Epilogue
(Loyalty)
“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
- C.S. Lewis
The silver rays of the moon stretched out over the land, embracing the hills and country side. Stars lined the heavens in great multitudes, observing ever on as they always do. Chill gusts crept over the Equestrian countryside, as if the mountains breathed in a quiet slumber. With it, the wind carried stray leaves of gold and rust, flittering and sailing over the land. The night was ripe with the nature of Autumn; the songs of such a season were heavy in the air. The thick cold that filled Equestria–along with a piercing and nipping mountain breeze–was not enough to cool the cyan mare who looked out her window upon the somber night.
She had awoken from a startling dream and had made her come to a very alarming realization. She leaned further out of her window to catch the chill, rushing wind. She closed her eyes, letting her mind focus on the nightmare she recently had. Her goal was to remember it as best as she could while it was fresh on her mind. She drew in a long breath and filled her lungs with the inspiriting mountain winds.
“Zachary,” she breathed out slowly while her eyes remained shut; concentrating deeply on the scattered image she retained of him in her conscious. She couldn’t quite put the pieces together of how it all happened and why she couldn’t remember him clearly. Two memories were battling for supremacy within her mind and she no longer knew which past was the truth. Her thoughts became brash, driven mad by confusion and fleeting images of the creature she once loved. She unfolded her wings, ready for flight as she hunched her form back.
Her intrusive and instinctual thoughts had almost made her want to fly out and see him, but her sane conscious came into play, yielding her to stop. Rainbow had no real idea as to where he was and if he was still in Equestria for that matter. She loosened her muscles and soon felt that her body was no where near ready for a long flight; her falling dream and awakening had gifted no strength. She couldn’t possibly fly out and make it far, she was restless and fighting sleep as best she could.
Before heading back to bed to continue sleeping, she wondered if maybe she was the only one who remembered him. She thought that maybe this Zack was a figment of her imagination, or if she really knew who this person was; she wondered if she was beyond the point of sanity. The conflicting memories provided no sensible reasoning and the only thing she could do was to head back to bed. She shambled away from the window and fell to her side upon the bed spread. Exhaustion took over, but the memories remained.
Her awakening came quite late in the morning as she raced out of bed and prepared herself for a day of questions and possible answers. With only one real and true lead, her objective was to go to Zachary’s house in Ponyville. As she bolted out of her cumulus home on the outskirts of Ponyville, blood pumped intensely thorough her muscles as her wings carried her speedily over hills and woods. A mix of distress and hope clouded her judgment as she finally landed in the Ponyville marketplace. From her distant memories, she could recall his house being near the marketplace, but which cottage was his she couldn’t tell. Her mind was hazy and it frustrated her greatly that she couldn’t remember such an obvious detail, or any major details about Zachary at all. Then, from the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar stallion.
He was a large, light gray pegasus with brown carrier bags over his barrel and rounded, black-framed glasses. As she noticed him, memories surged within her of Valiant Steed, another pony she had almost forgotten about. He was minding his own business as Rainbow Dash began to gallop up to him. He was eyeballing a knick-knack at a local craft stall when the cyan mare pounced on him, sending Valiant and herself to the ground. His bag of mixed edibles scrambled out into the grass as almost everyone’s attention centered on the two rowdy pegasi. Rainbow looked over him fiercely; he was trembling in fear and she felt as if she had made a huge mistake.
“Was this Valiant Steed,” she asked herself. He looked up at her with his legs folded under his chest as if he was protecting himself from a wild animal.
“W-what do you w-want from me,” he stammered out. “W-who are you?”
Rainbow persisted to go along with her original plan and demanded sternly, “Alright Valiant, where’s Zack?”
His look of fear turned to confusion as he repeated, “Zack? What’s a Zack?” His question only infuriated the mare even more as she grabbed the stallion by his shoulders and began to shake him violently.
“You know who I’m talking about,” Rainbow barked. She let his shoulders go, pointed a hoof in his face and repeated her previous question slower, “Where-is-Zack?” The timid pony didn’t respond–he looked even more perplexed than before. She sighed heavily, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
She went on to clarify who Zachary was, “You know, tall bipedal looking creature. Lacked fur, very short mane–, err, whatever that thing was called on his head. He carried a big white sword called–” She was silenced when the pegasus pony’s hoof was quickly pressed over her mouth.
“Miss Rainbow Dash,” he started soft and politely, his fear subsiding surprisingly quick. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. This isn’t the first time I’ve been mistaken, I assure you.” Rainbow’s eyes widened with insight as the crowds she summoned around her began to snicker under their breathes. She eased herself up off of the stallion and helped him onto his hooves carefully. She then started picking up his fruit and vegetables she had so carelessly knocked away from him. The crowds began to dissipate as the action was perceived to be over with.
“I’m so sorry, sir. I don’t know what got into me,” Dash professed, blushing with embarrassment.
The pegasus stallion dusted himself off and accepted, “Quite fine, really. If you have the time, I’d like to offer you some tea at my abode.” With one hoof he readjusted his glasses and with another he pointed over towards a large cottage on the far side of the marketplace. He noted, “It would be my pleasure to have an Element of Harmony in my household.”
“Thanks,” she replied, “but no thanks. I have to find this friend of mine, he means a lot to me.”
“I’m quite positive we both could find this ‘individual’ you are looking for with our combined efforts.”
Dash scratched the underside of her chin and mused, “Well, why not.”
“Splendid,” the stallion expressed with glee.
The two promptly made their way over towards the stallion’s home. The pegasus pony opened the door for Rainbow as she trotted into his oddly oversized home. She took a few steps into what appeared to be a dimly lit living room. Rainbow started looking about with suspicion, she knew she had seen this place before.
As the door closed behind her, she remarked in hesitance, “This place seems awfully familiar, where did you–” She was cut off once again as the stallion pushed her against the wall and stared wild-eyed at her. She didn’t know what he was thinking and couldn’t believe this mild-mannered pony had turned into such a fearsome stallion in a split-second of closing the door.
He spat out, “Are you insane? Do you have any idea what horrors you could have unleashed if you started making everypony remember who Zachary was?” Rainbow was stunned and at a loss for words.
She dithered with the appropriate response, “I... I don’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand? You were there for Celestia’s sake!”
Suddenly, another pony’s voice was directed towards the two saying, “What’s going on in here?” Both of them looked over where the noise originated from. In the kitchen doorway stood another familiar pony in Rainbow’s eyes.
“Gale?” Rainbow questioned aloud.
The mare turned and smiled, “Oh, hello Dashie. How are you doing this–” She stopped when she realized a crucial detail before her. He eyes grew with concern as she looked back over towards Valiant and asked hastily, “Sh-she can’t know about Zack? How does she know about Zack?”
Valiant answered in an irked tone, “I don’t know, dear. Can’t you see I’m trying to figure that out too?” His eyes turned back towards Rainbow as he caught Gale up on the details, “She tackled me to the ground in the middle of Ponyville demanding me to tell her where Zachary was. I had to get her away from the others before anypony’s memory was cleared up. We almost had a crisis on our hooves thanks to this loud mouth.” Rainbow Dash was ecstatic to hear about Zachary after she had realized what was going on.
The cyan pegasus squealed with excitement, “You mean to tell me that he’s real? Zack is really real?”
Valiant rolled his eyes and confirmed, “Yes, he’s real. The real question is how do you remember him?” Her excitement turned to puzzlement as her gaze darted beyond the stallion before her. She searched within her mind to figure out what the answer was, but couldn’t seem to grasp it.
“I, I’m not sure how I remember him. I had a dream last night and I remembered that the person in it was Zack... and that I knew him, or I think I did. Once you said he was real, I knew for certain that my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me. I then remembered you once I saw you in the marketplace, and Gale once I saw her too just now. I’m just as confused as before though; why can’t I remember him? What happened?” Valiant let go of the mare gently and turned away from her.
He looked over at Gale Marestorm and breathed, “Could you get some tea going, dear? We need to have a long talk with Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow was sat comfortably on the couch across from Valiant Steed. He had a small fire lit in the chimney as they both slowly sipped on their hot tea. As Valiant removed his saddle bags, she noticed the wing that was torn off during the Fall of Cloudsdale. He began to explain who Zachary was exactly, or at least to him. The more he explained, the more she began to remember who Zack was rather than a distant and foggy memory. As he began to finish up, explaining how she flew after Zachary off of Dragon Peak, Gale entered the room carrying something rather odd. Rainbow looked over and was startled to see what it was.
She rose a quivering hoof as her mouth faltered out, “Is that what I think it is?” Valiant looked over at what Gale was holding and had almost forgot to tell Rainbow Dash.
“Oh right, forgot to tell you. Me and Gale are married, and this is our daughter, Autumn Skies.” Rainbow couldn’t take her eyes off of the foal before her–it slept peacefully in Gale’s hooves as a small smile formed on Rainbow's face. The filly’s coat was a dark, burnt shade of orange with a mane hued like old steel. Gale offered to let Rainbow hold her and the mare obliged, carefully cradling the sleeping baby.
Rainbow kept her eyes on the child as she whispered, “How long has it been since Zack left?”
“About a year,” answered Gale. Rainbow shuddered at the response.
“Has it really been almost a year,” she said mentally. It was almost unfathomable to her that she had been that oblivious to Zachary’s knowing. Soon she began to fight within her mind once again, fighting to keep the memories she had spent with her friends over the past year alive. It was beginning to become too much information for her to retain, as if she lived two separate lives, and those lives began to merge into one grand scheme.
She returned the filly back to her mother and asked Valiant, “Where did he go... why did he leave?” Valiant bent over a bit, resting his hooves beneath his chin to contemplate on how to speak his following words.
“He went to a place called Rhignes Rock. I’m not entirely sure where it is, I don’t believe anyone knows. It’s certainly not on any maps made in Equestria, or those I have access to. And trust me, I have access to just about everything in Equestria and I still can’t find any information regarding the place. And the reason he left was because, well, he wanted to get away.”
Gale verified, “Yes, he wanted to leave for his own sake and for everyone else's. He said if ponies remembered him or the war, then they would question their security here in Equestria, that and really nothing would be the same. It would be better for the populous to never remember such a dark time than live in constant fear from such a scar.”
Valiant leaned back and said, “Zack’s always been very humble, he didn’t want to be remembered as some hero anyways.” Rainbow placed her hooves on the couch and looked deep into the flames in the fireplace. She mulled over the information she was given, and the knowledge that her forgotten memories gradually slipped into her mind. She still was a tad unsure who Zack was, or importantly why Zack meant so much to her.
“Rainbow Dash,” Gale called out. The pegasus mare’s gaze was broken from the fire and now towards Marestorm. “Are you okay,” she asked with concern, “we just want to make sure you’ll be fine. We don’t want you to do anything rash. I know this must be a lot of information for you to handle and I’m sorry we don’t have all the answers.”
Valiant appeared troubled as he hummed, “But still, why does Rainbow Dash remember the war when no one else can? Did the Catalyst Stone fail? Who else out there will suddenly remember and start screaming in the streets about it like some mad pony?”
“Well,” Gale replied in an unsure tone, “she was an Element of Harmony, that may be the case which affected her memory. That and she was–” She hushed herself and the two looked at each other for a brief moment. Rainbow wondered what they were conveying to one another.
Valiant retorted to his wife’s worried expression, “That’s preposterous. That couldn't be... could it?
Dash had to ask, “What do you mean? What was I?” They both looked over at Rainbow Dash, which made her sit up straight, awaiting the response.
“I think it’s time you departed, Dash,” Valiant sat up from his couch and calmly ushered Rainbow to the door. He opened it for her saying, “Until we know all of the answers, we’ll figure out where he is and inform you. Until then, keep this quiet. It's a secret to everybody.”
Rainbow was a bit crestfallen about her sudden departure, but accepted that they didn’t want to say anything that wasn’t true. She obviously knew that they knew more about the situation than she did, even after Valiant had explained almost everything to her. She knew that had to limit what they were saying, but for what true reason eluded her.
“Thank you Valiant for explaining this all to me. I’ll keep my mouth closed for now.”
Valiant nodded and replied, “Right...” He then remembered something else he had almost forgot to tell Rainbow Dash and asked, “Oh, the wife wants to know if you want to come over Tuesday night for some pot pie and stew.”
“I’ll... think about it,” she smiled courteously.
He returned the smile saying, “Take it easy, Rainbow.”
He closed the door as Dash stepped off of his porch. It was in the afternoon now and the morning market stalls were closing for the day. The ponies seemed to be ignoring the cyan mare now, they had almost forgotten about what happened this morning between her and Valiant. That would be the only excitement they would see in weeks, and surprisingly that confrontation wasn’t the talk of the town now.
From the darkness of an alleyway, lurked a sneaking pony who had watched Rainbow Dash depart from Valiant’s home. It awaited eagerly between two corner stores as Rainbow ambled by. The pony’s eyes narrowed on its target as it finally leapt from the shadows. In only a second, the mysterious mare pounced on the unsuspecting pegasus and was hurdled to the ground. In an act much like what happened this morning between her and Valiant, she now was in the stallion’s place as the pony stood over her with fierce speculation in her eyes.
Rainbow hollered, “Pinkie! Get off of me!” The pink one pressed her nose up against the cyan mare’s muzzle and began to yell rapid fire questions.
“And just what were you doing in that stallion’s house, young mare? I know that fellow chap and he has a wife and filly for pintabian’s sake? Look, there a plenty of available stallions around your age, you don’t have to go flirting with guys like him with a past as silly as you wouldn’t believe! Unless you’re not interested in younger stallions–but maybe you’re interested in mares? If that’s so then me being this close to you is definitely making things awkward for you, huh?” With one great heave, Rainbow pushed Pinkie off of her chest and flapped herself up onto her hooves again.
“Please, Pinkie. I don’t think anyone would presume I curve in that direction?”
“Well I thought you 'curved in that direction' the entire time. Heck, we all think you do.”
Rainbow’s face reddened with anger as she stomped, “What? Are you kidding me?” She then threw out a hoof and changed the conversation back to what it was originally about. “Never mind about that. I wasn’t in Valiant’s house to flirt with him... or Gale.”
Pinkie pondered aloud, “Oh ya, flirting with Gale would make more sense then flirting with Valiant...” Rainbow frowned with a detestable look in her eyes.
“Enough, Pinkie. Please. I’m not like that–I like stallions. Is that clear?” The pink pony shook her head in agreement and listened further to what Rainbow had to say.
The pegasus went on, “I remember Zack. I went to Valiant and he explained a lot about what had happened and why he made everypony forget about the war and–, What are you doing with that bat?” Pinkie held a wooden baseball bat in her hooves as she rested it on her shoulder, appearing as if she was about to strike Dash with it.
“We have to make you forget again! Hold still!” Rainbow’s eyes widened as Pinkie gripped the bat tighter. Without warning, the pink pony swung as hard as she could, but Rainbow Dash had leaped back just in time. She was dangerously close enough to feel the air sweep over her body from the swing.
“Pinkie! No!” The cyan mare took flight and hovered out of Pinkie’s reach. The earth pony mare swung wildly in the air, trying to knock her out of the sky.
Pinkie Pie yelled out, “I’m only trying to help you! Stop resisting! I know where you live! I’ll find you!” As she watched her flail about below, she began to remember Zack’s relationship with her, and how she was a love interest of his. If anyone knew where Zachary could be found, it was Pinkie. The pink mare had tired herself out too quickly as she panted and released the weapon. Rainbow Dash landed when she saw that is was safe and kicked the bat further away from her.
“I don’t want to forget! I want to find Zachary, but I don’t know how. Could you help me find this place called Rhignes Rock?” Pinkie wiped the sweat from her brow and rested a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder.
The pink pony nodded slowly and panted, “Follow me, Dashie.”
Pinkie led Rainbow into Sugarcube Corner and up to her room in the attic. The cyan pegasus figured it was a safer place to talk about such things than in the streets. As Pinkie opened the attic door to her room, Rainbow grimaced at the sight before her as she entered. The overly pink bedroom, with candy-assorted furnishings and decor almost made Dash queasy from just looking at it for too long. Pinkie flopped on her bed belly first and tumbled over it as Dash curiously watched from afar. Pinkie delightfully rolled about in a way a dog would, and Rainbow saw no reason as to why she was even doing this. Pinkie then fumbled off of the bed spread and onto the floor with a crash. The pony hastily slipped under the bed and pushed out a large, rectangular lock box onto the other side.
Dash walked closer as Pinkie sat up and placed a hoof in her hair, searching for something in the curled mayhem she called a mane. Pinkie finally found what she was looking for and pulled from her curls a small, brass key. She placed the key into the lock and turned it; the box flapped open with a spring to reveal a slightly smaller box. She did this a few times until the final box that remained was near the size of a wedding ring box.
Before she opened the last container, she announced, “Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for.” She turned towards Rainbow Dash with a somber expression plastered across her face. She asked her, looking as if she was deciding over a life altering decision, “Dude, are you ready?”
Rainbow replied, “Ready?” She thought over the question with uncertainty. She returned her gaze back towards the pink one and answered loudly, “Ready doesn’t even describe it!”
“Yay,” hollered Pinkie, throwing a hoof up in the air. “Hoof bump!” She left her hoof in the air, awaiting for Rainbow Dash to bump her back.
She repeated with the same enthusiasm, “Hoof bump... Hoof bump... Hoof bump... Hoof–” With a quick and ill motivated gesture, Rainbow Dash hoof bumped Pinkie to get her to open the box.
Pinkie turned back towards the tiny treasure box and placed the key in the lock. The cyan pegasus drew closer, the suspense was torturing her; she had to know what dark and mysterious secrets Pinkie kept locked away about Zachary. The box opened slowly as a celestial light poured forth from its contents. Rainbow Dash couldn’t look; it was too much for her heart to take as she shielded her eyes from its magnificence.
It slowly emerged from the box and found its way into Pinkie’s hooves. The box closed magically as the ethereal light slowly faded. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes again and saw Pinkie staring into her hooves at the object that had floated into her grasp. Rainbow eased forward to take a closer look, and in a quick movement, Pinkie shoved her hooves into her face. She began to eat whatever it was that was once in the box in large bites. Before Rainbow Dash could even see it, it was devoured.
"Ahhh...” breathed Pinkie, “I waited a year for this moment, to finally eat the last Hearth’s Warming Eve cookie Zachary baked me.” She concluded in words almost silent to the common ear, “So worth it." Rainbow Dash’s eyes glistened with horror as she began to grind her teeth in unrelenting fury while Pinkie basked in the ecstasy the cookie bestowed over her.
Rainbow gently turned her friend to face her and seethed, “Give me... one damn good reason... not to beat the pink right off of you.”
Pinkie looked away and replied, “Well, for starters, it’s outlawed to curse in Equestria. And two, I was going to say I was going to give you a cookie, but I... kind of already ate it.” Rainbow couldn’t take anymore of the pony’s silliness as she stretched her arm back, on the verge of sending Pinkie out of her bedroom window and into Tartarus itself.
Pinkie threw up her hooves and cried, “Wait, wait, wait!” She put her hoof up in her mane to search for another item of hers. She then speedily pulled out what she thought she was searching for and said with eyes shut with confidence, “This is what you’re looking–” She opened them again and saw that she was holding another cookie by accident. She squealed in horror as she quickly devoured the other treat and muttered out with a mouth full of food, “Whait, I dodn’t mean dat, I swor!” She reached up in her mane again and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment.
She swallowed and huffed, “Here it is! Yes! The map! The map Celestia gave me to Zack’s new home! She said I couldn’t take the Panexus to see him because she magically disabled it so no intruder could use it to reach Zachary. So she made me a map so that I could travel there, but I never got the opportunity to. I got so busy with friends and the bakery and that chick named Moon-Singy that I just never got around to it and I still haven’t had a vacation day! Can you believe it?” Pinkie gasped for breath as she fell forward onto the floor. Rainbow looked down at her, frozen in thought and in disbelief. She took the scroll up off the floor and unraveled it, looking over an intricate map of Equestria and the road to Rhignes Rock.
Pinkie whimpered out, “Now do you understand? I sold my dream for a job... and mutual mare amity.” Pinkie sat up before Rainbow Dash, looking deep within her friend’s confused gaze.
She cupped her hooves in her friends and stated with sincerity, “I know you and Zack had a ‘thing’ going on. I was playing dumb because, well, because he was mine first,” she snapped. She lost her temper for a moment over feelings she thought she had given up, but cooled back down to a much calmer level.
“I’m over him now,” the pink pony spoke nonchalantly. “I don’t think of him like ‘that’ anymore. But you, you have the opportunity of a life time! You need to tell him your feelings! You need to find Zachary and you need to do it right this minute.”
“But Pinkie, this map says he’s almost a week away by average flying speed. I can’t do this alone. I don’t believe I can make a journey like this at all.” Rainbow eyes widened with realization over her own emotions. She admitted, “I’m too scared, Pinkie. I’m afraid of meeting him.” Pinkie squirmed over next to Rainbow and held her tightly, still looking deep into her eyes like a lover would.
“Then let us be rid of it, once and for all,” she stated with desire in her tone. “Come on, Miss Dashie! I can’t talk you into flying through that window to start your quest, but I can push you out! Come on!”
Pinkie began to shove Rainbow Dash towards the window with surprising strength in her hooves. The pegasus tried to stop Pinkie, but to no avail did she succeed as she neared the opening. Pinkie began to shove the pegasus as hard as she could while Rainbow Dash held fast to the edge of the window seal, spreading her legs and holding herself from falling. With one mighty heave, Pinkie rammed her head into the back of Rainbow Dash and sent her out the window and into the open air. She took flight and flapped graceful outside before Pinkie.
“Now go,” the pink one demanded, “Go to your lover! Let nothing stop you!”
“But Pinkie, I can’t do it. I’ll die out there in the wilderness! I don’t believe I’ll make it!”
Pinkie then pointed a firm hoof at the pegasus pony and replied to her complaints, “Listen, Rainbow! Don’t believe in yourself!”
“Huh?”
“Believe in me! Believe in the Pinkie that believes in you!”
“What does that even mean?” Pinkie didn’t answer, she saw that Rainbow Dash had begun to think over what her friend had just told her. She spoke up again, “Right, I’ll try!” With new found courage and faith beating in her heart, she grasped the map tightly in her hooves and rocketed towards the heavens away from Ponyville. Once at an appropriate distance, she created a sonic rainboom that shook the foundations of every house in Ponyville. Pinkie smiled as she watched the arching rainbow blossom out over the afternoon sky, knowing that her friend would meet with Zackie once more.
She soared over the wavering landscape through Equestria, gracefully drifting between the amber valleys and golden gullies. Autumn had taken its toll over the rising lands earlier than in the lower hills that Ponyville slept in. The air nipped at her fur, which wasn’t quite prepared for the Winter just yet. She shivered and stiffened up, embracing the dropping temperatures and ignoring the discomfort. She flew ever on with the map tight in her hooves and with faith driving her being.
She couldn’t quite contemplate it, nor could she shake the feeling that this all could be happening. Yesterday, her plans were nothing new but the same old agenda she had flowed with for years; now she braved the borders of Equestria with the mentality of a mad pony, disregarding every instinct that told her not to take on this seemingly impossible task. In less than a day, her personal goals vanished in the dreary distance of the past, and this scared her quite some bit. Something, however, pressed her to journey onward, and she began to think that maybe it wasn’t just because of Zack; and even she still had no clue as to who all this Zack really was to her.
She thought that maybe–through some unconscious mentality–she desired to break from the norm. Maybe she begged to cross over into the wild unknown that is beyond the map’s edge. She began to ponder too if it was an instinct that finally snapped when given the opportunity to escape the confines of this happy, cheerful place she called Ponyville. That a dormant yearning to flee her friends and comforts to brave whatever she (truly) sought became known in a near instant of her awakening. Everything changed so fast for the mare that the second thoughts of turning back were out of the question. She had to go–she had to desert everything and find what she hoped to believe was out there for her. The questions seemed to pile up and the answers hid themselves even greater; but she continued to push them out of her mind. It would be too much to burden on herself at this moment, but how long could she continue to do this was a mystery to her.
She swooped up atop a mountain and came to a standstill in the empty air above the mount. She turned her head and saw the distant, white gleam of Canterlot Castle and the light-yellow archways of Cloudsdale in the afternoon sunlight. The shadows grew long across the sloping, gentle mountains, basking the forests beneath in early darkness. The sun hung brightly in the western skies, coloring the chilled heavens above in a jasmine tint. It was quite breathtaking to take in Equestria from this distance, and Rainbow admired the view she had before her.
The mare began to unravel the map in her hooves and regain direction. She understood that she was near the Equestrian border, that she had flown a good four hours at a fast pace northeast. If she continued to fly in that direction at the same speed, she would reach Rhignes Rock before her expected time. Hopefully she could journey there in three days if the winds were favorably and her troubles eluded her. The warm and welcoming feeling of hope once again rose within the pegasi’s chest.
She rolled up the map and scanned beyond the kingdom of Equestria from her high vantage point. The mountains gently rolled off into the distance; they were small compared the jagged mountain chains that held Dragon Peak, which headed the ranges for the even greater Icicle Mountains. The forests which hugged the softly waving mounts wore veils of bloody vermillions, sheets of aged saffrons, and coats of earthly coppers. The arcane country treasured many secrets, good and evil, that not many ponies of Equestria know of–though this did not fret the cyan mare. She took one long look back towards her homelands, and broke her gaze as soon as she took to the skies once more. Into the wild she blindly embarked.
The sun fell over the horizon as she landed in an opening in the carmine colored woodlands. She had flown nonstop the entire way–her body needed sustenance to proceed the following morning. She rested herself in a great oak, cradled in the arching arms of the giant tree. Wind swept through the forest, falling steadily from the auburn mountain tops around her. The northern air became frosty, but this was nothing compared to the great heights she had flown into during the day. The sun’s rays stretched up into the cumulous clouds above as she watched through the swaying branches above. From the west onward, the sky was painted from the deepest reds and pinks, to mild yellows, and eventually to a faded lavender and darkening navy night.
She recalled what she had seen over her flight as the mare tilted her head back and snugged her hooves beneath her cranium. Even though she had traveled far from her equine home, she had passed over many villages smaller than even Ponyville. Poorly built wooden homes with hay-laden roofs dotted these villages that were nestled in the mountains. To her surprise, she noticed ponies much like herself scattered about in these villages. Stranger though was when they would notice her–they pointed upward in silence with faces distorted with awe or terror, she couldn’t tell. As if she was an angel, they were frozen in wonder at her sight above. Then it occurred to Rainbow that many of these villages that she passed were made up of only earth ponies. It was difficult to tell at first, but after crossing over the third village on, she noticed this interesting detail. No unicorns or pegasi could be seen by Rainbow in the open areas of the towns.
She did not stop in any of these towns, she was destined to make as much time as possible. In her own hindsight however, she knew she should have stopped and asked for supplies. She had no money to buy anything; however she thought that if she asked nice enough, they would give her a few provisions, perhaps even some food for the skyways. She was too careless however, that and her pride was greater than her desire to eat.
Night finally fell over the woods and Rainbow Dash tried her hardest to fall asleep. The windy chills picked up in strength and kept her awake no matter how hard she fought for rest. She turned and tossed about, being careful still not to fall from the arm of the oak tree. Along with this, her stomach groaned in desire for food and drink; she knew she had to do something about her hunger, but also knew if she left her arboreal safety, that timber wolves or worse would be after her. She heard them in the distance howling in packs, she knew they were out there and as hungry as her. Evading them would be difficult, her wings were tired and she wouldn’t be able to sustain flight for long. She decided that once again, she had to brace through the night and try her hardest to get some sleep.
Something crackled in the distance and Rainbow opened her eyes. Her ears perked up as she scanned the shadowy woods around her. Through the foliage of trees and branches, she spotted a red glow through the frigid woods.
"Fire!" she thought eagerly. Someone was camped close by, and more than likely it was some of her kind. "It had to be," she hoped as she arose from her curled, napping position. She quickly unfolded her wings and glided towards the leaf-laden ground. Even though she was worn out from flying, drifting downward was effortless for the skilled pegasus pony. With heedful hoof steps, she crept towards the growing light silently and peeked through the thick bushes.
Rainbow soon spotted a group of three large stallions, quietly huddled around a makeshift campfire. They were draped in bundles of brown and black clothes which matched their fur coats; it was rare to see many ponies (especially male ponies) wearing so much clothing, even in the colder seasons. They all appeared to be young adults, but older than Rainbow Dash from their worn appearances. She also noted that they were all earth ponies, and each was as somber and still as the next. Each pony’s vision was affixed on the orange and yellow flames, unaware of the pegasi’s sneaking eyes.
She finally decided it was safe and stepped out into the light of the flickering fire. They all looked towards the noise she made emerging from the bushes, yet said nothing when their eyes fell upon the mare. She stopped in her trot and watched as the three dauntingly stared at her. No pony in the trio spoke out, so Rainbow Dash decided to speak first.
“Hi,” she trembled out, a tad nervous due to the awkward situation she and the stallions had created together. She took a breath of the mountain wind and continued anew, “I was wondering if you could share your fire with me?” She looked at each of them as they looked at one another. As if they conveyed unspoken words between them, one of the burly, tan stallions motioned a hoof towards her, then moved it slowly towards the campfire.
He spoke in a voice as chill as the air around them, “Yes. Come.”
Rainbow smiled and proceeded to join them around the small, hot blaze. The narrow, red flames brought warmth to the mare as its light danced off of her blue fur and multi-hued hair. She sighed with delight as the wintery chill in her essence slowly retreated away, being replaced by the warmth of the campfire.
“Thanks a lot,” she told no one in particular as she stared into the burning logs that fueled the flames. The three said nothing, but only looked over the mare’s body. Rainbow payed no attention to the group as she continued to warm herself. They noticed the cutie mark on her flank and their eyes widened with curiosity.
“You don’t know how much this means to me,” she happily commented. “You see, I’m on a journey, from Equestria. Do you know where that is? Anyways, I’m from there and I need to make it to this place called–” Her words were silenced as a bundle of cloth wrapped over her muzzle.
She was yanked backwards and into one of the stallion’s hooves. Rainbow didn’t know what was going on as a hoof began to slap her relentlessly across the face. She cried out in muffled yelps behind the tightly fastened rag in her mouth. She felt her back hooves being tied and she began to squirm out of their grasp. Her wings pushed against them as she tried to fly off, but they were kept folded by the stallions’ absurd strength. The power in the three earth ponies’ muscles were beyond match for her own and soon the males had to join their companion to help tie up their new captive.
Rainbow fought with all her might, but it was no use. She had exhausted all of her strength from her long flight and all she could do was scream. Once her legs and wings were tied up, they threw her carelessly into the grass and leaves. Her face was battered from the beatings one of the stallions had given her as blood trickled onto the fallen leaves beneath her. She tried to worm away, but that was no use as well. One of the stallions reached over and placed her back up on her hooves. She had no clue as to what they were doing, but still struggled to break free and flee from them.
One of them bent her front knees down as she kicked wildly behind her. Another stallion held her back legs still and apart on the ground while another lifted her rainbow-colored tail. She could feel the husky stallion place his hooves on her hind end–her eyes widened as she finally realized what they were about to do to her.
She screamed and cried out as loud as she could through the ropes binding her mouth shut. She could hear the stallions snickering as the one behind her began to remove his garbs of thick clothing. His hooves were warm to her cold body as he crept over the tiny mare. He bent his head down next to the mare’s as his massive body pressed against her smaller form. His breath was hot against her neck as he let his weight bear down on the cyan pony, readying himself. She tightly squeezed her tear-filled eyes as she accepted what was inevitably about to happen.
“Stop,” a crude, rocky voice broke out from the forest. It alerted the three others as their attention darted towards the origin of the sound. From the edge of the forest walked an older stallion with a graying mane and aged, black beard. His hazel eyes shown forth through the forest as he approached the camp site.
“Couldn’t keep your pants on, could ya,” he remarked in an irked tone. The stallion who was about to defile the small mare stepped away from her. The other two who helped him slowly released the shocked mare as she fell forward.
The elder stallion stepped finally into the light and ranted on, “Your carnal desires disgust me! She’s our kind, for Foreseer’s sake!”
"Finally," the weary Rainbow Dash said mentally, "a pony with some sense left in him. Thank Celestia–, or whoever this ‘Foreseer’ is. Thank the Foreseer he came and saved me.” She peered up at her savior, but he ignored her.
One of the stallion’s looked down at the tied up mare and coldly noted, “But elder, she’s not of our kind.”
The older pony quickly stepped forward and slapped the stallion across the face saying, “Of course she is, dammit!”
The largest stallion–the one who attempted to rape Rainbow Dash–pointed out, “He speaks truly. This mare is a pegasus pony.” He then pointed with his hoof towards Rainbow’s wings. The elder turned and looked carefully over the cyan mare. “But more importantly,” he continued in his deep tone, “she has the mark. Celestia’s mark.” The younger stallions grimaced at the word as if it was profanity. The elder brought his eyes downward towards her cutie mark. He squinted and breathed heavily, as if defeated.
“My mistake,” the older stallion uttered. The mare’s eyes grew large with disbelief. She was still in as much danger as she was before the elder had came along. The elder glanced back over at the pony he struck and promptly apologized, “I’m sorry, Lawrence.”
Lawrence rubbed the cheek the elder had hit and replied, “It’s quite fine.” The pony looked down at the bounded Rainbow Dash and explained, “We thought we would give this mare what was coming to her before brining her to the village. It would have been quick, we know that there is a cleansing fire tonight. It was going to be a surprise for our brothers and sisters.”
“Right,” agreed the aged stallion, feeling his beard with his hoof and taking in the situation. “Well, sorry brothers, we’ve wasted too much time here. Bring her to the village at once.”
The quiet stallion spoke out saying, “Come on, just a little longer with her. It’s not like everyday we get to pierce a pegasus pony.” Rainbow shuttered as his hoof glided over the pony’s back and towards her untainted area.
“No,” sternly prompted the older stallion in a harsh voice, “bring her at once or be cast into the wilderness! Our sacred ceremony shall not be kept at a standstill so that you can bestow this mare with each of your seeds.” The elder looked upon the hopeless mare at his hooves and glared at her.
He solely spoke to her, “We will grant you freedom, sinful one.”
The four demented stallions drug the mare through the hollow woods. Rocks and protruding roots bumped against the pegasi’s already beaten body as she was pulled behind them. The further they traveled, the darker it seemed to get. The cold mountain air washed over Rainbow as her eyes were dried of once hot tears. Her face was red with anguish as she knew that now something even more horrible was about to commence. A great, deep beat boomed from the desolate woods around them and they seemed to follow the pounding echoes once it had reached their ears.
They entered into a large opening cleared of trees and debris. A great bonfire roared near the edge of the field and before it were a plethora of earth ponies, chanting loudly before the fire. A large divide was between the mass group as the four proceeded down a clear line towards the blaze. Massive drums were struck harmoniously over the echoing cries of the gatherers. The rallying shouts of the ponies transformed into a new rhythm as they witnessed the four proceeding between the multitude. Nearly four hundred earth ponies cheered and raised their hooves towards the small herd of stallions who had captured the pegasus pony.
They finally reached the front of the numerous ponies as the largest stallion in the four took hold of the bounded pegasus and raised her up as if she was a trophy. Rainbow could now see the astounding number of earth ponies before her as they praised aloud in ancient song. She was turned around towards the grand fire and now she could see what this gathering was meant for. Even at a distance, the large ceremonial inferno burned her skin as they proceeded towards a large, five-pronged wooden star lying at the foot of the fire. It was three pieces of large timber that were strung together by large rope. Two large beams crossed one another in an ‘X’ formation, and a half-cut beam was stationed on top, cut vertically at the bottom to be held by the larger joints. They proceeded to slowly lower the torture device towards the ground as they retied rope around Rainbow Dash’s limbs. They fastened her tightly to the wooden star and rose the beam back up before the fire.
She frantically eyeballed the crowd as they cheered wildly. Even through the loud chants and screams, two familiar voices could be heard to her left and right. She looked over to her right first and saw that she was not being crucified alone. She noticed a cream colored unicorn stallion who watched over the multitude before them.
“We’ve really done it now, Flim,” noted Flam.
“You’ve said it, Flam,” acknowledged Flim.
Rainbow couldn’t believe that she had met these two again–and here of all places too. Why they were out this far she couldn’t comprehend, but after failing to convince Ponyville to buy their product over Applejack’s, she thought they would have given up in their business.
They brothers continued back and forth saying, “This is the last time we try selling our cider to ponies outside of Equestria.”
“They didn’t even give us a chance, brother of mine! I would have at least thought our catchy melody would have changed their hearts to like us!”
“Instead they tie us up and try to sacrifice us to some pagan god. At least civilized ponies in Equestria don’t try and sacrifice us to Celestia!”
“Except for that ‘one time’,” Flam seethed.
“Right, brother. I almost forgot about that ‘one time’,” Flim copied.
A dark colored pony from the crowd broke off from the multitude and proceeded before the masses. A few other ponies hurried over a wood platform and set it before the cloaked pony. The hooded stallion stood on the small wooden stage and rose his hooves high before the crowds. The chants and drums faded to silence, and the only noise that could be heard was from the wind and raging fire behind the sacrificial ponies. The pony lowered his hooves and then violently shot a hoof back towards the non-earth ponies.
“Look, brothers and sisters of mine,” he preached out with ferocity. “Tonight, not only are we given the divine opportunity to abolish these vile tricksters and magicians, but by the grace of the Foreseer, he has given us a child of the prideful race called the Pegasi! Even more so, these fellow offspring of the hateful alicorn princesses have been cursed! Tainted by the marks given by the chosen kind of the celestial sisters!”
The leader of the twisted ponies stamped his hoof down and cried out, “May I remind you all of why these sinners are to be cleaned by the almighty fires of Tartarus! May I remind you,” he repeated with more vigor, “that Celestia chose a few number of ponies to be blessed with the marks of the divine and shunned any other who entered her so-called scared realm! My brothers! My sisters! My kin who have been deserted by the princesses of hate! Deceit! Treachery! And prejudice! Tonight, we shall rebirth these vile and lost ponies as we have done for centuries in the past. We, the merciful, we, the light bearers, we, the pure hearted, shall bathe these stray ponies in the flames of justice and purity.” He turned towards the three and placed his hoof on his forehead.
With his head lowered, he lilted softly, “May the Foreseer see you to the lands of Everlasting. Free from the chains Celestia and Selene, no more shall you be doomed, but saved!”
The drums and chanting began again as the priest exited into the crowds. A group of stallions came forward and began to untie the ropes that held the crossed beams up. They slowly untangled it and grasped it tightly in their teeth. On each side, they began to walk the beams backwards towards the fire as Rainbow cried out and pleaded for them not to. The Flim Flam brothers simply accepted their fate in silence as they neared the towering blaze. On the edges of the inferno, the stallions gradually leaned the wooden stars backwards. The flames hungered to swallow the pegasus as they stretched around her. Rainbow watched as she was leaned back, only seeing the stars above and the fire’s arms reaching out around her.
Something then had suddenly stopped the sacrificial procedure. She remained tilted on the wooden beams, still hugging the edge of the bonfire. The drums had ceased and the shouting, ancient tongues were hushed. Suddenly she was lifted slowly back upwards away from the fiery doom that almost consumed her. As her eyes fell upon the crowd, every pony remained motionless and still, staring blankly in front of the other. Their eyes were most notable and eerie in appearance–they all shined with a dark blue gleam to them. The stallions’ eyes were even glowing with the same ghastly tint as they finally rocked the beams back upwards.
Rainbow began to feel her bindings become loose and her body–which should have fallen to the ground–was gently lowered by a mysterious force that acted invisibly upon her. As her hooves reached the ground, both of the unicorn brothers were also untied and brought down in the same fashion. From the narrow, barren line in the crowd walked four odd looking ponies draped in the night’s darkness. As they approached into the orange firelight, it became visible to Rainbow Dash that these were no ponies that had rescued her. Four deer walked between the masses before Rainbow Dash, clothed in silver and forest green garments.
Rainbow had never seen a Cervian, but respected their appearance before her. The center deer was a doe of ivory coat with eyes like emerald jewels; her smile and expression filled Rainbow with the hope that had once been snatched away from her by the mark-less ponies. The three taller deer on her sides and behind her were mighty stags with impressive antlers like crowns. Each was tall, and even the female was a head taller than the largest equines.
Rainbow regained her well being and expressed her gratitude tenderly, “Thank you so, so much.”
She nodded, still smiling and spoke aloud in a soothing tone, “You are most certainly welcome, my dear child of Equestria.” She noted the blue-eyed equines around them, “The ponies around you are under our command. However, even our greatest spells cannot curve their vengeful desires to gain access to Equestria once more. What biased actions Celestia had made in the past will drive these poor creatures to hate her, Luna, and any pony from within their kingdom. They will remain an enemy of the equine realm till the last days.” She looked down into Rainbow’s eyes; the pegasus could feel a strange sensation overcome her being. A very welcoming, yet powerful consciousness delved into her mind and the white doe began to speak without speaking.
“You travel to the black bay to meet your lover–oh, how clouded your mind is. The Catalyst Stone could not conceal your desire and it has broken free from your shattered memories. The words I say unto you shall give you guidance, but only the guidance that is needed and nothing more. How you accept your fate is upon you, in no time in history has this occurred. You shall be a pioneer to a destiny only you can experience. The road you travel will entwine you to the one who has been known since the beginning. This one who watches the stars and worlds, shall guide you to him. Now, sweet child, sleep.”
A great weariness blanketed over Rainbow Dash as her eyes gently shut and was bound to the realm of dreams. The last words she heard were, “Fly east. Fly east. Fly east.”
She awoke swiftly in the morning sunlight. Rainbow sprang upward onto her hooves and quickly looked about her surroundings. She was in the woods, but where she didn’t know. She took to the morning-sown sky and scanned the amber-clad mountains; suddenly she noticed that something was very strange about this whole situation and slowly flapped back down onto her hooves. It all came rushing back to her, like revisiting an old nightmare. The night that she had almost received two terrible fates were lit again in her memory–as if the blaze had never died. She remembered being beaten though, however her body felt fine and her strength had returned. She even felt filled with energy, as if she had partaken in a large feast the night before.
Rainbow finally recalled the last words she heard, the direction in which she was suppose to travel. Without further delay, she flew up through the tress and towards the rising sun east bound. Only this time, she took her time and saved her strength as much as she could.
Over the days of her journey, the landscape beneath her had evened out like a ripple over a pond. The gentle mountains smoothed out into wide hills, and eventually they flattened out entirely into wide plains. Forests that almost seemingly stretched beyond sight became large, spotty patches of woods when the terrain grew into a uniform plain. It was an untampered wilderness that sprawled out into endless greenery, void of arboreal dwellings. No longer could Rainbow Dash hide away in the safety of mighty trees against the predators below, as trees became more scarce in the wide open area she found herself in. In her travels, she had seen less civilizations and sentient beings as she progressed on her quest. It began to worry her deep inside, but she hid her fears away and continued onward through blue, cloudless skies.
The sun fell and she descended into the seas of tall, dark grass. She lay low, sleeping soundly and safely through the night. In the morning–when the dew had bathed her blue, unwashed coat–she ascended without sustenance in her stomach. She didn’t mind this fact and continued high in the ever chilling air. She began to fret though that maybe the Cervian doe was wrong–that maybe traveling east was a horrible mistake. The pegasus couldn’t turn back now and continued the soar swiftly over the barren lands.
The temperature had fallen greatly as gray, ominous clouds formed high in wide mounds. She stopped hastily in air as a titan of a cumulous cloud loomed in the distance. The towering giant floated far off in her direction; from her point of view, there was no way around the fearsome storm. Flakes of snow began to glide down from the heavens as a northern wind began to steadily pick up. The only way Rainbow found herself avoiding this charcoal colossus was to turn back–but no, she was too prideful to abandon her mission or lose precious time.
She threw up a hoof towards the monstrous mass of condensed water vapor and fiercely shouted, “You can’t stop me! Do you know who I am?” She held her head high and shouted towards the heavens, “My name is Rainbow Dash! And nothing can stop me!” After those self-inspiring words were emitted loudly and proudly, she felt strength overtake her being. Her wings tensed with power as her muscles were jolted with radiant energy. Her eyes narrowed on her enemy and she sped forward without fear.
As the pony flew towards it, she descended beneath the blackened billows as thunder bellowed in the beast’s hazy form. Flying above such a mountainous storm front would be near impossible for the pegasus–the only way through was under. The snow and wind greatly increased as the darkened landscape beneath became a blur of white and gray. Icy winds bit the pony’s flesh; she had to descend and travel by hoof. She landed lopsided, tumbling into mounds of fresh, iced over snow. The glaze of coldness tore through the pegasi’s bones it seemed as she emerged from the blanket of white death.
With sudden realization, horror fell over her as she began to frantically look around. Once she spotted it, it was too late; the map she held so dear to flew off into the storm away from her, into the gray haze of anguish and defeat. She had to keep going though, not all was lost. As long as she kept moving east, along the coastline, she would reach Rhignes Rock. Her eyes stung in the wind as she placed her wings over her face and–with difficulty–continued.
Time to her became skewed as her core temperature dropped. She became sluggish as she slogged through the heavy snowfall. The blizzard became too much as her strength rapidly depleted along with her hopes of survival. Death seemed to have its bony hooves weighing on Rainbow’s shoulders as each step became harder to accomplish. Finally–with a great heave from the blistering wind–she fell into the icy coffin before her. The slush began to enclose her being as her vision grew darker.
"No," she cried out in her mind, her lips too cold to speak aloud. "No! I can’t give up! I’ve gone so far... I’ve gone so far! Come on Rainbow Dash, pick yourself up! Pick yourself up!" She picked herself up on one hoof, and then another, finding little stability in the snow. Her front legs wobbled as she rose up with all of her might–but promptly collapsed once more.
"I can’t give up! I have to know the truth! I have to find him!" Her mind became foggy, she began to forget, and soon accepted this fate; though through the pale blizzard, emerged a dark shape. A figure confronted her, but her mind blacked out before she could remember what happened next.
Her dreams were filled with stars in a endless absence, slowly drifting in a timeless passageway. Bodiless and mindless, what once was named Rainbow Dash sailed alone through the inviting home of reality, passing through the dark halls of never. Seemingly unaware of her self proclaimed death, she accepted the undying lights that flickered around her final essence. A soul she was now in the lost eternity. Bound to nothing and free to everything–a fragment of infinity had returned to its origin. An end–she subconsciously desired–had come at last.
The pegasus awoke, remembering nothing of her dream, but feeling its effects shiver down her spine. She was in a warm environment, in a small enclosure with a low ceiling. She appeared to be alone and confused once more, and accepted it. Covered in mounds of wooly, burgundy blankets, she gently removed them and rose to her hooves. In the open air, she could feel herself freezing again and quickly slipped a heavy blanket over her shivering self to shield the coldness. Rainbow took in her surroundings with greater detail as her conscious had finally and fully woken up.
A small glass orb of fire was hung from the short ceiling, which lit the tan walls that held strange, webbed pieces of art. Like idols, the odd ornaments glared at her with unease as if watching her every motion. The ground was made of a soft rug and in the cold air faintly snaked a trail of silver smoke. The hot fumes reached her nostrils and she coughed as it entered her lungs. She followed the trail of smoke that hazed the room and was startled to see that someone was watching her in the far end in the enclosure.
Cross-legged, a wooly, tall being garbed in bright reds, dark greens and warm browns, watched her with a slender, twisting pipe held to his lips. She had never seen anything like this being before, and he himself had never seen a pony before; yet he remained humble and watching, with looks telling no evil and no good. His ruby eyes glistened as he drew another breath of smoke through his lungs in out his nostrils. He was hoofed and had a long muzzle and pointy ears; but his neck was elongated and his coat sported much longer, brown fur than an equines. His clothing was mixed and matched, appearing to be wrapped in a bundle around him in a desperate attempt to keep out the cold. As Rainbow Dash took in these details, the being continually and silently looked over her, as if intensely reading a book.
With another smoky breath, he asked softly, but sternly, “What might you be?”
The pegasus stiffened up to his question and replied submissively “A pegasus pony...” She feared the worse, being before another sentient being that might have its way with her.
She quivered out, “Did you save me?” She was so unsure about anything that was and has happened–wondering still if this was a dream or not. She questioned herself about what had happened, about how she got here, and how exactly she was still alive. More so was she afraid of the mysterious creature before her. The Cervians seemed to bring peace of mind from their appearance alone, but this being was entirely different in her eyes.
The fuzzy, long creature leaned back and nodded, answering in his low tone of voice, “You found me.”
Rainbow didn’t understand, so she stated, “I was lost though. I wasn’t searching for you.”
“You weren't searching,” he soothed, “but you were searching. Searching, that is, for me.” He pointed a hoof at himself and smiled. “My name is Visuug. I am an alpaca, a sole wanderer amongst my fellow wanderers, but never lost are we.” His tone and apparently warm manner steadied Rainbow’s emotions.
She took in a new breath and said, “My name is Rainbow Dash. I’m from Equestria and am searching for a place called Rhignes Rock. Have you heard of any of those places?”
Without a thought, he answered, “I have not.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and censured sarcastically, “Won-der-ful. Some wanderer you are. You haven’t even heard of Equestria before–and Equestria’s huge!”
He calmly assured her, “You are mistaken it seems. I am not that type of wanderer. Though we do wander from land to land, we wander also through world to world.” Rainbow rose an eyebrow in suspicion. She began to think that whatever this alpaca was inhaling was beginning to affect his mind.
He went on, noticing the pony’s look of disbelief, “We–the itinerant fragments of a single entity–wander throughout Arteria with the soul goal of gaining a closer appreciation towards the Father, intrinsically.”
Rainbow wondered aloud, “The Father?”
Visuug put his hooves together and repeated slower, “The Father.” He went on, “Your father, my father, our father–the Father.” He smiled and digressed, “I must sound terribly ill to you, do I not? You see, I was once a very regular alpaca who lived a very regular life, but I had become lost once. And in my lostness I was discovered. I breathed new life and sought purpose, I have found meaning and am still searching for it. But I see you, you have discovered something beyond which I and my companions have found. I sense it.”
The smoke that danced around Rainbow Dash and Visuug began to form together in a murky gray sphere over the alpaca’s open hoof. From it emerged a larger sphere made up of a fire that swallowed the smoke. The fire did not stretch out its flames, but seemed to swirl like water, appearing to be a translucent orb. The blazing ball did not give off heat, but hovered silently before the two, suspended and controlled by strange magic. Rainbow looked into the blaze and saw what resembled a long face, and the more she stared, the more it looked like Zachary’s face.
The ball of fire suddenly sparked, the flames raced up the sides of the orb and vanished into nothing. The alpaca lowered his hoof and leaned forward, closer to the pony. The fragrance of the exotic herbs he had breathed in could be smelled off of his warm, hazel coat.
“I know of your quest,” he leered in a somber tone. “I know what you seek.”
Ignoring his manner completely, Rainbow’s heart jumped for joy as she quickly asked the alpaca, “Does that mean you can help me?” He placed his hoof on the pony’s lips and leaned even more closely.
“I knew from the beginning what you wanted, and I cannot give this to you. But perhaps,” he paused, then continued with more emphasis, “but perhaps the Father can. All I need to know is, are you willing to accept it? Are you willing to leave the comforts of the past behind? A life so once filled with ease and fulfillment will be replaced with an unquenchable seeking for him, a longing never to be desired. A truth held in secrets and a life led by lies.” His eyes beamed with sincerity into hers–she could not look away and was snared in his gaze. His words echoed through her, trapping her in an inescapable prison.
“A choice must be made now. My life has led me to this grand decision of yours and now you must fulfill my purpose. Do not look away from me until I tell you–now listen closely to my instructions.” Two floating fires emerged to Visuug’s left and right, but Rainbow’s eyes stayed fastened to the alpaca's.
“Look left into the emerald flames and you shall fall into a deep sleep. When you awake, you will remember nothing of this adventure nor him and return back to your life of peace. Look right into the silver flames and you shall embrace your destiny, no longer able to live a life of ignorance and true happiness. Now choose, Rainbow Dash.”
Her eyes remained in his, the flicker of both fires could be seen dancing across the alpaca’s face. She thought over the choice, a choice that felt right to her in the past now seemed like the entirely wrong decision. Her vision slowly adjusted to her left, knowing that this will bring about peace within her.
"But no," she stopped herself, continuing mentally, "no it won’t. I’ll always know that deep down I would have missed an opportunity to travel towards the destiny I was meant to have!" Before looking upon the emerald fire, her eyes swiftly swept over to her right and her pupils took in the silver flames of truth. In an instant, the fire diminished as her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
She looked about and asked breathlessly, “What now? Do I know my destiny yet?” Visuug promptly stood up on his four legs, towering over her. His eyes never left hers as he squinted and thought deeply about her choice.
He finally replied, “Almost.”
At once, Visuug ushered Rainbow Dash out of his small dwelling. His house was a crude structure of wood and fabrics, held together solely by ropes and stakes much like a large tent. Visuug unfastened some rope that held the entryway fabric door shut and held it up so the small pegasus pony could walk through. Upon exiting, she found herself in a flat, snow-laden opening with many other similar tents strewn about. More strange creatures stood outside their homes, staring at the pegasus as she exited the alpaca’s living quarters. What Rainbow Dash didn’t notice until later was that the blizzard was still in full effect, yet strangely the stormy weather encompassed the campsite as if it was shielded in a large dome. A great sheet of blurry snow and wind grazed around the dwelling place, yet inside of the protected area was not a breeze nor flake of snow.
Above her shinned a gleaming ball of icy blue light that shown forth over the untarnished area, brightening the otherwise dark environment. This luminescence painted the infrastructures and beings in a phantasmic glow, which overcame the pegasus with a mightier fear than before. The magic used by these creatures was nothing like Rainbow had ever seen a unicorn preform, but she had no time to stray on such thoughts as she was escorted by Visuug to the center of the dwellings.
Most of the small, cloth-covered shanties circled about the area, leaving an opening in the center of the settlement. She began to think this was intentional as Visuug brought her forward, spun her around and told her to remain still once she arrived in the hub of the community. One by one, the odd creatures came forward slowly and silently, as if they were commanded beforehand. Each was different, yet each was clothed in the same, multihued garbs as Visuug. Her eyes darted from each being to the next, seeing as many as she could.
One was a large, wide creature with white, rough skin with a horn on his nostril. Another was lean and elegant, with twisting horns and a tan hide. A smaller creature came forward much to her size–he had rectangular pupils and horns atop his head. Eleven in total (twelve including Visuug) approached in quiet steps, stopping a few long strides away from the mare. Rainbow Dash looked over the strange beings around her; no longer afraid, but befuddled and slightly annoyed.
Visuug called out to her as if she was in the far distance, “We will give you sight to the road which leads to the Father. Only those who have undergone the foreseeing ritual may find the secret place where the Father resides.” Rainbow’s heart began to flutter once more in panic. She didn’t want this, she didn’t want to meet the Father.
She cried out, “No! This isn’t what I wanted! I don't want to meet this Father, I want to find Zack! I thought you knew?”
“This is the only way, Rainbow Dash. You agreed to this–this is your destiny.” He looked to his side, towards his brothers, and stated, “Begin the ritual.”
Each nodded and began to walk about and around her, murmuring in tongues she couldn’t comprehend. As they sang their ancient songs, they pulled from their pockets smooth, white stones with different colored gems in each rock. Rainbow Dash wanted to leave, but something had taken over her body. A spell was placed on her she thought, paralyzing her body and leaving her in place while the ceremony took its course. They laid the special stones in what seemed to be random order, but once they finished and stepped back into their places, some sort of pattern could be seen in their placement, yet Rainbow Dash could not tell what it was.
An immense creature–the largest of them all–strode before the small mare in great steps. It was a massive, gray beast with white tusks, a large, long nose and rounded, beady eyes. Rainbow Dash would have crept back in fright if she wasn’t under the spell of the Wanderers.
It spoke to her in a deep, yet calm voice, "The Foreseeing Ritual is nearly completed, fair one. We have waited a very long time for this moment, waiting for the one to seek after the Father–the one which the Father will accept. For he may accept only one, it is written on the tombs of the ancient world, and one have we prepared for. You are no doubt the one whom he wishes to see.”
He moved his enormous trunk out in front of him in a sweeping motion, saying aloud, “Embrace what is to come as we chant our blessings in the elder tongue of Olrugena. Though you may be fearful, fear not. What is to come, is what was meant to come.” Rainbow looked up at the tusked one with wondrous eyes, as if she was a filly looking up at her father with awe and respect.
The elephant stepped back to his location and upon his command, the twelve began to sing. It was a beautiful and enchanting lyrical hymn, even if Rainbow Dash didn’t understand a word of it. After a few chilling verses in Olrugena, nothing visible seemed to happen; however soon that was about to change. The stones began to glint brightly in a multitude of colors. A different color for each gem shown forth in the snow. Once every stone was radiating intensely, a thin stream of smoke began to emit from the tops of the rocks, seeping from underneath the gems that were carved into the rock. Each vapor was slightly colored in the likeness of the jewel each originated from.
The Wanderers began to hold their hooves and feet out and hum harmoniously as they swayed their bodies and movements. Once they began this odd procedure, the smoke from the ritual stones began to curve towards Rainbow Dash as if attracted to her. The smoke became a thick cloud as it twisted together and encircled her. It was a dense sphere of spiraling vapors, and soon Rainbow lost visibility of the outside world.
She began to breath in the vapors; she could no longer avoid doing so. At first, they burned her throat like hot smoke does, but she grew accustomed to it, yet terribly afraid of what was going to happen to her. A strange feeling began to fill inside her, like a creature that had been sleeping all its life had begun to stir awake. She tried to resent it, holding her breath in desperation. Tears filled her eyes as her desires for this quest slipped away.
No longer did she want to partake in the journey, no longer did she want to apart of ‘Zack’s’ life. She had no clear memory of who he really was and she began to think as to why he was forgotten to her. She thought that something terrible must have happened, that she was being protected by not knowing; but something deep inside herself told her to give in. That knowing this secret would bring her ease, and that seeking this Father would give her the truth. So blindly she accepted and took in the magical vapors, awakening the being inside her. It took control of her as she gasped out for air.
As soon as this was realized by the Wanderers, Visuug shot a fireball into the hazy orb using his strange magic. The smoke ignited around her and combusted into a roaring fire–the blaze engulfed the pony as the Wanderers’ hums ceased. The blaze shot upward into the sky, eradicating the smoke and leaving behind the pony unscathed. Rainbow Dash’s head was lowered; she was silent and unmoving still. The Wanderers waited eagerly, but stoically for the pony to take action.
The pegasus head tilted up gradually, her eyes shown forth like beams of light before them. She had been filled with insight–filled with the knowledge of the Father’s location. Without words or emotion, Rainbow Dash turned and exited from out of the circle. The Wanderers parted ways as the mare trotted slowly before them. She proceeded towards the barrier of the encampment, where the blizzard was unrelenting and impassable. Without hesitation, the pony entered and was swallowed by the storm once again. The elephant Wanderer–as well as the other Wanderers–approached Visuug.
The largest one asked with uncertainty, “Will she make it? Will she survive?”
“Of course,” he responded with assurance, eyes still focused on the blizzard before them where Rainbow Dash exited. “She will meet the Father. We have fulfilled our purpose.” He looked up at his brother and smiled, “And now our tale is over. We knew this day would come, and now you know what we must do.”
The faithful follower knew what must be done and gently nodded in affirmation. He reached his large, gray foot upwards towards the ball of light that lit the encampment. The light faded and as it did, they too were consumed by the blizzard. From one world they left, to another they arrived.
Rainbow’s consciousness returned as quickly as it left. As if waking from a long dream, she found herself completely unaware of what had happened, but gradually regained her memory. All she could remember at the time was the ritual and how she inhaled the magical vapors, however now she found herself alone and far from anything that looked familiar.
She stood on the spin of a large, snowcapped ridge that tore through an ocean of rolling clouds from all sides. She was at the beginning of a long and narrow ascension that led higher up a mountain chain, deep into an onyx and dark-sapphire night. Billows of pale silver and navy clouds, tinted with slivers of electric crimsons and neon greens steadily tumbled like the roaring sea in an eternal storm. The air was uninviting and held to Winter’s cold, yet not as frigid as the pony judged by her surroundings. A jet black tapered stairway, carved from the mountain’s rock itself, snaked upward along the top ridge towards a distant peak. She looked backwards, noticing the dark incline that submerged from the hazy, midnight sea. The mystifying, silent realm she found herself in was only lit by the twinkling heavens and pearlescent moon above. The higher dominions brimmed with surreal aspects; great clouds of nebulas dimly painted the far reaches of space in murky lavenders and gloomy reds. The mystic place Rainbow Dash arrived into was almost too unbelievable to take in.
Her goals crept back into her mind once more and then she realized that she was close–close where the Father would be. Traveling up this ebony path would lead to this entity of a being. If anyone, he would know how to get to Zachary, or so she wanted to believe. Her faith solely relied on the words of the Wanderers; she had no one else to trust, not even herself anymore. Breaking from her catatonic state, she placed one hoof forward and started her ascent.
As she began to walk up the long, climbing pathway, she knew she was far gone now. That if this being–if he was even atop this chain of peaks or not–could not help her, that she was lost in a place far from her own. A creeping demise slowly lurked about her conscious and this began to weigh on her soul.
"How long have I been traveling," she questioned herself, continuing to her destination with uncertainty.
She was no where near the plains she had once been in; she thought that mighty ranges such as these only existed in the Icicle Mountains. With that thought, she now knew she was horribly off track, that even if she still had the map with her she would still be hopelessly astray. She had no reason to continue, no reason whatsoever now that she was deceived by the Wanderers, and that they led her to 'Celestia knows where' by their dark magic. Resentment grew within her, fueled by all the misfortunes that had piled up over the course of her quest and it was finally too much for her to bear. Though no matter how much she wanted to stop and cry out, to scream over the world in maddening frustration, her legs continued to move her forward. Up, up, up she continued with a boiling rage in her mind, mixed with grief and alienation.
“I could have stayed home,” she whimpered out, trembling with each hoof step she made. “I could have lived a happier life, but now,” she sniffed, taking in the thin, frigid air, “now I’ve lost it all. I’ve lost my friends, my family, my home, my comforts.” Warm tears began to fill her eyes, blurring her vision.
“I can never go back to Sugarcube Corner and shoot the breeze with Pinkie Pie... I can never challenge Applejack to another silly, stupid game... I can never make fun of Rarity anymore, or ask Twilight for advice, or encourage Fluttershy. I’ll never lie snug in my warm, cumulus bed again. I’ll never know the comforts of having food to eat, a home to rest in, or a safe place to live.”
She stopped in her tracks, nearly half way up the starlit stairway. Her sadness could no longer be held back, nor could her legs hold her quivering body. She tightly held her eyes closed, tears spilling from her eyelids, dripping down her cheek and onto the stones below.
She knelt down and sobbed wearily, “I could have s-settled down... m-met a nice stallion... had a family... l-lived happily ever after.” She pounded her hooves against the stone stairs and yelled out, “Damn the Wonderbolts! Damn the Elements of Harmony! I don’t want fame or fortune! I don’t want to be some hero! I don’t want answers! No more, no more,” she loudly cried out, now nearly breathless.
She rested her forehead on the glacial, rocky stairway and bawled out, “I... I don’t want any of this! I want simplicity! I want ignorance! I don’t care if my old life was a lie!” She banged her head against the rock with all her might, screaming with each strike, “I want it back! I want it back! I want it back! I want it back!” A gash cut through her forehead as dark blood trickled the stone below her. She stopped as the pain became too much for her and quietly lay crying on the stairway.
Silence fell over the dreamlike realm again as Rainbow Dash lay lifelessly on the stairway of her destiny. Hours passed, yet morning never came. The night remained, ever beautiful and ever gleaming by the celestial keepers lightyears away. The pegasus–void of hope and wishing for death–watched the still heavens above while rolled over on her back. She didn’t think, only watched and listened to the nothingness. There was nothing to think about, nothing to contemplate, no more answers she desired to know. Striving for the ignorance that she so unknowingly–and happily–once possessed, she now only wanted death. Nothing more, nothing less; the sweet release from existence would be the only cure. She was so very, very tired.
“Rainbow Dash,” a whisper in the wind called out. The cyan mare became alert, but continued to lie still in her downfall. She didn’t care and nor was she surprised by the voice that called out to her. She figured that perhaps it was her breaking mind making sense out of nothing, that finally her mental state had trailed off course like she had done herself.
The feminine voice spoke out softly again, “You’re so close, Rainbow Dash. You’re so close.” The voice seemed to have originated behind her now and finally the cyan mare decided to roll herself over. She rocked herself up slowly and saw that up a few short steps was another pony. The unicorn’s coat matched the dark blue skies above, though her eyes shown out like beacons of light from a distant world. Vibrant–almost surreally indigo–they pierced Rainbow Dash like a dagger through her heart. Her long and moonlit silver mane and tail waved in the mountain winds. A goddess of equine, her beauty stunned the battered and beaten pegasus pony. The unicorn smiled as Rainbow Dash took notice of her and her smile filled Rainbow with an unnatural warmth.
“Meet the father,” she spoke in a tone as soothing as the early morning rays, “and soon you shall meet the son. I believe in you, Rainbow Dash. For without you, eternity itself would be flawed. You play a role in this world that shapes its eventually providence, and you mustn’t stop. For I believe in you, Rainbow Dash. I believe.”
In the blink of an eye, she was gone without a sound. Rainbow was left uncertain, yet unafraid. Her presence still felt all too real to be an illusion or invention of the mind. This unicorn–a being no longer apart of this world–could be felt still encouraging the pegasus pony. Rainbow’s eyes trailed up to the high plateau, a single peak in a world bathed in an infinite night. She wiped the dried blood from her forehead and pushed onward, up towards her fate, up towards her destiny.
She ascended the curling stairway, reaching the high mount with reunited strength in her fibers. At the peak she was greeted by an archway made of the same blackened stone of the stairway itself. The iron gate in the passageway of the arc was old and chipped away, yet still standing strong and alone atop the mountain. It was as if the ancient portal was apart of a grander design, but only it stood atop the barren summit. Beyond the archway was nothing else, it was abnormally flat and snow ladened. As soon as Rainbow scanned the top of the plateau, and as her fears of not meeting the Father nearly overcame her, she saw something near the edge of the far cliffside. It was no pony, but a human.
She tensed in fright, uncertainty if this being was Zachary or not. She stepped forward cautiously and stopped in the center of the circular peak. She seemed not to have alerted the human–his back was to her as he still looked over the edge of the mountain, seemingly unaware of the pony. He was wearing a strange cloak, sown from threads not of her world. It draped over his form from head to toe, concealing his identity. It glimmered and shined like the stars themselves, resting in a lightless black backdrop. What he wore was a piece of the night sky it seemed, yet it shown out greater than even the stars behind him. Its figure resembled the man in her dreams, so she called him out by name.
“Zack...” she said in a low, hushed voice. The being did not respond, so she spoke out again, “Zachary... is that you?”
The human rose its head up slowly and gently turned to face the pegasus. A hood shrouded its face in midnight shadow and its presence sent a wave of panic through the pegasus. As if this being was death itself, it approached without the sound of foot fall, gliding like a ghost towards the mare. Her mind commanded her to flee, but her body remained still. She had to confront this entity whether it was the Father or not–whether her life was soon to end or not. She was determined to embrace the outcome and stood strong before the approaching, bipedal being.
It stopped only a meter before her and looked down at her. Its face was still veiled away, but Rainbow felt that this human was her Zachary. Something deep within her told her this was him, that this was the person she strived to meet for so long. He brought his hands up to his cloak and gently removed it; who was revealed was not Zachary. Her heart sank and her resurrected hope soon was overtaken by dread.
It was a man that was revealed under the cloak, and he was human, but not Zachary in any way. He was aged, with a rounded face and strong jaw. His pupils seemed to glow faintly white–by some sort of magic or illusion, she could not tell. The human’s skin was strange however; a shade of dark violet translucence wavered underneath his star-sown cloak. He was a being of celestial resemblance, not of this world and not in accordance to the universe’s laws. Something inside Rainbow Dash felt that this human was somehow related to Zachary, that maybe the two were in some way connected. She swallowed her instinct to run and hide in fear, but remained in her spot.
The entity greeted in a reverberating, soft and low tone, “Welcome, Rainbow Dash. I am who they call the Father.” His voice was like a distant call from the far reaches of space. Devoid of Arteria, it was an ancient tone–a tone that originated from a truly divine individual. Yet strangely she felt comforted. This being ebbed a familiar, friendly aura that she could relate to. Her worries subsided and she entered into a relaxed state of mind.
She questioned the god without fear or trouble, “How do you know my name?”
He titled his head slightly and warmly answered, “That is not of importance–though it is as simple as looking upon on you that I know of such things.”
Knowing this, Rainbow asked in a suspicious manner, talking to this otherworldly individual as if he was a long time friend of hers, “So you know why I’m here. I don’t need to tell you of course.”
“True,” he admitted, “but I do like surprises, and admire hearing other’s wishes and thoughts from their own lips.” He twirled his hands before him, as if shaping a sphere out of clay. He then clasped his hands together and slowly pulled them apart; in between them formed what appeared to be a miniaturized galaxy. His hands were still cupped around it as if smoothing it down.
While he was creating life, he explained himself to Rainbow Dash, “I limit myself, you see. To grant free will to such creations, a hide myself away from them. Too distant for them to fully know of me, yet not too far away for me to intervene. With such powers I hold back, I cannot see into your mind unless I choose to. Furthermore, I could not 'be' in your realm of existence unless I chose to. I do not consider myself a god–I do not demand to be known as a god. I am a simple observer, a simple creator, a simple destroyer, and a simple man with too much power.” With those last words, Rainbow pressed him with another question that was irrelevant to her goals, but fueled her curiosity.
She asked, “You’re a man? Like Zachary?”
“Yes, I am like Zachary, and yes, I am a man.” He moved his hands away from the galaxy he birthed within his grasp and it vanished into nothingness. “To keep things short and simple: I was bestowed, by laws beyond comprehension, to become a father–a father of eternity. An endless chain had started before me, and I am but a link in that chain. That link I see over is this time, from the beginning of this universe to the end. And once the end arrives, a new link must form in the chain, and I will give my title to a new father, and he shall oversee the next link in the chain. The cycle–an unbreakable infinity–shall continue on and on until perfection is reached. There is no beginning nor end, only eternity.”
Rainbow Dash was silent, trying to comprehend his simple exemplification of who he was and what he said. She had fallen too deep in what seemed to be an ungraspable concept and she retreated back to what really mattered.
“Can you lead me to Zachary,” she asked the man, who responded with a simple nod. An oval disc emerged from the snow behind him and in its epicenter grew an emerging light. The golden radiance spread out over the floating disc and it became a gateway to another, bright world. The doorway hummed with power, revolving only a foot above the snowy mount. Rainbow Dash peered over at the portal and in it was a hazy, unfocused image of what appeared to be a bleak beach.
“This will take you Rhignes Rock,” he indicated, gesturing his hand over towards the elliptical portal. Rainbow Dash looked over at the Father warily; she still had many questions to ask him, she wish she could stay here longer in this mystic realm to converse with this humble entity.
The Father suddenly grinned, seeing the hesitant mare’s expression and spoke out, “I wish this too, young one. I do not spend enough time with my creations as I did long ago–but some secrets should not be known.”
With disappointment, she asked, “Why is that exactly?”
The Father leaned towards her slightly and replied, “The secrets of eternity are too grand to be known. But maybe soon you will learn–maybe soon, we will all learn.”
With that remark, she deemed it was time to go. Before stepping into the portal, she waved a hoof towards the divine one and thanked him. The father smiled and gently waved back in response. The pegasus entered through the doorway and the brilliance swallowed her form. As she completely entered through the gateway, the light shrank into a dot and in a blink, it faded away. The disc hovered back beneath the snow and concealed itself as the Father returned his gaze back below the cliffside.
He motioned his hand out in front of him and the sea of clouds below parted from all around the spine of mountains. As they dissipated, what was below was the emptiness of black space. A great cosmos was scattered below the floating mountains. Stars, gas giants, astroid belts and planetary systems were cascaded about in all directions. The Father then spread his fingers out and in a circling motion, moved his hand in a small, gradual movement. Stars formed below him into a halo of light and in it reflected a blue and green planet below.
He murmured to himself, “Yes, we will all know soon the secrets of eternity.”
Rainbow Dash found herself standing alone on a dark, sandy beach. It was about midday and drearily cloudy. Judging by the weather, it looked as if it was about to rain; the smell and feel of precipitation was also a keen factor as well as the obvious cloud coverage. The crash of uniform waves bellowed out of the ocean as a steady, chill wind blew down the seashore. Towering cliffs of charcoals and duller hues loomed up the beach’s edge and like a wall, they stretched down the coastline into a haze of salt and mist. The dark waters of Blackrock Bay rushed up to meet the mare’s hooves and the frigid seawater made her leap back into drier sand.
As she returned her gaze back up from her hooves, she noticed something far away. Dotted along the beach were long, bending poles. Five meters in length, several of them bowed out and at their ends were thick lines of thin rope. With each pull of the tide, the poles bent slightly forwards and backwards. The pegasus decided to make her way towards the odd sight to inspect it further.
As she approached, one of the many poles suddenly flexed tightly. In an instant, the line snapped away from the pole, sending the once securely fastened stake out from the sand and to its side. The line whipped away into the waves and foam, disappearing into the inky waters of the sea. As Rainbow was turned towards the water’s edge, a rising voice came rushing behind her as if someone was running up to attack her.
The voice grew louder as it approached, yelling, “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit...” In the midst of turning to see who it was, the being whizzed by her and into the freezing water. Upon realizing what had happened, Rainbow’s heart leapt for joy, knowing for certain that this was Zack–the man who payed no attention to her as he raced into the ocean after his fishing line. He hastily splashed through the dark seawater until finally diving underneath the waves.
After a long minute, Zack emerged from the ocean with the rope in his grip. As he bounded from water, his eyes met with the cyan pegasus and froze still in his tracks. With an agape expression and solidified position, he was immensely shocked to see her here of all places. The rope slipped from his fingers and trailed back across the water. He was alerted when he looked at his now empty hands and saw the line had been pulled back out to sea.
He rose a finger and said, “One sec.” He quickly darted back into the ocean and dove under the icy water once more.
The cyan mare was surprised, thinking to herself, “He looks entirely different than I remember...” From what she recalled a moment ago, he wore a loose fitting, sleeveless brown shirt and ragged, white shorts. His wet, sepia-hued hair was long and tattered below an ash gray, wool cap. His most prominent feature was his rugged, short and curled beard that encompassed his jawline, mouth and chin. All of these indications made her wonder how long she had actually been away.
As he emerged once more, he drug the tight line behind him and shouted, “Move back! Quick!”
She did so, flapping back on to dry land as Zachary hauled the line behind him. Once firmly grounded, he began to pull the soppy line in. With great heaves, he brought in more and more rope which curled down below his feet. The line jolted and jerked in the water–something large was at the other end. Rainbow watched as he worked the fishing cord, wondering if he really even cared to see her. She thought if he knew how difficult it was for her to reach such a place. As he continued to work, he looked down and their eyes met. She tensed in nervousness; just seeing him look her way was enough to make the pegasus passionately anxious.
“Well,” he breathed out, still catching his breath from the long dive and strenuous work, “no 'hi' or 'how ya do’in'? I’m surprised you’re even here, but you caught me at a bad time. If I knew you were coming, I wouldn’t be out fishing–that, and I would have tidied myself up a bit.”
She began to ponder about how a person, who looked and acted like this, was some great and wondrous hero of legend. Valiant and Pinkie built him up in her mind to be some sort of epic individual, but his appearance was that of a homeless fisherman; she even noticed that he smelled like fish and salt. Zack suddenly stopped pulling in the line and looked down at her with a wary and grave look across his face.
He slowly uttered, “How do you remember me?” He awaited her response, ignoring the shaking and tugging line in his hands.
She replied naturally, “I just 'did'. And I came to see you–you wouldn’t believe the–”
Zack turned, rose up a finger and indicated, “You’re not suppose to remember those events. I made sure of it...” A look of panic arose in his eyes and he hastily asked, “Does anyone else know? Does everyone remember dying?”
“No... I don’t believe they do.”
“Then how do you remember?”
A great heave on the other end of the line nearly took Zack off of his feet. He quickly recuperated and began dragging in the rope again. Finally something began to emerge from the water that did not resemble any kind of fish Rainbow had ever seen. The lavender scaled, fat sea creature–that was roughly the size of a pony–flopped about the shallow water as Zack eased from his position. He sloshed through the seawater towards it and knelt down next to the creature.
He began saying aloud, “This is the fourth time today I caught you. I should just fillet you here and rid the sea of your annoyance.” Rainbow Dash flapped over the trough of the beach next to Zachary to see what he had caught. To her astonishment, it was a strange race of pony she had never seen before.
Zack looked up at Rainbow and stated, “Sea ponies. They’re migrating through here, south bound to Bridal Bay. But this guy,” he said, slapping the side of the sea pony, “this guy here won’t head out. He keeps taking my bait, but hopefully,” he stopped himself, turning back towards the sea creature. He took one hand and placed his thumb inside the lower lip of the creature, pulling it open. He then took his other hand and reached deep inside of the sea pony’s mouth. The pony’s eyes widened with horror as it gasped uncomfortably. Once he was elbow-deep inside of the pony’s mouth, he jostled and removed the hook from within.
He pulled it out sighed, “well, looks like he swallowed it.” He tossed the hook and line into the water and stood up over the creature. Using his magic, a red aura formed around the sea pony as it levitated up in front of him out of the ocean. With a wide swing of Zack’s arm, the pony was vaulted through sky and over the ocean.
Zack waved and shouted, “So long, sucker!”
The sea pony sang out, its voice fading away into the distance, "Shoo-be-doo! Shoo-shoo-be-doo!" As Zack walked away, a tremendous splatter could be heard out at sea. Rainbow smiled and followed Zachary up the beach onto dry land.
He walked towards the great stairway that was carved into the rock face. The stone steps would lead up to his shanty of a house at the top of the cliffs. Rainbow landed on her hooves next to him as he ambled across the beach. With his hands behind his back, he looked down at her and smiled.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he spoke with subtle happiness. “Not sure how you remember me, but I’m happy to see you again.”
“Right, likewise Zack.” She began to think how stupid that response was from her and visibly cringed at her own mistake.
She was at a loss for words, unable to properly communicate herself like a regular pony could. On top of that, more and more memories of him began to surface within her. Emotions and feelings attached to those memories made her blush and soon the person she once knew as Zachary was nearly complete in her mind. A few questions eluded her though, but she decided to wait for the appropriate time to ask them. Zack himself didn’t know how much she remembered, but presumed that she knew everything from the point to when he had killed her. This made him detest meeting her like this,and be in this awkward predicament.
Rainbow spoke up finally and asked, “Aren’t you cold?” He was dripping wet still and the wind around them even made her dry feathers and fur shiver.
“Of course I am,” he honestly replied. He turned to her and questioned, “So how exactly did you find me? Did you take the Panexus? I didn’t even know you knew about that?”
“I didn’t take the Panexus, though Valiant told me Princess Celestia had sealed it off or something like that.” He nodded quietly as Rainbow continued. She began telling him all about her journey, almost every detail she could make out, comprehend or remember. Zack listened intently, quite surprised from some of the information given. It took quite some time for her to give him all the details; but enough time had passed that when she was finished, they had climbed the multitude of steps and were proceeding through the tall grass towards Zachary’s cabin.
Rainbow noticed his house from afar and commented, “Wow! Pretty cool place here, pal.”
“Oh ya,” he mentioned, “it’s pretty cool alright, especially at night.” The pegasus peered up at him with a quizzical look on her face. He explained while rubbing the back of his damp head, “Temperature wise. Not... you know, like... ‘Rainbow Dash is so cool'."
She giggled, “Gotcha.” They walked out of the tall grass and onto his front lawn. The pony’s eyes immediately went towards the sword that had been thrusted into the cliff’s edge before the house. The white blade shimmered, even on the cloudy day. Zack noticed her looking at it–almost transfixed on the weapon–and wondered if she remembered it.
“Dashie,” he began slowly. Her rose-colored eyes were brought back towards him. “I hope you don’t resent me for what all has happened. More importantly, I hope you know that I was possessed when I murdered you.”
“Wait,” she interrupted, “I was... killed by you?” Zachary knew then that she didn’t remember everything, only bits and pieces of what had happened on that faithful day.
“What all do you remember, Dash?” She stopped and thought, with her head titled up while thinking in silence.
“Not a lot... but being with you, I’m beginning to remember more.”
“Do you remember us...” he spoke out swiftly, almost regretfully. “What we were...” he went on, “what we became in the end?” She didn’t think he knew and blushed at the thought of it. He knew she had feelings for him, a longing desire; but she didn’t remember what became of them.
“I d-don’t remember what w-we...” she shuttered. He smiled at her hesitant response, noticing how cute she looked with her reddened face and wings ruffled with embarrassment.
He enlightened her, “You saved me from my death. When Discord threw me off of Dragon Peak, you were the fastest one to save me. The only one to save, as a matter of fact.” Her eyes widened with knowledge, she began to remember with every word he spoke.
“I awoke and the first pony I saw was you. I rejected your help at first, but then I decided to listen to you. I saw in your eyes something spark, and then I knew. That’s when I said, 'When this is all over–"
"–we’ll make something of this',” both quoted simultaneously. The two were frozen in each other’s eyes after that moment. Their mutual, passionate feelings for one another had returned once more, and the two were unable to look away. Something, however, still concerned Rainbow Dash.
She subsided from the moment and questioned him slowly, “Why did you make me–and everyone else–forget everything?” Her tone turned aggressive as she reiterated with more emphasis, “Why would you make me forget the feelings I had for you. Why would you leave me!” Zack was drawn back by the drastic turn in the situation.
“No... No!” he desperately refuted, “It wasn’t like that. I had to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because– well, I didn’t want everypony to remember being slaughtered by changelings or being burned alive.”
Rainbow Dash became vexed and explained herself, “Yes, I understand that!” She thumped her hoof against her chest and demanded, “But why me! Why did you make me forget!”
“Because I don’t need you,” he let out, matching her tone of shouting. “It would never work out! I was stupid! I said things I shouldn’t have said and–” He stopped himself once more, realizing that once again, he said something he shouldn’t have said. Rainbow Dash began to back away, nodding her head in disbelief. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears as he tried to align his thoughts and correct himself.
“You need someone better than me. Your life would be better without me. It’s not like we could procreate or anything! Look, all I’m saying is that you don’t need to remember me, your life would be better in Ponyville with your friends. Find yourself a stallion, have foals, die happy without knowing I exist or knowing what had happened in Equestria ever happened. Live in peace!”
“No...” she mumbled out, on the verge of an emotional breakdown. “You filled my head with lies... you made me forget you... Everyone who has told me to find you and to follow my destiny; everyone who told me that we were suppose to meet, that we were meant to be together. I risked it all, I’ve gone so far just to be turned down.” Zack was speechless as the mare was on the edge of crying. She whispered first, then repeated in an explosive rage, "I hate you!"
She whisked away towards the only safe haven around. She ran through the door of his house and slammed it shut behind her. She then quickly locked the door to Zack’s own home and fell to her flank, sobbing and moaning in misery. Everything that had lead up to her meeting him had been torn away by the person she loved. His words burned within her as she lay defeated against the front door. Zack came rushing behind her, but was too late as the door slammed shut before him. The door clicked locked as he swung the screen door open and jiggled the handle. He could hear her wailing of despair and tried knocking loudly to get her attention.
“Dashie,” he called out to no effect. “Open it, Dash. Let me explain myself!” He stepped away from the door and sighed, “I want to come inside, Rainbow Dash.” The lock on the portal clicked again and the door was cracked open. She peered out, crying before the human in silence. Zack pulled the door open and knelt before her.
“I’m sorry...” he confessed. Zack never truly liked admitting he was initially wrong, but he had to. “I’m sorry for, well, everything. If I would have ignored you more, maybe I wouldn’t have been as influential as I was. If I never kissed you, and told you how much you meant to me... then maybe this could have been avoided.”
“But I never wanted to avoid you," she softly protested. "I had grown to like you before you realized it, Zachary.”
“Still, if I wouldn’t have told you my feelings, maybe then you would have never remembered. But somehow–by magic or something else entirely–it made you remember me.”
He further justified himself, “I wanted you to be happy... I wanted you to live free and at peace, not to worry about that horrible past.”
Rainbow wiped away her tears and agonized, “I remember, even when I was unaware of you or what had happened, that something in my life was missing. That nothing could fill that emptiness inside; like a part of me was torn away and that I wasn’t truly myself.” She looked up at him, her amethyst eyes wet with tears, “I needed you, for me to be happy, for me to be at peace. I traveled further than I believe anypony has to find you, Zachary.” Zack was touched, but still uncertain that she truly knew what she was saying.
“But Dash, we’ll never genuinely be together. You’ll always be longing for me. When you return to Ponyville, you won’t be the same. You will never be satisfied.”
She placed a hoof on Zachary’s lips and softly spoke with a sad smile, “Knowing that you’re out there and that you love me, I’ll be happy for the rest of eternity.”
She leaned forward and placed her lips against his. Zachary closed his eyes as they embraced one another in each other’s arms. She slowly pulled away and leaned her forehead against his with their bodies and eyes locked into one another. At last, the hole inside of Rainbow Dash’s heart was filled. She was complete knowing that her lover was here and that her memory had been restored.
A long week had passed, a week filled with misadventures and happily fulfilled longings. Not all of it was spent pleasing their carnal desires however, but a large portion of it was. One morning, the two were sitting down in the living room eating their breakfasts. In an odd coincidence–one that shall never be discussed even with Rainbow’s closest friends–the pegasus had grown accustom to bacon and ham, and particularly enjoyed eating it. On this morning, while Rainbow was eating her salted and heavenly cooked swine products, there came a tapping at the door.
The two froze still; Zack had no idea who it was. He swallowed a painful, semi-chewed amount of eggs and bacon while Rainbow looked equally disturbed as he was from the sudden knock at the door. The only visitor he received–and only hardly–was Princess Celestia; however, before she would arrive she would send a letter in advance, and Zack had received no letter recently from her. He placed his plate and silverware on the coffee table and slowly stood himself up. He walked cautiously to the door, gripped the handle and opened it. He was stunned to see who came to visit him.
Rainbow peeked around him to saw a small entourage of Cervians, dressed in the same fine clothing she had seen them in before. Even the same white doe she had met was here, standing before Zachary and ahead of her guardian stags. The comely doe looked over at the pegasus and gave a peaceful smile towards the pony.
“Ah,” Zack recalled slowly, “Namf-bla-eln? Correct? I’m horrible with names. I sent you a letter, didn’t I?”
“Correct, Zachary, Hero of Arteria.”
Zack softly laughed and put his hands in front of him, “I wouldn’t go that far now.” He had almost forgotten that Rainbow Dash was next to him and he promptly informed her of something he had forgot to mention over their week.
“It slipped my mind, but I sent a letter to the Cervians a few months ago.” He trailed off subject and asked her, “Didn’t you say you two had met already?”
Nabeleen answered for the mare, “Indeed we have. We were on our way to meet you, taking the Silver River down stream and sailing out from Bridal Bay to Rhignes Rock. On our journey, we needed to dock and resupply, that was when we felt a disruption in our ley preceptors near our location and proceeded to make our way into the forest. We saved your friend,” she smiled once more at the cyan mare and continued, “and we are glad she has found her way to you. We hope you two had plenty of time together.”
Zack affirmed, “We did–a whole week’s worth.”
“That is good to hear,” replied the white doe, “But now you know what must be done. We have traveled a great distance to fulfill your needs.”
Zack bowed in respect and stated, “And they shall be met.” He turned towards the utterly confused mare and bent down to her level.
He spoke gently, choosing his words carefully, “My original purpose was to never stay here, and I have stayed true to my words. I’m going to go with the Cervians to Cervidas, where the World Tree is. I wish to study more about magic and this world. Their libraries,” he loftily spoke in reverence and with wonder in his eyes, “the Cervians say they are richer and older than the Canterlot Archives, even more so then the Crystal Empire’s Mirrored Libraries. So, I will leave soon and so will you. There is nothing for me here in this bleak place.” Rainbow Dash wasn’t exactly ecstatic about his departure, but wasn’t saddened by his late revelation. Her mind didn’t really know how to respond at the moment.
The Cervians parted across his porch in two lines for him to proceed through. Zack and Rainbow walked between the group and saw in the distant ocean a magnificent vessel anchored out in the bay. With a cloud-white hull and silver and ruby threaded sails, the sea itself wasn’t worthy enough to hold such a glorious ship.
Nabeleen humbly commented, “We cannot impart to you how eager we are to have an individual of your caliber to soon walk our halls.”
Zack turned to her and replied, “I’m glad to be going.” He took in a breath of fresh, salty air that awoke him from his waking state. He looked over at Rainbow and remarked, “Another adventure, Rainbow Dash. The end of one story and soon the beginning of another fantastic tale. I sure can’t wait.”
Rainbow Dash stared out over the dark sea and towards the gleaming vessel, which shown like the sun shining through an endless, black storm. She was truly satisfied with her choices. She felt no grief for Zachary, only pride and her love for him remained in her essence. She could want nothing else in this moment, her destiny–or so she thought–had been fulfilled. She knew that if she would have stayed in Ponyville, or if she would have accepted Visuug’s offer to forget everything, that she would have never filled the emptiness that had plagued her. She would have died knowing her life was missing something, and that she could have never known what it was. Rainbow Dash was finally content. Her questions had been answered and she too wanted to go back to Ponyville.
Nabeleen approached the mare and offered, “We can transport you back to Ponyville with our magic. When do you wish to leave?” The mare turned back towards Zack, she saw in his eyes that he would dreadfully miss her. She walked closer and Zachary knelt down to hugging level. The two held each other for a long time; no tears came to either of them, but joy and love pumped in their hearts. One last, long and sweet kiss was shared between the lovers and both slowly let go of one another. Zachary stood to his feet, still keeping eye contact with the small pony.
“Goodbye, Rainbow Dash,” he spoke in a level tone.
“See ya, Zack,” she replied with sincerity.
“I love you.”
“I love you more,” she winked.
Zachary nodded at Nabeleen and her antlers began to glow in an emerald aura. The same, steady light faded over the pegasus pony as she remained still, watching Zachary smiling at her. She returned the expression and before being whisked away in a blazing, silver radiance, she mouthed the words, "I will always love you." When the pony had disappeared into a ball of light, silence fell over the grassy plains and cliffside.
The Cervians began their march towards the rocky pathway down onto the beach while Zachary and Nabeleen strayed behind. Zack went over towards the Prevailer and reached for it.
As soon as his fingers brushed against the handle, Nabeleen mildly called out, “You won’t be needing that. Peace has been restored throughout Arteria. There is no need for such a killing device in the halls of Cervidas.” His hand slipped from the hilt to his side once again, still looking over the magical artifact.
“You never know,” he added, leaving the Prevailer behind.
Rainbow Dash found herself looking out of her bedroom window again, peering out over the stars. She had been teleported into a field not too far from Ponyville and decided to head home, not to stray away to her friends. She looked out over the stars and moons; they glistened in an eternal twilight and emptiness.
From what all she had seen, what marvelous and terrible things she had taken apart of, the starry night still captivated her the greatest. It sent shivers of awe and wonder throughout her. From her recent adventure, to the almost forgotten troubles from a war lost in time, nothing was as spectacular and enthralling as the celestial ancients above. They have watched this world from the beginning of time, and will watch it till its ends. A haunting, yet gratifying feeling had taken over Rainbow Dash. Not only did she know this, but she knew that the same night sky she watched now was the same sky Zack was watching.
And this gave her peace till the end of her days.
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Upon reading this, I can't help but think Zachary and Rainbow won't end this way. Alas, if is the end for them, then the closure is good. Would not mind RD discovering she now bears his child (that would be cool).
Great story! Looking forward to the next story!
Not gonna lie... I really wish you would write the final part of the story as you intended it... This final chapter though answered the remaining questions I had. This is the only fic I've ever read that had a "true human" and pony love story that had me legitimately cheering for the duo. Normally, I am not a fan. The scenario all but begs for awful things such as furry porn and bestiality references... This though is the exception to my rule. Please, please, if you are able write your intended end to the trilogy. I love how you rebuilt the world we all know and love into something greater. I honestly crave more of the version of the world that you sir have managed to create. If the answer remains that this here is indeed the end, I'll accept it, having had the majority of my questions answered, but I would feel silly if I didn't ask. Sometimes, and I know this better than most, all it requires is one person to ask and the story changes... It is my sincerest hope, that I'm the one person... lol
I honestly wish I could expand upon my opinion without repeating myself. But you have indeed made a fantastic story that successfully blended together elements of both the already established world with original content that gave development to the afore mentioned world that made sense. You kept me on the edge of my seat the entire ride and wishing for more. Heck, to me, this series is the best written and also my personal favorite HiE fiction that I've read on this site that definitely avoids the cliches that were bound to pop up in any HiE romance fic. I've read your blog posts but also the ending which suggests more. I would love that, but this is actually a pretty satisfactory ending if the tale were to end here. I just can't help but wondering IF it were possible for Zachary to eventually have a child of his own. Whom would have to fill the shoes of their father and learn about the world around them along with the responsibilities they would hold just for being born from the son of eternity. Seeing as Zachary has gone far past the the ties of humanity, I do see it possible. But that's just the selfish in me talking, wanting more. Anyway, thank you for keeping invested in everything from the adventure, story, and the how real the friendships and Zachary and Rainbow Dash's relationship were. To whatever you may decide to do in future, all I have to say is lots of luck.
3494241
I've been flip-flopping on the idea that RD should bear Zachary's child or if Zack should have a child (in the possible next installment). If he did, I probably wouldn't go as far as making the child some deformed, half-bred, nightmare beast, that's for sure. But then again, I'm not sure how a child would be much influence to the story. It is Zack's story all and all, and personally I think the fiction would lose a lot of luster if he were to so easily pass the torch to his offspring. That, and I feel it would be too cliché. This could all change, but most likely it won't... then again, the whole chapter with Luna entering Zack's mind was originally suppose to take up 5 chapters instead of 1. So ya, it's up in the air really.
Between you and me (and whoever comes across the comment) I almost made it to where Pinkie would get pregnant with Zack's child, and that child (foal) would later become Surprise. BUT! I changed my mind. However, that was in the original plan for the series, and I have stuck very close to the original story I sparsely jotted down almost a year in my journal. Just a fun fact for you.
Very good story.
3494598
I'm surprised I answered all your questions, I was certain that the whole 'Father' scene would have thrown a curve ball at nearly all of my readers. Just when you think you know the plot and how it's going to end, I throw in some deity that defy's how the origin story really occurred. Romance wise, I don't think I'm very good at writing it. I try (my best) to write romance like how Isaac Asimov writes it [best science fiction author ever], and he doesn't do romance at all. I would suggest reading Nightfall or Pebble in the Sky if you want to get an idea at where I'm coming from. Also on that note, I have absolutely no idea how other HiE's play out because I honestly don't read many fan fictions. I'll read some which people suggest I read, but I've never read a romance fic or decent HiE fic that didn't bore me to tears. I'm very picky when it comes to choosing things I read, fan fiction or literature.
So as I sit here, reading over these lovely comments by these beautiful, kind people, I get the ever increasing urge to say, 'screw it, better start on Savior of Eternity'. But I stop myself, because I know I couldn't possibly write it at this moment. The thought needs to simmer and boil, I need to work out all the kinks and plot holes, and at some points it seems overwhelming. Why you ask? Because I'm ending the series, I need to tie up every single question asked in the series so far, I also need to make sense of it all. I don't want to pull a Tolkien and have to answer every little detail in letters till my dying day, I want to be able to answer everything and if some anon has a question, another anon can point the answer out to him or her clearly in the given text. So, I have a lot on my plate at the moment, and besides that I need to maintain my career, save money, be social, and not think about ponies 24/7 (which I do a dreadful amount of time doing).
To answer your question on whether there is to be a final book or not... possibly so? I wouldn't also mind doing a prequel involving Moonsinger and her adventures with companions (which could be related to how the Hobbit is to the Lord of the Rings). That, and finish Dark Waters AND write "other things." So hopefully you have a better understanding as to what might or might not happen in the coming future. Fingers crossed!
3494745
I'm glad that out of all of your favorites, that my story is one of your top favorites and that truly means a lot to me. I tried my best to weave a story around another, and sometimes it's difficult to squeeze everything into an established setting, making your story seem much different, yet highly realized in a setting you never created. I often find myself not only searching for one moment in my own fictions past to get things write for future chapters, but also searching hours on end to find bit and pieces of information in the TV show that can be used in my story telling, and that itself can seriously break my concentration when I'm in the writing mood and need a certain answer.
Concerning both romance and Zack's child, I suggest you read my other comments made in this chapter to the other commenters to get my take on each subject.
And thank you, kind sir, for investing your time into my story, because if it weren't for people like you telling me to keep going, I obviously wouldn't have kept going. And you'll get another, darker glimpse into the SoE world this December, hopefully that will satisfy your craving for Zachary and ponies.
3495284
I try
3495320
Well, you didn't answer ALL of my questions. You answered all of my IMPORTANT questions. I'm one of those readers that enjoys a few questions unanswered. It makes the world that the story takes place in feel that much bigger. That sort of intentional mystery is precisely why I love Asimov.
I asked because the last author's note/blog I read from you regarding the topic of sequels stated that you were intending to leave the series unfinished due to an apparent lack of interest. That made me remarkably sad... I've fired everyone I know at your fic...lol It's one of very few HiE fics that are done exceedingly well. It's not endearingly flawed or loveably ludicrous, it simply is well done and executed with little exception. The closest to the standard that you have managed to set that I've seen is "A Voice Among the Strangers"
In it's own way, I honestly feel that that particular fic equals yours and even exceeds it in some ways. I've seen few pieces of fiction, be they fanfiction or original that can tell a story that focuses so much on language barrier, and have it actually work... If you haven't read it... I've yet to find a person who didn't enjoy it. You should give it a go if you haven't already.
3495375
Oh I guess I'll read it sometime, just because you told me to.
I'm still amazed at how so many people have told me my fic is exceedingly well done and some even say it's the best HiE fic they've read, and yet it's one of my first fictions and I had no idea what HiE fics were when I started writing SoE. Idk, that just makes me so happy inside that I don't believe I could gain that happiness anywhere else but by these comments.
Well... If you are curious about what most of the, "better" ones are like...
The Arrival of Ford Mustang
It's... Highly flawed. Most HiE fics worth reading are kinda like Jim Henson's, "The Dark Crystal". They are endearingly awful. Mary Sues abound as do grammatical and syntax errors many with an extra healthy heaping helping of clopping.
That one up there I just linked... Well, I started a new thing in recent history, blogging Reviews of different stories. That's actually the first one I've "officially" reviewed. If you want details on it, you can check my whole review. I'm reasonably confident that will be a bit easier on your brain cells than reading some of the stores it links to...lol
3495435
And I thought Valiant Steed was horrible OC name...
Well, I'll read your review and then decide if I want to read the whole shebang. While I'm at it, I'll watch you too
3495505
Thanks. :)
3495219 You've definitely got me looking forward to Zack's adventures. I think - should you bestow fatherhood upon him - it could be part of his reward, so to speak for his tools in whatever you put him through. Just my thoughts. Of course, I look forward to whatever path you choose to write. I enjoy your work very much!
Honestly, i was really hoping for Pinkie Pie to be the one who went after Zachary. There are sadly not a large amount of PinkieXHuman or pinkieXAnything ( atleast not to what ive found) type stories and i was really hoping for this story to be one of those stories. Oh well besides that this really has been a experience to read
ive enjoyed reading this from start to finish aswell as the Son Of Eternity story and it has left me amazed. Keep up the good work and im looking forward to reading the third story in the Eternity series.
3495219
I believe that a child shoud be included because it will open many more opportunities like the child being kidnapped
just my opinion
3704840
Yyyyeeeeaaahhh
Kidnapping...
I've seen that in a lot of stories, it kinda gets melodramatic after awhile of seeing it so many times, while this could be used for future developments I don't think it'll really help the appeal or really affect the story, but honestly that's just my opinion, if Secrets and Lies wants to go down this route, it's really their own choice, but now as I type this comment I realize the story has already progressed so this is now obsolete and probably won't account to anything but eye candy to those people who like to look at old comments and steal images, like this one!
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/3863837440/h5065CF91/
And possibly this one...
idolol.com/pictures/cd9352e25bec9e8e53c5a7ffdc9d8c26.jpg
The last statement that you made about Rainbow Dash being at peace for the rest of her life, somewhat forshadowed that she will never see her lover again. You could use that as the bases that when Zach returns the elements are dead and he starts forming a relationship with their children or grandchildren as well as his offspring.
Finally, after all this time, I've finished the book, sort of. I first noticed this story when it was around 10-15 chapters into this book. So I decided to take your word and read the first. I finished that and now here I am, 1:45 a.m. and tired as FUCK!!!
Great story by the way, hope Rainbow Dash pops out a baby, maybe an antro-like appearance or maybe even a human looking child BUT with wings! Why, you may ask? Well like Tourge says; because it's FUCKING AWSOME AND BECAUSE REASONS!!!!!!
I'm tired, good night. . .
“Listen, Rainbow! Don’t believe in yourself!”“Huh?”“Believe in me! Believe in the Pinkie that believes in you!”
Tengan Toppa Gurren Laggan reference... row row fight tha powah!!!
Funny, the killing of all the people made me take this off my 'to read' list but I couldn't stop thinking about how it ended. I only read up to when he is controlled and kills everyone then closed the internet
. Then I decided to read the rest and felt bad for taking this off my list after finding out they were all brought back to life 
.