• Published 17th Feb 2013
  • 8,708 Views, 1,356 Comments

The Winds of Change: Fog of War - AgentSnail



The Griffin war continues, and Dash and Jason are thrust back into action. But with new Griffin threats looming, will they be able to win the war with the same efficiency and skill as they did in the liberation of Canterlot

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Light on the Horizon

Light on the Horizon

Dash looked around, staring at the blackness that Jason had seemingly been sucked into. She started to panic a little. No, a lot. What if something changed? Anything could have a big impact, right? How could he possibly expect to do everything the same way?

No, he would. She knew he would. Otherwise, wouldn't she be somewhere else by now? Or did her memory already change to a new set of events and she wouldn't even realize?

"Is anypony else's brain hurting thinking about this?" She asked, receiving a few nods. Dash laid down, resting her head on her hooves. "That's what I thought."

She felt a pat on her back, as Twilight's voice greeted her ears. "It'll be fine, he's done it once before already."

"Yeah, but he was just trying to change the past, now he's doing the opposite." She complained, rolling onto her side. "What happens if something changes and I don't love him, or he died between then and now, or took my place?"

"He won't, he knows what to do." She assured.

"He better get back soon, that's all I know." Dash sighed. "I want to punch him, doing this all abruptly. But I guess it's like ripping off a band-aid, huh?"

Twilight nodded silently, as the others filtered over. The remaining ponies started to disappear, as both Dash's memories and Jason's absence stayed the same. Dash waited a few more minutes and got up, feeling Scoots shift on her back as she took several steps away. She looked at the inquisitive looks from her friends and shrugged.

"When Jason does something with magic, the first thing I've learned is to give it space."

"What happened?" Lyra asked, carefully dragging Evening over.

"Nothing yet, but I kinda doubt something won't go wrong. It's not like any of his spells look the same as Twilight's."

"Like what?" The aquamarine mare asked.

"When he teleports, he's just gone and there, no extra flare of light. Sometimes it looks pretty awesome, but other times it can be one of those freaky things when he just pops up. He did that to me one time to make up for this other time when I made the alarm clock explode. That was probably kinda stupid, considering he's probably more dangerous than I am and he's bound to think, at least on some level, that he's being attacked."

"Don't ya kinda get worried with him bein' basically a mercenary and all?" Applejack asked, furrowing her brow. "Or that you're still puttin' yer life on the line every day?"

"No, I mean it was kinda scary in the beginning if you really want to know..." She rolled her eyes. "But it didn't take that long for me to realize that he was just better at hiding how he felt about the whole thing, and I know it stuck with him a lot more than it did with me, especially with that guy in Ponyville and Chrysalis."

"Chrysalis?!" Twilight exclaimed. "You met Chrysalis?!"

"Well, all she did was screw with Jason's mind, and it's not like we know how to track that, cuz she wasn't actually there." Dash paused. "Who was at that movie the other day?" She tapped her hooves together, trying to remember the name. "What was it?"

"The broken locker?" Lyra tried.

"No, The Hurt Locker, that was it. Anyway, that little seizure thing he had? That was her."

"So what, she just screws with him for fun?" Lyra asked, getting visibly annoyed. "I mean, she's evil and all, but that just seems pointless."

"I thought so too, but I don't know what her plan is, exactly. I mean, Jason told me she was planning something, and ever since he formed the whole link with Evening over there, she can feel the whole thing too. Apparently it hurts, but it's not like I really feel much more than strange activity."

"What do ya mean, feel?"

"Oh, well this is the cool part with Jason. One of, anyway. Changelings all have a hive mind, but the point is I'm kinda in it, and that means-"

"Did I misshear you, Dash?" Twilight asked, looking like a mix between rather hopeful and slightly freaked out.

"No, but anyway, all that seems to happen is that I can kinda tell his emotions, and we share dreams some of the time." She paused. "And nightmares, occasionally." Dash shivered, recalling some sort of uncomfortable memory. No one spoke for a few moments, allowing her more unfortunate time to remember why Jason wasn't at her side.

"Ah'm just going to venture that ah wouldn't mind that system too much. Figure ah'll just skip the part where we accuse Jason of trying to control Dash, and bein' and agent of whoever."

"As if he could control me, the closest he comes is that he's a surprisingly good tease. Not that I'd tell him that, but I'm sure he knows..." She paused, looking around. "Twilight, how long did it take for you to come back?"

"Well Pinkie claimed a few minutes and Spike was too busy eating, or throwing up or whatever. I'm not sure if time works the same way for her though."

"Heh, you're probably right." Dash replied, smirking.

"So about that movie..." Lyra started, as Dash noticed Twilight's ears perk.

"You'll have to ask Jason, he knows about all that stuff. One of his friends enlisted in that war, but it's not like Jason knows what happened in the time he's been stuck here. By the way Twilight, if you could find a two-way spell to get him to his country and back, well, I think he'd enjoy seeing his friends again."

"And his parents?" Morning asked, frowning at Dash's cringe.

"Yeah, they're kinda, well, they were killed. Murdered. Not like he ever says much about them though, I'm not sure if he doesn't want to talk or if he's just made peace with all that. He kinda hates complaining, more than the pointless stuff anyway."

"Are you joking?" Morning asked. She stared over at Applejack, who shared her gaping expression.

"No, I was pretty sure I told you guys anyway. I mean, you had to know, Applejack, there was that thing when he got here..."

"Yeah, but I thought that was just a thing to get back at that little-"

"Bitch." Dash filled in.

"Sure, that."

"How come he didn't just tell us all this?" Twilight asked. "What did he think he had to hide?"

"It's not like that." Dash sighed. "He doesn't trust most of you, that's why you don't know. He would probably be pissed that I told you anything if he didn't trust me so much. Even then, he'd still be pissed."

"He doesn't trust us?" The lavender mare inquired.

"Should he, really? You've shown him almost none until recently, that's probably why Lyra and Morning know more than you could ever find out. Not that we've probably scratched the surface that much, really. I don't know if you care, but Twilight, he knows things that you couldn't even imagine..." Dash flailed her arms towards the other mare, making alien -ish noises.

The blue mare looked sideways again towards where Jason had disappeared, rubbing her eyes before she decided that the rippling of the environment wasn't her imagination. A slight breeze began to filter past them, drawing towards the ripples as they lit up and glowed. They intensified for a few moments in both amplitude and light intensity, before a sound not unlike a base-drum went off and sent the air rocketing back. Dash stuck a hoof back to keep Scoots attached to herself as she strained her eyes into the haze. She slid slightly, hearing an annoyed yell from behind as the light quickly faded and Jason hit the ground with a thud.

Dash stared for a moment, expecting another explosion for a moment before she overcame her caution and ran over, sliding in next to him as he looked up. Their eyes met for a moment before he pulled himself up, his eyes growing wide.

"What's my name?"

"Jason." She said, looking confused.

He ruffled her wing for a moment, making her cringe before he found the ring, drawing her wing up so that she could see it. "You see this?"

"Yeah?"

"Who gave it to you?"

"You did, right after you saved my life. Jason, you're scaring me."

"Sorry." He replied, as a tear rolled down his cheek and he dropped her wing. He embraced her a moment later, sobbing over her shoulder. "It's finally over, I can't believe it." He let out a heavy heave. "I love you so much."

Dash took in a breath, slightly inhibited by the fact that Jason had his arms wrapped so tightly around her. "You're- crushing me."

"Sorry, I just- you don't know how it's been, knowing that one screwup could delete you from my life." He let go, staring into her eyes for a moment before she thrust her muzzle into his, wrapping her hooves around his back in a hug. Jason lost his balance and tipped over, not allowing his mouth to lose contact with hers even as he hit the ground. He saw Scoots roll to the side with a giggle before he turned his focus back to Dash, kissing her like it was more important than the need for oxygen. Their friends fell out of focus, forgotten in the heat of the moment.

"I love you too, by the way." She said in a short respite, before he drew her close again and kissed her more gently, in a way that seemed to mean more than everything that led up to it.

"So Jason, about that movie..." Lyra began, making him chuckle slightly into the kiss. Jason slowly drew away, stroking his hoof over the top of Dash's head and down along a streak of color. He was still for a moment before he got up, carefully helping her to her hooves as he turned to Lyra.

"That's what you ask right now?" He asked, laughing lightly.

"Yeah, sorry." Lyra replied, scratching the back of her head nervously.

"No, it's okay." He replied, sitting down to face the other ponies as Tank and Steve stumbled up.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked, a blob of mud stuck onto the side of his muzzle.

"Jason went back to change the past again." Dash filled in. "And then all that wind happened when he got back."

"Ugh, whatever." He joined the group, leaning against Morning and nuzzling at her cheek. "So what did Celestia say?"

"Just that there are peace talks tomorrow and that you have an open invitation."

"Yeah, alright." Several moments went by in silence. "I'm probably gonna skip that.

"Fine with me." Jason said. "It's not mandatory." Tank nodded, pulling Morning closer.

"Hey Jason?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah?"

"Ah'm sorry 'bout all the stuff Ah pulled, with not trusting you and all. It was a little- a lot unfair." Jason tried to ask her why she was apologizing, but she continued. "Ya haven't really had much in the way of a good experience 'round here, and it's not like ah've even tried to make it better. Ah should'a considered what you thought about this more, and that Ah shoulda probably just treated ya like another pony, not as a threat."

Jason stared for a moment, opening his mouth to respond. "First of all, I accept your apology." He quickly turned to look at Dash. "What did you tell them?"

"She wanted to apologize for a while not, actually." She paused. "But I kinda explained that your parents died. And that we have the hivemind thing going."

"And they look decidedly like they're not about to attack me..." He paused. "Huh."

"I think I got the idea across that it's kinda nice anyway."

"And that only chrysalis has control over other changelings, not me, right?" Jason asked, looking slightly scared.

"Something like that."

"Well I guess that cat's out of the bag."

"Hey Scoots?" Morning asked with a smirk. "How often do your parents do all that kissing stuff?"

"I dunno, I'm probably gone. They get kinda loud at night and then it's just total silence." Dash blushed, trying to hide her face as she leaned more heavily against Jason.

"Sorry kiddo." She mumbled. Scoots only giggled.

"Well listen, we should probably get going. There's stuff I'd like to make sure happens, and all that stuff." Jason said, clapping his hooves together.

"Hey wait." Twilight said before he got up, and Jason looked over. "You say 'god' a lot, what does that refer to? Surely not Celsestia or Luna, right?"

"Ah, here it comes." He sighed. "Alright, the princesses aren't gods, really. They aren't omnipotent, or really even close. Maybe demigods at most. But the point is, we don't have anything like that where I'm from. All we have is a curiosity for how exactly everything was created. No matter how far back we succeed in explaining, there is still very little information backing up how the universe was initially created. So people decided to believe in gods, beings or a being that were or was watching over us, for whatever plan he or they have. Without explaining everything else, that's pretty much the simplest version."

"So when you say 'God damn it...'" She continued.

"Ah, well in one religion, the most prevalent where I'm from, they believe that there's a life after death, Hell if you're bad, Heaven if you're good. You're damned if you go to hell."

"Okay then, so what do you believe?"

"I don't know what to believe. I can't prove that there is or isn't a god, so I don't really do either. Maybe one day we'll know, but until then I'm not going to make a decision." He sighed. "So listen, I'd kinda like to look around Canterlot for at least a little while before dark, maybe admire Dash's statue, if that's at all possible."

"They built a statue of you?" Morning asked, looking at Dash.

"Yeah, but they pretty much built every one of me with Jason alongside, he's just trying to act like be doesn't want to admire himself."

"I just want to make sure it really exists, it seems like a little too much to ask. I only saw it when I was trying to bring you back, how do I know that it's actually there?"

"We're in the stained glass of the castle anyway, how is that a stretch?"

"I dunno, but it still feels like one."

"How'd the race go?" Bon Bon asked, walking up with Octavia.

"It went well for Dash, at least." Lyra mumbled, pointing to the other mare.

"I don't know what you expected, Lyra. You aren't much of a runner anyway." Bon Bon replied, poking at the mare.

"Yeah, but- ugh, shut up Bon Bon." Jason heard the latter mare giggle.

"Hey Octavia?" Jason asked. "Could you look for a saxophonist while we're gone?" She nodded to the affirmative, and he turned his attention to Pinkie's landing balloon. "Pinkie! How's stuff on the wedding going?"

"Great, I have like everything ready, and all I need to get from you is a little input and a lot of guests to bring!"

"When I get back, alright?" He inquired, drawing Dash closer.

"Yeah, 'acourse silly!"

Jason smiled, sniffling as he pulled Dash closer. "You ready?"

"You can go on ahead and get stuff ready, I have to see what the plans are with the weather team for the next few days. You know, with winter starting and all."

"Oh yeah." He replied, getting up and spreading his wings. "I guess I'll see you guys later."

"Wait, hold on." Twilight, said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Is it true that you eat meat?"

"Uh, I guess, yeah. It's not like I'm a straight carnivore or anything, but who can really resist beef jerky?" He paused. "Besides all of you... okay, I'll just be going. Come on Scoots."

The foal giggled and hopped onto his back, moving onto his neck as he slung Evening over as well. "Hopefully I'll see you two there." He said to Morning and Tank, before quickly lifting off after Dash.

To be perfectly honest, he wasn't sure what exactly he needed, or even wanted to take. But then again, what did he really need? Probably just the usual basics, the same ones that happened to be loaded up in his saddlebag from when he'd gotten back. It was kinda nice that way, most of the stuff he would need was in there already.

"Do I get to go to the meeting?" Scoots asked, sounding hopeful.

"Why would you want to? It'll be boring anyway."

"But I want to know what's happening," she complained. "How's it fair that Evening gets to go?"

"She isn't, I need somepony to watch you."

"I'm too old for that, I don't need to have her there." Scoots continued.

"Then imagine that you're watching her. Either way, I can't have either of you causing extra trouble. That's my job." Scoots giggled despite her annoyance, hugging around his neck as they landed.

"Can I at least get top rate coverage from you?" The filly queried.

"Of course, Scoots."

"Cool, love you dad!" She hopped from his back. "I'm gunna go get my stuff, you better not make us get there any later then we have to!" She yelled backwards, quickly ascending the stairs to her room.

Jason couldn't be completely sure why his daughter was so exited about Canterlot; it wasn't as if she had much of a bond to the place as far as he knew. He still needed to have that dinner with Rumble, come to think of it. It probably wouldn't be a big deal anyway, but he needed some way to intimidate the kid. Not that he got his kicks out of scaring kids, but he could at least aid his daughter and maybe provide some sort of help.

Maybe Rumble wouldn't be her colt-friend forever, one way or another, but Jason wanted that to be a breakup that was grounded, at least partially, on both sides. The last thing he wanted was for one of the two to cheat, as in Rumble, and think that Jason wouldn't kill him for it. They were young, after all, and Jason knew that teenagers didn't make the best decisions when it came to love. He was like a walking example of that anyway.

Jason grabbed his saddlebag from next to his bed, shrugging and grabbing the AUG. if things got bad, he didn't want to be unprepared. Referring to the peace talks and not Rumble, of course. He slipped in some of Twilight's books, sighing as he looked at the spines of the old tomes. He had had enough of being too weak for everything, forced to squeak by every battle. But no more. He would get better, and teach Dash in the process if it meant being able to protect her in the long run. So long as he wasn't left alone, away from her presence and away from one of the few things he actually liked about this world.

He hardly felt like they could get married soon enough. It almost seemed like a safeguard against their enemies, for some reason that he couldn't quite place. But most of all, he wanted to settle down after all of this, and raise a foal or two. It didn't seem like too much to ask, compatibility with the one he loved in the most intimate sense. But then again, it just provided an example of another way the world could spite him.

Jason felt a tap at his shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts as he turned to Dash. How long had he just been staring into space? She smiled, leaning over to kiss him. It wasn't hard for her to notice that he seemed distracted, especially since he'd started kissing her chin.

"Anything wrong?" She asked.

"You said you wanted kids, right?" He sighed. "What if we aren't compatible?"

"You got sick." She replied, smiling. "Thus the coughing and sneezing."

"I know, but it worries me more than anything else. I want to be able to see my kid, something that's my own blood."

"Then what am I?!" Scoots yelled from the doorway, a tear falling off of her face to the floor before she turned and ran off. Jason swore for a moment before taking chase, diving and grabbing the filly by a hind leg as she got to the bottom of the stairs.

She turned to look at him, trying to shake his hoof as her eyes filled with rage. "Why would you even adopt me if you just wanted something better? That just makes me the permanent disappointment."

"Scoots, all I said is that I wanted a kid that was between Dash and me."

"Yeah, and that you wanted something that was your own blood. I'm not, I'll never be. What's the point in even trying?"

"Because you'll still be my daughter, the one that I love more than anything else. You're not connected by me to blood, sure, but just because I want a kid between me and my wife doesn't mean I'd want you to be any different. You're a better daughter than I could imagine. The only disappointment I have is that you've set the bar so high."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I could've ended up with a jerk, an idiot, someone less cute... You're an amazing kid, Scoots, and I know I wouldn't have brought Dash back to life without you, or probably stayed sane.

"So then why do you care so much about a foal that you make with mom?" She asked, appearing calmer as she wiped her eyes.

"Because I want to show that we can, that at the end of the day we still overcame everything and created life instead of destroyed it. I want to prove that I can be a parent, that I'm not in this relationship for free love, but because I'd be lost without it. There's only one thing that disappoints me about you, Scoots."

"Yeah?" She asked, annoyance rising again.

"That you grow up too fast." He finished, wrapping her in a hug that she eventually reciprocated. "No matter what anyone says, I love you, kiddo."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked, leaving her head over his shoulder as she started to talk and Dash picked up the camera and snapped a quick picture before she walked over the rest of the way.

"For doubting you."

"You've got nothing to be sorry about, I should've been more clear." Jason felt a tear slide down his back, as he began to gently pat the filly in front of himself.

"I'm just like those other ponies, jumping to conclusions. I didn't mean to, I'm sorry." She let out a sob. "It's not fair, what you got out of all this."

"I know why you want a kid, Jason." Dash mumbled, her voice obstructed by Jason's shoulder as she joined the hug, "It's something you can love without the questioning glances, the constant silent input from all of those morons in town. Without the idea that you're either stringing it along or using it as a battery." There was a long silence.

"Yup." Jason replied, his voice cracking. "And whenever I try to think of what we've been fighting for all this time, I just come up blank. I want there to be an end result, and raising a foal just seems to fit."

"Are you ever homesick, Jason?" Scoots asked after a while. She let go of his back with a hoof to wipe away a tear, an ever so slight smile developing on her muzzle.

"Mhm." A tear of his own slipped down his daughter's back as Dash hugged tighter around the both of them. "All the goddamn time."

Author's Note:

So basically I wrote most of this in a rush before I left, and then kinda decided to finish it on my phone. That was a stupid idea, typing on a phone sucks. It took me like two hours to write a thousand words. And then I wrote two and a half more chapters, not including the three I wrote for Side Effects and the one for the Clopfic that will come out soon.

And because no one reads the blog, I'm aiming for Side Effects to come out on friday, so if you people care then try to read it as soon as it comes out. I'm really hurting for a feature at this point, and I also want the feedback and a general idea of how people that read this story will like other things without Dash and Jason involved. Or humans, for the record.

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