The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Wishful Thinking

"I'm somewhat surprised as to how well you're taking this," Gerardo remarked to Maple as the lift to the Flame District was silently hoisted on its magical cable.

Maple blinked at him, Starlight nestled into her back. "Taking what? That six ponies are being lifted an incredible distance by a single chain coming from a machine that isn't even tied down?"

"Ah ha ha... erm, no." Gerardo coughed into a wing. "The fact that we've just been far below the lowest point in the world's surface that most creatures imagine feasible and discovered a whole host of things that completely defy explanation under our current understanding of the world. Buried castles? Crystal architecture? What of that table, or that tree? Nefarious experiments performed with them whose purposes we can't even begin to guess..." He blinked upward toward the distant light of the Flame District. "It's taking all of my professional fortitude to keep composed, stick to our present mission, and not drop everything in the name of trying to puzzle out the workings of what I have seen and therefore must believe. The fact that we may well never know, nor even get a chance to return here is beyond aggravating and would likely undo me if I gave it too much thought."

"...Oh. Right." Maple took a moment to process that, then gave a smile. "Gerardo, do you know how many things I've seen in the last three days I could only have dreamed of existing before? Things like a city with a thousand ponies, let alone maybe millions? Weather that was anything but cool and rainy everywhere, all the time? Ponies fighting for what they want with weapons and political factions? These were things I read about in fiction, not thought of as real. I'm too far past what I'm familiar with for my worldview to be shaken by anything, because it's already gone. As far as I'm concerned, anything could be out there, and I won't be surprised if it is. We could probably go to the moon and I'd be just as surprised as I am now. I just wish things weren't on the edge of war so I could appreciate it all."

Gerardo grinned back at her. "Well, I'm afraid going to the moon isn't exactly scientifically feasible at the moment. You can attempt to fly, but eventually your wings will freeze and you'll suffer a very long and usually lethal tumble as a result. As far as I'm aware, we don't even know if the moon is conceptual or a real, physical place."

"Isn't it?" Starlight muttered from Maple's back. "What about the Mare in the Moon?"

"I believe there exist magical principals that allow for the conversion of physical matter to a state storable in a spell," Gerardo countered. "Take, for example, teleportation. I wouldn't be surprised if it is how Maple's brand works, either. The moon could merely be a very complex spell with said mare's essence anchored inside. That is, of course, assuming the legend is even true. A thousand years has a way of mixing fact and legend, or even outright replacing one with the other."

"You seriously think the Mare in the Moon is real?" Valey interrupted, strolling over and ignoring Neon Nova and Howe, who were muttering to each other at the other end of the platform. "Everything I know about my kind is just a little second-hoof... but we're got some weird legends that say she created batponies. And is a monster. Who lives on the moon." Nonchalantly, she licked the side of her hoof and ran it through her mane.

Starlight squinted. "She did?"

"The Mare in the Moon?" Valey blinked. "Yeah. Maybe she's real, maybe she's not, but anyone who'd make us with this lot in life and then ditch us here doesn't sound worth believing in to me."

Gerardo looked at her curiously.

"Oh." Starlight looked away. "I thought she was just a monster that got defeated a long time ago."

"You know..." Valey leaned back, reclining on the platform, her golden pendant glinting around her neck. "Not like it matters, or like I'll ever get to give her a piece of my mind, but I'm honestly kinda ticked at her. If the legends are true, at least. You're trying to make a race of ponies? Why not make them cute and cuddly and stuff? But nooo, we get these fangs and slitted eyes and wings that look like they should only be out at night. Gotta go and make us look all spooky and creepy and all that. Hey, though, what do I know? Ironridge's only batpony, and all. Maybe I've been listening to Herman too much, and other parts of the world really do like us."

Gerardo winced, not meeting her eyes.

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, Birdo." Valey rolled her own. "Anyway, what were you talking about before that? This is taking forever and I'm bored. Usually I just fly up." Dismally, she flexed her wings with a huff of frustration.

"Why I wasn't surprised with what was down there," Maple answered, watching the wall go by. "I guess you've been down there a bunch of times, haven't you? What did you think of it the first time you were there?"

"Eh..." Valey scratched her head. "That was a super long time ago, Ironflanks. Honestly, I don't remember. I had more important things to think about at the time."

Quickly sensing that meant please don't press, Maple held her tongue.

Eventually, Valey spoke up again. "So what are your plans for after this? You know... once we bail on Ironridge. Where are we going?"

Gerardo shrugged. "The life of a wandering adventurer can take me where it will, so long as I don't stay put for too long. Truth be told, I was hoping to find some interesting lead to pursue here in Ironridge once I completed my business that could guide my path beyond the city, but it seems that is a long-lost cause."

"First off," Maple insisted, "I'm going back home, to Riverfall. I promised my friends I'd be back, and even though it's only been three days, it feels like..." She bit back a tired sigh. "Well, it feels like it's been forever. I need to see them. I need to talk to them, tell them about what's happened, probably laugh and cry about it a lot..." She grinned crookedly. "I've been bottling up and putting off thinking about so much stuff to keep from freaking out here, it'll probably take forever to get my head back on straight. So first, I need to go home and come to terms with the fact that I got shot with a magic cannon, was foalnapped, sabotaged power to a city this big, have been getting along with Sosans and everything else that's going to happen before we escape. Then I can see what I feel like doing."

"Yeah. Makes sense." Valey slumped. "Honestly, I was kinda hoping to go... farther than that. That's what, half a day by boat? Less, since it's downstream? The world's a stupidly huge place, Ironflanks, and I'm just done with Ironridge. The only place I want to go is away. Just pick a direction and keep going, you know?"

Starlight leaned into Maple's back, resting her head sideways against the mare's fuzzy neck. "I know how that feels," she mumbled.

Valey only sighed.

Comments

[Davidp1522]

"We could probably go to the moon and I'd be just as surprised as I am now."

Calling it now as foreshadowing.

Seems like a had an other thought while reading but it eludes me at the monent.

[Czar_Yoshi]

8746753 "The stars will aid in her escape."

Obviously, Starlight will wind up being responsible for setting Nightmare Moon free!

[Davidp1522]

8746767
And Valley will come so that she can beat Luna up! It's all connected!

[alamais]

Of course, there's still the possibility of Riverfall getting rekt in the near future if the dam goes kablooey, so who knows if Maple will have much of a chance to chillax.

[Hap]

8746753
*nods sagely, stroking beard*