Full Circle

by Paradise Oasis

Tornado's temptation

One thousand years later, present day

I always hate this time of year.

The end of summer... and the beginning of Autumn. All of the landscape of Ponyland seemed to die, the life and beauty fading from the world around us. The leaves were changing many beautiful colors, before falling off the trees and dying. The once-warm air growing as cold as ice, and the unintelligent animals prepared to slumber for the winter. It seemed to me as if all of the landscape was dying, only to be reborn again in the spring. It was the passing of one year into another, the change that was always constant in Ponyland.

Standing on the ramparts of Dream Castle, I gazed down at the fields surrounding the palace. I saw the little ponies down on the grass below, laughing and playing as they prepared for this years fall festival. Surprise was busy setting up the games and party activities, while Applejack and Cherries Jubilee Set up the snacks table. Fizzy and Lickety Split were preparing the Satin Slipper's ice cream booth, while Gypsy arraigned her fortune telling booth. It was another fun festival for the ponies of this kingdom, one in what seemed like and endless string of such events. As my eyes scanned the ponies below, the stallion let out a sigh. I had lived with these ponies for over ten years, and my life since moving here had been a grand adventure. Crazy friendships with every kind of mare and stallion, life threatening battles with terrible villains... it had been both a blessing... and a curse.

"Tornado? Are you up here?" A voice called up the stairs from below. "What are you doing away from the festival?"

The mare comes up the stairs, and my gaze shifted towards her. Twilight... my beloved wife, the glittering angel in my night sky. This unicorn is the love of my life, the most important creature to me in this whole universe. Her long white mane glows like the sky on a starry night, and her pink coat glimmers like the moonlight. This mare, the dream Beauty who protects the sleep of all the ponies in Ponyland, is my beloved wife. As she trots up to me and bushes a soft white lock of my mane out of my face, her deep and loving eyes gaze into mine.

"Tornado, what wrong?" She asks, a look of concern crossing her face. "You've been all mopey these past few days, did something happen, dear?"

I sigh, shaking my head. Of course I can't hide my feelings from the mare I am life bonded to- she and I are two aspects of the same soul. She can feel my emotions through the bond, just as I can feel her deep concern for me. With a sigh, I turn to face her.

"You know me too well, my starry sky." I tell my wife, nuzzling her. "I was just thinking about everything that has happened since we first met. How much we've all gone through; those witches, that blasted centaur, the crazy penguin king with the ice powers." I shook my mane. "So much chaos, in only a decade.... it makes me feel so...old."

"Oh dearest... you are being so silly again." She said with a laugh. " It's true we have been through a lot, but think of all the good we've done, and all of the friends we've made." She looked down over the edge of the castle. "And one of the most wonderful things in our lives."

My eyes followed my wife's gaze.... and I saw our adopted daughter, Ember, standing with her friends below. She was a teenager now, laughing and giggling as she and the other fillies shamelessly flirted with the teen colts. Raising her had been one of the happiest experiences of Twilight and I's life. I think about how blessed we had been to raise her... until I thoguht again about the fact that she was a teenager now. all that time had passed since we had adopted her, and since Ember was older, it reminded me.... I was older.

Looking over at Twilight, I noticed how eternally young and beautiful she looked; a result of not aging because she is a dream beauty. While my physical aging is also slowed, but due to my constant anxiety and stress. The blue strands of hair in my mane were graying, and circles were forming under my bloodshot eyes. Twilight did everything she could to cheer me up, but I just couldn't make my misery go away.

"Look I got to go help Wind Whistler with the fall festival banner." She kissed me tenderly, before trotting back down the steps. "Please try and come down join me soon, okay?"

I nodded, as she trotted back down the stairs. But I couldn't shake the haunting memories of the past that tormented me. I couldn't help but think of all of the dear friends we had lost. All of those ponies who had been so dear to us, their lives taken by heartless villains and monsters. Ponies like....

Suddenly, I heard the sounds of one of the foals at the festival below playing on a toy drum, and my heart sank. I closed my eyes, remembering a little blue colt who lit up our lives, who was his mother and I's dearest treasure. Drummer... he had passed on before we had adopted little Ember, and his memory still brings a pang of pain to Twilight and I's heart. Even I, as a pony historian, find this bit of personal history too painful to bear.

"If you don't like the way history has turned out, change it." A voice whispered on thew wind, causing me to look around in shock. "You can have your little boy back... if you so desire it."

"Who's there? " I asked, looking around for the entity that had intruded upon my personal thoughts. "Show yourself!"

"I am merely someone who wished to change the cruel hands of fate... to alter my destiny, as well as yours." The voice whispered, a sinister hiss filling the air. "Together, historian, we can seize the power to rewrite history to our own ends."

"That's quite a bold claim." I replied. But as I thought of my little boy, lost so long ago, I narrowed my eyes. "Before I agree to anything, tell me who you are."

"Very well, little pony." The voice chortled wickedly, before finally replying. "Once, I was known as the ancient abomination of Equinia... but you can call me Squirk."

Comments

[FleetlordAvatar]

Nice to see another chapter. I initially thought the voice might have been some form of Starlight Glimmer. Don't give into temptation Tornado! We know what happened with the aforementioned mare.

[Pigeonsmall]

Uh oh its Squirk! I remember that guy. Guaranteed bad news.