The Longest Journey: Equestrian Edition

by funkyferret

Prologue: A Lion is in the Streets

"So, you've come to hear me tell a story, have you?"

Despite her withered state, the old earth pony's eyes sparkled with the life that still burned steadily inside her. She leaned back in her rocking chair and looked down at the three foals lying curled up on the rug before her, coats glowing in the firelight and eyes lit up with wonder.

A little pegasus colt bounced up and managed to hover a few inches in the air despite the unevenness of his wing-beats. "Yes! You've been around such a long time, I'm sure you've seen a lot of neat things."

His neighbor, a unicorn filly with a similar coat color to his, stood up and swatted him on the back of the head as he hovered closer to her. When he scowled at her, she shook her head at him. "Mind your manners. Mama said so," she scolded. She placed her hooves on her hips and scowled right back at him.

The pegasus's muzzle turned red and he snapped his wings shut, dropping to the floor with a thud. He sat down and crossed his forelegs firmly over his chest. With his bottom lip stuck out and a frown on his face, he glared down at the rug and ignored the now smug filly beside him.

The mare's laugh sounded eerily similar to a bellows in desperate need of patching, but the contagious joy it contained was still evident. "Now, don't worry—It's true that I am an old mare, but I've lived a long and fulfilling life. I do have some stories to tell."

The pegasus looked up at her and smiled. He unfolded his body and lay down on his belly, propping his head on his hooves. He looked up at her and waited, swinging his hind legs idly.

"What story would you like to hear?" she asked, leaning forward until she was eye level with her audience.

"A true story." The unicorn replied before her brother could even open his mouth.

He squinched up his nose and stuck his tongue out at her.

The mare chuckled and patted the filly's head. "All my stories are true. There are enough fairy tales in the worlds already without me adding to them."

"Tell us the story of the Balance then." The earth pony, who had remained silent up until now, looked at her elder with a mild expression as she finally spoke. Ever since the three young ponies had entered the old storyteller's cabin, her eyes had not once strayed from the older mare.

The mare shook her head and a few wisps of white hair escaped from the bun she had bound her mane into. "That is a long story, and not one I'd venture to tell at this hour."

While the other two foals groaned in protest, the young earth pony merely narrowed her eyes slightly, still holding her blank expression. Her eyes shifted as she looked over the older mare from head to hoof. One corner of her mouth pulled down a little.

The mare sighed. She smiled again, but this time it did not reach her eyes. "Perhaps I can tell you a story that I heard a long, long time ago..." She looked past the fillies into the fire burning in its flue without really seeing the flames. "A story that became a crucial turning point in the history of the Balance and that set in motion wheels that, to this day, are still turning."

The earth pony nodded, inclining her head almost imperceptibly so that she could keep her stare locked onto the storyteller's face. Her two companions tittered with excitement.

The old mare shut her eyes and pulled the shawl she wore tighter around her neck. "This story, like all good stories, begins where it ends: in a tower, in a realm that is no more..."

---

The sound of stone grinding against stone filled the inner chamber of the tower as the two dragon-shaped disks grated across each other. Each figure chased the other's tail in an endless cycle, always in sync, one never gaining on the other. The windows of the chamber were little more than a lacework of thin interconnected stone tracery, and were set to face one another across the room. Were any weather to occur in this place, the detailed frescos on the walls would soon be ruined. Though an untold number of years had passed, they still looked as fresh as the day they were painted. Time held no real sway here. There was no dust in this ancient place, and the columns holding up the ceiling were unblemished.

Hanging from the very center of the ceiling was an odd structure that faintly resembled a seashell. Pure white light poured from the inner lining of the shell, and tendrils of energy danced across its surface. Within the column of light a figure hung suspended in the air, head flung back and limbs dangling uselessly at his sides, the light flowing through his body and pinning him in place like an insect on a card. It had bled the color from his body over a millenium ago, erasing his distinguishing features until only a mere caricature of a pony remained. The only colors left on his frame were caused by the beams of light, one red, one blue, from the two opposing windows. Despite his odd position and the bright lights, the figure appeared to merely be sleeping, his face as calm and relaxed as the rest of him. For over a hundred years he had remained here undisturbed as he performed his eternal duty.

The sleeper's eyes opened. Were one to look into those newly revealed lenses, one would find themselves lost in the swirl of galaxies that lay within his sightless eyes and be burned away entirely by the power they contained. There was no one there to look; he was alone as he'd always been. Slowly, the color of his eyes returned to normal as the energy left his body and he slowly drifted closer to the floor. He stood up, legs shaking slightly after so many years of disuse, but pressed on through his weakness. Without even a backwards glance, the guardian left his post.

For a while the chamber remained the same, as if slow to take notice of his absence. Then a loud click reverberated through the room; the light beam stuttered and one of the dragons leaped forward, seizing its brother's tail in its mouth. For the first time since its creation, the tower was empty.

---

Despite the dull roar of the air transport vehicles flying overhead, April Rain slept soundly; at least for a while. Within her dreams the familiar walls of her tiny bedroom fell away. The sheet-less mattress on which she lay to escape the summer heat soon joined it. Forced into an upright position, she looked around at the alien landscape her subconscious had created. She found herself standing on a cliff, bathed in the yellow-orange glow of a magnifient sunrise. Down below the land was enveloped in fog, its geography indistinct. Large towers of rock poked up through the fog randomly, their forms twisted and riddled through with holes.

Sighing she sat down and put her face in her hooves. "Oh no, don't tell me I'm dreaming again," she muttered to herself. "You know for once—just once—it would be nice to get a decent night's sleep without waking up screaming from a bad dream at four A.M." She looked down at herself and realized she was still in her undies—so not appropriate. Standing up, she took in the sights again—the postcard-worthy scenery, the pristine dawn, and... the huge storm brewing in the distance. Even the weather stank in her dreams. How charming.

April turned around and walked away from the edge of the cliff. Almost immediately the ground began to shake and she flailed around a bit trying to stay upright. The tremor shook a large oblong egg loose from a nearby nest. She gasped as it rolled towards the edge, only to be caught at the last moment by a root protruding from the cliff face. She sighed. Even though she hated reptiles, if she didn't rescue the egg she'd probably end up with seven years of bad karma or something. Lying down on her stomach as close to the edge as she was willing to go, she reached out for the egg. Straining, she found that she could tap it with one hoof, but it was too far away to get a good grip on it with both her forelimbs. Sitting up, she scanned the area for an object that might move the egg closer to her.

Inspecting the nest, she found that it was lined with long, white scales bigger than any she had ever seen before. It would probably be best if she left before the tenants returned. Touching one, she was surprised to find it cool to the touch. She rolled it around in her hooves, inspecting it. The surface of the scale was smooth, even slippery to the touch. A fine mist rose from it, as if the entire scale were made of dry ice. The upturned edges were wickedly sharp—she winced as she cut the frog of her hoof across the edge. Luckily the wound was not deep enough to draw blood, but it still stung. She feared she might accidentally damage the egg if she tried to use the scale to extend her reach. Licking the wound, she stuck the scale in her pocket*. At least it would make a nice souvenir.

She turned her attention to the old tree standing beside the nest, likely the owner of the twisted roots currently standing between the giant lizard egg and its plummet to certain doom. The tree was dry as a bone and the leaves were withered. A forked branch jutted out from the tree; it looked to be about the right size to be useful. She snapped it off and put it in her pocket with the scale.

The tree groaned in pain.

The mare jumped back with a gasp as a face made of green light formed on the surface of the tree.

Though the mouth did not move, she could hear the tree as it 'spoke' to her. "Oh the suffering we must endure," the tree complained in a low monotone.

April blinked and shook her head. Only one thought came to mind. "W-what?"

The face did not change, but she could feel it looking at her. "Why do you take such pleasure in torturing us?"

The mare tried to get her thoughts in order and adapt to her situation. After all, talking to inanimate objects was not something she did on a daily basis. "Torturing you? Who are you?"

"We are the voices of all trees, the spirit of wood and leaf." Despite the flatness of the tree's voice, it still managed to sound smug.

She blinked. "So you're a talking... tree?"

The tree sighed. "No. A tree does not talk, at least not in your tongue. The tongue of trees is the language of wood, root, and leaf."

"Who are you then?"

If a glowing ball of light could give her the hairy eyeball, the tree would be doing so. It spoke as if addressing a small child. "Like we said, we are the voice of all trees. Whenever an injustice is done, we must speak for the tree if we are present."

A thought dawned on her. Her shoulders slumped a bit. "It was the branch. I shouldn't have broken the branch off. I'm sorry."

The tree merely sighed and brushed aside her apology. "Oh what does it matter anyway. There is nothing to be done for us. We are merely here to provide comfort in its passing."

'This conversation is getting depressing in a hurry. Time to change the subject,' April thought. "What's with this 'we' talk? I only see one of you."

"We are one with our host, as we are one Spirit, but our number is legion."

The mare frowned and blinked a couple of times. "Uh, yeah... thanks for clearing that up." 'Why can't he just give me a straight answer?'

"We do not expect you to understand. You are only a pony."

April narrowed her eyes at his condescending tone. 'Just let it go, April,' she told herself. "What happened to the tree?"

"Oh the pain! As the battle raged we-"

"Whoa, hold on." She held up her hooves to make a 'time out' sign. "What battle?"

"Between the Mother and black Chaos. She was only protecting her child, but the enemy would not back down and the force of their battle shook the mountain. The brook that fed us was lead astray, and we were left to wither and die." Somehow the spirit managed to sound condescending and depressed at the same time.

"So, what's the deal with the egg?"

"Egg, what e-oh of course. The child. When the Mother is absent, we look after the child. But now, without water, we can do nothing to help bring the child safely home. We have failed the Mother, and we despair. Our shame knows no bounds."

'He certainly has a flair for melodrama.' "Isn't there anything I can do to help?"

The spirit scoffed. "We do not expect a pony to come to our aid."

April narrowed her eyes and stomped a hoof. "Lose the attitude, okay? Just tell me what I need to do."

"It is futile. We need water, but there is none. The final passing is coming. Leave us be." The face faded back into the tree.

April rolled her eyes.

Pricking her ears, she could hear the sound of running water nearby. Trotting around the tree, she came across a large stone blocking her path. Water flowed across an indentation in the stone surface before falling into a narrow gap between the rock and the cliff. The edges of the cut were clean and the interior surface was free of moss—it was a recent fracture. Barely six inches of space kept the water away from the plant that depended on it.

She stared at it for a while, head a little to the side as she analyzed the problem. A spark of creativity had her smiling and reaching into her pocket for the objects that she had placed in it earlier. A little quick hoof-work and she had the scale secured in the crook of the branch, a makeshift funnel. Grinning broadly, she carefully stuck the end of the stick into the soft ground and made a little bridge for the water to cross. Stepping back, she admired her handiwork as the brook returned to its original course.

The effect was almost immediate. A pale blue light raced along the tree's roots and up into its trunk. New leaves sprung to life, unfurling to their full glory in mere seconds. It brought a whole new meaning to the term 'instant rehab'. Chest puffed a bit, she made her way back around the tree and sat down in front of it.

Nothing happened.

She frowned. "Hello?"

No response.

April put her ears back and glared at the unresponsive lump of wood. "Hey!" she shouted.

The green face flickered back into existence. "Leave us be," it said simply. "We have no time for idle conversation. We must drink, and rejoice."

The mare crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the spirit. "Aren't 'we' forgetting something?" She jerked her head in the direction of the precariously perched egg.

"Hush! Listen. The sound of ancient wood. Is it not sweet?" Perhaps there was more than just water in that stream...

April rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sweet, definitely. I bet the baby's ready to boogie down as well."

"The baby? Oh the egg! We almost forgot."

April gasped as the root holding the egg shifted and the precious cargo dropped out of sight. As she ran over to look, its root rose into the air, cradling the egg gently and placing it back into the nest where it belonged. The mare went over to look at it, and was relieved to see that is was undamaged.

She reached out to touch it... and caught sight of a large white object as it flashed past the corner of her left eye. Backing up slowly, the mare watched, slack-jawed, as the huge creature landed on its nest and nuzzled the egg affectionately. The beast was huge, dwarfing its egg to an almost a comical extent.

The creature was obviously reptilian, though its white-scaled features were hard to distinguish through the mist swirling and clinging to the beast like a second skin. The eyes alone stood out, blindingly white and crackling like lighting. The creature looked her over carefully. No, not just looked; it felt as if it were peering into her very soul. Her legs trembled and she stamped at the ground. Still, she did not run. For some reason she felt drawn to this monster.

The beast bared its teeth, making April roll her eyes with terror. She managed not to scream and rear, but it was a close call. Then it spoke, and she froze. It was like nothing she'd heard before. It was layered, like several voices talking at once. Within it she heard a gentle breeze and the sound of wind chimes, and yet it also contained the roar of the thunder and the sharp whistle of the wind in a mountain snowstorm.

"It is you. You have come," the creature said.

Her heart lept into her throat, making it hard to respond. She managed to squeeze out a few words. "Y-you know me?"

"April Rain. Daughter. I have been waiting for you."

April froze, and time seemed to slow down with her as she stared into the eyes of the beast before her. "Waiting... why?" She stuttered.

"Because it begins here, with you. As it always has."

"What do you mean?" April asked. Somehow, in the pit of her stomach, she felt that she wouldn't like the answer.

"The breach and the mending, the pain and the joy, the end of the old and the dawn of the new. A different world." The creature placed a paw on its chest, then reached out until it touched April with the tip of its claw as it continued to speak. "I am the mother of what is, but you—you are the mother of a future that may yet be."

April looked up into the creature's eyes, searching for answers in its unwavering gaze. "How will I know? How will I know what to do?" Her tone was weak, almost pleading as she did her best to stay calm.

The creature smiled at her, and the light in its eyes seemed to soften ever so slightly. "I will guide you and I will protect you as best as I can. But in the end, you are on your own." Daintily, it reached out again and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.

April stared at her hooves, unable to maintain eye-contact. "I'm afraid," she whispered.

Its expression softened, and it patted her ever so gently. "You always were, my child, my daughter." It sat back and opened its arms to her, twitching its fingers and smiling at her.

The mare hesitated for a moment, then took a halting step forward. A strange rumbling sound echoed in the distance, causing the two figures to stiffen. As the sound came closer, the Mother wrapped her body protectively around her egg, hiding her head in the nest.

April Rain did not hide. Something drew her to the edge of the cliff. She peered cautiously over the edge... and fell back as the source of the noise flew up to meet her. While the being that lay huddled on its nest was white and oddly beautiful, this thing was its polar opposite. An inky black swirling mess churned before her, crackling with blue lightning. Though it had no distinguishing features, she found herself far more terrified of it than she had even been before. She was frozen in place, unable to move even though every synapse in her brain screamed at her to run. The middle of the blob opened like a twisted flower, and a small pulse of lightning flew at her. It picked her up like a leaf and blew her off the edge of the cliff, and down towards the distant ground below.

All she could do was scream.

Author's Note:

* For the sake of pants-less ponies everywhere, adventure games in general, and my own sanity we're going to pretend that the characters in this story all have bottomless pockets... somewhere.

It still amazes me that one of the greatest PC games of all time has yet to be crossed over with one of the greatest TV shows of all time. This is my attempt to remedy that. The AU tag exists because the history of Equestria and some of its residents have been altered to fit in with the crossover. This story will start out similar to the game, but will diverge slightly as the story continues, hopefully without damaging the pure epicness of the original tale. I won't include all the puzzles, just the ones that seem to have a significant impact on the story.

With thanks to nothingtoseehere for his awesome editing skills.

Currently seeking a prereader who is familiar with the game to make sure I'm not ruining the epicness.

Comments

[sopchoppy]

Intrigued, one of my favorite games of all time, but you will need to walk a fine line of maintaining what made the game great without retelling the exact same tale but with ponies instead of people.

[Focusphobia]

I have heard of 'The Longest Journey', but I don't really know about it. But the premise fasinates me enough to watch where this story will go.

[nothingtoseehere]

Hell yes. Y'all better put down some plastic and call the neighbors to apologize for the smell, cuz y'all's minds are fixing to be blown. YOU WERE WARNED!!!