailed in the telekinetic grip, stammering on. “A-and feed them the right amounts! Don’t be mad when they make a mess! Help clean up after them! And make sure to change their water each time! And, and—!”
“Understood. Be safe in your journey, Ms. Shy.” I waved goodbye before shutting the door, as well as the conversation, to a close. “...Cute,” I mutter, allowing a dumb grin in my face before killing it.
Fluttershy and I may not be much for small talk, but in business, she sure knew how to instruct, whether she noticed it or not. I listen and she talk; It was a surprise to find how much she wanted to say. For third best pony, that in itself was adorable.
I turned around. The library turned into a zoo. Birds of varying colors fluttered and criss-crossed paths along the ceiling, racing from ledge to ledge in playful competition while bunnies explored the book stands and furniture below. One of the book stands, Mr. Ferret sniffed a book as if attempting to decipher the words within.
And then there was Angel, a pure white bunny like others of his kind, but there was no doubting the mischievous glint in his beady eyes as Spike fruitlessly chased him around and around a bookstand centered in the library. The Mr. and Mrs. Mice Fluttershy mentioned steered clear, taking refuge in an empty bookcase.
In a desperate leap, Spike lunged for Angel, only to be thwarted by a mere turn of the tail. The resulting thud startled nearby animals into a frenzy, scattering them everywhere. The dragon’s face slid along the floor and up to my hooves. He rolled over, dazed as he stared up at me.
“Uuugh…” His eyes wobbled. “A little help? Please?”
“Hang in there, Spike.” I offered a thin smile. “You can do it.”
Spike groaned as he stumble up. “Easier said than done…”
The animals were in disarray from Spike and Angel’s comedic chasing skit. A plethora of bunnies and mice even joined the Mr. and Mrs. in their bookcase to get away from all the drama. It would take awhile for them to calm down. Mr. Ferret, however, gave no shits and still stared at his book.
“Grrr! That furball…” Spike pointed accusingly at Angel, who sat at the top of the stairs toward Twilight’s study. Fortunately, it was closed off. “He’s been trying to make a mess since he came here!”
Standing over the chaos, Angel gleamed down at us before blowing a raspberry and turning his head away.
“Oh, why that little—!”
I laid a hoof over his shoulder, stopping his march. “Now, now, Spike. Love and tolerate. The guy’s provoking you.”
“Well, what are we supposed to do?!”
I patted his head with a wing. “Chill. Fluttershy hired me on occasions, so I know my way around this. If we can’t contain him, may as well convince him. All we have to do is speak his language.”
“Uh, dude?” Spike raised a brow. “We’re not Fluttershy.”
“We don’t have to be to bribe a bunny. To the kitchen, Spike. I hope you can make a good salad.”
“A bunny?” Zecora blinked. “Little ones who gaits where it's sunny?”
“Mean alpha bunny,” I corrected. “He does what he pleases. We couldn’t maintain the peace without settling him down.”
Zecora nodded in understanding. “So you did what you can. How goes your plan?”
“Eh. It went well. Maybe too well...”
Angel lazily laid in a bowl of salad, a handkerchief wrapped around his neck. A fork in his paw stabbed a piece, reached over his head to dip it in a small bowl of salad dressing, and he ate the salad who, crunching noisily in his mouth. It was his fifth damn bowl. Lazy fucker.
To the side, I stood at attention as I awaited my next order, to which, Angel waved a paw in dismissal. I gladly left the kitchen with a sigh.
Everything was at peace. I saw a couple of birds chirping among the mice in their bookshelf, negotiating...something. Mr. Ferret got several pages through, the clever critter. But there, with bunnies hopping in dainty circles around him, Spike laid splat on the floor with a dictionary as a pillow.
The bunnies scattered off as I approached. There, I joined him, wings sprawled across the floor and head cushioned over today’s newspaper. “Ursa Major Whisked Off to Sleep by Resident Librarian!” its front cover said.
And so we resumed our meditation, listening to the clock ticking on.
We both sighed.
“And that,” I said, “is how you make a deal with the devil.”
“Food.” Spike’s eye twitched. “That’s all what it all took. All I did was chop up our high quality cabbage, too.” A sparrow landed on one of his spikes, so he began petting its feathers. “I know I wanted an off day, but this stinks. I mean, I don’t even feel...productive.”
“What? No comic books?”
“Nah. Already finished the latest issue. Kinda disappointing and not much to discuss. I’m surprised, though. You’re not enlisted to help the girls get the dragon to leave? It’s almost like you’re being…” Spike trailed off, watching as the sparrow flew away. “...left out.”
I snorted. “What good would I do? Talk the dragon into a sleeping coma? That’s the opposite of what we want. If I go, I’ll just be in the way. Twilight’s just being smart.” Dissing myself with hardly a bat of a lash, I shrugged. “I’m more of a homebody anyways.”
“Still, it’s better than sitting in the library and, well, doing nothing,” he grumbled. “I bet they're having fun fighting off the dragon or something…”
“...That’s your own kind you’re talking about.”
“You know what I mean.”
A pair of pigeons took their turn standing on the dragon’s head. But before Spike could get the chance to pet them, they fluttered off. He turned to me with a wry smile. “Eh, oh well. We got each other’s company, yeah?”
I chuckled. “Preach it, brother.”
It went quiet again. We awkwardly stared at the ceiling, doing nothing and feeling nothing...nothing save for the pit of boredom in our stomachs.
Spike suddenly sat up. “I’m getting a little hungry, actually.” He patted his belly with a lick of his lips. “What do we have?”
I couldn’t blame his famished state. It’s been hours since the girls left, and it became routine between tending to the animal’s needs and catering to Angel’s every whim.
“Let me check.” I dragged myself off the floor and toward the fridge, where I opened it to behold the colorful foodies inside. “We got blueberry fritters from the couple downtown, lollipops from janitor work, carrot popsicles from Carrot Top, cherry pie from the Postal Office, vanilla cookies, a gallon of berry punch from...Berry Punch, yada yada yada, lime cupcakes, neapolitan cupcakes, creamless cupcakes, aaand a normal muffin...” My eyes trailed downward. “Oh, and a whole month's supply of apples. Still can’t believe we dedicated an entire compartment to them.”
“Yeeesh! When’s the last time you brought home bits?”
“When I sold raw sugar.”
A rapid knocking sounded at the library door. Spike and I perked up, looking at each other. We get visitors interested in a book or two, mundane for something so rare, but we’ll accept anything that’ll alleviate our boredom. I navigated through the sea of skittering critters and reached the door. Cautiously, I opened it.
“Behold! The Great and Powerful Trixie has return—”
“Shhh!” A hoof to her muzzle, she shushed instantly. “This is library,” I uttered cryptically. “Anyways, what are you doing here?”
“Am I not allowed to pay a visit to my dearest host?” Trixie said with a pout.
“Technically, it’s Twilight who is. And, well…” I glanced over my back. “Not like this.”
Trixie looked to the side past me and stared. The animals stared back. Our eyes met, and she asked, “Can we still come in?”
“...we?”
“My… our two admirers have come to bask themselves in our presence.”
“What.” I looked down.
Sure enough, peaking out of the bedazzling cape and between the forehooves of the nonplussed magician were Snips and Snails. When they saw me, their eyes lit up in awe as if they saw the Master Chief himself, so excited that they spazzed in place.
Snails gasped. “It’s you!”
“Uh…” I blinked. It took moment, but I realized who he’s pointing at. “Me?”
Suddenly, I was forced to lean back as the energetic duo invaded my space in jabbering messes. Their hooves almost entangled mine, speaking with great joy toward me. Of all people.
Snips did a jig in place. “Holy Celestia! I’m really meeting you—and I haven’t turned into goop yet! Hah! Take that, Rumble!”
“Hey hey!” I shushed. “Quiet, remember?”
“Oh! Right!” In an exaggerated whisper this time, Snips continued, “But still, this is sooo cool! I get to meet you a second time and live to tell the tale! Can’t wait to tell this to the class!” He goofily chuckled under his breath before surprising me with his starry eyes. “Is it true?! You used your hidden third eye under your bangs to assassinate the Ursa’s mind? We didn’t see it that night—we fell asleep all of a sudden.”
“I—”
Snails’ mane danced when he nodded. “Can your third eye really see into the future?”
“Wha—?”
“Do you really know ninjutsu from far away lands?!”
“And are you really a zombie?” Snails gasp. “A ninja-zombie?!”
“A super spy?!”
“A robot from the future?!”
“And-and—!”
Eventually, the two stopped taking turns and their whispers meshed into an incomprehensible slew of rumor after rumor, more outlandish than the last. How the hell was I supposed to respond to all that? Actually, no. I shouldn’t.
Instead, I just stared. “...aren’t you two grounded?”
That shattered their excitement like a hammer to glass. Looking at each other, the two chuckled sheepishly under my empty gaze. They weren’t supposed to be out and about, were they?
I looked at Trixie.
“They’re like that to me the whole way here, too,” Trixie said blank-faced. “‘I found them sneaking out of their houses. ‘To see you’ they said, but their ninja roleplay was so horrendous, I took pity on them after much of their begging to use my ninja arts.”
“...isn’t that kidnapping?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Begging,” she hissed.
...the two did something extreme, didn’t they? I nodded understandingly and stepped wordlesdly aside to let the three unicorns in.
“Woooah!” Snips glanced around in wonder at the corners and at the shelves of the library to find an animal each time. “This is so neat! I didn’t know the library includes a petting zoo.”
“It usually doesn’t.” Spike greeted them with narrowed eyes, arms crossed. “Just what are you three doing here?”
“We are here to see the legend himself!” Snails said, gesturing toward me.
“Oh, oh!” Snips hopped up and down. “Is Twilight here, too? We wanted to thank her for saving us.”
Spike deadpanned. “No.”
“Awww. I mean, she was so awesome!” Snips seemed to glow over at the mention of one of his saviours. “She just popped in and whisked the ursa away! It was so amazing—the lights were so pretty and bright...”
“It was real magic!” Snails added, wiggling from where he stood. “Like, uh, like fireworks!”
Trixie bristled.
“Well, duh!” Spike rolled his eyes. “Twilight’s the best magic user in town—wait a minute.” He made a face and pointed at the two. “You’re saying this now, but didn’t all that happen because you two were trying to prove a point?”
Snips and Snails looked at each other. Snips opened and closed his mouth. Snails blinked slowly. Very, very slowly. But together, a nervous drop of sweat trailed under their horns when they realized what Spike meant.
Spike glowered at the sweating colts.
In the corner of my eye, however, a slight shadow casted over Trixie. She was grumbling to the side, something about a fireworks show, face turning dangerously red. I winced. No matter how involved she was in subduing the ursa, Trixie was played as a mere prop to Twilight’s grander performance. It may be narcissistic, but she held complicated feelings toward the lavender unicorn.
Very smooth, kids. Very smooth.
“Hey,” I said. “It’s not worth thinking about.”
Trixir jolted back to reality. “I-I’m not thinking anything! Definitely not about Sparkle!”
She was so transparent, I rolled my eyes. “Just worry a little more about yourself, alright? It’s not like you to be jealous.”
“Alright, alright!” Trixie sneered. “You keep saying that...”
I pray Spike and Trixie could hold it in. Snips and Snails were just kids after all, so they didn’t know any better...even if their stupidity almost got them killed...and endangered the entire town...and destroyed Trixie’s narrative as a showmare… Basically, it was stupidity of the cartoon variety.
Finally, Spike groaned as he pulled his face in exasperation. “You. Two. Are. Idiots. I swear.”
“Yeaaah,” Snails drawled. “We get that a lot. Kinda like when Snips and I keep getting these funny looks ever since the ursa happened.” He frowned. “Now that I think about it, we get those even before that.”
Snips snorted and flicked his horn. “That’s because it’s just you, doofus!”
“Sounds like you both have permanent seats as the class clowns. Congratulations.” I chuckled, clapping my hooves. “Only one for every classroom is bestowed such an honor. For there to be two is a miracle.”
Snails stared, processing my meaning. “Uh...what?”
“So, wait.” Concern crossed Snips’s face. “Are we…are we going to be laughed at? Forever?”
I shook my head. “Nah. It just meant that they’ll never forget your mistake, nor let you live it down. Whether or not it’s something to laugh about is up to them. Nothing to be bothered about.”
“If you say so...”
Trixie coughed, gaining our attention. “Anyways! I was out having Hayburgers this afternoon,” she said as if it was the most dignified thing in the world. “I saw a poster of Tori gorging on hayfries, forbidding him from ever returning, so I thought to share the news: I’m leaving town today.”
“Uuuh…” When she looked at me smiling, I forced a smile. “Thanks?”
“And good riddance,” Spike muttered.
Trixie ignored that, smirking proudly. “Your welcome! To be frank, I’m just here to get away from all the crazy. No offense to Ponyville.”
“None taken,” I droned.
“Oh! And did you know? Winter is coming. The pegasi are out testing the winter clouds. It’s as though nopony was worried at all about the smoke! I like their style. If it’s not a problem now, they’ll worry later,” she said chuckling. Then, she pointed toward my neck. “Ever thought of changing that shabby scarf of yours?”
To call it a scarf would be generous. It’s ragged strings at its current state. Still, it was all I had for the winter for now.
I huffed. “Firstly, my hobo scarf is awesome. Secondly, that cost bits. I’ve taken up knitting to save money.”
Spike snapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his snickering. “You mean those holey blankets you made? Dude, they weren’t even scarves! They were so bad that I could put my arm through one!”
Trixie gave me a look.
And I gave it to Spike. “She did not need to know that.”
“Heh. Sure.” Spike smirked and pointed a thumb. “Say that to the blankets over there.”
We followed his claw. The animals found them, my ‘practice’ trials. A colorful team of birds tugged and pulled blankets as holey as a changeling loose from the books I hid them behind, cleverly guided by Mr. Mice’s gesturing paws. He eased them gently, signalling the birds to drape the blankets along the shelf the Mice Couple settled into.
Snips and Snails shared a look, turned to Trixie, who returned a shrug, and then at me, the befuddlement obvious in their faces. Compared to their own questions, what they just learned was mundane in comparison.
I looked away. “Shut up…”
“Uh,” Snails uttered. “We didn’t say anything.”
“Shut up!”
Then, there was knocking. So sharp and authoritative the sound that it demanded our attention. We all turned, and the door sounded once more. Huh. Another? Out of curiousity, I was drawn to open the door, but when I did—
“Hazzah, Tutorial! So we meet in reality once more—”
—I instantly closed it back. Rubbing my forehead with a wing in a daze, my mind churned from what I just saw. It was inconsistent—it defied canon. So...why? “Am I…” My brows pursed together. “Am I dreaming?”
The knocking resumed. “Open thy chamber door this instant! ‘Tis not a dream!”
“Must be. There was a vague reference of ‘The Raven’ just now.” After thinking it over for a few moments, I opened the door to check and see.
Wings. Horn. Regalia. As if by holy order that all shall gaze in awe, Princess Luna of the Night—mane like the midnight sky and coat like rich velvet—stood proud and tall as she loomed over me, a stark contrast to the meek princess those three weeks ago. Her displeased pout was ever so graceful.
I stared blankly. “...You’re real, aren’t you?”
“Hmmph! But of course! Only in thy dreams do we share our presence, so we thought to visit. Something special between friends, we believe is the right phrase.”
“That’s actually the problem,” I said sighing. “I thought you are in rehab.”
“Be as that may, our state does not disallow us to waltz as we please.” Luna smiled. “Now, is that anyway to greet a guest?”
I glanced behind to see the shocked faces of the others, their jaws hung open at Luna. My gaze snapped them back to reality, and they immediately bowed, the colts clumsily so. The animals recognized royalty when they saw it and followed suit. I, the last peasant standing, turned back to her.
“...would you like cupcakes, ojou-sama?”
“A magician and a princess?” Zecora playfully winked, her open eye glinting. “I see your friendships find progress.”
“Friendship is a bit strong… We mostly occupy each other’s space and, well, talk. Awkwardly... Randomly...”
“But are you not happy among company?”
“I…” I stopped, looking away. “Does it really matter?”
She smiled. As if she already knew.
“A-an actual princess!” Everyone could see the stars sparkling in Trixie’s eyes. “Hit me. I must be dreaming—OW! I didn’t mean it, Snails!”
Snails sheepishly retracted his horn. “Oops. Sorry!”
Luna frowned. “We thought we have established that this is real.” Lifting a cupcake in a telekinetic glow, she nibbled the bread and cream. “Lime...? Interesting. We must say, twas a splendid treat! Just what is it?”
“Cupcakes, your majesty,” Spike helpfully supplied. “Guess you don’t have those back then, huh?”
“Cupcakes… I’ll be sure to remember that.”
Dessert was on me. All I did was grab as many confections from the fridge as I could, compiled them in separate plates and placed them in flowery arrangements on the center table. Snips and Snails glowed at the glossy colors, Trixie drooling in particular, acting like kids in a candy store. In fact, some of them I actually did get from a candy store. Or six. Luna? Enraptured like a kitten seeing technology for the first time. Spike and I watched, amused.
Another bite and Luna swallowed. “Thou art the assistant of Twilight Sparkle, yes?
“Yep! That’s me!” He saluted. “Spike the Dragon at your service!”
“Then we’d like ask thee something—”
Trixie choked on her cupcake and went bug-eyed, drawing our attention. After a few coughs, she sputtered, “W-wait! You’re a dragon?!”
“Of course.” Spike crossed his arms and glared. “What did you think I was?”
“I thought you’re just an overgrown lizard.”
“Overgrown liz—Hey!”
The animals dispersed from Spike’s smoldering glare. Noticing their anxiety, I wrapped a wing around his shoulder to cool him down. He blinked upon contact. “Don’t tease him, Trixie,” I said. “He may be a baby dragon, but he sure can roast some tail.”
“Uh, yeah!” Spike blurted. “Totally!”
Luna frowned as the conversation derailed. “Yes, yes. Now—”
“Whatever.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Not like I feel threatened.”
Spike bristled. “Excuse me?”
“I mean it. You’re just so, so ‘cute.’”
“Ugh!” Spike squirmed out of my wing. “You’re always like this! You and your holier-than thou act! This isn’t a stage, Trixie. If you weren’t hiding behind Tori’s generosity right now, I’d totally show my dragon breath on you!”
“What? Me?!” Trixie held a hoof to her chest, offended. “You think I have an attitude? What about you, heckling over a show?! He may have offered the spare bed to me, but I wouldn’t take advantage of his hospitality more than I already am!”
“He sleeps in the bookshelves!” Spike pointed, and there it was: Blankets, some borrowed and some knitted, pressing along the inner frame of the bookshelf formed a cozy space. Inside was a pillow and some newspapers, imitating a bed.
Everyone stared for a moment and, slowly, looked at me.
“W-well, uh…” Feigning innocence, I shrugged my wings. “If books can be snug and comfy, then why can’t I?”
“...It may explain why thou dreamed of bookshelves as of late…” Luna muttered. She blinked. “Wait. What are we saying? We wish to speak—!”
“I thought only kids do that sort of thing,” Snips said, raising a brow at me. “Are you even an adult?”
“Sure I am!” I felt judged under their unconvinced gazes. I listed off by the feathers of a wing, “I work endlessly with questionable pay, live a repetitive lifestyle, don’t give a damn in general…”
“Uh…” Snails titled his head. “That’s...an adult?”
Spike slowly took a step back. “Okay, dude? You’ve got a pretty twisted idea of what an adult is.”
Trixie nodded, shifting toward Spike’s side as she not-so-subtly edged away from me.
“For once, I agree.”
“Oh, come on! It’s true!” Unfortunately, they all just stared in pity. “Okay, really? Fuck you guys.”
“ORDEEEEEER!”
We instantly shut up, all noise ceasing save for the skittering of animals.
Seeing this, Princess Luna nodded in approval. “Hmm. Good. We haven’t lost our touch.”
Silver streaked the open skies.
Wings flapped to the drumbeats of war as fleets of Royal Guard flew in V-shaped formations. From overhead to the mountain peaks in the horizon, smog stretched, and so armored pegasi methodically cleared the smoke, their armor glinting from the light that pierced through.
Down below, the earth shuddered as the Royal Guard marched in harmony. Civilians stumbled left and right, dragging their foals away from their path, gawking. A trio of ponies led the parade, the middle pony carrying drums as big as his body on each side, his companions hitting them to the beat.
In the Town Square, a formation sevens rows wide and seven columns deep stood at attention. They were as still as statues, unmoving and unnerving—but it didn’t stop a group of foals from playing ball in between their tall hooves. The Guards made no reaction.
All of this we saw through the library’s window.
“Woooooah...” Snips and Snails echoed, faces smudged against the glass as they used me as a stool.
“Talk about a dramatic entrance…” I muttered. Could it actually be? The Royal Guard? Being competent?
Spike’s head swam from the overwhelming, and unnecessary, show of military might. “That’s in Ponyville?!”
Princess Luna preened from our reactions. “Nothing less for a dragon subjugation. It took a bit of convincing, but our sister gave us permission to use some of her Royal Guard.”
“‘Some?!’” For Trixie’s next trick, her brows disappeared under her hat. “This looks like the entire army!”
“We did request as such, but close enough. Now, as for what we were going to ask…” Luna looked at Spike. “When shall we go oust the dragon? Twilight Sparkle and company should be ready, yes?”
Everyone except Luna froze.
She frowned. “Is something the matter?”
“Um...Princess?” Spike sweat all over. “I don’t know how to let you down easy but...Twilight and the others set off hours ago.”
“...What.”
“You’re sister duped you, basically,” I said bluntly.
“W-wha…?” The princess looked as though her dreams were torn into shreds before her very eyes. “I—we—b-but…!”
But her words fell when, with cosmic timing, the door opened, revealing a Royal Guard pegasus. “Princess Luna,” he throatedly called. “The dragon was sighted to have just left.”
Luna’s eyes shrank to prinpricks. “...left?”
The soldier nodded. “The smoke has stopped growing as well. It seems we are not...necessary.”
Not necessary.
I flinched. The world’s music...it just stopped. In it’s place, the words echoed as if taunting the room for its silence. We watched as Luna stood frozen, mane overshadowing her eyes with only clenched jaws visible, silent as she emitted a dangerous aura. We edged away.
“We see… Leave us. Prepare our departure.”
“Y-yes, your highness.” He paused. “May we also stop marching around town? We’ve been doing so since we arrived, and the soldiers are getting tired. And, uh, the towns ponies are also getting...nervous.”
“Yes, yes just… Just go.”
The guard was quick to realize and edged out with a bow. “B-by your command.”
The sharp close of the door felt like a slap to our faces right after the rejection. Luna flinched. We all did. She began to hyperventilate.
I quickly became a living shield as the ponies and drake hid behind me, peering past my pried-open wings, watching in trepidation. I made no comment and stared along.
Then, after a minute, nothing.
Luna took deep, calming breaths, and the library fell silent once more…
—before exploding toward the heavens.
“CEEEEEEEELEEEEEEESTIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
“So this is what you wish to speak of: the philosophy of being in need of.”
“Yeah…” I stared into my tea. No reflection. “We could be the bravest in the world, disguised behind a shy personality but, when it comes down it not everyone will give us a chance to prove ourselves. It’s natural to judge the cover.”
“Hmm… But if we wish our lives to rearrange, perhaps it's us who needs to change.”
“Change, huh?” I chuckled. “That’s like saying we’re not good enough to begin with.”
That’s the challenge of being a brony of the autistic variety: We whine, we complain, getting too obsessed with our own headcanons to do or see things differently. By no means were we, in a true sense, mentally or socially retarded. Just stubbornly clinging into a time loop, where we refuse to move on.
For me, my time loop was nostalgia for the sake of it.
When I reached into the cookie box for another helping, I realized it was empty save for a few crumbs. It had been for a while. Fishing into my saddlebag, I procured a fruit that glowed orange from the light of the fireplace. I hoofed it over to Zecora. “Apple?”
“Sir?”
“Yes, private?”
“Are we...are we useless?”
“Huh? Now what got you into thinking that?”
“Well… Me and some of the boys go waaay back.” Hooves shuffled, and armor clanked with the motion. “We thought the Royal Guard was pretty cool, fighting monsters and defending our nation for the greater good and all that. It’s our foalhood dream. But ever since we’ve joined, it wasn’t what we expected.”
“Hmmm. I see. A common misconception. Back then, that may be true, but Equestria has been the most peaceful in decades.” Steel creaked as it went taut. “But that doesn’t change that we are the Royal Guard, defenders of Equestria!”
At that, metal rattled. “But I don’t want to tell my grand kids one day that I stood next to a door and stared into space for all my life!”
“Sorry, sonny, but it’s what you signed up for.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know… But really. This dragon subjugation was everything that we wanted; some excitement and purpose in our lives. And for all that to be just...taken away? It’s frustrating.”
A sigh. “I know, private. I know. I feel the same.”
There was a pause.
“Say...it’s gone quiet in there. Think it’s now safe to check in and see?”
“Absolutely not.”
The soldiers guarding the door went silent, signaling the end to the conversation. Unbeknownst to them, the library walls were thin, and we heard everything down to the last word. We shared their sentiments.
After Luna’s Dan Vs. moment and the ensuing animal panic attack, Spike and I fortunately reclaimed order in the library, leading up to now.
Backs to the floor and gazes to the ceiling, we encircled the plates of sweets in suffocating silence. Just...laying there.
Spike and I were exactly where we were before we had our guests.
Trixie was uncharacteristically ponderous, head laid on a bundled cape that acted as a pillow. The stillness broke when she reached out to swat away a pair of sparrows that nestled into her hat.
Meanwhile, Snails relaxed on the pudge of Snips’s stomach, who didn’t seem to mind. The two joined our excursion into silence for the sake of silence, a remarkably mature thing for children to do. Then again, this was a library.
Luna looked comfortable in her regalia, going with nothing else. Well, not entirely. Bunnies had hopped and balled-up into the comfort of her wings, a robin nestled into her mane.
After bribing the critters with sweets, animal therapy did wonders to mellow Luna out. Now, she’s the embodiment of calm as a bunny took a liking to her and nuzzled her cheek. I felt more jealously than I should’ve.
So there we were, a bunch of side characters shoehorned into villainy or minimal screen time for little else except suiting the narrative, laying on the floor with utter boredom in our faces, content with the laziness of the late afternoon. After all, what’s the point when the world had no need of us at the moment?
As one, we sighed.
Yes. We’re having an existential crisis.
“So. Ms. Lulamoon. Thou art second best as well?”
Trixie ran a hoof along the stars in her pillow-cape. She smiled thinly. “Yeah. I am. Nice to know even a princess understands. Although, I keep hearing about Twilight Sparkle being all ‘glorious’ and ‘amazing,’” she said sardonically.
“We heard from our sister. Fending off an ursa attack is a tremendous feat.”
“But shouldn’t me and Tutorial deserve a mention?” Trixie blurted. “We were there, too. I mean, after all we’ve been through, our names didn’t get in the front covers! ...if you please excuse me for thinking so, Your Highness.”
“Don’t worry!” Snips offered a smile. “We think you’re both awesome!”
I turned my head. Why am I involved?
“Yeah, yeah,” Trixie grumbled, “But the majority says otherwise…” She sighed. “And they’re right. My act was lousy compared to hers. Heck, I’m not sure I was even...necessary.”
“Aye. Same for our sister.” Luna petted the scruff of a bunny's head. “She always shined the most between the two of us, and it took far, far too long to let go of our jealousy… Even now we wonder if anything changed at all.” She gazed out the window, where the smoky sky seemed to clear. “We wanted to make that change with our own two hooves. It seems now isn’t the time. But thou? I believe thou made a difference.”
By her words, Trixie’s eyes brightened. “You...you really think so?”
“Of course! Their unstoppable might could very well topple Equestria in several moons! Without thy cunning, the incident could’ve been much, much worse.” Luna paused, humming to taste of a lime cupcake before swallowing. “Although, have the laws concerning such endangered creatures been lax? Why, in our time, to provoke them was forbidden! A mythical creature such as an Ursa doesn’t just rampage without reason. So why did they...”
In the corner of my eye, Snips and Snails chuckled nervously. Their eyes shrunk with a faraway look that saw into a bleak, possible future from their imagination. I could only guess that they saw entire homes squishing into pancakes. Literally.
“Just keep being idiots and don’t think about,” I whispered. Throwing that bit of questionable advice, I shrugged. “You’ll be happier that way.”
However, they gazed to the ceiling with haunted looks.
“I don’t think we can...” Snips muttered.
Snails nodded slowly. “Me either.”
Luna glanced our way. “Something the matter over there?”
We spoke in unison, “Nothing!”
The princess blinked, not sure what to make of our strange behaviour. So, she just nodded and gazed back toward the ceiling.
Trixie stared along with her, deep in thought. “...How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Learn to live again.”
The princess was silent at first, finding an excuse in eating a cupcake, face hardened from thought. Eventually, her eyes softened. “...it isn’t easy. The world is so new to us, but what remains the same is the memory of our actions those thousand years ago. Fairytales they may be now, but our return guaranteed their rightful place in the history books. We simply just...live. And learn.”
Trixie frowned. “That’s it?”
“Well, we suppose it’s helpful to have a friend to urge thou along.” Craning her head so that her eyes glanced ‘up’, Luna smiled at me. “After all, we must first realize how badly we want something.”
I blinked.
“...But what are we doing?” Suddenly, Luna sat up and got to her hooves. She sternly gazed at us. “Stand up! Are we not proud ponies and drake?”
Who were we to deny an order from the princess? Our bodies ached from laying on floor for so long as we awkwardly stood up. However, Luna frowned at our lack of enthusiasm.
“Are we not done wallowing in self pity?! Tis too good of a day for such activities!” Luna began pacing back and forth, like a sergeant to her soldiers. “Our mistakes may be there for all to see, but that’s no excuse to stagnate. We must dedicate all our power to make up for them!”
I wasn’t sure if she’s referring to just herself or all of us anymore. But...this sudden burst of willpower… I smiled. “Even if, in the end, it won’t make up for the greater whole?” I challenged.
“Doth thou doubt us? Even if it won’t make up for a mere fraction!” Luna puffed her chest with a smirk. "Tis a certainty. We refuse to waste our second chance!"
"A long endeavor considering the starting line."
"Nothing is permanent." Luna brilliantly smile. "Believe us. We know."
“Hmmph! That’s right. I am Great and Powerful, after all,” Trixie boasted in a flare. “So what if I’m second best? I’ll just be number one my own way.”
The princess snapped to her with a winning grin. “Then we shall we be second best together?”
The magician smirked, reeking of egoism. “Well, the more the merrier!"
"Then behold!" Luna wrapped her new companion around her wing, waving a hoof to a not-so distant future. "We shall be reborn!"
And suddenly, the two most grandiose ponies in the room hit it off together. The brimming liveliness between the two was so contagious, the two colts bounced where they stood.
“We’re going to be the best class clowns!” Snails proclaimed.
“Yeah—! Wait, no!” Snips glared at his friend. “I thought we’re going to be ninjas!”
“Oh. Right. That, too.”
Seeing the overflowing energy around him, Spike looked down his claws. He clenched them, narrowing his eyes. He looked at me, and I did so in kind.
"Spike?"
"I don’t know about them, but I think I’m okay," he said. “Maybe I will be left behind to do the housework, but,” he waved his claws, "these are the claws of Twilight’s number one assistant. They wrote the biggest words in the Equestrian dictionary as fast as they could be said! She still needs me, and that’s all what matters. I can’t doubt myself."
I cocked my head to the side, feeling helpless. To my memory, his resolve will be tested from his identity to his purpose. He’ll have a long road ahead.
“‘The noble dragon is right! There’s no room for doubt!” Luna shook a hoof in royal rage. “Who dost Celestia think we are?! One day, it shall be we who'll have the first slice of morning cake!”
“Trixie is sick of the world stage dragging her down!” Trixie’s hoof joined her.
“Us, too!” Snips declared, and he and Snails lifted hooves.
I gulped. It’s getting a bit too loud. “Um, guys? The animals—”
A chorus of squeaks and chirping sang from the bookshelves. I looked and almost did a spit take.
What was once an empty shelf became a minor fortress worthy of spectacle. On a sparrow’s back, Mr. Mice brandished his tinfoil sword as his knightly garb of newspaper fluttered, a legion of birds at his beck and call. Mrs. Mice waved to her boyfriend, a tinfoil princess hat flapping along. The fair animal kingdom too sought a revolution, looking ready to fight off a dragon. My worries were wasted.
That left me and Spike with deadpanned expressions, the last bit of sanity in the room.
“Tori?”
“Yes, Spike?”
“Would it be okay if I joined in?”
“...I’ll hold onto your common sense until you’re done.”
“Thanks, man!” Then, Spike shot a fist to the ceiling, lost in the excitement. “Bring it on, boredom! I’ve got comic books to read and letters to write!”
I sighed, stupefied. One after another, they all bounced back into the limelight as though they leaped from a trampoline at the bottom of the abyss. Without reason or clue as to why or how, in a brilliant display of cartoon tone shift, they all burned with an incomprehensible passion.
I could do nothing else but face the cartoony day with a defeated smile.
Cracking and clattering sounded from the kitchen, startling us out of our excitement. Something rolled and rolled into the room—a bowl cleaned of salad—before shuddering to a stop. We stared. Just like that, the motivation popped away like a balloon as lethargically settled back into silence, limbs falling to our sides.
Spike sighed, facepalming. “Angel?”
I nodded. “Angel.”
“...I’ll get the mop.”
“Awww!” Snips whined. “Are you really going?”
“We wanted to hear more!” Snails added.
Luna, Spike, and I watched as the duo crowded around Trixie.
The train whistled to its eventual departure, resonating throughout the train platform. It was time for Trixie to go. Properly this time, because unlike in the original “Boast Busters” episode, she won’t be running off without her necessities.
“Do not weep, little ponies. The Great and Powerful Trixie will one day return from her long journey!” Trixie knelt down to them with an affectionate grin. Despite the flamboyance, there was hint of tenderness. “Now, remember: Your actions and words have consequences, be they real or fake. They have power no matter what anypony else says.”
“Yes, Trixie!” they said in unison.
“But when you come back, we’ll be as good as you!” Snips said, determination glowing in his grin. “Believe it!”
“Yeah!” Snails nodded. “We’ll learn your ninja way!”
Trixie pleasantly laughed. “Well, I most certainly hope you’ll be better than the me of now!”
“Well said, Lulamoon,” Luna said smiling. “We hope for the best thy endeavors.” A buzzing echoed from above, and she gazed skyward. “We must be going. Our time is up.”
Overhead, the skies buzzed with legions upon legions of guards flying toward Canterlot. I could feel the wind draft on my feathers as each flock passed. Such a waste: No epic dragon fight. In the end, my respect for the Royal Guard stayed at zero. But my pity for them flew as high as they did.
“Sooo…” Trixie shyly kicked the platform. “See you next time, um, Princess?”
“Please. Call us Luna.”
“Huh?” Trixie blinked.
“We told each other’s tale and shared our deepest thoughts in a pact of pity,” Luna chuckled. “That makes us friends now, are we not?”
Trixie was speechless. After finding her voice, she bowed. “T-thank you! I am honored!”
“Rise, friend. This is farewell for now. And who knows,” Luna winked. “Perhaps thou shall entertain us properly next time.” She turned away, steel in her eyes. “Until then, we must speak with our sister.”
And so, Princess Luna flew off with new determination—determination to give Celestia a piece of her mind. She soon became another dot in the sky, merging with the Royal Guard.
Then, it was just me. Trixie held a soft gaze. “Tori.”
“Trixie.” I returned a thin smile. “Nice to see that—woah, hey, hey, hey—!” A weight slammed into me, hooves locked tight around my neck. “Kek, why?!” I gurgled with wide eyes.
Trixie pulled away and chuckled haughtily at my reaction, as if she won a world-class prize. “I knew hugs has an effect on you from the pink pony, so I couldn’t let the opportunity slip.”
“Ugh, seriously?”
“What good magician of her own worth wouldn’t bedazzle her audience with one final act? Besides,” Trixie winked, “This was the first time with my own two hooves I earned a real reaction from you.”
I blinked. “That so... Satisfied, then?”
“Yep.” Trixie smirked under her hat, but then frowned. “But I gotta say, you’re unusually cold to the touch. That doesn’t seem healthy. Maybe you should see a doctor.”
“Huh. Really now…” So it wasn’t normal. I’ve been that way since I reincarnated. That was worrying. “Noted.” But for now, I left it at the back of my mind. “Not gonna wait for the girls to return, huh?”
“I’d rather not give them the satisfaction.“ Trixie flared her cape along the sunlight. “But just you wait! When I return, I shall show you all real magic!”
I rolled my dry eyes. “We’ll believe it when we see it, Hokage.”
“I don’t know.” Spike smirked over folded arms. “When she says it like that, I’m willing to believe her, even without the proof.”
Trixie giggled. “Perhaps you're not that bad after all, dragon.” Then, she looked at me. “And what about you, Tori?” She tilted her pointy cap forwards, and I froze at an impossible sight: A shy smile gracing her lips. “...do you believe I can?”
The question gave me pause. Our manes fluttered along as a phantasmal breeze blew past. I could practically taste tomorrow in the wind—a different flavor from what I knew; chilling and something new. I may never know what’ll happen far down the road, and the catalyst herself stood with an expectant stare, her cape flowing without the help of fake airs.
Tooooooooot!
The train was about to leave. With the little time we had, honesty was all I could offer.
With a smile, I opened my mouth—
A light thud interrupted my story.
I looked to find Zecora peacefully snoozing along the warmth of her hooves on the table, cheeks and muzzle buried in her fur. The her golden neck rings raised and lowered subtly to the motion of breathing. The sound came from her finished apple core leaving her hooves and dropping off the edge of the table.
Glancing outside, I saw Manny curled on the ground. I knew that to be his default sleeping position.
With no witness, a tight-lipped smile appeared.
I stood up and softly walked around to pick up and dispose the apple remains into the empty cookie box. I shuffled a few sticks into the fire pit, invigorating the flames. Then, I reached deep into my saddlebag, past the apples and towels, and I pulled out a long, fluffy blanket of cotton, shabbily knitted by yours truly. Its many holes accentuated my poor skills, but it was good enough to serve it’s purpose.
I wrapped it around her, and Zecora snuggled along the warmth, lured into a pleasant sleep. Wishing a toasty good bye, I left the hut and headed back to Ponyville.
Winter is coming, after all.
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- “I thought you are in rehabilitation.”
were
- “If only we could say the for everypony else.”
same
- and they’ll forget your mistake.”
never
The Day Tori gets his Cutie mark is the day The Story line Fucks up.
This was an interesting chapter, I am surprised that Trixy decided to stick to Ponyville a while longer and for Tory too, so is this love triangle going to be a quartet now? I wonder if she will still try to get her hooves on the alicorn amulet seeing that she doesn't have as bitter of an experience as she did in the original show. It was interesting to also see Snip's and Snails in the chapter they are generally not very popular but I always find that they are unappreciated and is probably the best characters that could represent the outcast for the groups at school. I wonder why Tory didn't go with the rest of the mane 6 to see the dragon, or at least be asked to go there with them especially at how difficult it was to even get Fluttershy there in the first place. I don't think that the risk of lolling it to sleep was the real issue there but I think it was more to do that Twilight didn't want to risk getting him hurt like he did in the Everfree Forest and Nightmare Moon; I hope that will be addressed in the next chapter. It was also fun to see Luna a Ponyville and to have her trick by Celestia of all ponies, I wonder if we will get to hear more juicy stuff on what's going on over there and if Tory will get to visit Canterlot on his own soon.
8409261
8409638
It's almost time to make good on the alt. universe tag as well. Y'know, sometimes I'd plan ahead to add a few bits of foreshadowing to see what you'll find. Instead, you guys keep on giving me new ideas! Although, I'll be a bit disappointed if no one figured it out by the time the next chapter comes out.
I was hoping Trixie unintentionally echoing one of Pinkie's lines would spark a thought.
8409939
Well, for your foreshadowing... I would guess that it has something to do with winter and the fact that Tory is could to the touch so maybe there might be something linked to it was a some-sort of even the part were he can hear the background music, so it might have somersetting to do with the Windigos or something and that something will happen when winter finally come. Unfortunate it wasn't obvious enough to peak my interest as much as the other things. it could also me that it is linked to is sadistic or spiteful side of himself that he might repressing or something.
8410714
Woah. Nailing it except the part about the Windigos (although, the mention of them puts you in the right track)! Most of your points are half right when refering to details from previous chapters. Makes me feeling really happy.
8410963
Then my next best guess would be that he is Death's replacement(or become one of her acolytes maybe) for this world, gets all the perks that goes along with it and could in part explain why the ponies find him so unsettling because he emits an unsettling death aura around him that cause the ponies to be afraid of him all the time for no valid reasons and the 'background music' or 'song' that he hear is what is supposed to help him know who he should go after next and let him know who's time is up; beats hearing a ticking sound all the time for a metaphor at least. how about that. I could also guess that dead role could be a metaphor of how he has to numb himself to the rest of the world in order to to let what others think or say about him being odd by his stand point all the time and that keep him as a marginal of society as well prevent him from enjoying the full spectrum emotional sensation experiences in life.
What do you think of that then?
8411038
Way off!
8411114
Has Tori ever tried trading sweets for food before?
You might want to change that to Hayburgers, or that could lead to some disturbing connotations.
8411466
... damn autocorrect.
8411480
I know what you mean.....SO much.
8418596
I fucking love George Carlin.
8418626
Aw, and here I thought I had come up with that by myself. Oh well, bookmarked.
I'm more of a Victor Borge fan myself, though.
8418626
I like him as a narrator.
I think I've lost Tutorial's perspective at some point. He very clearly knows he's altered events somehow, but freaks out and often acts as if the world isn't real at times-which is the whole point, as far as I can tell. He's treating this like a show rather than a simulation that can react to him.
Anyway, I'm feeling lost as to why he thinks this reality is...well, the pure show that will never diverge. It's like he doesn't think it's real, at all, and he's been repeatedly surprised when that's proven to not be the case...
I guess what I'm saying is I simply don't understand when he or how he decided the world isn't real. To me it seemed pretty clear-a world based on his views of the show, but a full one nonetheless.
Very nice story so far, good work.
Hahahahahaha!!!
8765007
This seems to have been what I've been coming to see for quite some time. Tori sort of intellectually acknowledges that hey, this world is actually a living, breathing thing, and it's quite very possible for things to deviate from it. But on an emotional basis, he doesn't want to really see it that way. He panics every time he sees something deviating directly from the course of events. He even states it in this chapter:
It's why I expect he's quite happy with being in the background. Moments like in this chapter don't really change canon, they complement it, as they don't directly affect the show's timeline. But you can expect if Fluttershy had decided to stay behind during Dragonshy Tori would have been pushing hard to get her out there.
Aaauuuuggggghh. I didn't see that one coming. Ya got me.
9088912
He specifically wanted Equestria for the nostalgia, and he went in as an observer. I think there's something else at play that grants him his subconscious wishes to be surprised a bit at times, like the reincarnator thingy Death did fulfilled what he needed instead of what he wanted.
Why is the w in know italicized?
So sweet and tasty.
Cupcakes! Don't be too hasty.
Cupcakes! Cupcakes! Cupcakes! Cupcakes!