The main character wakes up in Equestria. He's not a fan of the show, in fact he doesn't even like it that much. He then is informed that the fate of Equestria is in his hands. All he has to work out is how, why, when and where. As well as what the hell's actually going on.
'Mrf', I grunted as something nudged me. I couldn't see what it was, but the dream had been as confusing as hell up until now, anyway. It had been a real jumble of images, sounds and all sorts of weird stuff. Something nudged me again. I opened one eye blearily and looked out at the world. It seemed very strange. More like a cartoon than anything. Suddenly great deal of pink obscured my vision and a high-pitched female voice squeaked. "He's waking up."
I tried to focus. A pony?! A 'My Little Pony', pony?! Oh, great. One of those dreams. You ever had one of those? Where you are dreaming and you 'wake up' only to realise a short time later that you've just 'woken up' into another dream? Yeah, those. I've had them before, sometimes several 'layers' deep. I resolutely shut my eyes and tried to reclaim the first dream. Ponies. Yeah. I knew I shouldn't have followed my friend's advice and read that danged 'My Little Pony' fanfic before going to bed. Now the blasted things were invading my dreams. I opened my eye again. Yeah. That'd be Pinky Pie. I let my eye roam. "And Twilight Dreams... no... that wasn't it. My brain wouldn't come up with the correct name but it didn't matter, I'd be out of this dream shortly. Or so I hoped. I'd never really liked MLP. Too saccharine. To fakely sweet and... bleah.
Pinky Pie nudged me with a hoof. She and Twilight Whats-her-name jumped back as I swung an arm to scare away these dream ponies. This dream was becoming too scarily real. Then I had to smile. It was still a dream, though. I knew because I saw my arm. Yup. I was dreaming. I had to be. I mean I could see my arm, or what seemed to be my arm, covered in thick, long, grey-brown fur. This should be interesting. There was one disturbing thing, though. Secondary dreams didn't usually last this long. Ah, well. Perhaps if I just ignored them. I resolutely shut my dream eye and...
Okay. That wasn't a hoof, that was a horn. Pointier than a hoof. I really wished this dream would end. Oh, great. Here came another one. Princess Moon or something. I rolled my dream-self over and landed with a crash. Dang. This dream was an odd one. I'd never fallen out of bed in a dream before. At least, not without waking myself up... A rib hurt, but that wasn't unknown. I'd felt pain before now in my dreams; why, I remembered when I... "GAH!" Okay, this was getting scary. I'd just been hit in the face with a bucket of water. Still, the way this dream was going, I'm just glad it was only the water and not the bucket. It was then I realised that I hadn't fallen out of bed, but rather off some bales of hay.
I sat up and looked around. Yeah. That'd be... I tried to dredge up a name as water streamed from my face. Apple-something.
"Hi! You awake yet?" that'd be Twilight Whats'erface. I shuddered and then my eyes popped wide open as I finally realised something that my brain had been refusing to allow itself to admit. This wasn't a dream. Somehow, I'd been not only transformed into... into I don't know what, but I'd been dumped into a cartoon. I wondered why it couldn't have been Roadrunner or Yosemite Sam or something similar. I mean, there were worse cartoons I could have been dumped into, but this wasn't exactly one of my favourites.
"What is it and how did it get here?" I took that to be Moon... No, Luna. That was it. Princess Luna, sister to Celestia. Or something like that. What few memories I had of the show were slowly coming back to me.
Suddenly I thought of something. A rather important something seeing as I was surrounded by female ponies. I jerked up to a semi-seated position and looked down my body. I then sank back with a relieved sigh. I had worn my cargo shorts to bed. And they had grown as I had. I was decent enough. Yeah. I was far larger than normal. Hairy, too. Oh, good Lord. It reminded me of an idea for a story I'd had. A sasquatch. Was I one of those, now? I felt my face and realised it was so. I wasn't human any more, I was a sasquatch. I wondered what other weird stuff was coming my way.
My sudden movements, however, had startled the ponies who had all jumped back. Apple-whatsit recovered first and turned to Luna. "I don't know what it is. It was here when I came in for some straw."
"I'm a sasquatch." I muttered, feeling slightly obligated to respond.
"What's a sasquatch?" Yeah. That'd be Twilight Sprinkle. Sprinkle? No, I didn't think that was it, either. "We've had a few 'humans' here before, but nothing like you." Yeah. The voice sounded like it really wanted to know all about me. The problem is, I didn't really know, myself.
"I'm a sasquatch." I muttered as I sat up. Even sitting down I was about as tall as most of them. Luna, I saw, was the tallest, just about a foot taller than I was whilst seated on the floor. She'd probably come up to my chest or thereabouts. "Hello, Princess." I said politely.
"Hello..." her voice trailed off. "You knew I was a princess?"
"It shows." I told her, trying to think fast – never one of my strong points. "You look like a princess."
Her eyes positively sparkled. "Thank you." she responded with a regal toss of that magnificent mane of hers, a flick of her tail and a small flutter of her wings. "I am, indeed a princess."
Suddenly I remembered. Before I could stop myself, I turned; "Twilight Sparkle. That's it."
Twilight looked quite shocked. "How... How did you know my name?" she asked.
I thought frantically. I couldn't really tell her that she was part of a children's cartoon show. Even half awake as I was I knew that wouldn't be a good idea. "Tales of your wisdom has filtered to my world." Yeah. That'd have to do. "And you are the famous 'Pinky Pie', correct?"
"Yes!" she was practically bouncing. "Am I known, too? Am I?"
"The six of you are." I told them. "Stories of you all are known. Including yours, Applejack" I said as the names came back to me.
"Oh! Wow!" squeaked Pinky and I resigned myself to having to hear that rather annoying squeal. Then another two came in. "Ah. The beautiful and selfless Rarity and the lovely, if rather timid Fluttershy.” I could only hope I was getting them right.
As the door of the... barn – it looked like something of that sort – swung open, I saw that it was still night. Meh. I wondered if it was usual for ponies to be up and about at this time of day.
"Hey! What's goin' on in there?" A voice called from outside. I shook my head. Well, I may as well enjoy this as much as I could. "And that will be Rainbow Dash." I didn't really feel like laughing. I felt like my claws were scratching chalkboard. I looked around them. Well, I suppose this would be the first time this many women had shown an interest in me for a long, long time. I didn't know why God – if it were God – had put me here, but it was no use whining, I'd just have to do the best with what I had and put a smile on it. You know, like when you're in hospital and you really just gotta make the best of things.
I turned to Luna. "So, when do I meet Princess Celestia?"
The others didn't see the look Luna gave me then. There was nothing sweet and sugary about that look, let me tell you.
The other ponies looked at me, obviously puzzled. Pinky stopped bouncing. "Who's Princess Celestia?" she asked in a puzzled tone.
I blinked. No Celestia? Again I tried to think. Celestia, I knew – or thought I knew – controlled the sun. Luna controlled the moon. There was something dimly in my memory that Celestia could control both but Luna could only control the moon. Is that why it was still dark? Had something happened to Celestia, or was it, in this world, that Celestia didn't exist? With Twilight's question in my mind, I could only wonder if the second theory was more relevant than the first. If something had happened to Celestia, they still would have known about it. But it was like Celestia had never existed. Or, at least, not in living memory. I rapidly thought of an excuse. Not a good one, I'll admit, but for just having woken up in a totally unexpected environment, it would have to do.
“Sorry.” I grinned. “I'm still waking up. Wrong people. Err... Ponies.” I blinked several times to try to clear my brain. Had I remembered correctly? I was fairly sure I had. If it hadn't been for that look she'd given me, that look that had been of such short duration that I would have missed it if I'd blinked, I would have thought her explanation natural. Wait... More half-formed memories invaded my brain. Hadn't Luna been locked up, banished from Ponyland (I hoped I'd think of the right name soon.) for some years? Could it not be that, in this real version, Celestia was the wicked one; the corrupted one? Could it not be Celestia who was the one that was banished and Luna now ruled?
But that look. That look, as brief as it had been, told me more than a little. It told me that, for some reason, Luna did not even want Celestia's name mentioned. My knowledge about the My Little Pony cartoons was sketchy at best – 'practically non-existent' would be a better description – but I did think that, even during her banishment, other ponies knew about Luna. Wasn't she visible in the moon or something? I cudgelled my brain trying to come up with an answer but I couldn't. I could see that I'd have to tread rather warily. Somehow I could feel that Luna had incredibly powerful magic. Powered by the moon? I didn't know. I had an idea that the longer she was bathed in moonlight, the more powerful her magic became, but I didn't know whether I was right or not. But I could tell, somehow, she was powerful. She could snap me like a twig if she'd wanted to. I knew that. How, I didn't know, but I did.
Then I realised something else. I was hungry; ravenous, in fact. "Could I get something to eat?" I asked, "I'm so hungry I could eat a ho-gett." I managed to change that last word at the last moment. Only just, but I think I pulled it off.
"What's a hogget?" Twilight. Yeah, she'd always been the inquisitive one, from what I remembered.
"It's an animal we eat."
"You eat animals?" Pinky gasped, her eyes even wider than normal. "Do you eat ponies?"
"No, we don't eat ponies." I said with a smile. Well, some of us might, but I wasn't going to tell her that.
"Are 'hoggets' like mice?" Asked Twilight. "Or fish?"
I longed for meat. I'm sure I could have eaten one of the ponies, I was that hungry. I realised what it was, too. My shape had grown and distorted into what it now was, but I had to have something to feed it. Feed the vastly enlarged muscles, provide nourishment that would fill this frame out. I really hoped I could do it on more than cakes and apples. "You said 'fish'?”
Twilight nodded. "We can catch you some fish."
I smiled. "That'd be good." They were trying to please me, after all, so it behoved me to at least be polite.
"We have a new friend!" Pinky exclaimed excitedly. "We have a reason to par-tay."
I saw Twilight smile. "When did you ever need an excuse, Pinky?" she asked.
“Nevaah!” she shouted, pirouetting on her hind legs.
As much as I found that squeaky voice annoying, I had to chuckle at her enthusiasm.
“I hope I don't scare too many people.” I told them. "I'm quite big."
“How big?” asked
I started to stand, looking carefully upwards so as not to hit my head on the beams of the barn. Yeah, I'm eight foot, six inches if I'd changed into my story character.
“Oh.” muttered Twilight, looking up at me. “Oh, wow.”
I had to duck my head a little to avoid the beams, but with the rest of my body straightened, the difference between our heights was very apparent. Twilight and the others didn't even come to my waist. Luna, being taller, came up to my chest.
I looked down on them. “As I said,” I told them, “I'm quite big.”
“You are, indeed.” Luna murmured with a smile.
“Wait!” that was Applejack. “A sass-squash?”
I looked at her, puzzled, I didn't think they had sasquatches in ponyland. Not that I knew much about it, but I hadn't heard any mention of it which I thought I would have given some of the discussions on the forums I frequented.
“You don't look like a sass-squash.”
“And what is a sassquash supposed to look like?” I asked.
Applejack scooted out of the barn and came back moments later with a large book held in her mouth. Holding it in her hooves – which I thought rather impressive – she opened it and showed me. A sass-squash was, apparently, a large... animal? Being? Anyway, it was large and.... squash shaped. Oh... dear.
“They steal apples and leave squash instead.” Applejack explained. Granny Smith knew one. And I tried to catch it and...” her voice trailed off. “I failed, but it turned out that it was Granny Smith all along.” Applejack's accent was the hardest to take. Dunno why, but it hit nerves in my ears that just... Well, I supposed I'd just have to get used to it.
I was a little confused, but I finally latched on to what she'd said. “No, I'm not that type of sass-squash.” I said, grinning. “I might eat some of your apples, but I won't steal them. Anyway, I don't look much like that. Do I?” I asked, indicating the picture of the sass-squash with a pony.
“Well! We can't just stand here. Let's party.” Yeah, I was beginning to wonder if Pinky's life revolved around parties. But, well, I suppose when you're pure sugar 'n' spice....
Anyway, we left the barn – I had to stoop pretty low to get out through the doors, but at least I hadn't had to crawl – and emerged into the moonlight. The moon was large and full, and I had a suspicion that it was always like this. The full power of Luna came with the full moon. How did I know that? I don't know. I hadn't heard it discussed or read it or anything but I just believed it was so. Who knows, I might even have been right.
I looked over at the princess. She was standing, staring at the moon, It was almost as if she were absorbing power from it. I could only wonder what the hell was going on. Why was I here? What could I do? Somehow, deep down, I knew I was no match for Luna. She could probably reduce me to dust if she'd wanted to. Was it her power that had brought me here for some reason? Was it right that Luna ruled alone? I remembered that, in the cartoons, Luna had been banished after she'd turned to the dark side or some such and Celestia – or something – had overpowered her and placed her in the moon for quite some time. Or something like that. Like I said, my knowledge of this world was zip.
Pinky raced off, shouting she was going to get her 'party cannon' or some such, and get the party started. Applejack and Fluttershy asked if I'd like to help them fish. I agreed and went with them, noticing that Luna followed us quite closely. Well, I could understand that. I mean, if I'd wanted to hurt these ponies, she would have been there to stop me.
The stream was surprisingly well stocked with fish and we soon had several baskets full. “We don't eat fish.” Fluttershy murmured shyly. “We don't eat meat at all.”
“No, ponies on my world don't, either.” I told her.
“Do you eat them raw?”
“No, we usually cook them. Do you have somewhere I can cook?”
She raised her head and looked at me, those puppy-dog eyes of hers wide and nervous. “We do.”
You know, as much as I didn't like these little critters, and as much as I longed to be home where I knew I could find good, red meat, I found myself disliking the fact that they were scared of me. Yeah, I know, I'm strange like that. I squatted down low and extended a hand slowly to Fluttershy as Applejack looked on, the expression on her face made me feel as though she'd attack me to defend the other. “I don't want you to be frightened of me, Fluttershy.” I said quietly. “I won't hurt you or any other pony here.”
“Th-thank you.” she whickered, sniffing my hand. She looked at me and fluttered those long eyelashes. “I do try not to be so nervous, it's just that...”
“Hey,” I said with a smile, “I understand. If I were your height and something my size came along, I might be nervous, too. I'm sure you're brave when you need to be.”
Okay. I'll cut a long story short, here and say that, despite my misgivings, I actually managed to enjoy the party. The food was good and the cider was very good. I probably drank a little more than I should, but with what I'd been through I felt I was doing well not to get totally blind, falling-down drunk.
I was, naturally an object of curiosity. Ponies of all ages came to have a gawk at me. Foals skittered as I grinned and winked at them. The older ones stood around, watching me somewhat warily. Oh, I was welcomed well enough, but... Yeah. Like I said about Fluttershy, I could understand it, so it didn't really bother me. What did bother me, though, was something else. There seemed to be someone missing. Sure, I didn't know Jack Squat about this program... er... world, but I did know some of the characters. When Applejack came over with a large jug (or they'd call it a large jug, I'd call it a mug) of cider, I asked. “Applejack, where's Big Mac? I thought he'd be here for something like this.”
The entire party seemed to instantly stop. It was like one of those cartoon things where everything suddenly halts. She looked up at me, her face worked, tears sprang to her eyes and suddenly she was suppressing sobs. I could see her body jerking as she fought to keep them silent. Tears streamed down her face. “He... He's dead.” she said woodenly, before turning and walking off.
Other ponies looked at me as if I'd just committed a mortal sin. 'Oops'. I thought to myself.
It was Granny who stepped forward. “Big Mac was killed a just over a week ago.” she told me quietly, her ancient voice sounding loud in the stillness. “The two of them were out looking for a lost foal when they came across a dragon. Usually, they don't attack, but this one did. Big Mac fought it, telling Applejack to go for help.” There was a moment's silence. “By the time anyone who could help got there it was too late. It must have carried him off. We never even found the body.”
I heaved a sigh. “Ah.” I really couldn't think of what else to say. From what I'd heard of the cartoons, Big Mac would probably have been the one I would have liked most. Big, strong, dependable and a solid temperament. “Granny,” my voice was quiet and soft. “Tell Applejack I'm sorry. I didn't know.”
Granny nodded. “I didn't think you did.” she replied. “I've been watching you, I have. I don't think you'd hurt anyone like that.” she turned and walked off in the direction Applejack had taken. I ran my thumb and finger over my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. Yeah. I know. I've said often enough that I don't like the show, nor do I particularly like the ponies themselves. But this? This was different.
Well, I nearly said that the party started up again, but that wouldn't really be telling the truth. Ponies started moving, talking , eating and drinking again, but I wouldn't really have called it a 'party'. It definitely wasn't the event I'd stopped moments ago with some ill-chosen words.
I saw Granny come back and went over to her. “Granny, could you tell her I'm sorry. I didn't know. Some of what I've heard is, obviously, rather wrong.”
Granny looked at me, her old eyes narrowed almost shut. “You like to tell her yourself?” she muttered. She seemed to be looking at me in a way that seemed to see right inside me.
“I would. If that's alright with you.”
“If I didn't think so I wouldn't have asked.” she grumped.
“Granny?”
“Yes?”
“I'm sorry for your loss.”
She nodded shortly and I saw a tear glint in those old eyes. “He was a good lad, was Mac.” With that she turned and led me out of Ponyville. (Ah. Well, I'd remembered the name of the town, anyway.) There was a small clearing in which the ponies I recognised as the 'Mane Six' huddled. Five attempting to console one but all very much affected.
I stopped and Granny walked on, there was a quiet conversation which resulted in a lot of looks in my direction. Granny came back. “Very well, but you try to hurt her and...” the threat should have seemed ludicrous coming from such an ancient, but it didn't. I knew she meant every word of it.
With the others watching, I walked over and squatted down beside Applejack who was seated on her haunches, her head bowed, weeping. “I'm sorry, Applejack. I didn't know.”
She nodded and gulped back a sob. “I... I should have stayed with him. I should have stayed to help. I should have done something. I could have, I'm sure. I... I...” she gulped again. “I shouldn't have left him!”
It seemed only too natural to reach out and run my hand down her neck. I stopped myself from it though; I didn't want to do anything untoward. “I doubt you could have done anything, Applejack. You did what he would have wanted you to do. You lived. You survived. If you'd died with him, his death would have been a waste.”
Her face twitched “I...”
Me? I felt like hugging her. Here was what was basically a young woman, hurting from the loss of her brother. The fact that, while Granny Smith was there, Applejack's parents had not been mentioned, made my brain spin. I had a nasty suspicion that they were dead. I didn't know, of course, but something about this scene made me think the worst. “I know I'm only a stranger, Applejack. A stranger that hardly knows you or your friends; but if you want someone to talk to...” I let the sentence hang. I don't really know why I'd said that. What I did know, thought, was that I wanted to help.
Well, this was getting interesting. The show, as far as I'd been able to make out, was very different from what was happening here. I couldn't remember ever hearing of a character being killed. Especially a character such as Big McIntosh.
As my brain fought to remember what little I knew of ponyland – was it 'Equestiria'? - the more I noticed differences. The main one, of course, was the dark. I'm not sure how everything kept growing or living as most plants don't grow well in the dark, but here, things still seemed to be thriving, although some things did seem a little 'off' in ways I can't really describe.
I'd noticed the ponies' 'cutie marks' as I think – hope – they're called and one difference, at least, had stood out. It might just be because I'd seen more of her than other ponies but when I saw Rainbow Dash's 'cutie mark' I saw that, while it was in the shape of a rainbow, it was extremely pale; almost white. Then it twigged a memory. It was a moonbow. A night rainbow. Strange, but rather pretty and not as garish as the full rainbow version I'd seen in the show.
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this situation. I mean, I didn't know what had brought me here or why. Was I supposed to do something? Was I supposed to help someone? Was Luna evil or was... was... dammit, whatshername. I mentally cursed my memory for names. I kept thinking 'Equestria' but I knew – or thought – that was the name of the place. The story, or so I thought, went that Luna had rebelled – turned to the 'dark side'or some such – against her sister... Hell, I'd remembered it earlier... Celestia, that was it. Celestia was in charge of the day, Luna in charge of the night. Part of me chuckled at the thought 'Luna, creature of the night' and wondered if she were a vampire. Meh. If I kept this up I'd be as loopy as any of those ponies.
.The party had broken up by now and the others were trying to either comfort Applejack or go about their other duties. It was rather obvious, though, that I'd really spoiled the mood of the party. Which was a shame. Rather to my surprise, I realised that I'd been enjoying myself quite a bit.
Other ponies came and looked at me but I think my size drove them away. Then I noticed them looking at a point behind me before moving off. I looked around. "Hello, Princess." I said, politely.
"Hello, Mister Geraldson.” I blinked at that, I'd told no one my surname. Funnily enough no one had asked. "Could we talk for a while?"
"Sure." I looked down at her. She was the very image of regality. I had to say that. I wasn't lying before when I'd said she looked like a princess. I couldn't really tell you how, she just did. We moved away to a quiet area, away from the other ponies.
"We don't mention Celestia here. Technically, she doesn't exist, nor has she ever existed. That's my fault."
"Do you mind if I ask?"
She sighed. "It's sad, really. She became bitter. Resentful that the moon should even spend some time in the sky. You see, she really shone in the sunlight and the rainbow of her mane was brightest when the sun shone upon it. She wanted the days to stay the same and, to her, that meant the longest summer day. I knew. I knew that this would scorch the earth. I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't listen. She grew bitter when the days grew shorter. Then it came to a day when we could rule in harmony no longer. She had different powers than I. She could control both the moon and the sun. Whereas I could only control the moon. One day we fought." She snorted and tossed her head. "I say 'one day', but the fight went on for over several days. First one would start to prevail, then the other. The battle swayed back and forth, and both the sun and the moon watched over us. I was desperate. I knew that if she won, she would banish both myself and winter forever. She told me this. She made no secret of the fact. It would be summer forever in Equestria.
"I was desperate. I knew that the everlasting summer would destroy Equestria and kill us all. I was exhausted. I was losing the battle. I tried, again, to make her see that her plans would turn Equestria into ash, but she would not listen."
The emotion in her voice betrayed her distress. I felt that this must have been a terrible time for her. Of course my somewhat minor knowledge of the show told me that it was the opposite. That Princess Luna had been the one that had turned bitter. But wouldn't the victor always want to portray themselves as the good ones? The thought occurred to me that this could be the case here, too. But listening to Luna speak suddenly threw doubts on what I'd believed to be true. "What happened?" I asked.
"I was losing. I got desperate. I..." she hung her head. "I made a mistake." she admitted. "I struck out at her with all I had left, all that was within me surged against her, in a spell I only half remembered. I had nothing left, nothing. Not even consciousness, for that was my last blow. If that had not succeeded, I would be gone and Equestria would be bathed in summer forever." She was panting and gasping for breath just telling me this. Her knees trembled and I could see her shaking.
"I woke with some surprise." she went on after a moment. "Celestia was gone. The sun was gone. Only the moon remained. That, I hadn't expected. I went to the library and looked for a remedy, but only I was mentioned in the books. And there was only the moon. There was no sun. It was like there had never been one. Ever."
She shook her head, tossing her long mane from side to side. "I loved her. She was my sister. I did not mean to destroy her." she cried out in anguish. "I meant to defeat her, yes. I had to save Equestria. I thought I had destroyed her and the sun forever."
"You thought?"
She looked at me and shook her head. "I did not realise it at the time, but no, I hadn't. Ponies began to speak of a strange spectre in the woods. A ghost. A beautiful white mare with a long, flowing mane and tail. It was said that, if one looked carefully, one could see a moonbow in the mane. But ponies became frightened. The spectre was as beautiful, but evil seems to ride it. The dragons and the hydra grow more active now. Or so it is said. As you've heard, Big McIntosh was killed protecting his sister, Applejack. I don't know whether Celestia is behind it or not. But I know they are more active than they were before.
"When I mentioned her name you gave me such a look of anger I thought I would turn to stone." I said quietly. "Why?"
She sighed. "As much as I would love to see her again. I am still frightened. If what they say about the spectre and the beasts is true then she is still angry with me. I do not know what would happen if we were to meet, and I doubt I could defeat her again." She shook her head slowly. "I am scared, Gerald. Scared, not only for me, but for all of Equestria."
She looked up at me with a wry smile. "So. Now you know my secret. I do not hate my sister. I never did. But I know I could not face her again and win. I cannot take the risk of her coming back."
"What about the 'Elements of Harmony'?" I asked, "I will admit to not knowing much about them, but can't they be harnessed to help stop her?"
"The Elements are useless against her. She saw to that. She created them."
"Ah. I see." And I could. If Celestia had created the Elements of Harmony (I'd apparently gotten the name right) it stood to reason that she would be proof against them.
"Why tell me all this?" I asked
"Since you came I've been wondering why." she replied. "What brought you or sent you? Why here? Why now? I can only wonder if you have come to save Equestria from Celestia."
"But what can I do?" I asked. "You could turn me to dust. I know that. If she is stronger then you...."
"That's just it." Luna replied, shaking her head. "At first I thought you might be a powerful one, like the alicorns. In fact when you mentioned Celestia, I did wonder whether you and she were on the same side. But you're not a magic user. I can tell. You don't have it within you."
"You thought I might have come to fight you? To wrest Equestria from your grip and restore it to Celestia?" I will admit, I had been thinking that.
She blew out a breath. "Yes. I did. It was that, also, which was behind the look I gave you."
"I see."
"You have your doubts, don't you?" she told me. "That is understandable. I could be lying."
"And Celestia could be the rightful one?"
"She could."
"But she's not. Is she. At least not according to you."
She looked up at me. "I cannot convince you. I can only tell you what I have. Since you have come; since I have been talking to you, here, I feel a growing sense that it is up to you, somehow, to decide the fate of Equestria, and I can only wonder if you will side with Celestia. She, as I said, can control both the sun and the moon."
“Wait! Did you say that it will be up to me to decide the fate of Equestria?” My thoughts roiled at the very idea.
“Yes.” she nodded.
Oh, great. I tried, rather desperately, not to run away in panic. I did wonder, however, whether it was just part of a lure. An attempt to get me to her side. 'You willl save Equestria! You will be the hero!', yeah. It was a nice lure, too.
"So, what will you offer me if I help you?" I asked her.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing but my thanks." she told me. "All I have belongs to Equestria. I rule, yes, but my ponies own me more than I own them. I cannot, in truth, offer you anything that might affect your judgment."
"No 'riches beyond measure'? No 'half the kingdom'? No 'the hand of the king's daughter in marriage'? The last I asked with a grin.
She looked up at me. "No. Nothing."
I squatted down as far as I could so she wouldn't have to look up to me again. "Luna. You say you do not wish Celestia to return because you fear what she might do. Correct?"
She nodded. "Correct. I fear that she will be as she was. Fighting for supremacy. Fighting for the summer sun to shine forever."
"But it is not good for the moon to shine forever, is it?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No. It is not. It takes a great deal from me to keep Equestria alive. I have said that I did not wish to eliminate Celestia completely, only stop her from what she wished to do."
I thought for a moment. "Luna. What if I said I would not help you defeat Celestia again?"
She looked me in the eyes. "If she comes back, and is like she was before, I will do what I can to save Equestria. Even if it means my end."
I was slightly startled. "Your death? But I thought you were immortal?"
"Oh, I will not die." she told me. "Even Celestia's power cannot kill me. But she can destroy me."
"Ah." I'd work on that one, later.
She looked at me again with a stare that seemed to go into my soul. "I will not mention this again. I just hope you choose wisely." she told me. "Whether you believe me, or not. Equestria's fate lies in your hands."
'Ah, crap.' I nodded. "And if I help neither of you except to restore harmony?"
She smiled a smile that seemed to light up her face from within. "So that she and I can rule again, together? That would be the best result of all."
She sobered a little and bowed her head. "I cannot force you to believe me. I cannot force you to help. I do not know whether you will believe me or not. I can only hope that, whichever choice you make will be the best for Equestria."
"Thank you. I think." Great. Now, according to Luna, I had the fate of a world in my hands. The fate of a world that, in all honesty, I didn't even like. I'd watched a total of what, about six episodes. Two of those had been the introduction and that had just been so I could say that I had actually watched some. The others were from where, after talking to someone about it, I'd been told, 'Well, you should watch this episode, it's more representative of the show.' Yeah, after about four of those I'd given up. I didn't like the show. It was too sacchirine sweet. Too 'fingernails on chalkboard', too.... yeah, let's just say it wasn't my cup of tea. And now? Now? If Luna was right and I was the one that would decide the fate of Equestria...? Biiig Sigh.
"You have a lot to think on." I shook myself at the words and looked up. Luna was just looking at me. "I will leave you, now. I have said what I needed to say."
"Princess?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"You may not, soon enough." her voice was quiet. "I think it will be hard for you."
"I just hope that the decision I make is the right one."
"So do I. Whichever decision you make."
We stood there. Well, she stood, I squatted, "Princess, there is one thing of yours that does not belong to Equestria, but something I would never ask, nor is it anything I would ever take."
She looked at me quizzically. I don't really blame her. I was thinking a 'What the hell?' too. But...
"May I" I asked, reaching out to touch her.
She merely nodded.
"This." and I ran my hand through that long mane of hers. Just once. Then, without a further word, I raised myself to my feet, turned and walked off. I didn't even look back.
I went for a walk. A long walk. I had a lot to think about. I'd watched enough of the TV show to know that Luna had been the one that had been cast out. But she'd been put in the moon. What had they called her then? Nightmare Moon. That was it. Yes. She was the 'bad' one. I couldn't exactly remember why. Just that she'd gotten jealous and bitter or... or something like that. Something, in fact, very like what Luna had said had happened to Celestia. Did Luna know that, though? I really doubt Luna knew about a television show back on earth.
I now fully expected a visit from Celestia. Since she was banished/evicted/whatever I had no idea how or in what form she'd visit me, but... Yeah. Let's just say that the way things were going...? I wouldn't have been surprised if she rode down on a cloud or something. Also, I fully expected her to pitch a similar story than the one Luna had. Albeit from her angle. I blew out a sigh as I sat down on a log and rubbed a hand across my face.
It was crazy. It really was. I mean... I've never really been into praying much. Especially when praying for myself. But this... Gah. "God," I prayed quietly. "if this is a dream, I'd like to wake up now. If it's real? I could really do with your help." Well wasn't that the truth. According to Luna, the fate of Equesria rested on me. I don't know how. I didn't know why. This was, to me, a fake world full of pastels and.... I stopped. It wasn't full of pastels and bright colours. The colours that were there were muted by the darkness. Luna had said that it took strength – by which she obviously meant magic – to keep the world going. I guessed that she also had to let the moon set and rise, for to have the place permanently bathed in moonlight would be... just as bad as sunlight. Also, somewhat to my surprise, this place was growing on me.
Could it be that.... My thoughts were interrupted by a growl. I looked up and saw a pack of rather non-descript looking dogs. "Yes?" I asked politely.
"What you?"
"I'm a sasquatch." I told them.
"What's dat?"
"Me." Yeah. It's probaly not the best answer, but when someone asks a sasquatch 'What's a sasquatch?' what am I supposed to say?
They seemed to ponder this for a moment.
"You come wid us."
I shook my head. "Nah. I'll stay here."
"Come wid us. See boss."
"I don't think so. I can't imagine wanting to meet someone who'd boss you around."
"You scared?"
"Do I look it?" I grinned. I wondered what I looked like. I hadn't seen my face in a mirror before, When writing of this character in this form I'd thought of it as his 'Florence' grin. They grinned back. Hmm.... That hadn't worked as well as I'd hoped. There again, they had fangs, too.
"Boss say 'Bring him.'."
"What if I don't want to go?" "We take."
Oh, great. I was about to get attacked by the Diamond dogs. The name slipped into my mind, amazingly. "Take me, then."
They rushed forwards, I flicked out a foot and, much to my astonishment, my timing was perfect. I got the one that was obviously the leader of this pack right under the chin. His jaw shut with an audible 'clop' and he spun over backwards. He actually performed two backwards somersaults before crashing to earth on his face.
The other two weren't stopping. I let drive with a fist and felt something crumple. That dog promptly lost all interest in the proceedings and lay down for a nap.
The third leaped at me, getting past my guard and crashing into my chest. He grabbed hold of my arm and bit down, worrying it. When he let go for a better purchase I slammed my hand into his mouth. As he tried to pull back, I wrapped the other arm around the back of his head. This had the effect of pushing my hand deeper into his mouth. He couldn't shut his jaw, he couldn't bite me, he couldn't do anything except wriggle. "Listen." I told him. The only response being another wriggle and a heave as he tried to break my grip.
"If you don't stop I'll hurt you." He stopped. "Now," I growled. "Would you like me to reach down your throat and pull your tail out so you can use it as a second tongue?" Yeah. A witty, snappy one-liner it wasn't but... it had the right effect. The dog looked up at me. I looked down at the dog, His ears and tail dropped.
"You know. I'm hungry." I snarled at him. "And where I come from, dog meat is considered a delicacy." I think that if I hadn't had my hand jammed in his throat he would have whimpered. "So unless you lot want to end up on a barbecue, I suggest you leave me – and the ponies – alone. Understand?"
I felt the neck muscles move as he tried to nod. I dropped him and he sat and choked for a moment before getting his breath back. "What... what ponies mean to you."
"Don't worry about what they mean to me. But if I hear about you annoying ponies I will hunt you down and cook you. Now take your mangy mates and get the hell out of my sight." So saying, I stood up, letting him get a good look at my size. He seemed to shrink a little and he quickly grabbed his two companions by their collars and started to drag them away. It obviously wasn't easy for him and he kept looking back, as if to ask whether he could stop. But my continued glaring at him told him that he'd better keep going until they were finally out of sight.
I rubbed my arm. It was bleeding slightly and the puncture wounds hurt like... well... a dog bite, I suppose, but it wasn't too bad. I sat back down on the log and thought about the dog's last question. What did the ponies mean to me?
It had been easy to dislike them when they were a silly, somewhat childish cartoon show. It had been easy and even fun to laugh at their misadventure. It had been a good source of amusement at how fake it all seemed. But now? Now I was here amongst them? I'd seen Applejack's expression. There had been nothing 'fake' about that. Nor had their been any fakeness about the expressions on the faces of her friends. Or on her grandmother. Now I thought of it I could look back. Yes, there were the signs. The grandmother. The matriarch of the family. She would have been hit hard by her grandson's death, too. But she'd seen that she was the one who had to remain strong for Applejack and.... I remembered hearing somewhere that Applejack had a sister, but I couldn't remember the name.
I'd also seen the foals and their childish enthusiasm and curiosity. Some mothers – and I hadn't blamed them at all – had kept their foals away from me, but those foals that had come close were... I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I seemed to be doing a lot of that, lately. The ponies meant something to me, now. It felt, somehow, as if I were responsible for them.
Ah, crud.
I had a lot of thinking to do. It seemed rather unfair for me, who knew almost nothing about this land or this situation and hadn't even liked the blasted show, had, seemingly been chosen to decide the fate of Equestria itself. All I knew was that I had to do what I could. But what? I don't give myself tickets for smarts. Sometimes I feel danged stupid. There were a lot out there who were better able, with better knowledge and better brains than I who would have been able to deal with this far better than I. So why the hell had I been chosen? I guess I'd never know.
I walked for some time in the moonlight. The moon, obviously being used by Luna as an alternative sun, was going down when I wended my way back to Ponyville. A few ponies greeted me and we were just discussing where I should sleep – it looked like it would be the barn again – when there was a ponyish scream and a young mare came hurtling into the village. She saw me and changed direction. Skidding to a stop she waved a note at me. "Help!" she cried out with only the desperate tone of a mother with a child in trouble. "Help, please! It's Aura. She's been taken by the Diamond dogs!"
I squatted down and quickly took the note. "Send big saskwach." the note read. "Or we kill little won. Any ponies, she dys. Any majics, she dys." the note was written in an almost illegible scrawl, but I could make out the words. There was a crude map on the back.
By now other ponies were gathering around. The 'Mane Six' as I knew them, were ready to go. "No!" I told them, showing them the note. Twilight and the others protested. "No!" I repeated. Not unless you want Aura to die." Yeah, I gotta admit, I was blunt. It did have the desired effect, though. Aura's mother surprised me when she joined me in persuading the others to stay. "If I'm not back by moonrise," I told them, hoping that 'moonrise' would be the same as 'sunrise' at home, "it will mean I've failed and then and only then should anypony" – oh, gods, I was even talking like them – "attempt anything." I smiled, somewhat grimly down at the distraught mother. "Don't worry. I'll bring her back." I looked at the others, "But first, I'll need some equipment. I want the biggest spear you've got. And I want it sharp. I also..." I outlined a few things I wanted. There were a few questions but everything I asked for was supplied. The mother started to thank me. "Don't thank me yet." I told her. "Wait until I get back."
I left, then, making my way across country at a run I never could have managed in my old form. The map wasn't exactly accurate and I got... misplaced, a time or two but I got there. I knew I'd arrived when I did, that's for sure. I might not have been the neatest bachelor back home, but I hadn't let things get this bad.
A little way out from the mouth of the cave, I built a fire. I built it deliberately and carefully, using rocks to surround it and then putting twigs and larger pieces of wood. A regular little fire. I then arranged a cooking spit over it, before lighting the fire. Then, and only then, did I turn my attention to the cave. Several dogs were watching me. "What you do?"
"I'm building a cooking fire. What else?" Now, if you're good dogs, and hand over the filly, I'll put it back out. But if I have to come in there..." I licked my lips.
"HELP!" Yup. The little filly was still there alright.
"So." I said with a confidence I didn't particularly feel. "What's it to be? Do I get the filly, or do I get the filly and have a barbecue?"
Another shouldered its way through. "You get nuthing." It growled. "We get you. We eat you.”
“Help! Please!” there came that voice again.
“I'm coming, Aura.” and so saying, I strode towards the mouth of the cave. I'd met Aura before so we weren't entirely unknown to each other.
The spear I had was a short one. The blade was rather narrow and made to come out of a wound easily. In my other hand I carried a mace. A spiked ball on a short handle. I didn't ask where they got it, I'd just asked for a club or something similar. Both handles were shorter than would have been considered normal for I did not know how much room I'd have to fight.
The mouth of the cave was tall enough for me, but I might have to watch the height further in.
I covered the distance between us at a quick walk. My eyes weren't focused on any particular point or dog but moved constantly. “Just wait a moment, Aura. I'll have you out of there in a moment and I'll take you back to Mummy.”
“Please.” came the whimper. “Ple...” there was the sound of a blow and the voice stopped.
I looked at the leader. “I told those who approached me earlier, to leave the ponies alone. I've just heard a young filly being struck. I will take her home. If you get hurt, that's your fault.”
“And if you get hurt, that yours.” he growled.
I shrugged. “Fair enough.”
I couldn't show weakness now. I certainly didn't feel as confident as I sounded. My increased size was actually a disadvantage in a way. I'd have to bend to be able to hit them. They could gnaw my ankles and bring me down, but I would have to either rely on stabbing and clubbing or I'd have to really get down and dirty.
The dogs crouched. There were ten dogs waiting for me and, undoubtedly, more inside. I shifted the spear in my hand, kept walking as if I didn't have a worry in the world, until I struck. The mace came down onto a dog's skull. I both heard and felt the crunch as the heavy, spiked ball landed.
I slashed across me with the spear as two dogs leaped. I took a step back as they crashed into my chest, their throats spurting blood. Unfortunately, the dog who's head I hit had, somehow, fallen behind me. I tripped and went down.
The dogs roared in victory as they surged over me. There was snapping and snarling for some moments, and I'm not too ashamed to tell you that some of that came from me. I was fighting, not only for my life, but for Aura's.
I heaved myself into a sitting position, stabbing with the spear. I still had hold of the mace but with dogs all over me it was hard to wield. I blocked a dog from biting my face by jamming my forearm into its jaws and winced as it bit down. I shook it off, and hauled the mace from under a dog and jabbed rather than swung. The heavy ball had enough impetus to hurt noses, at least. I finally managed to sweep the dog from me enough to be able to lunge to my knees. The mace rose and fell. Bones crunched and dogs yelped and yowled. Each swing of the mace brought a crunch. Every jab of the spear brought a howl or yelp. Finally I was able to get to my knees and then my feet. I was bleeding. Especially my forearms and legs. I swayed, nearly going down as a dog hit my knees.
I was hurting now, hurting bad. But I wasn't dead yet, not by a long shot. I clubbed another couple of dogs and suddenly they gave way before me. I staggered forward, only just thinking to duck under a low part of the ceiling. The tunnel went on and I worked my way forward. A dog hit me from behind and nearly knocked me off my feet. I shifted both weapons to one hand, reached back and tore him off me, swinging him against a wall with a satisfying crunch and a wail of pain.
Finally I staggered into a room. And snarled. I saw Aura, they had her chained up by the forehooves, her hind hooves not even touching the floor. I walked over to her. “I'll have you free in a moment, sweetie.” I told her, the look of alarm on her face making me wonder what my face looked like. It hurt enough to tell me it had been rather well chewed. Fortunately, she'd been introduced to me at the party, so I wasn't completely unknown to her. "Are you going to take me to Mummy?" she asked.
"I am. I'll have you down in a moment." I had to admire her. She was obviously in a great deal of pain, but she was trying to be brave.
It was then I saw the blood on her nose and lips. I turned to the dogs cowering nearby. “Who did this?” I growled. “Who?!”
One looked especially nervous and the others were almost pushing him forwards. I reached down, grabbed him by the throat and heaved, he came up to eye level at such a rate I'd swear he stretched. “Did you do that?” I asked, indicating Aura's split lip and nostril.
He started to shake his head but the others chimed in. “He did, he did.”
I growled, and slapped him on the side of the face with an open palm. His ear slapped his shoulder and bood spurted from his nose and dribbled from a split lip. I dropped him, then, to land with a crunch on the floor. With one hand I went to lift the wide eyed and terrified Aura. “It's alright, Aura. Mummy sent me to get you. I'll take you to Mummy now. Okay?” I tried to make my voice as gentle as possible but she was still nervous. She shrank away from me as I went to lift her and I must say that I couldn't really blame her. My whole front was pretty much covered in blood. I turned to the dogs. “Towel!” I growled. “Now!”
Someone produced one, I won't say it was clean, but it was cleaner than I was. I wiped myself down as well as possible and tossed the towel back at the dogs. “Another.”
It took a few moments, but another was produced. Again, it wasn't clean, but it was, actually, cleaner than the previous one. I arranged it over my hands and lifted Aura so I could unfasten the shackles. They soon dropped away and, holding her carefully, I made my retreat. I managed to arrange the towel between my chest and her body and hugged her to me. “It's alright, Aura. It's alright, sweetie. I'll soon have you back to Mummy." I tried to make my voice calm and soothing but I won't say I pulled it off well.
I stepped over bodies of dogs and, now she had a towel to lean against, Aura huddled against me. The leader, I was somewhat surprised to note, was reviving. “I told you,” I growled at him, “Not to bother the ponies. If you do it again, I'll get annoyed with you and you wouldn't like that.” His response was to groan and collapse again.
I staggered to a nearby stream and carefully put Aura down. She couldn't stand, she was shaking so badly and I could also see that her shoulders pained her greatly. I washed off as quickly as possible and sat down next to her to catch my breath and recover a little. I was shaking and in quite a good deal of pain now the adrenaline was leaving my system. After the tension and the fight and just the relief that I'd got Aura away from the dogs it felt nice just to be able to sit for a moment. I was a little surprised when she suddenly wriggled over so she cold rest her head on my lap. I stroked her neck and back and she rested her head on my leg and sighed.
There was only starlight now, but my new eyes were good for seeing in the dark. After a few moments I heaved myself to my feet, carried her down to the river and held her while she drank. “Mummy now?” she asked.
I grinned. “Okay.” I stood up. Most of the bleeding had stopped thanks to the coldness of the water and the bandages I'd packed, but I was still leaking a little. I kicked out the fire I'd lit and, with little Aura nestled in my arms, we headed back to Ponyville.
I could see the lights as I came over the last rise. It didn't look like anyone had gone to bed, although I suspected it was rather late. As I neared town, a mare raced out. “Aura!”
“Mummy!” The little one wriggled in my arms.
“Hang on, little one. I'll carry you home.”
I looked down to the mare who was practically bouncing beside me. “She's a little sore, ma'am. If you like to show me the way I can carry her home.” Which is what she did. I had to almost crawl into the house and laid Aura gently on her bed, giving her head a gentle stroke as I did so. “There, all home with Mummy again.” I said, with a gentle grin.
“Thank you.” she told me. “Thank you.”
I smiled and backed off, only to be nearly smothered by her mother. She rose up on her hind hooves, wrapped her forelegs around my neck and hugged me. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou.” she murmured. I could tell from her voice she was nearly crying. I patted her back gently, albeit awkwardly. “You're welcome, ma'am. Very welcome.” Yeah. I was rather embarrassed. Not used to females doing that to me.
She fussed over my wounds and such but it was clear where she really wanted to be. “Go to her.” I told her. “Take care, tonight, there might be nightmares.”
She nodded, thanked me again and headed into Aura's room. I made my way out of the house to be met by numerous other ponies. “Why?” asked Twilight. “You hardly know us. You haven't been here a day and you save someone you don't even know.”
I shrugged. “The Diamond Dogs attacked me earlier today. They wanted to take me to their boss. I warned them to stay away from me and you.”
“Me?”
“All of you. I told them to stay away from the ponies. I know why they kidnapped Aura. To get me to come. They wanted to kill me, I think.” I thought of another reason, too. If Luna 'knew' that the reason I was there was to 'decide the fate of Equestria' then perhaps the leader of the Dogs knew it, too and wanted to have his say about it.
“Yet you went.”
I shrugged. “I couldn't really do otherwise. Aura was in trouble because of me. I couldn't just do nothing.”
“Wow.” said Pinky.
A nurse came over and, despite only having hooves and her mouth, did a far better job than I could on my bandages. She also put something on my wounds that took away most of the pain.
“Now all I need is a good sleep.” I said with a tired smile. Despite the ointment I was hurting fairly badly.
There was some general chatter and they all thanked me profusely but I must admit the tiredness was hitting me like a wall. I staggered into the barn and lay down on my bed. It was then that Luna came in. “Thank you.” she told me. But the tone of her voice said much, much more.
I smiled. “You're most welcome, Princess.” I told her. And that, I'm afraid, is the last I remember until next morning. Or what passed for morning in Equestria at the moment.
When I woke the moon was just coming up. It took me a moment to recognise this for what it was. This moon day stuff was confusing as hell. My first movement brought back to me the events of the day before. I lay back and thought about it.
I hadn't really have to think about it yesterday. The Diamond Dogs were... if not evil, then definitely 'bad'. They'd attacked me, just because I wouldn't go with them, but what really put the seal on it was their kidnapping and abuse of the little filly, Aura. Once that had happened, it had been on. There was no way I'd let them get away with that. No way. I remembered being asked last night why I'd done it when I hadn't even really known Aura or her mother. Heck, I hardly knew anyone here. I'd only been here for around twenty-four hours, or however long a 'day' was, here. But that hadn't been an issue. Some might consider me a little old-fashioned, but I don't hold with the mistreatment of women. Especially young children. You hurt them, I will do my best to hurt you and get them away from you. And the fact that the Dogs had kidnapped Aura because of me really put the icing on the cake. There had been absolutely no way I was going to let them get away with that.
I recalled my conversation with Luna. I had no idea what was going to happen, in fact I was having trouble working out exactly what had happened. Had she been telling the truth? Was Celestia to blame? Or, rather, was Celestia the one at fault? Luna admitted to having made 'a mistake' when she disposed of not only Celestia, but the sun as well. The fact that any mention of Celestia had been struck from all records and memories, spoke of a magical power pretty much beyond my comprehension. I mean, whatever she'd done with Celestia and the sun was one thing. But to actually erase them from ever having existed? It made my brain hurt just thinking of it.
Luna had, apparently, been forced to use her magic, not only to control the moon, but to keep Equestria going. That made sense in a way. Not much grew in moonlight. To survive as they had, there would have had to have been a substantial amount of magic used.
Luna had lied, though. Sort of. She'd told the ponies that the sun would scorch the earth and turn the grasses brown and... She'd also said that Celestia wanted an eternal summer. Now when she'd said that I'd automatically thought of the summers in Australia. Hot, dry and dusty. Sixteen hour days. An eternity of that would scorch the earth. But that wasn't really the case, was it? I mean, if they had enough power to control the sun and the moon, they probably had enough power to control the climate as well.
I thought about other things that had happened yesterday. I didn't know how I'd gotten here. But I did know, deep within myself that one thing Luna had said was true. Somehow, for reasons only known to God himself, or whoever else was controlling this show, I held the fate of Equestria in my hands. I mean, it was crazy. If I'd been watching this on the television I would have done a coin toss. That's how much I cared. Yet here? Here, where I was immersed in their world and was becoming immersed in their lives? Now it felt different. If I'd been watching the show, I probably wouldn't have cared about Aura getting kidnapped by the Dogs. I wouldn't have cared about the claw and bite marks her mother had sustained. But yesterday there had been no question in my mind. I was going to either rescue Aura or go down trying. It was the same with the fate of Equestria. It mattered now.
I sighed and swung my legs painfully off the bed, heaved myself to my feet and went to the door. When I opened it I saw Aura's mother. She smiled up at me, her face slightly marred by a scratch across her nose. "I brought you some fish." she told me, indicating a large tray laden with freshly-cooked fish.
I squatted down. "Thank you. How are you both?"
"I'm okay, Aura is still rather sore, but she's..." her face worked "She's alive, thanks to you." It looked for a moment as if I were in for another hugging but, instead, she pulled a piece of paper from a bag that hung around her neck, and offered it to me. "She drew that this morning."
It was childish and roughly drawn, but it showed me, covered in blood and surrounded by what I took to be Dogs. A scrawled 'Thank you.' in childish writing ran along the bottom of the drawing. I had to use a bit of imagination to recognise myself, but... "It's lovely. She's such a sweet little one, too. As well as being very brave."
By that time, other ponies were gathering around. I saw Twilight, Applejack and the others I knew from the show, but there were many others as well. They all expressed their thanks, and several brought cakes and other goodies as tokens of their appreciation. Me? I was as embarrassed by all the attention. As I said to Luna, later; if it hadn't been for me, the Dogs might not have attacked in the first place. They'd wanted me to come to their cave and when I'd refused, they'd kidnapped Aura to force my hand.
The rest of the day was spent rather quietly. A lot of things had happened in the last day and a bit, and I really wanted to catch up with myself. I had a lot to think through and I still could not shake the idea that Celestia would, somehow, want to talk to me. My eyes worked fine in the light given by the moon and I walked around and, or so I hoped, made myself useful.
One of the harder things I tried to do was cheer up Applejack. It was apple harvesting–or 'apple bucking' as she called it–season. She'd been used to helping her brother and, in fact had done most of a season alone when her brother had been injured at one time. So, naturally, apple-buck season, forcefully reminded her of her loss. I offered my help and found I could, with some padding on my fists, hit the trees hard enough to bring most of the apples down. I had to time the blows right, but I could do it. I could pull a cart, and do all manner of other things that required more strength than the average pony had. The mood wasn't exactly cheerful in the orchard. Applejack was, naturally enough, having a hard time of it. The others tried to help, but there were times when she just broke down and not even Pinky could cheer her.
That after... oh, heck, I'll stay with my normal thinking or I'll only confuse myself–not that that's hard. That afternoon I got a visitor. She was still obviously a little sore in the shoulders–apparently they'd been partially dislocated–but Aura came out to see me. She was a fun little filly, I have to give her that. She wasn't afraid to help, either, picking up a surprising number of apples. She actually tried applebucking but she was too small and her shoulders pained her.
Her mother came out with her and watched as she picked up apple after apple. "I still can't believe I have her back. When the Dogs attacked me, they said I'd never see her again." She snorted slightly, "It's taking me longer to realise she's back and whole, than it took me to realise the fact she was gone. When you were gone so long. I thought... I..."
"You thought I'd failed and that she was dead?"
She nodded. "I thought you both were. I saw your face before you left. I knew that if you didn't bring Aura back it was because you were dead."
“I'm not easy to kill,” I murmured, “fortunately.”
“Can I confess something?”
I blinked. “Sure.”
“When I saw you coming back I hoped that blood was yours, not... not Aura's.”
“I don't blame you in the slightest.” I told her with a smile. “I'm not a parent, so I can only imagine what you were going through. A total stranger has offered to go and rescue your daughter from the Dogs, insisting that no one go with him. I'm only surprised you let me. I mean, I could have been in league with the dogs.”
“No you couldn't.”
“Oh? What makes you say that?”
“The look on your face when I showed you the note.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“You could have killed, then. The look on your face told me that. And...” she paused.
“And...?”
“And I was glad. I hoped you would. I... It might be wrong but, for capturing and foalnapping Aura like that? I wished them dead.”
“You're her mother. While I've never been a parent, I would be very surprised if that isn't a totally normal reaction. Some one is harming your daughter. You have a dire need to protect her or to see her freed from that situation. What happens to the one harming her doesn't matter to you.”
There was a long moment of silence as she watched Aura talking to Twilight. “Thank you. Again.” she smiled a slightly crooked smile. “I seem to be saying that a lot to you lately, but that's been bothering me a bit, today.” She turned. “Aura. Come here, sweetie.”
Aura came over. Her shoulders were obviously getting rather painful and she seemed to be glad to be called away from the others. She nuzzled up against her mother for a moment before going to lie down. “Aura?” I said quietly. “Would you like a comfortable place for a nap?”
Both mother and daughter looked at me quizzically and I indicated my lap. I was sitting, with my legs out and there was plenty of room for a foal. Aura looked up at her mother who hesitated a moment, then nodded. I helped her up and she lay down with a happy sigh. “Softer than ground.” she murmured. Within a few moments she was asleep. She was a little heavier than I thought she might be, but it wasn't too bad. I've had dogs on my lap before and she wasn't much heavier than those.
Her mother looked at her with a soft smile but one that couldn't hide the worry she obviously felt. “She had nightmares last night.” she told me. “She dreamed the Dogs had her again and were hurting her. She was screaming, terrified. It was enough to terrify me, I can tell you.”
I gently stroked the soft, blue mane. I wondered what colour it would really be in the sunlight. I could make out the basic colour, but that was about it. It was the same with the purple colour of the rest of her coat. Her mother's coat was the same colour as Aura's mane, with her mane being a shade of green. “I'm not surprised she had them. She wasn't well handled.”
“Well, my introduction to Equestria has been a little rough,” I said quietly, continuing to stroke Aura's neck and mane. “but I've survived so far.”
“You haven't had the best of starts, have you?” Splash replied. “I mean with the dogs and all."
I merely shrugged. "Well, I do admit it could have gone better, but... it could have been a lot worse, too."
We chatted for about half an hour or so, I guess. She helped me gain a little more insight and a little more knowledge of Equestria than I'd had before. Then she heaved herself to her feet–or should I say 'hooves'? “Well, things to do and all that.” she said with a smile. “But thanks. Yet again.”
“Oh?”
“For making me... For... That was nice.”
I smiled. “You're most welcome. I must say I enjoyed it, too.” I looked down at Aura who was slowly waking up. “She's a very beautiful filly, you must be very proud.”
“I am.” she replied, then turned to her daughter. “Come on, sleepyhead.”
They moved away and I couldn't help but sit there in wonderment. Two days before, if I'd seen that filly or the mother on the television show, I would have laughed and called them 'cutesy crap' or something similar. But now? Now I was actually getting to know them? The colours didn't seem to matter to me. Not anymore. They mattered. I clambered to my feet and proceeded to knock apples out of trees.
A week went by. It wasn't as boring as I thought it would be, either. There was always plenty to do and there were ways I could help. Really help. With my height and strength I could do things that no pony could do. I'm not going to say I could do them well, but I could do them. I helped with a barn raising, putting in the roof beams. Yeah. I felt, for want of a word, useful. Maybe even 'needed'. I don't know, perhaps they were just being nice, but that's how it seemed. Speaking of 'nice', the place didn't seem as cloyingly overdosed with 'niceness' as I thought it would be. I saw arguments, a few squabbles and, on one occasion, a brief exchange of blows. Even Fluttershy and Rarity had a fairly heated argument.
Okay, I'll readily admit, I didn't know the show. I didn't know whether this would have been considered 'normal' or not, but it felt wrong. Somehow I felt that this wasn't as it should have been. Even the Six were arguing. Now, sure, people disagree and people argue, but this. This just felt wrong on so many levels. Things weren't what I would have expected in a place that that Equestria had been described as. It almost felt as though what I'd seen or read, and what had been described to me was the PR reel. The glossy highlights in a tourist brochure or something.
You'll probably say I was crazy. Yeah? Tell me something I don't know. Sure, I could quite easily understand that there'd be a few disagreements, but for two ponies to argue, to the extent of nearly coming to blows, over the color of the ribbon Applejack wore in her tail? I mean, come on. This was getting crazy. And it was getting worse. I hadn't asked Luna how long Celestia and the sun had been gone, but either the rate of change was accelerating, or it had only been a few weeks.
So, here I was, stuck in Equestria and finding it a lot different from what I'd expected. Not that I'd 'expected' to find myself in Equestria, you understand, but... Yeah. Things were going crazy (or should I say 'crazier') at a high rate of speed. Things were 'darker', and I don't just mean the lack of sunlight.
There was a tension in the air, not so much a 'sense of doom' but more like a balloon inflated to bursting point. Something was about to pop. I could sense it. No, don't ask me how, but I could. Perhaps it was the sasquatch in me, I don't know, but... Just thinking about it made me nervous.
That said, I have to say that it was a nice place. The ponies were as friendly as could be, and–when they weren't–delightful. Yeah. I was, much to my surprise, getting to like this pastel place. It'd be nicer without the tension but I had a feeling that something would be happening soon.
I became good friends with Aura and her mother, Splash 'n' Dash, despite our rather hectic introduction. Despite the tension I felt, and the behavior among the ponies, they were all fairly nice to me and I was pleased to call quite a few of them 'friends'. Yeah. Despite the dark–of either type–the place was strangely growing on me. It certainly wasn't like any of the episodes I'd seen or heard of.
I recalled what Luna had said about Celestia. I felt that Celestia's disappearance had something to do with the worsening situation. Perhaps it was just lack of sunlight. It enabled the production of vitamin D, if I recalled correctly, and I wondered if that had anything to do with the current tension within Equestria. What else, I wondered, could be causing the tension and arguments between ponies that just didn't seem right.
Then I saw him. Discord. I'd heard of him and heard him described but I'd never seen an episode with him. As soon as I saw him I had the thought that he might have been a part of all this. That Discord, the sower of discontent, could be involved up to his eyebrows. What I didn't think of, at that moment, were his powers. I should have known he was powerful. I'd heard that he'd caused trouble and mayhem and that he had almost unlimited power. I just didn't think of that when I saw him.
I'd come up behind him. "Discord." I growled menacingly, even as I bent and wrapped my hand around his throat. He gasped, gurgled and choked as I lifted him up to eye level. "Discord, stop this." The speed of his 'recovery' didn't really register with me.
"Stop what?" he asked, arrogance dripping from every letter.
"Restore Equestria."
"And what makes you think it's my job? Really." An eyebrow rose significantly. He then turned into a snake.
Fortunately, the grip I had around his neck remained and the trick didn't work. He tried to bite me but my grip was too close to his head. "How would you like to spend the rest of your life sucking cakes through a straw." I snarled.
"And for what reason would you do this? Hmm?"
"Take a look around." My lips raised in anger. I must admit he seemed rather calm about it.
"I do have eyes, you know. Quite a mess, isn't it. I take it you think I'm behind it?"
"Who else?"
He thought for a moment. "This, actually, outdoes all my efforts.”
"Pah!" I snorted. "You think I'll believe that?"
"I don't care what you believe, but this happens to be true." he muttered before turning into something resembling an elephant. Now it was my turn to choke as his trunk wrapped around my neck. "I'll tell you something, Mister 'bash your face in'. I don't take kindly to such actions but, in this case, I'll overlook it."
I had to admit I wasn't really in a position to argue. This wasn't an illusion, the trunk around my neck was rather real. I must say, though, I wasn't one to give up easily. Or maybe that I'm just an idiot. "Thank you." I said snarkily. "But, again, if it isn't you, who is it?"
"I must confess to being the perfect suspect." He tightened his grip a little and I had to force myself not to struggle. "I am known for such things."
"Yeah. Like now. Restore Equestria. Now!" I told him.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Or what?" he sneered, "You'll wriggle?"
"Why?" I snarled, ignoring his question. "Why destroy Equestria like this?"
"Because it might be fun?" He said with a mocking smile. "But, no. This is not mine. My powers have their range. The sun and the moon are far beyond that."
"And what about all the arguments going on, The fights, the... the discord. Are you trying to tell me that you, causer of trouble and torment, don't have anything to do with this?"
He frowned. "I'd actually be happier if I were.” He sounded genuinely puzzled.
“Oh?”
“Then I'd know what the hell was going on."
"Don't try to tell me you have no idea what's going on." I muttered.
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Very well, I won't. I don't, but I won't tell you that."
There was silence for a moment that seemed to stretch forever. "Are you really telling the truth?" I asked.
He looked at me wryly. "For once in my life, I'm not joking. I have not the foggiest notion as to what's going on. As I said, I wish I did."
"Damn!" I muttered.
Again, a laconic eyebrow rose. "You wanted to bash my face in that much?"
"I wanted to get to the bottom of this that much. That's what I wanted." I grumbled.
"And look where it got you."
"Yeah. In trouble as usual. Just like my theme song."
"Your theme song?"
"I'll tell you about it later."
He dropped me unexpectedly and I landed on my butt. He changed back to what I guessed was his normal shape. "I went easy on you." he told me. "But for one reason and one reason only."
"What's that?" I muttered, climbing to my feet and resisting the urge to rub my throat.
"Because I guessed why you wanted me. As you said yourself, I'm the perfect suspect. But to tell you the truth. I'm as much in the dark - pun very much intended - as anyone. You may or may not choose to believe that, but it is, strangely for me, the truth."
I looked at him. I'd heard about him of course. He was a trickster, an agent of chaos and a deceiver of many. Was he deceiving me, now? I really had no idea. "Your word as a gentleman?" I asked.
A smile flickered. "Not that anyone would call me a 'gentleman', but I understand your meaning and... Yes. You have my word."
"Any ideas?" I asked.
He actually laughed at that. "First you try to choke the truth out of me, then you ask politely? And they say I'm the troublemaker?" He looked at me, that eyebrow raised. The eyebrow lowered. "Whatever it is, it's far more powerful than I, as much as I hate to admit it." He looked around and, rather to my astonishment, he looked nervous. "Whatever or whoever is doing this, could destroy Equestria entirely. I may be mad, but I'm not insane enough to do that." There was a pause. "Anyway," he continued, more quietly. "I wouldn't want to destroy a friend."
I blinked at the thought someone like Discord could have a friend. "Yes." he said, mockingly as he noticed my expression. "It is a wonder, isn't it. But she proclaimed herself to be my friend. Despite all I had done to her and the others."
"Who?" I asked, unable to stop myself.
He looked at me. "I wouldn't tell you, but Equestria is dying. I can feel it. I, Discord, who can twist reality on a whim," his voice, which had risen to a crescendo, then dropped. "can only watch." He turned to me with a bleak smile. "Her name, is Fluttershy."
"You said you can alter reality. So why can't you save her? Save Equestria?"
"No. Not even I have that power." Another pause and then, in what sounded very much like a burst of total desperation. "Don't you think I'm trying?" He paused a moment and shook his head. His mouth twitched into a wry smile. "Yes, I, who did my best to destroy friendships. I, who did my best to destroy the Elements of Harmony. I am doing all I can, all I can, to save one who would call me her friend."
It was almost painful to watch. A bitter laugh erupted from him. "Yes. I, Discord, arrogance personified, with power almost beyond measure, am about to lose my one... and only... friend."
His head bowed onto his chest and he sat there, immobile for many minutes. I didn't say a thing. "I could have killed you, you know." he said eventually. "I could have turned you into liquid fire. I could have toasted you on lava. I could have... But I didn't. What's the use? You're going to die anyway, when Equestria destroys itself."
I looked at him. "You given up, Discord?"
He glared at me, fire in those eyes of his. "I have," his voice was barely above a whisper, but all the menacing for it, "done everything I could. I am doing everything I can do. The reason Equestria still exists is because of me. Without my power, Equestria would be dust and my friend... my friend would be gone. But that brings up another issue. My powers aren't what they were. Whatever is doing this is also affecting the magic I can wield."
I sat for a moment. "Well, sitting around won't get things done." I must admit, after talking to Discord I could only feel more depressed about the situation than I already had been. If Discord, as powerful as he was, could not stop it, what hope had I? I heaved myself to my feet, "See you later, Discord."
I started to walk off. "You're it, you know." Discord's voice sounded behind me, stopping me in my tracks. "I do not know how, I do not know why, and I do not know when. But what I do know is that you will be the one to decide the fate of Equestria."
I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh. There was stillness for a moment. "Thanks." I muttered sarcastically, before resuming my walk. I heard Discord chuckle behind me.
Another week went past. All the time there seemed to be a growing... something. Ponies were arguing over the slightest thing. What should have been simple disagreements turned into loud arguments and even coming to blows. Friendships were being torn apart.
The ponies weren't the only ones affected. I watched several fights between dragons, something that Splash had said she'd never seen before. Timberwolves could also be heard snapping and snarling in Everfree Forest.
There was something else, too. Something unsettling for those who relied on it. The unicorns' magic was decreasing. They were becoming less able to do things that they used to find quite simple.
One day I was wandering through Everfree Forest looking for timberwolves They roamed Everfree and were a danger to foals and adults alike, so I was on the lookout for them. But I was also enjoying just being here. In some ways, despite the stories of the place, Everfree was rather nice.
It would have been nicer with the sun shining, but even with only a bright moon, it was still an interesting place. The trees close around you, almost blocking out what light there was; great old trees rendered almost ghostly in the moonlight and the odd bramble underfoot to trip the unwary. Then, suddenly, you would find yourself in a small clearing. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for these. They were just... there; in the middle of everything. A bit like back home. Perhaps that's why I found it nice, a bit of 'normal' in amongst everything. I wondered how some of them had been caused. Was it when an old tree fell? But there would be no sign of a fallen tree, just soft grass. Had something poisoned the soil? But if the soil was poisoned, where was the grass. I stopped at the edge of one of these little clearings and leaned against a tree. It was only a small clearing, probably about twenty feet across.
Light erupted around me. It was almost like a physical blow and my eyes, so used to the darkness, stung in the sudden glare. As my eyes adjusted and I could actually see again, what I saw was a tall, white pony with a long, rainbow-coloured mane and tail standing in the clearing. I had to admit to myself that she was a truly beautiful princess; although in my eyes, Luna was the prettier. But then I've always preferred brunettes to blondes. It looked like my expectations of a visit had come to pass. "Hello, Princess Celestia." I said calmly and politely.
"You don't seem shocked that one banished from this place would seek you out?" she asked, regally, sounding rather disappointed that her – admittedly, rather spectacular – entrance didn't have seemed to affected me as much as she'd hoped.
"Actually, I expected to see you some days ago. You're late."
"Late?!" Her voice told of her astonishment at my reaction. I took it that she was far more accustomed to being treated with more deference.
"Late.” I repeated. “If I am the one who's supposed to decide the fate of Equestria I'd like to know what I have to know before things get too bad. I take it you want me to hear your side of the story? You want me to tell you I'll support you against your sister?"
"Well, you see what the effect of her rule is, cant you." she snapped tossing her head. I'd always thought Celestia was supposed to be the calm one but, there again, I guess being tossed out of your own world by your little sister wouldn't do much for anyone's mood.
I merely leaned against a tree and looked at her. She looked at me for a moment. "I suppose you've already made up your mind. What did she offer you? How much wealth?"
"Actually, she offered me nothing. She said she had nothing to give for everything she had belonged to the kingdom, and was not hers to give. “
“She offered you nothing?” again the voice crept up the register.
“Nope. What are you going to offer me?”
“Anything you could wish for.”
“And what if I were to say that my wish involved your mane and tail?” Why I said that, I don't know, but it seemed that she paid great attention to it and it seemed somewhat important to her. Especially when you took in the light breeze that had come from nowhere blew just enough and in just the right direction to make the rainbow-coloured mass lift and float gently beside her.
She flinched a little. “My mane and tail?” she echoed, puzzled.
“I am not going to say this is, or is not my wish. But what if my wish was to cut both your mane and tail down to stubble and have you promise, on your word as a princess, that you would let them grow back, rather than restoring them with magic?”
“I...” she looked sideways at the rainbow-coloured masses of mane that streamed away in the gentle breeze. “I.... Did you ask Luna the same question?” she asked suddenly
“No, I didn't.”
“Yet you expect me to answer.”
I shrugged. “You're the ones doing the pleading. It's my prerogative to ask for what I want.”
“Is that what you wish?”
“No.” I watched as she sighed with relief. “But it might be.” I relented a little. “Go on,” I said, in a slightly more polite tone, “tell your side of the story. I've already had Luna's.”
“What did she tell you?” The ears were forward now, she was curious and anxious.
“That's for me to know.” I told her. “If she wants to tell you, that's her business.”
She sighed. I must confess, I don't really know why I was treating her like this, I really didn't, it was just something about her that...
“As she has probably told you,” she interrupted my thoughts. She'd brought herself under control, now and the voice carried the quiet, almost melodious tone I'd heard in the show. “it was a matter of daylight. She was jealous because ponies slept in the night while she ruled, but woke and worked and played during the day, when I ruled. She wanted more darkness, she wanted the moon, which she controlled, dominant for longer so that ponies would be forced to work and play in the moonlight.” There was a pause. “Did she tell you this?” she asked me
“Something similar, yes.”
"I suppose she told you that I wanted everlasting daylight, that I wanted to shun the moon forever. But that is not true. I merely did not want her to encroach on what I believed were the times that the sun should rule.”
“Anyway,” I added, “your rainbow mane and tail look better in the sun.”
“Yes. They do.” she preened, before catching herself. “But that wasn't the issue, I tell you.”
I just grinned. “If you say so.”
“We argued,” she went on, slightly huffily, but trying to calm herself. “But my reasoning was for naught. Things grew in the daylight. The sun caused grass and trees to grow and the birds sang in the daylight. Not in the darkness of the moon. Other things came out in the darkness. Things that could hurt or scare somepony. I didn't want that. I didn't want no moon at all, but I wanted to give the trees and the flowers maximum time to grow and the birds a good time to sing.”
“Where they would also give thanks to you, rather than your sister.” Yeah, I'll admit, I was being an ass.
She glared at me and went on. “We fought. We fought for several days for we were both strong and our magic was strong also. I was wearing her down. I could tell. I thought she was about to give in. Then I got careless. I did not think she was capable of the treachery she would show.”
“Oh?”
“She slipped and fell. I stepped back to allow her to rise as I did not want to take advantage of her. For despite our differences and even despite the fight I felt I should behave honourably. But then, even as I waited for her to rise and resume the fight, she hit me. Stunned me and then, when I was the helpless one, and could do nothing, she used more magic than I believed she had to cast both myself and the sun out of this plane of existence. She got her wish. Now Equestria was lit only by the moon. The sun does not shine. There is only the moon and the stars.
“But despite her best efforts, she could not stop me from returning. I was weak, at first. I still am. But my magic grows and soon I will take my rightful place as queen of Equestria. I will cast her out as she would have cast me. But my cast will be stronger and never will I allow her to return and threaten Equestria again. It will be her name struck from the history books. Luna shall be known no more, only Celestia will be known and I will be made queen.” It seemed she realised that what she'd said might not have been the best thing to say to me. “That is what she wished for me. That is what shall become of her.”
I felt the ground shivering as she spoke those last words, it was like something extremely heavy had fallen some distance away It wasn't much, but I felt it. “If you are as powerful as you say.” I said thoughtfully. “Why do you need me.”
She frowned slightly. “I don't know. All I do know, deep where all knowledge in me resides, is that I do.” She looked up at me. “Help me and I will get you as many manes and tails as you wish. I will collect them from every pony in the land, If you wish certain ones, tell me and I will get them.”
I noticed that she did not offer her own, only those of others.
I merely looked at her.
“I will tell you this, though. I have seen the dragons and other beasts. They even argue amongst themselves. They fight almost anything. It...”
“'It' what, princess?”
“It reminds me of when an animal is in pain and it strikes out, even when a friend tries to comfort it.”
I thought on this for a moment. I knew what she was talking about. I'd had a dog who'd been badly injured and in great pain. When I'd gone to help, it had snapped at me, biting my hand quite badly. “Yes.” I mused. “I've seen that happen. It seems the same is happening throughout Equestria. Arguments are breaking out at the slightest thing. Even Twilight and the others are feeling it.”
“I can only wonder if it is the result of there not being a sun.” she said quietly. I studied her carefully, for my first thought was that she'd said that to put me on her side. So that she'd see that she had to regain power over her sister. She looked up at me—not an easy thing for a pony to do—but, again, either she was a good actress or she was genuinely concerned. I hoped it was the latter.
“I have to go shortly.” she told me. “I need to rest if I'm to gain the strength to defeat Luna. I must be the best I can be.”
I looked at her. “I, too, have much to think on.” I told her.
The light blinked out, leaving me in comparative darkness. By the time my eyes adjusted there was no sign of Celestia.
I kicked a luminous toadstool and watched the small sparkles as it scattered in the grass. I was really wishing I'd never been sent to this blasted place. I sighed and punched a tree. Hard. The pain helped steady me. "Dammit!" I hadn't handled that at all well. I'd been almost rude to her and for no reason. I was mad at myself but I was even more angry at whatever had decided to put me in this position.
The decision, I'd realised, wasn't Celestia or Luna. I knew that, now. Celestia had to rule. It was whether Luna ruled with her that was the real question. Celestia had been right. She was needed. Luna was doing a great job, but she could only control the moon, and it seemed that using her power to do that was leaving her little with which to do anything else. It couldn't go on. Luna's Equestria was hanging on by the skin of its collective teeth. Despite Luna's best efforts, they needed the sun. And for that, they needed Celestia to return.
I still couldn't work out why I'd been 'selected' to cope with this. There were plenty of people smarter than I was; more knowledgeable of the ponies than I was and with far more skills than I had to be able to cope with something like this. If there were awards for 'smarts', I wouldn't get a thing. If there were awards for 'dumbs' I'd have all I could handle. Yeah, I definitely didn't give myself any points for brains. So why? It was a question that had been plaguing me ever since Luna told me that I was the one who would decide the fate of Equestria.
I couldn't just ignore it and hope it'd go away. I could see that the situation was worsening by the day. Before this, I'd scoffed and thought the show was stupid, but now I had a problem These ponies, especially the ones in Ponyville, had begun to matter to me. When they hurt, I hurt; when they were happy; I was happy. I laughed when I watched foals playing in the moonlight. I'd fought the Dogs to get Aura back, and every argument or fight grated on me. I couldn't just flip a coin or make this decision lightly. As I'd realised earlier, these ponies, this place, mattered now.
I wended my way back to Ponyville, sat down on a log and did some serious thinking. Then I got up and went for a walk, coming back after moonset.
Days passed and every day I looked for something, some sign that would show where I was to become involved. I'd been told that the fate of Equestria was in my hands yet, for the life of me, I couldn't see how. I guessed there'd be some pivotal point somewhere, and I believed that my having been placed—by whatever force had done it—where I had meant that Ponyville held the key. It would be no use me looking in Manehattan or Canterlot or any of the other villages. In Ponyville I'd been put and it seemed that Ponyville was where whatever was going to happen would happen. I guessed that I'd have to intervene on something and I guessed that 'something' was to do with the two princesses, but I didn't know what. I also didn't know when. When would Celestia attempt to come back? When would she feel that she had enough strength and power to take over Equestria from her sister?
There was something new, now, as well. Tremors. Like the ones I'd felt when I'd been talking to Celestia. Only they were getting stronger. They often unnerved the ponies and together we made plans in case an earthquake should happen. While admitting that I'm no structural engineer, I believed that, while their houses looked nice, they weren't exactly earthquake proof. We all hoped that the tremors would settle down and go away, but I had an annoying feeling that they wouldn't. At least not until everything was settled. I wasn't the only one worried about this and one night we got together and worked out what we should do in the event of a major earthquake. Of course, we all hoped it wouldn't happen, but we got ready and I also sent out warnings to Princess Luna at Canterlot as well as Manehattan and other places.
Confused yet? I knew I was. I knew one thing. I knew that I was the one to decide the fate of Equestria. How, when, where and why were all questions that still had to be answered.
I was getting towards the end of my tether. The strain was getting to me and I was even beginning to snap at others. It certainly wasn't the most pleasant of times. It sucks big time when you've been told that you hold the lives of others in your hands, yet you can only stand and watch and cannot really do anything to improve a steadily worsening situation.
Yes, I did call a great many in Ponyville my friends. Despite the tension that radiated through the place, they were still trying. They would come to me for advice – heaven knows why – or sometimes we would sit in the barn and talk. I'd tell them stories of where I'd come from. Some of them were things that had happened to me. Others were just stories, some true, some not. I don't think it really mattered, they weren't really there to listen to the stories I told. They were there to get their minds off what was going on around them. The barn became like a shelter from the world, where they could sit, relax somewhat, and get carried away on my words. Not that I'm a fantastic storyteller, mind you. It's just... Really, I think anyone could have been telling a story about anything other than the current situation and they would have listened just as avidly.
The others told stories, too. They'd just make up strange tale—or perhaps they were true, I'm not sure—and the imagination of the foals would be caught up in their tale and the mothers could relax, even if it was just a little, for a short while.
Pinky was incredible. That little pink mare worked her hooves off trying to stop the depression from sinking too deep into all of us. She, too, I grew to like. Her colouring, that had once seemed so wrong, I was growing accustomed to, in fact I even began to think that it suited her. There was a keen mind behind that fluffy forelock and her very frivolity had a purpose. Yes, they all meant something to me now. Even little Pinky Pie.
Splash and Aura, I had to admit, were my favorites. Despite our rather unusual and, at least for Aura, somewhat painful and messy introduction, we'd got on quite well. It helped, I suppose, that Splash was grateful to me for saving her but... Since she'd been foalnapped ('foalnapped?') because of me, I had felt responsible and that feeling continued even after I'd seen her safely back to her mother.
I had to admit, she was a cutie and I could only hope they both survived this mess.
I was talking to her the fifth morning after my chat with Celestia when I suddenly noticed the Six fighting. No lighthearted argument this. Hooves and teeth were being used and they were screaming at each other. The Elements of Harmony, fighting? I started forward to intervene when the meaning of the whole thing hit me like a hammer-blow. I knew. I knew why all this was happening. I cursed myself for not recognising it sooner.
As I was still reeling from this mental shock, earthquake struck.
The earth rolled beneath my feet. Ponies screamed as the waves of ground jolted us up and down. Splash screamed, her eyes wide with terror.
“Head for the open.” I told her, staggering on my feet. “Remember the plan.” My words were emphasized, by the crash of a falling building and the scream of panicked and injured ponies. “Go!”
I made sure she and Aura were headed in a good direction before heading for the buildings. The ground rocked and swayed; fissures opened and closed with grinding thuds. The Six fought on, despite the devastation around them. Hooves, teeth and magic all being used. I tried to yell some sense into them but they weren't listening. I tried to tell them that what they were experiencing was part of the problem, but they weren't listening. That they were adding to the problem irked me, as did the fact that they weren't helping help others, but I knew what it was now, and, to a certain extent, I could understand why their friendship had broken down as it had. I suppose I could have gotten more fully involved in trying to break up the fight, but I wasn't going to try and break up a horse fight. I'm sorry, but I had more pressing things to do. I would regret not trying, later. But... Yeah. I made a few mistakes that day. I did what I could, I did what I thought was the right thing to do, but... It will haunt me that so many died. Could I have done more? Most likely. Could I have done better? I'm sure I could have, somewhere.
Houses were collapsing, ponies were being trapped and others were running around, wild-eyed in panic. Suddenly Splash was beside me. “Come!” she yelled over the thundering noise of the moving earth. “Follow me, everyone. Follow me. Remember what we planned."
It took a little more than that, but a group headed after her, foals running everywhere and mothers running frantically after foals, who saw their mothers running after them and ran faster. I went to work freeing ponies from wrecked houses and other buildings. The barn I'd been sleeping in collapsed with a crash. I heaved on roofs and clawed at the remains of walls. Some ponies were dead, others badly wounded. Some couldn't walk. Splash came back again and, as much as I wished her away, I was glad she was there. Her eyes were wild, showing the whites around them but she was trying. We loaded one badly injured pony onto a door, made up some straps and she lugged it out, staggering and slipping over the still-rolling earth. I nearly hugged her when she came back with another couple of ponies.
I carried what I could, but I was glad to have help. I could lift beams while Splash or the others dragged injured ponies from the rubble. By now I knew that this was no ordinary earthquake. No earthquake I'd ever heard of went on for this long.
Suddenly a pegasus flew over. “Canterlot's gone!” he wailed. “The towers of Canterlot have fallen! Manehattan is in ruins! Death is everywhere!” I looked around what remained of Ponyville. There wasn't much left of this place, either. I saw Canter Berrie heaving on a foal's tail in an attempt to pull it out of a fissure. She staggered and nearly fell in but, recovering, she gave a frantic heave and drew it out just before the fissure closed again. It wasn't her foal, I noticed, and I hoped hers was safe. Most of the houses had been destroyed by now, as had other various buildings. I was finding it harder and harder to keep my feet.
I thought of what the pegasus had said. Yeah. That stood to reason. The delicate towers of Canterlot wouldn't stand if they were getting anything near what we were here. Nor would any building. This wasn't a normal earthquake, Equestria was being destroyed.
I nearly swore. I'd been looking for a sign, but I wasn't the only one who could look. I tried several times to get the pegasus' attention but it took a brick past his nose to do the trick when my yelling didn't. “Look around you.” I shouted up to him. “Look for..." Inspiration and my brain collided. "Look for a bright beam of light.”
He flew upwards, although I noticed it didn't seem easy for him, and I watched as he twisted around. Then he stopped. “I see it. I see it.” he called down to me.
“Which direction?”
He pointed with a hoof and I knew. I suppose I should have guessed, but it would have been useless or worse for me to have gone running off in any direction. The beam of light was in the direction of the clearing where I'd talked with Celestia before.
I turned to Splash, who was suddenly beside me. “Help if you can, but get clear if you can't. The whole of Equestria is destroying itself. I've got to try to stop it.”
“But how?” She asked, obviously holding in her terror.
“By stopping the trouble at it's source." I looked down at her then, suddenly, I squatted down, cupped my hand under her chin and, completely on impulse, kissed her nose, causing her to blush to the roots of her mane. “Take care, Splash. Be careful, please. I've lost friends already. I don't want to lose you, too.”
Before she could answer that, I turned and raced off. The heaving earth made it difficult to run. Great fissures were opening up. Equestria was, as I said, tearing itself apart. Literally. I could only hope I was right. And I could only hope I wasn't too late. I'd been told that I had held the fate of Equestria in my hands. My big, clumsy hands. It was a worry.
As I ran—or, more correctly, staggered—towards the spot in Everfree Forest where I'd met Celestia before, I knew what had happened. I knew why Equestria was in the state it was in. It wasn't just the fact that Celestia, or the sun had been cast away from Equestria, it was something different. Very different, but rather related.
Suddenly Discord was beside me and the way smoothed out. Even he looked haggard. “I can do this, no more. My powers are almost gone." He seemed stunned that such a thing could happen. he seemed amazed as he looked around. “I used to be able to change reality, but I now I can't even change this!” It was obvious to me that he was using an incredible amount of his remaining strength just to smooth out the way beneath my feet. Around us the whole world seemed surreal. Trees swayed and fell, huge roots tearing themselves out of the ground. We ran, he and I, towards the light that was growing brighter and brighter. “I can't go into the light.” he told me, gasping for breath. “Only you can.” Well, why not. I did wish, however, that I knew what the hell I was doing. But there was no time left for thoughts like that. "Do what you can for the others" I yelled as Discord came to a sudden halt and I leaped into the light.
Amazingly, the earth was still, but then I looked what was in the centre of the circle and what I saw wasn't exactly peaceful.
The two princesses were, as I suspected, fighting even more ferociously than the Six had been. Both fought with everything they had. Magic boiled around them and even as I watched, they both reared, slashing at each other with hooves and teeth, fighting like stallions. Both of them had wounds from the battle and it was obvious that this was a fierce and desperate fight.
“Stop!” I roared, unsurprised when neither of them even looked in my direction. They came down on all fours and both backed off a couple of steps. I knew they were going to use the magic from their horns so, being me, I did what was probably the dumbest thing I could have thought of.
Unfortunately I only realised it was the dumbest thing I could think of after I'd done it. I ran in between the two and grabbed a horn in each hand. The result... well... let's just say it wasn't pleasant. Ever touched an electric fence, or had some serious voltage go through your body? I've had both and what I felt was something similar, only on a far grander scale. I'm reasonably sure my eyes glowed. I know my fur stood up on end. Magic surged through me and every fibre of my body shuddered under the strain. The surge stopped and I somehow maintained my feet, reasonably surprised that I was still alive. It seemed even the princesses' powers were being limited by what was happening, which is probably why they were fighting as they were.
"You fool!" Celestia hissed. "I could have finished her, then."
I gasped and grunted. Then I let it out. All the frustration, all the rage all the feeling that had built up over two and a bit weeks of watching ponies fighting, suffering and dying because of the actions of these two. I punched Celestia in the face, her horn grazing my arm.
"YES!" shrieked Luna as Celestia staggered. "Yes! Victory! Thank you!" She came forward, but I wasn't finished yet. I swung and slammed my fist into Luna's forehead. Blood leaked from my arm as her sharp horn scored it.
She staggered and nearly went down. "You two damned fools!" I roared. "You're destroying Equestria!" I grabbed both of them by an ear and forced them to look outside the circle. "LOOK!"
They looked but it seemed to have little impact. "It's Luna's fault." Celestia screamed. "She's ruined it all."
Even during the moments I'd been inside the circle the outside had gotten worse. The surrounding earth looked as if it had been roughly ploughed. Tumbled earth lay in heaps, fissures yawned wide, and trees swayed and shook. The earth was in constant motion, looking more like a gale-strewn sea than a forest.
"Equestria needs harmony!" I yelled, shaking both their heads. "You are the strongest, most magical beings in Equestria. You fighting each other destroys the harmony. Equestria is fighting itself."
That is what I had realised. That's what gave the Six their power. Harmony. Hell, it was even in the name of the powers they'd been granted. 'Elements of Harmony'. When they operated together, they had been well-nigh invincible.
It was also why Discord was as powerful as he was. He disrupted the harmony between the Six and even the harmony within Equestria itself. That is how he could alter reality; by controlling the harmony. The two princesses were the most powerful beings in Equestria; far more powerful than Discord. When they lost harmony to this extent, dire things were bound to happen.
When I'd been told that I would be the one who held the fate of Equestria, I couldn't help but think that I'd have to choose, somehow, between Celestia and Luna. To somehow influence a conflict or something towards one side or the other. Looking at it that way, I knew that I would have had no choice but to take Celestia's side. If that had been the case, Celestia would have been the only real solution—as much as Luna might hate to admit it—and I would have been forced to help Celestia defeat Luna. But that wasn't entirely it. It wasn't only about rule. It was about the nature of that rule. Equestria ruled by the two sisters in harmony, thrived. But now there was no harmony and it showed. Even the Six; the very representations of the Elements of Harmony, were fighting. Even Discord's power hadn't managed to destroy their friendship to that extent. Certainly, he had damaged their friendship—so I'd found out by talking to Splash—but it had never reached the stage where all Six were fighting each other.
It went even deeper than that, though. The breaking of Harmony was so bad that not only were the Six 'Elements' totally disunited, the very ground upon which they stood was also. As friendships tore themselves apart, so did the very ground beneath their hooves.
One of the things that really annoyed me was that I'd had the answer since nearly the beginning. I'd even as good as said so when I'd been talking to Luna the first time. I'd asked her how it would be if I could get her and Celestia to work in harmony. Talk about dropping the ball. I'd dropped it on my foot and punted it out of the field. I should have explained to Celestia what Luna had said. Admittedly, I didn't know whether she would have believed me, but it would have been worth a try.
The big question was, what the hell could I do about it. I could stop the two fighting. Probably, but just like leading a horse to water, I couldn't really make them work together. I didn't know how.
They heaved, and pulled free. Well, I hadn't really wanted to hurt them. Well, not really. Sort of.
The two backed off, shaking their heads. “You!” That was Celestia. “You laid hands of violence on a princess?” She was furious. They both were. I bet no-one had treated them like that before.
“Yeah. I did. Want me to do it again?” I growled. At the back of my mind there was a plan. I did wish it would come up to the front of my mind and explain itself because I was winging it, here. I advanced towards them. "Princesses? You call yourselves 'Princesses'? You wouldn't make a princess' horseshoe-nail. Either of you."
Their fury was still there, it boiled in the air like something live. But so did mine. Part of me was screaming 'We're gonna die!' but I didn't care. I really didn't. "You couldn't hold a candle to any princess. You're just two stuck up little brats!"
Their eyes boggled. "Brats!?" They screamed together. "Brats?!" Well, at least they'd stopped fighting. Now, if I could just get them to unite somehow....
"Yeah. Spoiled ones at that. You both deserve to be tossed out and let some other pony run Equestria. Discord, perhaps. Or even Pinky Pie. You sure can't. I wouldn't let either of you two run a pig farm." I continued like this for several moments, watching their anger shift from each other to myself. I had to get them working together, even if it were against me. I didn't matter any more. Equestria mattered. Splash and Aura mattered more to me than I did. I could see that they weren't exactly working 'together' yet, It's just that they were both turning their fury towards me, but stopping them fighting was a start.
Both princesses were furious. Beyond furious, as I continued to taunt them. They lowered their horns and I could see the magic starting to boil off them like steam of hot metal. The voice in the back of my mind was gibbering 'we'regonnadiewe'regonnadiewe'regonna diiiee!' and, to be honest, I thought I would. To be even more honest, I didn't care. As long as what I did worked. I'd made friends in Equestria and I had to do all I could to stop these two from destroying the place.
Magic slammed at me. I took two steps backwards from the blow before stopping and staring at them, defiantly, taunting them. "Is that the best you can do?"
I didn't feel like taunting them, though. I felt like curling into a ball and screaming. It seemed every cell in my body had turned into a Diet Pepsi bottle someone had dropped a whole packet of mentos into. The pain was excruciating. What I'd felt before was nothing compared to this. The 'pressure' within me was growing but I grinned harshly as I saw that I'd accomplished one thing. The two princesses were working, if not in harmony, then to the same purpose.
I don't know what prompted me to do this, but I raised my arms in the air, my clenched fists reaching as high as I could. "We." I gasped, raising my face to the light that still poured down upon us. "We. Have. HARMONY!!!" I roared the last word as I felt the 'pressure' inside me burst.
Blue-white light shot from my fists. Brighter than any arc welder, it seemed to sear the eyes for a moment, but then I could see again. I could feel... something, pouring through my body and out through my upraised arms and I could only think that it was some mutated form of the magic that the two princesses were pouring into me. It shot up the beam of light that poured down upon us. The two beams formed a double helix which twisted tighter and tighter until it merged into one beam some way above my head. I suppressed the sudden and somewhat inexplicable urge to scream "By the power of Greyskull!" at the top of my voice. It's weird what the brain will come up with under high stress levels. Anyway, I didn't have a sword.
Suddenly there was a distant 'buh-whump', more felt than heard, like a distant explosion. A shockwave rippled through my body and the ground jolted hard beneath our feet, causing all of us to stagger, and the light that had been shining down on us went out.
The two princesses stopped; the arcing from my fist ceased and darkness reigned. I sat before I fell.
I concentrated on being alive for a moment. As my eyes adjusted to the dark I could see outside the circle. The earth still looked like a tumbled sea, but it was still. There was silence, almost too quiet after the noise that had preceded it. The earthquake seemed to have stopped. "What was that?" Luna seemed stunned. They both did. She and Celestia stood staring at me. Their fight, apparently, stopped. At least for the moment. I had to capitalise on that. I wished I could have said that the fight was 'finished' or 'forgotten', but I didn't want to get my hopes up too high just yet.
"That, my dear ladies, was you two working in harmony."
"Working in harmony?" Celestia echoed.
"You said the fate of Equestria was in my hands." I looked at my hands. Where the arc had exited they were a little scorched but that seemed to be about it. Not that they didn't hurt, though. Everything hurt. Every joint ached; every muscle burned; every nerve, it seemed, was on fire. "It wasn't. Not really. Your working together is what stopped the destruction. It's the only thing that could."
"But what did you do?"
"I stopped you fighting. The bitterness between you damaged the harmony in Equestria far more than Discord ever could. When you started fighting here, harmony was totally destroyed. Equestria doesn't only need magic to run properly, it gets its very cohesion through the harmony that exists between you two." I paused for breath and to gather strength to fight the pain. "When you worked together, even when it was against me; even though you might not have truly meant to, harmony was at least partly restored. It's now up to you."
"So... Destroy the harmony and you destroy Equestria?" Celestia queried.
"Exactly. You were fighting over a few hours of sunlight or darkness, and your fight would have totally destroyed the whole of Equestria."
"Oh." murmured Luna quietly.
"We might have killed you." Celestia murmured.
"Yeah. I thought that, too." I grunted. “But if I hadn't stopped you fighting, you would have destroyed Equestria. And that, ladies, would have meant the deaths of friends of mine.”
"You saved Equestria?"
"No, ladies, you saved Equestria. All I did was provide the direction. I couldn't have done a thing without you. Your fighting, your disharmony, was destroying Equestria. I couldn't save Equestria, I don't have that power, that was up to you. All I did was give you something other than each other to focus on. Something that you could come together to fight.
They both looked around, then, and saw the destruction outside where the circle of light had been."Oh, no!" Murmured a stunned Luna. "Did we cause that?" Celestia seemed equally shocked.
"Yes." I said bluntly. "Your fighting caused that. Your disharmony caused more damage than Discord could ever have dreamed of."
"It's just local, right?" Celestia asked with what seemed to be more than a touch of desperation. "Just here in Everfree?"
I shook my head. "Ponyville suffered; a pegasus told me that the towers of Canterlot have fallen and Manehattan has suffered as well. Going by that I would say that the whole of Equestria has been affected."
"The... the towers of Canterlot? Ponyville?" Luna sounded shocked.
"I saw Ponyville for myself, for the others I can only go by what I've been told, princess. Please understand that I haven't seen for myself. A pegasus told me. He could be mistaken." I looked at the expression on her face and felt for her. She obviously cared about her subjects and it was a shame to hear about Canterlot, it had been a rather beautiful place.
"Have... Have there been many deaths?" Luna asked hesitantly.
"I can only imagine, princess. I would say for a certainty that there have been deaths, but I wouldn't know how many."
Both sisters closed their eyes for a moment at this. I could see that it was beginning to register just what the effect of their disharmony had been.
"I thought... I thought the deterioration I saw was Luna's fault." Celestia muttered. "I thought it was because she had removed myself and the sun from Equestria."
"I thought that it was you. That you were tampering with Equestria to get back at me. Especially when the tales started coming in about a ghost pony." Luna responded.
“Well, you did do your best to remove me permanently.” Celestia said harshly, turning on her sister again.
“No.” Luna's voice was adamant. “No. I did not. I only meant to stop you. I was horrified when I realised what I'd done. I...”
“Then why?” Celestia snorted.
“You wanted eternal summer. I had to stop you. I was growing weak and,” she grimaced, “I cast a spell I misremembered.”
Celestia glared at her little sister and the earth quivered. I could see it starting again and I could only wonder what else I could do. I briefly wondered if I could punch both of them hard enough to knock them out, and whether that would work. Fortunately, I had a better idea. “Luna, tell Celestia what you said when I asked if I would help you rule in harmony with your sister.”
“I said that it would be the best result of all.”
Celestia looked at her little sister for a long moment. “Do you speak the truth?”
“I do.” Luna replied, her tone accentuating her sincerity. “Equestria needs the sun, Celestia, but it also needs the seasons. An eternal summer would kill Equestria. In your heart you know that.”
I noticed that Luna was admitting fault, but no more. She wasn't cowed by her elder sister. She was standing tall and proud. True, she regretted what she'd done, but I got the feeling that she'd risk all again if necessary. Speaking—or, more correctly, thinking—of tall, I noticed something else. Luna had grown. She was now as tall and stately as Celestia.
Celestia looked her sister over as if seeing her for the first time in some time. “You're stronger, little sister, than I ever thought you could be.” Again, there was silence as if both princesses were thinking. “You did well, I think, to keep Equestria going as you did.”
I knew what this was. An olive branch. I held my breath, hoping that Luna would see it as I did.
“And I am glad to see you return, Sister. I have missed having you beside me.” She put an emphasis on the last two words spoke volumes. Luna didn't want to be 'little' sister any more. Some might have seen it as petty, but I knew that she was prepared to stand up for herself now, and she wanted Celestia to treat her as an equal. I crossed as many fingers and toes as I could.
Celestia looked around at the destruction around her, before turning back to Luna. “Then let us do that.” she said quietly. “No longer shall you be 'little sister' to me. But we shall rule, in harmony, as equals.”
Luna nodded. “That will be all I dreamed of.” she replied with a small smile.
I breathed a large sigh of relief. Things, incredibly, seemed to be going the right way. Then, overhead, I saw something hauntingly familiar. I hadn't seen it for a while and it took me a moment to realise what it was, but when I did, I smiled; glad to see it and also glad to have something to distract them from their musings. "Ah. Dawn." For dawn it was. The sun wasn't up yet, but the light from it was visible. Care to raise the sun, Celestia? It is your job, I believe." Then I realised another very important fact. Luna had lowered the moon.
Both ponies looked around. Celestia noticed what I had and turned to her sister. “You... you lowered the moon.”
Luna nodded. “It's been up long enough, I think.” she replied with a small smile.
“Did you bring back the sun?” Celestia asked me.
"No, no," I tried a chuckle but it hurt. There again, everything hurt. "I couldn't have that if I tried. It wasn't my power that did it."
"But that's just it. You can't make magic." Luna tapped a hoof on the ground as she looked at me. "I know you can't."
"Like I said, Luna, It wasn't my power that brought back the sun. You're right, I cannot make magic, but apparently, I can channel it—or I could in this instance. It wasn't my power that saved Equestria. I could have done nothing if you two had been determined to fight on."
"So, now harmony is restored, is Equestria?"
"That," I replied, "I don't know. What I do know is that the earthquake seems to have stopped. Whether is resumes again... Well, that's up to you. As you see, the earth is still tumbled, trees are still fallen. I doubt Equestria will restore itself, but it is still able to be restored. I do not think it will be a quick process.” I looked from one to the other. "Wounds—even wounds of pride—take time to fully heal. So, I think, it will be with Equestria. As harmony grows between you, so harmony will grow in Equestria.”
It was then that I thought of something that brought me to my feet. A dread clutched at me. "We have to get back to Ponyville."
I could barely stagger, but I led the way. The rough and tumbled ground made it hard going, as did the numerous trees that had fallen. The two princesses followed, somewhat unsure I thought, behind me. I felt magic around me and the sky began to brighten as the sun rose slowly into the sky.
Suddenly I heard Celestia cry out. "The Tree of Harmony!" she wailed, running over to what had been a very old and rather beautiful tree, now lying broken and uprooted. The ancient trunk had split in half, with each half falling away from the other. I could see that the trunk still bore both Celestia's and Luna's 'cutie marks', but the trunk had split between them. A division that had killed the tree and, very nearly, the entirety of Equestria. I didn't know the full significance of the tree, but by the princesses' reactions it was rather important.
It was then that Luna saw something and drew our attention to it. There, in between the two halves of the ruined tree was a small seedling. Only tiny, about an inch high, but it was obviously a seedling from the Tree of Harmony. We looked down on the tiny seedling in wonder. "Harmony renewed." murmured Luna, quietly. She looked over at her sister, looked around at all the destruction and looked back at Celestia again. "Our arguments seem rather foolish and petty, now, don't they."
"They do." Celestia agreed. “We fought, stupidly, over a few hours of sun and moon. In doing so, we nearly lost everything." She snorted. "It seemed so important then, Didn't it."
"It did." Luna admitted.
The two alicorns came together, not to fight this time, but to gently touch horns. I saw tears roll down their faces. Both of them apologised to the other. I went to look away from this rather private moment and noticed something. When their tears splashed to the ground, the new Tree of Harmony grew. Not much, but it grew. Harmony was asserting itself again. Me? I breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, it had worked. Things might actually be returning to somewhere near whatever passed for 'normal' around here.
After a few moments we went on. Then it was Luna's turn to cry out. She rushed ahead and soon we came into view of Ponyville. Or what was left of it.
I nearly cried as I saw the ruin that Ponyville had become. There was hardly a house or building left recognisable as such. There were remains; broken beams; bits of brightly coloured walls; a flower here and there from various gardens. A couple of houses leaned drunkenly on shifted foundations, but that was about it.
It was deserted. Ominously so. The growing light of day only served to make more plain the destruction that had occurred.
That several ponies had died, soon became obvious; but where were the others? Two, especially, I wanted to see. Needed to see.
A pony came into view over a small ridge. Then another, then another. The three of us started moving in that direction. The others saw us and headed towards us, their pace quickening. I heard the cries as they came close. "Princess Luna!" They still sounded somewhat scared and, to tell the truth, I didn't blame them a bit.
Ponies crowded around and I went to move away a little. Then I heard somepony ask who the other alicorn was.
"This is my sister, Celestia." Luna told them. "She used to rule beside me, controlling the sun which you now see rising. We worked in harmony until..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
"There was a falling out over an issue of timing. Then there was an accident." Celestia said with a twinkle in her eyes. "And I was removed from here and, somehow, even from your memories. We argued and we fought, but what we both failed to realise was that our disharmony was also destroying Equestria."
"That is," Luna picked it up, "until someone I will forever regard as a friend helped us see what we were doing." Here she nodded in my direction.
Well, I felt rather embarrassed. I hadn't exactly been nice to them back there. I'd been rather rude. Very rude, in fact. I'd apologise later but... I just grinned. “I'm sure you would have worked it out.”
Ponies then noticed the wounds and blood on the two princesses and the attention they bestowed allowed me to slip away a little. Then I saw her. Her eyes were fixed on me and there was an expression on that little face that made me nervous. I hurried towards her, dropping to my knees in front of her. She raised up on her hind legs and clumped her forehooves over my shoulders. No words were spoken, I just held her for some moments. “It's good to see you made it.” I told her, eventually. “I was worried.”
There was a long silence and I looked around. “Aura?”
Splash was silent for so long that I nearly repeated my question. “She's hurt, Gerry. Hurt badly.”
I cringed. “What happened?”
“She... she was trying to pull another foal to safety from a house when a beam fell on her.”
“Oh, God.”
“I... I thought I'd lost her. I really did. The soft earth softened the impact, but she's still very badly hurt. And even after that she was still trying to save the other foal. She did, too. It lives today because of Aura.”
“It must have been terrible for you.” I murmured, running my hand up and down her neck.
“And then I thought I'd lost you.”
“I'm here.” I said, simply, not knowing what else to say.
“Thank you.”
“Can I see her?”
She pulled free of me and nodded. She was filthy, I noticed. Her lovely coat covered in dirt and mud. She hadn't had it easy, either. She led the way to where the wounded were. The ground, I noticed, was surprisingly smooth. I wondered at it until I saw Discord. He looked worn and haggard; not just tired, but totally spent. His eyes met mine and he smiled wanly. I merely nodded. “Thank you, friend.”
His head reared back slightly as if shocked. “Friend?”
“What else? You've been a good friend to these ones. I can see it hasn't been easy.”
“No.” he said softly, looking over towards one corner where someone had draped a blanket over a pony.
I couldn't see who it was but I took a guess. “Fluttershy?”
He looked at me. “With my power depleted as it is, I don'... I don't know.”
It was strange. True, I hadn't seen a lot of Discord, but he'd seemed to be the typical insufferable ass. Arrogance personified. Yet... yet here he was, as broken as anyone.
I went over to her and lifted the blanket. I felt Discord beside me. "My friend." he murmured softly, his words thickly coated with anguish. Fluttershy was not in a good way.
"What happened?" I asked.
"She was hurt in the fight, and then the clock tower fell on her. She'd be dead if it weren't for Pinky."
"Pinky saved her?"
"Got hurt doing it, too. Badly hurt."
DAMMIT! I felt desperately like hitting something. Or breaking something. Or... something. Yes, even the overly effervescent Pinky Pie had grown on me. She was as much a part of Ponyville as any of them and she'd tried to keep us all in good spirits, despite the doom and gloom that was going on. I closed my eyes and sighed. Yes, I hoped that mass of pink laughter that was Pinkie Pie would recover. I'd miss every pony that had died in this tragedy and I didn't want to add another to the list. Yeah. A few weeks ago, I couldn't have cared less. Now? I could only wonder if I could have done something different, better, saved more....
"Hopefully now that harmony is restored, she'll recover quickly." I told him.
"I hope so." he murmured, his voice a mere whisper. "If she dies I shall go mad." there was a pause. "...der."
"She'll make it, you watch." I told him, with more confidence than I felt
I left him there and went over to see Aura. Splash was beside her and I could see that Aura's condition wasn't good. Her chest was strapped and her skin was pale beneath her fur. A bandage also covered her head.
I knelt down beside her and looked, unwilling to touch in case I damaged something else. I lifted my eyes and saw Splash looking at me somewhat desperately and wished I had more medical knowledge. "She'll make it." I said, in what I hoped was an encouraging voice. "She's a tough little cookie." Inside I was boiling. I'd saved her from the Dogs. Had I only accomplished that to now watch her die here?
I was more reassured when, a few minutes later, a nurse came by and checked her. “It looks bad.” she told Splash. “But she should be alright in a day or so. She seems to be sleeping normally now.” I didn't question the nurse further. She looked pretty worn and exhausted.
I watched as Splash positively sagged with relief. She bent down to nuzzle her foal while I looked around. I was surprised, pleasantly surprised, to see that we hadn't lost as many as I thought we might. We had lost a few, that was obvious but, considering what we'd just been through I was somewhat amazed that there were any left at all. "Splash, how many do you think we've lost?" I aske quietly.
"I'm not sure." she replied, slightly happier now that her worst fears regarding Aura had been dispelled. "We lost a few. Not everyone remembered the plans we'd made and it was a lot, lot worse than anyone expected.
A pegasus swooped overhead and landed near Luna and Celestia. I heaved myself to my feet and went over. He'd brought news from other areas and it seemed the whole of Equestria had gotten off very lightly. Yes, there had been fatalities but they were, considering the situation, extremely few. Damage was extensive in all places but casualties had been far lighter than I'd dared hope for.
Celestia came over to me, with Luna following behind. Splash saw her coming and bowed. I merely nodded politely.
"Thank you." she said quietly.
"I didn't do that much, Princess." I told her.
"You cared."
"I...."
We were suddenly interrupted by several cries of "A Dragon! A Dragon!" I turned and, sure enough, there was a dragon approaching, winging its way towards us. Pegasi rose into the air; unicorns stood ready, despite their weakened state.
"He's carrying something." One of the pegasi reported. "It looks like a pony."
We all stared as the giant dragon touched down and released a pony from its claws. It seemed the two had a brief conversation before the dragon took wing again.
Everyone stared, stunned as the pony walked forwards. Suddenly it was as if Applejack teleported. One moment she was near us, the next she was beside her brother. I don't think Rainbow Dash at her fastest could have beaten her. For, yes, it was the large and laconic Big McIntosh. Applebloom wasn't far behind her sister and even Granny Smith achieved something close to a sprint. The rest of Ponyville surged forward to surround the big stallion.
I just looked on for a moment and then went back to where Splash was tending Aura. This, I reasoned, was a time for them. Especially Applejack, Applebloom and Granny. The others also knew Mac, I didn't know him at all. After checking on Aura and Splash, I went on to talk to Discord. "Your doing?" I asked, indicating the crowd around Big Mac. He just stared at me for a moment and then looked pointedly at Fluttershy. "Ah. I guess not."
"No. If I'd had enough to do that, I would have healed her." he told me.
I talked with him for a while, telling him what I'd worked out, about it being the lack of harmony. We discussed this and I found him fascinating to talk to. He'd been changed by what he went through. There was still a spark in him, but it was more subdued than it had been. "You trusted me." he said to me, sounding rather amazed.
"Was I wrong to do so?" I asked.
"Nopony's done that before."
"You might have noticed I'm not a pony." I said with a grin.
"And you wanted to bash my face in when we first met? What was it? Something about sucking cakes through a straw."
"True.” I admitted. “But you know the reason for that."
"I did, even when you were doing it. Yet..."
"Yet when the crunch came, I turned to the one being who could do something. I trusted them with the lives of my friends."
He didn't say anything to that and I heaved myself to my feet and went back over to see Big Mac. He saw me coming and pushed his way through the surrounding throng and came towards me. "I heard," he told me, "that a large two-legs was helping my folks. I'm guessin' that's you."
I squatted down to his height. "I did what I could."
"Thank you." he said simply.
"So, you didn't get eaten, I see."
He grinned. "nnn-nope." And that, apparently, was about as much as anyone could get out of him for a while. He was scratched and had a couple of holes in his hide but, considering he'd been taken off by a dragon, he wasn't too bad.
Fortunately for me, the pain was easing a little by now and I was able to help in erecting temporary shelters from the ruins of houses. Rainbow Dash, looking a little battered but still in working order, and determined to do her part, kept the clouds at bay. Twilight was mourning the loss of her library, and I hoped we might be able to unearth some of her books later but, for now, there were more pressing things to do. Rarity was filthy but too busy to care. She and Applejack were both obviously hurt, but not too badly and both going strong. I was glad to see that all of them had survived and hoped Fluttershy and Pinky would come good.
If this had been just a localised thing it wouldn't have been so bad, but the destruction extended to all parts of Equestria. The towers of Canterlot were gone; confirmed during a visit by Celestia and Luna. The rest of the palace was heavily damaged but, along with many other areas, the death toll had been light. Incredibly light, I thought, for what we'd just been through. I looked at the decimated remains of Ponyville and could only think that, if I'd done something differently, something better, there might not have been such destruction, or any deaths.
The day was lengthening and Celestia went to lower the sun. "No." Luna told her. "Leave it up for a while. We need the light." The two sisters exchanged looks. Luna didn't say anything more and Celestia just nodded before moving the sun back a little higher.
There were numerous injured ponies and the doctors were being kept rather busy; the nurses even more so.
At one point the two princesses returned. I walked over to where they were. "Celestia, Luna. I'd like to apologise." I told them. "I... I said some rather nasty things about you earlier."
Celestia looked at me, then looked to Luna. "We understand." Luna told me. "But thank you."
"Just don't do it too often, understand?" Celestia seemed to glare at me from under lowered brows but then a smile tugged at her mouth. She looked around. "We were stupid, weren't we. I don't really blame you for saying what you did when you knew what you knew."
They told me that they'd been to Manehattan and other places. The damage had been incredible but, by some miracle, the death toll was amazingly light. Just as it had been in Ponyville.
"I just wish I'd thought things out sooner. I might have been able to prevent everything."
"I don't know." Luna replied. "We probably would not have listened anyway."
We talked a little more, then they left again. I helped wherever I could.
As the sun was finally allowed to set, there were some a lot of exhausted ponies who lay down on nothing but the grass beneath their hooves and settled down to sleep. We'd managed to erect some shelters in the form of crude tents, but there was very limited bedding. Despite the conditions, it seemed far more peaceful and relaxed than it had been before the earthquake. I took this as a sign that harmony was gradually reasserting itself within the world.
Big Mac, after much pestering, finally admitted that he and the dragon had 'gone around and around for a bit'. "Well, you know I only use one hoof for applebuckin'. On the dragon I used two." He told us. How he'd managed to survive for as long as he had or how he'd persuaded the dragon to bring him home again, he didn't tell us.
I lay down, looked up at the stars and fell asleep. The last thing I recall was seeing Celestia and Luna watching me.
I woke to find a light grey-green wall filling my vision. A fibro wall. It actually took me several seconds to recognise what it was.
The realisation hit me like a blow. I was home. Home. Back in my bedroom. I jerked into a sitting position and looked around. The alarm on my phone warbled at me. Had it... had it all been a dream? My body ached but, there again, it had ached before. I was normal. True, this was a little worse than what I really would have considered 'normal', but pain wasn't unknown to me. I was back home. The change was so abrupt it took me some time to accept it. It couldn't have been a dream. Could it? I mean, it all seemed so real. The earthquake, the 'fight' - if I could call it that – with Celestia and Luna. The destruction of Ponyville. Had it all just been one excessively weird dream?
I could remember thinking that it was a dream earlier on when I'd... Was that just part of it, too? Had I only thought I'd woken up? Had it, indeed, just been another 'layer' in my dream? It had felt so real. But I'd had realistic dreams before. Very realistic dreams. But... Those others had been more along the lines of nightmares. Dreams that I'd been so very glad to get out of. But this? This felt different.
I lay back and thought about it, chuckling to myself as I did so. I could just imagine telling some of the people I knew on the Internet of last night's dream. Some, I suspected, would laugh. Some would probably be somewhat jealous. Some would be disbelieving. But one thing I knew for sure. Nobody would believe what it was that I was desperately trying to get my mind to reject. The idea that it might have been real. That there really was a place with pastel coloured ponies who spoke and acted pretty much like those on the show. If for no other reason, they'd disbelieve because nothing the likes of what I went through could ever happen on Equestria. No, they'd say that my dream was my twisted interpretation. That I'd wanted to see Equestria suffer, so my imagination had invented this tale.
An hour later, I was still lying in bed, still trying to accept the fact that it was a dream. Part of me, surprisingly, wished it hadn't been. I don't just mean the fact that I got to play 'hero', but... It was different. I thought of my dead-end job and my dead end life. I was going nowhere at a rapid pace. I'd be forty-eight soon, and... well, I had part of a house and a car. No 'significant other'; no real savings, nothing. The house was a little, run-down workers' cottage built during the second world war and starting to feel its age. It had been renovated a time or two but there was a lot of work still to be done. A lot of work. It had been the cheapest free-standing house in the city at the time I'd bought it. That, and the view, were the things that I liked about it.
But Equestria – even a disintegrating Equestria – had felt so different. I'd felt useful. Not just like some worker-ant doing something a half-trained monkey could do with equal efficiency and fewer bananas. They'd welcomed me. Thrown a party for me and all, when they didn't even know my name. They'd welcomed me, unconditionally, even though I'd been so very different from them. Then they'd trusted me. Trusted me with the life of little Aura. They could have insisted that I play no part. Or that the Six should have gone with me. But Aura's mother, of all people (ponies?) had argued that I should be the one to go. And go alone. I'd become friends, good friends, with a lot of them.
It was strangely detailed for a dream, too. And I could remember so much of it that... It didn't really feel like a dream at all.
I sat for a bit, then I got up, went to the phone and rang work to tell them I wouldn't be in. I... I just couldn't bring myself to abandon things that readily. After what I'd been through, even if it had been a dream, I couldn't face work. Anyway, the aches and pains I had gave me a good excuse.
I sat back on my bed to think things over. I lay there for some time, trying to make sense of it all, then I got up and turned on my computer. Going into one of the forums I frequent, I told them what had happened. I'd been fairly accurate in my earlier predictions. Some laughed, some were jealous and some disliked what I'd done to their version of Equestria. What I'd dreamed, apparently, was nothing like the show. That it had been a stupid dream brought on by my dislike for the show.
I did a few things during the day as I tried to sort out in my mind what had happened. I remembered a chat a friend of mine and I had had. How I'd said that a place like Equestria – as portrayed in the television series – was too 'good'. That that very 'goodness' of the place grated on me. I felt like I'd be waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was so used to this world, where bad things happened, I'd been doubtful that I could cope. His reply was that, if he ever had the chance to go there, he'd jump at it. I'd laughed. But now? Yeah. Now I'd experienced it? Now I'd actually been there? I sighed and couldn't help but wish for more.
Feeling tired just after lunch, I lay down for a bit of a rest. I wondered if I could dream again of being in Equestria. Even though it had only been a dream, it had been good, with friends and a usefulness that I didn't really feel here. I asked myself the question. Would I go back? I thought of this world and my place in it and I could find one answer was a very big 'Yes.'
"UNCLE!!" I grunted as something landed on my chest. 'Uncle?' I opened my eyes and looked up at a small, lavender coloured foal with a turquoise mane and tail.
"Hello, Aura." I said, wanting to do nothing more than wrapping my arms around her. "You're looking better."
"You've been gone days!" she exclaimed, somewhat reproachfully.
"I'm back now." I told her.
"Forever?"
"I don't know. I'd like that, though." I replied, realising it as the truth even as I said it. I looked around. I was in some kind of tent, but the sun shone outside and all seemed peaceful.
"Got to tell Mummy." she blurted, before dashing off. I could see that she was limping a little and not quite as quick as she had been but it was great to see her on her hooves.
I climbed to my feet and went outside. The place had been cleaned up, I noticed, but there were no houses yet. Ponyville, if it ever were to be, still needed to be rebuilt. Then I saw two things that really made me happy. I walked over and squatted down. "Hello, Fluttershy." I said quietly. She still looked a little worse for wear; her broken wing was strapped and there were signs of other injuries as well, but it was good to see her up and about after my last sighting of her. Pinky Pie, likewise still looked rather battered but much better than she had when I'd last seen her.
The others of the Six came over. They actually seemed pleased to see me. I squatted down, then flopped into a sitting position which was far more comfortable for my aching body. Twilight came up. “Welcome back.” she told me. “Celestia said you might be.” “She did?”
“Yes. You're back sooner than we thought.”
“Oh.” I didn't really know what to make of that. “I'm glad to be back.” I told them. “I missed you. All of you.”
“It's good to have you back, too.” Mayor Mare told me, coming up.
“Thank you, Mayor.” I replied.
Pinky limped up. “If we had anything to have a party with, we'd have a party.” She said with a grin and I had to laugh. She was irrepressible, this one.
“Then how about we see what we can get fixed up and then we can party properly.” I told her.
“You're staying?” Mayor Mare asked. “You didn't just come to say goodbye?”
“Well. I'd like to stay, if I can.”
A sudden double flash denoted the arrival of the arrival of the two princesses. I greeted them politely while Aura, who had come back, looked on, awestruck by their beauty.
"You decided to return?"
“I take it this is the granting of a desire? But why? Why me? Why this?”
Celestia smiled. "Tell me." she said, in that quiet, rather regal tone she had. "When you were trying to get Luna and I to attack you, you said you expected to die. If that's true, why did you do it?"
"I wasn't thinking of myself, Princess. I was thinking of my friends."
"Friends?"
I waved an arm to indicate the ponies that were beginning to come over. "My friends." I repeated. Aura pushed herself against me and I ruffled her mane. “I couldn't just watch them die and do nothing. I had to do something."
Both princesses looked at each other, nodded and then looked to me.
“And that friendship.” Luna murmured. “Is what made you long to return?”
“Yes.” I replied as I saw Flash come into view.
"'Forever', as Aura asked?" Luna asked. I knew, then, that this—if it ever had been—was no longer a dream.
I didn't have to decide, I'd already said it. "If you'll have me, yes."
Celestia smiled. "You see?" She said quietly, her eyes twinkling. "Friendship is magic."