Alternate Beginnings: Year Three

by Doug Graves

20 The Singular Spirit

August 20th, 995

Rarity smiles to herself as she finishes cleaning up her store. She has been hard at work sorting through the various gems she collected with Doug, something she tries to do at least thirty minutes per day, whenever she can spare the time. With the order for the Canterlot Guard completed she finally has some time to inspect the the essences that the guard isn't interested in. Doug arrived earlier and is already inside one of her storerooms, sorting through some of the essences. Now that she is done with the store she can finally join him. And maybe Pinkie Pie will enjoy it, the mare sure likes making fun games out of tedious activities.

The bell over the front door chimes, two white coated guards making their way into the store. Rarity walks over, admiring their polished gold armor as she says, "Good evening! I assume you are here to pick up the crystals?"

One guard nods, moving over to a box located near the door. "Is this it?"

Rarity shakes her head, "No, those are scraps I'm saving, I need to take those to the back." She turns to the back of the store, calling out, "Doug! Can you bring out the guard essences?"

A faint "Sure!" can be heard from the back, and Rarity turns back to take another look at the guards. Their armored helmets cover the back of their heads and manes, but leave the front and neck open. There is a dull black gem in the center of the chest piece, two stylized wings that spread to their shoulders, and interlocking plates that run along the back to their tail. On their hooves are armored horseshoes, three triangles with the elongated center spike pointing towards the black gem.

The guards spin, one hoof going to the spear strapped on their back as they move to a defensive position by Rarity. She turns, looking with confusion at what set them off. Doug walks into the room, two boxes held in his arms and obscuring his vision as the guard sternly says, "Ma'am, stay back." When Rarity doesn't move and instead gives a small smile and laugh the guard asks, "Do you know this creature?"

Rarity chuckles, "Yes, he's my stallion, Doug. Trust me, he's har... well, let's just say that he's friendly, and you can put those spears away. Darling, put the boxes by the door, these two gentlemares are here to take the order to Canterlot."

One of the guards says, "Well, to the train station first," before the other guard turns and gives her a quick glare. The first guard coughs, "Well, if that is all, then we'll be on our way."

Doug sets the boxes down, looking at the two guards. He raises an eyebrow, "That's your normal armor? I assume you use something different for battle, that looks incredibly ineffective."

One of the guards rolls her eyes while the other one fumes, "Oh? You think you know a lot about warfare, creature?"

Doug shrugs, one of his hands scratching the back of his head, "Well, not personally, but your armor design is all wrong."

The fuming guard moves up, "Really? How so?"

Doug motions towards the back of the pegasus, "Well, for starters, gold seems like a terrible choice for armor, being heavier and more easily punctured than steel, or even iron. And you are protecting the wrong spots; what attacker is going to hit your back, you, a pegasus flying in the air? And you aren't even bothering to protect the most vital organs, along your neck and barrel, to an enemy that you are exposing exactly those elements to."

The guard in front looks to Rarity, "You didn't tell him what these crystals are for, did you?" Rarity shakes her head and the guard smiles, turning back to Doug, "I'm going to enjoy this. Alright, Doug, take your best shot. If you can hurt me, you're off, scot-free. Just as a demonstration."

Doug squints at the pegasus, "Really? You want me to kick you?" At the pegasus' nod Doug steps up, lifting one leg, calloused and toned from years of helping Applejack cart apples over rocky paths, plowing fields, and further attempts at apple bucking. His foot shoots out, aimed at the open spot under the armor along the pegasus' barrel. His strike is cut short, impacting something six inches away from the pegasus' body and sending the guard sliding along the polished floor.

Rarity screams, "No! Are you all right? Don't worry, dear, Rarity is here, she'll help you get through this!" The guards roll their eyes as Doug winces, returning to his standing stance. Rarity dashes over to the four lines scoured into her Boutique's floor; she raises her hooves to the ceiling, "Wwhhhyyyy!"

One of the guards moves over, "Ma'am, we'll be happy to help with this, just give us-"

Rarity shakes her head, "No, you have important guard business, I assume." She spins, glaring at Doug, "You, on the other hoof, should have known better. Did all that 'practice' you do with Rainbow teach you nothing, or were you just foaling around with her!"

Doug holds up both hands, "Hey, sorry, I got a little carried away, I don't know what came over me."

Rarity huffs, "Well, be prepared to go out in the cold and hope that Barnyard Bargains is still open, this needs to be fixed immediately!"

Doug sighs, "Alright, they don't close for a while, hopefully they don't mind if I'm there getting an order for you." He turns to the guards, "You two need to go? Also, impressive enchantment on the armor there."

The guard massages her side, "Yeah, well, they don't exactly absorb the impact of a blow, the enchantment just spreads it out unless it'll be a lethal hit. Then it absorbs the blow completely, the enchantment overloads and becomes useless until it can be reenchanted. Saved the life of a lot of pegasi, that Walk."

Doug raises an eyebrow, "Walk?"

The guard nods, "Sure, Abram Walk. Most ponies like to attribute it to Star Swirl, but that old coot didn't come up with the design, just the spellwork. You see, way back in the day, the other nations weren't as peaceful as they are now. We fought the griffons, minotaurs, zebras, yaks, deer; you name it, we probably fought a war with them. And they learned quick that the best way to fight a pegasi fleet was to flood the sky with as many crossbow bolts as possible. Those bolts pierced the armor we were using at the time. Not all the pegasi made it back home."

The guards glance at each other as Doug asks, "How do you know all this?"

One guard shrugs, "History course, part of being a member of the guard. Keeps it interesting, and let's us know the thought process on how they come up with this gear, in case one of us gets a bright idea. Like those crystals you have over there."

The other guard continues her story, "Anyway, Commander Hurricane wants to bring more pegasi back home, of course, but doesn't want to overload us with even heavier armor. We dodge more bolts than the extra armor would protect us against. So, he tells Star Swirl and Clover to come up with some better armor designs, hopefully ones that reduce weight, keep us agile, and protect the most vital parts. They pass that assignment off on Walk, it being not 'hoity toity' enough for the unicorns. He looks at the pattern of where the bolts are piercing, which sections have holes in the armor, and he comes up with something that completely blew Commander Hurricane's mind."

Doug shakes his head, "No way. I don't believe it."

The guard cocks her head, "You don't believe what? That it happened? Because you're looking at the results."

Doug continues shaking his head, "No, I know how the story ends."

The guard glances over at Rarity, who shrugs her shoulders. The guard looks again at Doug, "Really."

Doug nods, "There is a parallel story, from my world. During World War II, a statistician looked at the bullet hole patterns of returning aircraft. And he decided to add armor to the areas where the bullet holes were missing, because those are the areas where the aircraft, or in your case pegasi, were getting hit and not surviving, while the survivors had bullet, or bolt, holes in areas that were non lethal."

The two guards stare blankly at Doug before one of them says, "A... world war? How exactly do you have a world war? How many... of your kind lost their lives in a world war?"

Doug shakes his head, "Irrelevant, or more accurately, you don't want to know. Princess Celestia can ask me if you really think it's that important. So, what was your solution to the problem of armor?"

The guard continues, "Well, Walk came up with the design, and Star Swirl designed the shield spell to be enchanted into the gem. You see, the spell is the strongest part of the armor, able to diffuse the force of a bolt or other blow, spreading it out over the entire area of the spell, lessening the overall damage. Plus, any enemy not in the know will aim for those areas, assuming they are able to aim at a pegasus in flight, making it harder for the attacker to actually do damage. The reason behind gold for the other areas is two-fold; first, it's a clear reminder that we are Princess Celestia's royal guard, inspiring hope or doubt depending on whether or not you should be worried we are coming. The other reason is, with physical attack less of an issue, magical attacks became a more serious consideration. The gold is better able to hold some of our anti-magic enchantments, protection from lightning and magical bolts, that kind of thing."

Doug nods, "Wow, fascinating stuff."

One guard looks outside, glancing back at the other. "Well, it has been good talking to you, Doug. Rarity, we must take our leave. Good night!" The two pegasi grasp the boxes, loading them onto their backs before walking out of the store.

Doug looks over at Rarity, "I'll be in the back, finishing my sorting. Afterwards I'll redo the floor, if you can get the materials for that. I really don't want to be harassed going to Bargains again."

Rarity sighs, "Very well, I suppose. I do hope you've learned your lesson. And be sure to check on Sweetie Belle, I think she's asleep, just make sure she is in her bed."

Doug nods, heading to the back of the store, while Rarity steps outside, her bell jingling merrily. Sweetie Belle is happily sleeping in her bed, and he heads inside the storeroom. Once inside, Doug holds up the largest of their finds, peering into the quad essence crystal, fascinated by the colors swirling within. Two yellows, one bright and the other more muted. One green, pale, sickly. One blue, cold, indifferent. He can feel the barest hint of emotions - a hint of anger mixed with rage. A fear of the other, the unknown. A hatred of the outsider, indifference to their troubles. He shakes his head, putting the crystal off to the side.

He twirls his pencil, thinking of what he is supposed to be doing. Making a list? He knows he wants to tell Starlight more about this crystal, but his mind seems to draw a blank, the contents, the meaning, the... essence of what he wants to write to Starlight gone. She had gotten his letter about the stone, and she wants to come here and see it, but... He puts his pencil down, staring again at the crystal. One more look wouldn't hurt, right?

The door opens, Rarity walking into the room. She takes a look at Doug, the human staring deep into the crystal. She shakes her head, saying, "I know they are pretty, dear, but you need to sort them into their piles, not stare at them."

She notices a flicker of anger on his face, quickly turning deeper. Harsh intent directed at her. She frowns as his mouth tightens, glaring at her before his face relaxes, his eyes growing wide and unfocused. He says, meekly, "Rarity? I think something's wrong."

Rarity looks at Doug with concern; he has rarely shown anger before, almost never at her, or fear. She closes her eyes, focusing her magical sense on the core innate to all creatures and magical objects. She can see the crystal brightly, her cutie mark giving her more insight into the magical structure than most ponies would receive, and she can see the wisps of magic flowing out. They are coalescing in a dark reservoir, pooling around in the spot where she knows Doug is sitting. She frowns, turning off her sight; normally, a pony's innate magic would keep those kind of influences out. Hopefully removing the crystal will allow Doug to return to normal; until then, he might need to be comforted and reassured, the foreign influences slowly purging themselves from his mind.

Rarity moves over, slowly stroking his back as Doug starts shaking. He clenches his arms around his legs, pulling them up against his chest. His hands ball into fists before relaxing, rubbing his legs as he moans. Rarity looks worried as she inspects the crystal; she better remove it from the area soon. She uses her levitation to lay him on the floor, her stallion continuing to shudder as she levitates the crystal out of the room.

Rarity walks outside her Boutique, wondering where she should take the crystal. As she deliberates going to the hospital herself or getting help her herdmate Pinkie Pie pronks over. The mare is shuddering, her whole body shaking as she makes her way down the street. Rarity looks at her in concern as Pinkie Pie recovers, noticing Rarity. The unicorn says, "Pinkie Pie! Thank Celestia you are here!"

The earth pony perks up, saying, "Hi Rarity! Why wouldn't I be here? It's our night together! Although..." Pinkie Pie squats down, tapping her hoof on the ground, "Has anything... odd happened recently? Like, just now? I just got a Ear flop, then eye flutter, then knee twitch."

Rarity nods, "Well, it seems this essence crystal imbued Doug with some of the emotions that are felt inside it. I'm at a loss as to how, or what could be done to help him."

"Oooohhhh." Pinkie moves over, holding a hoof to her chin as she inspects the crystal. "Hmm... yes, four essences? And not the nice ones either, the mean ones. Well, there aren't really any nice ones, and these ones aren't particularly mean." Pinkie shrugs, tossing the crystal back in a nearby trash can, "Eh, could have been worse. Just keep him away from the crystal and his natural magic should purge his system."

Rarity stares at Pinkie Pie for a second before saying, "But, Pinkie, Doug doesn't have any natural magic. That's why this is a problem in the first place."

Pinkie Pie stares blankly at Rarity before she opens her mouth and eyes in shock. "You mean... Oh no! Is he safe? Did he try to hurt you?"

Rarity shakes her head, "No, I'm fine, he mostly cowered in fear, now that I think about it. Is he going to be okay?"

Pinkie taps her hoof against her chin, "Well, I'm not the expert in this, my sister Maud Pie is. She's working towards getting her rocktorate, I think she'd know what to do! I'll get a message to her right away!"

Rarity starts to say something but Pinkie Pie disappears in a cloud of streamers. She shakes her head, moving back inside the store and bringing the empty trash can with her, glaring at the crystal inside. She returns inside the storeroom; Doug is still in the same position, and her scan of his body shows that the influence is still there, and hasn't subsided. Fortunately it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, so she moves over, giving him a quick nuzzle. She stands, quickly moving to the box containing the other essence crystals and removing them from the room.

Doug continues shaking, cowering in fear as Rarity returns, the mare cuddling next to him. She quietly asks, "Would you prefer to move to the bed? Something more comfortable?" At his head shake she sighs, concentrating hard. A few pillows levitate into the room, and she sets a few around him and under his head. She runs her hoof through his mane, saying, "It's okay, Doug, everything will be all right."

Pinkie Pie enters the room, breathing a sigh of relief as she spots Doug and Rarity. "It's okay, Rarity, Maud is on the way." She looks at Doug, tilting her head back and forth. "So, when do I get to cuddle with him?"

An hour later, Pinkie Pie is resting her eyes as Doug has her tightly held in his arms. Rarity is laying behind him, occasionally rubbing her hoof along his back whenever he whimpers. A knock on the front door can be heard, and Rarity stands, whispering, "I'll be back," before leaving.

Rarity opens the front door, an earth pony with a gray coat, violet mane, and blue smock standing in the doorway. Rarity smiles, "Oh good, you got here! I'm Rarity; do come in."

The earth pony replies in a deadpan voice, "Hi," as she follows Rarity inside the store, "I'm Maud. Maud Pie."

Rarity looks nervously at Maud, "Well, I don't suppose you get called in for a lot of rock related emergencies?"

Maud replies, "Most ponies with rock related emergencies go to a hospital."

Rarity stares at Maud for several seconds before coughing, "Yes, well, Pinkie Pie apparently thought that getting you here was a better idea than going to the hospital. Also, Doug isn't a pony, so they might not have known what to do with him." Maud Pie stares at Rarity, remaining motionless. Rarity moves over to the trash can she put the quad essence in, levitating it out, "Do you know what this is?"

Maud Pie says, "Yes."

"Will you please elaborate?"

Maud nods, "It's an essence crystal containing four essences. Likely dug from the Badlands within the year, judging by the mix of anger, rage, hatred, and fear. Around the center, east side."

Rarity raises an eyebrow, looking back at Maud, "That's... exactly correct. How did you know?"

Maud Pie stares back at her, "I'm working on a rocktorate degree, specializing in crystals."

Rarity nods, "Excellent! So, Doug is being influenced by this crystal. He has no innate magical resistance, so it was able to invade his magical core, or at least, where his magical core would normally be. It's messing with his emotions, but not completely controlling him; what do we do?"

Comments

[AnormalUnicornPony]

Mauds a natural choice by Pinkie but I would think they would be dialing 1-800-DR.-HORSE or Celestia.

[AuthorGenesis]

Maud replies, "Most ponies with rock related emergencies go to a hospital."

Yeah, getting stoned usually requires medical attention.

[Jack-Pony]

9892447 Especially since THC is toxic to equines.

[Gambling_Sam]

Ooooo. Best pony showcase