The enhanced Stallion

by Shenzy

Sleepwalking

Being trapped within a snow-globe may be the most fitting description of this realm.

There was a lot of white, the surface was transparent and given enough force it would break. This, Princess Luna managed to do. A crack spawned right beneath royal hooves to then crawl along the ground. Heading quickly for the (for the mare) unreachable horizon and shoot straight up! The snout curiously followed as the jagged line tore a deep furrow into the ceiling, through which the white of this realm began to leak like water out of a cracked globe.

The mindless 'puppeteer' didn't look any better having an identical rift running diagonally across his body, from snout to hip, while the brown of his fur leaked into the ground without having any reaction to it other than mumbling incoherent nonsense.

This wasn't at all how Luna imagined this to go! A last glance was given towards the tilted horizon and the fading picture of the unconscious mare. This couldn't be how things ended, so Luna spun around, ran straight for the puppeteer -and took a leap of faith! Vanishing in a -flash-

"What you think is happening!?" Rainbow whispered, receiving a sharp "Shh!"

"~ i just want to kn~" another sharp "Shh!" cut through air.

"~b-but!" tedious as it might was, it wouldn't stop the "Shhh!"

"OH COME ON! WE BEEN QUIET FOR AN HOUR!" a blue hoof stomped, once Rainbow jumped up “We can't just sit here and do nothing!”

The circle of ponies nearly froze upon the outcry, heads snapping for Princess Luna while holding their breaths!! … only for all of them to slowly deflate. For Rainbow's sake the alicorn's focus luckily remained intact. Resting unaware on her bed in a slumber like trance, head lowered with a fading glow surrounding the horn, projecting her astral-self into another realm.

“Rainbow! Stop being so obnoxious! You are making everypony nervous!” Rarity scolded the blue speedster “Sit down and try to be patient for once in your life!” which tried to glare the fashionista down in return, tried but didn't succeed.

“Please, we promised to be supportive in every way possible” Twilight reminded calmly “The moment Luna can tell us more, the moment we will act... and until then...”

As much Rainbow Dash would have loved to protest she knew she couldn't. Not just they had right, but being the Element of Loyalty... well, Rainbow had a word for it. A very special word, at least sometimes. Why couldn't she have laughter or generosity!? Neither of those would stop her from having fun! “Ugh...~fine!” so she would park her flank! “-but only ten more minutes!” pomf!

Wings held close to the slender body, hooves stretched away like an Olympic diver and focus kept straight ahead. Luna knew she was running on borrowed time, so she had to act fast... - this mind had fallen into madness and the realm itself was collapsing at a rapid rate. During her free fall, the mare just had to look over her shoulder to see the black border chasing after, swallowing thousands of colorful dots without as much as noise, extinguishing days, weeks, months... - soon years to come.

A sharp gust of wind spun the mare around mid-flight! Without having a moment to orientate herself Luna flailed wings instinctively in every direction but it was already too late! A white barrier rapidly approached the mare, giving just enough time for her to brace for impact annnd-BUMPF!the alicorn's body slammed painfully onto the astral ground like a meteorite, sending snow flying into every direction “-unfgg!” -which hurt the daydreaming mare more than enough for her actual body to grunt and grind teeth... which eventually began to clatter. Being suddenly dug up in a thick layer of freezing cold snow- this she hadn't seen coming.

Meanwhile, neither Luna's shacking nor the clattering of teeth had gone unnoticed, Fluttershy being the one to put a blanket onto the mare, while Pinkie rushed of to serve (everypony) a cup of hot cocoa within a literal instant. Twilight tried to find a spell, while Rarity gave a gentle massage, stimulating blood circulation... now this was the athletic Rainbows idea, but the fashionista knew much better how to apply it correctly- so much so she might manage to talk the coco zipping Applejack into a spa visit soon.

Luna felt a sudden warmth rising all over her body. Warmth and comfort like... sitting at a fireplace... holding a cup of hot cocoa... with marshmallows. While she couldn't hear or feel it directly, she was still more than aware somepony was watching over her, which made for even more warmth but this time inside her chest. This would do just fine to make it through the harshest of winters! So the mare dug herself out and shook off ice and snow to have a look at this curious world... an icy tundra. Like before, the world was mostly white, but this time the horizon went all the way around... had mountains in the distance... she could move around and actually get somewhere and there was even a place worth getting to.

A lonesome house.

While the dream-walking mare never quite knew what to expect diving into a pony's psyche, this place still seemed particular odd right away. It wasn't the house bothering her since a house like this in a place like this, it could represent a multitude of things; like solitude. Being cold-hearted. Distanced. Feeling rejection. All of which quite fitting for a filly-napper most psychiatrist would strongly agree!

No. This wasn't what was odd about this place. What struck Luna right away was anything that wasn't odd! The colors were right. The sky and the world around had context and detail. The house might hold symbolism, but this picture was blunt beyond believe, so much so it would fit into a school-play. It made no sense how much sense it all made! But there was no time to ponder about it. Darkness was close on her tail and a mare in dire need for help. Luna had to march on and find clues before time ran out.

A log cabin. The slanted roof had a thick layer of snow on top with a chimney spewing a constant trail of smoke, creating a harsh contrast of black to the mountains in the back. Light shun from the few windows which weren't covered up by wooden flaps. It made a sturdy impression like some sort of outpost, just a couple hundred meters away.

Flying would like to turn this into a hop and a skip, but Luna decided against it. Wind was harsh, constantly kept changing direction and made wings too stiff to maneuver. No. Walking was the way to go. So she shuffled forward, sinking in nearly every step on the way. Why anyone would want to live here of all places, she couldn't imagine.

It took ten minutes for the strong minded alicorn to climb half-way, a strenuous process during which she hardly could see what's ahead, shuffling about with lowered head trough piles of snow while gusts of wind kept blowing in her face. A forcefield could have helped but how much more magic could she waste for a journey she just started?

Pushing through the mare dared to peek about six or seven minutes later. She was close. Close enough to feel her cold lips form a smug smile and confidence rising when the door opened up. Luna froze. Not due to the cold, but the figure she saw standing in the double-door system. A bulky gray figure with steel-blue eyes as cold as the tundra around.

Immediately Luna threw herself to the ground, taking cover from a searching gaze which tried to orientate itself. The mechanic horse took a few wonky steps forward to leave the comfort of the house, stumbling into the sub-temperature world outside in which the princess was hiding, breathing slowly into the snow below. Apparently successfully. There was no battle cry or other sign she had been spotted. Using a drop of magic a peephole was pushed trough the snow-pile in front, confirming that the horse was heading in a simple straight line. It might get close, but unless she made noise or it changed course, there was a good chance it would miss her.

The horse stomped south... trotting a couple of steps... -fell flat onto its face. Again. And again. Like an infant, trying to walk for the first time. It tried to get into a run- managed to do so... and fell. A patter which kept repeating for quite a while. Stubborn like a mule. It just kept pushing, clearing a path dangerously close to Luna, which was partially snowed in at this point- granting additional camouflage.

Weighty steps came closer. A rustling of limbs and snow rang in Luna's ears... -huffing and gibberish curses within hooves-reach! Snow being pushed aside, falling onto the alicorn's back, which tensed up in the dire hope she wouldn't get spotted. Every instinct telling her to duck down and play dead, yet curiosity made her peek anyway! She had to see if it was the same one... -opening an eye, tilting the head and lifting it very slowly an inch from the slightly molten surface.

A gray bulky form pushed right past the jittering mare -eyes locked in the distance. A lifeless gaze. Heading straight for Equestria. This was the one. The ones in the chamber were a couple of inches taller and bulkier in stature with sharp edges around the face as if they were meant to scare ponies. This one had a particular unfinished touch to it. Like a crude marble statue, the artist didn't get to finish. Working out some details the others had, like slightly more natural ear-shapes which were more than triangles bolted to its head.

The further the equine plow moved away the more confident Luna became to make a long neck and see where it was going, making sure it wouldn't come back any time soon, so she could have a look at this lonesome outpost. Once the machine was out of sight, vanished behind a curtain of snow, Luna jumped into its trail it had left behind in order to head for the house more easily. Quite convenient, she had to admit.

The shivering mare thought about making an entry to get out of the cold but wisely decided to peek through one of the windows first. Given this blockhead was walking around it was fair to assume this place might be a military outpost and no matter how 'imaginary' all of this was, a fight with(in) a deranged subconscious wouldn't help anypony.

Hooves were put on the edge of the window and the nose slowly pulled upwards to see... a fogged window.

Using the back of the hoof, snow, a bit of ice and water were wiped away.

What she found wasn't as much a military outpost but a cozy living room of sorts. A fireplace burning on the right, table and chairs on the far left and a red armchair in it's middle, facing the window she was peeking through.

Sitting in the armchair was a white unicorn with strokes of black running trough an otherwise gray mane. There was no doubt about the mare to be old, wrinkles drawing age upon her face and purple eyes tiresome keeping guard about... what might be her son?
Related or not, there was a hue-blue pony sitting on the floor, his head resting in the mare's lap. Apparently the stallion was exhausted and had a rest... and the mare was humming a soothing tune, while slowly stroking the deep black mane of his, just like a mother would. She took care of him. Made sure he could sleep of his exhaustion. Deep rings beneath eyes and slow deep breaths being signs of magic exhaustion, a detail Luna hadn't missed.

Pulling away from the sight the princess couldn't help but wonder...

It might just been a hunch but instead of sneaking around the house, trying to find or create an entry, Luna instead decided for a different approach.

Pok.Pok.Pok.

It took a moment during which the princess shook herself to get rid of the snow on her back and made sure she was standing properly. One wasn't a stray! One was a royal Princess of~ was that a snout? Sniff sniff... - a sniffling snout? Apparently there was a pony attached to it! A hue-green one with cyan mane and orange eyes. A colorful mix Rarity would describe as 'past the boundaries of good taste' at least as long it wasn't attached to somepony. Being fashionable wasn't the same as being rude!

“Hey there!” the pony smiled at the princess, quickly scanning the area for more new friends “My name is Bottle-Jack but everypony calls me Jack, which is my name so you can call me Jack if you like, just don't call me Bottle -that's my dad's name...”

“My name is... Princess Luna” the snowed in alicorn introduced herself hesitant. It wasn't so much the cold slowing the mare down (thanks to her friends), but having to fight the urge to tilt the head far to the side “... may I, come in?”

“Of course! Yes, please! It's cold outside!” meeting royalty seemingly meant little to the pony, but helping a stranger on his doorstep was written in big fat letters anyone could understand “You have to close the door or it's cold in here too and- uh-” the sitting mare weakly rose a shivering hoof up to wrinkled lips, turning his rapid blabbering into a rapid whisper “Sooorrry~”

Following a step behind the outlandish host, Luna took a moment to have a closer look at the old mare which turned her attention back towards to window ahead, the hoof slowly brushing along the sons head- down to the neck to circle once or twice and move up again. No doubt she loved her son very much, just like Luna was loved by her sister, but it wasn't just love the alicorn saw. She also saw unbearable sadness.

Now that there wasn't a foggy window separating the two anymore, Luna realized the gaze this mare sent into the distance... was going nowhere. Lost in deep thoughts she kept starring at the curtain of snow and ice, waiting for it to reveal another truth, making her dearest wish come true and free those words she was longing for so long; 'honey, i'm home... sorry, i'm late, hell of a weather out there'...

Someday. It would come true. They would meet again. All she had to do, was waiting for this day to come. Someday.

Leaving the two of them alone was the least Luna could do, not like either seems ready to talk any time soon, unlike 'Jack' which began to talk as soon the two made their way into the kitchen. Grabbing beans, a bowl and water- he forgot about the beans right away and instead went for brown powder and milk instead- both of which dumped into a pot on the oven “-you know I thought you look like a coffee type, but I do like chocolate a lot and then I thought 'who doesn't like hot chocolate!?' so you must be a chocolate type as well and I guess that makes you a licorice type too!” a hoof full of which he suddenly offered “It's crazy how much we do have in common!”

She took a licorice, if only to be polite “May I know whom I speakest with?”

“I told you, i'm Jack! - or...- ain't I?” hooves snapped up to touch his face, examine if something about this snout, color or even gender had changed the past five minutes until magic stopped his moving and brought hooves back to ground level.

“You misunderstood! I merely was wondering, why you are here-” a risen hoof stopping Jack to firmly assure “We are aware of the 'pegasi and the unicorns'! Can't or won't you tell us what you are doing here!?”

A strong feeling came in the form of a purple unicorn poofing into existence on Luna's right shoulder “It might be a subconscious attempt to remove one's sanity from this realm? One should consider to redirect attempts to other aspects of his psyche” turning head for the left shoulder, it remained empty... -21...22...23... 'Poof!' spontaneous a tiny pink earth pony materialized too “Huhhff~ sorry i'm late...” again the mare waited... 24...25... 26... “OH- riiiight! Sorryyy!” cotton candy was dropped to put on a pair of librarian-glasses “Hey! Those are mine!” only for purples complains falling on deaf ears “Nohohoooo idea what you are talking about! -and in my professional opinion- I think he is-...- fun!” two mares face-hoofed hard! Purple then vanished in a poof of smoke “Hey! - is that licorice?” to poof back into existence and take pink along- which came back too -if only to steal the piece of candy right out of the princesses hoof! “Ciaaaaau!” -poof!

-what had just happened!?

“I'm the chemist” looking up from an empty hoof with a sudden taste of licorice on the tongue, a cup of cocoa was put in its spot “Come again!?”

“I said i'm chemist! Oh- should I speak louder!? Ace's-” he suddenly ducked beneath hooves! Expecting a newspaper to strike at any moment! -peeking... carefully... yet... there was none. Nothing happened. Jack then slowly lowered hooves “... oh... okay? Uhm- she's old and can't hear that good either. My right ear, for instance, it makes this funny 'beeep' since I was about this old” showing his approximate foal height.

Purple was right. Sigh.

Luna put steaming cocoa aside, both cups, making for one sad chemist “-listen! There is simply no time for this. No time for treats. I need to know more about the metal puppet and it's creator! This is a matter of life and death- do you understand!?” for Tia's sake!

“-ohhh -you mean ourthingy! You just missed it! We put it back together and then Tenet shook my hoof and I had to take care of Sledge because he fell, but Ace-” the head jerked for the door, checking for upset unicorns “He- was very tired all of a sudden so I had to bring Tenet to bed myself -that's why I didn't have time to clean up and then you came...”

“You- and your friends, built this- this monstrosity!?” the voice boomed loud enough for the glasses on the table to rattle. Luna would love nothing better than striking him down for what he just said! -the sheer audacity to say it like... like offering a cup of coco! It meant nothing to him! How could he act this- …

“Eep!” Jack let out a yelp! The sudden change of tone startled him very much so! He didn't like it when pony's yelled, even less so when they yelled at him! Ears fell flat right away and the rest of his body followed, making his flank hit the ground. The chemist shuffled away from the mean mare until his back hit the kitchen counter where he cowered beneath “P-please don't hit me!” he gasped, already tearing up with sulks and sniffles “I-didn't mean to!”

… innocent.

“You can get up again” following a long sight, Luna slowly let go of the bubbling anger which tried to boil up yet again, letting it ooze away into the depth it came from. Being impulsive wasn't the way to go about it and up until now, whenever she fought... somepony got hurt in the process; more often than not the wrong ones. Hurting even one more innocent- it would make her sick to the stomach.

“HmN?” Jack whimpered and kept to himself. He didn't want to talk to the mean mare, turning the head away, even if he couldn't help to peek trough hooves out of sheer curiosity... “Hnff~hnff” and the smell of cocoa suddenly rising into his nostrils? Cups of cocoa being placed right in front. A peace offering.

“I'm sorry to have startled you” slumping down against the kitchen counter the alicorn took one of the cups for a nibble... and so did Jack soon after, calming his nerves. They both just sat there drinking lukewarm cocoa, while the world around began to crumble, the snow cut out and the void couldn't be far behind. Five minutes tops and he would cease to exist.

“Jack. You don't seem like this bad of a guy, that's what I have to ask... why? Why would a pony like you, help a pony like 'Tenet' to built this m- m-achine?”

Jack for his part looked at the bottom of the empty mug. He had finished long before Luna was half done with her own. It made him feel a little better, but it wouldn't stop the bad feeling entirely. He must have done something bad, otherwise, he wouldn't feel as guilty. He knew he made mistakes, even if not everypony would tell him what he did wrong, he wasn't dumb! He could see! He just needed some more time than others to figure it out, that's all “-because... he's my friend. They all are my friends” exchanging a look there was no dishonesty in his eyes, so she gave a small nod “One is nothing without friends” for them to share a fading smile.

“I've come here because your friend did something bad and I need your help... -somepony is... hurt... and I have to know more about all of this” the hoof gestured “or I won't be able to help her. Can you tell me more about the spell you used?”

The head shook ever so slightly, while Jack's expression became a reflection of the bad news he just heard.

“-i assumed as much” him being an earth pony and he- did mention he was a chemist? “Would your invention need any kind specific- chemical... goo?” they might be able to narrow down the search to a town or... warehouse or wherever those things were kept!

“N-o you- this-” Jack got up for a refill, constantly shaking the head “-my friend isn't bad! - and he doesn't hurt ponies! And- i- I don't like you!” he sniffled.

The alicorn got up “Pardon me? We have seen it with our very eyes!” for the most part.

“My friends are good friends! T-hey are nice! Th- they don't laugh at me and- they are friendly and- Ace is- I mean, he can get mad but... that's because his mom is sad and-” the pony chocked up, trying to rush down another cup of cocoa, most of which he spilled like a drunk because of the sobbing “y-o-you- a-a-re just being mean!”

“Jack-” “-i don't-” “Calm yourself!” “Nananaana!” hooves covered ears “There is no time!” “-you see-he c-nes back n then!” “JACK!” Luna reached out to pull him away from the coco pot to face the reality of things “You see that!?” -he did, if only for curiosity sake “That's the truth out there and it's coming for us! -this realm is about to die! Do you understand!? -i'm sorry it has to be like this, but your friend made a mistake...”

Behind the window was nothing but an endless void closing in around them.

Mountains, landscape, snow and cold... gone. The house falling into nothingness.

Like a moth drawn to the light, Jack starred wide-eyed into the all-consuming void. It took a tab of the hoof to get him out of it, collapsing slowly onto his haunches “He- is not coming back... -T-enet is gone!?”

How this 'Tenet' deserved a friend like this? Luna couldn't tell. Even now that the world was falling apart and his doom was inevitable, their crumbling friendship was the one thing on his mind. Jack indeed was, a true true friend.

“I won't tell you not to worry, because it wouldn't be the truth” Luna let go off his low hanging shoulder, speaking more softly as she offered it “Still, we all fall sometimes, but a true friend... will always pick you up”

Orange and cyan eyes met, so did hooves with some hesitation. Luna gently pulled Jack up, which fell into her arms... receiving strokes along his neck until hooves passed trough the chemist, which then vanished.

“Huffff...” now Luna was out of... -there was a unicorn standing in the doorway, holding a rolled-up newspaper way to tight to channel his anger "I know where this is going. Let's get over with”

"What about-" Luna's mouth opened, only to be cut off by a deep growling “One more word and I swear I beat you with this until your wings fall off!”
No doubt it, he was dead serious. His facial muscles stuck firmly in place, lacking those smooth friendly lines and round cheeks his friend had shown.

The alicorn walked up to him in silence.

Blue magic let the horn come to life when the two of them vanished.

They all may rest in peace.

Author's Note:

I know- it took quite a while!

While the previous chapters were written years ago (one after another) there was a big gap in between, so i had to read up.. figure things out anew and take time to find out where this was going. In fact, i had quite a few ideas for that and... hope i picked the right one :)

Most of all i hope you enjoyed the read and care to stick around again...

OH! And- to address the elephant in the room... while i am sad for the show to end, i'm still glad i stuck around and saw it all.
There is just one regret on my behalf... there is no reformed (white) Chrysi :[ Sob... oh well. Let's hope for Gen5!