Deportation
In some corners of my mind, I had come to understand that the morning had arrived hours ago. Beneath my eyelids, there still was a powerful white light hammered into my brain, a sure sign of abundant sunlight in a world such as Equestria. This understanding, however, did not mean I was keen on moving out of this perfectly good sleeping position.
Yet, events conspired to make sure my goal was not to pass, it seemed. The very first thing to have brought me back from the depths of the realm of dreams had been a simple sound, of brushing, of fur against fur. The pillow I was using had started moving. Instinctively, I craned up my neck to try and reach that fleeting, oh so comfortable, warmth.
But, my eyes closed, I did not see the soft, yet strong hoof that pushed down against my shoulder.
“You should stay asleep, Ventus.” A kind voice rang to my ears.
With a half-hearted shrug, I leaned back against the comfortable surface I was on, subconsciously closing a wing over the little bundle of blue fur at my sides. The fog of slumber blurred any and all desire to fight back, as it made the option of letting go so much more tempting.
Eh? Who was I to protest? I thought, and turned around, letting the bliss of sleep take me again.
Distantly, in an echo of words unsaid, I heard faint ‘… find… Luna’.
--
The sun was already high in the sky when her number one assistant was suddenly the prey of an intense bout of nausea. A second and a flaming belch later, a letter, marked by Princess Celestia’s seal, had started rolling on the floor of the library. So far, Spike had considered himself lucky that his stomach had not been turned into a speed dial for talkative alicorns.
Although another member of the royal family had kept up the correspondence with her through very mundane means…
She had read his latest letter so many times she could recite it entirely from memory.
Dear Twilight,
First of all, I must tell you that I am in no way turned off, repulsed, scared and/or hesitant over your revelations. If anything, I was greatly moved that you confided this to me.
More than anything however, I wanted to tell you that I greatly relate to you. Royalty is a concept considered archaic at the very least by my our kind. This experience is actually alien to me, and, as you may have heard from the media coverage, I am not above reacting badly to the same scrutiny you have confessed being victim of. The story in question was an abject lie trying to depict a relationship between my father and his cousin, your mentor, that had resulted in two sons. I was… terribly upset by this.
I believe I understand some of your tribulations, and above all wish that you will grow more comfortable in your role as a princess. Pardon my biased opinion, but I currently think of you as a rather flawless member of the high nobility.
However, there is something that troubles me greatly. Have you talked to your friends about what you told me? It would most likely be highly beneficial to your state of mind to rely on somepony close to you as a source of strength in your times of need. If you fear their reactions… I can only ask you to have faith in them. I have witnessed some of your interactions and know true friendship when I see it.
But… if you still feel unable to do so, I promise you an attentive ear and a complete lack of judgment.
With hopes to hear more from you,
Prince Ventus.
Without fail, every time she thought back on those words, her chest lit up with warmth. She felt accepted, even in the face of her self-doubts. After making sure she was alone, the young alicorn could freely look back to the words that she imagined pronounced with that suave voice that made her smile so much!
Chastising herself, Twilight shook her head. No, she could not let herself be distracted!
It was no time for frivolities. Not excluding Princess Celestia’s own letter, there were other problems in Ponyville that also required her attention. Applebloom, the poor filly, had come back from the Everfree Forest crying, as her friend Zecora had apparently left without saying goodbye. With a note of disbelief in her voice, Applebloom had related how her expedition with her brother had ended with a completely empty hut in the woods.
The poor sweetheart had been on the verge of tears for every speaking moment of her speech, and as soon as it had ended, she had quietly lowered her head, shaking from head to hooves.
However, something about that story felt off to her. After the ponies in town had finally overcome the barrier between themselves and the zebra, she had revealed herself a skilled orator and certainly not one that would disappear without even a word of appreciation for her friends.
But if everything was gone… if the house had been emptied of its cauldron and its herbs, of its oils and its potions, what else could be the cause of her disappearance? Had she been foalnapped? She couldn't have left in a hurry, or else her hut would not have been just an empty carved tree...
Her eyes fell on the letter again. S-she hadn’t meant to, but it commanded her attention so easily. This time though, the memories that came to her weren’t very pleasant.
His gaze was on her, but pleading and hesitant. He had looked uneasy, torn by a choice he dared not make, then he had told her… told her the effect of the spell.
Twilight felt her fur stand on its ends.
“The kind that can alter reality.”
--
I awoke with a strange mixture of loss and freedom. Oh, through no nagging from Tom could I be made to feel like this. Albeit it struck me as uncharacteristic of him to wait ‘patiently’ that I extirpate myself from my own dreams, that was what he seemed had done.
“G‘morning, Tom.” I yawned, slowly pushing myself on my hooves. Stretching my wings and legs, satisfying cracking sounds soon resonated into the… bedroom…?
“Good morning, Sam!” The aforementioned colt shouted, crumbles of food flying through the air. He was sitting on a cushion I didn’t recognize, near a desk I could have sworn was much taller than it should be, and bathing in light colored by painted windows we definitely didn’t have in our suite.
To give further credence to this little deduction, by glancing downward, I discovered I had been lying on a highly decorated rug, of golden and crimson red threads intricately woven into an orb of fire.
“Wait, wasn’t I…?” I started to say, fumbling on my thoughts, until the memory of my previous conversation with Celestia hit me.
It was akin to a punch in the guts. For a short moment, my breath was cut short as I saw Celestia over, saw her light rain down on me, saw the disappearance of a twisted corruption.
I could have collapsed with sheer relief.
Even more shamefully perhaps, I could not be mad at myself, at my weakness. All I felt was this almost untamed bliss. I could breathe more freely, as some of my shackles had fallen down. I should be thinking about the repercussions, the inevitable shoe that would drop and drag us into a dark hole in the ground, but…
No… it didn’t come…
I… I was just honestly relieved!
“You okay?” A little hoof brushed against my right front leg. “Y-you look about ready to cry.”
Breathing deeply, I noticed the slight blur of my vision, and beyond that the worried face Tom showed me. So, with an exaggerated sniff, I blinked back my tears.
“Allergies.” I chuckled.
At that, oh dear, his deadpan face was flatter than my feathers. “Alicorns don’t get allergies!”
“I’m special.” My grin widened, turning absolutely lopsided with smugness. “It’s the smell of your shampoo, squirt. Look at how sick it’s making me.”
And I made a show of coughing very loudly. On the top of his head, because I could.
“Ew!” He instantly shouted with indignation, springing away from me. “Sam!”
With a death glare like that, there was only one possible follow-up to this.
“I’m gonna get you back for this!” He snarled. “Blood for the blood god!”
“Careful, there, Tom-Tom,” I said with an ominous tone, extending my wings to make myself more imposing. “I might answer your prayers!”
The next moment, Calx barreled into me at his highest flying speed. A surprising amount of pain spread from the impact point. I certainly had a tendancy to forget he was an alicorn too… and the one of Earth no less.
Toppling over, my hooves still closed down on him and forced him into an unbreakable embrace.
Control over the wind had its advantages, such as being able to tickle somepony mercilessly.
“W-whaha… s-stop, Sam… this isn’t…” And the rest was lost.
Oh, he tried to fight it, even tickled me back, which admittedly, loosened my physical grip on him. Unfortunately for my brother, by that point, he was already laughing for real. Every hit he tried on me lacked any strength and just made me laugh louder.
Soon, we were both lost causes. Caring for nothing but the two of us, we just let this happiness last as long as it could. It felt great, to finally let go of every worry for even a couple of minutes.
Almost too quickly, we regained a semblance of self-control, as one last sigh escaped our lips, almost in synch.
My back firmly set against the rug, with Tom half collapsed across my chest, I almost found the situation comical enough to start laughing again. In the end though, I simply allowed my thoughts to wander off while Tom wrestled, telekinetically, with the remaining food.
“What did you two talk about anyway?” He grabbed a red fruit, holding it just in front of his mouth, before looking up at me curiously. “You were there for a loooooong time, Sam.”
“A few things. Cousin Celly wasn’t very happy with me, you know, ‘cause of the itsy bitsy curse I put on that other stallion.”
“So what? She gave you a good scolding?” He snickered under his breath.
“Something like that, yes,” I replied vaguely, rolling my eyes at his smugness.
As sole answer, he viciously closed his mouth around the apple, sending droplets of liquid to damp my fur. Now there would be sticky spots across my coat.
Darn it!
“Where did you find this? Did you leave to get food for your favorite big brother, best friend forever?” I asked, giving him my very own version of the Miller’s trademark puppy eyes.
It didn’t affect him, the brat.
He snickered a little under his breath, before taking another bite out of the juicy fruit. “Nah, somepony just dropped it there a little while ago. Said it was for our breakfast.”
Breakfast? My eyes went to the silver plate. I could appreciate that, but room service was usually only given on a personal request. There were a few things I could infer from that, but, as was unfortunately a bad habit these days, I could only give credit to the least positive one.
…Celestia didn’t want us interacting with other ponies. Not right away.
However, a squeaky, nerves grating noise then made us turn around, toward the door, in time for us to see a mare in a maid outfit enter.
“Oh, my princes, forgive me!” She hastily bowed. “I had not known you were here. Usually, the office is deserted at this hour.”
To my surprise, a crooked, spectral paw gripped my chest.
It bothered me, I understood. It bothered me a great deal to still hear those hushed, fearful whispers from the mouth of servants that were only doing their jobs. Worse still, my mouth filled with a bitter taste at the thought that even the smallest offense might bruise some egos enough for that fear to be justified. The things I could sometimes hear from the nobles around Canterlot…
No… I didn’t want to be the source of this… this flash of dread that appeared sometimes in their gaze. I didn’t want to be that. Innocent, good ponies like this maid certainly didn’t need more stress in her life.
However, a nagging, mocking voice at the back of my head had something to add to this noble decision. But anypony that hurts me is fair deal, huh?
My throat tightened again.
“There is no need to apologize. It appears there was a small lack of communication somewhere down the lines.” With a gesture of my head, I instructed Tom to follow me outside, which he did with a complete lack of argument. “We will simply take our leave and allow you to work.”
--
Far outside the territory of Canterlot, beyond what even the capital of Equestria could see from the mountainside, a town by the name of Colthasset experienced its first warmth breeze since the beginning of the summer. Ponies breathed a sigh of relief when they noticed how much more comfortable their town was without that whistling wind blowing over every street.
Even the shadows in the skies seemed a little less daring… Even the shades in the snow of the neighboring mountains seemed less numerous.
--
If there was one thing I hadn’t expected to see in our suite, in the middle of the day, it was our dear cousin Celestia. Her body was resting onto the couch, relaxed and showing no signs of hostility. However, her eyes quickly flickered to the table next to it and the scroll sealed with an emblem unknown to me.
“Good morning, Ventus, Calx.” She nodded serenely in our directions.
“Hey Celestia!” My brother greeted her, grinning. “How’s it going?”
“I am feeling well, my dear little cousin, even better than yesterday.”
Ah, that shouldn’t be too hard… I mentally snickered, remembering the incredibly pissed off look she had worn.
“And what about you?” She continued easily. “Have you slept well?”
“Yeah! T’was nice, sweet dreams and all.” Calx nodded, then added a bit suspiciously. “Not like I ever have nightmares or anything.”
At that, Celestia and I exchanged a knowing look.
“Your rug is more comfortable than it has a right to be,” I said bashfully, as if we hadn’t decided to indulge his little colt’s fantasies of perfect toughness.
“It was a gift from a wise and grumpy old mare I have had the pleasure of working with six hundred years ago.” Her eyes lost a bit focus, as she looked back into the past. “Her negativity was matched only by her skills in crochet. I cannot tell you the number of compliments I have received on my rug in all my years as a ruler.”
Her conspiring, good-natured tone allowed us to share a few chuckles at the anecdote, before Calx asked the million bits question.
“So, why are you in our room?” He tilted his head. “I thought you had stuff to do during the day, being princess an’ all.”
At that, our cousin rose to her hooves, losing a touch of warmth to show a more royal side of her. “My royal duties are exceptionally being fulfilled by Luna at the moment, as we devised a solution to a certain recurring problem.”
She had my full attention.
“Together, we have come to a consensus and written the following decree. Effective as of today, you two will leave Canterlot castle under new identities and establish yourselves in a location we arranged specifically for your needs.”
I could hear a pin drop. Tom and I were completely silent, eyes wide enough to fly out of their orbits.
She’s… deporting us? I thought, disbelief piercing through my thoughts. T-there was a mute pain at this, as I could not help but think of it as a rejection. Even after what she had done for me. For us.
“I will place an illusion over the both of you. Your physiology will appear slightly altered, as will your coats and manes. Most importantly, the spell will mask either your wings or your horn, in addition to your cutie marks.” Her tone had grown more formal, as if she refused to acknowledge her own emotions in the matter. “For all intent and purpose, you two will seem exactly like any regular pony.”
If somepony had told Calx that Heart’s Warming Eve had been cancelled, then that his homework load had been doubled, THEN served him ratatouille and forced him to eat it all, it still wouldn’t have been enough to summon his expression of disarray at this exact moment.
Silently, I placed one of my wings over him; he almost sank to the ground.
“T-there’s no other way?” I asked, my voice breaking around the edges.
One meaningful look from Celestia told me everything. But… it was hard to agree with… with something that would make my little brother so miserable.
Hay, I actually liked that idea. We wouldn’t be the center of the attention, we wouldn’t be at risk of accidentally displeasing a large number of people and I could get out of this stupidly sticky façade of a prince.
At the moment though, my heart was up in my throat from the sheer disappointment Calx showed. It then made another jump upward as I realized that Celestia’s decision stemmed from my actions. Essentially, it was my fault he felt like this.
My irresponsible behaviors threatened to make me sick. There was this loud scream building up at the back of my throat, that I could not let out no matter how much I wanted to. Suddenly, the tip of my feathers touching my brother became scorching hot.
I was not… what kind of… what kind of brother was I?!
Impassive, Celestia went on. “You two will need to be careful. While the spell will blur the sense of touch of those that bump into you, the hidden parts could still be felt if you’re careless.”
The image of an amputated limb flashed in my mind, accompanied by testimonies of poor lads speaking on how they could feel their limbs as if it still existed.
“And if we use them?” I asked, glancing at Calx, in whom I had… hum… faith in his ability not to use his horn except when it would be really convenient.
Her gaze followed mine, falling on the subdued foal at my sides. “The spell will try to keep up the illusion, but the more glaring the action, the more likely others will get a glimpse at your true self.”
By this point, I had trouble putting my focus in her words. Every glance at my brother was torturing me. “Calx?”
To my growing despair, he did not respond.
Celestia’s voice seemed strangely restrained, to my ears at least, almost as if her self-control was threatening to slip. A hint of sadness started filter through. “You will stay stationed, in the guise of two ordinary citizens, in Ponyville, near my student and her friends.”
Instantly, my mind made the connection with the last situation that warranted such an approach. Against my better judgment, I could not help but be annoyed. Ah, like Discord then? Keeping the bearers of the Elements close, just in case...
“Not quite,” she said, as if she had read my mind, sending my heart into a frenzy. “I will inform my prized pupil of the secret of your arrival, but nopony else will be informed. It will be entirely up to you two to keep your true selves hidden. Do you understand?”
Although Calx nodded halfheartedly, I was almost too shocked to imitate him. Now I really didn’t have an idea what she was thinking.
And then… THEN it registered in my brother’s mind exactly where we would be going.
“We’re going to live in Ponyville?!” He asked, with a sudden one eighty in attitude and enthusiasm.
Now it was as if Dad had promised to give him an ancient artifact of power for Heart’s Warming Eve.
“Yes, that is the location we had in mind for you two.” The white alicorn nodded with a visible relief, the very same I felt rippled through my whole being.
“Sweet!” He started to shake from sheer excitement. “When are we leaving?”
“Haste moving our hooves, my sister and I managed to accelerate the paperwork enough for the two of you to move in tonight.” Her horn started to glow, enveloping the scroll of paper in her magic and lifting it beneath our eyes. “While acting under the pretense of this new decree, your names will be, respectively, Cloud Circle and Feather Dust, sons of the late weather experts, Sky Pattern and Wind Tunnel.”
Cloud Circle and Feather Dust, got it. I nodded
“Ventus, you will be given a royal pension to take care of your daily needs, which will be explained to others as an inheritance you are using to keep the two of you afloat. However, to maintain and integrate your places in Ponyville, you will be given a letter of recommendation and of employment to give to your new superior on the weather patrol.”
I blinked. She wanted me to be a weather pony? Huh…
Appropriate enough.
Still, I had to ask. “How long?”
She brought the full strength of her millennia old gaze on me. Even with a few centuries behind me, I felt like a foal, an inexperienced fool. But… but her eyes spoke not of my foolishness or a random jab at me… It held a kind reassurance.
“Until the time has come we can give you what you two truly need.”
My legs almost buckled from sheer shock. T-the implications of that… the promise in her tone… It was nearly too much for me to take.
Leaping forward, I closed my legs over her shoulders into a bone crushing hug.
“Thank you…” The words seemed stuck in my throat. “Thank you so much!”
For a second, Celestia didn’t react. Then, warm hooves stroke my back soothingly.
We didn’t break apart right away however. A childish part of me clung to her with all its might and she let it do so. With just that little gesture of acceptance, another dam broke.
I would miss her. Dearly. And I suddenly feared she might feel the same way. Toward Calx at the very least.
I knew she heard me say ‘I’m sorry’ under my breath before I finally let go.
--
They had agreed. Oh sweet Luna, they had allowed him to look into Sam’s room.
He was struggling to keep himself from going into hysterics. By her starry mane, it was downright silly, but he knew the answer had to be here somewhere.
Placing a hand in front of his mouth, Eric leaned closer to the desk left untouched. On it, Sam’s computer lied there, a film layer of dust covering it and the rest of the room. No one had had the courage to clean it up once its occupant had gone missing.
With a shiver, he fought the vibes of graves and tombs escaping the empty, lifeless, barren mess of a bedroom this was supposed to be. The light didn’t give off a warm impression; to him, it was too white, too bright, while at the same time, flickering on and off in a depressing reproduction of some public facilities’ lighting. With the sheets on the bed a quarter turned over, the torn plushie lined up with the wall and that marker, most likely dried up, that seemed to be peeking out from under the bed, the room had precisely that amount of little details that indicated it had been used before.
The police had come, checking for hints or traces of struggle, or honestly anything at all that could have helped them resolve this unsolvable case. They had left, without results. It had already been a while ago.
So, quite frankly, more parts of his brain were repeating that it was a useless, self-gratifying endeavor that was doomed from the start. If their officers hadn’t found anything worthwhile, then how could he hope to do better?
Then again, his working theory involved either magic or alien technology that resulted in dimensional travel. Most likely, that angle hadn’t been looked into by the police.
Stepping forward, Eric started examining his friend’s stuff. He smiled at some of the familiar merchandise, some from the show, some from completely different fandoms. On a few occasion, he had been present when those collector items had been purchased.
Fondly, the young man thought back on a memorable convention where he had gotten a chance to speak with his favorite voice actor. At first, he had stood in line, almost paralyzed by the excitement. Stiff as a metal pole, only the presence of his fellow bronies, amongst which Sam, had really allowed him to go through with it.
A nice warmth seemed to seep into his back, on the spot Sam had pushed him when it became evident he didn’t have the guts to go through it, not by his own volition. Her face at that moment was burned into his brain, a small smile, though also concern as he had bumped into the table, and the slightest frown which he guess had come from being startled.
Shaking his head, he tore his eyes off the merchandise, trying to get the nostalgia out of him and focus. He could admit it to himself. He was certain that the two brothers had been somehow transported to Equestria, but the chances of a plushie being responsible were exceedingly low in his book.
Though… what would have a chance of being responsible for their disappearance then?
“T-there isn’t anything truly out of place…”
How naïve of him, to think that there would be a glaring, blatant sign IF you knew what you were looking for. But that was the thing! He was supposed to have this unique perspective into the situation that no one else had! Yet…
Things were just a little out of place and the furniture had started to gather dust. That was it. There wasn’t a big floating sign that he could uncover.
His exploration slowed down, as he felt a heavy weight start to push down on his shoulders. Soon, it became difficult to stay standing with his discouragement shackling him down and he sat down on the bed.
Desperation gaining upon him, he buried his face into his open hands.
Head hung low, Eric couldn’t find the courage to look up right away. He didn’t want to give up, not on his friend, not on these people who certainly didn’t deserve that kind of tragedy in their lives… but… there was nothing he could do. He wanted to do so much more! He knew in his heart that he was right, that it wasn’t a delusion and he was the only one that knew! Was there truly nothing he could do?!
As the minutes passed and the crushing defeat rescinded into his mind, Eric slowly let his hand slip away from his face. In doing so, his eyes naturally, following the movement of his arms, fell on something inconspicuous.
The marker, left without a cap, had been reduced to uselessness, completely unable to accomplish its primary function. He had known that the moment his eyes fell on the object, so why…. Why was his attention so ensnarled by it? It was… useless… right?
Moved by an intuition, Eric kneeled and brought his face to floor level, sending a look underneath his friend’s bed.
Surely enough, blending with the background, beneath one edge of the marker, was a brown notebook.
N-nothing extraordinary there, but… it didn’t resemble Sam’s school material and his mental image of Sam dared him to even consider the possibility of a diary. If anything, the size of it reminded him more of a child’s thing…
“Is that Tom’s?” He wondered out loud, slowly reaching for it. There was something a-almost… profane with picking up the things that had belonged to a missing child.
A jolt of electricity went up his arm the second he touched it. Letting out a yelp, Eric reflexively let go, only for him to stare back at the curious object that was growing stranger by the seconds. How did something made out of paper shock him? How was that even possible?
With so many signs piling up, the young man’s conviction calcified in his mind and he made a grab for it. This time, no shock or pain accompanied the gesture, and his breathing slowed down to a pace.
Try as he might, there was no calming him down. His hands shook, making the small scribbled words difficult to read. Fortunately though, the title of that small notebook had been written in a much bigger format, with a childish handwriting that was so easy to understand.
How much more explicit could you get than ‘Stuff to try to go to Equestria’’!? How much more!?
And a list, written by a familiar hand, had been crammed into the notebook’s margin. It enumerated the methods, or that was what he could make out of it, under the crossed words and the furious stroke of ink.
There were about of dozens of names crossed, the later ones in a surprisingly savage way. Until… until it all stopped at one name. Not even the last one, just two words, about three fourth of the way down the sheet of paper.
Magic ritual.
His heartbeat had accelerated, which he had found ridiculous. A childish excitement had washed over his mind, with the simple consideration that there had been a magic that could send people to Equestria, that magic was real.
Then the images of his friend and his family appeared in his mind, sobering him up in an instant. A cold hand gripped at his chest, for he had rarely felt so ashamed of himself. How had his first thoughts about a possible solution to this tragedy been this? He wanted to punch himself square in the eye.
T-this… this had to be the solution!
--
It seemed unbelievable how many boxes of stuff we had to pack, especially considering the fact that we came into this world with absolutely nothing but our bodies and an ancient artifact of pure power. Yet, Calx could comfortably play hide and seek in the antechamber of our suite. And I would have trouble finding him too…
“You okay in there?” I asked to the general pile of brown boxes blocking my vision.
“Yeah! I’m looking at the book collections!” He shouted back, from where I believed was the middle of the antechamber.
“Oh dear!” I yelled dramatically. “Is it the End-of-the-World-as-We-Know-It already?”
To that impressive performance, Tom only offered a dry laugh. Or at least, that was his initial intent. The door opening behind him revised his plan. “Guess who’s here?”
“Huh…” That breathing pattern was familiar and the twitch of their muscles reminded me of many nervous ponies… I could not quite narrow it down.
My brother jumped out of behind a box, with the widest mocking smile possible. “Your bestest friend in the whole wide world!”
“Ah, Blueblood?” I said, taken aback.
“Yes, Blueblood. What? Is it so surprising that I would come here?” A certain stallion also came out of behind those boxes… carrying a tray with a teapot within a blue aura.
“You brought us tea?” I asked, feeling the corners of my mouth rise in disbelief. “Really?”
Not that I like either the flavor or the smell; neither did Calx it seemed, as he decided not to stay in the white stallion’s presence any longer and go back to the antechamber. I could not, however, deny that this small gift had something disturbing to it.
“Why is this subject to an inquiry with you, Prince Ventus?” Blueblood rolled his eyes, carrying the tea cups flawlessly onto the nearest table. “Is it so hard for you to believe I would?”
I stayed innocently silent, letting him deposit the tea on the table near our couch, while taking a seat myself. It did not take long for him to spill the beans.
“Alright, fine, a maid in the western wing suggested it,” he grumbled, his back losing its straightened quality.
Now that’s more like it! I chuckled.
Scowling, he shot me a glare, very obviously annoyed. His hesitant, good-ish mood had apparently not lasted long. “I’m sorry I did not know the exact courtesy of these meetings. After all, it’s not like a business meeting between nobles and rich businessponies.”
Quietly, I started chuckling. The idea seemed so ridiculous at this point. “No, it is certainly not.”
A silence came between us, but not an uncomfortable one. There were little words we needed to exchange at the moment.
“What will happen to you?” He asked suddenly, refusing to look at me.
Somehow, he had come to know of our situation. Or perhaps he had guessed, showing his usual level of insight in political matters. Either way, I knew what he had meant by that.
The idea to lie to him did not even cross my mind. I just felt as if I owed him at least this.
“We’re going to leave Canterlot in disguises for a while.”
It was a succinct explanation, but I was not even allowed to say more. That much, I expected him to deduce anyway. Just like what he would say next.
“You’re the one that cursed that stallion, aren’t you?” Blueblood’s narrowed eyes were focused entirely on me.
“And you’re the one that tried to step in before Celestia had to,” I replied easily, fighting a small smile.
Alas, he didn’t seem to wish to congratulate himself on that. No, his traits had simply hardened at my admission, staring intently at me. Slowly, I resigned myself to a whispered statement.
“I told you before that I was not a good pony.”
The muscles around his jaw tightened, and a small vein on his neck bulged. His gaze, albeit directed at empty air, held a potent fury. When he spoke, his voice trembled. “You did.”
“Nopony seems to believe me when I say that.” I sighed, feeling a pinch of exasperation. What? Did they really all think I was self-deprecating?
“…Was everything a lie?” His bitterness had my stomach churn. His accusatory glare was by far the most difficult of his gaze to face on. “Was it just an entertaining circus with me as the main clown?!”
And as his last words faded away harmlessly through the air, I pondered. I pondered what to tell him. I hadn’t expected this. Quite honestly, my interactions with Blueblood had been one long series of little surprises and blown expectations. Often, I had fantasized about hurting him, to give him the magical spanking he deserved for being so damn nerves grating.
Rarely had I expected such overreaching guilt to course through me as it happened unintentionally. Furthermore, I would rather not add to his pain or his anger with the true reason I had done it.
No, I told myself, and thus, found the cryptic answer he needed to hear.
“Was it?” I asked.
His eyes widened to the size of saucers. It made me smirk to see that, and it made him seethe that I reacted this way.
“It’s always this horseapple with you, Ventus!” He rose to his hooves, gritting his teeth. On the table, the tea had been spilled.
Letting my inspiration and my gleaned knowledge of his character guide me through this, I affected a pensive, mostly neutral expression as I steadily observe each drop of hot liquid fall to the ground.
Six… seven… eight…
I got to twenty before he slumped down against the couch, his anger spent.
“It was not, CELESTIA DAMN IT!”
In the other room, I caught an echo of a childish snicker. Quickly though, I refocused my attention on him.
“Why did you have to do this?” I could not tell which event he referred to. “I can’t go back. I can’t! But how am I ever going to manage without anypony to help?!”
“You’re going to be fine, Blueblood.” My eyes briefly went to the ground, before I spoke a truth I had never imagined discovering in my very long existence. “I have faith in this new you.”
The prince’s jaw dropped, with him almost reeling. He spoke, with such a tone of incredulity, that I felt a spark of pity for him. “Y-you… you mean that?”
“Of course I do.” My lips stretched into a grin, and a sincere one at that. “Besides, you should talk to your aunts. They will help you too, better than I could ever hope to. I have a feeling nothing would make Celestia happier than seeing this new Blueblood with her own eyes. There’s nothing you ought to fear. You’ve opened your eyes and your ears, all by yourself.”
Away from the castle walls, further than sounds could reach, a bell rang, marking the end of the afternoon and the beginning of our journey.
“It’s time to go…” I muttered slowly, feeling both relieved and anxious. Albeit a place I had faced many grief, Canterlot had… it had been a home to us too.
Thus, I almost didn’t fight it when the pull of a magic aura gripped one of my legs. Turning my head, I saw the proud prince of the unicorns, head hung low and more humble than he had ever appeared before me.
“Thank you,” he said.
“I’m bucking sorry…” I whispered. “I… Goodbye, Blueblood.”
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TundraStanza's personal headcanon regarding alicorns:
The only two that were naturally born were Celestia and Luna. For all I know, their essence could have been brought about by Equestria's Big Bang.
Cadance and Twilight are examples of the "ascended". Unlike the royal sisters, the Crystal Princess and the Princess of Magic lack the longevity to live for thousands of years.
I'm not that great at creating history on the fly.
Little oh me, my opinion? Their not gods! Get over it! Just because one is immortal (we don't evan know that) does not make them gods!
on cadence and twilight, i don't know. i hope their not immortal, because watching your friends and family die is not pleasant.
This is kind of bad, Celestia doesn't know that his way home isn't in the Alicorn dimension but the Earth dimension and it looks like Eric is going to have a tough time finding Sam and Tom now that they're going to be in disguises. I can only imagine that it will go like this:
(He's just nervous about going home, I'm sure he'll be overjoyed when he see his parents again)
Celestia: I have open the way home for you Ventus.
Sam: Awesome!
Celestia: Back in the Alicorn dimension!
Sam: Wait what? No, that's what I meant!
Celestia: In you go.
Sam: No, listen to me! You have the wrong ideaaaaa!
*and then Sam and Tom have a new world to escape from*
Actually don't know what headcanon is... is it a Canon camera and/or a medieval cannon that you wear on your head? Do alicorns wear it? Do they even have anything in common with this thing??
3247410
And what do you have against immortality and/or god(esse)s??
3248099 immortal nothing. Gods, the idea is laughable at best. " oh they can move celstila bodys around." So did the bloody fucking unicorns." Shiiiit for we know they could just be spinning the plant on its axis.
Is Eric going to Equestria?
So Eric has come across the journal. We do not think this is a good event, since the balances have been tilted enough already, it is likely he will become part of the catalyst that may set Sam off...
Zecora's disappearance is also troubling, obviously she isn't erased from the timeline yet she's gone from one moment to the next (as far as I can tell anyway), but where too? Something is brewing in the Everfree...
Keep going! ;)
3245878 Well, for this story's purpose, I have imagined them as pony counterparts to Tolkien's Maiar, somewhat. In terms of cosmological equivalents, I'd say they are a little like angels, servants of greater beings. Forbidden to use their full powers, as the destruction created might be far more costly than any defeat. Instead, they guide mortals, in direct ways like Celestia, or in more subtle manners. The Elders, regardless of alignments however, can be considered gods.
Ponies like Cadence and Twilight are special cases and I think I'll keep the details a secret for now. It might come up in a later chapter.
3247441 Now, as hilarious as that sounds, Celestia certainly would be more thoughtful than that. Though I have to ask, do you think Sam would be dissatisfied with that conclusion? Just asking.
3248083 An headcanon is either of those things: A canon you wear on your head to intimidate your enemies or a theory you have decided fits whatever plot elements that haven't been adressed in the show.
3248159 Interesting counterpoint, but I say that if the entire population of unicorns was needed to do what Celestia could do alone, we're still talking about scary levels of power.
3248396 Do you want him to?
3250828 We can't really talk about balance at this point, it's more like a wobbly pin in a bowling alley. Hard to tell if it will fall or not.
As for Zecora, well... I've been hinting at something in the Everfree since the first few chapters. The better question is why now.
3253765 didn't the show say ten? Anyhow would her power levels be over nine thousand?
3253814 There is no mention of numbers in the episode itself. Personally, I cannot imagine ten unicorns managing to move the sun around, especially considering what modern unicorns can do. Notable power from the show is few and in-between.
3254111 i believe we have radically different heandcannons(is that right?). I think of the ponies are in a 'brave new world' type deal. And they move the planet on its axis. Im sure you have a different prospective, and if you have the time I'd like to hear it.
Within three chapters, Eric shall go to Equestria and break many walls.
Small and deadly just like meeeeee!
3253765
I think Sam would shit bricks if he had to deal with Eric, on top of everything else that's going wrong.
3253765
I know that's what makes it kind of funny because I doubt she's that oblivious, since you revealed she knows the world he speaks of isn't is true home. It depends on how far Sam is assimilated to Equestria and its rules, from the looks of it the longer he stays in there the more likely he'll give up his human identity before the second thought comes, as in : "Yes the Alicorn world is my home.................................................................................................... Wait a minute."
I really don't want Sam to stay as Ventus because of the state his family is in and I'm pretty sure that his parents won't exactly figure out the Equestria connection as well. If Ventus is definitely real now, I'm pretty sure the best solution would be to split Sam and Ventus, the problem being is how they should split...
3248159
Unicorns, as in, multiple ponies.
Also, what do you have against god(esse)s then?
3216595
Cookies ain't gonna cut it mate!
Honestly... This is actually one of the best representations of alicorns I have seen... well... ever.
5188133 ...
Thank you so much!
Sam has become what used to be called a "remittance man" someone paid to live incognito because of a scandal.
Eric looks to be headed for Equestria. Who says he has to be an Alicorn? Discord has relatives, or so he said.
Bronies are probably divided into those who think the show has "jumped the shark" & those suspending judgement. Hey boys and girls can you say "flame war?"
Pffff
What food?
Oh never mind then.
Oh God No!! Don't start!
nerves grating noise that made us